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China manufacturing improves as virus curbs eased

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BEIJING -- Chinese manufacturing activity started to rebound in May after the government eased anti-virus restrictions that shut down Shanghai and other industrial centers, an official survey showed Tuesday. The monthly purchasing managers' index of the national statistics agency and an industry group, the China Federal of Logistics and purchasing, improved to 49.6% from April's 47.4 on a 100-point scale. Numbers below 50 show activity contracting. New orders, exports and employment all improved. More businesses in Shanghai, China's most populous city, are being allowed to reopen this week after outbreaks were deemed to be under control. Other industrial centers including Shenzhen in the south and Changchun in the northeast also were temporarily shut down, disrupting manufacturing and trade. The data indicate “activity has started to rebound as containment measures were rolled back,” Sheana Yue of Capital Economics said in a report. “The recovery is likely to remain tepid ...
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Russians, Ukrainians fight block by block in eastern city

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KRAMATORSK, Ukraine -- Russian troops pushed deeper into a key eastern Ukrainian city Monday, fighting street by street with Kyiv's forces in a battle that has left Sievierodonetsk in ruins. In a bid to pressure Moscow to end the war, the European Union agreed to embargo most Russian oil imports by the end of the year. As Moscow's advance on Sievierodonetsk increased in intensity, Russian forces also shelled parts of Ukraine 's northeast, and a struggle continued for control of a southern region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said Russia has prevented the export of 22 million tons of Ukrainian grain, contributing to a growing global food crisis. Military analysts described the fight for Sievierodonetsk as part of a race against time for the Kremlin. The city is important to Russian efforts to quickly complete the capture of the eastern industrial region of the Donbas before more Western arms arrive to bolster Ukraine’s defense. Moscow-backed separatis...
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