Mark Cavendish claimed his first Tour de France stage win in five years on Tuesday.
The Deceuninck-QuickStep rider powered to victory in a mass sprint at the end of Stage 4 in the western Brittany region. He edged Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni and Jasper Philipsen of Belgium.
Cavendish pumped his fists in the air and raised both hands as he crossed the finishing line to record his 31st Tour de France stage victory. After the race he collapsed in tears and was embraced by teammates and rivals alike.
“I don’t know what to say, man,” the veteran British rider said. “Like, just being here is special enough, you know. I didn’t think I’d ever get to comeback to this race.”
Cavendish, 36, moved himself on to Alpecin-Felix’s Philipsen's wheel and then came past him inside the final 50 metres to claim a resounding win. Bouhanni of Arkea-Samsic came past the weakening Philipsen to take second spot close to the finishing line.
“Just fire, man, just fire from the whole team,” Cavendish added. “We didn’t know if we were going to get them.
“We lost (teammate Fabrizio) Ballero, same thing as happened to me, he lost spokes of his wheel. But you see what a team this is, you’ve got the green jersey, the world champion, Julian Alaphilippe.
“He just comes to give the final pull to catch the breakaway, putting everything in. So many people didn’t believe in me, but these guys did, and they do.
I thought I was never coming back to this race, honestly. But the stars aligned, somehow
Mark Cavendish
“I thought I was never coming back to this race, honestly. When you come to Deceuninck-QuickStep, you’ve got the best riders in the world so there wasn’t even a thought to come here, you know.
“But the stars aligned, somehow. I never ever want bad things to happen to good people, but after the last year, it’s just nice to have good luck for myself.”
Mathieu van der Poel retained the yellow jersey, eight seconds clear of Alaphilippe, followed by Richard Carapaz, Wout Van Aert, Wilco Kelderman and Tadej Pogacar, the defending champion of UAE Team Emirates.
Stage 1 victor Alaphilippe paid tribute to the veteran Cavendish on his stage victory. “He’s just amazing,” the Frenchman said. “I’m so happy for him, so happy for the team. We really believed in him for today’s stage.
“This is such an emotional victory for him but also for everyone. He was so motivated. Like a neo-pro. He showed his grinta and his team spirit. He’s still one of the best sprinters in the world and he showed it again today.
“Michael [Morkov] for me is the best leadout rider in the world. I don’t say that because we’re on the same team but you can see if every sprint that he’s doing he always perfect, calm, and relaxed.
“He does his effort at good moment and I think today for Mark, Michael was really important.”
Morkov, Cavendish’s Deceuninck-QuickStep’s teammate, added: “We got a bit far back on the last two kilometres, so I had to bring up Mark and luckily, we had a class rider like Julian there to bring us up in the last part.
“Mark is a legend and I'm really proud to ride with him and bring him back on this level.
“He wasn't even in the dressing room when the team was selected. He made it in at the last moment and showed today that he's a true pro bike rider who was prepared even though he wasn't supposed to do the race.”
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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
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The five pillars of Islam
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A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
