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ABU DHABI / WAM Air Arabia has announced that it operated new repatriation flights between Pakistan and UAE, carrying Emiratis back home free of charge. Two special flights were operated between Lahore and Multan in Pakistan and Sharjah International Airport on April 24-25, the Sharjah-based airline said. Air Arabia underlined its commitment to bring stranded UAE citizens back home as ...

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business Etihad Airways has launched the Etihad Ramadan Box initiative to bring Iftar meals to homes across the UAE. The airline has partnered with Zomato, the world’s largest restaurant search and discovery platform and one of the UAE’s largest food delivery apps, to deliver these meals to those affected by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) including hospitals, ...

DUBAI / WAM Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) an institution established by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), has announced the launch of its new online tour guide training programme. The course has been designed for individuals looking to become professional certified tour guides, said a press release issued by Dubai Tourism. The programme will teach prospective ...

Bloomberg Singapore — which has one of Asia’s smallest populations — is emerging with the region’s highest number of coronavirus cases after the world’s two most populous countries. The island-nation reported 931 new cases on April 26, with the total number of infections exceeding 13,000, overtaking Japan. Only China and India have more cases in Asia. The majority of infections ...

Bloomberg A Chinese drugmaker has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to start clinical trials in the US for a breakthrough Alzheimer’s drug as it seeks global validation for the controversial therapy. Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceutical Co got clearance on April 8 for the US part of a global trial that seeks to enroll more than 2,000 ...

Bloomberg Australia launched mobile-phone software to help trace people infected with the coronavirus as parts of the country start to loosen restrictions on movement. The COVIDSafe app records digital handshakes between smartphones via Bluetooth, and if someone catches the virus, health authorities can track who has been within 1.5 metres of the person for 15 minutes or more. Some 1.1 ...

Bloomberg A vaccine for the novel coronavirus is needed to help reverse a plunge in Thailand’s critical tourism sector, according to the agency that promotes the industry. Visitor numbers are set to tumble 60% to 16 million this year, almost halving foreign tourism income, but those numbers could go even lower as the world waits for an inoculation or if ...

Bloomberg Bill Heinecke thought he’d seen it all in a decades-long career running hotels: the Asian and global financial crises, Sars, and military coups in his adopted home, Thailand. But the current pandemic tops all that, he says. Minor International Pcl, the hospitality group the tycoon founded in Bangkok, has furloughed thousands of workers and temporarily closed a majority of ...

Bloomberg BP Plc confirmed its commitment to completing the sale of its Alaska business to Hilcorp Energy Co, but said financial terms had been adjusted to reflect market conditions. The renegotiation of the deal will come as a relief to the London-based oil major, which is leaning on asset sales to rein in its debt and sustain its dividend amid ...

Bloomberg Manila Electric Co is slashing its capital spending budget by almost half as the largest Philippine power retailer sees lower demand this quarter, with the coronavirus outbreak shutting many businesses. Capital expenditure for infrastructure projects will be cut to 9.3 billion pesos ($183.38 million) from the 17.8 billion pesos initially planned at the start of the year, Meralco Senior ...