UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres pushed on Monday for a ceasefire to help ease widespread suffering in Ukraine’s war and directed the body's top humanitarian, Martin Griffiths, to broker a deal between Russia and Ukraine.
The UN chief said the Russian invasion of its smaller neighbour had ravaged towns and cities, caused the “senseless loss of thousands of lives” and forced about 10 million people to flee their homes.
“I am therefore appealing for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, to allow for progress in serious political negotiations, aimed at reaching a peace agreement based on the principles of the UN Charter,” Mr Guterres told reporters in New York.
“A cessation of hostilities will allow essential humanitarian aid to be delivered and enable civilians to move around safely. It will save lives, prevent suffering, and protect civilians.”
He directed Mr Griffiths, the UN head of humanitarian affairs and a former diplomat and aid worker, to “explore with the parties involved the possible agreements and arrangements for a humanitarian ceasefire”.
UN humanitarians have already met their Russian counterparts in Moscow to set up a so-called deconfliction mechanism to share information on aid convoy routes in Ukraine to prevent them being hit by accidental fire.
Ukrainian and Russian officials have brokered humanitarian pauses and corridors for civilians to escape besieged cities, but many have unravelled quickly, with Kyiv accusing Russian forces of continuing to attack the safe zones.
Mr Guterres spoke against a backdrop of continuing violence in Ukraine, where Russian forces continued their assault on the port of Mariupol and other strategic cities, while Ukrainian officials on Monday said they had regained control of the frontline town of Irpin, near Kyiv.
About four million refugees have spilt across Ukraine’s borders, but flows have dipped in recent days — prompting questions about whether Russia’s unpredictable military assault was winding down or had reached a temporary lull.
The UN chief slammed Moscow for starting a war that had led to the “systematic destruction of essential infrastructure” and triggered “skyrocketing food and energy prices” that threatened low-income countries everywhere.
The UN has 1,000 staffers in Ukraine across cities such as Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Lviv, Uzhorod, Chernivitzi, Mukachevo, Luhansk and Donetsk. They have delivered food, blankets, medicine, water and hygiene supplies as well as provided shelter for about 900,000 people.
“The solution to this humanitarian tragedy is not humanitarian. It is political,” Mr Guterres said.
“I strongly appeal to the parties to this conflict and to the international community as a whole to work with us for peace in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and across the world.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Kyiv's negotiators are examining a Russian demand for Ukraine's neutrality, which had previously been rejected. The Kremlin says previous rounds of talks have made little progress.
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
RESULTS FOR STAGE 4
Stage 4 Dubai to Hatta, 197 km, Road race.
Overall leader Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
Stage winners: 1. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal) 2. Matteo Moschetti ITA (Trek - Segafredo) 3. Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
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