Travellers arriving from abroad wait to be tested at a Covid-19 testing station set up at Cologne-Bonn Airport on August 8, 2020 near Cologne, Germany Getty
Travellers arriving from abroad wait to be tested at a Covid-19 testing station set up at Cologne-Bonn Airport on August 8, 2020 near Cologne, Germany Getty
Travellers arriving from abroad wait to be tested at a Covid-19 testing station set up at Cologne-Bonn Airport on August 8, 2020 near Cologne, Germany Getty
Travellers arriving from abroad wait to be tested at a Covid-19 testing station set up at Cologne-Bonn Airport on August 8, 2020 near Cologne, Germany Getty

Travellers to Germany from at-risk areas must take Covid-19 test or face €25,000 fine


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People coming to Germany from areas deemed high-risk, such as the United States and Turkey, will have to to take a Covid-19 test or face a €25,000 fine.

The German government said travellers arriving in the country from Saturday could be fined if they do not take the test within 72 hours.

The switch to mandatory testing comes after voluntary tests were introduced at airports weeks ago.

The tests, carried out by the German Red Cross, are free of charge.

Travellers have the option of getting tested through private means within the allotted time period if they prefer.

Plans are ongoing to set up testing booths at other entry points, such as motorways and at train stations, Deutsche Welle reported.

Germany, which has been one of the countries to most successfully navigate the coronavirus crisis, has seen its number of cases rise in the past week following a staggered re-opening of schools.

The daily infection rate has exceeded 1,000 for the first time since May, an increase that comes amid fears of a second wave of infections across Europe.

“If we can stabilise at a particular level then we can cope,” Jens Spahn, Germany’s health minister, said. “If the numbers rise further then it depends on all of us to watch out for each other and make further measures unnecessary.”

The list of countries and areas designated high-risk by Germany is updated by the Robert Koch-Institute on a regular basis.

Specific parts of Spain and Belgium are currently deemed at risk as they have more than 50 daily infections per 100,000 residents.

Most countries in Africa and Asia are also on the list, as well as Israel and Luxembourg.

On Friday, French Health Minister Jerome Salamon warned that France had seen a clear increase in cases.  "The virus continues to circulate very actively worldwide. There is an upward trend in France and Europe," he said.

France’s number of patients in hospital and in intensive care started to rise, with French President Emmanuel Macron announcing he will reconvene the country’s defence council on Covid-19 next week.

A number of cities in the country have already made wearing face masks mandatory with Paris and the surrounding region expected to implement similar rules in the coming days, Le Monde reported.

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

Oppenheimer
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The Bio

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

The White Lotus: Season three

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Rating: 4.5/5

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Stoke City v Tottenham

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India 281-7 in 50 ov (Pandya 83, Dhoni 79; Coulter-Nile 3-44)

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India won by 26 runs on Duckworth-Lewis Method

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WISH
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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

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The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
57%20Seconds
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WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

The specs: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera

Price, base: Dh1.2 million

Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm

Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm

Fuel economy, combined:  12.3L / 100km (estimate)

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What are the awards? They honour anyone who has made a contribution to life in Abu Dhabi.

Are they open to only Emiratis? The awards are open to anyone, regardless of age or nationality, living anywhere in the world.

When do nominations close? The process concludes on December 31.

How do I nominate someone? Through the website.

When is the ceremony? The awards event will take place early next year.

Honeymoonish
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THE SPECS

Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre

Transmission: Seven-speed auto

Power: 165hp

Torque: 241Nm

Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000

On sale: now

Recent winners

2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)

2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)

2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)

2007 Grace Bijjani  (Mexico)

2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)

2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)

2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)

2011 Maria Farah (Canada)

2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)

2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)              

2014 Lia Saad  (UAE)

2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)

2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)

2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)

2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

If you go

The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at. 
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.