Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Palestine
Solidarity protests for Israel and Palestine were held in London on Monday, in a sign of the conflict’s far-reaching divisions.
Just three miles apart, hundreds of supporters of both sides of the conflict gathered.
Outside 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister’s residence, a vigil for Israel brought together more than 2,000 Israeli expatriates and British Jews.
Meanwhile, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the Israeli embassy in Kensington, where they chanted, let off fireworks and lit flares. Some scuffles broke out.
Police said they made three arrests for an assault on an emergency worker, racially-motivated criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon.
Nearby, officers were also forced to separate pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups at High Street Kensington tube station.
On Tuesday morning, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called on supporters of Palestine to stay at home.
He said: “There is no need, there’s no necessity for people to come out. It causes distress.
“This is a difficult, delicate situation.”
UK ministers and leading members of the community spoke to the Downing Street vigil.
Tom Tugendhat, the Minister of Security, reaffirmed the UKs support for Israel.
“I spoke to the Prime Minister [Rishi Sunak] today and his commitment has only doubled,” Mr Tugendhat said.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis opened the vigil by highlighting the importance of Israel for British Jews.
“Oh people of Israel we are at one with you, you are our destiny," he said. "We cry with you, we are at pain with you, and together with you we are for peace."
Tzipi Hotovely, Israel’s Ambassador to the UK, thanked the “people of London” who had come to express support for Israel, and condemned Hamas’s “barbaric” behaviour.
“We will never let them win," Ms Hotovely said. "To all the people that support the free world, that support democracy and support Jewish life in the Jewish state of Israel, we want to thank you."
Israel’s struggle was likened to the British fight against “intolerance and Nazism” in the Second World War by Iain Duncan Smith, a former leader of the Conservative Party.
“When we see a country like Israel suffering in the way that they have, through intolerance, violence, anger and desperation, we say very simply we are all Jewish, we are all Israeli."
Many held home-made posters with the names of those killed or still missing after the attack.
Emmie Seknadje, 24, a recent graduate, said that although she has always lived in London, she came to support Israel.
“My grandparents live in Israel and I have lots of extended family there," Ms Seknadje said. "Most people are not in their houses, schools are closed – it's wartime conditions."
There were also Iranians who came to denounce Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' involvement in the conflict as a sponsor of Hamas.
“The situation that took place in Israel is another human rights violation at the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said Ella Hijahiri, a British-Iranian women’s rights activist who has been involved in protests against the Iranian government.
“I’m here to let the world know that Iranian citizens are not in favour of any war. Whether it’s Gazans shooting at civilian Israelis, or Israel retaliating disproportionately.
“We need to face Hamas and do something about them, and cut the hands and the tentacles of the IRGC.”
The UK government and opposition have expressed unwavering support for Israel after the attack, with the Houses of Parliament and other landmarks being lit white and blue – the colours of the Israeli flag – at night.
Yet the Israeli-Gaza conflict is sowing deep divisions across London’s streets and university campuses.
Videos of people appearing to celebrate Hamas’s attack on Israel prompted Home Secretary Suella Braverman to call for police to “use the full force of the law” against such displays of support on Sunday.
Sam Verebes, 22, echoed these concerns when he attended the vigil.
“Public figures should be very careful about the language they use and the stories they portray," Mr Verebes said
"The safety of Jewish people is a considerable [concern]. On social media people are not informed and threaten Jewish people."
Across town, outside the Israeli embassy, a different crowd had gathered to protest against Israel’s war on Gaza, the occupation and illegal settlements.
There, Israel was described as an “apartheid” state, echoing condemnations of the country’s policies by human rights groups.
Mahmoud Abu Shakra, a maths teacher at a London school, sold Palestine-themed merchandise to raise funds for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
“They are excluded from a lot of jobs, they're discriminated against and marginalised,” Mr Abu Shakra said, adding that his family had been refugees in Lebanon.
He dismissed the UK's support for Israel and its response to the conflict as a “knee-jerk” reaction.
“If they were really worried about democratic values, they would respect human rights and freedom of movement,” he said.
Solidarity protests for Palestine often bring together an eclectic crowd, which today included Women of Colour in Global Women’s Strike, and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network.
Placards by the Socialist Worker Party, a long-standing staple at these protests, called for a Palestinian Intifada.
Haya, an Egyptian international relations student, said she was there to support the “liberation” of Palestine.
“We will not stop protesting, going out into the streets," Haya said. "We will always make sure that we educate and inform people of Israel’s crimes.
“We don’t want any more ethnic cleansing for the Palestinians. We want them to live in peace."
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
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.
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
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THE SPECS
2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE
Engine: 1.8 litre combined with 16-volt electric motors
Transmission: Automatic with manual shifting mode
Power: 121hp
Torque: 142Nm
Price: Dh95,900
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The five pillars of Islam
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.”
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The biog
Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology
Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels
Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs
Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends
