Bloomberg The Philippines suspended all flights from UK from December 24 to Decemebr 31 to prevent the spread of a new variant of the coronavirus, according to a resolution issued by the government’s task force handling the pandemic. The country will also bar travellers who have been in the UK in the 14 days prior to arrival in the Philippines, …

Bloomberg Amazon.com says it will delay raising fees it charges independent sellers to store and ship items until June, a gesture to merchants who have sometimes bristled at the rising costs of doing business with the company. In a blog post to sellers, Jeff Wilke, the outgoing chief executive officer of Amazon’s retail unit, noted that other logistics companies have …

Bloomberg Indian debt and rupee may lure overseas investors in 2021, just like the nation’s equities with one caveat: the central bank will face more challenges in curbing the local currency’s gains against the greenback. Stocks have already attracted the biggest yearly inflows since 2012, adding to the woes for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that has been buying …

Bloomberg European stocks rise after trade and transport links between the UK and its neighbours looked set to resume and Brexit negotiators made a final push for a deal. The Stoxx 600 Index rises as France agreed to end a suspension that crippled Britain’s busiest port after a new virus variant sparked more severe lockdowns. The pound advanced as the …

NEW YORK / WAM The United Nations General Assembly has adopted by consensus a resolution proclaiming February 4 as “International Day for Human Fraternity.” The initiative was introduced by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and as a result the international community will observe International Day for Human Fraternity annually beginning in 2021. Prior to the adoption …

Bloomberg Oil extended this week’s slump on fears that rising virus infections and a faster-spreading strain will inflict a new blow on fuel consumption. Futures are down more than 3% in New York. Many countries have suspended travel with the UK, where a new Covid-19 variant is forcing more than 16 million people to stay at home. A resurgence of …

Bloomberg Norway’s top court dismissed an attempt by climate activists to halt Arctic oil exploration by Western Europe’s biggest petroleum-producing nation. The Nordic government beat back a lawsuit by environmental groups in the country’s Supreme Court, which ruled on Tuesday the authorities had acted lawfully by awarding exploration licenses in the Barents Sea to companies including Equinor ASA, Aker BP …

Bloomberg China is limiting power supplies in some provinces as cold weather and the country’s industrial recovery boost demand. Power supplies are being cut to some industrial and commercial customers in Hunan and Jiangxi provinces, where demand has jumped by at least 18% over the previous year, Zhao Chenxi, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission said at …

Bloomberg Sasol has agreed to sell its stake in a 175-megawatt gas-fired power plant in Mozambique to Azura Power for about $145 million as part of an accelerated disposal program to pay down debt. The sale of its 49% shareholding in the Central Termica de Ressano Garcia plant is subject to conditions including a pre-emption right by state-owned Electricidade de …

Bloomberg An Indian court allowed Amazon.com Inc to oppose Future Group’s $3.4 billion asset sale to Mukesh Ambani’s conglomerate but left it to local regulators to decide on the deal, in a mixed ruling for the US giant fighting Asia’s richest man for dominance in one of the world’s largest retail markets. The Delhi High Court said on Monday it …