Muscat: The Tax Authority has clarified the method of calculating Value Added Tax (VAT) on invoices and contracts in the oil and gas sector and government units, where 1.2 per cent is deducted for training and employment support purposes. In a public advisory, the Authority said VAT must be calculated on the total invoice value […]
As an academic and journalist who has travelled extensively over the last 20 years – but also a diagnosed sufferer of generalised anxiety disorder – I’ve been researching the myriad triggers of travel anxiety. Many readers will be familiar with the dread and panic that can stem from delayed transport, overcrowded streets, chaotic airports and […]
The Royal Oman Police (ROP) appealed to the public for assistance in locating a woman who has been reported missing from her residence in Wilayat of al Rustaq. In a statement issued by the ROP’s Directorate of Relations and Security Media, the ROP said that Akhtar Shah, a Bangladeshi national, has left her residence in […]
Beijing: Investors have valued Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek at more than $50 billion in the company’s first fundraising round, reports said. The firm released its latest AI model in April, having stunned the world in 2025 with a low-cost chatbot that matched the power of US rivals. It recently raised more than 50 billion […]
Brent crude futures dove below $80 and are down more than a third from recent peaks following reports that the U.S. will waive sanctions on Iranian oil, under a deal to end the war. The prospect of extra supply added to optimism about the resumption of Middle East exports and helped push yields on U.S. […]
Long gone are the days of the distant dad. According to some estimates, the average time dads spend caring for their kids each day has quadrupled over the past 50 years. Their attitudes about parenting are also changing. Today, men are about as likely as mothers to say parenting is a key source of meaning […]
Muscat: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has commended the resilience of Oman’s economy and the continued momentum of its structural reforms, following the conclusion of its Article IV consultation mission to the Sultanate of Oman for 2026. A team from the IMF, led by Abdullah AlHassan, visited Muscat from June 7 to 15 to discuss […]
Muscat: In line with the Royal Directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to enhance the efficiency of government and financial services, improve the business environment, advance digital transformation and stimulate economic growth, the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) has announced the implementation of comprehensive reforms to National Payment Systems fees. The reforms include […]
Whales and dolphins inhabit some of the largest and seemingly most pristine environments on Earth, from tropical coastlines to Antarctic waters. Yet even they cannot escape PFAS – persistent “forever chemicals” that leak from our homes, factories and waterways into the sea. Forever chemicals are the secret ingredients in our non-stick pans, waterproof jackets and […]
For more than a century, people with Down syndrome have been defined by what medicine says they cannot do. That framing has consequences. It shapes the information families receive during prenatal screening, the choices they feel they have and the assumptions that go unexamined. Often it has resulted in institutionalization and societal ostracization. A recent […]
