News

DUBAI / WAM As part of its Artificial Intelligence (AI) roadmap, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has launched phase 3 of Rammas, its virtual AI employee, for customers to obtain additional services such as Easy Pay, Dewa Store offers and participate in the Customer Happiness Index. Project builders, including consultants and contractors, can track their applications for NOC certificates, ...

Bloomberg More than 16 million Britons are now required to stay at home as a lockdown came into force Sunday in London and southeast England, part of Boris Johnson’s attempt to control a fast-spreading new strain of the coronavirus. The measures ban household mixing in the capital and the southeast, and restrict socialising to just Christmas Day across the rest ...

Bloomberg The UK will spend as much as 11.7 billion pounds ($15.7 billion) on purchasing, manufacturing and roll-out of coronavirus vaccines, according to estimates from the public spending watchdog. The National Audit Office (NAO) said in a report the cost includes UK investment in global efforts to find a vaccine — but not the potential future expense of any multiyear ...

Bloomberg Microsoft Corp. said its systems were exposed to the malware used in the Russia-linked hack that targeted US states and government agencies, adding that investigations so far show the malicious software wasn’t used to attack others and didn’t impact customer data or outward-facing systems. The company is a customer of SolarWinds Corp., whose software the hackers are believed to ...

Bloomberg Tesla Inc. halted some construction work at its German plant project after failing to make a security deposit with local authorities. Brandenburg’s environment ministry stopped tree removal activity and the installation of paint-shop machinery at the site until the funds are received, reports said. Tesla needs to provide a 100 million-euro ($122 million) deposit with local authorities to cover ...

Bloomberg Italy is set to keep its economic policy expansionary next year to support its coronavirus-battered economy, as agreed with European Union partners, Finance Minister Roberto Gualtieri said in an interview with La Stampa on Sunday. That could require widening the deficit further next year to support economic growth, but that won’t impact a planned reduction after 2021 and will ...

Bloomberg At least three US states are investigating Alphabet Inc.’s Google over the fees it takes from developers for purchases and subscriptions inside apps, and they may file an antitrust lawsuit against the company early next year, according to people familiar with the matter. The attorneys general of Utah, North Carolina and New York are among states that are preparing ...

DUBAI / WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has officially joined TikTok to connect with millions of his followers around the world on a new platform. The Dubai leader will share short clips of his 50-year journey in public service, providing insights in leadership and management to inspire youth ...

Bloomberg Oil rose for a seventh straight week as efforts to pass another US virus relief package added to optimism that the vaccine’s rollout will provide a long-awaited boost to demand. Futures rose 1.5% in New York, extending this week’s rally to over 5%. Talks on a relief package have made some headway, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF), the governing authority for the sport in the Emirates, has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Association of Competitive Jiu-Jitsu In Israel, to promote the growth of the sport in both countries, elevate the standard of the jiu-jitsu through various knowledge-sharing initiatives, and encourage people-to-people exchanges through ...