• Pedestrians pass the National Covid-19 Memorial Wall, opposite the Palace of Westminster, in London. EPA
    Pedestrians pass the National Covid-19 Memorial Wall, opposite the Palace of Westminster, in London. EPA
  • Lauren McLean, 15, receives a Covid-19 vaccine at the Excelsior Academy in Newcastle upon Tyne, in north-east England, as the country begins vaccinating children aged 12 to 15. Getty Images
    Lauren McLean, 15, receives a Covid-19 vaccine at the Excelsior Academy in Newcastle upon Tyne, in north-east England, as the country begins vaccinating children aged 12 to 15. Getty Images
  • Campaigners carry fake coffins in London to highlight the number of Covid-19 deaths globally. AP
    Campaigners carry fake coffins in London to highlight the number of Covid-19 deaths globally. AP
  • Most passengers on an underground train on London's Bakerloo Line wear masks as a precaution against Covid-19. AP
    Most passengers on an underground train on London's Bakerloo Line wear masks as a precaution against Covid-19. AP
  • A man wears a face mask as he walks in Piccadilly Circus, in London. The UK has the highest rate of infections in Europe, with new cases averaging 43,000 a day over the past week. AP Photo
    A man wears a face mask as he walks in Piccadilly Circus, in London. The UK has the highest rate of infections in Europe, with new cases averaging 43,000 a day over the past week. AP Photo
  • Commuters wait for an underground train to leave from a tube stop in central London. Data up to Sunday showed more than 300,000 confirmed cases reported over the last seven days, a 15 percent increase in cases on the previous week. AFP
    Commuters wait for an underground train to leave from a tube stop in central London. Data up to Sunday showed more than 300,000 confirmed cases reported over the last seven days, a 15 percent increase in cases on the previous week. AFP
  • Commuters, some wearing face coverings, walk through Waterloo train station in central London.
    Commuters, some wearing face coverings, walk through Waterloo train station in central London.
  • Chelsea fans show vaccine-related paperwork to a Covid-19 steward before entering the club's Stamford Bridge stadium in west London. Reuters
    Chelsea fans show vaccine-related paperwork to a Covid-19 steward before entering the club's Stamford Bridge stadium in west London. Reuters
  • People attend a candlelit procession and vigil in the northern city Manchester to remember all those who have died due to the pandemic. Getty Images
    People attend a candlelit procession and vigil in the northern city Manchester to remember all those who have died due to the pandemic. Getty Images
  • Chelsea Pensioner John Byrne talks to Deputy Chief Nurse Vanessa Sloane before receiving a Covid-19 vaccination at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a retirement home for former soldiers, in London. PA
    Chelsea Pensioner John Byrne talks to Deputy Chief Nurse Vanessa Sloane before receiving a Covid-19 vaccination at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a retirement home for former soldiers, in London. PA
  • A member of staff prepares a Covid-19 vaccine at a pop-up vaccination centre at Westfield Stratford City shopping centre in east London. PA
    A member of staff prepares a Covid-19 vaccine at a pop-up vaccination centre at Westfield Stratford City shopping centre in east London. PA
  • Artist Luke Jerram walks through his installation 'In Memoriam', in Bristol, west England. It was created to remember the losses experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, and is made up of more than 100 flags made from NHS hospital bed sheets. PA
    Artist Luke Jerram walks through his installation 'In Memoriam', in Bristol, west England. It was created to remember the losses experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, and is made up of more than 100 flags made from NHS hospital bed sheets. PA
  • Felix Dima, 13, receives his flu inoculation ahead of receiving a Covid-19 vaccine at the Excelsior Academy in Newcastle upon Tyne. Getty Images
    Felix Dima, 13, receives his flu inoculation ahead of receiving a Covid-19 vaccine at the Excelsior Academy in Newcastle upon Tyne. Getty Images

New Delta variant monitored as UK Covid-19 cases rise


Nick Webster
  • English
  • Arabic

Latest: UK government under pressure for Plan B as new Delta strain spreads

A new variant of the Delta coronavirus strain thought to account for 6 per cent of all new UK cases is being closely monitored by scientists.

Sub-variant AY. 4.2 could be 10 to 15 per cent more infectious than the original Delta variant that was first spotted in India in December and has become the dominant Covid-19 strain.

Francois Balloux, director of the University College London Genetics Institute, published an analysis on Twitter suggesting that the data implied it was “intrinsically more transmissible”.

He said that research showed AY. 4.2 could be the most infectious variant of the virus to date. It is expected to be placed under investigation by the World Health Organisation.

An NHS document published on Tuesday revealed the sub-variant was one of four being monitored by scientists working for the UK Health Security Agency.

“A Delta sublineage newly designated as AY. 4.2 is noted to be expanding in England. It is now a signal in monitoring and assessment has commenced,” it said.

“New sublineages of Delta are regularly identified and designated. One recently designated sublineage, AY. 4.2, is not yet assigned by the Pangolin tool and therefore is not represented in Figure 10.

“This sublineage is currently increasing in frequency. It includes spike mutations A222V and Y145H. In the week beginning 27 September 2021 (the last week with complete sequencing data), this sublineage accounted for approximately 6 per cent of all sequences generated, on an increasing trajectory.”

Full WHO investigations could lead to it being assigned a Greek letter under its naming system, in the same way other variants of Covid-19 have been up to now.

More work was needed to fully understand its potential for disruption.

“It's good that we are aware. It's excellent that we have the facilities and infrastructure in place to see anything that might be a bit suspicious,” Mr Balloux said. “At this stage, I would say wait and see, don't panic. It might be slightly, subtly more transmissible but it is not something absolutely disastrous like we saw previously.”

Cases of Covid-19 in the UK are higher now that at the same time in 2020, when England still enforced local lockdowns.

On Tuesday, the UK Department of Health recorded 223 deaths, the highest level since March 9. However, infections had dropped to 43,738 after reaching almost 50,000 a day previously.

  • Arriving passengers queue at Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport, in London. Hannah McKay / Reuters
    Arriving passengers queue at Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport, in London. Hannah McKay / Reuters
  • Tourists from Britain arrive at the airport in Mallorca, Spain, after England lifted quarantine requirements for travellers returning from the Balearic Islands.
    Tourists from Britain arrive at the airport in Mallorca, Spain, after England lifted quarantine requirements for travellers returning from the Balearic Islands.
  • A woman reads a book while sitting between social distancing markers in Liverpool.
    A woman reads a book while sitting between social distancing markers in Liverpool.
  • Workers disinfect seats in the Centre Court at The All England Tennis Club, in Wimbledon.
    Workers disinfect seats in the Centre Court at The All England Tennis Club, in Wimbledon.
  • Spectators, some wearing face masks, queue to enter the grounds at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships.
    Spectators, some wearing face masks, queue to enter the grounds at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships.
  • People gather near Parliament in central London during a '#FreedomToDance' march organised by Save Our Scene, calling for an easing of restrictions for music events.
    People gather near Parliament in central London during a '#FreedomToDance' march organised by Save Our Scene, calling for an easing of restrictions for music events.
  • People queue at a vaccination centre at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, in London.
    People queue at a vaccination centre at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, in London.
  • People receive their vaccine doses at the Emirates Stadium.
    People receive their vaccine doses at the Emirates Stadium.

Recorded cases of new infections are outstripping some European countries and causing concern as winter approaches.

Experts said the UK’s steep rise in Covid infections could be a result of waning protection from vaccines.

The UK had one of the earliest and fastest immunisation campaigns, with protection of 90 per cent to 95 per cent from the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines thought to last for about 20 weeks before antibodies begin to drop-off.

The number of people who have tested positive in the UK has steadily risen from a seven-day average of about 25,000 in early August to more than 40,000 cases a day in mid-October.

However, hospital admission rates remain considerably lower than a year ago.

Fewer than 1,000 daily cases end up in hospital now, compared to more than four times that figure 12 months ago, thanks mainly to a widespread vaccination programme through 67 per cent of the population is fully protected.

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

Company%20Profile
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

The biogs

Name: Zinah Madi

Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and links

Nationality: Syrian

Family: Married, Mother of Tala, 18, Sharif, 14, Kareem, 2

Favourite Quote: “There is only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.”

 

Name: Razan Nabulsi

Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and Links

Nationality: Jordanian

Family: Married, Mother of Yahya, 3.5

Favourite Quote: A Chinese proverb that says: “Be not afraid of moving slowly, be afraid only of standing still.”

SQUAD

Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Saeed Ahmed, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Muhammed Jumah, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri

Fixtures (all times UAE)

Saturday
Brescia v Atalanta (6pm)
Genoa v Torino (9pm)
Fiorentina v Lecce (11.45pm)

Sunday
Juventus v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Inter Milan v SPAL (6pm)
Lazio v Udinese (6pm)
Parma v AC Milan (6pm)
Napoli v Bologna (9pm)
Verona v AS Roma (11.45pm)

Monday
Cagliari v Sampdoria (11.45pm)

Company%20profile
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Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi

Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe

For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.

Golden Dallah

For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.

Al Mrzab Restaurant

For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.

Al Derwaza

For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup. 

Long read

Mageed Yahia, director of WFP in UAE: Coronavirus knows no borders, and neither should the response

Company%20Profile
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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

Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
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While you're here
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Last-16 Europa League fixtures

Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)

FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm

Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm

Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm

Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm 

Thursday

Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm

Sevilla v Roma  (one leg only)  8.55pm

FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm 

Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm 

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

Race 3

Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

Updated: October 20, 2021, 7:34 AM