It’s been three months since the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern on its way to becoming a full-blown pandemic. Yet in spite of much hype around several existing drugs, we still haven’t found a proven, evidence-based treatment for Covid-19. The stakes are clearly high, with a vaccine at least a year ...

Bloomberg For Toru Kawakatsu, winning a 70-second spot on Nintendo Co.’s popular Direct showcase last month was the culmination of an unusual strategy many dismissed as quixotic. His four-person game studio, dubbed Petit Depotto, started work on an adventure game called Gnosia for the PlayStation Vita portable console back in 2015. The Vita was already ailing back then, and Sony ...

Bloomberg Twitter Inc. has more users than ever, but its advertising business was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic at the end of the first quarter. The social-media company reported revenue of $808 million in the period, ahead of Wall Street estimates of $773 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The shares surged about 10% in early trading. From ...

Bloomberg Facebook Inc.’s revenue held up better than expected in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. But the company warned that the worst of the slowdown in ad spending isn’t over, raising the prospect of a bigger hit across the digital-advertising market. Chief Financial Officer Dave Wehner noted the “potential for an even more severe advertising industry contraction.” His ...

Bloomberg Alphabet Inc. is defying political taboos with record stock buybacks as mass unemployment and economic uncertainty boosts scrutiny for the long-controversial practice. S&P 500 companies are set to reduce buybacks by an estimated 50% this year, according to Goldman Sachs. Yet, the Google parent company bought $8.5 billion of its own shares in the first quarter alone. That’s the ...

DUBAI / WAM The Emirates Food Security Council, in conjunction with the Ministry of Energy and Industry, has revealed that 568 factories in the UAE produce 5.96 million tonnes of food and beverage (F&B) products annually, with 2.3 million tonnes comprising essential food items. Releasing a statement to highlight the efficiency of the UAE’s food production landscape, the council announced ...

Bloomberg Oil jumped for a second day as global production cuts deepened and signs of a fledgling demand recovery emerged. Futures in New York rose by as much as 18%. Norway said it will participate in oil-output cuts for the first time since 2002, joining other major producers in reining in supply. Data on Wednesday showed a surprise surge in ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The United Arab Emirates has affirmed its commitment to achieving a political solution in Libya and called for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation emphasised the UAE’s support for a political solution to end the ongoing Libyan crisis in line with the outcomes ...

Bloomberg Despite marching orders from China’s top leader Xi Jinping to maximize oil and gas production, the energy sector is bending to the reality of the coronavirus pandemic-fuelled market collapse. The nation’s three biggest state producers will slash their spending plans this year by a combined $19 billion, with PetroChina Co.’s 32% chop leading the way, the fattest among global ...

Bloomberg The euro-area economy plunged into a record contraction, an outcome that will only add more urgency to controversial demands for joint government fiscal support. Output in the 19-country region shrank 3.8%, reflecting shutdowns to contain the coronavirus that have pushed businesses close to collapse, sent unemployment surging and forced governments to unleash billions of euros in emergency stimulus. Italy, ...