• People in Shahporir, Bangladesh, hurry to a cyclone shelter after Cyclone Mocha made land in Teknaf. Reuters
    People in Shahporir, Bangladesh, hurry to a cyclone shelter after Cyclone Mocha made land in Teknaf. Reuters
  • A Shahporir islander makes repairs to his house roof, which was destroyed by the cyclone. AFP
    A Shahporir islander makes repairs to his house roof, which was destroyed by the cyclone. AFP
  • Fallen trees in Kyauktaw in Myanmar's Rakhine state. AFP
    Fallen trees in Kyauktaw in Myanmar's Rakhine state. AFP
  • Devastation left by Cyclone Mocha in Kyauktaw, Myanmar. AFP
    Devastation left by Cyclone Mocha in Kyauktaw, Myanmar. AFP
  • Kyauktaw is lashed by the cyclone. AFP
    Kyauktaw is lashed by the cyclone. AFP
  • Kyauktaw is lashed by the cyclone. AFP
    Kyauktaw is lashed by the cyclone. AFP
  • Strong winds and heavy rainfall at a camp for displaced Rohingya people in Sittwe, Myanmar. Reuters
    Strong winds and heavy rainfall at a camp for displaced Rohingya people in Sittwe, Myanmar. Reuters
  • Two children seek shelter as rains caused by approaching Cyclone Mocha fall in Sittwe, in Myanmar's Rakhine State. AP
    Two children seek shelter as rains caused by approaching Cyclone Mocha fall in Sittwe, in Myanmar's Rakhine State. AP
  • Taking shelter at a school in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters
    Taking shelter at a school in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters
  • Bangladesh and Myanmar were bracing on Sunday as the extremely severe cyclone was set to hit their coastal areas, and authorities told thousands of people in both countries to seek shelter. AFP
    Bangladesh and Myanmar were bracing on Sunday as the extremely severe cyclone was set to hit their coastal areas, and authorities told thousands of people in both countries to seek shelter. AFP
  • Women take shelter with their children on Shahpori island, Bangladesh. AFP
    Women take shelter with their children on Shahpori island, Bangladesh. AFP
  • A cow walks on an almost empty street in Kyauktaw, in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. AFP
    A cow walks on an almost empty street in Kyauktaw, in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. AFP
  • People ride an autorickshaw amid heavy rains in Kyauktaw. AFP
    People ride an autorickshaw amid heavy rains in Kyauktaw. AFP
  • Women shelter with their children on Shahpori island. AFP
    Women shelter with their children on Shahpori island. AFP
  • People carry their belongings to a shelter on Shahpori island. AFP
    People carry their belongings to a shelter on Shahpori island. AFP
  • A motorcyclist on a nearly empty road in Sittwe. AP
    A motorcyclist on a nearly empty road in Sittwe. AP

Cyclone Mocha wreaks havoc for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh


Anjana Sankar
  • English
  • Arabic

Cyclone Mocha destroyed homes and buildings in coastal areas of Myanmar and Bangladesh on Sunday as fear spread through camps hosting hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

Three people were reported dead in Myanmar as the "extremely severe" cyclone hit Rakhine state in the afternoon, with wind speeds of up to 209kph, the national Meteorological Department said.

The cyclone whipped up heavy rains and wind, destroying homes and displacing several thousand in Myanmar’s port town of Sittwe.

In Bangladesh, the storm destroyed more than 500 Rohingya shelters in Cox's Bazar, officials said.

Nearly 500,000 people were relocated to safer areas in both countries.

The Met Department said the centre of Cyclone Mocha had crossed the Cox's Bazar-North Myanmar coastal area at Sittwe at 3pm local time and was lying over the land area of Myanmar.

"The system is weakening gradually," it said.

These trees in Kyauktaw in Rakhine state, Myanmar, were in the path of Cyclone Mocha on Sunday. AFP
These trees in Kyauktaw in Rakhine state, Myanmar, were in the path of Cyclone Mocha on Sunday. AFP

Panic in Rohingya camps

Panic gripped the world’s biggest refugee camps in Bangladesh, which hosts 1.2 million persecuted Rohingya refugees, as strong winds and rain uprooted trees and destroyed hundreds of flimsy shelters.

Rains started battering the camps on Sunday morning and weather alerts were raised.

Pictures and videos shared by refugees on social media show makeshift shelters collapsing under strong winds and tarpaulin and bamboo roofs being blown away.

Mohammed Ali, 31, of Nayapara refugee camp, told The National: “My house is shaking as though it will fall any time. They are so flimsy as it is made of bamboo and will collapse any time.

“My children are scared but we have nowhere to go.”

Rohingya refugees who fled genocide in Myanmar in 2017 are not allowed to build permanent structures using brick and mortar. The host government also does not allow them to leave the camps, leaving many exposed to the threat posed by the cyclone.

Though Myanmar and Bangladesh relocated thousands of families from low-lying areas before the storm, there are no cyclone shelters in Cox’s Bazar, the world’s biggest refugee settlement.

Many people took shelter in schools, learning centres and women’s refuges run by international agencies in Cox’s Bazar.

Mocha makes landfall at the Shahpori Dwip, Teknuf area, near Cox's Bazar. EPA
Mocha makes landfall at the Shahpori Dwip, Teknuf area, near Cox's Bazar. EPA

Jameela, 23, a mother of two, said she had taken shelter in a school near her camp in the Teknaf area, to stay safe from the deadliest storm to hit Bangladesh in the past two decades.

“We are currently staying in a school and it is packed with families,” she told The National.

“My house is not liveable any more. The roof blew away and it is badly damaged.

“I don’t know for how long we have to live here. I am just relieved that we are getting food and water for the kids.”

Alom Bin Nur, a Rohingya from the Balukhali camp, told The National he and his family had moved to a neighbour’s house after the roof of their shelter collapsed.

“They are a local family and we have to stay the night with them to protect us from the rain and storm. But now the wind has reduced, we are back in the shelter and have started cleaning and some repairing work.”

Hundreds of Rohingya shelters destroyed

Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Bangladesh's refugee, relief and repatriation commissioner, told The National that the impact of the cyclone was "not as bad as expected".

"But the rain and the wind speed impacted the refugee settlements. Our initial estimation is that 500-plus shelters have been damaged," said the official.

One of the biggest fears is the aftermath of the cyclone will trigger a deluge of rain that will cause flooding and landslides in the camps.

"We are hoping that the rain will subside by this evening," said Mr Rahman. "Then we are looking at a much better situation. we expect that people can return to their homes within two days."

Rohingya volunteers in action

As the heavy rain and storm started wreaking havoc, camp leaders and trained Rohingya volunteers from the Disaster Management Unit sprang into action to help rebuild shelters and distribute food, medicine and other emergency support to affected communities.

A Majhi, or camp leader, at the Kutupalong refugee site, told The National several shelters had been crushed under uprooted trees.

“Our camp is surrounded by big trees, many of which got uprooted in the wind. Maximum damage so far is caused by falling trees,” he said, adding that there had been no casualties in the camp.

“We have relocated some very small number of families to the learning centre for their safety.”

A mother comforts her child at a shelter during the cyclone's landfall, at Shahpori Dwip, near Cox's Bazar. EPA
A mother comforts her child at a shelter during the cyclone's landfall, at Shahpori Dwip, near Cox's Bazar. EPA

International agencies including the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Bangladeshi government agencies put together an emergency response plan to mitigate the risks posed by the cyclone.

Johannes Van Der Klaauw, UNHCR spokesman in Bangladesh, told The National his organisation, together with local authorities and humanitarian partners, was responding to urgent needs on the ground.

"We have pre-positioned emergency shelter materials and aid agencies are on standby to provide 250 tonnes of dry food and 50,000 daily meals if needed," he said.

Packages which the US Secret Service said contained possible explosive devices were sent to:

  • Former first lady Hillary Clinton
  • Former US president Barack Obama
  • Philanthropist and businessman George Soros
  • Former CIA director John Brennan at CNN's New York bureau
  • Former Attorney General Eric Holder (delivered to former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz)
  • California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (two devices)
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Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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

BRAZIL SQUAD

Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

The specs: 2019 Cadillac XT4

Price, base: Dh145,000

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged in-line four-cylinder engine

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Power: 237hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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Dunki
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Updated: May 15, 2023, 7:22 AM