Who will be the seventh James Bond?
The question has been inspiring fevered guesswork since Amazon MGM Studios took full control of the franchise. In June, it was announced that Canadian director Denis Villeneuve will be helming the next film in the series.
After the announcement, Villeneuve said: “Some of my earliest moviegoing memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr No with Sean Connery. I’m a diehard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory.”
On Thursday, it was also announced that Steven Knight would be writing the film. Knight is the creator of the popular British television series Peaky Blinders. He also wrote the screenplays for Eastern Promises and Locke.
After the announcement, Knight told BBC: “It has always been on my bucket list and it's fantastic to be invited to do it – I can't wait to get started.
“I'm hoping that, being a Bond fan for so many years, it will be imbued into me and I will be able to produce something that's the same but different, and better, stronger and bolder.”
Amazon gained creative control over the James Bond franchise following an agreement with long-time James Bond producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. The pair said they wanted to step back from the franchise to focus on other projects.
In February, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos wrote on social media: “Who’d you pick as the next Bond?" A flurry of comments immediately followed, showing the debate for the next Bond is as galvanised as ever.
Henry Cavill's name was a popular comment on Bezos's post, along with Sam Heughan and Tom Hardy. Here we round up 11 actors who could take on the role of cinema’s most enduring spy.
Tom Holland
While the English actor, most famous for playing Spider-Man, may not seem an obvious fit for Bond, Variety reports that he's one of the names on Amazon's shortlist.
Holland addressed the rumours on Thursday, telling Gordon Ramsay: “Listen, there’s speculation at the minute. We’ll keep it to a minimum for now.”
Jacob Elordi
The Australian, 27, is also one of the names on Amazon's wish list and, given his ascent in recent years, it should come as no surprise.
He has grappled with a lot in his rise to superstardom. He rocketed to fame in 2018 Netflix hit The Kissing Booth, following that a year later with the phenomenal HBO series Euphoria. By the time Saltburn hit Amazon Prime Video in 2023, he was seemingly all anyone could talk about.
But he's got perhaps his greatest acclaim for his 2025 series Narrow Road to the Deep North.
“You feel like an impostor,” Elordi told The National. “You’re met with this public idea of who you are, and it’s never going to reflect who you actually are.
“Playing this role taught me that it's better to talk about it than bury it down for the entirety of your life.”
Harris Dickinson
The English actor is another name on Amazon's list, and may perhaps be the most versatile actor offfor the part.
His roles in The Iron Claw, Triangle of Sadness and Baby Girl have displayed his ability to pull off absurdist comedy and complex drama.
He will also be playing John Lennon in the coming Beatles biopic series, one of the most coveted roles in Hollywood.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been touted as a forerunner for a role for the past year.
He has been a big screen favourite for the past few years, appearing in blockbusters such as Avengers: Age of Ultron and Bullet Train. He also recently starred in The Fall Guy, Nosferatu and Kraven the Hunter.
Rege-Jean Page
Although the British-Zimbabwean actor, 37, cut his teeth in theatre, his turn as the Duke of Hastings in Netflix’s Bridgerton caught the world’s attention.
Page shot to the top of many Bond wish lists and appeared opposite Chris Pine in the 2023 Dungeons & Dragons film.
Tom Hardy
Long considered the front-runner as Craig’s successor, as time goes on, it looks less likely the actor will make the cut, and not only because of his age.
According to IMDb, Hardy, 47, has at least five projects in the pipeline, including a Mad Max title, making him a pretty busy guy.
Sam Heughan
The Outlander star, 44, appeared in the action thriller, SAS: Red Notice, in which he plays a member of the British special forces. With a legion of female fans, the 6ft 2in (1.8m) actor has already shown off his 007-ish chops in The Spy Who Dumped Me, plus, that Scottish accent has shades of a certain Sean Connery.
He said: “I think it’s an incredible franchise and a great character, so of course I would jump at it”.
Dev Patel
The Oscar-nominated star broke out in the controversial UK TV show Skins and has since become a Hollywood favourite. At 34, he would be on the young side to play Bond, however, the younger the actor, the more films they can do. He has, however, expressed reservations about being a “tokenistic” Bond.
He said: “If it works for the story, and I feel like I can bring some truth out of this role or embody it well, then that's what it should come down to.”
Tom Bateman
Currently known as Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley’s other half, Bateman fully stepped into the spotlight with his role in Death on the Nile. His turn as the suave Dr David Ferguson in Netflix’s Behind Her Eyes opened fans' eyes to the possibility of him becoming Bond, plus he has a twin brother called Merlin who could serve as an instant body double.
He said: “I don't think there's an actor alive who would say no that role.”
Henry Cavill
The Superman actor is an internet favourite for the role. Cavill has been vocal about how much he would love taking up the Bond mantle. He auditioned for the part when it went to Craig, revealing that Casino Royale director Martin Campbell told him, “Looking a little chubby there, Henry,” during a scene in which he wore only a towel.
Following the pattern of past Bonds, it is likely that Amazon MGM Studios will look to produce a series of films with the same actor. Aged 41, Cavill may be considered too old to take on the role, although Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan were all 41 or older when they took on their first Bond role, and Moore was 57 when he retired his spy tux.
Charlie Hunnam
Another stalwart on the list alongside Hardy, the Sons of Anarchy actor’s name remains attached to the role despite his insistence he’s not that interested. His turn in Guy Ritchie’s gangster flick The Gentlemen allowed him to show off the cool-under-pressure British vibes the role of 007 requires.
He said: “I'm an enormous Tom Hardy fan, so I would love to see him as James Bond”.
James Norton
The actor, 39, may not have yet achieved global stardom, but in his native UK, he’s the psychopath from Happy Valley. Also starring as Meg’s love interest, John Brooke, in Little Women, just like 007, Norton studied at Cambridge University.
He said: “As far as I’m concerned, I have not had a single conversation beyond this. I had hoped Daniel Craig might do one or two more.”
Riz Ahmed
Oscar-nominated for Best Actor for Sound of Metal in 2021, British-Pakistani actor Ahmed, 42, was the first Muslim to be nominated in that category. Having shown off his versatility in roles such as Rogue One and Venom, he’ll next be flexing his talents as the Prince of Denmark, Hamlet.
He says: “Any stretching the mould of what our traditional archetypes are appeals to me – so yes, those classic stories, be it a kind of superhero or James Bond.”
John Boyega
At 32, Boyega may be on the young side for the role, but he’s already proven his franchise stamina on Star Wars. He’s also shown an impressive breadth as an actor with his roles in Breaking and They Cloned Tyrone. While not as likely a candidate as some of the other actors on the list, he may just deliver an excellent Bond.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 424hp
Torque: 580 Nm
Price: From Dh399,000
On sale: Now
MORE FROM CON COUGHLIN
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Q&A with Dash Berlin
Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.
You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.
You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.
Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Sleep Well Beast
The National
4AD
65
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Scoreline
Swansea 2
Grimes 20' (pen), Celina, 29'
Man City 3
Silva 69', Nordfeldt 78' (og), Aguero 88'
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
INDIA SQUADS
India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
The years Ramadan fell in May
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
