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Abu Dhabi / WAM On behalf of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, Director of the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) and President of the Regional Association II (Asia), on Tuesday launched NCM’s new electronic services. Dr Abdulla Al Mandous said, “Owing to the unwavering support of ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (Adafsa) issued a charter to introduce relevant stakeholders within its business to artificial intelligence (AI) principles and ethics. The charter is made up of four guiding principles to enable the ethical use of AI in Adafsa responsibly and without discrimination. Adafsa is one of the Abu Dhabi’s first ...

Dubai / WAM Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) announced that the work progress at Hatta hydroelectric power plant has reached 23 percent. The plant production capacity is set to reach 250 megawatts (MW) with a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt hours and a lifespan of 80 years. The plant, which is the first of its kind in the Gulf ...

Bloomberg Thailand’s government approved a set of economic stimulus measures worth 140 billion baht ($4.5 billion) to counter the impact from the nation’s biggest coronavirus outbreak yet. The measures — which include cash handouts to welfare-card holders and special groups, co-payments and cash rebates — are expected to be implemented from July, Anucha Burapachaisri, a government spokesman, said on Tuesday. ...

Bloomberg Foxconn Technology struck a multibillion-dollar electric-vehicle partnership in Thailand, its latest move to expand in the fast-growing industry at a time more tech companies including Apple are looking to bulk up their automotive muscle. The Taiwanese electronics giant and Thailand’s state-owned conglomerate PTT Pcl will collaborate on hardware and software for producing EVs, according to a statement from the ...

Bloomberg Indian farmers are expected to expand planting of major crops such as rice, corn and soybeans after the national weather forecaster predicted bountiful rains during the June-September monsoon season. The India Meteorological Department maintained on Tuesday its earlier forecast of a normal monsoon, which waters more than half of the country’s farmland. Cumulative rains are likely to be 101% ...

Bloomberg Asia’s manufacturing activity continued to advance in May, though at a slightly slower pace, despite flare-ups of Covid-19 around the region that could force some plants to close and weigh on sentiment. Taiwan’s IHS Markit May manufacturing purchasing managers’ index declined to 62 from April’s 62.4, remaining well above the 50 level that signals expansion. New orders rose. South ...

Bloomberg Malaysian stocks dropped and the ringgit weakened after the government imposed a two-week nationwide lockdown to curb a relentless surge in Covid-19 infections. The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Index fell as much as 1.6%, before paring losses to 0.7% at the close in Kuala Lumpur. The ringgit slid as much as 0.4% to 4.1480 per dollar, while 10-year bond ...

Bloomberg Singapore pledged it would not be left behind as developed economies reopen, marking an intention to shift away from the strict containment approach that’s helped some Asian places eliminate the virus, but which leaves them increasingly isolated. The country wouldn’t be stuck in a Covid-19 malaise, and tourists will be welcomed, people can go for sports events, even ditch ...

DUBAI / WAM HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has ordered an aid flight to transport much needed cholera kits from the World Health Organisation’s logistics hub in Dubai to Bangladesh to assist the country in combating an escalating cholera outbreak. Under His Highness’s directives, the International Humanitarian City (IHC) in ...