A US-owned ship was hit by a missile off the coast of Yemen on Monday in an attack claimed by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.
The Marshall Islands-flagged MV Gibraltar Eagle was hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by the Houthis off the coast of southern Yemen, reported Centcom, the US military's headquarters for the Middle East.
“The ship has reported no injuries or significant damage and is continuing its journey,” said Centcom.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, which it said was in response to "British-American aggression" and pledged to continue attacking shipping "until the aggression stops and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted".
"The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces, with the help of God Almighty, carried out a military operation targeting an American ship in the Gulf of Aden, with a number of appropriate naval missiles, and the hit was accurate and direct," the Houthis said in a statement.
The incident was initially reported by the UK Maritime Trade Organisation, which reported it had been hit 175km south-east of Aden.
Maritime security firm Ambrey said the ship was not thought to be Israel-linked. The Houthis had previously pledged to attack Israeli-linked ships that passed through the Red Sea while Israel's war in Gaza continued.
The attack comes after days of heightened tensions following US and UK strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen in response to the group launching months of attacks against international shipping and US warships.
The US and UK bombed more than 60 Houthi targets across 16 sites in Yemen overnight on Thursday, followed by further US strikes at the weekend.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran and control much of northern and central Yemen including the capital Sanaa, had vowed to retaliate after the attacks and appear to not have been deterred in their campaign.
"Attacks to prevent Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of the occupied Palestine will continue," senior Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam told Reuters on Monday.
A cruise missile was fired from Houthi territory at a US destroyer on Sunday but was intercepted before reaching its target, Centcom said.
"The missile was shot down in the vicinity of the coast of Hodeidah by US fighter aircraft," said Centcom. "There were no injuries or damage reported."
Threat against shipping
The president and deputy chairman of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which controls much of southern Yemen and is opposed to the Houthis, called for the US and its allies to do more to stop the Houthi threat against shipping.
"The US air strikes in their current form are not enough. There should be a comprehensive approach – militarily, politically and economically against the Houthis," Maj Gen Aidarus Al Zoubadi told The National at the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
"The way to address this is for there to be a comprehensive military operation that involves regional stakeholders to stop the piracy operation in the Bab Al Mandeb and importantly to support ground forces, STC and PLC forces, on the ground."
Maj Gen Al Zoubadi was referring to the forces of the STC and the Presidential Leadership Council, which make up the administration that currently rules most of southern Yemen.
Qatar's Prime Minister said on Tuesday at the WEF in Davos that military strikes will not contain attacks by Yemen's Houthis on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea, but an end to the war in Gaza will.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani described the current regional situation as a "recipe for escalation everywhere" and said Qatar believes defusing the conflict in Gaza will stop conflict on other fronts.
"We need to address the central issue, which is Gaza, in order to get everything else defused ... if we are just focusing on the symptoms and not treating the real issues, [solutions] will be temporary," he said.
Earlier, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appeared to rule out further strikes. He said attacks on Houthi bases were a “single, limited action” in self-defence and the action was designed to protect international shipping.
“They fired on our ships and our sailors. It was the biggest attack on the Royal Navy for decades and so we acted,” he said.
“It was limited, not escalatory. It was a necessary and proportionate response to a direct threat to UK vessels and therefore to the UK itself.”
The Houthis launched their campaign against international shipping in response to Israel's war in Gaza in November.
They have caused major disruption to world trade, with major shipping companies opting to avoid the Red Sea – a key international waterway – due to the risk of attacks.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
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%3Cp%3EFly%20with%20Etihad%20Airways%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi%20to%20New%20York%E2%80%99s%20JFK.%20There's%2011%20flights%20a%20week%20and%20economy%20fares%20start%20at%20around%20Dh5%2C000.%3Cbr%3EStay%20at%20The%20Mark%20Hotel%20on%20the%20city%E2%80%99s%20Upper%20East%20Side.%20Overnight%20stays%20start%20from%20%241395%20per%20night.%3Cbr%3EVisit%20NYC%20Go%2C%20the%20official%20destination%20resource%20for%20New%20York%20City%20for%20all%20the%20latest%20events%2C%20activites%20and%20openings.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
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
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
