Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India will do “whatever we can” to resolve the Ukraine crisis when he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Japan for the first time since the start of the Russian invasion last year.
“I understand your pain and the pain of Ukrainian citizens very well,” Mr Modi said.
“I can assure you that to resolve this India and, me personally, will do whatever we can do.”
India has so far refrained from outright criticism of Russia's invasion.
A post on Mr Zelenskyy's Telegram account said he had “thanked India for supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country, in particular at the sites of international organisations” and also for humanitarian support.
Mr Zelenskyy was only expected to address the meeting of the wealthiest democracies by video but flew in on a French diplomatic plane to hold a series of meetings with leaders including US President Joe Biden.
The meetings came as the US publicly stated its support for Ukrainian pilots training on F-16 fighters with the aim of providing the newer jets to replace Kyiv's losses and their Soviet-era aircraft.
The Ukrainian leader met separately with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and then British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who he embraced warmly.
On Telegram, Mr Zelenskyy said he had thanked Mr Sunak “for the UK's leadership in the international fighter jet coalition”.
Mr Zelenskyy will meet Mr Biden in Hiroshima to discuss “practical implementation” of the plan to train pilots on the F-16 jets. The US President was “looking forward” to the talks, the White House said, without confirming a date.
It comes after Russian troops made gains in eastern Ukraine, with Moscow claiming that it had taken the city of Bakhmut amid fierce fighting.
Russian President Vladimir Putin late on Saturday congratulated the Wagner mercenary group and the national army on their claimed capture of the city, according to a Kremlin statement quoted by Russian news agencies.
“Vladimir Putin congratulated the assault units of Wagner as well as all servicemen of units of the Russian armed forces who provided them with the necessary support and flank cover, on the completion of the operation to liberate Artemovsk [the Soviet-era name for Bakhmut],” the TASS news agency quoted the Kremlin as saying.
Biden to have 'direct engagement' with Zelenskyy
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that Mr Biden and Mr Zelenskyy would have direct engagement at the summit.
The G7 called on China to put pressure on Russia to end the war, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported. The bloc seeks peaceful co-operation with Beijing as EU states and the US seek to establish their own footing with China, it added.
They also agreed to preserve financial stability and growth, called for a peaceful end to tensions over Taiwan and discussed the creation of a body to “deter” economic “coercion”, Kyodo said.
However, from afar Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the G7 summit's decisions were aimed at creating a “double containment” of Russia and China.
World leaders faced a high-stakes balancing act at the G7 in Hiroshima as they looked to address a series of global worries demanding urgent attention.
Ukraine is just one issue on the agenda for the weekend of talks, alongside climate change, artificial intelligence, poverty and economic instability, and nuclear proliferation.
They agreed on the need to govern generative AI but not the substance of what that might look like.
China, the world's second largest economy, sits at the nexus of many of those broad concerns.
There is increasing anxiety in Asia that Beijing, which has been steadily building up its nuclear weapons programme, could try to seize Taiwan by force, sparking a wider conflict.
China claims the self-governing island as its own and regularly sends ships and warplanes near it.
The G7 leaders issued a statement warning that China’s “accelerating build-up of its nuclear arsenal without transparency [or] meaningful dialogue poses a concern to global and regional stability”.
“We do seek to co-operate with China on matters of mutual interest,” Mr Sullivan said of the statement. “We will work to address our significant concerns that we have with China in a range of areas.”
North Korea, which has been testing missiles at a great pace in an attempt to perfect a nuclear programme meant to target the mainland US, must completely abandon its nuclear bomb ambitions, the leaders' statement said, “including any further nuclear tests or launches that use ballistic missile technology”.
North Korea cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear weapon state under international nuclear treaties, it said.
Approval for training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 is the latest shift by the Biden administration as it moves to arm Kyiv with more advanced weaponry, following decisions to send rocket launcher systems and Abrams tanks.
The US has insisted that it is sending weapons to Ukraine to defend itself and it has discouraged attacks on Russian territory.
“We’ve reached a moment where it is time to look down the road again to say what is Ukraine going to need as part of a future force, to be able to deter and defend against Russian aggression as we go forward,” Mr Sullivan said.
An EU official said Mr Zelenskyy will take part in two separate sessions on Sunday.
The first will be with G7 members only and will focus on the war in Ukraine. The second session will include the G7 and other nations invited to take part in the summit. That will focus on “peace and stability”.
The G7 leaders have rolled out a new wave of global sanctions on Moscow as well as plans to enhance the effectiveness of existing financial penalties meant to constrain President Vladimir Putin’s war effort.
Russia is now world's most sanctioned country, but there are questions about the effectiveness of the measures.
“Our support for Ukraine will not waver,” the G7 leaders said in a statement released after closed-door meetings. They vowed, “to stand together against Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine”.
“Russia started this war and can end this war,” they said.
Mr Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for western fighter jets to bolster his country’s defences.
As Ukraine has tried to improve its air defences with a host of western-supplied anti-aircraft systems and prepares to launch a counteroffensive against Russia, officials believe the jets could become essential to the country’s long-term security.
The US’s decisions on when, how many and who will provide the fourth-generation F-16 fighter jets will be made in the months ahead while the training is under way, Mr Biden told leaders.
The G7 includes Japan, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Canada and Italy, as well as the EU.
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Company%20profile%20
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Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
1st Test July 26-30 in Galle
2nd Test August 3-7 in Colombo
3rd Test August 12-16 in Pallekele
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
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Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
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
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
FIGHT%20CARD
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RESULT
Manchester United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Man United: Dunk (66' og)
Man of the Match: Shane Duffy (Brighton)
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The five pillars of Islam
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
More coverage from the Future Forum
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
World Test Championship table
1 India 71 per cent
2 New Zealand 70 per cent
3 Australia 69.2 per cent
4 England 64.1 per cent
5 Pakistan 43.3 per cent
6 West Indies 33.3 per cent
7 South Africa 30 per cent
8 Sri Lanka 16.7 per cent
9 Bangladesh 0
