Economy

Washington — U.S. manufacturing activity edged lower in June, deepening a recent slump on continued weak demand, according to industry survey data published Monday. The Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) manufacturing index came in at…
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LA PAZ — Signs reading “I'm buying dollars” line the doors of Víctor Vargas’ shoe shop in the heart of Bolivia’s biggest city, a desperate attempt to keep his family business alive. Just a few years ago, the 45-year-old Vargas would unlock…
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Washington — Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan was down sharply last year, according to the United Nations and private sources, but the plants are being grown in most provinces despite a ban imposed by the Taliban. Some areas grow more…
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After more than three decades, Egypt has increased the fixed price of subsidized bread from 0.05 Egyptian pounds ($0.0010) a loaf to 0.20 Egyptian pounds ($0.0042). With record levels of inflation already straining the Egyptian people — the…
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HARARE, ZIMBABWE — Officials in Zimbabwe, which is facing a growing problem of substance abuse — especially among unemployed youth, say arrests have surged in 2024, with close to 2,400 people taken into custody so far. Officials say…
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BEIJING — Beijing wants the EU to scrap its preliminary tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles by July 4, China's state-controlled Global Times reported, after both sides agreed to hold new trade talks. Provisional European Union duties of up…
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Gia Lai Province — Vietnam’s coffee growers have been hit hard by the worst drought in nearly a decade this year, and that could mean a morning espresso is about to get more costly. The country is the world's second biggest coffee producer…
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Paris — The promises are appealing — and expensive. Vying to oust the centrist government of President Emmanuel Macron in an upcoming two-round parliamentary election June 30 and July 7, French political parties of both the far right and…
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MILAN — The post-pandemic surge in global sales of luxury handbags, shoes and apparel is set to stall this year amid a creativity crisis and price hikes as brands shift focus to the biggest spending customers, a new study by the Bain…
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Nairobi, Kenya — A 21-year-old man died after being hit by a tear gas canister during protests in Kenya this week, a human rights official and the victim's relative said Saturday, in the second fatality in connection with the youth-led…
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