Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
The UAE mission to the UN has condemned the targeting of hospitals by Israel's bombardment of Gaza and criticised Israel's policy of issuing "cruel" and "reckless" evacuation orders before striking civilian infrastructure.
There have been more than 76 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza, with 20 hospitals and clinics being damaged or destroyed, a UN Security Council meeting on the Gaza-Israel war heard on Monday.
“An evacuation order in these conditions is cruel, it is reckless,” said Lana Nusseibeh, ambassador and permanent representative of the UAE to the UN.
“More than 650,00 people are sheltering in UNRWA facilities. Let me be absolutely clear on this point: these sites are protected by international humanitarian law.
“Announcements that they are targets or warnings for them to evacuate do not, I repeat, do not alter their protected status,” she said, calling for “the rescission of dangerous unrealistic evacuation orders”.
Ms Nusseibeh also condemned the shutdown of phone and internet services at the weekend as part of the Israeli offensive, saying it meant “wounded civilians were searching for help in the dark”.
'Ceasefire now' as 'drums of war beating'
Ms Nusseibeh repeated the UAE's call for a ceasefire in Gaza and called for efforts to be undertaken to ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza, with access to electricity, clean water and fuel restored.
“We need a ceasefire in the Gaza war now,” she said, describing the delay in the UN Security Council in calling for a truce as cruel and reckless.
Israel has waged war in Gaza since militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, killing about 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 230 hostages.
More than 8,300 Palestinians have been killed in retaliatory strikes in Gaza since the war began, the enclave's Health Ministry said.
“All of Gaza's civilian population are at risk from the escalating hostilities, as are the Israeli and international hostages taken by Hamas, wrongly taken by Hamas," said Ms Nusseibeh.
“Israeli settlers are escalating their attacks against Palestinian civilians and forcing their displacement. These attacks must be prevented by the state of Israel.”
On Monday in the occupied West Bank, Israel carried out air strikes and fought with militants in the Jenin refugee camp. Hamas said four of its fighters were killed.
As of Sunday, Israeli forces and settlers had killed 123 Palestinians in the West Bank.
Half of those were killed during search-and-arrest operations by Israel, the UN said.
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 1
Kane (50')
Newcastle United 0
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
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Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
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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Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
The five pillars of Islam
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
