Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
McLean, Virginia, is a Washington suburb that is home to some of the country's most elite decision makers, including senators, Supreme Court justices, CIA officials – and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Over the course of two weeks, women-led pro-Palestine protesters have turned Mr Blinken's gilded block of multimillion-dollar homes into a fake-bloodstained, concrete-barricaded campsite.
The residents of the affectionately named “Kibbutz Blinken” confront him day and night over his support for Israel, as the war in Gaza rages on.
“I wanted to know, Blinken, if we brought the settlement to you, are you completely OK with it?” Hazami Barmada, the Palestinian-Syrian-American who organised the protests, told The National on a chilly Thursday morning.
“American politicians and people in positions of power here are completely absolved of any consequences of their actions in their personal lives. They create these policies that create havoc … and they just leave their offices, go back to their lives and it's business as usual.
“So we wanted to bring this up close and personal, to his home.”
It's the fourteenth day of the camp-out and Mr Blinken is hours away from returning home from a failed Middle East trip during which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas.
This “settlement” has evolved into a rather sophisticated operation: there are delegated clean-up responsibilities, signs reminding campers of city-mandated quiet hours, a kitchen tent with a functional stove and even portable toilets.
Every morning, at 7am, the women do their “wake-up call”, shouting at the house.
Huda Suliman is in the kitchen tent on morning coffee duty, heating it up over the portable stove top and unwrapping breakfast sandwiches brought by donors and fellow protesters.
Nadine Seiler is reminding others not to cross over the street line to disrupt the morning commuter traffic.
“They are looking for any reason to shut us down,” she says.
These women know – and follow – the law well. The relationship with police seems relatively friendly – when the patrol arrives later, they offer them doughnuts.
There are moments of hostility with drivers, who sometimes pass just centimetres away from the protesters.
An older white man in a convertible screams: “Hamas are scum!”
A middle-aged white woman shouts, “you need to get the [expletive] out of here” as she quickly speeds by.
But the vast majority of the response to the demonstration in this affluent suburban community has been surprisingly supportive.
Not five minutes go by without passing cars honking their horns and throwing peace signs out their windows. One man rolls down his window to yell out a thank-you while another slows down to wave and say “salam alaykoum”.
Protesters say some of Mr Blinken's neighbours have expressed frustration with blocked driveways or Ubers pulling in to drop off more demonstrators.
Latest from the Israel-Gaza war – in pictures
But most have been accommodating, even offering direct support to the camp, protester Atefeh Rokhvand says, including one who baked them an apple pie.
Others have been donating supplies like shoes and socks, including after a heavy rainstorm in which the campsite flooded, says Ms Barmada, wiping away tears.
“Because we have the ability for people to come and bring us things and show us love and show us affection and show us compassion, but the people in Gaza don't.”
Those moments of cold and rain, Ms Barmada says, reinforce the reason they are doing this.
“On the same evening our tents flooded, I opened my social media and saw that tents in Gaza were flooding and they had nowhere to go,” she explains. “They had no blankets. They had no food, they had no supplies.
“It's kind of emotional whiplash, because on one hand you feel empowered. And on the other hand, you feel useless.”
But the secretary and his family haven't taken the protests lying down.
Mr Blinken and his wife Evan Ryan, also an administration official working in the White House, progressively built up security around their home as protests continued.
During The National's visit, they took measures with implications for the whole county: their entire road, a major commuter hub, was temporarily blocked off on Thursday afternoon so the city could install concrete barriers.
As Kibbutz Blinken resettled their tents to accommodate, they say the development actually boosted their morale.
“This makes us safe, it adds space for signage and proves that they are bothered,” Ms Barmada says.
Pro-Palestine protesters shut down busy bridge in San Francisco – video
That's also when Bawadi, a local Palestinian restaurant, arrived with meals.
A restaurant employee who had seen the developments unfolding on social media walked up the road, circumventing the police blockade, with meals in hand, ready to feed the campsite.
Many members of the restaurant owner's family were killed by Israeli bombs in Gaza.
One of Mr Blinken's neighbours and her two children also brought bags of food.
“We're so sorry this is all happening,” the neighbour told Ms Barmada as city workers put up the concrete walls.
But one issue that has been a particular point of controversy is what the ongoing protest, which has included constant shouts of “Bloody Blinken”, has meant for the two young children in Mr Blinken's family, aged three and five.
Protesters say that the family had asked them, through law enforcement, to stop screaming when the children were in cars driving by.
“They literally said to us, can we agree that a three and a five-year-old are not collateral damage,” Ms Barmada says.
“Do you understand the irony of what you're saying to me? Because we are here because three and five-year-olds [in Gaza] are collateral damage.
“You are concerned about the peace and tranquillity of your children. That is the definition of hypocrisy.”
Motherhood is an inescapable theme in this war and colours Ms Barmada's acts of solidarity for the Palestinians in Gaza.
She has a 15-month-old son and for her, October 7 marked a turning point.
“For a long time, the Palestinian identity even for me was something that – I wouldn't say I'm ashamed of it. I'm very proud to be Palestinian, but I contained my identity and was very particular about where I would choose to be proudly Palestinian,” she explains.
“On the seventh of October, when I saw the visceral and horrendous response, that was completely disproportionate, but also the dehumanisation of Palestinians, I said: my son is Palestinian. How am I going to be telling him to be proud of who he is if I can't step into the full reality of who I am?
“And something in me broke.”
Womanhood is also a major theme of this particular protest – Ms Seiler says it's “no coincidence” that Kibbutz Blinken's residents are all women of colour.
Some, like Ms Rokhvand, are in-between jobs but were urged by family and friends to take part.
“My husband wants me to be here. And I know it's a privilege to be able to be here,” she says.
“Obviously it's a little bit harder being on one income right now, but he's like, go represent our family. That is his contribution, being supportive, keeping the roof over our heads.”
Others say the experience is changing their relationship with the expectations of womanhood, too.
“Some of these actions, they kind of helped us to not be scared and be loud and take up space. [Mr Blinken and his security] try to intimidate us,” says Ms Suliman.
That takes on a particular meaning for the camp's visibly Muslim women.
“For us, growing up in America, we kind of were like, we're going to be nice. We're going to be super smiley … and it's like, look where that got us,” says Ms Rokhvand.
“I'm going to be unapologetic … If you want to call me a terrorist for wanting peace and wanting a ceasefire, and wanting to stop bombing, that says more about you than it does about me.”
The residents of Kibbutz Blinken, many of them strangers before becoming neighbours, say this is a community that will stay in tact long after the tents come down.
But, they emphasise, there's a long way to go before that happens.
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
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
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
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.”
EA Sports FC 24
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
All or Nothing
Amazon Prime
Four stars
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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
Step by step
2070km to run
38 days
273,600 calories consumed
28kg of fruit
40kg of vegetables
45 pairs of running shoes
1 yoga matt
1 oxygen chamber
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20flag%20was%20first%20unveiled%20on%20December%202%2C%201971%2C%20the%20day%20the%20UAE%20was%20formed.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIt%20was%20designed%20by%20Abdullah%20Mohammed%20Al%20Maainah%2C%2019%2C%20an%20Emirati%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMr%20Al%20Maainah%20said%20in%20an%20interview%20with%20%3Cem%3EThe%20National%3C%2Fem%3E%20in%202011%20he%20chose%20the%20colours%20for%20local%20reasons.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20black%20represents%20the%20oil%20riches%20that%20transformed%20the%20UAE%2C%20green%20stands%20for%20fertility%20and%20the%20red%20and%20white%20colours%20were%20drawn%20from%20those%20found%20in%20existing%20emirate%20flags.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
FIGHT%20CARD
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World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
Age 26
Born May 17, 1991
Height 1.80 metres
Birthplace Sydney, Australia
Residence Eastbourne, England
Plays Right-handed
WTA titles 3
Prize money US$5,761,870 (Dh21,162,343.75)
Wins / losses 312 / 181
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
