Live updates: follow the latest news on Russia-Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday night warned his nation that the coming week would be crucial in the war.
“Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state,” Mr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.
He accused Russia of trying to evade responsibility for war crimes.
“When people lack the courage to admit their mistakes, apologise, adapt to reality and learn, they turn into monsters," Mr Zelenskyy said.
"And when the world ignores it, the monsters decide that it is the world that has to adapt to them. Ukraine will stop all this.
“The day will come when they will have to admit everything. Accept the truth."
He again called on western countries, including Germany, to provide more assistance to Ukraine.
Mr Zelenskyy said he had discussed more possible sanctions against Russia in a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and praised what he said was a more favourable change in Germany's position towards Kyiv.
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A young woman looks out the window as her train arrives from Pokrovsk, in the east of Ukraine, to Lviv in the country's centre. Getty -

A truck carries black bags containing bodies exhumed from a mass grave for investigations in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. AP -

A child uses an air rifle to shoot at a target with the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Lviv, Ukraine. Getty -

Firefighters try to contain a blaze at a factory after Russian shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Reuters -

A woman reads as residents shelter from Russian shelling in a Kharkiv metro station. Reuters -

Ukrainian rescuers try to put out the fire at a private building after shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine. EPA -

A couple of residents walk past burning shops after a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine. AP Photo -

A destroyed Russian tank on the outskirts of Buzova village in Kyiv draws crowds of curious residents. AFP -

The Russian offensive in the Kyiv region has left a huge crater on a bridge in Makariv. AFP -

Workers put an Ukrainian flag on a pole in the centre of Makariv. AFP -

A Ukrainian mother is comforted by relatives after the body of her son was discovered in a manhole in Buzova village, west of Kyiv. AFP -

An injured Ukrainian on a medical evacuation train bound for the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. AFP -

A Doctors Without Borders team at work on medical evacuation train. AFP -

A damaged building in the southern port city of Mariupol. Reuters -

Graves of the victims of the Ukraine-Russia conflict in Mariupol. Reuters -

Emergency workers sift through debris of a damaged building in Mariupol. Reuters -

The conflict has forced Mariupol residents to wait in line for drinking water. Reuters -

A Russian military vehicle in Mariupol. Reuters -

Food distribution at a church in the town of Borodyanka, north-west of Kyiv. AP -

A visitor is in shock after returning to her church, which had come under Russian attack, in the Kyiv town of Makaro. AP -

Mourners gather at the funeral of Ukrainian soldier Andriy Zagornyakon in Kamianka-Buzka. Getty Images -

A resident returns with his dog to survey his damaged building in Kharkiv. EPA -

A woman and a child are forced to sit on the corridor of a building in Kharkiv that is used as a bomb shelter. EPA -

A Ukrainian guard in the eastern town of Barvinkove, during Russia's invasion of its neighbouring country. AFP -

Ukrainian guards strengthen their position in the eastern town of Barvinkove. AFP -

Emotional farewell at the train station in the eastern Ukrainian city Kramatorsk, which has come under Russian attack. AFP -

A Ukrainian serviceman surveys the damaged cultural centre, in the town of Rubizhne, Luhansk region. AFP -

A participant at the pro-Ukrainian demonstration outside Downing Street in London. Reuters -

Colleagues bid farewell to Yuriy Dadak-Ruf and Taras Kryt, the Ukrainian soldiers killed in Russian shelling of the Luhansk region. Reuters -

A villager warms himself in the yard of his house in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv. AP -

Vlad, the six-year old Ukrainian who lost his mother during their confinement in a Bucha basement amid the Russian invasion, plays with a friend inside his house. AP -

A group of women wait to receive free food in Bucha. AP -

Shakhtar Donetsk players carry the Ukrainian flag before their football match against Olympiakos in Piraeus, near Athens. AP -

Rescue workers clear the rubble of an apartment building in Borodianka. Getty Images -

A man repairs the roof of a house while standing on a ladder, in Andriivka, Ukraine. Getty Images -

Valerii, 65, rides by his destroyed apartment building in Borodianka. Getty Images -

A Ukrainian woman in Borodianka waits as rescue workers search for her daughter, her son-in-law and her granddaughter among the rubble. Getty Images -

Family photos are scattered among the debris of a destroyed apartment tower in Borodianka. Getty Images -

A distraught survivor of the attack on Borodianka. Getty Images -

Debris of an apartment building in Borodianka. Getty Images -

A writing on the gate of a destroyed building in Andriivka - 'Shells, mines?' - points to the threat faced by Ukrainians. Getty Images -

Another writing on the fence of a destroyed building, in Andriivka, reads 'People children live here'. Getty Images -

A bullet-riddled car near Ozera. Getty Images
"I spoke today with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about how to bring to account all those guilty of war crimes, about how to strengthen sanctions against Russia and how to persuade Russia to seek peace," he said.
"I am happy to note that recently Germany's position is changing in Ukraine's favour. And I consider this absolutely logical as a majority of Germans support this policy.
"I am grateful to them. And I expect that everything we agreed will be implemented. This is very important."
Germany, reluctant in the early stages of the Russian invasion to provide Ukraine with arms, has now agreed to supply anti-tank weaponry and missiles.
Mr Zelenskyy, initially critical of Germany for failing to provide concrete help, particularly in an address to the Bundestag last month, has applauded Berlin's moves.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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.
While you're here
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France v South Africa
Saturday, November 17
Italy v Australia
Wales v Tonga
England v Japan
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Ireland v New Zealand
Saturday, November 24
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Scotland v Argentina
England v Australia
Wales v South Africa
Ireland v United States
France v Fiji
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
School uniforms report
Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
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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
UAE cricketers abroad
Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.
Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.


