• Luis Suarez celebrates with Saul Niguez after scoring Atletico Madrid's sixth goal against Granada at the Wanda Metropolitano. Reuters
    Luis Suarez celebrates with Saul Niguez after scoring Atletico Madrid's sixth goal against Granada at the Wanda Metropolitano. Reuters
  • Luis Suarez shoots to score Atletico's sixth goal against Granada. Reuters
    Luis Suarez shoots to score Atletico's sixth goal against Granada. Reuters
  • Luis Suarez celebrates with teammates after scoring Atletico's sixth goal. Reuters
    Luis Suarez celebrates with teammates after scoring Atletico's sixth goal. Reuters
  • Luis Suarez shoots to score for Atletico against Granada. AFP
    Luis Suarez shoots to score for Atletico against Granada. AFP
  • Granada goalkeeper Rui Silva watches the ball hit the net after Luis Suarez's shot. AFP
    Granada goalkeeper Rui Silva watches the ball hit the net after Luis Suarez's shot. AFP
  • Atletico Madrid forward Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring against Granada. AFP
    Atletico Madrid forward Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring against Granada. AFP
  • Luis Suarez scores with a header for Atletico against Granada. AFP
    Luis Suarez scores with a header for Atletico against Granada. AFP
  • Luis Suarez celebrates scoring Atletico's fifth goal. Reuters
    Luis Suarez celebrates scoring Atletico's fifth goal. Reuters
  • Luis Suarez on the ball during his Atletico Madrid debut. Reuters
    Luis Suarez on the ball during his Atletico Madrid debut. Reuters
  • Luis Suarez takes a shot at goal during Atletico's La Liga match against Granada. Reuters
    Luis Suarez takes a shot at goal during Atletico's La Liga match against Granada. Reuters
  • Luis Suarez enters the pitch for his Atletico Madrid debut. AFP
    Luis Suarez enters the pitch for his Atletico Madrid debut. AFP
  • Luis Suarez enters the pitch for his Atletico Madrid debut. Reuters
    Luis Suarez enters the pitch for his Atletico Madrid debut. Reuters

Football

Luis Suarez to miss Barcelona showdown after testing positive for Covid-19

Atletico Madrid striker also out of Uruguay's World Cup qualifier against Brazil

The National

November 17, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

Luis Suarez will miss Uruguay's blockbuster World Cup qualifier against Brazil after the striker tested positive for Covid-19, local football chiefs said on Monday.

The positive test means Suarez – Uruguay's all-time leading goalscorer –  will also miss his club Atletico Madrid's La Liga outing against Barcelona, which would have been the first time he ran out against his former team.

"Tests have been carried out on all the members of the national team, with the result that the players Luis Suarez (and) Rodrigo Munoz and the official, Matias Faral, have tested positive for Covid-19," the Uruguayan football federation said in a statement.

All three are "in good health", it added. They join defender Matias Vina, who tested positive on Saturday after Uruguay's 3-0 win over Colombia in Barranquilla.

Uruguay, who have not beaten Brazil since 2001, host the Brazilians (minus an injured Neymar) in Montevideo on Tuesday.

Brazil top the round-robin South American qualifying group for the 2022 finals in Qatar with nine points from three games, Argentina are on seven, Ecuador on six and Uruguay on six points.

Suarez joined Atletico in the summer after six years at Barcelona, leaving the Camp Nou as the club's third all-time record goalscorer while playing a key role in 10 major trophy triumphs.

The manner of his Barcelona exit did not sit well with club captain Lionel Messi, who insisted his friend and former teammate deserved a farewell befitting his service to the club.

What are the influencer academy modules?
  1. Mastery of audio-visual content creation. 
  2. Cinematography, shots and movement.
  3. All aspects of post-production.
  4. Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
  5. Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
  7. Professional ethics.
If you go...

Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.

Squad

Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas) 

While you're here
While you're here
Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

How to help

Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:

2289 - Dh10

2252 - Dh50

6025 - Dh20

6027 - Dh100

6026 - Dh200

Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh12 million

Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16

Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto

Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm

Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds

Top speed 420 kph (governed)

Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)

While you're here
Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

Getting there

The flights

Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.

The stay

Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.

Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHakbah%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENaif%20AbuSaida%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E22%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-Series%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%20and%20Aditum%20Investment%20Management%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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

SportFootballUruguay