Trump dominates GOP nomination, Dubai's public transportation surges, and more, Gulf News Editors comment on July 31 trending news

TRUMP DOMINATES GOP NOMINATION: Former US President Donald J. Trump is significantly ahead of his Republican rivals for the 2024 presidential nomination, leading by a landslide 37 percentage points over Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to the latest New York Times/Siena College poll. Trump enjoys broad support across demographic groups and regions, even as concerns about his legal issues are disregarded by Republican voters. DeSantis's campaign arguments of being more electable and effective have not gained traction, as the former US president remains favored by a wide margin among various voter segments. Trump leads the race with 54 percent, while DeSantis trails at 17 percent, and other candidates have minimal support. (By Sadiq Shaban, Opinion Editor)

NINE MONTH WINDOW FOR UAE BUSINESSES: The UAE Ministry of Finance has set out a penalty structure for violations on corporate tax returns, which will take effect from August 1. The size of the penalties will be announced later, but they are expected to be similar to those for VAT violations. Businesses that fail to file their returns on time could face penalties of up to Dh2,000, while those that fail to pay their taxes on time could face penalties of up to 4 per cent of the amount due. There is also a new structure for voluntary disclosure penalties, which means that businesses that come forward to disclose any errors or omissions on their returns before they are caught by the tax authorities could face lower penalties. The Ministry of Finance has said that the penalties have been "carefully designed and benchmarked to ensure successful implementation and compliance," while also "without burdening UAE businesses." In addition, businesses that are concerned about their corporate tax compliance are better off seeking help from a tax advisor. (By Dhanusha Gokulan, Chief Reporter)

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: The ridership of public transportation and shared mobility in Dubai — including the metro, tram, public buses, marine transport (abras, ferry, water taxi, water bus), e-hail rides, smart car rental, Bus-On-Demand, and taxis (Dubai Taxi and franchise company taxis) — reached an impressive 337 million passengers in the first half of 2023, a 10.6 per cent increase compared to 304.6 million users recorded in the same period in 2022. Greater reliance on public and shared transportation is made possible by the integration of various public and shared transportation methods, improved facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, upgraded technical traffic and transportation systems and the use of electric-powered transport. Such initiatives help limit the use of private vehicles, curb carbon emissions, thereby taking the city on the road towards the "Zero-Emissions Public Transportation in Dubai 2050" strategy. (By Jay Hilotin, Senior Assistant Editor)

WILL AUSTRALIA SPOIL BROAD’S FAREWELL? One of England's finest pacer Stuart Broad announced his shock retirement after the Ashes series. And he would surely want to script the perfect swansong to his career by helping England to level the series on the final day of the fifth Ashes Test at the Oval on Monday. On the fourth day, Broad entered The Oval to a guard of honour from the Australian players and a warm applause from the crowd. The 37-year-old seamer with 602 wickets so far is the fifth most successful bowler in Test history and has played in 40 Ashes Tests and taken 151 wickets, more than any other bowler against Australia. But his plans to push England for a win has been kept waiting by Australian openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja who were firm on day four to share 135 runs for the first wicket before rain halted play. Warner, dismissed by Broad 17 times in Tests, had moved on to 58 and Khawaja 69 with Australia needing another 249 runs for victory to complete a 3-1 series win and a first Ashes campaign triumph in England since 2001. If they do manage to reach that target, it will be the sixth-highest fourth-innings total to win any Test. Therefore, who will it be - Broad or Australia who will have the last laugh? Let’s wait and watch! (By Jai Prasad V Rai, Assistant Editor)