• Travellers from 33 'red list' countries, including South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, must be quarantined in hotels rooms for 10 days at their own expense. EPA
    Travellers from 33 'red list' countries, including South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, must be quarantined in hotels rooms for 10 days at their own expense. EPA
  • Passengers travelling from 'red list' countries are escorted through the arrivals area of terminal 5 of Heathrow airport and onto a coach, on February 16, 2021. Getty Images
    Passengers travelling from 'red list' countries are escorted through the arrivals area of terminal 5 of Heathrow airport and onto a coach, on February 16, 2021. Getty Images
  • An aircraft flies over the Sofitel at London Heathrow airport on February 15, 2021. Bloomberg
    An aircraft flies over the Sofitel at London Heathrow airport on February 15, 2021. Bloomberg
  • A woman accompanied by a boy and girl stand and gesture out of a window from inside the Radisson Blu hotel at Heathrow Airport in west London on February 17, 2021 where they are undertaking mandatory hotel quarantine because of the coronavirus pandemic. AFP
    A woman accompanied by a boy and girl stand and gesture out of a window from inside the Radisson Blu hotel at Heathrow Airport in west London on February 17, 2021 where they are undertaking mandatory hotel quarantine because of the coronavirus pandemic. AFP
  • A person holds a sign from a window of the Radisson Blu Hotel at Heathrow Airport, as Britain introduces hotel quarantine programme for arrivals from a "red list" of 30 countries, amidst the coronavirus disease outbreak in London, Britain, February 16, 2021. Reuters
    A person holds a sign from a window of the Radisson Blu Hotel at Heathrow Airport, as Britain introduces hotel quarantine programme for arrivals from a "red list" of 30 countries, amidst the coronavirus disease outbreak in London, Britain, February 16, 2021. Reuters
  • A person holds a sign from a window of the Radisson Blu Hotel at Heathrow Airport, as Britain introduces hotel quarantine programme for arrivals from a "red list" of 30 countries in London, Britain, February 16, 2021. Reuters
    A person holds a sign from a window of the Radisson Blu Hotel at Heathrow Airport, as Britain introduces hotel quarantine programme for arrivals from a "red list" of 30 countries in London, Britain, February 16, 2021. Reuters
  • A paper bag with a message written on it is seen in a window of the Radisson Blu Hotel at Heathrow Airport, Britain, February 16, 2021. Reuters
    A paper bag with a message written on it is seen in a window of the Radisson Blu Hotel at Heathrow Airport, Britain, February 16, 2021. Reuters
  • Passengers are escorted by security to a coach destined for the Radisson Blu Hotel near Heathrow airport. EPA / Getty
    Passengers are escorted by security to a coach destined for the Radisson Blu Hotel near Heathrow airport. EPA / Getty
  • Passengers are escorted by security to a coach destined for the Radisson Blu Hotel near Heathrow airport. EPA / Getty
    Passengers are escorted by security to a coach destined for the Radisson Blu Hotel near Heathrow airport. EPA / Getty
  • A mobile Covid-19 testing centre run by Randox is set upon the grounds of the Radisson Blu hotel near Heathrow airport. Getty Images
    A mobile Covid-19 testing centre run by Randox is set upon the grounds of the Radisson Blu hotel near Heathrow airport. Getty Images
  • The cost of a 10-day stay in a government-approved quarantine hotel is 1,700 pounds or 2,400 pounds for a couple sharing a room. EPA / Getty
    The cost of a 10-day stay in a government-approved quarantine hotel is 1,700 pounds or 2,400 pounds for a couple sharing a room. EPA / Getty
  • Zari Tadayon looks through a window of the Radisson Blu Hotel near Heathrow airport. Reuters
    Zari Tadayon looks through a window of the Radisson Blu Hotel near Heathrow airport. Reuters

UK government to allow direct flights from red list countries


Neil Murphy
  • English
  • Arabic

Passengers from red list countries will be able to take direct flights to England after the UK government on Thursday announced new rules around travel to the country.

From June 8, British citizens and legal residents will be permitted to fly to dedicated terminals at London's Heathrow Airport or Birmingham Airport.

Arrivals will still need to provide proof of a recent negative Covid-19 test result and must stay in mandatory hotel quarantine for 11 nights, costing £1,750 ($2,468) a traveller.

Passenger flights to England from red list countries have been banned since the UK government revealed its traffic light system for international travel in February.

The move was made to reduce the risk of the spread of Covid-19 variants first identified in Brazil, India and South Africa.

Under the current system, passengers must stay at a quarantine hotel if they have travelled through a red list country in the previous two weeks.

About 43 nations, including the UAE, Oman and Pakistan, are on the UK's red list, meaning travellers must transit through a third country before going to Britain.

Travellers returning from countries on the amber list, which covers most of the world, must isolate for 10 days at home and take Covid-19 tests on the second and eighth days.

There are only 11 countries and territories on the green list, including Israel, Singapore and New Zealand.

Those hoping to visit England are required to fly through countries on the green or amber lists, raising the risk of infection for other airline passengers.

The UK government said the move covered all red list countries, and that authorities would help to separate passengers and ensure they were processed "safely and efficiently".

Authorities in the UAE are yet to comment on the move.

On Thursday, the British government confirmed it was adding Egypt and Bahrain to its travel red list and that Portugal would be downgraded from green to amber.

The changes come into effect at 4am on June 8.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the decision was made because of a rising positivity rate in Portugal and concerns over a new mutation of Covid-19.

Afghanistan, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Trinidad and Tobago were the other countries added to the red list.

“The public has always known travel will be different this year and we must continue to take a cautious approach to reopening international travel in a way that protects public health and the vaccine roll-out," Mr Shapps said.

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

SAUDI RESULTS

Team Team Pederson (-40), Team Kyriacou (-39), Team De Roey (-39), Team Mehmet (-37), Team Pace (-36), Team Dimmock (-33)

Individual E. Pederson (-14), S. Kyriacou (-12), A van Dam (-12), L. Galmes (-12), C. Hull (-9), E. Givens (-8),

G. Hall (-8), Ursula Wikstrom (-7), Johanna Gustavsson (-7)

 

 

FA CUP FINAL

Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)

Manchester United 0

Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic

John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers

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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

RESULTS

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Omania, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
Winner: Brehaan, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Craving, Connor Beasley, Simon Crisford
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Fertile De Croate, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel