DUBAI / WAM Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) on Thursday announced a new support package for its business partners based at DIFC-owned assets giving them a three-month rent-free period on their base rent, providing businesses with added flexibility and financial relief. From April to June, retailers of all types based in Gate Avenue, Gate Village and Gate District will not ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Image Nation Abu Dhabi launched an inspirational video created to pay tribute to the UAE’s leadership, dedicated workers and everyday heroes for their contributions to the community. The short film titled, ‘Tribute to Everyday Heroes’, celebrates the resilience and unity that the nation is demonstrating through these challenging times, from heroic front-line workers providing healthcare and ...

SHARJAH / WAM Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA) announced the launch of virtual tours and online exhibits of some of its contemporary and modern art masterpieces housed at Sharjah Art Museum. The move, which is part of the authority’s concerted efforts, is to ensure the authority continues to engage with the community during this difficult time. Starting Thursday, people can immerse ...

Bloomberg An app launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to track and contain the spread of the coronavirus is the fastest ever to reach 50 million users, while being dogged by privacy concerns. Aarogya Setu — Hindi for Healthcare Bridge — alerts users if they come in contact with an infected person and informs them about health services they ...

Bloomberg Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) is sticking with plans for aggressive capital investments in 2020, a sign from the technology bellwether of resilient demand despite a pandemic-induced downturn. TSMC, a barometer for the tech industry thanks to its heft in the global supply chain, on Thursday lowered its revenue outlook for the year by a few percentage points to ...

Bloomberg The coronavirus outbreak is set to wipe out more than $10 billion from Indonesia’s tourism revenue this year as leisure travel comes to a near complete halt, the government said. The country is preparing stimulus packages for the industry and a safety net for workers to blunt the impact, President Joko Widodo said at a cabinet meeting. He predicted ...

Bloomberg Australia’s Airwallex Cayman Ltd raised $160 million from new investors including Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd and the venture-capital arm of Salesforce.com to accelerate its expansion in global payments. The fresh round from ANZ’s venture unit and Salesforce Ventures gives Airwallex a valuation of $1.8 billion, co-founder Lucy Liu said. Other participants included existing backers DST Global, ...

Bloomberg Just one kilogram of freshly caught squid a day was almost enough to live on for Thai fishermen like Wisut Boonnak. Now the catch has halved in price and he’s spending more time on village duties. “It’s the biggest price drop that I can remember,” said Wisut, who’s been fishing for the past 40 years off the southern Thai ...

Bloomberg The world’s top buyers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are seeking to defer shipments as the coronavirus pandemic cripples demand and forces more of the heating and power fuel into storage that is nearing capacity. The move signals that efforts to contain the spread of the virus may impact energy consumption far into this year and possibly 2021, worsening ...

Bloomberg Enel SpA is looking for a financial partner to buy as much as 50% of its African renewable business as the Italian energy giant looks to extend wind and solar power projects across the continent. The search for a company to form a joint venture started before the coronavirus outbreak stalled the regional economy and will continue regardless, a ...