• A grab from video footage released by Roscosmos space agency shows Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka shortly after returning from the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-15 space capsule near the town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on April 17, 2020. Roscosmos Space Agency via AP
    A grab from video footage released by Roscosmos space agency shows Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka shortly after returning from the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-15 space capsule near the town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on April 17, 2020. Roscosmos Space Agency via AP
  • US astronaut Jessica Meir returns to Earth after taking part in the first all-women space walk in October 2019. Roscosmos Space Agency via AP
    US astronaut Jessica Meir returns to Earth after taking part in the first all-women space walk in October 2019. Roscosmos Space Agency via AP
  • Astronaut Andrew Morgan, is the third crew member to return to Earth on April 17, 2020 after more than 200 days aboard the space station. Roscosmos Space Agency via AP
    Astronaut Andrew Morgan, is the third crew member to return to Earth on April 17, 2020 after more than 200 days aboard the space station. Roscosmos Space Agency via AP

Space station crew return to a different Earth


  • English
  • Arabic

Two Nasa astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut made a safe return from the International Space Station to a planet roiled by the coronavirus pandemic on Friday.

Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Oleg Skripochka touched down in central Kazakhstan at 08.16 UAE time in the first returning mission since the World Health Organisation declared Covid-19 a global pandemic in March.

"TOUCHDOWN! Welcome home, Oleg Skripochka, Andrew Morgan and Jessica Meir!" Russia's Roscosmos space agency said in a tweet.

The crew members were also welcomed back to Earth by Hazza Al Mansouri, the UAE's first astronaut.

Mr Al Mansouri, who completed a mission aboard the International Space Station last year, tweeted footage of his former crew mates touching down in the Soyuz MS-15 capsule and of their farewell aboard the space station.

While the trio's landing site south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan is the same as for previous crews, the pandemic has forced a number of changes to mission-end protocol.

Roscosmos said on Tuesday that the crews meeting the trio at the landing site were tested for Covid-19 and would be wearing don full-body protective gear.

The crew will also avoid the usual staging post of Karaganda airport – shut down like so many other airports across the world – for their respective journeys back to Russia and the United States.

Instead, Mr Skripochka will fly from the Baikonur cosmodrome used to launch missions to the ISS while the Nasa duo will take off in a plane from the steppe city of Kyzlorda after a drive of several hours.

In a media appearance aboard the ISS prior to her departure, Ms Meir said it would be difficult to forgo embraces with family and friends as she gets to grips with a new culture of physical distancing on Earth.

"I think I will feel more isolated on Earth than here," she said.

The astronaut had spoken of how hard it was to comprehend the events going on at home.

"It is quite surreal for us to see this whole situation unfolding on the planet below," said Ms Meir.

"We can tell you that the Earth still looks just as stunning as always from up here, so it’s difficult to believe all the changes that have taken place since both of us have been up here."

She made history as one half of the first all-women spacewalk along with Nasa colleague Christina Koch in October.

Mr Morgan also spoke about his medical experience with the US Army.

"As an emergency physician, I know what it's like to be in a hospital or on the front lines of a field hospital," he said. "I'm very proud to be part of that profession, but at the same time, I feel guilt that I am as separated from it as I could be right now."

The International Space Station, a rare example of co-operation between Russia and the West, has been orbiting Earth at about 28,000 kilometres per hour since 1998.

_______________

Coronavirus around the world

  • An Indian policeman patrols the streets during coronavirus lockdown in Bhopal, India. EPA
    An Indian policeman patrols the streets during coronavirus lockdown in Bhopal, India. EPA
  • A sign encouraging people to stay at home is displayed on a busstop along Victoria Street, central London. AFP
    A sign encouraging people to stay at home is displayed on a busstop along Victoria Street, central London. AFP
  • A man wears a protective face mask whilst travelling on the London Underground. Reuters
    A man wears a protective face mask whilst travelling on the London Underground. Reuters
  • A man plays the guitar outside his apartment next to a deserted canal in Venice, Italy. Reuters
    A man plays the guitar outside his apartment next to a deserted canal in Venice, Italy. Reuters
  • A woman has her temperature checked at the entrance of the IFO Regina Elena and San Gallicano hospital in Rome, Italy. EPA
    A woman has her temperature checked at the entrance of the IFO Regina Elena and San Gallicano hospital in Rome, Italy. EPA
  • A healthcare worker attends to a Covid-19 patient at the Intensive Unit Care of the Povisa Hospital in Vigo, northwestern Spain. AFP
    A healthcare worker attends to a Covid-19 patient at the Intensive Unit Care of the Povisa Hospital in Vigo, northwestern Spain. AFP
  • The 30 Rockefeller Plaza tower in Manhattan is seen illuminated in blue as part of the "Light It Blue" initiative to honor healthcare workers in New York. Reuters
    The 30 Rockefeller Plaza tower in Manhattan is seen illuminated in blue as part of the "Light It Blue" initiative to honor healthcare workers in New York. Reuters
  • A Buddhist monk collects alms at an outdoor market in Bangkok, Thailand. AFP
    A Buddhist monk collects alms at an outdoor market in Bangkok, Thailand. AFP
  • Commuters make their way at Nagoya station in Japan. Kyodo News via AP
    Commuters make their way at Nagoya station in Japan. Kyodo News via AP
  • A first responder in a dinosaur costume greets healthcare workers during a shift change along with Bothell firefighters at the Evergreen Health Medical Center, in Kirkland, Washington, USA. Reuters
    A first responder in a dinosaur costume greets healthcare workers during a shift change along with Bothell firefighters at the Evergreen Health Medical Center, in Kirkland, Washington, USA. Reuters
  • A shop owner receives money from a customer behind a sheet of protective plastic at a convenience store in South Tangerang on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia. AP Photo
    A shop owner receives money from a customer behind a sheet of protective plastic at a convenience store in South Tangerang on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia. AP Photo
  • Volunteer Rupert Stobo shops at the grocery store for someone in need in Auckland, New Zealand. Getty Images
    Volunteer Rupert Stobo shops at the grocery store for someone in need in Auckland, New Zealand. Getty Images
  • A member of the military stands guard as Venezuelans board a bus back to their homes after being quarantined at the Colombian border in Urena, Tachira, Venezuela. EPA
    A member of the military stands guard as Venezuelans board a bus back to their homes after being quarantined at the Colombian border in Urena, Tachira, Venezuela. EPA
  • Sydney FC A-League player Anthony Caceres trains by himself at Bondi Beach on April 17, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images
    Sydney FC A-League player Anthony Caceres trains by himself at Bondi Beach on April 17, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images
  • A man is seen lying on the floor near of empty boxes that will be used to distribute food for free in Jakarta, Indonesia. Reuters
    A man is seen lying on the floor near of empty boxes that will be used to distribute food for free in Jakarta, Indonesia. Reuters
  • A health worker sprays disinfectant as people gather outside Insein prison waiting for the release of prisoners in Yangon, Myanmar. Reuters
    A health worker sprays disinfectant as people gather outside Insein prison waiting for the release of prisoners in Yangon, Myanmar. Reuters
  • A person waits for a flight at the Tom Bradley Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. AFP
    A person waits for a flight at the Tom Bradley Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. AFP
  • Medical workers walk during a short break at Maimonides Medical Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York, USA. Reuters
    Medical workers walk during a short break at Maimonides Medical Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York, USA. Reuters
SERIE A FIXTURES

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Saturday
Roma v Udinese (5pm) 
SPAL v Napoli (8pm)
Juventus v Torino (10.45pm)

Sunday
Sampdoria v AC Milan (2.30pm)
Inter Milan v Genoa (5pm)
Crotone v Benevento (5pm)
Verona v Lazio (5pm)
Cagliari v Chievo (5pm)
Sassuolo v Bologna (8pm)
Fiorentina v Atalanta (10.45pm)

Key Points
  • Protests against President Omar Al Bashir enter their sixth day
  • Reports of President Bashir's resignation and arrests of senior government officials
UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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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

Indika
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Company%20Profile
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The biog

Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives. 

The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast. 

As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau

He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker. 

If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah

 

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%3Cp%3EDirectors%3A%20Joaquim%20Dos%20Santos%2C%20Kemp%20Powers%2C%20Justin%20K.%20Thompson%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Shameik%20Moore%2C%20Hailee%20Steinfeld%2C%20Oscar%20Isaac%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

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The more serious side of specialty coffee

While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms. 

In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff

Results

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m, Winner: ES Rubban, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)

5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Al Mobher, Sczcepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: Jabalini, Tadhg O’Shea, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami

6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: AF Abahe, Tadgh O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Makerah, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

7.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Law Of Peace, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar

Countries recognising Palestine

France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra