Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
The killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has revived the political chances of a longtime former head of the group, who was relegated to secondary roles as the group became more aligned with Iran over the past decade.
The name Khaled Meshaal, a former physics teacher who led Hamas for more than two decades until 2017, is being circulated as the strongest contender to replace Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza on Wednesday, two and a half months after Israel assassinated his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran.
The possible re-emergence of Mr Meshaal could challenge Tehran’s influence on Hamas, although military commanders close to Iran hold sway in Gaza, such as Sinwar's brother Mohammad. Throughout his career, Mr Meshaal, who resides in Qatar, pushed to maintain relations with Arab countries allied to the US, even as Hamas drifted more towards Iran.
Hamas is not known to have started any process to replace Sinwar and there might be other contenders to the leadership, with Iran still exerting significant influence on the group. But it was Sinwar who advocated the most for ties to Iran's hardline clerical leadership, as well as with secular Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, one of their most important allies in the Middle East.
Known as Abu Al Walid, Mr Meshaal oversaw Hamas’s exit from Syria in 2012 to Qatar and Turkey, a year after Syrian authorities violently suppressed the revolt against Mr Assad's rule and bombed Palestinian camps whose inhabitants had joined the protest movement.
Although Hamas is Sunni, Sinwar saw the Syrian regime, dominated by the Alawite minority sect of the president, as constituting strategic depth for Hamas, despite the lack of contiguous territory between Gaza and Syria.
Figures within Hamas in line with Sinwar's thinking are still powerful and could end up sidelining Mr Meshaal, repeating the scenario of when he sought to succeed Haniyeh but failed. Mr Meshaal de facto lost the last leadership race of Hamas when Sinwar replaced Haniyeh in August this year.
Hazem Ayyad, a leading Jordanian political researcher specialising in Palestinian affairs, said two other figures also have chances to succeed Sinwar.
Khalil Al Hayya, who is like Mr Meshaal, a Hamas Politburo member, and Mohammad Darwish, head of the Shura Council, a body representing the constituency and financial backers of Hamas inside the occupied Palestinian territories and abroad.
In 2022, Mr Hayya met Mr Assad in Damascus, marking a restoration of ties between Hamas and the regime. Mr Ayyad said he believes Mr Meshal has higher chances than Mr Hayya because he is a more well-known and established figure. Mr Darwish is a strong contender, he added, but might not choose to run. Both men are viewed as better options by Iran, he said.
“It is better for Hamas to resort to a collective leadership to keep the internal and external balances,” Mr Ayyad told The National.
In media interviews over the past decade, Mr Meshaal had sought to justify Hamas’s reliance on Iran in the context of lack of support from Arab countries, and not because of any perceived ideological proximity to Tehran.
Israeli agents tried to assassinate him in Amman in 1997 with poison. Only the intervention of King Hussein, who demanded that the Israelis hand over the antidote, saved Mr Meshaal's life. Jordan and Israel signed a 1994 peace treaty that obliges both countries to prevent threats to each other's security.
When King Hussein died in February 1999, Mr Meshaal attended his funeral, saying that despite the political differences, he owed the late monarch his life. Later that year, Jordanian authorities expelled him and the rest of the Hamas leadership, citing unspecified security dangers posed by the group.
In 2021, Jordanian authorities allowed Mr Meshaal and Haniyeh to visit Amman to participate in the funeral of a Hamas founder who had died of natural causes in Jordan. Haniyeh was the more senior of the two, but the large crowd at the funeral, who were mostly of Palestinian origin, showed as much adulation towards Mr Meshaal.
“Abu Al Walid, Abu Al Walid," they shouted until he got into the car and left the mosque.
The nickname derives from to Khaled Ibin Al Walid, the Arab commander who ushered the spread of Islam outside Arabia after winning the Battle of Yarmouk, near the Golan Heights, in the seventh century.
Israeli firepower, and the hardline stance of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, may have robbed Hamas of the victory it has sought since its attack on Israel on October 7. But if Sinwar's death results in a negotiated settlement, as the US and other western countries hope, Mr Meshaal would be among the experienced figures left in Hamas to rescue what is left of the group.
THE BIO:
Sabri Razouk, 74
Athlete and fitness trainer
Married, father of six
Favourite exercise: Bench press
Must-eat weekly meal: Steak with beans, carrots, broccoli, crust and corn
Power drink: A glass of yoghurt
Role model: Any good man
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) | US$95,000 | (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Meydan Classic Listed (TB) ) | $175,000) | (Turf) 1,600m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) ) | $135,000 ) | (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 3 (TB) ) | $300,000) | (T) 2,810m
8.50pm: Curlin Handicap Listed (TB)) | $160,000) | (D) 2,000m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB)) | $175,000) | (T) 1,400m
10pm: Handicap (TB) ) | $135,000 ) | (T) 2,000m
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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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
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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
It's Monty Python's Crashing Rocket Circus
To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.
The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.
SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.
But as the video, How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster, demonstrates, it was a case if you fail, try and try again.
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The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
RESULTS
Argentina 4 Haiti 0
Peru 2 Scotland 0
Panama 0 Northern Ireland 0
'Nope'
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