Author: MOGOMOTSI MAGOME and GERALD IMRAY, Associated Press

Eastern European nations confronting a plethora of economic threats fuelled by war on their doorstep may face fresh pressure if peace is reached in Ukraine – from tight labour markets that fuel inflation thanks to an exodus of Ukrainian workers. Central and eastern European countries are home to a large proportion of more than 4.3 million Ukrainians who fled to the EU in the wake of Russia’s invasion and have filled jobs amid historically low unemployment levels. Their possible return to Ukraine after a peace deal is reached would be a snag in what is otherwise good news for the…

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UK bitumen demand dropped by almost 20pc in the third quarter of 2024, and in January-September fell by more than 10pc compared with the previous year, continuing a weak trend since 2021, data from the UK government’s department for energy security and net zero (DESNZ) show.Read More

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