England

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices were dragged sharply lower on Friday by weak U.S. fuel demand, fears of a second wave of coronavirus cases in South Korea and a worsening in U.S.-China relations, but were still on track for a hefty monthly gain.

July Brent crude LCOc1 fell $1.16, or 3.3%, to $34.13 a barrel by 0927 GMT while the more active August contract fell $1.11, or 3.1%, to $34.92. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 was down $1.28, or 3.8%, at $32.43.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s easyJet (EZJ.L) plans to cut up to 4,500 jobs and shrink its fleet to adjust to the smaller travel market which is forecast to emerge from the coronavirus crisis.

EasyJet, which employs more than 15,000 people in eight countries across Europe, is moving later than others in announcing job cuts as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought airlines across the world to their knees.

LONDON (Reuters) - European shares rose for the fourth straight session on Thursday and the euro perched at a two-month high, as businesses returning to work and a 750 billion euro EU stimulus plan outweighed rising U.S.-China tensions.

Asian markets had been subdued overnight after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had warned Hong Kong no longer warranted special treatment under U.S. law, but there was no stopping Europe.

LONDON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and its allies in the expanded OPEC+ group of oil-exporting nations have only just started to implement output cuts, so it might seem premature to start talking about the need for an exit strategy.

But an important part of being a successful market manager is about knowing when to increase production and capacity to forestall excessive investment by rivals and potential rivals.

LONDON (Reuters) - Douglas Ross, a junior minister in the Scotland Office, resigned on Tuesday, saying the prime minister’s senior adviser’s explanation of why he travelled during the coronavirus lockdown was based on decisions “others felt were not available to them”.

Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s closest adviser, refused to resign on Monday, saying he had done nothing wrong by driving 250 miles to northern England when Britain was under a strict lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

LONDON (Reuters) - The British government has awarded more than 32 billion pounds ($39 billion) in loans and guarantees to businesses to see them through the coronavirus pandemic, finance minister Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday.

LONDON (AP) — British leader Boris Johnson’s powerful chief aide insisted Monday that he wouldn’t resign for driving the length of England while the country was under strict lockdown — a trip he made without informing the prime minister first.

The government is facing a tide of anger from politicians and the public over the revelation that Dominic Cummings traveled more than 250 miles (400 kilometers) from London to his parents’ home in Durham, northeast England at the end of March.

LONDON (Reuters) - Dominic Cummings, a close adviser to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is facing calls for his resignation over a trip that many believe broke coronavirus lockdown rules, will make a public statement on Monday, Sky News and ITV reported.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices, which have been driven higher for the past four weeks, were steady on Monday, with holidays in Singapore, London and New York dampening trade, as rising concerns over demand recovery offset supply cuts.

Brent was flat at $35.13 a barrel by 1315 GMT, while U.S. oil gained 10 cents, or 0.3% to $33.35 a barrel. Both are down around 45% so far this year.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s government intends to stick with a plan to reopen primary schools to some pupils from June 1, Transport Minister Grant Shapps said on Sunday.

“That’s certainly the intention,” he told Sky News.

The government faces opposition to the plan from some teachers and labour unions.