• Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the number 5 Scuderia Ferrari SF16-H Ferrari 059/5 turbo on track during the final practice for the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit. Mark Thompson / Getty Images
    Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the number 5 Scuderia Ferrari SF16-H Ferrari 059/5 turbo on track during the final practice for the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit. Mark Thompson / Getty Images
  • An Iraqi shepherd watches over his flock of sheep, their fleece blackened by smoke from burning oil wells set ablaze by ISIL before retreating towards Mosul, as they graze near the town of Qayyarah. AFP
    An Iraqi shepherd watches over his flock of sheep, their fleece blackened by smoke from burning oil wells set ablaze by ISIL before retreating towards Mosul, as they graze near the town of Qayyarah. AFP
  • A student dressed up as Father Christmas takes a selfie as he waits for the start of a Father Christmas workshop organised by Studenwerk Berlin, a student organisation in Berlin. Students, after completing the workshop, are bookable for a fee over the holiday season. AFP
    A student dressed up as Father Christmas takes a selfie as he waits for the start of a Father Christmas workshop organised by Studenwerk Berlin, a student organisation in Berlin. Students, after completing the workshop, are bookable for a fee over the holiday season. AFP
  • Shoppers with their arms full walk to their cars during the Black Friday sales at a Best Buy store in Culver City, California. AFP
    Shoppers with their arms full walk to their cars during the Black Friday sales at a Best Buy store in Culver City, California. AFP
  • Afghan children fly kites during a kite festival at the Wazir Akbar Khan hilltop in Kabul. The event was held to promote environmental awareness. AFP
    Afghan children fly kites during a kite festival at the Wazir Akbar Khan hilltop in Kabul. The event was held to promote environmental awareness. AFP
  • Two men stand on a balcony of a house as they look at the floods due to heavy rains in Moncalieri, near Turin. Flooding caused by torrential rain in northern Italy was feared to have claimed at least one victim after a man was swept away by a swollen river near Turin. Several hundreds of people had to be evacuated from their homes and many roads, schools and businesses were closed across the northwestern regions of Piedmont and Liguria as the River Po and its tributaries burst their banks in numerous places. AFP
    Two men stand on a balcony of a house as they look at the floods due to heavy rains in Moncalieri, near Turin. Flooding caused by torrential rain in northern Italy was feared to have claimed at least one victim after a man was swept away by a swollen river near Turin. Several hundreds of people had to be evacuated from their homes and many roads, schools and businesses were closed across the northwestern regions of Piedmont and Liguria as the River Po and its tributaries burst their banks in numerous places. AFP
  • South Koreans shout slogans as they carry placards reading Park Geun-Hye Out during a rally against South Korean president Park Geun-Hye on a main street in Seoul, South Korea. EPA
    South Koreans shout slogans as they carry placards reading Park Geun-Hye Out during a rally against South Korean president Park Geun-Hye on a main street in Seoul, South Korea. EPA
  • A participant has her make-up done during a traditional Chinese opera competition at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing, China. Thomas Peter / Reuters
    A participant has her make-up done during a traditional Chinese opera competition at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing, China. Thomas Peter / Reuters
  • Fans outside the stadium before the English Premier League match between Liverpool and Sunderland at Anfield. Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith
    Fans outside the stadium before the English Premier League match between Liverpool and Sunderland at Anfield. Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith
  • Displaced Iraqi civilians drive back to their village of Tall Abtah, near the city of Mosul after Iraqi forces retook the village from ISIL. AFP
    Displaced Iraqi civilians drive back to their village of Tall Abtah, near the city of Mosul after Iraqi forces retook the village from ISIL. AFP
  • Runners clear the water jump in the Steeple Chase at Newbury Racecourse in England. Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images
    Runners clear the water jump in the Steeple Chase at Newbury Racecourse in England. Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images

World in focus – best photos for November 26, 2016


  • English
  • Arabic

Take a look at some of the best photos from around the world on Saturday, November 26.

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Match info

Karnataka Tuskers 110-3

J Charles 35, M Pretorius 1-19, Z Khan 0-16

Deccan Gladiators 111-5 in 8.3 overs

K Pollard 45*, S Zadran 2-18

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