• US President Joe Biden speaks during the 59th Presidential inauguration in Washington. Reuters
    US President Joe Biden speaks during the 59th Presidential inauguration in Washington. Reuters
  • President Joe Biden signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House. Reuters
    President Joe Biden signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House. Reuters
  • President Joe Biden swears in presidential appointees in a virtual ceremony in the State Dining Room of the White House. Reuters
    President Joe Biden swears in presidential appointees in a virtual ceremony in the State Dining Room of the White House. Reuters
  • President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden wave as they arrive at the North Portico of the White House. AP Photo
    President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden wave as they arrive at the North Portico of the White House. AP Photo
  • President Joe Biden and his wife Jill embrace as they arrive to the White House. Reuters
    President Joe Biden and his wife Jill embrace as they arrive to the White House. Reuters
  • President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk up the stairs as they arrive at the North Portico of the White House. AP Photo
    President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk up the stairs as they arrive at the North Portico of the White House. AP Photo
  • President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and family, walk in front of the White House. AP Photo
    President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and family, walk in front of the White House. AP Photo
  • President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. AP Photo
    President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. AP Photo
  • Former President Bill Clinton with his wife, former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, former President George W. Bush with his wife Laura Bush, and former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama at the Arlington National Cemetery. Reuters
    Former President Bill Clinton with his wife, former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, former President George W. Bush with his wife Laura Bush, and former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama at the Arlington National Cemetery. Reuters
  • US President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and her husband Doug Emhoff look on as they leave the US Capitol after the inauguration ceremony. Reuters
    US President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and her husband Doug Emhoff look on as they leave the US Capitol after the inauguration ceremony. Reuters
  • US President Joe Biden signs documents in the President's Room at the US Capitol following the inauguration ceremony. Bloomberg
    US President Joe Biden signs documents in the President's Room at the US Capitol following the inauguration ceremony. Bloomberg
  • Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff, wave from the Capitol steps as former Vice President Mike Pence's motorcade departs. AP Photo
    Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff, wave from the Capitol steps as former Vice President Mike Pence's motorcade departs. AP Photo
  • US President Joe Biden speaks during the 59th Presidential inauguration in Washington. Reuters
    US President Joe Biden speaks during the 59th Presidential inauguration in Washington. Reuters
  • US President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States during the 59th presidential inauguration in Washington. Bloomberg
    US President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States during the 59th presidential inauguration in Washington. Bloomberg
  • Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th President of the United States as his spouse Jill Biden holds a bible on the West Front of the Capitol in Washington, DC. Reuters
    Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th President of the United States as his spouse Jill Biden holds a bible on the West Front of the Capitol in Washington, DC. Reuters
  • Kamala Harris is sworn in as vice president by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor as her husband Doug Emhoff holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AP
    Kamala Harris is sworn in as vice president by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor as her husband Doug Emhoff holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AP
  • Social distancing audience during the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. Reuters
    Social distancing audience during the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. Reuters
  • Lady Gaga sings the National Anthem at the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden. AFP
    Lady Gaga sings the National Anthem at the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden. AFP
  • Lady Gaga sings the National Anthem as US Vice President Mike Pence and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris look on. Reuters
    Lady Gaga sings the National Anthem as US Vice President Mike Pence and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris look on. Reuters
  • From left: Doug Emhoff, US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, incoming US First Lady Jill Biden, US President-elect Joe Biden arrive for the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th US President at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP
    From left: Doug Emhoff, US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, incoming US First Lady Jill Biden, US President-elect Joe Biden arrive for the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th US President at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP
  • Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle arrive for the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol for President-elect Joe Biden. AP Photo
    Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle arrive for the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol for President-elect Joe Biden. AP Photo
  • Former US President Bill Clinton arrives with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden on the West Front of the US Capitol. AFP
    Former US President Bill Clinton arrives with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden on the West Front of the US Capitol. AFP
  • Former US President George W. Bush and his wife Laura Bush arrive for the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States on the West Front of the US Capitol. Reuters
    Former US President George W. Bush and his wife Laura Bush arrive for the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States on the West Front of the US Capitol. Reuters
  • Family members of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris attend the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden on the West Front of the US Capitol. AFP
    Family members of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris attend the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden on the West Front of the US Capitol. AFP
  • The view from the podium where Joe Biden will speak after being sworn-in during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. EPA
    The view from the podium where Joe Biden will speak after being sworn-in during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. EPA
  • Flags decorate the "Field of Flags" at the National Mall near the Washington Monument ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden. AFP
    Flags decorate the "Field of Flags" at the National Mall near the Washington Monument ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden. AFP
  • President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden attend a church service before his presidential inauguration at St Matthews Catholic Church in Washington. Reuters
    President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden attend a church service before his presidential inauguration at St Matthews Catholic Church in Washington. Reuters
  • President-elect Joe Biden, his wife Jill Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff attend a church service before his presidential inauguration at St. Matthews Catholic Church. Reuters
    President-elect Joe Biden, his wife Jill Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff attend a church service before his presidential inauguration at St. Matthews Catholic Church. Reuters
  • The West Front of the US Capitol is prepared for the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden in Washington, DC. AFP
    The West Front of the US Capitol is prepared for the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden in Washington, DC. AFP
  • US singer Lady Gaga arrives for the inauguration of Joe Biden as US President in Washington, DC. EPA
    US singer Lady Gaga arrives for the inauguration of Joe Biden as US President in Washington, DC. EPA
  • Supporters hold American flags as Air Force One, carrying US President Donald Trump, departs during a farewell ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Bloomberg
    Supporters hold American flags as Air Force One, carrying US President Donald Trump, departs during a farewell ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Bloomberg
  • President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wave to a crowd as they board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base. AP Photo
    President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wave to a crowd as they board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base. AP Photo
  • President Donald Trump speaks to crowd before boarding Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base. AP Photo
    President Donald Trump speaks to crowd before boarding Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base. AP Photo
  • The sun rises behind the US Capitol as preparations are made prior to the 59th inaugural ceremony for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on the West Front of the US Capitol in Washington. AFP
    The sun rises behind the US Capitol as preparations are made prior to the 59th inaugural ceremony for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on the West Front of the US Capitol in Washington. AFP

Biden’s first 17 presidential orders


  • English
  • Arabic

Much of President Joe Biden's first day in office was spent repealing many of the executive actions that his predecessor used to advance his agenda.

Mr Biden issued 17 executive actions, which included the country's re-entry into the World Health Organisation and Paris climate accord.

They also repealed the travel ban against several Muslim-majority countries, and ended construction on Donald Trump’s unfinished wall on the US-Mexico border.

What Mr Biden’s first official presidential actions entail.

Covid-19 and the economy

Federal mask mandate

This order requires federal employees and contractors to wear masks and keep physical distance in all federal buildings and on federal lands for 100 days to battle the Covid-19 pandemic.

It also puts the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in charge of engaging with state and local municipalities to implement mask wearing and physical distancing.

Re-enter World Health Organisation

Mr Biden re-entered the World Health Organisation, reversing Mr Trump’s executive action that initiated the US withdrawal shortly after the pandemic began last year.

Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will lead the US delegation to the World Health Organisation and deliver remarks at its executive board meeting on Thursday.

Restructuring the federal government’s Covid-19 response

This order restructures the federal government's response to the pandemic, creating the position of the Covid-19 response co-ordinator.

Mr Biden’s team said that Jeff Zients, an Obama administration veteran, will fill that position.

The order also re-establishes the National Security Council’s Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefence, a division the Trump administration eliminated in 2018.

Extension on home eviction and foreclosure moratorium

Mr Biden asked the Centres for Disease and Control Prevention to extend the federal eviction moratorium until March 31, 2021, while calling on Congress to extend it further and provide rental assistance.

Extending freeze on student loan repayments

Mr Biden asked the Department of Education to extend the freeze on federal student loan payments until at least September 30, 2021.

Climate and environment

Rejoin the Paris climate accord

Mr Biden signed the memorandum to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, reversing Mr Trump's withdrawal from the accord.

The memorandum was immediately deposited at the UN, paving the way for the US to re-enter the agreement in a month.

Restoring environmental regulations

This order restores environmental regulations eliminated under the Trump administration, especially with regard to climate change.

It includes a re-evaluation of vehicle fuel efficiency and emissions standards, as well as a temporary mortarium on oil and natural gas leasing in the Arctic.

It also re-establishes the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases and revokes Mr Trump’s permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline.

Immigration and equality

Federal initiative to advance racial equality

This order is designed to root out systemic racism in federal government programmes and institutions.

It requires every federal agency to deliver an action plan within 200 days to address unequal barriers to opportunity, among other directives.

It also revokes Mr Trump’s 1776 commission, which released a report on Monday that was widely panned by historians for its narrative about slavery.

Lastly, it repeals Mr Trump’s order that limited the ability of federal agencies to conduct diversity and inclusion training.

Restore counting of non-citizens in US census

This order repeals Mr Trump's executive action that excluded non-citizens from the US census, which is used to determine congressional districts in the House of Representatives.

Preserving and fortifying protections for Dreamers

Mr Biden signed an order restoring protection for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals that the Trump administration challenged and tried to remove.

The Daca programme grants work permits and deportation relief to more than 640,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children.

The new president “is committed to preserving and fortifying Daca", the White House said.

His presidential memorandum directs the secretary of homeland security, in consultation with the attorney general, to take all appropriate action under the law to protect Daca.

It also calls on Congress “to enact legislation providing permanent status and a path to citizenship for people who came to this country as children and have lived, worked and contributed to our country for many years".

Reversing the Muslim ban 

Mr Biden fulfilled a pledge he made early in the campaign by revoking visa restrictions that Mr Trump put in place on 13 Muslim-majority countries.

The restrictions were described by Mr Trump as the “Muslim ban” and came in an executive order from the former president shortly after he took office in January 2017.

The ban was rewritten after legal challenges and its latest format was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.

But Mr Biden took executive action on Wednesday, ending “a policy rooted in religious animus and xenophobia”, the White House said.

“It repeals Proclamations 9645 and 9983, which restrict entry into the United States from primarily Muslim and African countries, and instructs the State Department to restart visa processing for affected countries and to swiftly develop a proposal to restore fairness and remedy the harms caused by the bans, especially for individuals stuck in the waiver process and those who had immigrant visas denied,” the White House said.

But the order also provides for “strengthening of screening and vetting for travellers by enhancing information sharing with foreign governments and capacity building with our partners, and directs reviews of other Trump administration 'extreme vetting' practices”.

Repeal of Trump executive order on interior enforcement

This revokes an executive order from 2017 that mandated extreme immigration enforcement and made it a priority to deport 10.5 million undocumented people in the US.

"This revocation will allow the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to set civil immigration enforcement policies that best protect the American people and are in line with our values and priorities,” the White House said.

Stop border wall construction

Mr Biden signed an executive action that ended the 2018 national emergency set by Mr Trump on the US-Mexico border to divert billions of dollars to build a wall.

The emergency and construction of the wall are suspended by Mr Biden's order.

Mr Trump ran his campaign on the promise to build a wall but said then that “Mexico would pay for it".

The US Customs and Border Protection agency estimated that the American government had allocated $15 billion for more than 1,120 kilometres of the wall.

“Bipartisan majorities in Congress refused in 2019 to fund President Trump’s plans for a massive wall along our southern border, even after he shut down the government over this issue," the Biden White House said.

"He then wastefully diverted billions of dollars to that construction."

With the proclamation, Mr Biden declares “an immediate termination of the national emergency declaration that was used as a pretext to justify some of the funding diversions for the wall ... directs an immediate pause in wall construction projects to allow a close review of the legality of the funding and contracting methods used".

Deferred enforced departure for Liberians

Another immigration order signed by Mr Biden was “to extend until June 30, 2022 the long-standing deferred enforced departure designation for Liberians who have been in the United States for many years".

Liberia is the only country with DED, which covers about 10,000 people. Mr Trump had sought to wind down the programme and end it by spring 2020.

The memorandum “directs the secretary of homeland security to ensure that Citizen Immigration Services facilitates ease of application and timely adjudication for Liberians applying for residency by the Liberian Relief and Fairness Act".

Preventing and combating discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation

This order signed by Mr Biden offers legal protection for all Americans, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

“The Biden-Harris administration will prevent and combat discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation,” the White House said.

It builds on the US Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v Clayton County (2020) to ensure the federal government interprets Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as prohibiting workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

“This order will also direct agencies to take all lawful steps to make sure that federal anti-discrimination statutes that cover sex discrimination prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ persons.”

Ethics and regulations

Executive branch personnel ethics executive order

This order mandates every appointee in the executive branch in the Biden administration and onwards to sign an ethics pledge.

It is designed to “ensure that executive branch employees act in the interest of the American people and not for personal gain", and commits “federal employees to uphold the independence of the Department of Justice".

Mr Trump eased these rules while in office. On Tuesday, he revoked an executive order that banned executive branch employees from lobbying the agency in which they served until five years after leaving government.

Regulatory process executive order and presidential memorandum

This order by Mr Biden restores regulatory actions by the US government curbed by Mr Trump.

It directs the director of the Office of Management and Budget “to develop recommendations for improving and modernising regulatory review".

“These recommendations will create a process to advance regulations that promote public health and safety, economic growth, social welfare, racial justice, environmental stewardship, human dignity, equity and the interests of future generations,” the Biden White House said.

Abu Dhabi GP schedule

Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm

Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm

Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm

Juventus v Napoli, Sunday, 10.45pm (UAE)

Match on Bein Sports

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg

Ajax v Real Madrid, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports

THE SPECS

Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now

The more serious side of specialty coffee

While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms. 

The Vile

Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah

Director: Majid Al Ansari

Rating: 4/5

MATCH INFO

What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)

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.

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Neo%20Mobility%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20February%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abhishek%20Shah%20and%20Anish%20Garg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Logistics%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Delta%20Corp%2C%20Pyse%20Sustainability%20Fund%2C%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UK’s AI plan
  • AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
  • £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
  • £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
  • £250m to train new AI models
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Khodar%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cairo%20and%20Alexandria%2C%20in%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ayman%20Hamza%2C%20Yasser%20Eidrous%20and%20Amr%20El%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20agriculture%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500%2C000%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Saudi%20Arabia%E2%80%99s%20Revival%20Lab%20and%20others%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEmployees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PROFILE BOX:

Company/date started: 2015

Founder/CEO: Rami Salman, Rishav Jalan, Ayush Chordia

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Technology, Sales, Voice, Artificial Intelligence

Size: (employees/revenue) 10/ 100,000 downloads

Stage: 1 ($800,000)

Investors: Eight first-round investors including, Beco Capital, 500 Startups, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Hala Fadel, Odin Financial Services, Dubai Angel Investors, Womena, Arzan VC

 

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

Awar Qalb

Director: Jamal Salem

Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman

Two stars

The specs: McLaren 600LT

Price, base: Dh914,000

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm

Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm

Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LILO & STITCH

Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Rating: 4.5/5

Fixtures

Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11

August 9

Liverpool v Norwich 11pm

August 10

West Ham v Man City 3.30pm

Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm

Burnley v Southampton 6pm

C Palace v Everton 6pm

Leicester v Wolves 6pm

Watford v Brighton 6pm

Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm

August 11

Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm

Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm

 

ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
%3Cp%3EBy%202030%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%20aims%20to%20achieve%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2039.3%20million%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20nearly%2064%25%20up%20from%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20Dh90%20billion%20contribution%20to%20GDP%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20about%2084%25%20more%20than%20Dh49%20billion%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20178%2C000%20new%20jobs%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20bringing%20the%20total%20to%20about%20366%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2052%2C000%20hotel%20rooms%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20up%2053%25%20from%2034%2C000%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%207.2%20million%20international%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20almost%2090%25%20higher%20compared%20to%202023's%203.8%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%203.9%20international%20overnight%20hotel%20stays%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2022%25%20more%20from%203.2%20nights%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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.

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
French business

France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PLUS
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Brief scores:

Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first

Kerala Knights 103-7 (10 ov)

Parnell 59 not out; Tambe 5-15

Sindhis 104-1 (7.4 ov)

Watson 50 not out, Devcich 49

The bio

Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district

Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school

Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family

His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people

Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned

Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates

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

BORDERLANDS

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis

Director: Eli Roth

Rating: 0/5

if you go

The flights

Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.

The hotel

Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.

The tour

Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg

Results:

5pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600 metres

Winner: Dasan Da, Saeed Al Mazrooei (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m

Winner: AF Saabah, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m

Winner: Mukaram, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel

6.30pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 2,200m

Winner: MH Tawag, Richard Mullen, Elise Jeanne

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) | Dh70,000 | 1,400m

Winner: RB Inferno, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed

7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m

Winner: Juthoor, Jim Crowley, Erwan Charpy

Tips to avoid getting scammed

1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday

2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment

3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone

4) Try not to close the sale at night

5) Don't be rushed into a sale 

6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour

THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)

Power: 141bhp 

Torque: 250Nm 

Price: Dh64,500

On sale: Now

RoboCop%3A%20Rogue%20City
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