The glowing rings encircling Neptune and moons that orbit the distant planet have been captured by Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope.
Scientists describe the stunning images as the clearest taken in 30 years of the rings around the solar system’s outermost planet.
Nasa released the images showing several bright, thin rings and Neptune’s faint dust bands never before taken by infrared camera.
These infrared waves can pass through dense gas and dust and reveal objects in the universe that cannot otherwise be seen in visible light, even by powerful telescopes.
The Webb telescope shows seven of Neptune's 14 known moons, with the large moon Triton expelling an almost-blinding radiance.
The dramatic photos shine a light on a dark region of the outer solar system.
Such a clear view has not been witnessed since Nasa’s Voyager 2, the first spacecraft to observe Neptune during a 1989 fly-past.
“It has been three decades since we last saw these faint, dusty rings and this is the first time we have seen them in infrared,” said Heidi Hammel, a planetary astronomer working with the Webb telescope.
The scientist, who has studied the solar system's outer planets, rings, and moons, tweeted that she was moved to tears when she first saw the images.
The dazzling beams of Triton overshadow the light of Neptune’s six other visible moons — Galatea, Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, Proteus and Larissa.
Discovered in 1846, Neptune is called the icy planet and is located 30 times farther from the Sun than Earth.
Both Uranus and Neptune are known as ice giants, as their interior is different in composition from the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, which are richer in hydrogen and helium.
Neptune and Uranus are among the least explored and scientists will use the Webb to study the chemistry, weather and circulation patterns.
Scientists said a thin line of brightness circling the planet’s equator could be a visual representation of the global atmospheric circulation that powers Neptune’s winds and storms.
The atmosphere descends, warms at the equator and glows at infrared wavelengths more than the surrounding, cooler gases.
Triton outshines Neptune in the image, as it is covered in a frozen sheen of condensed nitrogen and reflects an average of 70 per cent of the sunlight that hits it.
The precision quality of the $10 billion Webb telescope draws out the detail and clarity of the rings.
The world’s most powerful telescope operates about 1.6 million kilometres from Earth.
Launched on Christmas Day last year, the telescope aims to explore the origins of the universe, probe faraway worlds around the stars, and search for life by studying the chemical composition of the atmosphere of the planets.
Nasa said the Webb was in “good health” but reported a technical issue with one of the instruments, causing the space agency to pause one of four observation modes.
A mechanism on the observatory’s infrared instrument experienced technical issues.
The space observatory programme is led by Nasa with the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency as partners.
James Webb space telescopes shows glittering galaxies - in pictures
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What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
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
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
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
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The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
Who are the Sacklers?
The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.
Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma.
It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.
Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".
The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.
Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.
