The Miss Universe 2009 pageant is fast approaching on August 23. In a countdown to D-Day, we'll be introducing you to all 84 contestants from around the world.

Catch Fardeen Khan and Genelia D'souza in this song.

The alleged mastermind of the scheme Chelsea-based Indian entrepreneur Nandan Pruthi and his business partners Kenneth Peacock and John Anderson were arrested after a series of raids conducted by the London police in the city, the Observer newspaper reported.

Govinda wishes Sanjay Dutt on his 50th birthday.

Cases such as Vodafone and E*Trade are scaring foreign investors away, says Nishith M Desai.

Switzerland only provided information on tax fraud that led to criminal activity. But the Swiss definition of tax fraud is quite narrow, which means that a false invoice is not a crime. Now, any tax abuse will be covered.

The European Union's attempt to regulate hedge funds will affect other classes of alternative investment such as real estate funds and investment trusts, lawyers studying the fine print of the new rules have warned.

The new executive woman doesn't wear opaque panty hose and doesn't wait around for a promotion.

Mauritius, country from where large amounts of investments are routed to India, figures among the nations that have substantially implemented tax standards. Among the countries that have committed themselves to the internationally agreed tax standards but have not yet implemented them are Singapore, Switzerland, Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, and Cayman islands.

The department had sent a notice to the company seeking details and clarifications on a host of issues besides the original agreement between Hutch and Vodafone to establish the jurisdiction of the tax authorities to determine the tax liability. This follow an SC order in January 2009 to the effect that Vodafone should present its case to the tax authorities first and submit a copy of the share purchase agreement, the deadline for which expires by the end of this month.

It has taken less than eight months for Afghanistan to jump from the fifth division of world cricket to one level below the major Test-playing countries. The team from the war-torn nation continued one of sport's unlikeliest success stories by winning the third division in Argentina last week, a six-team tournament which doubles as a qualifier for cricket's World Cup.

Afghanistan continued their remarkable rise in international cricket when they beat the Cayman Islands by 82 runs on Saturday to reach the final stage of the 2011 World Cup qualifying competition. Uganda also went through thanks to a 99-run win over hosts Argentina on the final day of world cricket league division three, a six-team tournament which also serves as part of the complex World Cup qualifying system.

Afghanistan ended Papua New Guinea's 100 percent record in their cricket World Cup qualifying group with an impressive eight-wicket win in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. Uganda pulled off a sensational one-run victory over Hong Kong, leaving themselves, Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea level on six points with one round of matches to play on Friday.

With the Supreme Court declining to intervene in the tax demand case against it Friday, mobile service company Vodafone faces a potential tax demand of up to $2 billion (Rs 9,800 crore) from the tax authorities.

Vodafone case: Questions still remain unanswered and the whole world is eyeing final outcome. The questions remaining unanswered by the high court would have several multinationals on tenterhooks, as the consequences, both for tax payers with similar transactions and perhaps for Indian M&A fortunes may be far reaching.

India's income tax department today said it would scrutinise more than a dozen cases of offshore mergers and acquisitions in which the deal results in an ultimate change of ownership of Indian firms. The latest move by the tax department comes in the background of a favourable ruling from the Bombay High Court yesterday in a case filed by Vodafone International Holding BV.

On Wednesday, in a significant ruling that may result in $2 billion (Rs 10,000 crore) flowing into government coffers, the Bombay high court had dismissed a writ petition filed by telecom major Vodafone International Holdings BV challenging the Income Tax (I-T) Department's jurisdiction to assess whether the over $11 billion Hutchison-Vodafone transaction was liable for capital gains tax.

The Bombay high court, in a very significant ruling on Wednesday, dismissed telecom major Vodafone International's petition challenging the Income Tax department's show cause notice for payment of capital gains tax of around $2 billion.

The vast majority are U.S. taxpayers. That could be changing.

A landmark tax case between Vodafone of the UK and the Indian government that is set to determine the future climate for mergers and acquisitions in the country began on Monday.

A landmark court challenge by Vodafone against Indian tax authorities, which want it to pay an estimated $2bn in taxes on its acquisition of Hutchison Essar, has been adjourned for three months. The Bombay high court delayed the hearing until June 23. It is a case that has potential implications for mergers and acquisitions of Indian assets by foreign companies. The court said it wanted to allow time for changes to tax laws to come into force.

In the case, which will begin on Tuesday and last for five days, Indian tax authorities will argue that Vodafone, the UK-based mobile phone group headed by Arun Sarin, is liable for an estimated $2bn in taxes on its $11bn acquisition of local operator, Hutchison Essar, last year.

How a free Web could harm you, now and in the long run.

RBI has granted permission to Standard Chartered bank to buy American Express Bank for its American Express credit card biz.

After a plethora of mergers and acquisitions, domestic firms are finding the European island a suitable place to set up subsidiaries to carry out global buyouts.

Seeks capital gains tax payment prior to FIPB clearance.

The sunny Caribbean island is just one of a number of jurisdictions, most of them islands, that provide the necessary infrastructure for businesses that don't exactly thrive on close oversight.

They turned a small family construction business into a conglomerate with interests in shipping, steel, oil and gas.

Kiss your 1040 goodbye and escape Uncle Sam in these stylish spots.

By putting $10 billion into the country's infrastructure, Cayman Islands-based real estate investor Trikona Capital plans to do well by doing good.

The Prime Minister's Office has sought the opinion of various ministries for creating an umbrella legislation that would empower the government to suspend any foreign investment

A three per cent reduction in corporate tax during this year helped India remarkably improve its ranking by five notches in the KPMG Corporate Tax Rate Survey 2006.

The hurricane has left a swathe of destruction across the Caribbean, killing at least 60 so far.