NEW DELHI // On the final morning of her three-day trip to India, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, reminded Pakistan of the need to crack down on terror groups that operated within its borders.
Pakistan and terrorism were the main themes of a media conference that Mrs Clinton led yesterday with India's external affairs minister, SM Krishna, following a breakfast meeting between the two diplomats.
"Pakistan should do more in ensuring that [its territories are] not used as launching pads … including to attack the country and outside," Ms Clinton said.
She described Hafiz Saeed, the Pakistan-based militant, as the mastermind behind the attack by gunmen on Mumbai in 2008, which killed 164 people. The US has authorised a US$10 million (Dh36m) reward leading to his capture.
Both Washington and New Delhi have criticised Pakistan for not detaining Mr Saeed, who founded the militant group Lashkar-i-Taiba in the 1990s. He denies any wrongdoing and links to militants.
On Monday, Ms Clinton referred to Ayman Al Zawahiri, who took over Al Qaeda's leadership after the death of Osama bin Laden last year, as being "somewhere, we believe, in Pakistan".
Pakistan's foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, on Monday denied that her government had any information about Mr Zawahiri's presence.
"If somebody has proof about it, it should be shared with us so that we can look into the matter accordingly," she said.
During her visit, Ms Clinton's main mission has been to encourage India to cut back on its imports of Iranian oil, in light of sanctions proposed by the US over Iran's nuclear programme.
About nine per cent of India's oil imports come from Iran, and although it has reduced those imports recently, it could still face US sanctions next month if Washington determines it has not done enough under a law aimed at pressuring Iran to prove its nuclear programme is peaceful.
Mr Krishna said during the news conference that "ties of culture and religion" bind India and Iran. "We have a strong intent for the peaceful and negotiated settlement of issues. Our stand on this has been clear and consistent," he said. "Iran is an important source of oil for us."
However, he said, "I believe we will soon see some movement on Iran from the Indian side", he said.
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* With additional reporting by the Associated Press and Reuters
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
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
Challenge Cup result:
1. UAE 3 faults
2. Ireland 9 faults
3. Brazil 11 faults
4. Spain 15 faults
5. Great Britain 17 faults
6. New Zealand 20 faults
7. Italy 26 faults
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
Squads
Sri Lanka Tharanga (c), Mathews, Dickwella (wk), Gunathilaka, Mendis, Kapugedera, Siriwardana, Pushpakumara, Dananjaya, Sandakan, Perera, Hasaranga, Malinga, Chameera, Fernando.
India Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Rahane, Jadhav, Dhoni (wk), Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Thakur.
Afghanistan fixtures
- v Australia, today
- v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
- v New Zealand, Saturday,
- v South Africa, June 15
- v England, June 18
- v India, June 22
- v Bangladesh, June 24
- v Pakistan, June 29
- v West Indies, July 4
Match info
Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')
Southampton 0
The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders
Stuart Kells, Counterpoint Press
