sluggish

But Australian confidence was further punctured by a fired-up Ireland, who immediately set about atoning for their sluggish start in last week's uninspiring win over Japan with renewed intent and aggression.

Nick Woltemade scored a brace to send a sluggish Germany past Luxembourg 2-0 away and within touching distance of direct World Cup qualification on Friday.

Federal Reserve officials have been divided during the data blackout over whether persistent inflation or the sluggish labor market is the greater economic threat, clouding the path for interest rate cuts.

The market for initial public offerings has perked up this year after a sluggish 2024.

Beijing has been confronted with sluggish domestic spending since the end of the Covid pandemic, with a prolonged debt crisis in the property sector weighing on sentiment.