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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How nations are coping with the Iran oil shock

A fuel nozzle is inserted into a combustion engine at a petrol pump at a filling station during a refueling process. Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images Countries around the world have scrambled to cope with the fallout of the energy shock from the Iran war, imposing measures from fuel export bans, loosening…

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