Thirteen Indian pilgrims were killed and more than 40 feared missing on Friday after a cloudburst triggered a flash flood at the Himalayan Amarnath shrine, a Hindu cave in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Thousands of pilgrims trek every day to the cave revered by Hindus for containing a naturally formed ice stalagmite that believers say is a representation of Lord Shiva in the mountains of Kashmir.
Authorities said the cloudburst struck at 5:30pm near the shrine, which is 3,880 metres above sea level, damaging buildings in the area.
“At least 13 bodies have been recovered and 40 are feared missing,” Kashmir region’s police chief Dilbag Singh told local media.
Emergency workers were immediately sent to rescue survivors and evacuate those trapped.
“Our crew is engaged in rescue work … we'll be prepared for every situation … our effort will be to get everyone out safely,” said Atul Karwal, director general of National Disaster Response Force.
The pilgrimage, which started on June 30 and will continue until mid-August, was being held after a break of three years since its cancellation by the government over security lockdown in Kashmir in 2019 and subsequent restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Thousands of pilgrims were gathered near the cave when the cloudburst struck in the nearby mountain range, prompting authorities to suspend the pilgrimage for the day.
The stalagmite is formed by trickles of water coming from a cleft in the roof of the cave and as water drips, it takes on various formations as it freezes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed “anguish” over the incident and ensured assistance for rescue and relief operations.
Several parts of the South Asian nation have been witnessing unprecedented levels of monsoon rains after prolonged summer heat. While rains brought relief from the intense heatwaves, poor infrastructure and lack of preparedness have led to flooding and landslides in many areas.
At least one person was killed and more than 250 evacuated on Friday from various parts of western Maharashtra state that has been battered by torrential monsoon rains for more than a week.
In state capital Mumbai, also India’s financial capital, the India Meteorological Department had issued a red warning — a colour-coded indication of heavy to extremely heavy rains amounting to more than 20cm — in the city for Friday.
Flood warnings were issued in neighbouring Karnataka state due to incessant rain and overflowing of the Krishna river and its tributaries.
A total of 12 people have died in various rain-related incidents in the state since June 1, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
He instructed officials to take precautionary measures as warnings were issued of continuing heavy rain in the state for the next four days.
Locals rescued as many as 30 pupils after a school bus in which they were travelling became partially submerged under a flooded railway underbridge in southern Telangana’s Mahbubnagar district on Friday.
A female migrant labourer was killed in a landslide near a tunnel as she was sleeping in a roadside tent in the state’s Shimla district and seven people were feared dead in flash floods triggered by heavy rains in northern Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district on Wednesday.
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
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 years Ramadan fell in May
Brief scores:
Huesca 0
Real Madrid 1
Bale 8'
SPECS
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Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
