The Nobel Prize for Physics has been awarded to three scientists for their innovative research on black holes.
One of them, Britain's Roger Penrose, won half the prize for using mathematics to prove that black holes are a direct consequence of Einstein's general theory of relativity and the work he did alongside Dr Stephen Hawking in the 1960s.
The other half of the prize went to Professor Andrea Ghez, only the fourth female winner of the prize, who was recognised for her work with Germany's Reinhard Genzel in discovering that an invisible and extremely heavy object, most likely a supermassive black hole, governs the orbits of stars at the centre of our galaxy.
The delight that black holes were honoured by the prestigious Nobel winners was tempered with regret that the accolade came too late for world-renowned Dr Hawking, who died in 2018.
Prof Penrose, from the University of Oxford, worked alongside Dr Hawking for years and the pair studied the origins of the universe together.
"It's a shame that Penrose and Hawking didn't get the Nobel before now," said Luc Blanchet, from the Paris Institute of Astrophysics.
"This prize comes two years after (Prof Hawking's) death yet their work took place in the 1960s and its importance was recognised since the 1980s."
Martin Rees, a British astronomer and fellow of Trinity College Cambridge, said the pair were "the two individuals who have done more than anyone else since Einstein to deepen our knowledge of gravity."
"Sadly, this award was much too delayed to allow Hawking to share the credit with Penrose," he said.
Prof Ghez, of University of California, Los Angeles, is the fourth woman to win the physics prize, after Marie Curie in 1903, Maria Goeppert Mayer in 1963 and Donna Strickland in 2018.
"I hope I can inspire other young women into the field," Prof Ghez said on Tuesday.
Physics is the second of this year's Nobel Prize categories to be awarded, after three scientists won the medicine prize for their breakthrough work on Hepatitis C on Monday.
"The discoveries of this year's laureates have broken new ground in the study of compact and supermassive objects," David Haviland, chairman of the Nobel Committee for Physics, said on awarding the Dh4.04 million ($1.1m) prize.
"But these exotic objects still pose many questions that beg for answers and motivate future research."
Mr Genzel, an astrophysicist at the Max Planck Institute and University of California, Berkeley, and Prof Ghez have led research since the early 1990s focusing on a region called Sagittarius A* in the centre of the Milky Way.
The pair developed methods to see through the huge clouds of interstellar gas and dust, into the heart of the Milky Way, creating new techniques to compensate for the image distortion caused by Earth's atmosphere.
Using the world's largest telescopes, they discovered an extremely heavy, invisible object - around four million times greater than the mass of our Sun - that pulls on surrounding stars, giving our galaxy its characteristic swirl.
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
6 UNDERGROUND
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
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
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
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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
