Madonna hosted an art sale to raise money to donate to Lebanon. Together with two of her children, David Banda and Mercy James, the singer is selling art with the proceeds going to Impact Lebanon, a foundation working to support victims of the Beirut explosion.
In videos and images shared to the Material Girl's Instagram Stories, she can be seen painting a sign that reads, "Proceeds go to Impact Lebanon".
At the time of writing, the Beirut port blast on Tuesday, August 4, has killed more than 170 people, injured thousands and left up to 300,000 homeless. Following the disaster, the government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned on Monday, August 10.
Impact Lebanon is a non-profit organisation that has been helping victims of the deadly blast.
"From looking at the horrific videos of the blast, we knew that the destruction was massive and we needed to mobilise as many resources as possible to meet the growing needs on the ground as they became more evident," the NGO's website reads. "Our commitment to transparency and accountability is our core value."
Mercy James, 14, was seen posing with tie-dyed T-shirts, while David Banda, also 14, posed with a portrait of an unidentified person, whose face is obscured by small hand prints. She also shared a floral piece that read, "E & S Love Chains", presumably in reference to her 7-year-old twin daughters, Estere and Stella Ciccone.
Madonna is not the only star who has drawn attention to the work of Impact Lebanon.
Dutch-Palestinian model Bella Hadid shared a list of ways to donate to people in the country following the disaster, including Impact Lebanon, as well as the Lebanese Red Cross, Bank to School and Bassma, among the foundations.
Hadid posted a viral video of an older Lebanese woman playing the piano amid the destruction and rubble in her home.
She captioned the video with a heartfelt message that read: “My eyes and heart are crying for you Lebanon … I am sorry you have to endure this kind of disaster my brothers and sisters … I will be sending donations to the Lebanese Red Cross, as well as all of the smaller organisations in Beirut.”
George and Amal Clooney have donated $100,000 (Dh367,000) to three charities in Lebanon, one of which is Impact Lebanon. Amal is a British-Lebanese human rights lawyer who was born in Beirut.
In a statement shared with People, the couple said: "We're both deeply concerned for the people of Beirut and the devastation they've faced in the last few days. Three charitable organisations we've found are providing essential relief on the ground: the Lebanese Red Cross, Impact Lebanon, and Baytna Baytak."
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Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
The specs
Engine: 3.6 V6
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Power: 295bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: Dh155,000
On sale: now
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
Mobile phone packages comparison
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
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
