Wednesday , 17 December 2025

News

Italy moved by UAE’s gesture, compassion during pandemic

ABU DHABI / WAM The Italian envoy to Abu Dhabi has said that Italy’s government and people were “moved” by the sympathy and compassion shown by the UAE during coronavirus pandemic. In a statement to Emirates News Agency (WAM) Ambassador Nicola Lener said that Italy was “deeply impressed” by the UAE initiative that saw the shipment of 10 tonnes of …

Read More »

Oil moves higher with impact of possible output cuts in focus

Bloomberg Oil rose as investors weighed whether output cuts being discussed by the world’s top producers will be enough to offset the demand destruction wrought by the coronavirus. Futures in New York climbed around 3% towards $25 a barrel. Saudi Arabia and Russia are hammering out an agreement that a delegate said will reduce global output by about 10 million …

Read More »

India to buy Middle East oil for strategic reserves

Bloomberg India, the world’s third biggest oil consumer, is set to snap up millions of barrels of Middle East crude for its strategic reserves, signalling its support for global efforts to rescue the energy market. The purchases are aimed at taking advantage of low prices, according to officials with knowledge of the matter. But two of them said they’re also …

Read More »

Global oil powers close in on historic deal to curb output

Bloomberg The world’s largest oil producers are hammering out the terms of an unprecedented deal to mitigate the devastating impact of the coronavirus crisis as they prepare for an extraordinary meeting this week. Saudi Arabia and Russia are closing in on an agreement to curb output, which could drain some of the oil surplus threatening to overwhelm storage tanks and …

Read More »

Europe weighs $540 billion plan to stem virus recession

Bloomberg It’s crunch time for the European Union (EU) as it strives to overcome internal differences and agree to a plan that would stem a virus-led downturn, which may eclipse the severity of the Great Recession more than a decade ago. The EU’s finance ministers on Tuesday will seek to endorse a list of measures worth more than half a …

Read More »

India jobless rate rises 23% amid lockdown

Bloomberg India’s unemployment rate could have climbed to more than 20% as the economy lost jobs after a nationwide lockdown took effect in the last week of March, according to a survey by the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy Pvt. The jobless rate was 23.4% for the week ended April 5 based on a sample size of 9,429 observations, Mahesh …

Read More »

Japan’s Abe unveils record $989bn stimulus package

Bloomberg Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a 108 trillion yen ($989 billion) stimulus package, Japan’s largest ever, to rescue the coronavirus-hit economy with Tokyo and six other economic hubs set to be put in a state of emergency. The package, equivalent to about 20% of the nation’s economic output, will include cash handouts worth 6 trillion yen for households and …

Read More »

EU to boost tariffs on US goods in metal-trade row

Bloomberg The European Union (EU) plans to impose tariffs on lighters, plastic fittings from the US in retaliation over controversial American duties on imported steel and aluminum, according to EU officials. The EU intends to apply a 20% tariff on lighters and a 7% levy on plastic fittings for furniture in response to a US decision in February widening the …

Read More »

Oil pares losses as investors see chance of price-war truce

Bloomberg Oil pared losses amid signs that Saudi Arabia and Russia are making progress towards an agreement to curb crude output as the coronavirus wreaks havoc on the global economy. Futures fell 3.3% in New York, having earlier plunged 11%. Large oil-producing nations are racing to negotiate a deal to stem the price crash, but hurdles remain. A meeting of …

Read More »

Saudi Arabia, Russia push negotiations for oil pact

Bloomberg Saudi Arabia, Russia and other large oil producers are negotiating for a deal to stem the historic price rout, even as leaders trade barbs in public. “President Putin and Russian side in general are keen to engage in constructive negotiations, which is the only way to stabilise the international energy market,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a pre-recorded …

Read More »