The Houthi rebels in Yemen kidnapped and killed one of their security officials on Saturday, an indication of deepening rifts within the Iran-backed group fighting the internationally recognised government.
"The rebels stormed the small village of Al Ramah in the the Damt district in Al Dhale province in the southern part of the country and kidnapped security commander Abdulkareem Nashwan, who had been working with the rebels since they took over Damt district in 2015," Ali Al Asmar, an Al Dhale-based journalist, told The National.
“They kidnapped him and five of his guards last week and executed him on Saturday after accusing him of being complicit with some of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh’s loyalists.”
The Houthi rebels killed Saleh on December 4 after he broke off his alliance with them and called for talks with the Arab coalition fighting on behalf of the legitimate government of Yemen’s president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi. The rebels then launched a crackdown on his supporters that has seen hundreds killed or detained.
Meanwhile, an unidentified group of armed men killed two high-ranking Houthi officers in the capital Sanaa, which is controlled by the rebels, said a Sanaa resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“One was killed in his house in the Asser area in the west of Sanaa last Wednesday and another was killed in the Sawan area to the east of Sanaa,” said the source.
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Read more
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Meanwhile, the Yemeni military and resistance fighters seized more areas of Al Bayda province south of Sanaa, including a strategically important mountain in Natea district.
Troops and resistance fighters, backed by air support from the Saudi-led coalition, captured Markoozah mountain after heavy clashes with the Houthis in which dozens of the rebels were killed and five arrested, the Al Bayda resistance's media centre said.
The mountain commands the entire Natea district including the Al Fadha base, the rebels' most important military site in Al Bayda.
A source said pro-government forces also liberated Jabal Al Sada and the areas of Mawr and Malih from the rebels, many of whom were killed or injured in the fighting.
Government troops also made gains on the Al Buka battlefront in northern province of Saada, the Houthis' stronghold, cutting off a rebel supply route to neighbouring Jawf province.
"The army secured Souk Al Buka and Al Buka intersection along with the international highway which links Saada city with Al Buka district and Muthalah Al Batga in Jawf," said Ismail Al Shalafi, a spokesman for the government forces in the area.
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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
