Oil prices rise amid early signs of fuel demand picking up

MELBOURNE/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped on Thursday, buoyed by signs that the U.S. crude glut is not growing as quickly as expected and that fuel demand battered by COVID-19 restrictions is starting to pick up.West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures climbed to a high of $17.75 a barrel and were up 9.2%, or $1.39, at $16.45 at 0640 GMT. The U.S. benchmark surged 22% on Wednesday.Brent was up 5.6%, or $1.27 at $23.81 a barrel in light trading, with the June contract expiring on..