United Kingdom

LONDON (Reuters) - Global progress toward energy efficiency has slowed to its lowest rate in 10 years due to subdued prices amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday, dealing a setback to efforts to curb climate change.

“As a result of the crisis and continuing low energy prices, energy intensity is expected to improve by only 0.8% in 2020, roughly half the rates (last year)”, to levels last reached in 2010, the Paris-based watchdog said in a report.

03 Dec 2020; MEMO:  Dozens of protesters gathered on Wednesday before the United Arab Emirates (UAE) embassy in the UK capital during a ceremony marking the occasion of UAE National Day.

The protesters indicated that while the UAE celebrates its national day and promulgates false achievements to conceal its violations, a bulk of United Nations (UN) reports have exposed the country's shocking human rights record, including the war crimes committed by the Emirati regime in Yemen, Libya and elsewhere.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped on Wednesday as the market awaited a pact from producers on output, although Britain’s approval of a COVID-19 vaccine gave hopes for a demand recovery a boost.

Prices were hit by a surprise build in oil inventories in the United States and as OPEC and its allies created uncertainty with a two-day delay to a formal meeting to decide whether to increase production in January.

Brent crude oil futures were down 13 cents, or 0.3%, at $47.29 a barrel by 1332 GMT, while West Texas Intermediate crude was down 16 cents, or 0.4%, at $44.39.

(AP) --- British officials authorized a COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on Wednesday, greenlighting the world’s first shot against the virus that’s backed by rigorous science and taking a major step toward eventually ending the pandemic.

The go-ahead for the vaccine developed by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech comes as the virus surges again in the United States and Europe, putting pressure on hospitals and morgues in some places and forcing new rounds of restrictions that have devastated economies.

London; 02 Dec 2020 (UMMN): UK has become the first western country to license Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use from next week for those most at risk, opening the way for mass immunisation.

According to The Guardian, the UK has bought 40m doses of the vaccine, which has been shown to have 95% efficacy in its final trials.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices ticked up on Tuesday, with early European trading erasing earlier losses, as all eyes were on talks between OPEC and its allies who postponed a formal meeting to decide whether to increase output from next month.

Brent crude was up 31 cents at $48.19 a barrel by 0847 GMT. West Texas Intermediate was up 28 cents at $45.62.

Both contracts surged around 27% in November after COVID-19 vaccine developments raised hopes of an economic recovery that could revive fuel demand.

LONDON (Reuters) - Brexit trade talks are stuck on fishing, governance rules and dispute resolution because the European Union is asking too much of Britain, a senior member of the British government said on Tuesday.

Just 30 days before Britain leaves the EU’s orbit following a transition period since it formally quit the bloc, the sides are trying to agree a trade deal to avoid a turbulent rupture that could snarl almost $1 trillion in annual trade.

London, Nov 29 (PTI) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged his Conservative Party lawmakers to back the government's tier-based COVID-19 lockdown in a Parliament vote in a letter stressing that there "a sunset" clause or expiry date of February 3 on the latest restrictions.

In an attempt to curb a growing rebellion within his own ranks against the new measures which face a House of Commons vote next Tuesday, Johnson wrote on Saturday evening that the tiers will be reviewed every two weeks, and areas can move down the tiers from mid-December.

LONDON (Reuters) - Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Monday declined to rule out a new vote for Scottish independence next year, saying that she wanted to see a referendum held in the early part of the next Scottish parliament.

“I want to see it in the early part of the next term of the Scottish parliament rather than the later part,” she told Sky News, declining to rule out a possible vote in autumn 2021.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain and the European Union are running out of time to clinch a Brexit trade deal but if good progress is made this week then the talks could be extended, Environment Secretary George Eustice said on Monday.

With just over four weeks left until the United Kingdom finally exits the EU’s orbit on Dec. 31, both sides are demanding concessions from the other on fishing, state aid and how to resolve any future disputes.

“We really are now running out of time, this is the crucial week, we need to get a breakthrough,” Eustice told Sky.