US orders government personnel, family members to leave Haiti

(Reuters) -The U.S. State Department on Thursday ordered non-emergency government personnel and family members to leave Haiti as soon as possible, citing “kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure.” The State Department said U.S. citizens not working for the government should also leave Haiti as soon as possible “by commercial or other privately available…

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China’s housing minister urges efforts to strengthen property recovery

BEIJING (Reuters) -China needs more effective implementation measures such as lower home mortgage rates and down payment ratios for first-time home buyers to help spur home purchases, state media quoted the housing minister as saying, sparking a rally in property shares. Speaking at a recent symposium with property developers and construction firms, Ni Hong, minister…

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North Korea economy shrank for third year in 2022 -South’s central bank

By Jihoon Lee SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea’s economy shrank for a third consecutive year in 2022, as COVID-19 restrictions and U.N. sanctions continued to weigh on economic activity in the isolated authoritarian state, according to estimates by the South’s central bank. Foreign trade posted a record rebound, however, after drying up during the pandemic…

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China tops agenda as Biden meets Italy’s Meloni in Washington

By Andrea Shalal and Angelo Amante WASHINGTON/ROME (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met at the White House on Thursday, vowing to deepen economic ties and strengthen cooperation on challenges posed by China, while skirting differences over LGBTQ rights. Italy’s first woman prime minister came to power last October and…

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Analysis-China’s gasoline demand peak nears as EV boom hastens transition

By Mohi Narayan (Reuters) – China’s demand for petrol is likely to peak as early as next year as electric vehicle sales soar, several analysts say, bringing forward an energy transition milestone for the world’s biggest polluter and a headache for global refiners. The International Energy Agency (IEA) and consultancy Rystad Energy have brought forward…

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