Ilhan Omar, one of the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress, is facing calls for her US citizenship to be revoked amid a controversy over comments she made and a video she shared about conservative commentator Charlie Kirk after his assassination.
Ms Omar, a Somalia-born Democrat from Minnesota, drew the ire of Republicans after she reposted a video that said Mr Kirk had “denied the genocide happening in Palestine” and had been “spewing racist dog whistles”.
She also sat for an interview with broadcaster Mehdi Hasan, in which she said she was mortified by Mr Kirk's murder and expressed empathy for his children, but criticised his views of gun ownership and race relations after George Floyd's 2020 death in Minneapolis.
In the same interview, Ms Omar accused Republicans of double standards for saying the left is responsible for the sentiment that fuels political violence while ignoring their own role, and that of President Donald Trump who “has incited violence against people like me".
Republican Nancy Mace appears to have been particularly incensed by Ms Omar's interview and her reposting of the video. She filed a resolution in Congress to have her censured and removed from two House committees. The motion was set aside by the slimmest of margins on Wednesday, 214-213, when four Republicans voted with Democrats to shelve it.
Ms Mace, whose office on Capitol Hill is next to Ms Omar's, has also called for the revocation of her US citizenship, which she attained in 2000 after fleeing her homeland's civil war in 1991.
“We would love to see you deported back to Somalia next,” Ms Mace wrote. Many other users on X also called for her US naturalisation to be revoked.
In 2019, Ms Omar became one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, along with Rashida Tlaib. She has repeatedly been the subject of threats and racist abuse.
In 2023, she was stripped of her seat on the foreign affairs committee over previous anti-Semitic and anti-Israel speech.
Late on Thursday, President Donald Trump joined the chorus of criticism, repeating a debunked claim that Ms Omar had married her brother in order to gain citizenship.
"What SCUM we have in our Country, telling us what to do," he said on social media in a post attacking Somalia's governance.
Ms Omar's office did not immediately return a request for comment after normal business hours.
Since Mr Kirk's murder, the Trump administration has turned its attention to progressive groups and has discussed designating some as domestic terrorists. The moves have alarmed civil liberties groups and free-speech advocates who see conservatives ushering in a new era of “cancel culture”.
The White House is also threatening to launch investigations that could lead to the revocation of progressive groups' tax-exempt statuses, and the State Department has begun revoking visas of foreigners who made light of Mr Kirk's death.
On Wednesday, US television network ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely after comments he made about Mr Kirk’s killing.
Republican Representative Chip Roy has set up a select committee to conduct a “full-scale investigation of the co-ordinated network of leftists attacking us".
Ms Omar responded to Ms Mace's criticism by saying she “needs to get help”. She also said Ms Mace is pushing false claims to raise money “and boost her run for Governor” in her home state of South Carolina next year.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed
Rating: 1.5/5
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
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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
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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