United Kingdom

LONDON (Reuters) - The reopening of England’s schools to all pupils on Monday will mark the first step back towards normality, and is only possible because of the efforts of the public to bring COVID-19 infection rates down, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

Johnson has announced a roadmap for lifting lockdown measures that sees schools open first, followed in later stages by the gradual easing of restrictions on mixing with other people and the re-opening of non-essential shops and other venues.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped more than 2% on Friday, hitting their highest in nearly 14 months after OPEC and its allies agreed not to increase supply in April as they await a more substantial recovery in demand.

Brent crude futures were up $1.52, or 2.3%, at $68.26 a barrel by 1008 GMT and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures climbed $1.30, or 2%, to $65.13 as both remained on track for weekly gains.

04 Mar 2021; MEMO: Amnesty International has welcomed the International Criminal Court (ICC) decision to open an investigation into serious crimes under international law alleged to have been committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

LONDON (Reuters) - OPEC and other oil producers, a group known as OPEC+, are considering rolling over production cuts into April instead of raising output as oil demand recovery remains fragile due to the coronavirus, three OPEC+ sources told Reuters.

OPEC+ ministers hold a full meeting on Thursday.

The market has been expecting OPEC+ to ease production cuts by around 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) from April.

OPEC leader Saudi Arabia has also been expected to end its voluntary production cut of an additional 1 million bpd.

LONDON, Mar 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) – An additional tax will be added, to outbound flights from London’s Heathrow Airport, the largest airport in Britain, from Apr, adding pressure on many families, who want to travel abroad after a year of COVID-19 restrictions, local media reported.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose more than $1 on Monday, supported by optimism over COVID-19 vaccinations, a U.S. stimulus package and growing factory activity in Europe despite restrictions imposed to curb the coronavirus.

Brent crude was up $1.08 or 1.7% to $65.50 per barrel by 0959 GMT, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude jumped $1.04 or 1.7% to $62.54 a barrel.

Both contracts finished February 18% higher.

LONDON (Reuters) - British finance minister Rishi Sunak said he would not try to fix the public finances overnight, days before he announces a budget plan that is expected to pile more borrowing on top of nearly 300 billion pounds ($418 billion) of COVID spending and tax cuts.

“Look, this is not something that’s going to happen overnight. Given the scale of the shock we’ve experienced, the scale of the damage, this is going to take time to fix,” Sunak told Sky News on Sunday.

“But it’s important ... to also have strong public finances over time.”

LONDON (Reuters) -The new administration of U.S. President Joe Biden joins international talks on the global economy this week with other rich nations expecting a decisive break from the “America First” nationalism of Donald Trump.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will join Friday’s online meeting with her Group of Seven (G7) peers at which they are likely to renew promises to pursue huge stimulus programmes to aid the economic recovery from COVID-19.

26 Feb 2021; MEMO: A UK-born woman who went to Syria as a schoolgirl to join Daesh should not be allowed to return to Britain to challenge the government taking away her citizenship because she poses a security risk, Britain's Supreme Court ruled today according to Reuters.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Friday as bond price rout led to gains in the U.S. dollar while crude supply is expected to rise in response to prices climbing above pre-pandemic levels.

Brent crude futures for April, which expire on Friday, fell 99 cents, or 1.4%, to $65.89 a barrel by 1203 GMT. The more actively traded May contract slipped by $1.19 to $64.92.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures dropped $1.27, or 2%, to $62.26.