• Christopher Polk / Getty Images for Sony / AFP
    Christopher Polk / Getty Images for Sony / AFP
  • Matt Sayles / Invision / AP File
    Matt Sayles / Invision / AP File
  • Paul Faith / AFP pho
    Paul Faith / AFP pho
  • Clear Channel, Andrew Swartz, file / AP photo
    Clear Channel, Andrew Swartz, file / AP photo
  • Jacques Demarthon / AFP photo
    Jacques Demarthon / AFP photo

Holly to Bolly: Star Trek actor’s parents to sue over his death, hit musical Cats returns to Broadway, and more


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Star Trek actor's parents to sue over his death

The lawyer representing the parents of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin revealed on Monday that they are planning to file a wrongful-death lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler, makers of the Jeep that killed their son. The SUV was part of a global recall of 1.1 million vehicles by the manufacturer in April because the gearshift mechanism had confused drivers, causing the vehicles to roll away unexpectedly. A government investigation into the shifters found 266 crashes that had injured 68 people as of late June. Yelchin's parents have also filed court documents indicating that he died without a will and left behind an estate worth about US$1.4million (Dh5.14m). Court records filed at Los Angeles Superior Court show Victor and Irina Yelchin want to be named administrators of their son's estate. The actor died on June 19 when he was crushed by his Jeep Grand Cherokee in the driveway of his home in LA's Studio City. The papers state Yelchin left behind at least $641,000 in personal property and had $731,000 in equity in his home. The 27-year-old actor played Pavel Chekov in the rebooted Star Trek franchise. The latest film in the franchise, Star Trek Beyond, was partially shot in Dubai. – AP

Who you gonna call? Shah Rukh Khan

Ghostbusters director Paul Feig says he would love to direct a Bollywood movie. "I am desperate to do a musical," he says. "I would love to do a Bollywood musical. The way Bollywood musicals, the dance numbers – or items numbers – are shot ... I can't believe how innovative they are and I truly get inspired by Bollywood cinema and hope to do one soon." Feig had a brush with Indian talent when he directed actress Nargis Fakhri in Spy. He added that his wife, Laurie, is a big Bollywood fan, who loves to revel in the larger-than-life stories. "I am very much acquainted with Bollywood," he says. "My wife is a Bollywood fanatic. Our Bollywood friends are like, 'I don't know about that movie and she knows everything'. Shah Rukh Khan is her hero." – IANS

Flat-pack Kanye?

One might think Kanye West had enough on his plate between rapping, producing, designing outfits for his clothing label, taking part in his wife's Kardashian media circus and stirring up regular storms on Twitter – but now the Gold Digger creator has set his sights on designing items for furniture store Ikea. In an interview with the BBC Radio 1 in the UK, West revealed that he has some great ideas for student flats: "I have to work with Ikea, make furniture for interior design, for architecture," he said, adding that he would start with "a minimalist apartment inside of a college dorm". The rapper added: "Yo Ikea, allow Kanye to create, allow him to make this thing because you know what, I want a bed that he makes, I want a chair that he makes". – The National

Brexit blow to Mrs Brown film

The first entertainment-­industry casualty of the UK's Brexit vote has emerged. Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie 2 has been delayed as a result of the referendum, in which the British public narrowly voted for the country to leave the European Union, according to Brendan O'Carroll, who created, writes and stars as Agnes "Mammy" Brown in the films, a spin-off from the BBC TV comedy. He told the United Kingdom's Sun ­newspaper that the drop in the value of the sterling in the volatile post-Brexit market had caused funding problems. "We were planning to do it this year, but the numbers weren't right," he said. "The Brexit drop in sterling makes it a lot more expensive for the studio than it would have been previously." Leading figures in the UK film industry have already warned that Brexit means that funding could become uncertain, not least due to complications with European co-production agreements and an end to EU cultural funding. O'Carroll still hopes to make the film once the Pound stabilises. "The plot and outline are there and ready to go," he said. – The National

Green Day return with a Bang Bang

Award-winning pop-punks Green Day will release a new "surprise" single on August 11. Bang Bang will be the band's first release since 2015's Christmas single, Xmas Time of Year. Lead singer Billie Joe Armstong had been on social media in recent weeks posting photos of the band in a studio, prompting speculation that they were working on new material. He finally took to Twitter on Monday to announce: "Dear friends! Green Day is putting out a new single called Bang Bang on August 11. Stay tuned for more details." – The National

Hit musical Cats returns to Broadway

Andrew Lloyd Webber's smash-hit musical Cats, based on poet T S Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, has returned to Broadway after 16 years. The revival, starring singer Leona Lewis, had its official opening on Sunday at the Neil Simon Theater. Cats originally debuted in London's West End in 1981 and arrived on Broadway a year later, racking up 7,485 performances before closing in 2000. "I think you'll probably find that it's absolutely the Cats you remember," said Lloyd Webber. "We've condensed a couple of things. There's one ... song in the show I was never particularly keen on myself and that's gone now, which is a great, great pleasure. We've done quite a lot of work and I think we're quite pleased with it." The award-winning show has been staged in more than 30 countries and translated into 15 languages. – Reuters

The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESmartCrowd%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiddiq%20Farid%20and%20Musfique%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%2F%20PropTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24650%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%20institutional%20investors%20and%20notable%20angel%20investors%20(500%20MENA%2C%20Shurooq%2C%20Mada%2C%20Seedstar%2C%20Tricap)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

If you go

The flights 

Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.

The trip

The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore  offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.

The hotel

There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.

 

 

MATCH INFO

World Cup qualifier

Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')

UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

if you go

The flights

Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes. 

The hotels

Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes. 

When to visit

March-May and September-November

Visas

Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.

It's up to you to go green

Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.

“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”

When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.

He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.

“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.

One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.  

The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.

Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.

But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”

The specs: 2019 BMW X4

Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800

Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km

The%20specs
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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

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

Another way to earn air miles

In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.

An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.

“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.

Name: Brendalle Belaza

From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines

Arrived in the UAE: 2007

Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus

Favourite photography style: Street photography

Favourite book: Harry Potter

Jawan
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Why seagrass matters
  • Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
  • Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
  • Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
  • Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality