The EU on Tuesday condemned an attack on a central Yemeni city, which killed a child and injured dozens.
The attack on Saturday, which the internationally recognised government in Yemen has blamed on the Houthi rebels, comes as a nationwide truce agreed by the rival sides is set to expire on August 2.
It took place in the Zaid Al Moshki district of Taez, where a group of children were playing in an open area.
“People of Taez deserve peace and unrestricted access to the city," said the EU delegation in Yemen. "Crucial to respect and extend the truce, for the benefit of all Yemenis.
“The parties can achieve this by working closely with UN Envoy to Yemen."
The French embassy in Yemen called on the rebels to stop using violence against civilians.
"This blind violence practised by the Houthis against the population must stop," the embassy said. "France calls on the Houthis to follow the path of peace instead of war."
Taez, Yemen’s third largest city and the capital of the province of the same name, has been under a blockade imposed by the rebels since 2016.
They have rejected two UN proposals to end the blockade.
The special UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on Monday condemned the attack and killing of civilians.
Mr Grundberg said he was “especially alarmed” by the attack.
“The killing and injuring of children is particularly reprehensible,” he said in a statement.
The UN brokered a two-month ceasefire that went into effect on April 1 and was extended for another two months in June. It marked the first nationwide truce in six years of the Yemen conflict.
The pact calls for the reopening of the roads around Taez and elsewhere in Yemen.
Criticism of the attack comes as the US special envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, is due to visit to Jordan and Saudi Arabia to meet top diplomats.
Mr Lenderking will pledge to push for support for the UN-mediated truce in Yemen, the State Department said.
He "will continue our efforts to help advance peace”, said the department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
“The special envoy’s engagements will focus on expanding, extending and renewing the current truce agreement that will further the tangible benefits already reaching Yemenis and build towards a more comprehensive, inclusive peace process and permanent ceasefire.”
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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
