Oil prices jump as Qatar ditched, London attacks hurt sterling
Oil jumped after Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut ties with Qatar on Monday while sterling slipped after the weekend attacks in London that killed at least seven people and wounded 48, just days before Britain's general national election, Reuters reports.
The coordinated move by the Middle Eastern countries, accusing the wealthy Gulf Arab state of supporting terrorism, dramatically escalates a simmering dispute over Qatar's support for the Muslim Brotherhood, the world's oldest Islamist movement.
Saudi Arabia is the world's biggest exporter of crude oil. Abu Dhabi in the UAE is also a major oil exporter.
Qatar is the biggest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and a major seller of condensate - a low-density liquid fuel and refining product derived from natural gas.
Global benchmark Brent> LCOc1 advanced 1.1 percent to $50.48 a barrel. U.S. oil CLc1 also climbed 1 percent to $48.17.
Dubai's stock index .DFMGI dropped 0.6 percent in early trade.
Sterling GBP=D3 fell as much as 0.3 percent before paring the losses to trade down 0.2 percent at $1.2868 on Monday. Attackers rammed a van into pedestrians on London Bridge on Saturday and then stabbed revelers in nearby bars.
Police shot dead three male assailants in London's Borough Market within eight minutes of receiving the first emergency call, and have since detained several people.
But British stocks .FTSE are unlikely to see much adverse impact from the third terrorist attack in the country in as many months, with financial spreadbetter CMC Markets expecting the FTSE 100 .FTSE, which touched a record high on Friday, to open slightly higher.
Prime Minister Theresa May said Thursday's election would go ahead as planned.