Kamaru Usman, Romelu Lukaku and the European Super League protests: 25 of the best sports images of the week

It has been a week of turmoil in football with the launch and spectacular collapse of the European Super League (ESL).

The announcement last Sunday of a 12-team breakaway competition made up of a closed shop of Europe's elite clubs was met with an immediate backlash from across the sport.

By Tuesday, all six of the English clubs had withdrawn from the Super League and the owners of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United were quick to issue public apologies.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez – one of the ESL's main driving forces – is maintaining that the 12 clubs had all signed binding contracts and that the project is far from over. Judging by the protests still ongoing at clubs in England, Perez and those that still believe in the ESL should be ready for a long and bitter battle.

In mixed martial arts, there was a capacity crowd at UFC 261 for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic brought a halt to the sporting world in March 2020.

The event in Florida saw UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman demolish Jorge Masvidal with a second-round knockout. It extended his unbeaten record in UFC to 14, with only Anderson Silva having more consecutive victories, at 16.

After the fight, Usman said: "With my fundamentals, I am the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet right now."

We have picked out 25 stunning images in the photo gallery above. To move on to the next picture click on the arrows, or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.

The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House

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

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

Our legal advisor

Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.

Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.

Kamaru Usman, Romelu Lukaku and the European Super League protests: 25 of the best sports images of the week

We pick out the most spectacular pictures from the last seven days

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

Our legal consultant

Our legal advisor