Follow the latest news from the coronation of King Charles here
Official portraits marking the crowning of King Charles III and Queen Camilla were released on Monday to round out coronation weekend.
As the weekend of festivities came to a close, King Charles also issued a written message, saying: “We thank you, each and every one.”
Young royal family members joined in the Big Help Out volunteering event that aimed to create a lasting legacy in honour of the monarch.
The king and queen also pledged to rededicate their lives to service, as King Charles called the nation's support throughout the historic celebrations “the greatest possible coronation gift”.
The king, signing his words Charles R, said he and the queen gave their “most sincere and heartfelt thanks to all those who have helped to make this such a special occasion”.
“To know that we have your support and encouragement, and to witness your kindness expressed in so many different ways, has been the greatest possible coronation gift, as we now rededicate our lives to serving the people of the United Kingdom, the realms and Commonwealth,” he added.
The king also paid tribute to the “countless people who have given their time and dedication to ensuring that the celebrations in London, Windsor and further afield were as happy, safe and enjoyable as possible”.
The new images include a family photo with senior royal family members, solo portraits of the king and queen as well as an image of them together. They were all taken inside Buckingham Palace.
Queen Camilla is seen in the Green Drawing Room of the palace wearing Queen Mary's Crown and Robe of Estate.
King Charles III appears in full regalia in his photo, taken in the Throne Room.
He is wearing the Robe of Estate, the Imperial State Crown and is holding the Sovereign's Orb and Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross.
Meanwhile, there were 52,000 registered Big Help Out events and six million people were expected to take part on the final day of the holiday weekend.
Prince George was seen using a drill, while Princess Charlotte painted doors and Prince Louis helped with interior decorating under the guidance of the Princess of Wales on one project.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh visited a Guide Dogs charity in Berkshire, participating in training exercises with Labrador retrievers.
At the pop-up Coronation Cafe, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie attempted to put branded harnesses on the dogs
Away from London, thousands of volunteers in Britain on Monday took part in community events to mark the coronation of King Charles III.
In the north of England, events included restoring historic venues, helping to decorate riding stables for children with disabilities, picking up litter and creating green spaces.
Despite torrential rain in West Yorkshire, dozens of people from the community of Shelf, near Halifax, came together to help build a memorial garden in a cemetery containing Commonwealth war graves.
The full message from King Charles
“As the coronation weekend draws to a close, my wife and I just wanted to share our most sincere and heartfelt thanks to all those who have helped to make this such a special occasion,” King Charles wrote.
“We pay particular tribute to the countless people who have given their time and dedication to ensuring that the celebrations in London, Windsor and further afield were as happy, safe and enjoyable as possible.
“To those who joined in the celebrations — whether at home, at street parties and lunches, or by volunteering in communities — we thank you, each and every one.
“To know that we have your support and encouragement, and to witness your kindness expressed in so many different ways, has been the greatest possible coronation gift, as we now rededicate our lives to serving the people of the United Kingdom, the realms and Commonwealth.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Buckingham Murders
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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
Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
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