Israeli military issues evacuation order for residents in Gaza City
Israel's military on Tuesday ordered residents to evacuate from Gaza City ahead of a new offensive to seize the Strip's largest urban centre, part of ...
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.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Israel's military on Tuesday ordered residents to evacuate from Gaza City ahead of a new offensive to seize the Strip's largest urban centre, part of a planned takeover stirring international alarm over the fate of the entire territory.
French President Emmanuel Macron faces a deepening political crisis as he searches for his fifth prime minister in under two years, following the expected resignation of Francois Bayrou on Tuesday after parliament rejected his budget plans.
South Korea will send a chartered plane to Atlanta as early as Wednesday to bring back workers detained during a huge immigration raid last week on a car battery plant in the U.S. state of Georgia, a Korean Air spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Norway's minority Labour Party government led by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, won a second term in power on Monday while the populist right achieved its best-ever election result, official results showed, in a ballot dominated by concerns over rising living costs and wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Nepal has lifted a social media ban following protests that resulted in the deaths of 19 people, Cabinet spokesperson and Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung said on Tuesday.
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