Iraq's Interior Ministry said it was investigating the killing of an Iraqi TikTok influencer in Baghdad.
A “specialised work team” had been set up to investigate the circumstances of the death of Om Fahad, who was shot dead in her car in the Zayouna neighbourhood, the ministry said in a statement.
Om Fahad, whose real name is Ghufran Sawadi, was shot by an unidentified assailant from a motorbike on Friday.
In February last year, a court sentenced Fahad to six months in prison for sharing “videos containing indecent speech that undermines modesty and public morality”.
The Iraqi government began a campaign last year to clean up social media content that it said breached Iraqi “morals and traditions”.
An Interior Ministry committee was established to scour TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms for clips it deemed offensive.
Several influencers have since been arrested, according to authorities.
Despite years of war and sectarian conflict after the 2003 US invasion to overthrow Saddam Hussein, Iraq has returned to a semblance of normality.
But civil liberties – for women, sexual minorities and other groups – are constrained by conservative society.
In 2018, model and influencer Tara Fares was murdered by gunmen in Baghdad.
TikTok's short-form videos have won a worldwide following. It is one of the most popular apps Iraq for users across the social spectrum.
According to the global social media-focused creative agency, We Are Social, there were 31.95 million users in TikTok in Iraq as of February – a majority of Iraq's 44.5 million population.
TikTok bans
Countries have raised concerns about TikTok's parent company's relationship with the Chinese government and its hold over user data.
The US took a step towards banning TikTok on Tuesday, as the Senate passed a bill that could force ByteDance to sell the social media platform.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed the bill containing the potential ban, which was part of a $95 billion foreign aid package.
India and Pakistan have banned TikTok.
It also faces increasing scrutiny in the EU over its TikTok Like Rewards programme in France and Spain, which pays users to spend time on the app.
The European Commission has already opened proceedings against TikTok to consider if it has broken EU law.
Canada and Australia banned TikTok on government-owned devices last year, while the Taliban banned the app in Afghanistan in 2022.
Several countries already have either full or partial TikTok bans, linked to the platform's Chinese ownership.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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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
Meydan race card
6pm Dubai Trophy – Conditions(TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
6.35Dubai Trophy – Conditions(TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
1,800m
7.10pm Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m ,400m
7.45pm Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
8.20pm Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
8.55pm Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
9.30pm Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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
