Dutch striker Bas Dost's sensational form continued as his double lifted second-placed Wolfsburg to a 2-1 win over Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
Dost struck early in the game only to see second-bottom visitors Hertha hit back on the half-hour through Julian Schieber.
But Wolfsburg stayed eight points behind leaders Bayern Munich after Dost pounced for the winning goal with 16 minutes left.
The 25-year-old has now scored nine goals in Wolfsburg’s five league matches since the winter break and he also netted twice in Thursday’s Europa League game against Sporting Lisbon.
“It was very hard today after Thursday’s game,” Dost said. “We had to get a second goal and it wasn’t too easy. In the end we did though, and that shows we have a very good team.”
Wolfsburg had hit the front after 10 minutes. Dost, who found the net four times in a remarkable 5-4 win against Leverkusen last weekend, swept home first-time from inside the box after Andre Schurrle had flicked on Vieirinha’s pass.
But Hertha drew level when Valentin Stocker mugged Sebastian Jung down the left and crossed for Schieber. The former Borussia Dortmund striker’s diving header from six yards was his seventh goal of the campaign.
Schurrle screwed a shot over before half-time and in the second half the new signing from Chelsea blazed a close-range volley off target after Dost had nodded the ball back to him.
Schurrle missed two further chances before Dost reacted quickest when Luiz Gustavo’s thunderous shot from distance crashed back off the post. His 11th league goal of the season condemned Hertha to a fifth defeat in six matches.
“Obviously Wolfsburg were the better team,” Hertha coach Pal Dardai said. “But all the same, tactically, in terms of willingness to run and to fight, we responded well. The team showed spirit.”
Meanwhile, an injury-time goal from substitute Branimir Hrgota earned Borussia Monchengladbach a 1-1 draw at Hamburg and denied the home team some breathing space in their fight against relegation.
A well-taken 73rd-minute strike from Zoltan Stieber looked like it might be enough to move Hamburg four points clear of the drop zone, only for Swedish forward Hrgota to power home a header from a corner.
The visitors had been hoping to take a firmer grip on third place after results went their way on Saturday but in the end they were relieved to escape with a point.
“Hamburg were very aggressive,” Gladbach manager Lucien Favre said. “We had two very good chances at the start and we didn’t take them.
“You have to say too that Hamburg fought very well. Bayern drew 0-0 here, Leverkusen lost 1-0 and Hannover lost 2-1. It’s not easy here.”
Hamburg had made seven changes to the team that was hammered 8-0 by Bayern last weekend, with out-of-form captain Rafael van der Vaart left on the bench as Joe Zinnbauer sought a strong reaction.
And goalscorer Stieber said it was vital that the home side responded well.
“We knew that last week, it was a very bad day for us,” he said. “All week long we showed a lot of concentration in training.
“It’s tough to lose points in the last seconds but that’s football. Nevertheless, we showed that we’re a good team.”
The game looked to be drifting to a goalless draw but it exploded into life when Artjoms Rudnevs broke at pace before setting up Stieber. The Hungarian attacker curled home into the bottom corner beyond Gladbach keeper Yann Sommer.
But Gladbach forced a corner two minutes into stoppage time and substitute Raffael cleverly stepped out of the path of the ball to allow Hrgota’s header to nestle in the corner.
On Saturday, Bayern enjoyed a 6-0 win at 10-man Paderborn, while Augsburg goalkeeper Marwin Hitz scored a stoppage-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen.
Robert Lewandowksi’s first-half double got Bayern on their way, while Arjen Robben is the league’s top scorer after getting his 15th and 16th goals of the season.
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LAST-16 EUROPA LEAGUE FIXTURES
Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)
FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm
Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm
Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm
Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm
Thursday
Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm
Sevilla v Roma (one leg only) 8.55pm
FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm
Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
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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
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More on Quran memorisation:
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 3
Sadio Man 28'
Andrew Robertson 34'
Diogo Jota 88'
Arsenal 1
Lacazette 25'
Man of the match
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
BMW%20M4%20Competition
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.0%20twin-turbo%20inline%20six-cylinder%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20eight-speed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E503hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20600Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20from%20Dh617%2C600%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
