In India’s Ayodhya, the Ram temple means ‘land is costlier than gold’ | Business and Economy

In India’s Ayodhya, the Ram temple means ‘land is costlier than gold’ | Business and Economy

Ayodhya, India: Ram Surat Verma regrets his decision to sell his land in 2019. A farmer in Takpura village in the Ayodhya district of the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about 155km (96 miles) from Lucknow, the state capital, he received 25 million rupees ($300,000) when he sold his…

Dominican Republic to trial four-day work week: Can it work globally? | Labour Rights News

Dominican Republic to trial four-day work week: Can it work globally? | Labour Rights News

In February, the Dominican Republic will become the first Caribbean nation to test a four-day work week, following similar trials in countries such as the United Kingdom. The six-month pilot will be voluntary for companies and will not involve a pay cut for participating employees. Growing calls for a shorter…

South Africa seeks to stop auction of historic Nelson Mandela artefacts | Nelson Mandela News

South Africa seeks to stop auction of historic Nelson Mandela artefacts | Nelson Mandela News

About 75 items are to go under the hammer in a deal between Mandela’s family and a New York-based auctioneer. The South African government has said it will challenge the auctioning of dozens of artefacts belonging to the nation’s anti-apartheid stalwart Nelson Mandela, saying the items are of historical significance…

US lawmakers pass spending bill to avert government shutdown | Politics News

US lawmakers pass spending bill to avert government shutdown | Politics News

House of Representatives also votes to keep the lights on in government facilities for at least another six weeks. The US Congress has passed a short-term spending bill to thwart a partial government shutdown that threatened the functioning of multiple key federal agencies and could have seen thousands of employees…

‘Better future’: India’s Ayodhya sees business boom with Ram temple launch | Business and Economy News

‘Better future’: India’s Ayodhya sees business boom with Ram temple launch | Business and Economy News

Ayodhya, India – A 13-kilometre stretch around the controversial Ram temple in the northern Indian city of Ayodhya is lit up with sparkling lights, the walls in the area covered in murals as the city prepares for the January 22 inauguration ceremony by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But Rajesh Majhi has…

As PM, India’s Modi secretly tried to massively cut state funds | Business and Economy News

As PM, India’s Modi secretly tried to massively cut state funds | Business and Economy News

New Delhi, India – Immediately after becoming the prime minister in 2014, Narendra Modi held backdoor negotiations with the Finance Commission of India to significantly cut funds allocated to the country’s states. However, the head of the commission, an independent constitutional body deciding states’ shares from central taxes, resisted, and…

China posts sluggish GDP growth in 2023, population declines again | Business and Economy News

China posts sluggish GDP growth in 2023, population declines again | Business and Economy News

Official data shows GDP was 5.2 percent in 2023, hitting a government target, but recovery looks uneven. China’s economy grew by 5.2 percent in 2023, hitting the government’s official target, but concerns about growth momentum remain amid a protracted property crisis, sluggish consumer and business confidence, and weak global growth….

Thousands of tractors block Berlin traffic over plans to end diesel subsidy | Agriculture News

Thousands of tractors block Berlin traffic over plans to end diesel subsidy | Agriculture News

Farmers gather in German capital to join a giant rally demanding a rethink of the government’s plans to tax them more. Thousands of German farmers, truck drivers and agricultural workers have gathered with tractors and other heavy equipment in front of Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate for another demonstration by farmers…

Oil prices steady despite Middle East tensions, but risks are rising | Oil and Gas News

Oil prices steady despite Middle East tensions, but risks are rising | Oil and Gas News

In recent weeks, missile and drone attacks on cargo ships crossing the Red Sea have caused the biggest disruption to global trade since the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite delayed supplies, however, oil prices have remained surprisingly stable. In response to Israel’s war on Gaza, Houthi rebels – the Iran-aligned Shia movement…

Some companies want to bet on US elections. Not everyone agrees. | Business and Economy

Some companies want to bet on US elections. Not everyone agrees. | Business and Economy

Tarek Mansour spent several years working in finance at firms like Goldman Sachs and Citadel before launching the groundbreaking fintech startup Kalshi. Using his background in finance, he built the first regulated exchange, running what are called “event contracts” or ways to trade on current affairs like national elections. With…