December, 2021

• 28 December

  School closings surge 82% as Omicron spreads across US

  

    Bloomberg For US school officials struggling with a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases, winter break can’t come soon enough. There were 646 Covid-related school closings for this week, up from 356 the week before, according to Burbio, a data service that aggregates calendars nationwide. Schools in states including Michigan, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ohio shifted to virtual learning or closed ...

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• 28 December

  Ireland tells people to avoid crowds

    Bloomberg Ireland’s chief medical officer warned people to avoid shops and not to mix with people from other households indoors, as coronavirus cases soar. People should “avoid crowded places including retail environments” and shop online “where possible,” chief medical officer Tony Holohan said. “Do not socialise or meet indoors with people from the other households,” he added. The nation ...

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• 28 December

  EU weighs new powers to maintain supplies during crises

  

    Bloomberg The European Union is weighing a broad set of new powers, including possible export controls, that would give it the ability to protect the bloc’s supply chain during periods of crisis. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, will unveil the proposal as soon as the spring, according to an EU official familiar with the plan. The new ...

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• 28 December

  European stocks rise with US futures after S&P 500 record

  

    Bloomberg Stocks in Europe advanced along with US equity futures as traders evaluated the resilience of the global recovery to a record spike in coronavirus cases. The Stoxx Europe 600 index nudged closer to last month’s record high, with utilities and car makers leading the advance as all industry sectors gained. Contracts on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 ...

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• 28 December

  Emerging markets seen rising in 2022, but not until July

  

    Bloomberg Emerging-market assets are set to rise in 2022 as moderating inflation and accelerating growth trigger gains, but it won’t happen until the second half of the year. That’s the consensus among investors like Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase & Co who spoke with Bloomberg on the outlook for developing-nation stocks, bonds and currencies in ...

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• 28 December

  Gold rises as traders weigh record Covid infections

  Bloomberg Gold edged higher as investors assessed the resilience of the global economic recovery, with Covid-19 cases hitting a pandemic record. Bullion is heading for its first annual loss in three years as central banks start to dial back pandemic-era stimulus to contain inflation. The S&P 500 notched its 69th record close of 2021, suggesting investors remain relatively sanguine about ...

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• 28 December

  Expo 2020 Dubai attracts more than 8 million visitors

  

    DUBAI / WAM Visits to Expo 2020 Dubai continue to climb substantially, increasing to 8,067,012 in the period up to December 27 as the most significant global gathering of 2021 continues to welcome visitors safely and responsibly. Expo’s stringent Covid-19 safety measures are designed to protect everyone on site, and include mandatory mask-wearing – indoors and outdoors – for ...

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• 28 December

  Oil rises as investors weigh demand risk from Omicron

  

    Bloomberg Oil rises as investors weighed the rapid spread of Omicron against signs it may be milder than previous variants. Brent futures rise 0.7%, swinging between gains and losses amid thin trading volumes. West Texas Intermediate, which didn’t have a settlement due to a US holiday, falls from Thursday’s level. Daily omicron infections in the US has surpassed those ...

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• 28 December

  UAE offers condolences over Brazil flood victims

    Abu Dhabi / WAM The UAE expressed its sincere condolences and solidarity with Brazil over the victims of floods that have hit the Brazilian state of Bahia, killing scores of people, leaving tens of thousands displaced, and triggering widespread damage. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expressed its sympathy with Brazilian government, sending condolences to ...

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• 28 December

  Etihad, China’s CGO team up to create ‘Air Silk Road’

  

    ABU DHABI / Gulf Time Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, and Henan Province Airport Group, the parent company of the Zhengzhou Xinzheng Airport (CGO) — an important domestic aviation hub and the gateway to the central region of China — aim to establish a strategic partnership to strengthen aviation ties between the UAE and China. This ...

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