Follow the latest on the earthquake in Turkey
The earthquake in Turkey and Syria has killed more than 7,000 people since it hit on Monday, with countless more injured and missing
The death toll from the quake could reach up to 20,000, according to the World Health Organisation, which said up to 23 million people had been affected by the quake.
Syria's White Helmets civil defence organisation said time is running out to rescue hundreds of people trapped beneath debris since Monday.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake was the strongest in Turkey for about a century in a region that straddles seismic fault lines.
Here is a look at the 20 deadliest earthquakes since 2000.
For some, Monday's quake brought back memories of August 1999, when a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck near the Turkish city of Izmit — killing more than 17,100 people and injuring 50,000.
More than 500,000 homes were destroyed, due largely to the widespread use of poor-quality building materials.
It was one of the most destructive quakes of the century — but was not close to being the deadliest.
Twenty years of deadly earthquakes
Two of the biggest killer quakes hit Pakistan, one in 2005 and another in 2015.
One of the most recent disasters with a death toll above 1,000 was in Afghanistan in June 2022 when a 5.9-magnitude earthquake killed more than 1,100 and injured more than 6,000.
In August the previous year, 7.2-magnitude quake struck in Haiti, killing more than 2,200.
A 6.0-magnitude quake hit Italy in August 2016, leaving 299 dead.
In October 2015, Pakistan was devastated by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake that killed 86,000 people.
A 7.8-magnitude quake killed more than 8,900 people across Nepal, India, China and Bangladesh in April 2015.
In China, an earthquake shook the country's south-west in August 2014, killing several hundred people.
In Pakistan, a 7.7-magnitude quake struck in September 2013, killing more than 820 people and injuring hundreds more.
An 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit northern Japan in March 2011. More than 15,500 people died.
In Chile in February 2010, a 8.8-magnitude quake shook the country, causing 521 deaths with 46 missing and presumed dead.
In May 2008, a 7.9-magnitude quake struck eastern Sichuan in China, resulting in more than 87,500 deaths.
More than 5,700 people died when a 6.3-magnitude quake hit the island of Java, Indonesia, in May 2006.
In October 2005, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake killed more than 80,000 people in Pakistan’s Kashmir region.
It followed an 8.6-magnitude quake in northern Sumatra in Indonesia that killed about 1,300 people in March of that year.
In December 2004, a quake with a magnitude of 9.1 in Indonesia triggered an Indian Ocean tsunami, killing at least 230,000 people in a dozen countries.
A 6.6-magnitude quake hit south-eastern Iran in December 2003, resulting in more than 20,000 deaths.
More than 2,200 people were killed in a 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Algeria in May 2003.
Two years previously, in January 2001, a 7.6-magnitude quake struck Gujarat in India, killing as many as 20,000 people.
August 1999 was when the 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit Izmit in Turkey, killing about 18,000 people.
In May of the previous year, more than 4,000 people were killed when a 6.6-magnitude earthquake hit Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province.
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Thabet Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Blue Diamond, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Shoja’A Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Heros De Lagarde, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
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
Mobile phone packages comparison
THE SPECS
Touareg Highline
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 340hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh239,312
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