The actress Priyanka Chopra, who plays a leading role in the forthcoming remake of Zanjeer, will join the cast and crew this month in Hyderabad to begin shooting her scenes. The movie's director, Apoorva Lakhia, says they are "lucky to have signed on a star like Priyanka". He added: "We have planned for a 25-day schedule in Hyderabad. We will be going to Hyderabad this week and will be back to shoot more scenes in Mumbai in December." Amit Mehra is producing the film; the original was directed by his father Prakash Mehra in 1973 with Amitabh Bachchan as the lead. For the remake, the actor Ram Charan Teja steps into Bachchan's shoes. The film also stars Sanjay Dutt. - IANS
Khan to appear in Agnihotri's next movie
After the success of the 2010 film Bodyguard, the director and producer Atul Agnihotri is planning to cast his brother-in-law, the actor Salman Khan, in a special cameo role in his forthcoming yet-to-be-titled political satire. "We are designing something special for Salman Khan in this film, but nothing has been finalised yet," said Agnihotri. "He is very happy with the script we have shown him so far." Agnihotri has previously cast Khan in Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa (2004), Hello (2008) and Bodyguard (2011). - IANS
Karan Malhotra's second film in works
After his hit directorial debut, Agneepath, Karan Malhotra says he is busy writing his second film and reveals it will be an original story. "Me and my wife Ekta are writing the film and hope to finish it as soon as possible," he said. "We've not even finalised the star cast. All I can say is this will not be a remake." Agneepath, a remake of Amitabh Bachchan's 1990 film, features Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra and Sanjay Dutt and broke the highest opening-day collection record in India when it released last November. - IANS
Shivan-Narresh make Hollywood debut
The Indian designer duo Shivan and Narresh, known for their stylised swimwear, are making their first foray to Hollywood with Ang Lee's Life of Pi, which features the Indian actors Suraj Sharma, Tabu and Irrfan Khan. The movie, releasing in India next week, features vintage swimsuits by the designers. "The scene involves 81 Parisian women and men bathing in the Piscine Molitor, a Paris swimming pool complex. We designed swimsuits for all of the 81 people - across different age groups, sizes and body types - who were involved in the making of this important sequence of the film," said Shivan. Narresh said the swimsuits were made "using close to 100 different vintage fabrics" mimicking design details popular in the 1950s. - IANS
Bangladeshi filmmaker admires Ghatak
The debutante Bangladeshi filmmaker Shahneoyaj Kakoli says her first movie has been influenced by the Bengali director Ritwik Ghatak. Uttarer Sur (Northern Symphony), being screened at this week's Kolkata International Film Festival, has been well received by critics and viewers. The movie deals with the gradual demise of Bhawaiya, a musical form popular in northern Bangladesh. "Like all Bengalis, I too have grown up watching movies of Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak, though I like Ghatak more and I idolise him," said Kakoli. "Poverty and art have always been at loggerheads and my film focuses on how, due to poverty, Bhawaiya folk is dying a gradual death." - IANS
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
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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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.”
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
