Four people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Thursday night as border fighting reached a peak after weeks of clashes.
Israel pummelled southern Lebanon after a volley of Hamas and Hezbollah rockets were fired from across the border, killing four in the Wadi Saluki area, according to state media.
Hamas's Al Qassam brigades said it had launched 12 rockets at the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona and its surroundings "in response to the massacre in Gaza", while Hezbollah said it had launched 19 simultaneous attacks, firing artillery and missiles at border posts.
The Israeli military later said it was striking a series of Hezbollah targets across the border.
While Israel and Lebanese militants have regularly traded fire in recent weeks, the Thursday attacks were the most significant since the Israel-Gaza war began in early October.
Two Israelis were wounded by shrapnel in Kiryat Shmona, the most populous settlement in the border region, which has been largely emptied in recent weeks amid a rise in cross-border clashes.
The threat of a wider regional conflict is mounting as Israel continues to pound the besieged Gaza Strip, where more than 9,000 people have been killed in air strikes, about three quarters of them women, children or elderly.
That threat grew more pronounced on Thursday night as Iraqi militia groups claimed a drone fired towards Israeli positions on Dead Sea earlier in the day.
In a statement on pro-militia Telegram channels, the "Islamic Resistance of Iraq" claimed the attack was "in support of our people in Gaza, and in response to the massacres committed ... against Palestinian civilians".
There was no immediate comment from Israel.
It comes a day before Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah is due to make his first comments on the Israel-Gaza war, which has claimed the lives of more than 10,400 people in less than a month.
More than 70 Lebanese have been killed by Israeli attacks since October 7, as Lebanon becomes more enmeshed in the war in Gaza.
This includes 50 Hezbollah fighters and Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, who was killed while covering Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon.
Referencing the fighting during a nightly press briefing, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israel “will respond with action and not words”.
“Dozens of jets are flying all over the Middle East at any given time. Our enemies see that,” he said on Thursday.
The military also accused Iran of sending proxy militias from Syria into southern Lebanon to attack Israel, a claim denied by Hezbollah.
Hezbollah said it had launched the Thursday attack in response to Israeli fire on the disputed Shebaa Farms.
Analysts say Mr Nasrallah is unlikely to declare all-out war on Israel, with many Lebanese fearing such a conflict could push an already struggling country past its breaking point.
The White House on Thursday said that it was concerned by the escalation.
“We're concerned about continued attacks on Israeli forces there in the north, as are the Israelis,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters during a news briefing.
However he added that “I don't believe we've seen any indication yet specifically that Hezbollah is ready to go in full force”.
Speaking before departing the US for another visit to Israel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said Washington is looking to avoid further fighting on the border.
“We are determined to prevent escalation on any of these fronts, whether its Lebanon … the West Bank, whether it’s anywhere else in the region,” he told reporters on the tarmac.
France has also called for calm between Lebanon and Israel.
Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu is currently on a visit to Lebanon, warning against a wider regional conflict.
A war with Israel “could have major escalatory effects on the whole region”, Mr Lecornu said in a visit to French UN peacekeepers in the south on Thursday.
President Emmanuel Macron has also said Paris is working to maintain calm between the two countries, while Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna is also due to visit the Middle East on Sunday in a bid to bolster diplomatic efforts to end the war.
Israel has warned any conflict with Lebanon would be much more destructive than the 2006 Lebanon war, which killed at least 1,200 Lebanese.
“Hezbollah may decide to act, and we will have to respond,” Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer told reporters earlier this week.
“The response now will make what happened in 2006 look like child's play.”
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
Match info
Huddersfield Town 0
Chelsea 3
Kante (34'), Jorginho (45' pen), Pedro (80')
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)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Chatham House Rule
A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding, was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”.
The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.
The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events.
Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
founder, Lionel Curtis, wanted a more scientific examination of international affairs
with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.
That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
House but no mention can be made identifying individuals who commented.
This has enabled some candid exchanges on difficult subjects
allowing a greater degree of free speech from high-ranking figures.
These meetings are highly valued, so much so that
ambassadors reported them in secret diplomatic cables that – when they were
revealed in the Wikileaks reporting – were thus found to have broken the rule. However,
most speeches are held on the record.
Its research and debate has offered fresh ideas to
policymakers enabling them to more coherently address troubling issues from climate
change to health and food security.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
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