Dushanbe hosts key regional summits amid shifting geopolitical landscape
Dushanbe is preparing for one of its busiest diplomatic weeks in recent memory. From 8 to 12 October, the capital of Tajikistan will host two major in...
A last-minute shopping surge and heavy discounts drove U.S. holiday sales higher than expected, rising 3.8% from last year, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse.
Holiday retail spending in the U.S. from November 1 to December 24 exceeded prior forecasts, reflecting strong consumer activity despite inflation and higher interest rates. The 3.8% year-over-year increase underscores continued resilience among shoppers, Mastercard SpendingPulse reported.
However, retailers noted a shift in consumer behavior. Describing customers as “selective” and “cautious,” many stores leaned heavily on promotions to attract buyers. Major chains such as Walmart extended price cuts through rollbacks, while Target intensified its promotional campaigns to maintain shopper interest. Dollar General, Kroger, and Five Below also slashed prices to remain competitive, acknowledging the pressure on profit margins.
E-commerce outpaced physical store sales growth, continuing a digital-first shopping trend. Online sales grew at double the rate of in-store purchases, as consumers increasingly opted for convenience. Retailers embraced generative AI tools to enhance customer service and product discovery, while improving curbside pickup and delivery services to streamline the shopping experience.
“Digital innovation and customer-centric strategies played a pivotal role in shaping this holiday season,” noted Steve Sadove, senior adviser to Mastercard and former CEO of Saks.
Despite economic challenges, the 2024 holiday season highlights both the adaptability of retailers and the enduring spending power of American consumers.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on 13 September with no tsunami threat, coming just weeks after the region endured a devastating 8.8-magnitude quake — the strongest since 1952.
Authorities in California have identified the dismembered body discovered in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been missing from Lake Elsinore since April 2024.
Gold prices rose above $4,000 an ounce for the first time on Wednesday, fuelled by investor demand for safe-haven assets amid rising geopolitical tensions and expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts.
U.S. shares ended Tuesday in negative territory as investors, cut off from official economic data due to the ongoing government shutdown, looked to alternative indicators and comments from Federal Reserve officials for guidance on economic weakness and monetary policy.
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI is targeting a $20 billion capital raise linked to Nvidia hardware, Bloomberg News has reported.
Türkiye’s benchmark stock index, the BIST 100, closed Tuesday at 10,814.11 points, up 0.74% from the previous session.
Euro zone finance ministers are set to meet on Thursday to explore ways to boost the development of euro-denominated stablecoins, amid concerns that the fast-growing market could remain dominated by the United States, a senior euro zone official said.
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