Air strikes hit areas around Yemen's capital overnight, killing at least six people, the Houthis said on Monday, as the US continues a bombing campaign aimed at pressuring the rebels to end attacks on international shipping.
The Houthis also claimed to have shot down another American MQ-9 Reaper drone, saying it was intercepted using a locally manufactured missile.
Video aired by the Houthi-run Al Masirah satellite news channel showed firefighters spraying water on a raging fire they described as being started by the air strikes. Rubble littered a street as rescuers carried one person away from the site, which the rebels claimed was a ceramics factory in the Bani Matar neighbourhood of Sanaa.
The US military’s Central Command, which runs American military operations, did not acknowledge the strikes, in keeping with recent practice.
The White House has said more than 200 attacks have been carried out since March 15. More than 120 people have been killed in the bombings since that date, according to figures released on Monday by the Houthis.
On Sunday night, the Iran-backed Houthis also said they shot down an MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen's northwestern Hajjah governorate.
Houthi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree said in a recorded video message that it was the fourth drone taken down in two weeks and it was hit with “a locally manufactured missile”. The Houthis are known to possess surface-to-air missiles capable of shooting aircraft down.
The Reaper drones, which cost around $30 million each, can fly at altitudes above 40,000 feet (12,100 metres) and remain in the air for more than 30 hours. They have been flown by both the US military and the CIA for years over Afghanistan, Iraq and now Yemen.
The US Central Command said it was aware of “reports” of the drone being shot down.
The Houthis began attacking ships crossing the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. They paused the attacks during a January ceasefire in Gaza.
Israel cut off all supplies to Gaza at the start of March and resumed its offensive on the Palestinian territory on March 18, prompting the Houthis to begin attacking ships again.
The Houthi attacks have crippled the vital Red Sea route, which normally carries about 12 per cent of world shipping traffic, forcing many companies to make a long detour around the tip of southern Africa.
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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
