Bloomberg UK consumers took on unsecured loans at the fastest pace since the aftermath of the first lockdown, adding to signs that people are becoming more willing to spend. Consumer credit rises 706 million pounds ($942 billion) in October, more than economists forecast the highest figure since July last year, Bank of England figures show. Borrowing on credit cards accounted ...

Bloomberg French inflation accelerated in November to the quickest pace in more than a decade as surging energy and manufactured goods prices offset a fall in fresh food costs. After Germany recorded a 6% surge in prices in the same period, the inflation data for the euro area’s second largest economy adds to concerns over the ECB’s insistence that the ...

Bloomberg The Italian economy is likely to recover from the pandemic faster than previously forecast, growing by as much as 6.4% this year, according to a study by Confindustria, the country’s federation of employers. A strong third quarter should allow 2021 gross domestic product to increase by 6.3%-6.4%, the study showed, well above the official government forecast of 6%. That ...

Bloomberg Unfilled jobs surpassed one million in Canada, a sign that employers are having difficulty finding workers as they ramp up hiring. There were 1,014,600 job vacancies in September, Statistics Canada reported in Ottawa. That represents about 6% of all jobs, a vacancy rate that’s up from as low as 3% last December. Employers in high-contact industries like food services ...

Bloomberg German unemployment extended its decline in November as businesses added staff to work off a backlog in orders. Unemployment in Europe’s largest economy falls by 34,000, beating economists’ forecast for a drop of 25,000. That pushed the jobless rate to 5.3%. “Consequences of the current, worrying corona situation in Germany have hardly shown up so far,” Federal Labour Agency ...

Bloomberg The new coronavirus variant is set to test European economy’s recent ability to withstand fresh restrictions on activity. With the new strain from South Africa looming as a threat to public health, adding to the existing headache of rising infections that have already forced Austria and Slovakia to impose lockdowns, a pandemic that countries around the region had previously ...

Bloomberg Fresh concerns about the efficacy of existing vaccines against the omicron coronavirus strain pushed markets back into risk-off mode on Tuesday, with stocks in Europe dropping alongside US equity futures. Bonds gained as investors sought havens. The Stoxx Europe 600 index falls more than 1%, more than wiping out an earlier advance. Cyclical sectors including retail, travel and carmakers ...

Bloomberg South Korea’s benchmark stock index erased its gain for the year on renewed outflow of foreign funds amid worries that the new Covid-19 variant could hamper the global economic recovery. The equity benchmark falls 2.4%, with losses accelerating in the afternoon following a Financial Times that Moderna Inc’s CEO said existing vaccines may struggle against the omicron strain. The ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM On the occasion of the Commemoration Day, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that the UAE will remain indebted to its heroes who sacrificed their very souls for the sake of their homeland. “The sacrifices of our martyrs will remain indelible in the conscience of homeland and our national memory. Their heroic ...

Bloomberg Oil pared gains in volatile trading after rebounding from one of its biggest daily drops as traders weighed the risks to demand from the omicron variant of Covid-19 and the potential response by Opec and its allies. Futures in New York were up about 3.5% on Monday after earlier rallying as much as 7%. The World Health Organisation warned ...