India set a global record for daily coronavirus cases for a fifth straight day on Monday as countries mobilised assistance to help its overwhelmed health sector.
With 352,991 new cases, India's total caseload has crossed 17 million, according to health ministry data.
Deaths rose by a record 2,812 to reach a total of 195,123.
The rapid rise in cases has created severe shortages of hospital beds, oxygen and medicines, leading to scenes of people dying outside treatment centres and overwhelmed crematoriums and cemeteries.
The crisis has prompted an outpouring of international support, with offers to supply drugs, equipment and oxygen.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, assured India of the UAE’s support on Sunday.
He “expressed the UAE's keenness to dedicate all resources” to help in a phone call with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s Minister of External Affairs.
Landmarks in the UAE were lit up in the colours of the Indian flag on Sunday in a show of solidarity.
"We stand with India in the face of the difficult conditions of the epidemic and we are guided in our positions and stands by our Islamic and humanitarian values," Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to President Sheikh Khalifa, said in a tweet on Monday.
The United States offered to immediately provide materials for Covid-19 vaccines, medical equipment and protective gear to help India respond to a massive surge in Covid-19 infections, the White House said on Sunday.
National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said the materials would help India to make its Covishield vaccine, the locally licensed version of the AstraZeneca treatment.
The US would also send therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits and ventilators.
President Joe Biden said America was "determined to help India in its time of need".
Britain, France and Germany also pledged aid at the weekend, with the first shipment of ventilators and oxygen concentrators expected to arrive from Britain on Tuesday.
“We stand side by side with India as a friend and partner during what is a deeply concerning time in the fight against Covid-19,” UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
Saudi Arabia sent an initial shipment of 80 tonnes of liquid oxygen and began flying oxygen tanks and diverted oxygen supplies from industrial use to hospitals.
"Our heartfelt thanks to Ministry of Health, kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for all their help, support and co-operation," the Indian embassy in Riyadh said on Twitter.
With state and private health facilities unable to cope, thousands of Indians have begun mobilising to organise oxygen supplies and breathing equipment.
The breakdown in healthcare is a stark failure for a country whose prime minister only in January had declared victory over Covid-19, and which boasted of being the “world’s pharmacy”, a global producer of vaccines and a model for other developing nations.
Caught off guard by the latest deadly surge, the federal government has asked industrialists to increase the production of oxygen and other life-saving drugs in short supply.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged all citizens to get vaccinated and exercise caution, while hospitals and doctors have put out urgent notices saying they were unable to cope with the rush of patients.
Politicians, especially Mr Modi, have faced criticism for holding election rallies attended by thousands of people, packed close together in stadiums and grounds, despite the brutal second wave of infections.
Several cities have ordered curfews, while police have been posted to enforce physical distancing and mask-wearing. The regional government in Delhi, the worst-affected city, extended a week-long lockdown by another week on Sunday as cases among its 20 million people continued to rise.
Still, about 8.6 million voters were expected to cast ballots on Monday in the eastern state of West Bengal, in the penultimate part of an eight-phase election that will wrap up this week.
Voting for local elections in other parts of India included the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, which has been reporting an average of 30,000 infections a day.
Mr Modi's plea on vaccinations came after inoculations peaked at 4.5 million doses on April 5, but have since averaged about 2.7 million a day, government figures show.
Several states, including Maharashtra, the richest, halted vaccinations in some places on Sunday, saying supplies were not available.
Demand outstripped supply as the inoculation campaign was widened this month, while companies struggle to boost output, partly because of a shortage of raw material and a fire at a facility making the AstraZeneca vaccine.
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
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
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Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White
Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse
Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins
The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
