Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
The Middle East has fallen “hostage” to an “extremist” Israeli government and the only way out is to resume peace talks for an independent Palestinian state after ending the war in Gaza, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Tuesday.
Mr Safadi repeated Amman's calls for a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as the US and Israel discuss postwar scenarios for Gaza, after more than three months of Israeli bombardment of the enclave prompted by a surprise attack on southern Israel by Hamas on October 7.
“We all need to make progress according to a defined timetable and with enough guarantees to reach the goal of peace based on a two state solution,” Mr Safadi said after meeting Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
“Without that, the region will remain hostage to the struggle and to an extremist Israeli agenda, which will take us to more struggles.”
Jordan, along with Egypt, were the first Arab countries with a peace treaty with Israel. The kingdom also has security co-operation with Israel and a defence pact with the US.
Support for Gaza runs particularly high in the kingdom, partly because a large part of its population are descendants of Palestinians who fled the creation of Israel in 1948, and Israel's expansion in the 1967 Middle East War.
Ten days ago, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Palestinians should be in charge of Gaza after the war but did not rule out presence of Israeli troops.
On a visit to the Middle East last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington wants to see the integration of Israel in the region after the war, “with security assurances and commitments from regional countries”, and “a Palestinian state – at least a pathway to get to that state”.
Mr Blinken's trip included meetings with the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and Israel.
Israel pulled out from Gaza in 2005, two years before Hamas took control of the area from the Fatah faction of President Mahmoud Abbas in a Palestinian civil war.
The war between Israel and Hamas, which is supported by Iran, started on October 7, when Hamas and other militant groups killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in an attack on southern Israel.
They also took more than 240 Israelis hostage.
The subsequent Israeli offensive on the enclave has killed more than 24,200 people, according to Gazan health officials, who have given no estimate for the number of combatants killed.
On Monday, Mr Safadi said that any plans for a postwar phase must be based “on rejection of any security role for Israel in Gaza or any Israeli presence” in the area.
He said that any “approaches” to shape the future of Gaza must be preceded by international pressure to stop Israel's attacks on the enclave.
“This war is threatening the security of the whole region. It is time to stop it,” Mr Safadi said after meeting Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis in Amman
“Any vision for the future must aim at a comprehensive solution,” he said.
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Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
More on Quran memorisation:
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
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
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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The specs
Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric
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Power: 402bhp
Torque: 659Nm
Price estimate: Dh200,000
On sale: Q3 2022
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Benevento v Atalanta (2pm), Genoa v Bologna (5pm), AC Milan v Torino (7.45pm)
Sunday Roma v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Udinese v Napoli, Hellas Verona v Crotone, Parma v Lazio (2pm), Fiorentina v Cagliari (9pm), Juventus v Sassuolo (11.45pm)
Monday Spezia v Sampdoria (11.45pm)
