Celebrity heart surgeon Dr Mehmet Oz held a razor-thin lead over former hedge fund chief executive David McCormick in a Pennsylvania Republican primary race for the US Senate that was too close to call on Wednesday.
Both candidates addressed crowds late on Tuesday night saying they were confident of a victory. Dr Oz led Mr McCormick by about 2,000 votes as of Wednesday morning, with 95 per cent of the votes counted, the The New York Times reported.
Conservative political commentator Kathy Barnette, who has sought to defend herself over Islamophobic comments posted on Twitter in 2015, remained a distant third.
Many Republicans fear Ms Barnette would be considered too conservative for general election voters.
Dr Oz's campaign has been helped by an endorsement from former president Donald Trump, whose kingmaking status within the Republican Party has been closely watched during the primary season. Mr Trump's state governor candidate, Doug Mastriano, handily won his primary, the Times projected.
If elected, Dr Oz would be the nation's first Muslim senator.
Perhaps best known as the host of The Dr Oz Show, he has fended off criticisms among conservatives about his views on abortion, guns and other issues.
Throughout his campaign, Dr Oz was also repeatedly attacked for holding dual Turkish citizenship, and he accused Mr McCormick of making "bigoted attacks". Dr Oz said he would revoke his dual citizenship if elected to the Senate.
In the weeks leading up to the primary, Mr Trump branded Mr McCormick as a liberal and part of the Washington establishment.
There is no runoff law in Pennsylvania. But the race was close enough to trigger Pennsylvania’s automatic recount law, with the separation between Dr Oz and Mr McCormick inside the 0.5% margin that triggers an order by the state’s top election official.
John Fetterman cruises to Democratic nomination win
Pennsylvania lieutenant governor John Fetterman easily won his party's primary, just days after announcing he suffered a stroke in the weekend leading up to it.
Mr Fetterman made a brief video appearance from his hospital room at the election party where his wife, Giselle, addressed the crowd.
The Democratic candidate received a defibrillator implant earlier on Tuesday. He said he cast his vote from Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital using an emergency absentee ballot.
President Joe Biden issued a statement celebrating Mr Fetterman's victory, saying "Democrats are united around John, who is a strong nominee, will run a tough race, and can win in November".
Agencies contributed to this report
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group C
Liverpool v Red Star Belgrade
Anfield, Liverpool
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
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.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays
4.5/5
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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'Nightmare Alley'
Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
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
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
