Tony Romo crouches to give his little son Hawkins instructions on running a pass route while Jason Witten carries one of his kids nearby, surrounded by autograph seekers.
This is the training camp tradition after practice these days for one of the best quarterback-tight end combinations in NFL history, and the steady force in the Dallas offense for nearly a decade.
Their desire to win a Super Bowl hasn’t changed since Romo and Witten came into the league together 12 years ago, or from when Romo became a starter three years later. But their appreciation for how difficult it is to win a title has grown, along with the friendship that formed through the disappointments in trying.
“When you are competitors like we are and you’ve gone through the highs and lows like we have, you grow,” said Witten, who needs 57 catches to become the NFL’s second tight end with 1,000 for his career, trailing only Tony Gonzalez. “And then off the field, just the friendship and brotherhood. You get married. You have children. All in that course of when you first met.”
The perception of the commitment for each of these teammates differed for years, reputations sewn a year apart starting with Witten famously running 30 yards without a helmet after a catch in 2007. When the next season ended in a blowout loss at Philadelphia that kept Dallas out of the playoffs, Romo infamously said his life would be pretty good if that was the worst thing that happened to him.
Only recently have views on Romo been changing, partly because he battled through three back injuries in just a year and a half to have the most efficient season of his career in 2014.
Then the Cowboys came close to winning multiple playoff games for the first time since Troy Aikman led the last of three Super Bowl-winning runs after the 1995 season. A loss at Green Bay in the divisional round turned in the fourth quarter when Romo’s deep throw to Dez Bryant on fourth-and-2 was overturned on review after being ruled a catch near the goal line.
“When you’re in the NFL and you’re young, it’s all about yourself,” said Romo, the franchise leader in yards passing (33,270) and touchdowns (242) – ahead of Hall of Famers Aikman and Super Bowl winner Roger Staubach. “And as you get older and you create the relationships that you have, through a Jason Witten and other people, you want to share those moments. Playoff games. Super Bowl.”
Romo also frequently faced questions about his leadership in the locker room, but those have mostly subsided. When nobody – Witten included – could get Bryant to calm down on the sideline after a fight with cornerback Tyler Patmon early in camp this year, Romo slowly approached the scene. And Bryant quietly walked away with him.
“He’s real. There’s nothing fake,” Bryant said. “If I’m doing something wrong, Tony’s not afraid to let me know.”
While Bryant is Romo’s most dangerous target these days, Witten will go down as his most consistent. They lead the NFL in connections between quarterback and tight end with 632 since 1991, according to STATS. That’s as far back as STATS tracks the numbers. They are second in yards, behind San Diego’s Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates.
Romo dominates the season charts for Dallas quarterbacks, and Witten has the NFL season record for catches by a tight end (110 in 2012). The former Tennessee player likely will be at least 300 catches ahead of Michael Irvin on the Cowboys’ career list when he retires, and Romo and Witten could end up with as many completions together as Hall of Famer Irvin had in his 12-year career (750).
“As much as they’ve played together there is always something new: `The guy covered me differently on this particular route; he played with this kind of leverage,”’ coach Jason Garrett said. “So the fact that they know each other so well, communicate so well, I think they can take full advantage of those situations.”
Romo and Witten don’t figure to match Irvin’s three Super Bowls with Aikman and NFL rushing leader Emmitt Smith. They’re only worried about the first one. If it happens, their embrace could last a few seconds – at least.
“If it’s just you, it just seems a little bit like, `All right. It’s fine.’ But to have people with you, that makes it special, I think,” Romo said. “And being with a bunch of people you care about, it makes it really enjoyable to go through the process and through the whole journey.”
Together, Romo and Witten have lost four season finales with a postseason berth on the line, and their playoff opener after the 2007 season when they were the top seed in the NFC. Their first playoff game after Romo became the starter in 2006 was his famous flub of the snap that prevented a potential go-ahead field goal in a 21-20 loss at Seattle.
“I think the greatest thing I can ever say about Tony is through the tough times and all that was being said, his focus was simply on becoming the best quarterback that he could become,” Witten said. “He always had a rare ability to kind of be above it and focus on what really mattered. I respect that. It’s not easily done.”
And it’s not easy for two players to spend 13 years together in the NFL. Never mind that it will probably be at least 15 years, with both under contract at least through 2017.
“We want to win just as bad as for the team as for those guys,” sixth-year safety Barry Church said. “They’ve been through it all. I know they want to win bad as hell.”
That’s one thing that hasn’t changed.
THE TOP QUARTERBACK-TIGHT END DUOS IN NFL HISTORY
Romo and Witten have more completions than any quarterback-tight end combination in the NFL since 1991, as far back as STATS can go. Here’s a look at some of the top QB-TE combos in league history:
*-Romo and Witten: Beyond the 632 completions, they are second with 7,139 yards. They aren't quite as prolific when it comes to touchdowns, going back to 1940. Their 35 TDs are tied for 11th with Lynn Dickey-Paul Coffman (Green Bay, 1979-85) and Matt Ryan-Tony Gonzalez (Atlanta, 2009-13).
*-Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates, San Diego: They are the most prolific under all three categories combined. Rivers and Gates lead with 7,525 yards and have a 19-touchdown edge with 72 on the all-time list that goes back to 1940. They are second to Romo and Witten with 593 completions.
*– Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, New England: They don't yet crack the top five in completions and yards, but are already second to Rivers and Gates with 53 touchdowns in just five seasons. If both stay healthy, they'll be high on the other lists as well. They won their first Super Bowl together last season.
*– John Elway and Shannon Sharpe, Denver: The pair of Hall of Famers is third in yards (5,941), fourth in completions (452) and tied for seventh in TDs (41) despite playing just eight seasons together. They won consecutive Super Bowls in Elway's final two seasons.
*– Ben Roethlisberger and Heath Miller, Pittsburgh: They are third in completions (486), fourth in yards (5,438) and ninth in touchdowns (39) going back to 2005. Like Elway and Sharpe, they've won two Super Bowls together.
*– Ken Stabler and Dave Casper, Oakland and Houston: They are 10th on the all-time touchdowns list with 38, most of them coming with the Raiders from 1974-79. They won the Super Bowl with Oakland after the 1976 season. Casper is in the Hall of Fame. Stabler, who died of colon cancer July 8 at age 69, is a senior finalist for the class of 2016.
*– Dan Fouts and Kellen Winslow, San Diego: Another Hall of Fame pair along with Elway and Sharpe, and tied with them for seventh with 41 touchdowns. But Fouts and Winslow never made it to the Super Bowl in four straight playoff trips from 1979-82.
*– Peyton Manning and Dallas Clark, Indianapolis: These two would have been high on all the lists if Manning had stayed with the Colts rather than moving on to Denver. They won a Super Bowl and are fifth all-time with 44 touchdowns, but not in the top five in yards and completions. The TD total is one behind Drew Bledsoe-Ben Coates (New England, 1993-2000) and one ahead of Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen and Jerry Smith (Washington, 1965-74).
Follow us on twitter at @NatSportUAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
25%20Days%20to%20Aden
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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
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Five hymns the crowds can join in
Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday
Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir
Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium
‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song
‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar
‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion
‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope
The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’
There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia
The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ
They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Company%20profile
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What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
Australia (15-1): Israel Folau; Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge, Kurtley Beale, Marika Koroibete; Bernard Foley, Will Genia; David Pocock, Michael Hooper (capt), Lukhan Tui; Adam Coleman, Izack Rodda; Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Tom Robertson.
Replacements: Tolu Latu, Allan Alaalatoa, Taniela Tupou, Rob Simmons, Pete Samu, Nick Phipps, Matt Toomua, Jack Maddocks.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EShaffra%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDIFC%20Innovation%20Hub%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Emetaverse-as-a-Service%20(MaaS)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Ecurrently%20closing%20%241.5%20million%20seed%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%20Abu%20Dhabi%20and%20different%20PCs%20and%20angel%20investors%20from%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae
UAE-based players
Goodlands Riders: Jamshaid Butt, Ali Abid, JD Mahesh, Vibhor Shahi, Faizan Asif, Nadeem Rahim
Rose Hill Warriors: Faraz Sheikh, Ashok Kumar, Thabreez Ali, Janaka Chathuranga, Muzammil Afridi, Ameer Hamza
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
