Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
President Joe Biden on Wednesday said the US would respond to any attacks on American troops in the Middle East, and issued a direct warning to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Mr Biden, speaking alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, warned Iran not to use the Israel-Gaza conflict as an excuse to conduct operations against US forces, which have been stationed in Iraq and Syria on an anti-ISIS mission since 2014.
“My warning to the Ayatollah was that if they continue to move against those troops, we will respond,” he said.
"It has nothing to do with Israel."
The Biden administration has repeatedly warned of the risk of more attacks on US troops and of Iran seeking to widen the conflict.
More than 10 such attacks have been recorded in the past week or so, officials said.
The US has been bolstering its military presence in the region, moving an aircraft carrier and attack ships to the Arabian Gulf.
It has also sent advanced missile defence systems to reinforce its troops stationed across the Middle East.
Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,400 people and taking more than 200 others hostage.
Israel responded with a bombardment of retaliatory air strikes on Gaza that have killed more than 6,500 Palestinians, and says it is preparing for an imminent ground invasion aimed at destroying Hamas.
Mr Biden said Israel "should be incredibly careful to ensure they're going after the folks propagating this war" and avoid harming civilians.
"Israel has to do everything in its power, as difficult as it is, to protect innocent civilians. It's difficult," he said.
Mr Biden also shared doubt on civilian death numbers that Palestinian officials have reported.
"I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed," he said. "I'm sure innocents have been killed, and it's a price of waging war.
"But I have no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using."
Hamas's attack, Mr Biden said, was aimed at thwarting progress towards a normalisation deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
"I'm convinced one of the reasons Hamas attacked when they did – I have no proof of this, my instinct tells me – is because of the progress we're making towards regional integration for Israel," he said.
"We can't leave that work behind."
Dennis Ross, a former US envoy to the Middle East, on Wednesday said it was still possible to broker a deal under the Abraham Accords that would establish relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, but the conflict has delayed it.
Mr Biden said when the latest escalation is over, his administration would make renewed efforts to reach a two-state solution to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
"Israelis and Palestinians equally deserve to live side by side in safety, dignity and peace," he said.
Mr Biden also condemned a recent rise in attacks by Jewish settler groups against Palestinians in the West Bank.
"I continue to be alarmed by extremist settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank," he said. "They're attacking Palestinians in places they're entitled to be.
"It has to stop now."
Match statistics
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 36 Bahrain 32
Harlequins
Tries: Penalty 2, Stevenson, Teasdale, Semple
Cons: Stevenson 2
Pens: Stevenson
Bahrain
Tries: Wallace 2, Heath, Evans, Behan
Cons: Radley 2
Pen: Radley
Man of the match: Craig Nutt (Harlequins)
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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
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Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
