Stigma and discrimination surrounding monkeypox “can only delay the response and deflect our attention from what needs to be done”, said Dr Ahmed Al Mandhari, the World Health Organisation’s regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean.
A total of 33 cases and no deaths from the disease have been reported in six countries in the Middle East and North Africa. They include 16 in the UAE, one in Morocco, six in Lebanon, six in Saudi Arabia, three in Qatar, and most recently one case in Iran.
“While it is predominantly affecting men who have sex with men, every one of us is at risk,” Dr Al Mandhari said at a press briefing in Cairo on Tuesday. “We have received reports of infection among children and women in our region and around the world.”
In the Middle East, an 8-year-old in Lebanon was among the reported cases. Iran’s first case was a 34-year-old woman.
Monkeypox is spread through close skin-to-skin contact with an infected person, or through touching infected objects.
It can cause a range of symptoms, including rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, headache and muscle aches.
Most people with monkeypox can recover safely at home with supportive treatment. However, in some cases the disease can cause severe illness with complications that could lead to death.
The WHO declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern last month, following an outbreak in non-endemic countries where the disease was not typically found.
The virus was first discovered in laboratory monkeys in 1958 and first identified in humans in 1970, in parts of Central and West Africa.
Since the start of this year, 96 countries have reported more than 40,000 laboratory-confirmed cases, including 12 deaths.
“Our collective focus must be on an effective public health response that will stop transmission and contain the outbreak,” Dr Al Mandhari said.
Vaccine supplies are currently limited and the WHO recommends targeted vaccination for people exposed to someone infected with monkeypox and those at high risk of exposure, such as health workers and laboratory workers.
Bahrain, which has not reported any monkeypox cases so far, opened registration for a limited stock of the vaccine earlier this month for priority groups.
Early case-finding and diagnosis, isolating cases, using contact tracing, and accelerating research into the effectiveness of vaccines and treatments, are all important tools to help contain the outbreak, Dr Al Mandhari said.
“New information is still unfolding about monkeypox, its mode of transmission and vaccine efficacy,” he said.
Since the earliest days of the current global monkeypox outbreak, scientists and public health authorities have been calling for the disease to be renamed, arguing that it has racist overtones and carries a stigma that will hinder efforts to stop its spread.
The WHO has said it would be working with partners to rename the virus, “to avoid causing offence to any cultural, social, national, regional, professional or ethnic groups, and minimise any negative impact on trade, travel, tourism or animal welfare”.
Covid-19 still a threat
As for the coronavirus, Dr Al Mandhari warned “this pandemic is not over and Covid-19 is not going away”.
Although the number of new weekly Covid cases decreased across the world this month, “people are still being infected and dying”, he said.
In the past week alone, more than 5.4 million new cases and 15,000 deaths were reported globally.
In the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region (Emro), which covers 22 countries and territories in an area stretching from Morocco to Pakistan, more than 80,000 people were infected and more than 600 died of Covid-19 over the same period.
Almost 46 per cent of people in the region are fully vaccinated with over 790 million doses administered, but momentum has waned.
“In 2022, the availability of the vaccine is no longer a bottleneck to vaccinate people,” said Dr Yvan Hutin, director of communicable diseases at WHO Emro.
“There are enough supplies,” Dr Hutin said, urging anyone eligible to get vaccinated and boosted.
Earlier this month, the WHO recommended France’s Valneva Covid-19 vaccine for those aged 18 to 50, including pregnant and breastfeeding women.
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
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
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
Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
THE%20SWIMMERS
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Disturbing%20facts%20and%20figures
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Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Last-16
France 4
Griezmann (13' pen), Pavard (57'), Mbappe (64', 68')
Argentina 3
Di Maria (41'), Mercado (48'), Aguero (90 3')
Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
if you go
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1
Alonso (62')
Huddersfield Town 1
Depoitre (50')
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Kites
Romain Gary
Penguin Modern Classics
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
65
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EScott%20Beck%2C%20Bryan%20Woods%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAdam%20Driver%2C%20Ariana%20Greenblatt%2C%20Chloe%20Coleman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dunbar
Edward St Aubyn
Hogarth
