Varun Dhawan can't seem to get enough his Dishoom experience. On Friday, he shared a photograph of himself at the gym, showing off the physique he worked so hard on for the film. Tagging his trainer, Rohan Sawant, he called his fitness regimen a fun but exhausting experience. Clearly, it worked, considering his chiselled body and taut abs. Dhawan also promised to share more updates about his fitness journey with fans on a regular basis. The 29-year-old's picture earned him over 110k likes on the photo-sharing app. Meanwhile, Dhawan's Dishoom co-star Jacqueline Fernandez's career seems to be going from strength to strength as well. Her film Housefull 3 is out now and will soon make her TV debut as the judge on the ninth season of Jhalak Dikhla Ja, a popular reality-TV dancing competition on entertainment channel Colors. The Hindustan Times reported that the channel was so keen to have her on the show that bosses agreed to let her judge in English, because her Hindi is not very good, and the will include Hindi subtitles for her. Dishoom, an action adventure movie that shot extensively in UAE, in partnership with twofour54, is due for release on July 28. — Sonali Kokra
Amber Heard files lawsuit against comedian over online Johnny Depp support
The separation of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp grew even more acrimonious over the weekend as Heard, 30, filed a defamation lawsuit against a comedian who wrote an online article accusing her of blackmailing and manipulating her estranged husband. Doug Stanhope, who said he was a friend of Depp’s, wrote that the actor had told him Heard was leaving him and “threatening to lie about him publicly in any and every possible duplicitous way if he didn’t agree to her terms”. Stanhope wrote: “Blackmail is what I would imagine other people might put it, including the manner in which he is now being vilified.” On Friday, Heard’s lawyers filed a case describing the comments as false and defamatory. Heard filed for divorce from Depp, 52, last month in Los Angeles, citing irreconcilable differences, and obtained a temporary restraining order against the actor. The pair had been married for 15 months. — Reuters
Cate Blanchett in line for lead role in all-female Ocean’s 11 spin-off
Cate Blanchett is in talks to take the lead in the upcoming all-female Ocean's Eleven revamp, according to The Playlist. The 47-year-old star — who was nominated for an Oscar this year for her role in Carol — is said to be in talks about taking a role similar to Brad Pitt's in the original franchise. Sandra Bullock is already on board to play the equivalent of the George Clooney character, the website says. The film will be directed by Gary Ross, who made The Hunger Games and Seabiscuit. Filming is expected to begin in the autumn. — The National staff
Mayur Puri writing Hindi translation of Finding Dory
A Hindi-language version of the upcoming Pixar movie Finding Dory is in the works. Writer Mayur Puri has been brought in by Disney to translate the script of the animated film. The highly anticipated follow up to the 2003 film Finding Nemo, it will be released in the United States this month. Ellen DeGeneres returns to provide the voice of Dory, and she is joined by Albert Brooks, Diane Keaton, Ty Burrell and Idris Elba. Puri says he is proud and happy to take on the project because the film "resonates" with every single person who watches it. "Finding Dory is an extremely special and rare film because like its prequel, Finding Nemo, it deals with our biggest fear — the loss of loved ones," says Puri. "When I was a little kid, I was lost at a fair for a few minutes and I still remember the roller-coaster ride of emotions I went through upon losing and then finding my family. Now, years later, as a father, I obsess over the safety of my family." The film also has "oodles of humour, adventure, outstanding dialogue, drama and edge of the seat action," he adds. Puri also translated The Jungle Book and Captain America: Civil War for Disney. — IANS
Studio apologises over choice of promotional art
20th Century Fox has apologised for promoting its latest X-Men film with a billboard showing Jennifer Lawrence's character, Mystique, being strangled by the movie's villain. It came after actress Rose McGowan criticised the content of billboards advertising X-Men: Apocalypse, saying: "There's a major problem when the men and women at 20th Century Fox think casual violence against women is a way to market a film." The image is from a scene towards the end of the film, which also featured prominently in the film's trailers. Following McGowan's comments, and several by viewers online, the studio released an official statement, saying: "In our enthusiasm to show the villainy of the character Apocalypse we didn't immediately recognise the upsetting connotation of this image in print form. Once we realised how insensitive it was, we quickly took steps to remove those materials. We apologise for our actions and would never condone violence against women." – AP
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
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
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Managing the separation process
- Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
- Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
- Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
- If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
- The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
- Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
- Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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
UAE squad
Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
