The B117 coronavirus variant, first reported in the UK, has been found in at least 60 countries, 10 more than seven days ago, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday.
It also said the South African variant was reported in 23 countries and territories.
Both the UK and South African variants are believed to be up to 70 per cent more transmissible than early strains.
The number of deaths reached a high of 93,000 in the previous week, with 4.7 million new cases reported, the WHO said.
Concerns over the increased infectivity of new strains caused governments around the world to toughen constraints as authorities try to slow infections until vaccines become widely available.
Covid-19 has caused more than two million deaths globally since it was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan more than a year ago, while the number of reported cases is edging towards 100 million, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
The US is by far the worst-hit nation, having recorded more than 400,000 deaths. President-elect Joe Biden focused on healing at a memorial for victims of the pandemic on the eve of his inauguration.
"It's hard sometimes to remember but that's how we heal. It's important to do that as a nation," Mr Biden said on Tuesday at the National Mall reflecting pool in Washington, where lights were turned on as a memorial to those who died.
"Let us shine the lights in the darkness along the sacred pool of reflection and remember all who we lost."
Almost a year after the US registered its first fatality, the pace of the pandemic has picked up, with 100,000 deaths reported in the past month alone.
Mr Biden made tackling the pandemic his top priority as he prepared to take office in Washington on Wednesday.
He is already being forced to take action, with his aides rejecting a move by outgoing President Donald Trump to lift an entry ban for travellers from Europe and Brazil.
On Women's Day
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?
Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality
The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?
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Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
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Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
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Newcastle United 2 (Willems 25', Shelvey 88')
Manchester City 2 (Sterling 22', De Bruyne 82')
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Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal
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Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: UAE and Singapore can be partners for a world in transition
Nick March: Singapore and UAE are on the move – in airport development
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
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Director: Saeed Roustaee
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Company: Libra Project
Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware
Launch year: 2017
Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time
Sector: Renewable energy
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.
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Azhar Ali (capt), Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Abbas, Yasir Shah, Usman Shinwari















