Oil prices slumped to their lowest in two weeks after official figures showed a surprise jump in U.S. inventories of crude, and rising cases of COVID-19 in Europe, Russia, and some outbreaks of infections in China dented hopes for an economic recovery. Brent crude dropped 94 cents, or 1.1%, to $83.64 a barrel by 0655 GMT, having hit a two-week low of $82.32 earlier and fallen by 2.1% in the previous session. U.S. oil was down 89 cents, also a 1.1% drop, at $81.77 a barrel – a one-week low after dropping 2.4% on Wednesday. Outbreaks of coronavirus infections in China and record deaths and the threat of lockdowns in Russia, along with rising cases in western Europe were putting the brakes on a multi-week rally in oil prices. read more “A surge in new cases of COVID-19 threatens to disrupt the recovery in […]