Sudanese police fired tear gas on Friday to disperse hundreds of anti-military protesters demonstrating near the Republican Palace in Khartoum for the second day in a row.
The protests came amid an international outcry over the killing of nine protesters during mass rallies in Khartoum against October’s military takeover. The coup derailed Sudan’s democratic transition and plunged the country of 44 million people into an economic and political crisis.
Friday’s protesters chanted slogans against the takeover, led by army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan.
“The people want to bring down Burhan,” protesters chanted. Others carried posters bearing images of those killed in protest-related violence since the army's takeover.
“We call for retribution,” they shouted.
The nine deaths took the number of people killed in political violence since October to 113. The latest was reported on Friday by an opposition medical group when a protester died of wounds suffered during a protest on June 24. At least 5,000 have been injured since October.
After Thursday’s violence, the UN, the African Union and the regional IGAD group said they condemned “in the strongest terms possible” the actions of Sudan’s security forces against protesters.
The three organisations also expressed “disappointment” over the violence and what they said was a lack of accountability.
For months, the three have been trying to arrange negotiations between political groups in Sudan to find a way out of the political crisis. But they have made little progress so far.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said she was “alarmed” at the killings.
“In no case is force permissible to dissuade or intimidate protesters from exercising their rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly, or to threaten them with harm for doing so.” Ms Bachelet said. “Lethal force is a measure of last resort and only in cases where there is an imminent threat to life or of serious injury.”
Britain, Sudan’s former colonial power, said it was “appalled” by the loss of life.
“We call for full and transparent investigations into the killings since October 25,” read a statement by its embassy in Khartoum. “Impunity and killing must stop.”
The US embassy in the capital said it was “heartbroken” over the loss of life and said the perpetrators must be held to account.
Gen Al Burhan, who insists October’s takeover saved the country from civil war, has repeatedly said he has ordered investigations into the killing of protesters as well as sexual assault on female protesters by security forces.
However, he has yet to report on their progress or whether anyone has been formally charged over the killings and abuse. Last month, he said that six or seven people were being investigated in connection with the violence.
Speaking on the US-funded Al Hurra television last month, he said the matter was being dealt with by the judicial authorities and the military could not intervene in their work.
A high-profile investigation launched in 2019 into the killing of at least 120 protesters in June that year has yet to publish its findings. The deaths occurred when security forces broke up a sit-in protest outside the army’s headquarters in Khartoum.
In his interview with Al Hurra, Mr Al Burhan blamed the protesters for the clashes, claiming that they attacked policemen and state installations.
He distanced the military from the violence, saying its policy was to refrain from the use of force. “Political rivalries are responsible for these events and everything else that happens in Sudan,” he said.
Late on Thursday, Sudan's police blamed the protesters for injuring 96 officers and 129 military personnel, “some critically”.
However, pro-democracy protesters remain determined to end the rule of the generals.
The Resistance Committees, a neighbourhood-based youth movement, said on Friday it intended an “indefinite and peaceful escalation” to bring down military rule. It did not elaborate.
Another pro-democracy group, the Forces of Freedom and Change, said Thursday’s rallies, which drew tens of thousands on to the streets, “proved that the revolution is alive and will not die”.
In a warning to the military, it added: “The people are not only looking for freedom and civilian rule, but are placing on the top of their priorities the creation of a unified and professional army.”
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
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
Results
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THE DRAFT
The final phase of player recruitment for the T10 League has taken place, with UAE and Indian players being drafted to each of the eight teams.
Bengal Tigers
UAE players: Chirag Suri, Mohammed Usman
Indian: Zaheer Khan
Karachians
UAE players: Ahmed Raza, Ghulam Shabber
Indian: Pravin Tambe
Kerala Kings
UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Abdul Shakoor
Indian: RS Sodhi
Maratha Arabians
UAE players: Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
Indian: S Badrinath
Northern Warriors
UAE players: Imran Haider, Rahul Bhatia
Indian: Amitoze Singh
Pakhtoons
UAE players: Hafiz Kaleem, Sheer Walli
Indian: RP Singh
Punjabi Legends
UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Sandy Singh
Indian: Praveen Kumar
Rajputs
UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed
Indian: Munaf Patel
The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
