Holly to Bolly: Adele says she may ‘never tour again’, Barry Jenkins to adapt ‘The Underground Railroad and more

Adele fans who didn’t catch her on her huge world tour – which kicked off 14 months ago and has just four dates remaining – may be out of luck in the future.

The New Zealand Herald reports Adele told the audience during Sunday night's show in Auckland that "touring isn't something I'm good at" and she doesn't know if she "will ever tour again." The concert was Adele's last one before she formally finishes the tour in her hometown of London with four sold-out dates at Wembley Stadium this summer.

Adele sang through heavy rain at the outdoor show in Auckland on Sunday (March 26). Photos show her in a drenched dress for part of the concert and also donning a plastic poncho. “Just spent two hours in hair and makeup for nothing,” she joked. – AP

Barry Jenkins to adapt The Underground Railroad

Moonlight director Barry Jenkins will follow up his Oscar-winning film with a drama series for Amazon based on Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad. Amazon announced that it will develop the TV series, with Jenkins writing and directing the adaptation of the 2016 National Book Award winner.

Whitehead's The Underground Railroad is a part-historic, part-surrealistic novel about a slave who escapes on an actual railroad.

"Going back to The Intuitionist, Colson's writing has always defied convention, and The Underground Railroad is no different," said Jenkins in a statement. "It's a groundbreaking work that pays respect to our nation's history while using the form to explore it in a thoughtful and original way."

Jenkins has already been at work on the series, though how many episodes are planned was not announced. Moonlight, which last month won best picture, was Jenkins' second film following 2008's well-regarded but little-seen Medicine for Melancholy. Made for just $1.5 million [Dh5.5 million], Moonlight has grossed more than $56 million [Dh205 million] worldwide. It also won Academy Awards for Jenkins' screenplay, based on Tarell Alvin McCraney's play, and for Mahershala Ali's supporting performance.

The Underground Railroad will reunite much of the team behind Moonlight. Like that film, it will be produced by Adele Romanski and Brad Pitt's Plan B. – AP

Hindi film industry accepted me with open arms, says Diljit Dosanjh

Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh, a popular name from the Punjabi film industry, has penned an open letter after the success of his latest release Phillauri to thank the Hindi film industry for accepting him with open arms. Diljit ventured into Bollywood with 2016 film Udta Punjab.

“I do not have enough words to express my gratitude towards the Hindi film industry, which has given birth to innumerous superstars, an industry which has fulfilled innumerous dreams, an industry which has expressed Indian emotions, showcased beauty in diversity of our culture, tradition, language on a global platform,” Diljit wrote on Facebook on Sunday.

“The Hindi film industry, which accepted me with open arms, blessed me with love and made this journey possible.”

After his successful career as a singer, Diljit made his acting debut with 2011 Punjabi film The Lion of Punjab. He later went on to star in hit films like Jatt & Juliet, Punjab 1984 and Sardaarji. – IANS

Drake’s More Life breaks a new streaming record

Drake, who was the most streamed act on Spotify last year, has started 2017 strong with his new album More Life breaking the United States record for the number of online streams from a single album in one week.

The rapper's 22-track album recorded 385 million streams across all platforms in its first week, beating the previous record holder – Drake. His 2016 album, Views, had owned the title with 245 million streams until More Life showed up on March 18, according to Nielsen Music. More Life is Drake's seventh consecutive album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart. It had competition from new albums by Ed Sheeran, Rick Ross and the soundtrack for Beauty and the Beast. – AP

Irrfan Khan shoots in Georgia for Hindi Medium

Acclaimed actor Irrfan Khan is shooting in Georgia for his upcoming film Hindi Medium. "Hello from Georgia...'Hindi Medium' song shoot," Irrfan tweeted.

Also starring Pakistani star Saba Qamar, Hindi Medium narrates the love story in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk. The film is directed by Saket Chaudhary, and has been described as a light-hearted romantic film about a young couple who aspire to move into society’s upper crust.

Presented by T-Series and Maddock films, the movie has been produced by Dinesh Vijan and Bhushan Kumar. – IANS

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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