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ABU DHABI / WAM The Abu Dhabi City Municipality (ADM) announced a 45 percent completion of a project to extend the scope of the UAE capital’s running and cycling tracks in 28 sites on the Abu Dhabi Island and Abu Dhabi Mainland. The ADM has said that the AED99.75 million-project stretches 14.12 kilometres for cycling lanes and 39.31 km for ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The UAE conducted over 49,000 additional Covid-19 tests among UAE citizens and residents, using state-of-the-art technology in line with the Ministry of Health and Prevention’s (MoHaP) plans to intensify virus screening in order to bring Covid-19 under control. The accelerated investigative measures resulted in the detection of 370 new coronavirus cases among various nationalities, all of ...

Bloomberg Hong Kong is catching up with global peers in its fiscal response to the coronavirus outbreak with the announcement of an “unprecedented” HK$137.5 billion ($17.7 billion) stimulus package focussed on avoiding mass job losses. The fresh stimulus raises inevitable comparisons with spending measures unveiled by its geographic neighbour and financial-hub rival Singapore, with the two governments among the first ...

Bloomberg Doctors are accounting for a large proportion of deaths from Covid-19 in the Philippines and Indonesia, two of the most medically under-served nations in Southeast Asia. At least 26 doctors have died in Indonesia out of the country’s toll of 240 while in the Philippines about a dozen have passed away among the 182 fatalities, according to the latest ...

Bloomberg Freelancers and entrepreneurs are the worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on Malaysia. Statistics department found 46.6% of self-employed workers lost their livelihood while 23.8% of entrepreneurs reported the same, according to a March 18-31 survey. Among the sectors, agriculture was most affected with 21.9% of respondents saying they’ve lost their jobs, followed by services industry with 15%. ...

Bloomberg Thailand said it will explore domestic and foreign funding options for planned borrowing of 1 trillion baht ($30.6 billion) to finance a major economic stimulus programme. The debt is a key element of a 1.9-trillion-baht package to help low-income households, farmers and companies reeling from the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak. Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy may contract 5.3% ...

Bloomberg In the villages of India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, even some family members returning home from the cities aren’t allowed in. State officials have told village councils to keep returning labourers from entering the town or meeting people due to fears they may be infected with the coronavirus. Instead, they’re forced to stay in schools or farms ...

Bloomberg European Union (EU) finance ministers agreed on a 540 billion-euro ($590 billion) package of measures to combat the economic fallout of the global coronavirus pandemic. It’s now up to EU leaders to approve the accord, which will require overcoming profound political disagreements. In an emergency teleconference, finance chiefs approved a plan to stave off what’s expected to be a ...

Bloomberg Renault SA Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard said the French carmaker is seeking as much as 5 billion euros ($5.5 billion) in government-backed loans to weather the coronavirus pandemic, while dismissing the possibility of nationalisation. “We are working on the idea of bank loans that would be guaranteed by the state and are destined to be reimbursed,” Senard Friday on RTL ...

Bloomberg Bulgaria is renewing efforts to join the euro area’s waiting room in the hope for easier access to financial aid in the coronavirus crisis. The European Union’s poorest country has been pushing to join the currency zone since 2016 to boost living standards and avoid being sidelined in the bloc’s decision-making. After numerous setbacks, the central bank has signaled ...