• Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pays his respects to Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Ramallah, the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Reuters
    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pays his respects to Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Ramallah, the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Reuters
  • Shireen Abu Akleh was killed during an Israeli raid. Reuters
    Shireen Abu Akleh was killed during an Israeli raid. Reuters
  • Palestinians bid farewell to the Al Jazeera journalist. Reuters
    Palestinians bid farewell to the Al Jazeera journalist. Reuters
  • In the hours after her death, young Palestinians described Abu Akleh, 51, as an inspiration. AFP
    In the hours after her death, young Palestinians described Abu Akleh, 51, as an inspiration. AFP
  • Shireen Abu Akleh was among Arab media’s most prominent figures and widely hailed for her bravery and professionalism. AFP
    Shireen Abu Akleh was among Arab media’s most prominent figures and widely hailed for her bravery and professionalism. AFP
  • Young female reporters said they were motivated to pursue journalism because of her. Reuters
    Young female reporters said they were motivated to pursue journalism because of her. Reuters
  • Palestinian honour guards carry the veteran journalist’s coffin. AFP
    Palestinian honour guards carry the veteran journalist’s coffin. AFP
  • Her body was carried in a hearse accompanied by vehicles containing armed police as thousands of Palestinians lined the streets to pay their respects. AFP
    Her body was carried in a hearse accompanied by vehicles containing armed police as thousands of Palestinians lined the streets to pay their respects. AFP

Shireen Abu Akleh probably killed by soldier, Israeli military report finds


Taylor Heyman
  • English
  • Arabic

An Israeli soldier probably killed Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh with errant fire, an Israeli military report has found.

A senior military official said on Monday that its senior legal officer would not open a criminal investigation into her death.

"There is a high possibility that Ms Abu Akleh was accidentally hit by IDF [Israel Defence Forces] gunfire that was fired towards suspects identified as armed Palestinian gunmen," AFP quoted the army's final report into her May 11 death as saying.

The Israeli military findings echo conclusions reached by the UN Human Rights Office in June.

UN spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said the shots that killed Abu Akleh and wounded her colleague, Ali Sammoudi, came from Israeli security forces "and not from indiscriminate firing by armed Palestinians, as initially claimed by Israeli authorities”.

Palestinian officials have also blamed Israel for the killing. Israel initially said Abu Akleh might have been killed by militant fire, but later said a soldier might have shot her by mistake during an exchange of fire.

The Israeli official said the military could not conclusively determine from where the shots were fired, saying there might have been Palestinian gunmen in the same area as the Israeli soldier.

But he said there was a "very high likelihood" a soldier killed the journalist by mistake.

"He's sorry about it and I'm sorry about it too," the officer said of the soldier who shot in the direction of Abu Akleh.

"He didn't do it on purpose, it's totally clear."

The official did not explain why witness accounts and videos showed limited militant activity in the area, and no gunfire until the shots that hit Abu Akleh.

The UN investigation concluded there was "no evidence of activity by armed Palestinians close by" when Abu Akleh was shot.

Her sister Lina said Israel refused to take responsibility for the killing.

"We could never expect any type of accountability or legitimate investigation from the very entity responsible for gunning down an unarmed and clearly identifiable journalist," she said on Twitter as she shared a statement from the family.

The family met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in July, telling him they would not stop campaigning until the US opened an independent investigation into Abu Akleh's death.

"We continue to call on the many members of Congress, civil society organisations, journalists and the public to keep the pressure on President [Joe] Biden and Secretary Blinken to follow through with meaningful action," the family statement released on Monday read.

The group is also pushing for an investigation by the International Criminal Court.

"Israel's killing of our dear Shireen cannot be swept aside. No other family should have to endure what our family has had to," her family said.

On Monday evening, Ned Price, the US State Department spokesman, said: "We welcome Israel’s review of this tragic incident, and again underscore the importance of accountability in this case, such as policies and procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future."

AP and AFP contributed to this report

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

WandaVision

Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany

Directed by: Matt Shakman

Rating: Four stars

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

AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street

The seven points are:

Shakhbout bin Sultan Street

Dhafeer Street

Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)

Salama bint Butti Street

Al Dhafra Street

Rabdan Street

Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)

While you're here

Michael Young: Where is Lebanon headed?

Kareem Shaheen: I owe everything to Beirut

Raghida Dergham: We have to bounce back

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

UAE v IRELAND

All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi

1st ODI, Friday, January 8

2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10

3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12

4th ODI, Thursday, January 14

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Votes

Total votes: 1.8 million

Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes

Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes 

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Updated: September 05, 2022, 10:51 PM