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Tensions rise in rural China: Guizhou villagers protest over cremation order; What we know so far

Protests have broken out in China’s southern Guizhou province after local authorities directed residents to opt for cremation instead of traditional burials. The unrest in Shidong town, which began over the weekend, marks the latest in a sharp rise in rural demonstrations across the country.According to China Dissent Monitor (CDM), rural protests in China have…

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UK wage rise: Minimum pay raised for 2.7 million workers from April; businesses warn of higher cost pressures

File photo: Chancellor Rachel Reeves (Picture credit: AP) Millions of low-paid workers in the UK will receive a pay increase from April as the government confirmed new minimum wage rates ahead of Wednesday’s Budget. The hourly rate for over-21s will rise by 50p to £12.71, with 18–20-year-olds seeing an 85p jump to £10.85, and under-18s…

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Market watch: Asian shares rally as US rate-cut bets rise; oil edges up after Ukraine–Russia peace signals

File photo (Picture credit: AP) Asian markets climbed on Wednesday as softer US data strengthened expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next month, while crude prices steadied after touching one-month lows.Asia followed Wall Street’s upbeat momentum after a run of weaker-than-expected US figures boosted confidence in a December rate cut. According to…

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AI bets pay off: Alibaba posts 5% revenue rise as AI app hits 10 million downloads; cloud business accelerates

Alibaba reported a stronger September quarter on Tuesday, buoyed by the blockbuster launch of its redesigned Qwen AI app and a sharp pickup in cloud-computing revenue, even as net profit fell sharply.The Chinese tech major said revenue for the three months ended September 30 rose 5% year-on-year to 247.8 billion yuan ($35 billion), ahead of…

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Credit pulse: NBFCs eye steady AUM rise as firms adopt risk-calibrated lending; unsecured and MSME segments face strain

A steady expansion in retail credit demand is expected to keep non-bank finance companies on an 18 per cent growth path, even as lenders turn more selective amid rising borrower leverage, Crisil Ratings has said. The agency noted that NBFCs are moderating their stance in pockets such as unsecured MSME loans, where repayment stress is…

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‘Mastiii 4’ box office collection day 2: Vivek Oberoi, Riteish Deshmukh, Aftab Shivdasani starrer sees ‘No Growth’ on Saturday, while Farhan Akhtar ‘120 Bhahadur’ witnesses a rise |

The comedy flick ‘Mastiii 4’ opened to Rs. 2.75 crore on Friday, but failed to see any growth on Saturday, collecting the same amount. This puts its total at Rs. 5.50 crore, potentially missing the Rs. 10 crore opening weekend mark. Meanwhile, ‘120 Bahadur’ showed a positive trend, outperforming ‘Mastiii 4’ with Rs. 6.25 crore…

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Why are tomato prices soaring? Retail prices shoot up 50% in a fortnight – here’s what’s driving the rise

As per retail price statistics from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, the national average retail prices rose by 27% between October 19 and November 19. (AI image) Tomato prices have skyrocketed! Even as retail inflation hits a record low, tomato prices have soared anywhere between 25% to 100% in the last month. The cost of…

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Aviation industry: ICRA keeps outlook ‘stable’ as domestic traffic set for modest rise; international flyers projected to grow 13–15%

India’s civil aviation sector is expected to grow steadily but at a modest pace this financial year, with domestic passenger traffic likely to expand by 4–6 per cent in 2025-26, rating agency ICRA has said. As per news agency ANI, the agency retained its “stable” outlook on the industry even as the April–October 2025 period…

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Trump tariff shock eases? India’s exports to US rise after 4 months of slide; reach $6.3 billion in October

US President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on India in August, 25% of which is a penalty for India’s crude oil imports from Russia. (AI image) India’s exports to the US have grown in October over September, despite the 50% tariffs imposed by American President Donald Trump on Indian goods. However, the exports to the…

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