Yaya Toure's mixed feelings on going to Africa Cup of Nations

Yaya Toure has conceded he feels "guilty and confused" about leaving Manchester City to play in the Africa Cup of Nations (ANC), but says giving some kind of hope to the Ivory Coast is paramount.

Toure is set to join Chelsea's Didier Drogba, his fellow Ivory Coast international, for the tournament which starts in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea on January 21.

Just a year after conflict over a presidential election brought Ivory Coast to the brink of civil war, scenes of violence which accompanied recent elections have led to fears of another similar situation.

Although there is no civil war as such to speak of in the west African country, Toure is quoted in several newspapers as saying: "Our country needs people like me and Didier Drogba at the moment.

"There is a war again and it's important we do what we can for our people. It is dangerous and people are afraid. The team [Manchester City], the club and the manager needs me and I do feel a little bit guilty and confused about leaving. But I have to go because my country is going through some difficult things with the war. City will cope."

The City midfielder may be allowed to delay his departure so he can play in two key cup matches.

City face Manchester United in the FA Cup third round on January 8, with Liverpool visiting in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final three days later.

Ivory Coast would be within their rights to summon Toure - and brother Kolo - with Fifa rules stating that participating nations can call on players to report for duty up to 14 days before the start of a major tournament.

However, Francois Zahoui, the Ivory Coast coach, played alongside Roberto Mancini, the City manager, in Italy with Ascoli, and the latter hopes to have the Toure brothers for both cup matches.

Yaya Toure is adamant, however, that City's squad is strong enough to cope with the absence of the pair.

He said: "We have fantastic players who can take my place. I will not be away for a long time and I want to come back and help us win the league."

* Press Association

Game Changer

Director: Shankar

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

Four tips to secure IoT networks

Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:

- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version

- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number

- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently

- Always create a different guest network for visitors

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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

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Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series

All matches at the Harare Sports Club

1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Sunday, April 16

Squads:

UAE: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Zimbabwe: Peter Moor (captain), Solomon Mire, Brian Chari, Regis Chakabva, Sean Williams, Timycen Maruma, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Craig Ervine, Brandon Mavuta, Ainsley Ndlovu, Tony Munyonga, Elton Chigumbura