• Bayern Munich attacker Thomas Muller during training on May 5, 2020. The Bundesliga is set to restart on May 16 after being shutdown due to the coronavirus. AFP
    Bayern Munich attacker Thomas Muller during training on May 5, 2020. The Bundesliga is set to restart on May 16 after being shutdown due to the coronavirus. AFP
  • Bayern Munich players during training. EPA
    Bayern Munich players during training. EPA
  • Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick. AFP
    Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick. AFP
  • Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller alongside Leon Goretzka. AFP
    Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller alongside Leon Goretzka. AFP
  • Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick talks to his players. AFP
    Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick talks to his players. AFP
  • Bayern Munich players during training. EPA
    Bayern Munich players during training. EPA
  • Left to right: Bayern Munich players Jerome Boateng, David Alaba, and Alphonso Davies. EPA
    Left to right: Bayern Munich players Jerome Boateng, David Alaba, and Alphonso Davies. EPA
  • Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick, centre, during training. EPA
    Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick, centre, during training. EPA
  • Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. EPA
    Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. EPA
  • Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick. EPA
    Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick. EPA
  • Left to right: Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick, full-back Alvaro Odriozola, and fitness coach Holger Broich. EPA
    Left to right: Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick, full-back Alvaro Odriozola, and fitness coach Holger Broich. EPA
  • Left to right: David Alaba, Jerome Boateng, Hansi Flick, and Alphonso Davies. EPA
    Left to right: David Alaba, Jerome Boateng, Hansi Flick, and Alphonso Davies. EPA

Bundesliga given go-ahead to resume this month


  • English
  • Arabic

The Bundesliga has been cleared to resume without fans on this month after German Chancellor Angela Merkel gives government approval to ease restrictions.

May 15 had been cited by several news outlets as the date in which football could return, although German Football League (DFL) officials will meet later Wednesday to confirm exact dates.

It means Germany will become the first major European league to resume its 2019/20 season, which was postponed in early March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

All matches will be played behind closed doors.

Politicians believe resuming matches in the first and second divisions to "limit the economic damage" for the 36 clubs is "acceptable", according to a draft government agreement.

The document said: "Restarting match activity must be preceded by a two-week quarantine, where appropriate in the form of a training camp."

Players in the top two divisions in Germany, where the coronavirus crisis has been contained far more effectively than in most western European nations, have been in training since early April, subject to strict protocols limiting contact and the numbers involved in each session.

The announcement comes a day after the DFL confirmed 10 cases from 1,724 coronavirus tests carried out on players in Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2. Three of those cases are known to have come from Cologne and two from rivals top-flight club Borussia Monchengladbach.

Health Minister Jens Spahn has argued that the testing regime "makes sense and can serve as an example for other forms of professional sport," although he warned "it has to be lived up to".

Hertha Berlin on Monday suspended Ivory Coast forward Salomon Kalou for broadcasting a livestream showing social distancing measures being flouted at the club.

With nine games remaining, defending champions Bayern Munich are top of the table, four points above Borussia Dortmund.

Trump v Khan

2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US

2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022:  Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.

Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”

Dolittle

Director: Stephen Gaghan

Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen

One-and-a-half out of five stars

 

 

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

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Itcan profile

Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani

Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India

Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce

Size: 70 employees 

Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch

Funding: Self-funded to date

 

FINAL SCORES

Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs

(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)

Sharjah 131 for 8 in 19.3 overs

(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)

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%3Cp%3EDungeons%20%26amp%3B%20Dragons%20began%20as%20an%20interactive%20game%20which%20would%20be%20set%20up%20on%20a%20table%20in%201974.%20One%20player%20takes%20on%20the%20role%20of%20dungeon%20master%2C%20who%20directs%20the%20game%2C%20while%20the%20other%20players%20each%20portray%20a%20character%2C%20determining%20its%20species%2C%20occupation%20and%20moral%20and%20ethical%20outlook.%20They%20can%20choose%20the%20character%E2%80%99s%20abilities%2C%20such%20as%20strength%2C%20constitution%2C%20dexterity%2C%20intelligence%2C%20wisdom%20and%20charisma.%20In%20layman%E2%80%99s%20terms%2C%20the%20winner%20is%20the%20one%20who%20amasses%20the%20highest%20score.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A