India’s March private business activity slows to lowest since October 2022, missing forecasts

MANGALURU, INDIA – SEPTEMBER 05: A general view shows a section of the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) refinery on September 05, 2025 in Mangaluru, India. India’s vast oil refining complexes are among the largest in the world, processing millions of barrels of crude daily to meet rising domestic and export demand. Abhishek Chinnappa…

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China’s emotional economy is on the rise

A giant inflatable Labubu toy floats on the water at Victoria Harbour on October 25, 2025 in Hong Kong, China. Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images 28-year-old Rebecca Zhou, born in China’s Sichuan province, owns an assortment of Moomin merchandise — bags, mugs, and figurines featuring the white hippo-looking cartoon character from Finland…

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Gold loans are thriving in India

Hello, I am Priyanka Salve, writing to you from Singapore. Welcome to the latest edition of Inside India — your one-stop destination for stories and developments from the world’s fastest growing large economy. This week, I unpack what’s driving the rapid surge in gold‑loan growth in the world’s second‑largest bullion market. Loans against gold are…

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China’s factory output and consumption beat forecasts, while property investment contraction slows

Staff sort parcels on the mail sorting assembly line at the Postal Delivery Logistics Joint Distribution Center in Mengshan County, Wuzhou City, Guangxi Province, China, on January 28, 2026. (Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images China’s economy started on a strong footing this year, with consumption and production both…

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