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G20 Finance Leaders Urge Care in Unwinding Pandemic Support

Finance leaders of the world's biggest economies called Friday for a cautious and well coordinated approach to navigating recoveries from the pandemic.

Finance ministers and top central bankers of the Group of 20 industrial nations agreed on a need to minimize the impact of moves by the U.S. and other countries to combat inflation by raising interest rates and unwinding other measures to buffer economies from repeated waves of coronavirus outbreaks, said Indonesian central bank Gov. Perry Warjiyo.

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Report: Banks Threaten to Shut Down if Salameh Arrested

The main commercial banks in Lebanon have warned the relevant officials that they would shut down their operations and that their CEOs would leave Lebanon should Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh be arrested, informed sources said.

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Experts See Avocado Price Rise, Damage to Mexican Producers

Experts say you may be paying more for your avocado toast in the short term, and the effects of the U.S. temporary ban on imports of the fruit is already being felt by avocado pickers in Mexico.

Mexico is negotiating security guarantees for U.S. inspectors who certify Mexican avocados for export. The inspections were halted last week after one of the U.S. inspectors was threatened in the western state of Michaoacan, where growers are routinely subject to extortion by drug cartels.

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Protests Grow in Puerto Rico amid Demands for Higher Wages

Four men walked to the parking lot before dawn, then sat down blocking the entrance and linked their arms to await the arrival of hundreds of federal and state employees for the work day.

Protesting years without pay raises, the four employees of Puerto Rico's Authority of Roads and Transportation refused to budge. A specialized police unit finally moved in to remove them, and as they were put in handcuffs, one of the men yelled: "Fair salary! Give us what you owe us!"

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Global Shares Mixed as Ukraine Tensions Persist

World shares were mixed on Friday as investors watched developments in the Ukraine after the U.S. warned of a high risk of a Russian invasion.

Benchmarks rose in London, Paris and Shanghai but fell in Hong Kong and Tokyo. Oil prices fell and U.S. futures were higher.

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Iconic Gaza Bookstore Reopens, Months after Israeli Strike

An iconic Gaza bookstore destroyed in an Israeli airstrike last year has reopened, lifting the spirits of its ecstatic owner and a large crowd of well-wishers celebrating the moment.

The five-story building that housed Samir Mansour's bookstore on its ground floor was reduced to rubble during the 11-day war between Israel and the Palestinian territory's Hamas rulers in May. The 100,000 books at the shop became piles of torn papers mired in ash and dust.

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Saudi Arabia Keeps Lid on Oil Output as U.S. Gas Prices Rise

Saudi Arabia is signaling it isn't willing to pump more oil and won't push for changes to an agreement with Russia and other producers that has kept a lid on oil production levels.

This has Washington concerned as gasoline prices rise and tensions with Russia over Ukraine fuel market uncertainty.

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Group Alleges U.S. Firm's Tanker Illicitly Traded Iran Oil

A tanker owned by a Los Angeles-based private equity firm likely took part in the illicit trade of Iranian crude oil at sea despite American sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic amid the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers, an advocacy group alleges. The firm said Thursday it is cooperating with U.S. government investigators.

The group United Against Nuclear Iran raised its allegations in a letter dated Tuesday to Oaktree Capital Management, which holds assets worth over $160 billion. Satellite images and maritime tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press correspond to the group's identification of the vessels allegedly involved and showed them side-by-side off the coast of Singapore on Saturday.

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EU Parliament Eyes Approval of 1.2 Billion Euro Aid for Ukraine

The European Parliament on Tuesday agreed to an urgent vote on a 1.2-billion-euro ($1.4-billion) EU aid package for Ukraine, as fears of a potential Russian invasion threaten its economy. 

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European Stocks Rebound, Oil Slides on Easing Ukraine Fears

European stock markets rebounded and oil prices tumbled Tuesday on hopes that Ukraine and Russia would avoid a full-blown conflict.

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