Rare heavy snowfall blankets Athens and Greek islands

Heavy snowfall disrupted air and road traffic on Monday in the Greek capital of Athens and most of Greece, including – unusually – several Aegean Islands.

The storm, named in Greece Elpida, or “hope”, caused traffic snarl in Athens.

Authorities urged the public to avoid non-essential movements on Monday and Tuesday, while schools in many areas remained closed.

Government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said more than 46,000 school classes were being held online.

The snow came down thick and fast throughout the day in central Athens, settling on the marble columns of the ancient Acropolis.

Authorities sent emergency alerts to mobile phones in the wider Athens area warning of severe snowfall.

Snow chains were mandatory for cars on many roads, while lorries were banned from the motorway heading north from Athens.

The icy conditions and lack of snow chains on some vehicles left traffic snarled for hours on many of the Greek capital’s roads, including a motorway ring road and one of the main avenues in Athens.

Several drivers reported being stuck in their cars for hours.

Climate Change and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides apologised for the problems on the ring road, and said explanation would be sought from its private operators.

He said efforts were being made to keep all major motorways open.

Mr Stylianides said power disruptions, mostly on the island of Evia, were marginal and were expected to be resolved soon.

Several domestic and international flights to Athens airport were cancelled, while the metro service to the airport was partially suspended as some of it runs above ground.

The health ministry announced that Covid-19 vaccination centres in the wider Athens region and Evia would remain closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Authorities expect the snowfall to continue on Tuesday.

Snow is common in the Greek mountains and in northern Greece but is less frequent in central Athens and on Aegean Islands.

Last year, the Greek capital was hit by a major snowstorm that caused severe problems, knocking out power for days in certain neighbourhoods and making all streets impassable without snow chains.

Thousands of trees collapsed from the weight of the snow and ice.

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Like a Fading Shadow

Antonio Muñoz Molina

Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez

Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)

match info

Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')

Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)

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

Habtoor interview

The UAE should temporarily scrap VAT, Khalaf Al Habtoor says

Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE

There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.

It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.

What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.

When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.

It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.

This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.

It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.