Cuba to release 51 people from prison

Photo credit: NPR Cuba’s government said on Thursday that it would release 51 people from prison in an unexpected move. The Canadian Press reports that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the release in the upcoming days stems from a spirit of goodwill and close relations with the Vatican. The government did not identify who it would release except  to…

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Migrant surge heats up New Zealand’s housing market

Photo credit: moamag New Zealand’s migration cycle is turning higher again, with ASB highlighting that stronger-than-expected inflows could add to demand and inflation pressures, which in turn may influence mortgage rates and borrowing capacity. NZA reports that ASB economist Wesley Tanuvasa notes that “there is growing evidence that the migration cycle is on the up” with permanent…

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UN condemns “$1 billion-a-day” cost of war in Middle East

Photo credit: Economic Times The UN’s emergency relief chief on Wednesday condemned the “$$1 billion-a-day” cost of the war in the Middle East, at a time when humanitarian needs are soaring, and aid funding is falling dangerously short.  “We’re seeing the consequences spread faster than we can respond”, warned the UN emergency relief chief, Tom Fletcher, as violence…

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Wartime Winners and Losers

Photo credit: Spectrum News Governments around the world agreed to release 400 million barrels from emergency oil reserves to ease surging global energy prices on Wednesday. Bloomberg reports that it’s the largest discharge ever made by the International Energy Agency. With that amount of oil, one could theoretically fill 25,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools of 20 NFL stadiums, fuel a…

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