ABU DHABI / WAM The gross domestic product (GDP) of Abu Dhabi at current prices (nominal GDP) grew 4.6 percent to around AED620 billion, during the first nine months of 2019 from around AED592.9 billion in the comparable period of 2018. The growth was led by the momentum recorded across all economic platforms during the reference period, according to combined ...
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Mumbai races to keep virus from Asia’s largest slum
Bloomberg When government official Kiran Dighavkar heard that a 56-year-old man who’d recently died in the Mumbai suburb of Dharavi had tested positive for Covid-19, he knew his next moves would determine the trajectory of the outbreak in India’s commercial capital. The man, who died on April 1, lived with seven members of his family in a 400 square foot ...
Read More »Singapore adds $3.6b to stimulus amid Covid-19
Bloomberg Singapore increased its cash payout to individuals and announced additional steps to save jobs as the city-state prepares to severely curtail activities to contain a spike in coronavirus cases. The third virus-related stimulus package in two months will cost S$5.1 billion ($3.6 billion), taking the nation’s total virus relief to almost S$60 billion, or 12% of gross domestic product, ...
Read More »Singapore firm jumps as virus test kit approved for EU sale
Bloomberg Shares of Biolidics Ltd jumped as the Singapore-based medical device manufacturer said its rapid test kits for Covid-19 were approved for sale in the European Union. The stock rose as much as 12% in early trading after the firm announced on Monday that it received confirmation for CE marking on April 3. CE marking is a notification process to ...
Read More »Indonesia virus cases seen soaring to 95,000 by May
Bloomberg The deadly coronavirus may infect as many as 95,000 people in Indonesia by next month before easing, a minister said, as authorities ordered people to wear face masks to contain the pandemic. The dire forecast is based on a projection by the nation’s intelligence agency, University of Indonesia and Bandung Institute of Technology, finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati told ...
Read More »Covid-19: Solar industry sees demand plummeting
Bloomberg When the coronavirus hit China late last year, America’s solar industry immediately started worrying about manufacturing. Asia is the main source of panels and other equipment, and with residential installers anticipating a bumper year, a bottleneck in the supply chain could be a major hindrance. Turns out the industry’s biggest 2020 quandary is very different: dwindling demand. Many homeowners ...
Read More »Europe’s virus spotlight moves to UK as Johnson hospitalised
Bloomberg Prime minister Boris Johnson was taken to the hospital for tests as he struggles to recover from coronavirus, dealing a serious blow to the UK as the country prepares for the worst of the crisis. Almost 5,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the UK so far and, according to government advisers and scientists, the peak of the outbreak ...
Read More »Adek launches eight new e-services for parents, schools
ABU DHABI / WAM The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) announced the launch of eight new e-services, aimed at delivering greater efficiency and time savings for students, parents and teachers. The e-services, which include transcript, report card and certificate attestations, and appointment letter generation for educators, are available via the Adek website and on TAMM – the ...
Read More »Dubai announces taxi discounts, free public bus service
DUBAI / WAM The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced its public bus services will be free of charge for individuals permitted to leave their homes during the extended disinfection period. Dubai Taxi vehicles and franchised taxis will in addition offer a 50 percent discount on normal fares. The decision follows an announcement made by Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis ...
Read More »DFF foresees future of distance learning
Dubai / WAM The Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) released the second issue from a series of reports to tackle the challenges that organisations in Dubai and the world will face once the Covid-19 global outbreak subsides. The series comes during a crucial time, in which public and private sector organisations need to be well-prepared for future opportunities and challenges. Titled ...
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