Thursday , 18 December 2025

News

World economy now set to surpass $100trn in 2022

  Bloomberg The world economy is set to surpass $100 trillion for the first time in 2022, two years earlier than previously forecast, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). Global gross domestic product will be lifted by the continued recovery from the pandemic, although if inflation persists it may be hard for policy makers to avoid …

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Saudi Arabia’s exports rise on higher oil prices

  Bloomberg Saudi Arabia’s exports soared in October as the world’s biggest oil exporter benefited from higher crude prices. The value of exports jumped to 106.2 billion riyals ($28 billion) from 55.9 billion riyals a year ago, according to the kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics. The share of oil in total exports rose to 77.6% in October from 66.1%. Saudi …

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Oil climbs to four-week high as Omicron concerns ease

  Bloomberg Oil settled above $73 a barrel for the first time in four weeks as signs that the omicron Covid-19 variant may be less severe than previous strains eased concerns about a demand hit. West Texas Intermediate futures in New York closed 1.4% higher amid thinning liquidity heading into the holiday period. A UK health agency said omicron was …

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Russia hits Google, Meta with record $125m fine

  Bloomberg A Russian court fined Alphabet Inc’s Google 7.2 billion rubles ($98 million) and Meta Platforms Inc 2 billion rubles for failing to remove banned content, largest such penalties yet, as the authorities escalate a crackdown on foreign technology companies. The fines were due to the companies’ repeated failure to comply with orders to take down content and based …

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Oil rises after two-day drop as investors assess demand

  Bloomberg Oil rises as traders assessed the outlook for demand amid the rapid spread of omicron. Futures in London climbed above $72 a barrel in a volatile trading session on Tuesday, having fallen about 5% over the past two days. The new virus variant accounted for 73% of all Covid-19 infections in the US last week, but city traffic …

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Oil falls as tightening Fed, omicron sour sentiment

  Bloomberg Oil posted a weekly decline after a volatile few days that saw traders grow more concerned about the demand impact from the omicron variant and tighter monetary policy. Futures in New York fell as much as 3.4% to briefly trade below $70 a barrel. It ended the week losing over 1% as daily Covid-19 cases in the UK …

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Global oil production may plunge 30% this decade

  Bloomberg Saudi Arabia said global oil production could drop 30% by the end of the decade due to falling investment in fossil fuels. “We’re heading towards a phase that could be dangerous if there’s not enough spending on energy,” Saudi oil minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said in Riyadh. The result could be an “energy crisis,” he said. The minister …

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Oil sees strongest week since August as virus fears abate

Bloomberg Oil set its biggest weekly gain in more than three months as the worst fears over the new virus strain have receded. West Texas Intermediate futures climbed 8.2% this week. Fuel consumption so far escaped any major blows from the omicron variant. Yet confidence is limited. Rallies are still punctuated by selloffs after rising infection rates prompted some governments …

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G-7 ministers to discuss soaring global inflation

Bloomberg The Group of Seven (G-7) finance ministers will convene virtually on Monday to discuss the recent surge in inflation, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The talks will come against the backdrop of supply-chain snarls that have hampered the world economy, and ministers will also discuss healthcare, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity. …

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Oil rises after Saudi price hike signals confidence in demand

Bloomberg Oil rises after Saudi Arabia boosted the prices of its crude, signalling confidence in the demand outlook despite the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. Futures in New York advanced 2.9% to trade near $68 a barrel. The kingdom increased its oil prices for customers in Asia and the US for January, just days after the Opec+ …

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