Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Israel faces diminished support among people in Europe after more than a year of conflict in the Middle East, with a poll showing almost half want their governments to oppose a potential Israeli war with Iran.
About 50 per cent of respondents in France, the UK and Germany said they believed Israeli attacks on Lebanon were "not justified", the YouGov poll found. In the UK, 37 per cent believed Israel had “gone too far and caused too many civilian casualties” in Gaza. Across the survey, more than two thirds of people who once supported Israel’s war on Gaza have now changed their minds.
The polling yielded similar results in Germany – one of Israel’s staunchest allies in the war – where 38 per cent of respondents said they had changed their mind about Israel’s conduct in the region.
Overall, more than half of those in the UK (52 per cent) believed Israel was right to send troops into Gaza in response to the October 7 attacks, with similar figures reported in other countries. Only 15 per cent believed Israel continued to act in a proportionate way after the Hamas-led attacks, in which 1,200 people in Israel were killed.
About 43,400 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, health authorities in the enclave said.
In France, 26 per cent of respondents had stopped supporting the war, but a higher proportion (20 per cent) - when compared to other countries - said Israel was wrong to send troops from the start.
The poll surveyed people in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Sweden and Italy at a time when each government is growing more critical of Israel. French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a full arms embargo on Israel, while the UK imposed a partial ban in September for weapons used in Gaza.
Europeans were found to have a largely unfavourable view of Israel, but also expressed little support for Palestine. In the UK, more than half of those polled (51 per cent) said they did not support Israel, while less than half (44 per cent) said they did not support Palestine.
In Germany, more than half said they did not support Israel (51 per cent), with its net favourability reaching 24 per cent. But disapproval almost doubles for Palestine, with 61 per cent of those polled saying they did not support it. Net favourability for Palestine in Germany was - 46 per cent, the lowest of all seven countries featured in the survey.
In France, the poll found almost equal disapproval of Israel (44 per cent) and Palestine (43 per cent). Although Spain’s government has taken a critical stance towards Israel and this year announced it would recognise an independent Palestinian state, public disapproval of Palestine reached 48 per cent – higher than in the UK and France.
Spanish disapproval of Israel was at 57 per cent, the highest of all countries polled.
There was clear disapproval of Israel’s war in Lebanon, which began in September after months of cross-border violence between the Israeli military and Hezbollah. Israel has since bombed Beirut and has invaded southern Lebanon, killing more than 3,000 people and displacing more than a million.
By contrast, only one in five people in the UK and France supported Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon. Only one in four did so in Germany.
Disapproval of Israel’s campaign in Lebanon was highest in Spain (68 per cent), with 14 per cent believing the war was justified in the country.
The majority of respondents said the US and Europe should do more to restrain Israel from taking military action in the conflict. This included about a third of respondents in the UK (30 per cent) and Germany (31 per cent), as well as 22 per cent in France and 39 per cent in Spain.
More than 20 per cent of people in the UK, France and Spain said their governments “should not be involved at all”. This view was held by almost 25 per cent people in Germany.
About 10 per cent of respondents in the UK and Spain, 14 per cent in France and 11 per cent in Germany said they believed their governments “should be doing more” to support Israel.
More than half of people in Germany (51 per cent) said their government should provide military aid to Israel in the event of a war with Iran. That figure rose to 56 per cent in Spain, but dropped below half in the UK (47 per cent) and France (43 per cent).
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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.”
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The six points:
1. Ministers should be in the field, instead of always at conferences
2. Foreign diplomacy must be left to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
3. Emiratisation is a top priority that will have a renewed push behind it
4. The UAE's economy must continue to thrive and grow
5. Complaints from the public must be addressed, not avoided
6. Have hope for the future, what is yet to come is bigger and better than before
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
- For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
- If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
- Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
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
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
