UNITED NATIONS // In his last UN address before Americans decide whether to re-elect him in November, Barack Obama, the US president, yesterday defended Americans' belief in freedom of speech while condemning the denigration of Islam, and he held out the threat of military action to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.
Mr Obama devoted most of his 30-minute speech to the Middle East and addressed the politically sensitive US response to the region's upheavals, intended as much for the audience of world leaders in the room as for voters at home.
He defended his handling of the Arab uprisings against sharp criticism by his Republican Party challenger, Mitt Romney, who has charged that Mr Obama is a captive, rather than shaper, of events in the region.
"We insisted on change in Egypt, because our support for democracy put us on the side of the people," Mr Obama said. "We supported a transition of leadership in Yemen, because the interests of the people were not being served by a corrupt status quo."
The president said the US intervened militarily in Libya with UN backing "because we had the ability to stop the slaughter of innocents" and to back "aspirations of the people [that] were more powerful than a tyrant".
Mr Obama said such a fate was also deserved by the president of Syria. "We again declare that the regime of Bashar Al Assad must come to an end so that the suffering of the Syrian people can stop, and a new dawn can begin."
"Today, we must affirm that our future will be determined by people like Chris Stevens, and not by his killers," Mr Obama said, referring to the death of the US ambassador in Libya two weeks ago. "Today, we must declare that this violence and intolerance has no place among our United Nations."
The president attempted to juggle what many in the region might consider contradictory positions: defending the right of an amateur filmmaker to make a video portraying the Prophet Mohammed in an unflattering manner, while at the same time condemning the denigration of Islam.
The video set off at least the initial protests in Benghazi, and demonstrations later throughout the Islamic world, leaving as many as 50 people dead.
Mr Obama called it a "a crude and disgusting video" that the US government had nothing to do with. "I believe its message must be rejected by all who respect our common humanity,"he said.
Mr Obama said the film was an insult not only to Islam but to America. "We not only respect the freedom of religion - we have laws that protect individuals from being harmed because of how they look or what they believe," he said.
But he said the United States was unable to ban such videos because of a constitution that protects free speech.
"Here in the United States, countless publications provoke offence," he said. "Like me, the majority of Americans are Christian, and yet we do not ban blasphemy against our most sacred beliefs."
He said that while not all nations "share this understanding of the protection of free speech", the notion that the flow of information could be controlled was "obsolete" because of today's technology.
Mr Obama asked for universal condemnation of attacks on all religions. "The future must not belong to those who slander the Prophet of Islam," Mr Obama said. "Yet to be credible, those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see when the image of Jesus Christ is desecrated, churches are destroyed, or the Holocaust is denied."
The remark about denying the holocaust appeared intended for Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who on Monday questioned why researchers questioning this "historical issue" were jailed in the West if it believes in free speech.
Mr Obama said that Iran shows "where the path of a violent and unaccountable ideology leads". While praising Iran's ancient culture, he blasted Tehran for "propping up a dictator in Damascus" and supporting terrorism abroad.
The US president did not draw the "red-lines" on Iran's nuclear programme demanded of him by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But he also did not remove the threat of a US strike on Iran.
"Let me be clear: America wants to resolve this issue through diplomacy, and we believe that there is still time and space," Mr Obama said. But he added that a "nuclear-armed Iran is not a challenge that can be contained".
He said it would threaten the elimination of Israel, the security of the Gulf, and the stability of the global economy. "It risks triggering a nuclear-arms race in the region, and the unravelling of the non-proliferation treaty," he said.
"And that is why the United States will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon," he said.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
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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The biog
Alwyn Stephen says much of his success is a result of taking an educated chance on business decisions.
His advice to anyone starting out in business is to have no fear as life is about taking on challenges.
“If you have the ambition and dream of something, follow that dream, be positive, determined and set goals.
"Nothing and no-one can stop you from succeeding with the right work application, and a little bit of luck along the way.”
Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.
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Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
Section 375
Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadha, Meera Chopra & Rahul Bhat
Director: Ajay Bahl
Producers: Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak & SCIPL
Rating: 3.5/5
HOW TO WATCH
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
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UAE
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice-captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
Nepal
Paras Khadka (captain), Gyanendra Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Pradeep Airee, Binod Bhandari, Avinash Bohara, Sundeep Jora, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Rohit Paudel, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Basant Regmi, Pawan Sarraf, Bhim Sharki, Aarif Sheikh
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
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On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
