The Rolling Stones celebrated their 50th anniversary by releasing another hits compilation with two new songs on Tuesday. Don Emmert / AFP
The Rolling Stones celebrated their 50th anniversary by releasing another hits compilation with two new songs on Tuesday. Don Emmert / AFP
The Rolling Stones celebrated their 50th anniversary by releasing another hits compilation with two new songs on Tuesday. Don Emmert / AFP
The Rolling Stones celebrated their 50th anniversary by releasing another hits compilation with two new songs on Tuesday. Don Emmert / AFP

Rolling Stones keep coming back


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Celebrating their 50th anniversary, the Rolling Stones released yet another hits compilation with two new songs on Tuesday. Today HBO is premiering a documentary on their formative years, Crossfire Hurricane. "Once this starts rolling, I can't see it stopping," Keith Richards said about the band's return to the scene. "The band feel good about themselves. They still feel they've got something to offer. Obviously there are a lot of people out there who agree. We'll go along with it." Mick Jagger said of the band turning 50: "I thought it would be kind of churlish not to do something. Otherwise, the BBC would have done a rather dull film about us." - AP

One Direction to star in 3D film

Sony Pictures says it's making a 3D film about the boy band One Direction, scheduled to be released next September. The Super Size Me filmmaker Morgan Spurlock will direct the movie, which will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the group. The London-based band were discovered by Simon Cowell on the The X Factor in 2010 and have sold more than 13 million records worldwide. - AP

3D heroes romp premieres in Rome

A cutlass-wielding Santa Claus gangs up with the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny to save the world from the boogeyman in Rise of the Guardians, which premiered internationally on Tuesday at the Rome film festival. "We took the mythologies of these superheroes and drew out their characters, coming up with a pirate-like Santa Claus who spreads wonder in a world of fear," said the director Peter Ramsey. Unlike previous DreamWorks animations such as Shrek, there seems to be little for adult viewers, though Guillermo del Toro, the cult Mexican director and the film's executive producer, disagrees: "We wanted to make something where everyone can just regress, even for a moment, and open up the doors to their imagination which they have slammed shut as adults." - AFP

Jason Biggs defends tweeting ways

Jason Biggs is brushing off criticism he received during the US election season for vulgar Twitter posts that referenced the wives of both Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan. The outpouring of criticism from parents groups led Nickelodeon to issue an apology for the actor's comments. Biggs is providing one of the voices in the cable network's new animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. "I made a political tweet, so I got a little bit of heat from the right," Biggs said. His tweets have also poked fun at the Kardashians, Amanda Bynes and Lindsay Lohan. "I'm more afraid of the Kardashians than I am of the Republicans." - AP

Petraeus cameos in Call of Duty

David Petraeus has landed on his feet with a new gig in Call of Duty: Black Ops II. The retired army general, who stepped down as the CIA director last week amid a scandal surrounding his extramarital affair, pops up in the Activision Blizzard Inc first-person shooter game released Tuesday. A character with Petraeus's name and likeness briefly appears as the secretary of defence in the year 2025. Black Ops II also features an encounter with Manuel Noriega, a female president resembling Hillary Clinton and an aircraft carrier named the USS Barack Obama. - AP

Dubai Rugby Sevens

November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai

Gulf Under 19

Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy

Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2

Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina

Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School

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

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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.