Spain has introduced new Covid rules on face masks, the latest country to tighten restrictions as the highly contagious Omicron variant threatens to bring widespread infection.
German health experts fear the Omicron mutation will very soon be the dominant strain in the country, after outbreaks in Denmark, Portugal and the UK driven by the variant.
Belgium also imposed sweeping restrictions, including bans on fans at sports games and the cancellation of most indoor cultural events, but stopped short of ordering a full lockdown. Health minister Frank Vandenbroucke said: “We’re taking these measures precisely because we want to prevent that lockdown.”
In Austria, restaurants will close early from December 27 and stricter entry requirements have been announced for people from countries where the variant is already dominant, including the UK and the Netherlands.
In Sweden, from Thursday new rules include a limit of 50 people at private gatherings and the need for a vaccination pass for public events where there are more than 500 people.
The number of customers in shops will be limited, and restaurants will be able to serve only seated guests.
Europe was earlier this week told to brace for a wave of Omicron cases over the winter as the World Health Organisation said: “We can see another storm coming.”
Spain will return to wearing face masks outdoors as part of a package of measures, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.
A booster vaccination programme is also picking up speed among the population where about 80 per cent have been inoculated.
Catalonia has already announced it will impose a curfew, shut night clubs, limit gatherings and cut restaurant occupancy to stem a surge in case numbers in the region, which includes Barcelona.
In Germany, the head of the Robert Koch Institute for disease control said the Omicron variant could be the dominant form of the virus by mid-January.
Lothar Wieler expects a recent decline in new coronavirus infections in the country to be reversed as Omicron cases rapidly spread.
Mr Wieler said there was an infection wave of “unseen momentum” threatening to overwhelm the healthcare system.
“In the past few days, the number of cases has been declining, but unfortunately, this is not a sign of easing," he said. "We need to get the still very high case numbers down."
Katharina Reich, co-leader of Austria's new Covid crisis team, described the Omicron variant as "the next epidemiological challenge".
"What we do know is that Omicron is fast and we need to react quickly.”
Countries are racing to distribute booster shots in the hope that they will prevent the need for damaging lockdowns.
However, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said boosters would only prolong the wait for developing countries to hand out first and second doses, giving the virus more chance to mutate.
Only half of WHO member states have reached the end-of-year target of vaccinating 40 per cent of their populations, but the target could have been reached if doses were more equally shared, Dr Tedros said.
“No country can boost its way out of the pandemic. Boosters cannot be seen as a ticket to go ahead with the planned celebrations without the need for other precautions.”
The spread of Omicron has overshadowed preparations for Christmas for a second year running, with politicians warning of public fatigue over restrictions.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he sympathised with people who “don’t want to hear another word about variants and mutations” at Christmas.
But, he said, Germany could not turn a blind eye to the crisis, after his government agreed to a package of new restrictions with the country’s 16 states.
Private gatherings will be limited to 10 people from December 28, including for the vaccinated, and traditional New Year fireworks will be banned.
“This is no the time for parties and cosy evenings with lots of people,” Mr Scholz said.
Portugal is imposing new measures despite being one of the world’s most vaccinated countries, with 87 per cent of people having had two doses.
A negative test will be needed to enter cinemas, theatres, sports events and weddings until January 9, while outdoor New Year gatherings will be limited to 10 people.
Finland made its move on Tuesday by ordering early closures for hospitality venues on Christmas Eve. EU citizens will be required to show a negative test at the Finnish border.
Opening hours will be limited into January after the Nordic nation reached an all-time infection peak, with 23,000 new cases in the past two weeks.
“We must take this situation seriously and react accordingly,” said Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin.
In France, no new restrictions are planned for the time being, but ministers are not ruling them out, with case numbers expected to rise as high as 100,000 a day.
Health Minister Olivier Veran said Omicron would be dominant in France by early January. Paris has cancelled its New Year celebrations.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Tuesday that there would be no further Christmas restrictions in England, although he urged people to take a test before visiting elderly relatives.
Ministers are keeping people in suspense about possible New Year measures as they examine the severity of Omicron and its effect on hospital admissions.
“We’re going to keep a constant eye on the data and do whatever it takes to protect public health,” Mr Johnson said.
The specs: 2019 Mini Cooper
Price, base: Dh141,740 (three-door) / Dh165,900 (five-door)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder (Cooper) / 2.0-litre four-cylinder (Cooper S)
Power: 136hp @ 4,500rpm (Cooper) / 192hp @ 5,000rpm (Cooper S)
Torque: 220Nm @ 1,480rpm (Cooper) / 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (Cooper S)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 4.8L to 5.4L / 100km
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Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: South Africa, field first
Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48
South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Roger Federer's record at Wimbledon
Roger Federer's record at Wimbledon
1999 - 1st round
2000 - 1st round
2001 - Quarter-finalist
2002 - 1st round
2003 - Winner
2004 - Winner
2005 - Winner
2006 - Winner
2007 - Winner
2008 - Finalist
2009 - Winner
2010 - Quarter-finalist
2011 - Quarter-finalist
2012 - Winner
2013 - 2nd round
2014 - Finalist
2015 - Finalist
2016 - Semi-finalist
The%20specs
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more from Janine di Giovanni
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
World%20Cup%202023%20ticket%20sales
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures and results:
Monday, UAE won by three wickets
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Belong%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Michael%20Askew%20and%20Matthew%20Gaziano%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%243.5%20million%20from%20crowd%20funding%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
