In a matter of weeks, the world’s fourth-most populous nation went from reporting zero coronavirus cases to having the highest death toll in Southeast Asia. Now its currency is tumbling, growth forecasts are buckling, the capital is under a state of emergency, and an archipelago of 18,000 islands has effectively sealed its borders. With a global recession in the cards, ...

Bloomberg The global economy is taking a battering not seen in decades, the outcome of severe restrictions on businesses and households by governments desperately trying to contain a pandemic that’s killed almost 17,400 people worldwide. The first major numbers outlining the damage tell a story of companies seeing demand plunge at a record pace, activity shrinking and confidence dropping. Government ...

Bloomberg The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of UAE has lifted restrictions on some programs that allow voice calls over the Internet, including Microsoft Skype for Business and Google Hangout, to help people work from home and avoid spreading the coronavirus. The applications allowed on all networks in the country are: Microsoft Times, Zoom, and Blackboard. The applications, which will be compatible with ...

SHARJAH / WAM HH Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has directed a 10 percent reduction in the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa) bills in the Emirate of Sharjah for three months. The move is in line with the precautionary measures taken by the government and aimed at facilitating the customers ...

Bloomberg The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be delayed by a year in the first postponement since the modern games began in the 19th century, becoming the biggest global event to be disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach agreed to the unprecedented move in a telephone call on ...

Bloomberg Prime Minister Narendra Modi has imposed a three-week long nationwide lockdown and allocated an extra $1.97 billion for health care to contain the spread of coronavirus infections which are now spiking in the South Asian nation. “If we listen to health experts we know that 21 days are crucial to break the cycle of transmission,” Modi said in his ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Adnoc Distribution is helping customers stay safe and maintain social distancing on essentials journeys through a range of contactless payment methods across all its stations. The Mobile Pay option on the Adnoc Distribution App allows customers to identify the station they are at, select their fuel pump, choose their preferred fuel and the amount they would ...

Dubai / WAM The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) announced on Tuesday that it continues to closely assess and address the implications of the evolving situation of Covid-19 pandemic. In a statement, the DFSA said that it will take all necessary proactive and precautionary measures to help Dubai and the UAE in their efforts to contain the spread of the ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Abu Dhabi Media announced that it will temporarily suspend its print publications and instead issue digital versions, in line with the decision of the National Media Council (NMC) to halt the circulation of newspapers and print magazines from March 24 until further notice, with the exception of publications for subscribers and major sale outlets in shopping ...

Dubai / WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the online #ThankYouHeroes campaign as a tribute to healthcare workers on the frontlines of the battle against the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. In a message of appreciation for doctors, nurses, paramedics and medical teams who dedicate their ...