German Chancellor Angela Merkel has endorsed an EU threat to block export of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine. Getty Images
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has endorsed an EU threat to block export of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine. Getty Images
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has endorsed an EU threat to block export of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine. Getty Images
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has endorsed an EU threat to block export of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine. Getty Images

We will decide: Germany supports EU in AstraZeneca row


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Germany's chancellor backed the European Commission president's threats to block the export of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccines produced in the EU.

Angela Merkel on Tuesday extended Germany's lockdown until April 18 to try to curb a third wave of infections fuelled by the coronavirus variant first identified in the UK.

She said the country faced a race against time to vaccinate its population as the feud with AstraZeneca over supplies rumbled on.

“I support Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. We have a problem with AstraZeneca – we will decide responsibly,” Mrs Merkel said.

European officials are furious that AstraZeneca was able to deliver its UK contract in full while falling short on supplying the bloc.

In her tough warning to the pharmaceutical giant, Ms von der Leyen said the message to AstraZeneca was “you fulfil your contract with Europe first before you start delivering to other countries”.

She said AstraZeneca delivered only 33 per cent of the 90 million vaccine doses promised for the first quarter of the year.

Much of the EU's frustration stems from supplies to Britain, where AstraZeneca has production facilities and the inoculation campaign is progressing at a much faster pace.

Brussels accused London of operating a de facto export ban to achieve its vaccine success, a claim denied by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government.

Mr Johnson said he hoped a negotiated solution could be found.

"We in this country don't believe in blockades of any kind of vaccines or vaccine material," he told a news conference.

"It's not something this country would dream of engaging in and I'm encouraged by some of the things I've heard in the continent in the same sense."

Mrs Merkel said she and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the issue with Mr Johnson, who sent a Foreign Office delegation to the EU headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday for talks.

The UK is prepared to negotiate the division of stocks of an active ingredient produced in a Dutch factory, The Times reported.

European rifts were exposed on Sunday when Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said the EU's threats would be a retrograde step and risked retaliation from Britain.

“I’ve met all of the companies and it’s absolutely vital that we keep supply chains open,” he told TV broadcaster RTE.

AstraZeneca was criticised by the US government for using outdated data in vaccine trial results. AP
AstraZeneca was criticised by the US government for using outdated data in vaccine trial results. AP

The UK government said its target of vaccinating all adults by the end of July remained on track, despite the EU threats.

A drop in supply is expected next month due to delays in deliveries of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute in India.

Meanwhile, AstraZeneca’s vaccine suffered another blow on Tuesday after a US health agency raised concerns that the company might have included out-of-date information during clinical trials.

AstraZeneca said its Stage 3 trials in the US showed the vaccine was 79 per cent effective at preventing Covid-19.

But the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is headed by Anthony Fauci, questioned the authenticity of the claim.

“AstraZeneca may have included outdated information from that trial, which may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data,” it said.

Last week, the EU medicines regulator deemed the vaccine safe and effective after several countries suspended its use over blood clot concerns.

The hangover from that debate persists, with France recommending the shot only be used in over-55s, and some Nordic countries vowing to carry out their own investigations before deciding whether to lift the suspensions.

If you go

The flights 

Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.

The trip

The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore  offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.

The hotel

There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.

 

 

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

England squad

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale 

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Coady, Marc Guehi, Reece James, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Ben White

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount, Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, James Ward-Prowse

Forwards: Tammy Abraham, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Raheem Sterling

The specs

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm

Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km

On sale: now

Price: Dh149,000

 

The biog

Place of birth: Kalba

Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren

Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken

Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah

Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”

Squid Game season two

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The specs

Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Power: 575bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: Dh554,000

On sale: now

MATCH INFO

What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
 
  • Grade 9 = above an A*
  • Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
  • Grade 7 = grade A
  • Grade 6 = just above a grade B
  • Grade 5 = between grades B and C
  • Grade 4 = grade C
  • Grade 3 = between grades D and E
  • Grade 2 = between grades E and F
  • Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
MATCH INFO

League Cup, last 16

Manchester City v Southampton, Tuesday, 11.45pm (UAE)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What to watch out for:

Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways

The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof

The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history

Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure

Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to increase your savings
  • Have a plan for your savings.
  • Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
  • Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
  • It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings. 

- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

 

 

Zakat definitions

Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.

Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.

Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.

Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.