December, 2020

• 31 December

  EU, China give political nod to investment deal

  

  Bloomberg The European Union (EU) and China announced the political approval of an agreement to open the Chinese market further to EU investors, marking a major step in talks that began in 2013. The breakthrough in negotiations on an EU-China investment deal signals the bloc’s determination to focus on economic opportunities in Asia even amid criticism of Beijing’s record on human ...

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• 31 December

  Dubai firms exempted from paying double fines

  

  DUBAI / WAM Dubai Municipality is preparing to launch an initiative to exempt companies from paying double fines for their violations. The exemption shall be given to those who pay the basic fines determined for violations before doubling, before mid-February 2021, the municipality said on Wednesday. The companies that violated the provisions of the legislation covered by decrees related to ...

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• 31 December

  TRA organises eighth edition of ‘Sada Al Barq’

  

  DUBAI / WAM The eighth edition of ‘Sada Al Barq’ exercise for the National Emergency Telecommunication Plan, organised virtually by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) concluded. It was attended by telecom service providers in the UAE including Emirates Telecommunication Group Company (Etisalat), Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du) and Al Yah Satellite Communication Company (Yahsat). This exercise comes under the framework ...

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• 31 December

  Covid-19: UAE reports 1,607 new recoveries

  

  Abu Dhabi / WAM The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced that it conducted 150,244 additional Covid-19 tests over the past 24 hours, using state-of-the-art medical testing equipment. As part of its intensified testing campaign, MoHAP announced 1,723 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the UAE to 206,092. MoHAP also noted that an additional ...

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• 31 December

  HoW is model for future communities: Jawaher Al Qasimi

  

  Sharjah / WAM Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, said that the newly inaugurated House of Wisdom (HoW), an iconic architectural marvel and Sharjah’s new cultural edifice, marks a new chapter in strengthening links between members of the community with their unique cultural ...

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• 31 December

  Dubai Startup Hub launches eight guides to support entrepreneurs

  

  DUBAI / WAM The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Dubai Startup Hub initiative has launched eight guides to help startups in the UAE do business. The decision was made at Dubai Chamber’s fifth and final ‘Networking Series’ which was organised in cooperation with Virtuzone, and targeted startups and entrepreneurs and ran from mid-October to mid-December this year. The new ...

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• 31 December

  Emirates expects peak travel period at start of 2021

  

  DUBAI / WAM Travel is expected to reach another peak at the end of this week for Emirates, as the airline expects yet another busy period. A high volume of travellers will be making their way to Emirates’ dedicated Terminal 3 facilities on January 2-3, 2021, to depart Dubai, in addition to a rush of inbound traffic into the city. ...

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• 31 December

  Abu Dhabi wraps up the year with dazzling fireworks shows

  

  ABU DHABI / WAM The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) announced an array of celebrations taking place in the UAE capital on New Year’s Eve, including fireworks shows in some of Abu Dhabi’s most renown neighbourhoods – the Corniche, Yas Island, Al Maryah Island and Al Wathba on Thursday, December 31. In line with ...

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• 31 December

  The three big mistakes China made in 2020

  

  Even if you resent China for being the epicenter of Covid-19, you’ve got to admire Beijing’s leadership skills. Less than a year after the pandemic erupted, life is back to normal, while Europe and the US are still struggling. The country is now the world’s shining economic outlier. Many good things can be said about China. Wearing a mask isn’t ...

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• 31 December

  Five nice things about politics in 2020

  

  It was a dreadful year, obviously, and that applies to US politics, too. Nevertheless, believe it or not, some stuff was worth celebrating. Here are five good developments: Republicans for democracy: In a year when the Republican Party overall showed an alarming and apparently accelerating lack of support for US democracy, we should recognise those who stepped up when it ...

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