Follow the latest updates as violence escalates in Israel and Palestine
Hostilities between Israel and Hamas escalated on Tuesday, raising the death toll in two days to 48 in Palestine and six in Israel, with the Israelis carrying out multiple air strikes in Gaza and the militant group firing rockets at Tel Aviv.
The surge in Israeli-Palestinian violence reached an intensity not seen in years.
Pro-Palestine groups around the world gathered to demand Israel cease military action and stop the evictions of Palestinians from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah. Here are some of the most notable protests:
Jordan
A mainly young crowd of 1,500 people in Amman on Tuesday denounced Israel over its crackdown in Jerusalem, as authorities sought to mitigate the possible effects of the escalation in Palestine on Jordan.
"Allah salutes Sheikh Jarrah. We die and Palestine remains,” some among the crowd of men and women chanted in the upper-end Rabieh district of the city.
The demonstration in Rabieh, near the Israeli embassy, is in line with a long-standing government approach to let people in Jordan vent their anger every time Israel raises pressure on the Palestinians.
Jordanian authorities allowed several anti-Israeli protests in Amman this week, despite a coronavirus ban on gatherings.
Lebanon
Just 233 kilometres from Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem lies the Shatila refugee camp on the edge of Beirut, and for the past week the escalating violence in the holy city has been the only thing on people's minds.
“I cannot describe the feeling, but I wish I was with them on the ground,” said Wassim Abu Hazina, 30, who works as a media official for the camp in southern Beirut.
Sadly familiar with tragedy and violence, the cafes and barbershops of Shatila camp were blasting out 24-hour news coverage of Jerusalem.
Young Palestinians, most of whom have never known life outside Lebanon, were fixated on news tickers as updates rolled in of an escalation.
Dozens of Lebanese and Palestinians rode motorbikes through the streets of Beirut on Monday night in support of Palestinians.
The young men waving Lebanese and Palestinian flags drove through the streets of the Lebanese capital chanting pro-Palestinian slogans.
“We just wanted to send a message as young men, Lebanese and Arabs, that we are trying as much as we can to stand in solidarity with our brothers,” said demonstrator Ahmad Mazher.
US
Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters clashed in the streets of New York City on Tuesday evening.
About 1,000 protesters expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people demonstrated outside the Israeli consulate in midtown Manhattan.
Their protest was met by a counter protest of supporters of Israel. The situation grew tense as small scuffles broke out between the two groups. Several people were knocked to the ground during the altercation.
"If you want peace, leave Al Aqsa alone, leave the West Bank alone, leave the Palestinians alone, leave the Middle East alone," one protester told The National.
It was one of several protests in support of the Palestinians across the US on Tuesday.
London
Scuffles broke out between police and pro-Palestinian protesters in London on Tuesday at a demonstration calling for an end to Israel’s military action in Gaza.
The protest near Downing Street was organised by the Stop The War Coalition, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and a number of other pro-Palestinian groups.
Large numbers of police intervened to prevent Palestinian supporters from reaching a small group of pro-Israeli counter-protesters.
The pro-Israeli demonstrators were eventually escorted away by police for their own safety.
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Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
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Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
if you go
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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RESULTS
Bantamweight: Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) beat Hamza Bougamza (MAR)
Catchweight 67kg: Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR) beat Fouad Mesdari (ALG)
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammed Ali (UAE) beat Abdelhak Amhidra (MAR)
Catchweight 73kg: Mosatafa Ibrahim Radi (PAL) beat Yazid Chouchane (ALG)
Middleweight: Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) beat Badreddine Diani (MAR)
Catchweight 78KG: Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Adnan Bushashy (ALG)
Middleweight: Sallah-Eddine Dekhissi (MAR) beat Abdel Enam (EGY)
Catchweight 65kg: Yanis Ghemmouri (ALG) beat Rachid Hazoume (MAR)
Lightweight: Mohammed Yahya (UAE) beat Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 79kg: Souhil Tahiri (ALG) beat Omar Hussein (PAL)
Middleweight: Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Laid Zerhouni (ALG)
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Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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