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US cities need to boost the stock of entry-level homes

Location:

UNITED STATES

Homelessness has become a major political issue in recent years, as has related concern about a shortage of small, affordable homes. State and municipal efforts to tackle…

Australian foreign property rules are mainly political

Location:

AUSTRALIA

The new rules, which include steeper taxes on foreign purchases of existing domestic properties, are part of a Labor strategy intended to free up more housing stock. The…

China’s urbanisation push cushions its growth slowdown

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CHINA

The plan aims to boost the proportion of urban household residency holders from just over 66% of the population in 2023 to around 70% by 2028, equivalent to roughly 52 million new…

Anti-graft moves will hurt banking sector in Vietnam

Location:

VIETNAM

This was soon after further details emerged about previously reported financial scandals. The largest involves alleged embezzlement of more than VND300tn (well over USD12bn) from…

Colombia pension reform will face further challenges

Location:

COLOMBIA

The bill’s content was watered down during debate, with the earning threshold at which payments into private pension funds are permitted lowered and the Central Bank granted a…

China will step up anti-graft in healthcare

Location:

CHINA

The authorities investigated over 200 leading healthcare figures between January and mid-November, compared to just twelve in 2019-22. They may be seeking to combat illegal…

ASEAN leadership will stretch Laos in 2024

Location:

LAOS

The theme it has chosen for its chairmanship is ‘enhancing connectivity and resilience’. The reference to ‘resilience’ is apt, as Laos is attempting to manage severe economic…

Afghan drug ban may be close to unravelling

Location:

AFGHANISTAN

Local villagers were ignoring the ban on the production, use and trafficking of drugs, announced by Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada in April 2022. The Taliban…

Regional tensions threaten West African food security

Location:

WEST AFRICA

This could worsen to an estimated 49.5 million people by mid-year as the lean season sets in between harvests. Meanwhile, over 100 million people could face food insecurity if…

US zoning laws will continue to hinder homebuilding

Location:

UNITED STATES

US housing costs, especially in cities that are hubs for technology or finance, have been rising sharply over the past decade. Housing affordability is at a 40-year low, with…