• Photos of believers who were asked to send in pictures instead of attending are attached to the pews for a livestreamed service in the empty St. Barbara church in Obrhausen, Germany. EPA
    Photos of believers who were asked to send in pictures instead of attending are attached to the pews for a livestreamed service in the empty St. Barbara church in Obrhausen, Germany. EPA
  • A woman walks with a bag of free rice amid Vietnam's nationwide social isolation effort, in Hanoi. AFP
    A woman walks with a bag of free rice amid Vietnam's nationwide social isolation effort, in Hanoi. AFP
  • Workers in protective suits install CCTV cameras near Chandni Mahal area in New Delhi, India. EPA
    Workers in protective suits install CCTV cameras near Chandni Mahal area in New Delhi, India. EPA
  • A woman chats to her friends from a distance after the Irish government announced further restrictions on movement in Dublin. Reuters
    A woman chats to her friends from a distance after the Irish government announced further restrictions on movement in Dublin. Reuters
  • A cyclist walks his dog at an empty Plaza del Zócalo in Mexico City, Mexico. Getty Images
    A cyclist walks his dog at an empty Plaza del Zócalo in Mexico City, Mexico. Getty Images
  • Members of the Slovak military take tests from Roma people outside of the Roma settlement in the eastern Slovakian village of Janovce, Slovakia. AFP
    Members of the Slovak military take tests from Roma people outside of the Roma settlement in the eastern Slovakian village of Janovce, Slovakia. AFP
  • Cutouts replaced audiences at the first professional baseball league game of the season at Taoyuan International baseball stadium in Taoyuan city, Taiwan. Reuters
    Cutouts replaced audiences at the first professional baseball league game of the season at Taoyuan International baseball stadium in Taoyuan city, Taiwan. Reuters
  • A sign is seen in Aberystwyth, as the spread of coronavirus continues, Wales. Reuters
    A sign is seen in Aberystwyth, as the spread of coronavirus continues, Wales. Reuters
  • A skater rides in a public park amid the Coronavirus outbreak in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Getty Images
    A skater rides in a public park amid the Coronavirus outbreak in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Getty Images
  • A volunteer sprays disinfectant at the Shivpuri Hindu cremation ground during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown, in Amritsar. AFP
    A volunteer sprays disinfectant at the Shivpuri Hindu cremation ground during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown, in Amritsar. AFP
  • Security personnel wearing hazmat suits stand in front of the Wuhan Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, in China’s central Hubei province. AFP
    Security personnel wearing hazmat suits stand in front of the Wuhan Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, in China’s central Hubei province. AFP
  • A Belgian first-aid firefighter wearing personal protection equipment help a patient suspected of being infected with Covid-19, onto a gurney, to be taken to hospital in Liege. AFP
    A Belgian first-aid firefighter wearing personal protection equipment help a patient suspected of being infected with Covid-19, onto a gurney, to be taken to hospital in Liege. AFP
  • Salvadoran soldiers walk during a patrol at El Majahual beach during a quarantine throughout the country, as the government undertakes steadily stricter measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19, in La Libertad, El Salvador. Reuters
    Salvadoran soldiers walk during a patrol at El Majahual beach during a quarantine throughout the country, as the government undertakes steadily stricter measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19, in La Libertad, El Salvador. Reuters
  • Passengers from aboard the Greg Mortimer cruise ship arrive at Melbourne Airport from Uruguay; in Melbourne, Australia. EPA
    Passengers from aboard the Greg Mortimer cruise ship arrive at Melbourne Airport from Uruguay; in Melbourne, Australia. EPA

Europe

Coronavirus: Italy records a drop in daily deaths from the virus

Sunday brought the lowest rise in deaths since March 19

The National

April 12, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

Italy saw a significant drop in the number of people dying from Covid-19 on Sunday, with 431 deaths, down from 619 the previous day. It marks the lowest daily rise since March 19 and brings hope that the country has passed the peak of the crisis after suffering one of the worst outbreaks worldwide.

Italy’s death toll stands at 19,899, the second highest in the world after the US, the Civil Protection Agency said.

New cases are also declining with 4,092 compared to 4,694 the day before. Italy now has the third-highest number of cases globally with 156,000 infections, after Spain at 166,019 and the US, where 537, 016 have been reported.

Coronavirus recoveries continued in Italy, jumping from 32,424 on Saturday to 34,211 the following day as the country prepared to host a digital Easter Sunday mass for Catholics tuning in around the world.

Pope Francis shared a message of hope from an almost-empty St Peter’s Bacilica in The Vatican and called on countries to support the world’s poorest nations struggling to deal with the pandemic.

“Despite the sign of death and fear that we are seeing everywhere all over the world, we have to look at the good all those that are giving their lives for the others,” he said.

“The message of Easter is that life, despite all, will prevail."

Later on Sunday evening, the famous Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli is set to give a solo performance at the Duomo Cathedral in Milan, representing a message of love, healing and hope to Italy and the world.

Globally, more than 1.8 million cases of Covid-19 have now been recorded and 112,242 people have died from the disease.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

While you're here
Virus and the economy
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

War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

EuropeItaly