Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Municipal workers in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre say they have received countless phone calls urging them to leave ahead of expected Israeli air strikes. They watched last week as aerial attacks on nearby Nabatieh destroyed a municipal building co-ordinating humanitarian aid, killing 16 people, including the town's mayor.
But they are determined to stay put, saying the community needs their services. “We cannot leave our population during this difficult time. They need us. It’s a big responsibility ... we are all part of a united community,” Hassan Dbouk, 67, president of the Union of Tyre Municipalities, told The National from his office.
Since Israel escalated months of border skirmishes with Hezbollah into a full-scale war in Lebanon last month, historic Tyre has been largely depopulated. The once-vibrant streets are now eerily empty since Israeli shelling destroyed much of the centre. A deceptively calm sea borders the much-loved corniche, while collapsed buildings and burnt-out cars line the other side of the road.
Tyre's municipality building has not been hit directly by Israeli strikes but staff have been mourning the loss of four employees killed in a nearby air strike last month.
“Believe me, when you have good faith and you are convinced that it is your duty to help our people, especially during this difficult period, you feel an inner peace,” Mr Dbouk said.
He maintains a calm demeanour, his blue eyes not losing their spark despite explosions close by interrupting the interview with The National. He shrugs, saying loud explosions are part of daily life.
It is not Mr Dbouk's first experience of war. In 2006, he was also part of Tyre's municipal staff and stayed throughout the conflict. Today, the operation has effectively turned into a humanitarian centre for the estimated 10,000 people remaining in the city. This includes about 4,000 inhabitants and 6,000 displaced from border villages, some of which have been obliterated by months of conflict.
Eviction threats
The municipal buildings are filled with humanitarian aid: hygiene kits, mattresses and blankets distributed by UN organisations and Lebanon's Council for the South. The ground floor is bustling with volunteers. They are cooking hundreds of meals each day for shelters housing the displaced in Tyre. The menu featured eggs and potatoes.
“We hear the bombing but for now we’re safe here. Inshallah, it stays this way,” Monika Mhanna, 45, a volunteer displaced from a bombarded area of Tyre, told The National.
In Nabatieh last week, the Israeli army conducted its most devastating attacks on a Lebanese official building to date. The site was distributing humanitarian parcels. Mortada Mhanna, 47, the head of Tyre's Disaster Management Union, said staff were aware of the danger posed to their building.
As he spoke to The National, he received a call on his phone. A man on the other end, speaking in Arabic, said he was calling from the “Army of Defence”, the name used by the Israeli army. Everyone stopped working and stared tensely at Mr Mhanna, who put the call on speaker.
“For your safety and that of your family and all residents of the village, this is an urgent warning for the village residents. Hezbollah activities are forcing the Israeli Defence Forces to respond,” the man said. “All residents must evacuate north towards Al Awali river.”
The Awali lies about 60km from the Lebanon-Israel border, farther north than the Litani, which defines the northern boundary of a UN-designated buffer zone established after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Many other Lebanese have reported receiving similar calls. For Mr Mhanna, it was the second time he was contacted from the same Danish number in 24 hours. Civil defence workers in Tyre have already left their station after receiving similar eviction calls and are now staying at the municipality building.
The Israeli army has issued official warnings for dozens of villages in southern Lebanon, urging residents to leave their homes immediately. The UN has reported a quarter of Lebanon's territory has been affected by these warnings. Amnesty International has raised concerns of mass forced displacement.
“I will stay here, my family, with my people. This is my land. If we will die, we will die here,” Mr Mhanna said. “We are volunteers to serve the people.“
Sami Baredei, 67, has also decided to stay. With all economic activity in Tyre shutting down, he is relying on the municipality’s assistance.
Last week, a bomb landed close to his house, so he moved to a Christian neighbourhood near Tyre's port.
He said nowhere is safe, as the Israeli army does not distinguish between Christian and Muslim areas, but he vowed not to leave.
"My life is here. I was born here," he said. "Even with the strikes – and God protect us – it’s the most beautiful city."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
25%20Days%20to%20Aden
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Michael%20Knights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20256%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2026%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
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.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Five hymns the crowds can join in
Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday
Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir
Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium
‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song
‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar
‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion
‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope
The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’
There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia
The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ
They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
