Cargo plane slides off runway in Hong Kong, killing two airport staff
Two Hong Kong airport security staff were killed early on Monday after a cargo plane from Dubai skidded off the runway on landing, collided with their...
In a stern warning to the automaker, the Indian government told a Mumbai court that quashing Volkswagen's demand to cancel a $1.4 billion tax bill would have "catastrophic consequences" and could encourage companies to withhold information and delay inquiries.
The tax demand—India's highest-ever for back taxes related to import duties—stems from a 12-year review of shipments by Skoda Auto Volkswagen India. The tax authority alleges that the carmaker misclassified component imports for Audi, VW, and Skoda models to evade higher tariffs. In its latest filing, the tax authority argued that Volkswagen intentionally submitted crucial data in separate tranches, thereby impeding timely shipment reviews. Accepting VW's reasoning, the filing warned, would allow importers to suppress vital information and claim that the statutory time limit for conducting tax probes had expired—a scenario that could have "catastrophic consequences" for regulatory oversight.
Volkswagen has described the case as a "matter of life and death" for its India business, contesting the tax authority’s findings by pointing to alleged inaction and tardiness by officials in reviewing its shipments. The carmaker contends that if New Delhi had completed its reviews earlier, it could have re-evaluated its import strategy or challenged the findings more effectively. The tax notice, issued in September 2024, has rekindled foreign investors’ concerns about prolonged and uncertain tax investigations in the country.
If found liable, Volkswagen could face a total tax bill of up to $2.8 billion, including penalties and delayed interest. The dispute comes at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been actively courting foreign investment with promises of streamlined regulations and reduced bureaucratic hurdles. However, lengthy tax probes continue to be a sore point for international investors.
The case, which highlights the delicate balance between regulatory enforcement and investor confidence, will be heard on Monday. Neither Volkswagen nor the Indian government has responded to requests for comment.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
Two Hong Kong airport security staff were killed early on Monday after a cargo plane from Dubai skidded off the runway on landing, collided with their security patrol vehicle and pushed it into the sea.
Polls in Bolivia closed on Sunday, with voters awaiting the results of a presidential runoff that marks a significant rejection of the socialist government and points towards a potential shift in foreign policy, likely steering towards the United States after years of tense relations.
On October 19, 2025, President Donald Trump announced the appointment of Mark Savaya, a Michigan-based entrepreneur, as the U.S. Special Envoy to Iraq.
Tufan Erhurman, a centre-left moderate, won the Turkish Cypriot presidential election on Sunday, defeating incumbent hardliner Ersin Tatar in a pivotal vote that could revive stalled U.N.-backed reunification talks on the divided island of Cyprus.
U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a White House meeting on Friday to accept Russia’s conditions for ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, warning that Vladimir Putin had threatened to “destroy” Ukraine if it refused to comply, according to FT.
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