#economic-recovery

#economic-recovery

Countless Londoners have flocked to the streets in recent weeks to express their dissent to the impending expansion of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), a scheme that aims to curb air pollution by levying drivers of older and more contaminating vehicles 12.50 a day to enter any part of London.The ULEZ, which currently encompasses central London, is set to be extended to cover all areas within the North and South Circular roads from 29 August 2023.

L ondon's roads remain the most congested in the world as life is returning to normal as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic recedes, new figures show.Drivers in the capital spent an average of 156 hours sitting in traffic in 2022, according to a report by traffic information supplier Inrix.It is the second year in a row that London has topped the global congestion ranking, which covers more than 1,000 cities across 50 countries.

The championing of the north by the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, is a noble cause, but his past support for HS2 was a dreadful mistake.From the start, it was clear that the staggering 100bn cost more than all other rail projects put together would cripple all British rail investments everywhere.

In an apocalyptic vision of Bay Area public transit, BART cancels its weekend service and shutters nine stations just to keep the lights on elsewhere.Trains run once an hour, instead of every 15 minutes.San Francisco's Muni buses crawl around on life-support, and the East Bay's AC Transit eliminates numerous local lines.

A left-leaning Welsh Labour MP has said the democratic process has been undermined after losing the selection contest for a new seat.Beth Winter claimed she will be taking advice and soundings on her next steps after Gerald Jones was announced as the candidate for Merthyr Tydfil and Upper Cynon.Proposed boundary changes in Wales mean the two MPs' constituencies would effectively be merged into one setting up the two-way contest between them.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SNP leadership candidates must put forward their foreign policy strategies to counter the threat of authoritarian regimes, an SNP MP has said.Stewart McDonald, who served as his party's Westminster defence spokesman from 2017 until 2022, has released a new paper for think tank Reform Scotland to make Scotland's case for devolved foreign policy.

China has suspended visas for South Koreans to come to the country for tourism or business in apparent retaliation for Covid-19 testing requirements on Chinese travellers.brief notice posted online by the Chinese Embassy in Seoul said the ban would apply until South Korea lifted its "discriminatory measures on entrance by China" to the country.

Possibly the only person in the world who has any real influence on Vladimir Putin is his self-declared friend Xi Jinping.China's leader did not let Putin's arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court stop him from visiting Moscow recently.China's influence in Moscow stems from diplomatic decisions and economic dependence: China, the world's second most important economy, has yet to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Fewer than 100 Asia-based firms have suspended or scaled back their Russia operations, according to database.Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia In the weeks following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the corporate world's response revealed an East-West divide.As North American and European firms rushed to cut ties with Russia, Asian companies largely sat out campaigns to isolate and punish Moscow that went beyond their legal obligations under sanctions.

GOOD MORNING, SUNDAY!It's the perfect time to catch up on some of the great reporting and stories the Mercury churned out this week!(PRO TIP: If you despise being "the last to know," then be one of the first to know by signing up for Mercury newsletters!All the latest stories shipped directly to your email's in-box... and then... YOUR HEAD.)
* Portland's First Sanctioned Mass Homeless Camp Expected to Open This Summer in Central Eastside
According to the mayor, Portland's first city-run, sanctioned mass camp for homeless residents is expected to be up and running by this summer.

Local The average Boston driver lost 134 hours - more than five days - to traffic last year, according to a new report.The typical Boston driver is no stranger to gridlocked streets, bumper-to-bumper traffic, and all the hair-pulling and teeth-gnashing that comes with the territory.The numbers bear that out: Boston is the fourth-worst city in the world for congestion, with the average driver losing 134 hours - more than five days - to traffic last year, according to a new report.

Beijing will give out a $6 monthly cash subsidy to low-income residents to cushion the impact of rising food prices, a move that has unexpectedly angered many online who say the amount is far too low.The announcement from the city government comes as food inflation accelerated in China after policymakers scrapped their zero-Covid strategy in December and eased monetary policy further to fuel economic recovery.

Recession fears dragged the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite into a bear market last year, and neither index has yet recovered.But every past bear market eventually ends in a new bull market, and there is no reason to believe this one will break the pattern.In other words, the next bull market is most assuredly on its way.

Passenger numbers at tube stations in key shopping areas returned back to pre-pandemic levels last weekend, according to the latest numbers from Transport for London ( TfL).TfL says that over a million entries and exits were recorded at stations designated near 'shopping' locations, which includes stations such as Oxford Circus, Knightsbridge and High Street Kensington.

Architecture studio McCloy + Muchemwa has teamed up with maker studio Mitre & Mondays to create tables that join together like puzzle pieces.The Partly Cloudy Tables were designed for Out & About, a programme of free events in Pinball Park, Sheffield, intended to support economic recovery in the northern English city.

Urgent measures are needed by employers and the government to close the gender pay gap, according to a new report.The Fawcett Society said women face double trouble because of the combined impact of the cost-of-living crisis and the difference in their pay compared with men.The campaign group said its research showed that during 2022 women will, on average, take home 564 less than men each month, up from 536 in 2021.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta said on Tuesday that the club may not be able to sign players in the January transfer window due to LaLiga's financial fair play rules.Barca's accounts are "healthy" again, Laporta said, with an expected income this season of €1.23 billion ($1.27 billion) and a budgeted profit of €274 million.

Rishi Sunak has been warned that public services need an additional 43bn a year simply to stand still, as his government prepares to make swingeing cuts in a bid to balance the books.The Trades Union Congress (TUC) said the prime minister must protect frontline services and workers' pay from the impact inflation and Liz Truss's disastrous mini-Budget.

LAS VEGAS: Voters stand in booths as they fill out their ballots at a polling center at the Meadows Mall on Nov. 8, 2022.Americans voted in the midterm elections to decide close races across the nation.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)Voters approved minimum wage increases for workers in Nebraska and Nevada, as well as for tipped workers in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, as many said that inflation was a top concern in exit polls.