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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 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 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 ...

Bloomberg The disruption caused by the fallout from coronavirus outbreak is the last thing Spain’s car industry needs. Already under pressure from the shift to electric vehicles, the pandemic risks raising uncomfortable questions for Europe’s second-largest auto producer. As auto bosses plot their course for the years ahead — with less money to spread around — Spain could come up ...

Bloomberg A politically inexperienced and highly divisive president, a presidential campaign waged under the shadow of a deadly pandemic, and an establishment candidate from the opposing party who promises to restore the country to a less turbulent time. Those were the elements of the US presidential election exactly 100 years ago that swept Warren G Harding into office. The similarities ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Four agriculture technology (AgTech) pioneers will build new facilities in Abu Dhabi dedicated to developing next generation agriculture in arid and desert agriculture. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) has partnered individually with AeroFarms, Madar Farms, RNZ and Responsive Drip Irrigation (RDI). The partnership will establish new R&D and production facilities in the emirate, turning sand ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) issued Circular No. 5 of 2020 regulating facilities’ work at Abu Dhabi’s fish markets, to ensure the health and safety of consumers. The circular translates ADAFSA’s continuing efforts to follow precautionary measures, to help achieve high levels of health and safety for the society in cooperation with ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) and its subsidiaries announced the completion of more than 1.1 million digital transactions during the first quarter of this year, which represents 84% of its total transactions for the period. The three municipalities under the department’s umbrella achieved more than 223,000 digital transactions (93% of their total transactions) during Q1 ...

Bloomberg The US and China should work together to show “honest leadership” or risk transforming the pandemic into a bigger crisis, the head of the World Health Organization said in unusually stern comments on the two superpowers. At the height of the Cold War, the US and the Soviet Union still came together to fight and eradicate smallpox, Director-General Tedros ...