Global Pulse

标签： Asia

亚洲

  • E-invoicing coming to the UAE: What you should know

    E-invoicing coming to the UAE: What you should know

    The United Arab Emirates is embarking on a transformative digital taxation journey with the mandatory implementation of a nationwide e-invoicing system. With compliance deadlines set for July 2026 and March 2027 based on business turnover thresholds, organizations must urgently prepare for this fundamental shift in financial operations.

    Central to this transition are Authorized Service Providers (ASPs), commercial entities approved by the Ministry of Finance to facilitate electronic invoice transmission. These providers function as essential intermediaries, similar to telecommunications networks enabling communication between devices. ASPs ensure seamless data flow between businesses and the Federal Tax Authority’s Peppol-compliant network infrastructure.

    Three distinct categories of ASPs are emerging: accounting software developers with integrated e-invoicing capabilities, specialized technology firms offering advanced features and customization, and accounting/consulting practices providing tailored solutions aligned with specific business requirements. Each option presents unique advantages depending on organizational size, complexity, and existing technological infrastructure.

    The selection process demands careful evaluation of multiple factors including system compatibility, data volume handling, automation capabilities, industry-specific needs, and cost considerations. Businesses must assess integration levels ranging from manual data entry to fully automated systems, with significant implications for operational efficiency and processing time savings.

    With limited implementation windows, organizations must immediately commence strategic planning to ensure seamless compliance. The choice of ASP represents not merely a technical decision but a long-term strategic partnership that will shape financial operations and reporting capabilities for years to come.

  • Israeli forces detain Santa Clause in raid on Palestinian Christmas celebration

    Israeli forces detain Santa Clause in raid on Palestinian Christmas celebration

    Israeli law enforcement officers disrupted a Christmas celebration in Haifa’s Wadi Nisnas neighborhood this week, resulting in the arrest of a Palestinian man costumed as Santa Claus along with a DJ and street vendor. The incident occurred on Sunday when police forcibly dispersed festivities organized by Palestinian Christian citizens of Israel.

    According to the Mossawa Centre, an advocacy organization for Palestinian citizens of Israel, authorities employed excessive force during the detainments and conducted an unauthorized raid on a local music institute. Video evidence circulating online depicts officers physically removing the Santa Claus-clad individual from the scene and interrupting traditional dabke dance performances.

    All three detainees were released on Monday but face potential court summons. The arrestees reported physical assaults during their detention, with one requiring medical treatment for a shoulder injury sustained during the incident.

    Israeli police justified their actions as responding to ‘unusual noise and disturbance of public order,’ additionally alleging that the Santa Claus impersonator resisted arrest and assaulted an officer.

    This event occurs within a broader context of escalating restrictions and harassment targeting Palestinian Christians in Israel and occupied territories. Recent years have witnessed increased anti-Christian hate crimes by ultra-nationalist Israelis, including church trespassing, assaults on worshippers, and vandalism of religious sites.

    The Gaza Strip’s Christian minority has suffered particularly severe impacts since October 2023, with Israeli bombardments damaging three historic churches and resulting in at least 53 Christian fatalities alongside numerous injuries.

  • Dubai Police warn residents of rising fake ticket scams during concerts, travel

    Dubai Police warn residents of rising fake ticket scams during concerts, travel

    Dubai authorities have escalated warnings about an increasing wave of sophisticated fraudulent ticketing operations targeting high-demand concerts, entertainment events, and travel services. The Anti-Fraud Centre at Dubai Police’s General Department of Criminal Investigation has identified a pattern where scammers intensify operations ahead of major events, exploiting consumer urgency and fear of missing out through psychologically manipulative tactics.

    Cybercriminals are employing increasingly sophisticated methods, creating counterfeit websites and unverified social media pages that meticulously mimic legitimate ticketing platforms and event organizers. These fraudulent portals utilize cloned payment gateways and push users toward direct wallet transfers, often employing OTP consent manipulation where victims unknowingly authorize significantly larger transactions than anticipated.

    According to cybersecurity experts, many fraudulent operations originate outside UAE borders and operate in rapid cycles, with fake domains being frequently replaced once detected. Cosmin Ivan, CEO of regional ticketing platform Platinumlist, emphasized that payment processing irregularities serve as the most reliable indicator of fraudulent activity, noting that scammers frequently register lookalike domains shortly before ticket presales or major announcements.

    Dubai Police urge consumers to exclusively utilize official organizer websites and verified ticketing platforms, carefully scrutinizing website URLs and remaining skeptical of offers presenting discounts of 50-70% for events that are either not yet on sale or already sold out. Suspicious activity should be immediately reported through Dubai Police’s smart application, non-emergency hotline 901, or the dedicated eCrime platform to facilitate rapid enforcement and domain takedowns.

  • Hospitality as real estate: Why boutique hotels are becoming the next big asset class

    Hospitality as real estate: Why boutique hotels are becoming the next big asset class

    The United Arab Emirates’ hospitality sector is undergoing a fundamental revaluation as investors increasingly perceive boutique hotels not merely as operational ventures but as strategic real estate holdings. This paradigm shift reflects the market’s maturation beyond traditional performance metrics toward recognizing the inherent physical asset value of design-forward, smaller-scale properties.

    According to industry analysis, boutique establishments deliver dual-faceted value: they generate strong emotional connections through unique guest experiences while simultaneously producing differentiated economic returns for proprietors. Gaurang Jhunjhnuwala, Group CEO of Naumi Hotels, emphasizes that these properties typically achieve higher direct booking rates, cultivate niche loyalty segments, and benefit from organic marketing advantages through their distinctive character.

    The investment thesis gains strength from compelling market fundamentals. Knight Frank’s UAE Hospitality Market Review for Autumn 2025 reveals robust performance indicators across the Emirates, with revenue per available room (RevPAR) and average daily rates (ADR) climbing 11.9% year-on-year through August. Occupancy rates reached 78.5%, with Abu Dhabi leading the surge at 24% RevPAR growth and 20.2% ADR increase, followed by sustained expansion in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah.

    Strategic advantages include prime urban positioning and mid-sized footprints that offer superior asset liquidity compared to large-scale resorts. These characteristics enable easier repurposing, trading, or rebranding flexibility—increasingly valuable attributes for capital seeking long-term appreciation rather than short-term yields.

    The market’s evolution is further evidenced by supply dynamics. UAE hotel room inventory is projected to grow moderately from approximately 213,928 existing rooms to 217,853 by end-2025, eventually reaching 235,674 rooms across 1,184 properties by 2030, with significant concentration in luxury segments.

    This transformed perspective informs contemporary investment strategies, with many operators prioritizing acquisition and conversion of existing buildings over ground-up development. This approach reduces construction risks, accelerates market entry, and preserves inherent architectural character through thoughtful redesign. Secondary markets including Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah are emerging as complementary investment hubs specializing in leisure-driven opportunities.

    Critical to long-term valuation is the integration of authentic design DNA with operational excellence. Properties that successfully articulate local narratives and deliver culturally resonant experiences demonstrate pricing power and guest loyalty that transcend market cycles. Operational sophistication—from energy-efficient systems to technology-enhanced revenue management—further bolsters margins without compromising experiential quality.

    As the market matures, the convergence of design clarity, operational discipline, and physical adaptability positions boutique hotels as cornerstone assets in value-driven hospitality investment portfolios, signaling a permanent transformation in how the industry evaluates property worth.

  • Kids riding e-scooter, bicycles in UAE: Why parents must be extra careful during winters

    Kids riding e-scooter, bicycles in UAE: Why parents must be extra careful during winters

    With the arrival of cooler winter temperatures and school holidays, UAE neighborhoods are witnessing a surge in children utilizing electric scooters and bicycles. However, this seasonal spike in outdoor activity is raising significant safety concerns among authorities and road safety experts, who are issuing urgent calls for increased parental supervision.

    Road safety specialist Mustafa Aldah emphasized the critical role parents play in assessing their children’s readiness for independent riding. “Parents possess an intimate understanding of their child’s maturity level and must exercise judgment in permitting such activities,” Aldah stated. He further stressed that parental responsibility extends to ensuring children are fully equipped with necessary safety gear before operating any motorized vehicle.

    The warnings follow several tragic incidents, including fatalities in Dubai and Sharjah involving young riders. Experts highlight a dangerous trend of reckless riding in street centers, often without adult oversight. Resident testimonies corroborate these concerns; Mariam A. from Sharjah reported a near-collision with a group of unsupervised children aged 8-9 years while driving at low speed.

    Legal repercussions are escalating alongside safety concerns. UAE police authorities have repeatedly cautioned against using these vehicles on public roads, with some jurisdictions taking legal action against parents for negligence. In a notable case, Dubai Public Prosecution referred parents of a 13-year-old girl injured while riding an e-scooter across a road.

    The situation reached a tragic peak earlier this month with the death of a 10-year-old boy in an e-scooter accident in Umm Al Quwain. These incidents underscore the urgent need for responsible supervision and adherence to safety protocols to prevent further tragedies during the winter holiday period.

  • Beijing further eases curbs on home buying to stabilise property market

    Beijing further eases curbs on home buying to stabilise property market

    In a significant policy shift aimed at revitalizing its struggling real estate sector, Beijing municipal authorities announced substantial easing of home purchase restrictions on Wednesday. The new measures represent the capital’s most aggressive intervention to date as it battles persistent declines in property values.

    The revised regulations reduce the mandatory income tax payment period for non-local residents seeking homeownership from two years to just one year, dramatically expanding potential buyer eligibility. Additionally, multi-child families now receive authorization to purchase supplementary residences within Beijing’s central districts—a notable departure from previous limitations.

    Financial barriers have been simultaneously reduced through revised lending protocols. Prospective buyers utilizing China’s housing provident fund for secondary properties now face reduced down payment requirements of 25%, down from the previous 30% threshold.

    These interventions arrive amid sustained downward pressure on Beijing’s housing market. Official data reveals consistent month-on-month depreciation throughout the past quarter, creating urgency for municipal intervention. The current measures build upon August’s partial deregulation that lifted purchase restrictions in suburban territories while maintaining constraints within the Fifth Ring Road central district.

    National authorities have concurrently pledged intensified stabilization efforts for 2026, emphasizing city-specific approaches to optimize housing supply and reduce excessive inventory. Market anxieties intensified recently when state-backed developer China Vanke sought bond repayment extensions totaling approximately $285 million, highlighting persistent sector-wide vulnerabilities despite governmental support measures.

  • 6.0-magnitude earthquake rocks Taiwan, says US Geological Survey

    6.0-magnitude earthquake rocks Taiwan, says US Geological Survey

    A significant seismic event measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale rattled southeastern Taiwan on Wednesday evening, according to the United States Geological Survey. The tremor occurred at 5:47 PM local time (0947 GMT) with a shallow depth of approximately 10 kilometers in the Taitung county region.

    Despite the substantial magnitude, initial assessments from Taiwan’s National Fire Agency indicated no immediate reports of structural damage or disruptions to the island’s critical transportation infrastructure. The seismic activity was perceptible across considerable distances, reaching as far north as the capital city Taipei, where multiple high-rise buildings experienced noticeable swaying.

    Local media broadcasts captured dramatic footage from affected areas, showing merchandise toppling from retail shelves and shattering on the ground in Taitung. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration provided a slightly divergent magnitude assessment of 6.1, though both monitoring agencies confirmed the earthquake’s significant intensity.

    This seismic event occurs against the backdrop of Taiwan’s heightened geological vulnerability, situated precariously along the convergence boundary of two major tectonic plates within the Pacific Ring of Fire. This geographical positioning renders the island particularly susceptible to frequent seismic activity, with the USGS identifying this zone as the world’s most seismically active region.

    The recent tremor inevitably evokes memories of April 2024’s catastrophic 7.4-magnitude earthquake that claimed 17 lives and caused extensive damage to buildings in the Hualien region. That disaster represented the most severe seismic event since the devastating 1999 earthquake that remains the deadliest natural catastrophe in Taiwan’s recorded history.

  • India: Space agency launches its heaviest satellite

    India: Space agency launches its heaviest satellite

    India’s space program marked a monumental achievement on Wednesday as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully deployed its heaviest-ever payload into low-Earth orbit. The landmark launch of the LVM3-M6 rocket, carrying the US-constructed AST SpaceMobile communications satellite weighing 6,100 kilograms, represents a quantum leap in the nation’s aerospace capabilities.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the deployment as “a significant stride” for India’s space sector, emphasizing that the mission “strengthens India’s heavy-lift launch capability and reinforces our growing role in the global commercial launch market.” The successful launch demonstrates India’s evolving prowess in the competitive commercial satellite sector, where telecommunications companies increasingly demand expanded and sophisticated communications infrastructure.

    The mission utilized a modified variant of the launch vehicle that previously carried India’s unmanned lunar spacecraft in August 2023, showcasing technical enhancements to accommodate heavier payloads. This achievement follows ISRO’s earlier deployment of the CMS-03 communication satellite, which weighed approximately 4,410 kilograms, establishing a new benchmark for India’s launch capacity.

    This technological milestone provides substantial momentum to India’s ambitious low-cost space exploration agenda, which includes planned uncrewed orbital missions and human spaceflight operations targeted for the coming years. The world’s most populous nation has dramatically expanded its spacefaring ambitions throughout the past decade, achieving capabilities rivaling established space powers at significantly reduced costs.

    India’s space roadmap now includes an uncrewed orbital mission preceding its inaugural human spaceflight scheduled for 2027, with Prime Minister Modi additionally announcing ambitious plans for an Indian astronaut to reach the Moon by 2040.

  • Ex-senior army officers urge UK to ‘cut all military collaboration with Israel’

    Ex-senior army officers urge UK to ‘cut all military collaboration with Israel’

    In a significant development, four distinguished former British military commanders have formally urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to implement a comprehensive arms embargo against Israel and immediately suspend all defense collaborations with Israeli-linked firms. The high-ranking veterans, possessing decades of combined service, argue that despite the current ceasefire in Gaza, maintaining military ties is untenable given evidence of Israeli war crimes.

    The signatories, including John Deverell—a veteran of over thirty years who served as defense attache in Saudi Arabia and Yemen during 9/11—alongside former UK Defence Academy Director General Andrew Graham, retired Major General Peter Currie, and ex-Afghanistan commander Charlie Herbert, delivered their forceful appeal via letter. They explicitly challenged the UK Defense Ministry’s previous assertion that Israeli military protocols closely mirror Britain’s rigorous standards.

    Citing Israel’s deployment of indiscriminate munitions leading to ‘exceptionally disproportionate civilian fatalities and widespread infrastructure destruction,’ the officers condemned the ongoing military cooperation. They emphasized that documented evidence of war crimes is so compelling that continued collaboration risks British complicity. Their demands extend beyond an arms embargo to include prohibiting RAF and contracted aircraft from supporting Israeli military operations and suspending all military technology transfers.

    This call for stricter sanctions emerges amid revelations that UK arms exports to Israel have dramatically increased under the current Labour government. Recent export data shows approvals for military aircraft, radars, targeting equipment, and explosive devices between October-December 2024 surpassed total arms licenses granted throughout the entire 2020-2023 Conservative administration.

    The controversy deepens as the British army prepares to award a £2 billion training contract, with a subsidiary of Israeli defense giant Elbit Systems participating in one bidding consortium. Meanwhile, Palestinian health authorities report over 400 fatalities since the October ceasefire violations, adding to the staggering death toll exceeding 70,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children—since hostilities began in October 2023.

  • Black box recovered from Libyan general’s crashed plane

    Black box recovered from Libyan general’s crashed plane

    Turkish authorities have successfully recovered the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from the crashed private jet carrying Libya’s armed forces commander, Lieutenant General Mohammed Al Haddad. The military aircraft went down near Ankara on Wednesday, claiming the lives of all eight occupants including General Haddad and four senior aides.

    The Falcon 50 executive jet had departed from Turkey’s capital when it reported critical electrical system failure minutes after takeoff. The aircraft was returning to Tripoli following high-level military discussions between Libyan and Turkish defense officials. Contact was lost after the emergency landing request, with wreckage subsequently located across a three-square-kilometer area in Haymana district.

    Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed recovery operations at the crash site, stating: “The examination and evaluation processes of these devices have been initiated.” A comprehensive investigation involving 408 emergency personnel from AFAD disaster agency, police, and medical services is underway, with drone surveillance providing real-time imagery of the operation.

    Aviation expert Tolga Tuzun Inan from Bahcesehir University noted that multiple contributing factors likely combined with meteorological conditions to cause the tragedy. While analysis of the black boxes may require several months, the data is expected to reveal the precise sequence of events leading to the catastrophic failure.

    The incident has drawn international attention to Libya’s fractured political landscape. General Haddad had served as army chief of staff since August 2020 under the UN-recognized government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah who expressed “deep sadness and great sorrow” over the deaths.

    Turkey maintains significant strategic ties with Tripoli’s administration, providing both economic and military support. Recent diplomatic outreach to eastern commander Khalifa Haftar’s rival administration had suggested potential reconciliation efforts, though this tragedy may complicate regional power dynamics.

    A 22-member Libyan delegation including relatives of the deceased has arrived in Ankara as investigation continues under the supervision of Ankara’s prosecutor office.