India is currently undergoing a second – and far more deadly – Covid-19 wave.
The country has been setting world records for infection rates over the last few days, according to health authorities, leading to a situation that has devastated the medical system. There is a current shortage of hospital beds in the ICU departments, as well as a lack of medicines and ventilators. Meanwhile, there has been a flood of posts on social media asking for help be it through donations or information.
It's all led to the hashtag #IndiaNeedsOxygen trending on Twitter at the weekend.
As the situation becomes more critical, here’s a look at some Bollywood celebrities who are stepping in to help – either by highlighting the seriousness of the situation or by donating.
A number of Pakistani celebrities have also reached out via social media to send prayers and offer support in a move that has been widely hailed in both countries.
Akshay Kumar
The Bollywood star donated Rs1 crore or Rs10 million ($133,810) to former Indian cricketer now politician Gautam Gambhir's foundation which is helping distribute free food, medicines and the much-needed oxygen to the needy. The politician tweeted his gratitude on Saturday.
"Every help in this gloom comes as a ray of hope. Thanks a lot
@akshaykumar for committing Rs1 crore to #GGF for food, meds and oxygen for the needy! God bless," he posted.
Kumar, who was hospitalised earlier this month after testing positive for Covid-19, then responded: "These are really tough times, @GautamGambhir. Glad I could help. Wish we all get out of this crisis soon. Stay Safe."
The Bollywood actor, an ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), also donated Rs25 crore last year to the PM Cares Fund at the beginning of the first outbreak.
Sushmita Sen
When the Indian actress and former beauty queen saw a video of Sunil Saggar, chief executive of Shanti Mukand Hospital, Delhi, talk about how they had only two hours of oxygen left, she decided to take action.
“This is deeply heartbreaking … oxygen crisis is everywhere. I have managed to organise a few oxygen cylinders for this hospital but have no way to transport it to Delhi from Mumbai … please help me find a way,” she tweeted.
Thanks to some helpful “Twitter friends” who “went out of their way to make it happen”, the oxygen cylinders were moved to the Delhi hospital from Mumbai, she later informed her 6.3 million followers.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas
The Quantico star has been using her verified Twitter handle to shed light on the crisis through a regular stream of informative tweets.
From ambulance service numbers throughout India to district-wide bed availability in Telangana, the star has keep her tweets short and to-the-point, only using the hashtag #CovidIndiaInfo to highlight critical information.
Katrina Kaif
The actress, who was recently diagnosed with Covid-19 herself, has created an Instagram Story highlight titled Covid-19 Updates that she has been updating with information on everything from Covid call centre numbers to what foods she believes are best eaten if tested positive.
Wasim Jaffer
The former Indian cricketer has been putting his Twitter account to good use. "Hello Twitter, please suggest what I can do as a public figure with a verified Twitter account to help in this fight against Covid. All suggestions welcome. If it is in my power, I'll do it. PS: Please see my liked tweets and help those in need," he tweeted on Saturday.
Ever since, he has been helping people in need reach the correct authorities.
Bhumi Pednekar
The Indian actress has tweeted asking all those who need help to send in the below details.
She has since been reposting or getting her team to contact those they can directly help.
Amit Sadh
Sometimes silence can speak volumes, which is what Kai Po Che actor seems to be going for. Because of the current crisis in India, Sadh announced that he would be going offline, as he believes his "posts and reels of gym sessions" and other "silly things" will not heal or entertain anyone.
Instead, he urges everyone to reach out to the underprivileged and acknowledge the seriousness of the pandemic.
Shoaib Akhtar
The former Pakistani cricketer has been widely praised for encouraging his fans in Pakistan to come forward and help India tackle the ongoing crisis.
"India is really struggling with Covid-19. Global support needed. Health care system is crashing. It's a pandemic, we are all in it together. Must become each other's support," he tweeted along with a video urging people to donate and raise funds for India.
Momina Mustehsan
The Pakistani singer-songwriter has urged Pakistani officials to “help our neighbours”.
“As cases in India soar to highest global daily and second highest in total, it is bound to put strain on resources. This is humanity versus the virus. Our battle against Covid is intensifying, but can we share to help our neighbours?” she tweeted.
Ali Zafar
One of Pakistan’s biggest singers, Ali Zafar, has sent prayers.
“Prayers for India. We are with you in these difficult times,” he tweeted along with the hashtag #PakistanStandsWithIndia.
Backlash against celebrities holidaying
Over the last few months, there has been a steady stream of celebrities heading to exotic beach destinations for holidays. Famous names who jetted off to the Maldives include Tiger Shroff, Disha Patani, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan.
While jetting off to far-flung destinations amid the crisis has been seen as part of the "new normal", the new wave has led to a rise in anti-vacation sentiment against those celebrities who have been posting happy holiday photos on social media while the country has been gripped by a crisis.
Indian columnist Shobha De reposted words from publicist Rohini Iyer calling out stars for being blind and tone deaf, and showing off their privilege.
"For all of you vacationing in Maldives and Goa and exotic locales, remember, it's a holiday for you. It's a pandemic all over. So, don't be an insensitive idiot and post pictures of your privileged life," the post reads.
"It is the height of vulgarity to flaunt those ridiculous pictures. Enjoy Maldives by all means. You are blessed if you can get such a break in these bleak times. But do everyone a favour ... keep it private," De said in the caption.
Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has chimed in, criticising celebrities who have been sharing vacation pictures. In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, he called on them to "have some shame".
“I don’t know what their arrangement is with the tourism industry. But for the sake of humanity, please keep these vacations to yourself. There is suffering everywhere. The cases of Covid are multiplying. Have a heart. Please don’t taunt those who are suffering.”
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The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Cagliari v AC Milan (6pm)
Lazio v Napoli (9pm)
Inter Milan v Atalanta (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Sampdoria v Brescia (6pm)
Fiorentina v SPAL (6pm)
Torino v Bologna (6pm)
Verona v Genoa (9pm)
Roma V Juventus (11.45pm)
Parma v Lecce (11.45pm)
Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
TICKETS
For tickets for the two-day Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) event, entitled Dubai Invasion 2019, on September 27 and 28 go to www.meraticket.com.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 715bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,289,376
On sale: now
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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