US President Donald Trump asked his followers on the Truth Social platform to "stay tuned" for updates on the prospect of a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire.
The advice came only two days after what many considered to be Mr Trump's anticlimactic meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
"Big progress on Russia," he posted on his social media platform.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday defended the US rolling out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin for the meeting in Alaska.
On ABC's Sunday political show, This Week, Mr Rubio was asked about analysts who said the Russian President got the upper hand on the world stage because he walked away without making concessions, at least publicly, regarding the Ukraine-Russian war, while being seen shaking hands with Mr Trump on a podium.
"Critics of President Trump are always going to find something to criticise him for," Mr Rubio said. He added that Mr Putin's three and a half year war with Ukraine has already given him the spotlight on the world stage, regardless of how the Alaska summit looked.
"He has the world's largest tactical nuclear arsenal and the second-largest strategic arsenal in the world ... all the media does is talk about Putin all the time, that doesn't mean he's right or justified about the war," he added.
"That's just common sense, I shouldn't have to explain it," he said. From Ukraine's perspective, security guarantees were paramount for any deal with Russia to come to fruition, he added.
"They want assurance that they won't be re-invaded in two or three years," and the White House was working to make those assurances for Kyiv possible, Mr Rubio said.
Also on Sunday, Trump administration special envoy Steve Witkoff dismissed the notion that little was achieved in Alaska during an appearance on CNN's State of the Union.
Mr Witkoff said that as the Trump administration had addressed all the issues necessary for a ceasefire to be achieved, "substantial progress" was made.
"The fundamental issue is some sort of land swap, which is ultimately in the control of the Ukrainians. That could not have been discussed at this meeting but we intend to discuss it on Monday," he said of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's trip to Washington for talks with Mr Trump.
Several media reports have suggested Mr Putin has promised to end the war and not attack any other European countries in exchange for a land swap deal, under which Ukraine would cede the Donbas region to Russia. The Russian President is reported to have privately made clear his desire for control of five key Ukrainian regions.
Mr Witkoff said he "didn't have the time to go through all the different issues about five regions", but all those in question "have always been the crux of the deal".
He also insisted Russia had made some concessions during Friday's meeting but declined to elaborate.
Mr Witkoff said Mr Zelenskyy had been briefed by Mr Trump after the Alaska summit. "The President got right on the phone with him and he deserved that," he said.
Despite his failure to come away with a ceasefire, Mr Trump said there had been “some great progress” on ending the war in Ukraine, without offering details.
In a subsequent interview with Fox News, he raised the possibility of another summit involving Mr Zelenskyy and suggested the next move towards peace must come from Kyiv.
“Now, it's really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done and I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit, but it's up to President Zelenskyy,” he said. "And if they'd like, I'll be at that next meeting."
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
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Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes
Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.
Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.
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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The specs
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Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%20profile
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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