UAE Non-Oil Business Activity Surges to Nine-Month High in December

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 The United Arab Emirates' non-oil private sector recorded its fastest expansion in nine months in December 2024, buoyed by strong domestic demand and increased business activity, according to the latest S&P Global Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) report. PMI Highlights Robust Growth The seasonally adjusted UAE PMI climbed to 55.4 in December from 54.2 in November, signaling robust growth well above the 50.0 threshold that separates expansion from contraction. This marked the third consecutive monthly increase, underscoring sustained recovery in the non-oil sector. Key drivers of growth included a notable rise in new business activity. The new orders subindex rose sharply to 59.3 in December from 58.0 in the previous month, reflecting strong domestic demand. Challenges Amid the Growth While domestic demand flourished, export growth slowed, with the export orders subindex dropping to a seven-month low. Additionally, businesses faced mounting backlogs due to capacity constraints,...
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China Eases Covid Curbs In Xinjiang After Deadly Fire

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China

The Chinese authorities eased some Covid restrictions in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, on Monday, after a deadly fire in the city wreaked havoc among people.

The officials said at a press conference on Monday that people can travel around on buses to run errands within their home districts from Tuesday.

A fire accident at a residential building in Urumqi on Thursday night killed ten people. Subsequently, protests erupted against the country's strict zero-Covid policy. People blamed Covid-19 lockdowns in Urumqi for the fire accident. Many social media users said that the zero-Covid policy affected rescue efforts. People demanded an end to the zero-Covid policy. People protested outside Urumqi's government offices after the deadly fire. They chanted, "Lift lockdowns!"

However, the Chinese authorities said that private cars obstructed firefighters. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian also denied such claims. Later on, the Chinese authorities eased some Covid restrictions in Urumqi. The authorities further said that Urumqi would also resume parcel delivery services.

Another protest erupted in Shanghai, China's biggest metropolis. They chanted, "Xi Jinping, step down! CCP, step down!" Police also arrested three people from the site. A BBC journalist in China was also arrested by the authorities. The Foreign Correspondents' Club of China slammed the authorities for treating reporters unfairly.

In recent months, China intensified lengthy quarantines and mass testing campaigns. The authorities also closed down large parts of China's capital as national Covid-cases increased rapidly in recent months.

China reported a record high of 39,791 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday. China confirmed 307,802 cases with symptoms as of November 26.

New Covid cases have been reported throughout China. Guangdong region is the worst affected region due to rising Covid cases. According to the BBC, tens of millions of people have been living under some kind of lockdown because of the latest rise in the number of Covid cases. 

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