US Navy’s chief of naval operations Mike Gilday and India ambassador to the US Singh Sandhu. Courtesy Twitter / USNavyCNO
US Navy’s chief of naval operations Mike Gilday and India ambassador to the US Singh Sandhu. Courtesy Twitter / USNavyCNO
US Navy’s chief of naval operations Mike Gilday and India ambassador to the US Singh Sandhu. Courtesy Twitter / USNavyCNO
US Navy’s chief of naval operations Mike Gilday and India ambassador to the US Singh Sandhu. Courtesy Twitter / USNavyCNO

US Navy Band's performance of a patriotic Bollywood song from 'Swades' is going viral: Shah Rukh Khan responds


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A Bollywood song performed by the US Navy Band is going viral after it was posted on social media Saturday night. The patriotic song,Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera, from the 2004 film Swades, was performed at a dinner hosted by the US Navy's chief of naval operations Mike Gilday, for the Ambassador of India to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, to celebrate Holi, the festival of colours.

“This is a friendship bond that cannot be broken ever,” Sandhu posted, along with the performance, which has now been viewed more than 270,000 times.

The US Navy Band also shared the video, wishing its followers a "happy Holi".

“The @usnavyband Sea Chanters share a song of happiness and love at a small performance for the @USNavyCNO and the Ambassador of India to the United States, @SandhuTaranjitS. The Navy Band has been connecting the @USNavy to our partner nations since 1925! #HappyHoli," it posted.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan who stars in the film praised the rendition.

"How lovely. Got all nostalgic about the time spent making this beautiful film," he tweeted.

The performance was also widely praised on social media.

"Great rendition of the theme song from Swades by the US Navy. Thanks Ambassador for sharing," tweeted the film's producer Ronnie Screwvala.

Others praised the Navy Band for their rendition and the togetherness it brought:

The song, performed originally by Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman, features in the film Swades, which stars Khan in the lead. In the film, he plays a Nasa engineer who returns to his small town in India to reconnect with his roots.

The movie was critical and box office hit, with Khan as well as director Ashutosh Gowarikar winning a number of awards that year.

Watch the original song below: 

A version of the song, performed by the Berklee College of Music's Indian ensemble, also went viral in 2015. It was performed to celebrate the Boston institute's conferring of an honorary doctorate of music degree to composer Rahman, who joined the students for a live performance.

Watch the video here: 

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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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Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

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- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
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- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

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if you go

The flights

Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.

The hotel

Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.

The tour

Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg

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Last-16 Europa League fixtures

Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)

FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm

Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm

Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm

Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm 

Thursday

Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm

Sevilla v Roma  (one leg only)  8.55pm

FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm 

Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm 

Who is Tim-Berners Lee?

Sir Tim Berners-Lee was born in London in a household of mathematicians and computer scientists. Both his mother, Mary Lee, and father, Conway, were early computer scientists who worked on the Ferranti 1 - the world's first commercially-available, general purpose digital computer. Sir Tim studied Physics at the University of Oxford and held a series of roles developing code and building software before moving to Switzerland to work for Cern, the European Particle Physics laboratory. He developed the worldwide web code as a side project in 1989 as a global information-sharing system. After releasing the first web code in 1991, Cern made it open and free for all to use. Sir Tim now campaigns for initiatives to make sure the web remains open and accessible to all.