In pictures: Celeb commencement speakers share words of wisdom

James Ohara

Bill Clinton, the former president of the United States, hit the headlines this week by delivering the commencement speech at New York University Abu Dhabi. Big names from politics and entertainment have been speaking to graduating students around the world. Check out who spoke where and what advice they dispersed.

Bill Clinton

Commencement: May 25, New York University Abu Dhabi

Claim to fame: 42nd president of the United States

Alma mater: Oxford and Yale

Inspiration: Clinton reportedly quoted Benjamin Franklin — "our critics are our friends, for they show us our faults" — in reference to recent stories about the welfare of labourers who built the university's new Saadiyat Island campus.

Words of wisdom: "I urge you to say, this is my alma mater."

Michelle Obama

Commencement: May 10, Dillard University, New Orleans

Claim to fame: First lady of the United States, aka Flotus

Alma mater: Princeton and Harvard

Inspiration: Obama spoke about her mother, who volunteered at her school, and the Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai as one of the girls who risk their lives to go to school.

Words of wisdom: "Imagine how you can inspire those around you to reach higher and complete their own education. And you can start small. Start by volunteering at an after-school programme, or helping some high-school kids fill out their college applications. Show them the path that you took. Or you can think a little bigger — you can get your entire congregation or your community to start a mentoring programme; maybe convince your new employer to sponsor scholarships for underprivileged kids. Or maybe you could think a little higher — maybe you could run for school board or Congress, or, yes, even president of the United States."

Jehane Noujaim

Commencement: May 4, Northwestern University in Qatar, Doha

Claim to fame: The Egyptian-American filmmaker directed the documentaries Control Room and the Oscar-nominated The Square.

Alma mater: Harvard

Inspiration: Noujaim spoke about her mentor, D A Pennebaker, the "grandfather of cinéma vérité", and quoted the Prophet Mohammed: "God is kind and likes kindness in all things."

Words of wisdom: "Don't waste your time trying to succeed at other people's dreams, or dreams you don't really believe in. Only your real dreams will satisfy you. Those are the ones worth failing for, leaving your mark on the world."

Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs

Commencement: May 10, Howard University, Washington

Claim to fame: Hip-hop mogul

Alma mater: Dropped out of Howard University, but received an honorary degree this year

Inspiration: Combs thanked his hard-working mother, who raised him after his father was murdered when he was 3, quoted the Notorious BIG — "It was all a dream. I used to read Word Up! magazine" — and his Uncle Shrimp, who told him: "Don't be afraid to close your eyes and dream, but then open your eyes and see."

Words of wisdom: "Nobody is going to take you to the front of the line unless you push your way to the front of the line ... I don't want you to dream — I want you to do ... I want you to remember the power of you ... I don't want you to be the next Oprah. I don't want you to be the next Obama. I don't even want you to be the next me. I want you to be you."

Joe Biden

Commencement: May 9, University of Southern Carolina

Claim to fame: Vice president of the United States

Alma mater: University of Delaware, Syracuse University

Inspiration: Biden quoted a line from W B Yeats's poem Easter, 1916, relating it to the challenged modern times: "All changed, changed utterly, a terrible beauty is born".

Words of wisdom: "But I know the history of the journey of this country and it is always, always, always forward. When given a chance, the American people have never, ever, ever, ever let their country down ... So today, for all the uncertainty you may feel, never forget, this future is within your control. Do not listen to the cynics ... It has never, never, never been a good bet to bet against America, never, and it's a bad bet to bet against your generation."

Ed Helms

Commencement: May 24, Cornell University, New York

Claim to fame: Andy Bernard in The Office; the dentist Stu Price in The Hangover trilogy

Alma mater: Oberlin College

Inspiration: Andy Bernard, for being a "glorious, vulnerable fool" who "really wore his heart on his sleeve".

Words of wisdom: "Only a fool would risk failure. Be that fool ... Only a fool would work hard when there's no clear objective. Be that fool."

Forest Whitaker

Commencement: May 17, Miami University

Claim to fame: Oscar-winning actor and a film director

Alma mater: University of Southern California and New York University

Inspiration: Whitaker's speech touched on the achievements of Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and the civil-rights movement.

Words of wisdom: "There's nothing wrong with letting our work play a central role in our lives ... but we can never let our job descriptions define the manner in which we live our lives. When you succeed, or more important, when you fail, you have to allow your moral strength, your understanding of what is right and good, to be what defines and guides you."

Wynton Marsalis

Commencement: May 17, Tulane University, New Orleans

Claim to fame: Jazz trumpeter and the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center

Inspiration: Marsalis's speech quoted fellow musicians. "Here in New Orleans we have a tradition of starting an important gig by calling out the names of legendary musicians from the past ... this roll call inspires a much higher level of performance ... Let us acknowledge all the members of our collective roll call," Marsalis said, before breaking into a short rendition of When the Saints Go Marching In.

Alma mater: Marsalis has an honorary degree from Juilliard, where he attended in the 1970s and returned to recently as the director of Juilliard Jazz.

Words of wisdom: "To be realised, a dream must, at some point, become a plan. The plan is a directive, a resolution that will require resolve to execute. The dream is free but the plan costs time, dedication, imagination and almost always involves funding in some way ... New Orleans native and genius of gospel music, Mahalia Jackson, sang I'm Gonna Live the Life I Sing About in My Song. Well, your life is your song, and though you have successfully lived the life of a student who is now a graduate, you deserve to celebrate, but don't rest. This world is a cauldron of action."

John Legend

Commencement: May 19, University of Pennsylvania

Claim to fame: R& B musician

Alma mater: University of Pennsylvania

Inspiration: Legend paid tribute to his parents, who “walked the walk”, and his friend/producer Kanye West. He also quoted Alice Walker: “The more I wonder, the more I love.”

Words of wisdom: "The key to success, the key to happiness, is opening your mind and heart to love ... If you're committed to loving in public, it requires opening your eyes to injustice, to see the world through the eyes of another. This is not a passive activity. You have to read. You have to travel to other neighbourhoods, other parts of the world. You may have to get your hands dirty. You have to allow other people to love you, and you have to love them back."

Madeleine Albright

Commencement: May 18, Dickinson College, Pennsylvania

Claim to fame: First female US secretary of state

Alma mater: Wellesley College, Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University

Inspiration: Albright quoted Sir Isaac Newton — “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction” — in relation to global “mega-trends” reshaping the world.

Words of wisdom: “Siri cannot tell you how to build a democracy. You cannot tweet your way to good governance. There is no app for inclusive economic growth. Humanity’s progress depends on human leadership, and our leaders’ job is harder than ever. What I’m saying, dear graduates, is that the world’s a mess, I’m sorry, but it’s true. We left it for you that way. But now it falls to your generation to solve the problems that my generation is leaving behind ... and I believe that you are not only capable of doing so, but also that no prior generation has been as well-equipped to deal with those problems as your own.”

Zombieland: Double Tap

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Stars: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone

Four out of five stars

Killing of Qassem Suleimani

National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate

Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead

Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks

Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence

Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground

Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile

Results

2.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Mezmar, Adam McLean (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).

3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m; Winner: AF Ajwad, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.

3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Gold Silver, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.

4pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m; Winner: Atrash, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez.

4.30pm: Gulf Cup Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Momtaz, Saif Al Balushi, Musabah Al Muhairi.

5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Al Mushtashar, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

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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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Tips on buying property during a pandemic

Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.

While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.

While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.

Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.

Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.

Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.

Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.