Friday , 19 December 2025

News

UK budget deficit soars to $222bn under lockdowns

Bloomberg UK government borrowing soared to 173.7 billion pounds ($222 billion) in the first five months of the fiscal year as the costs of the coronavirus pandemic continued to mount. The budget deficit in August alone was 35.9 billion pounds, the Office for National Statistics said. Britain now has borrowed more since a national lockdown was imposed in March than …

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Oil falls in wake of renewed concerns over virus surge

Bloomberg Oil falls this week amid growing concerns that another wave of the coronavirus pandemic will spark tighter lockdown measures and further stifle crude demand. New York futures edged lower and drop 2.1% on the week. The number of US coronavirus cases rise above 7 million, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Meanwhile, a second governor tested positive for …

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Oil holds near $40 with stock markets rising

Bloomberg Oil held near $40 a barrel in New York as positive European manufacturing data and rising equity markets gave some respite to demand worries. Futures edged higher, buoyed by stronger-than-expected manufacturing figures from Germany, while S&P 500 futures advanced with European equities. Citigroup Inc. said it remains bullish on the outlook for oil, though the market is undergoing a …

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Brent oil climbs but demand clouds linger

Bloomberg Oil edged higher, recovering from its biggest loss in almost two weeks even as a resurgent coronavirus looms over the demand outlook. Futures in London were up 1.3% near $42 a barrel, snapping a sharp decline from Monday alongside the European markets. Brent also recovered from technical support, moving away from their 100-day moving average on Tuesday. That’s despite …

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Friends of Covax Facility strongly supports vaccine multilateralism

Abu Dhabi / WAM The Friends of the Covax Facility (FOF) strongly supports vaccine multilateralism and the goal of ensuring affordable, fair and equitable access to safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines for all. The Covax Facility is about to set a precedent of multilateral cooperation and solidarity and the FOF firmly believes in the importance and impact of this global …

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Oil declines on signs of Libya restart with virus cases rising

Bloomberg Oil declined as Libya signalled the resumption of some crude exports, while surging coronavirus cases cloud the outlook for demand. Futures in New York drop 2.2% to near $40 a barrel. Libya is moving closer to reopening its battered oil industry after it told companies to resume production at some fields. This will add to already rising supply from …

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UAE upholds multilateralism, outlines priorities for UN75

NEW YORK / WAM HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, will lead the UAE’s delegation to the 75th session of the UN General Assembly and will virtually address the body on September 29 during the General Debate. During the high-level week, the UAE delegation will be engaging with other member states, UN …

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Saudi companies begin talks to form $11bn chemicals maker

Bloomberg Saudi Industrial Investment Group and National Petrochemical Co. started talks to merge, potentially creating a firm with $11 billion in assets as Middle Eastern energy companies assess their options in a lower oil-price environment. The talks are at an initial stage, and no agreement has been reached, the companies said on Sunday. Saudi Industrial owns 50 percent of National …

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TikTok owner seeking $60b valuation in US deal

Bloomberg China’s ByteDance Ltd. is seeking a valuation of $60 billion for TikTok as Oracle Corp. and Walmart Inc. take stakes in the short-video app’s business to address US security concerns, according to a person familiar with the matter. Oracle and Walmart have rights to buy 12.5% and 7.5% respectively of a newly established TikTok Global under an agreement that …

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Oil posts best week since June as Saudis defend market recovery

Bloomberg Saudi Arabia’s warning to Opec+ cheaters and short-sellers alike helped oil prices stage their biggest weekly rally since June, despite a grim start to the week as industry heavyweights painted a troubling demand picture for the petroleum complex. Futures in New York rise 10% this week following a show of determination by Saudi Arabia, the most influential nation in …

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