China has sent officials to inspect coal inventories and crack down on illicit hoarding at ports, following a surge of physical coal prices and tight supplies in the market ahead of the peak consumption season.
The European Union decided not to take up an option to buy 100 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ.N) COVID-19 vaccine and is considering donating another 100 million optional shots, if ordered, European officials said.
India is close to agreeing to grant foreign COVID-19 vaccine makers such as Pfizer Inc protection against legal liability so that it can use their shots in an immunisation campaign that is facing acute shortages, three government sources told Reuters.
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A 3D-printed oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed OPEC logo in this illustration picture, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo
OPEC stuck to its prediction of a strong world oil demand recovery in 2021 led by the United States and China despite uncertainties stemming from the pandemic, pointing to a need for more oil from the producer group.
In a monthly report on Thursday, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said demand would rise by 6.6% or 5.95 million barrels per day (bpd) this year. The forecast was unchanged for a second consecutive month.
The report s forecast comes despite a slower-than-expected recovery in the first half of this year and as it warns of significant uncertainties such as the potential emergence of new variants of the coronavirus.
Protesting Indian farmers camped outside New Delhi said on Thursday the government's decision to raise state-mandated prices for summer crops such as rice was not enough to end their sit-in against new agricultural legislation.