Morocco pulls out of African Nations Championship over Algeria ‘flight ban’

Morocco have pulled out of the African Nations Championship blaming the host and neighbour Algeria for preventing the national football team from reaching the games because it closed its airspace.

"The Moroccan national team is unable to reach [the Algerian city of] Constantine because permission for their flight with Royal Air Maroc, the team's official transporter, has not been confirmed," the FRMF, Morocco's football federation, said in a statement on Thursday.

It said the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had informed it last month that Algeria had issued "an authorisation in principle" for the flight.

But only 24 hours before the tournament starts on Friday, the FRMF said it "notes with regret that the definitive authorisation for the flight from Rabat to Constantine has unfortunately not been confirmed".

The biennial games bring together teams drawn from players in the national leagues of 18 countries across the continent.

Morocco made history last month by becoming the first African or Arab team to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup. The country has won the past two African Nations Championships, putting them level with the Democratic Republic of Congo as the most successful teams in the tournament.

Strained relations between Algeria and Morocco have soured since the government in Algiers cut diplomatic ties with Rabat in 2021. Algeria accused Morocco of “hostile acts” after a string of diplomatic incidents and the collapse of a 30-year ceasefire in the Sahara, a key point of tension between the two countries.

Rabat considers the former Spanish colony in the Sahara region an integral part of its kingdom, a view supported by the majority of Arab states.

But Algeria backs an armed independence movement that has waged an insurgency against the government for decades.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI in November invited Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune for talks in Rabat to end the tensions after he did not attend the first Arab League summit in three years hosted by Algeria.

Morocco players return the Rabat after stunning World Cup

On Women's Day

Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action

Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality

The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?

Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'

While you're here

Melissa Gronlund: How Orientalist art is making its way back to the world that it came from

James Langton: The new pan-Arab satellite '813' is named after the Arab World's golden era

Kapil Komireddi: Arthur Cotterell's The Near East sets out to tell the whole story of civilisation

Peter Hatherley-Greene: The Golden Age of Islam informs the modern knowledge economy

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

From Conquest to Deportation

Jeronim Perovic, Hurst

Explained

Who are the bidoon?

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

While you're here

Kareem Shaheen: Even a pandemic could not unite today's America

Michele Wucker: The difference between a black swan and a grey rhino

Robert Matthews: Has flawed science and rushed research failed us?

%3Cp%3EMATA%0D%3Cbr%3EArtist%3A%20M.I.A%0D%3Cbr%3ELabel%3A%20Island%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri

Rating: 1/5

While you're here

Watch: Davos 2021 panel discusses the future of work for women

Alice Haine: Investing in gender parity 'makes good business sense'

Kareem Shaheen: How the pandemic could set Arab women back

Simon Rushton: Home schooling forces UK mothers to quit jobs

Who was Alfred Nobel?

The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.

In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.

Killing of Qassem Suleimani

National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate

Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead

Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble

Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks

Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence

Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground

Rashmee Roshan Lall: Sound of silence in South Asia

Cinco in numbers

Dh3.7 million

The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown

46

The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.

1,000

The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]

50

How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday

3,000

The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

1.1 million

The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.

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

Cry Macho

Director: Clint Eastwood

Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam

Rating:**

THE DETAILS

Kaala

Dir: Pa. Ranjith

Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar

Rating: 1.5/5

Porsche Macan T: The Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm

Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto

Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec

Top speed: 232kph

Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km

On sale: May or June

Price: From Dh259,900

Morocco pulls out of African Nations Championship over Algeria ‘flight ban’

Relations between the two north African neighbours have soured since Algeria cut diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021

Morocco players return the Rabat after stunning World Cup

On Women's Day

While you're here

The specs

Explained

The five pillars of Islam

Avatar: Fire and Ash

While you're here

Dhadak 2

While you're here

Who was Alfred Nobel?

Killing of Qassem Suleimani

Cinco in numbers

Dh3.7 million

46

1,000

50

3,000

1.1 million

While you're here

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

On Women's Day

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

Cry&nbsp;Macho

THE DETAILS

Porsche&nbsp;Macan&nbsp;T:&nbsp;The&nbsp;Specs

Cry Macho

Porsche Macan T: The Specs