Markets
Gold jumps to 4-week high as dollar slumps
Bank of England keeps stimulus on hold ahead of Brexit endgame
The British central bank also kept its benchmark interest rate at a historic low of 0.1 per cent. Negotiators from London and Brussels are trying to iron out differences and cement agreement before a December 31 deadline. Sterling hit a two-and-a-half-year high against the USA dollar on Thursday. Laith Khalaf, financial analyst, AJ Bell said: "The Bank of England won't make its next move until... [Full Article...]
International Business: Support for ZeroAvia's hydrogen plane plan
And the Microsoft founder isn't the only one vying to support the potentially aviation-shifting venture: Amazon and Shell also count themselves as investors. The key to the organization's prosperity is the acknowledgment that utilizing existing electrolyzer advancements, flammable gas can be changed over into hydrogen, which can be utilized to control the airplane's frameworks, Miftakhov said. [Full Article...]
Australia appealing to WTO over China tariffs
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, meanwhile, told reporters in Australia on Tuesday that the government is "seeking clarification" on the reports, adding that the country has yet to hear from the Chinese government. China is the Australian barley growers' largest market. Australia has low expectations of an immediate cessation of tariffs. "We recognise that the WTO process will be ti... [Full Article...]
EU Position Must Change "Substantially" To Seal Brexit Deal: UK
Bridging the remaining "big differences" between the EU and United Kingdom will be "very challenging" despite "substantial progress" in Brexit trade talks, the European Commission's president has said. She said negotiations over how a deal would be enforced are "largely being resolved". Britain and the European Union are in the final stretch of talks to keep an estimated one trillion dollars o... [Full Article...]
Claims for unemployment benefits still high in Utah, but going down slightly
For the week ending December 12, 38,327 Ohioans filed initial claims for unemployment, a 6 percent increase from the previous week, according to the Department of Job and Family Services. The number of applications increased from 862,000 the previous week. Federal unemployment programs that have kept some workers afloat during the pandemic will expire at the end of the month unless Congress and ... [Full Article...]
Oil prices hit nine-month high after fall in USA stockpiles
Oil held near its highest level in nearly 10 months after an industry report pointed to an increase in USA crude stockpiles, taking some of the steam out of a stimulus and vaccine-led rally. Brent crude futures fell 20 cents, or 0.4%, to $50.09 a barrel. Brent crude futures fell 11 cents, or 0.2%, to US$50.65 a barrel at 0421 GMT , while US West Texas Intermediate ( WTI ) crude futures fell 9 ... [Full Article...]
885,000 people filed for unemployment benefits last week
New claims for state unemployment benefits hit a new five-month high last week, an increase driven primarily by seasonal layoffs, according to the Maine Department of Labor. Another 900 claims were filed for federal unemployment benefits, with most of those applications being for people who had exhausted state benefits, the department said Thursday. [Full Article...]