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Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has promised retaliation against Israel after the assassination of a senior commander in a reported Israeli strike in Syria’s capital Damascus on Monday.
Brig Gen Razi Mousavi, known as Sayyed Razi, was a close colleague of the late IRGC leader Qassem Suleimani, killed by the US in Iraq in 2020, and was “responsible for supporting the resistance front in Syria", the IRGC media arm said.
The IRGC promised retribution in the statement announcing Brig Gen Mousavi’s, saying that “the usurping and barbaric Zionist regime will pay for this crime, without a doubt".
Israeli army spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari declined to say on Monday if Israel was responsible for the killing Brig Gen Mousavi.
“The Israeli army’s duty is to maintain Israel’s security interests," Admiral Hagari said.
The commander was reputed to be one of the longest-serving and most prominent of the IRGC’s military advisers in Syria.
He was responsible for support and logistics for the IRGC's Quds Force – its foreign operations arm – in the country. Several attempts had been made on his life.
Before the announcement of Brig Gen Mousavi’s death, explosions were heard in the Damascus suburb of Sayeda Zainab, with Syrian media circulating video of smoke in the area.
The air strike hit his residence in Sayeda Zainab, according to Iranian media.
Israel often attacks Iranian militants and military advisers in Syria, but does not always claim ownership of the attacks.
While the Israeli military did not comment on the strike, it has tried for years to prevent Iranian entrenchment in neighbouring Syria.
Since the Iran-backed Hamas group's attacks on October 7, Israel has intensified its strikes on Iran-linked sites in Syria.
The events of October 7, when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people, shocked Israel.
It retaliated with an air and ground assault on Gaza in an attempt to root out Hamas, killing more than 20,600 Palestinians.
In response, the Axis of Resistance – an alliance of Iran-backed militant groups across the Middle East – expressed military support for Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Lebanese Hezbollah group has waged a cross-border conflict with Israel from Lebanon for the past two-and-a-half months, seeking to divert its enemy from its war in Gaza. Hezbollah also operates in Syria.
In Yemen, the Iran-backed Houthis have attacked Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea – demanding an end to Israel's war in Gaza and the delivery of life-saving food and medical supplies to the enclave.
In a video shared on Iranian media, Mousavi recites the memory of a dream he had.
In the dream, Gen Suleimani tells him: "Sayyed Razi, you're getting on in years. It's time for you to be martyred as well."
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
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McIlroy's struggles in 2016/17
European Tour: 6 events, 16 rounds, 5 cuts, 0 wins, 3 top-10s, 4 top-25s, 72,5567 points, ranked 16th
PGA Tour: 8 events, 26 rounds, 6 cuts, 0 wins, 4 top-10s, 5 top-25s, 526 points, ranked 71st
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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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
