CAIRN Energy PLC on Tuesday (7) said it will drop litigation to seize Indian properties in various countries, including France and the United States, days after getting a £725 million refund that resulted from the scrapping of a retrospective tax law.
The company, which gave India its largest on-shore oil discovery, termed “bold” the legislation passed in August to cancel a 2012 policy that gave the tax department the authority to go back by five decades and slap capital gains levies wherever ownership had changed hands overseas but business assets remained in India.
Speaking to Indian news agency PTI from London, Cairn chief executive Simon Thomson said the offer to return money seized to enforce retrospective tax demand in exchange of dropping all litigations against the government “is acceptable” to them.
The firm will therefore drop cases to seize diplomatic apartments in Paris and Air India planes in the US in “a matter of a couple of days” following the refund, Thomson said. He also added that Cairn’s stakeholders are in agreement with accepting the offer and moving on.
“Some of our core shareholders like BlackRock and Franklin Templeton agree (to this). Our view is supported by our core shareholders (that) on balance it is better to accept and move on and be pragmatic. Rather than continue with something negative for all parties which could last for many years,” the top official said.
Last month, the Indian government in a bid to repair the damaged reputation as a destination for investment, brought a new law to drop £10.8 billion in outstanding claims against multinationals like Vodafone (telecom), Sanofi (pharmaceuticals), SABMiller (brewer), now owned by AB InBev and Cairn.
About £800 million collected from companies under the scrapped tax provision are to be refunded if the firms decide to drop outstanding litigation, including claims for interest and penalties. Of this, £780 million are due only to Cairn.
“Once we get to final resolution, part of that resolution is us dropping everything in terms of litigation. We can do that within a very short period of time, just a matter of a couple of days or something,” Thomson said.
He added, “So we are preparing on the basis of getting this resolution quickly, all these cases being dropped, and putting all this behind.”
He said all enforcement proceedings brought because of the Indian government’s refusal to honour an international arbitration award asking it to return the value of money seized to enforce the retrospective tax demand, will be dropped.
“Everything will be dropped. There will be no more litigation, that will be it. It will clear the matter up,” he said.
In July, a French court paved the way for Cairn to seize real estate belonging to the Indian government in Paris. All those litigations will also be dropped.
Thomson said Cairn has had a “good, open and transparent line of communications with the Government of India” on finding a resolution to the retro tax issue.
“Our aim was to get to a resolution... something which would be acceptable to our shareholders,” he said, adding, “We were pleased when the Government of India made what we thought was a pretty bold move, in terms of enactment of the legislation.”
Wales records hottest August bank holiday temperature at 29.6C.
Northern Ireland also breaks bank holiday record with 24.5C.
Notting Hill Carnival revellers enjoy 28C in London.
Remnants of Hurricane Erin to bring wet and windy weather this week.
UK set for one of its hottest summers on record, despite harvest concerns.
Hottest bank holiday on record
Parts of the UK have experienced record-breaking August bank holiday heat, with Wales and Northern Ireland both seeing their highest-ever temperatures for the holiday.
Hawarden, on the Welsh border near Chester, reached 29.6C, the highest August bank holiday temperature recorded in Wales. In Northern Ireland, Magilligan saw 24.5C, setting a new benchmark.
England’s peak came in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, at 29.3C, while London basked in highs of 28C during the Notting Hill Carnival. Scotland, which did not observe the bank holiday, saw its warmest temperature at 27.1C in Charterhall, in the Borders.
Change in weather on the way
The Met Office confirmed that this summer is already tracking among the UK’s hottest on record, with four heatwaves declared. However, the heat will be short-lived.
The remnants of Hurricane Erin are expected to sweep across the country, bringing wet and windy conditions. By late Monday, Northern Ireland and Scotland’s Western Isles were forecast to see winds of up to 40mph, with heavy rain following into England and Wales.
Cooler days ahead
While East Anglia and the South East may still reach 27C on Tuesday, forecasters predict a sharp drop by Friday, with temperatures expected between 16C and 19C.
The unsettled weather should bring much-needed rain after an exceptionally dry summer. South Farnborough in Hampshire, for instance, has recorded no measurable rainfall this month, and much of southern England has seen less than 1mm.
Wider impact of extreme weather
The prolonged dry conditions have caused significant strain on agriculture, with experts warning the UK could be heading towards one of its poorest harvests on record. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board has noted hosepipe bans for millions, some expected to remain in place through winter.
Scientists caution that while linking climate change to individual events is complex, the succession of four heatwaves following an unusually warm spring suggests global warming is amplifying the intensity, frequency, and duration of hot spells in the UK.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.
Migrants swim to board a smugglers' boat in order to attempt crossing the English channel off the beach of Audresselles, northern France. (Photo: Getty Images)
Labour government promises end to hotel use by 2029 and asylum reforms.
Nigel Farage proposes “mass deportations” and leaving the European Convention on Human Rights.
A RECORD 28,076 migrants have crossed the Channel to Britain in small boats this year, according to government data released on Monday. The figure marks a 46 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
The surge has added pressure on prime minister Keir Starmer over immigration, which has become the public’s top concern in opinion polls.
Protests have been taking place outside hotels where asylum seekers are being housed.
The new record was reached on Sunday, when 212 migrants arrived in four boats, the data showed. The Home Office did not immediately comment.
Over the weekend, demonstrations were held across the country after a court ordered asylum seekers to be removed from a hotel in Epping, north-east of London. The case has become a focal point in the debate over immigration.
The Labour government has promised to end the use of hotels for housing asylum seekers by 2029 and to reform the asylum process. On Sunday, it announced measures to speed up appeals and cut a backlog of more than 100,000 cases.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper said the reforms were intended to bring “control and order” to what she described as “a system in complete chaos.”
Official figures last week showed asylum claims had reached record levels, with more migrants placed in hotels than a year earlier.
Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, which has recently led polls on voting intentions, set out proposals for “mass deportations” of migrants arriving on small boats.
His plan includes leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, blocking asylum claims, and building detention centres for 24,000 people.
Farage told The Times that he would seek repatriation agreements with countries including Afghanistan and Eritrea and organise daily deportation flights.
(With inputs from agencies)
Keep ReadingShow less
South Wales Police said they were called to South Morgan Place in Riverside at 07:37 BST on Thursday following reports of a seriously injured woman. (Representational image: iStock)
A 37-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with murder after a woman was found dead in Cardiff.
South Wales Police said they were called to South Morgan Place in Riverside at 07:37 BST on Thursday following reports of a seriously injured woman.
The victim, identified as 32-year-old Niwunhellage Dona Nirodha Kalapni Niwunhella, known as Nirodha, died at the scene.
Police said Thisara Weragalage, from Pentwyn, was arrested shortly after on Seawall Road in Splott and later charged with murder. He was known to the victim and remains in custody, BBC reported. He is due to appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on Saturday.
In a tribute, Nirodha’s family said she was a "cherished daughter, family member and dear friend to many". They added: "Nirodha will be forever remembered with peace, love and gratitude. She touched many lives with her kindness and warmth and her memory will continue to inspire us. Though her life ended too soon, the love she shared will always remain with us."
Det Ch Insp Matthew Davies offered his "heartfelt condolences" and urged anyone with information to contact police. Officers are seeking details about a grey Ford Fiesta seen near South Morgan Place or Seawall Road between 07:30 and 08:30.
Keep ReadingShow less
Rescuers patrol through floodwaters in the Haqu Wala village of Pakistan's Kasur district on August 24, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
INDIA has alerted Pakistan about a possible flood in the Tawi River, according to a media report on Monday, while heavy rains and rising river levels have forced evacuations in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
Citing official sources, The News reported that India contacted Pakistan to share information about potential flooding in Jammu’s Tawi River. The Indian High Commission in Islamabad conveyed the alert on Sunday, the paper said. There has been no official confirmation from either India or Pakistan.
The report added that Pakistani authorities have issued warnings based on the information. It is the first such contact since the India-Pakistan conflict in May, according to the paper. Normally, such alerts are shared through the Indus Water Commissioner.
A day after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, which had governed the distribution and use of the Indus River and its tributaries between the two countries since it was brokered by the World Bank.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned of heavy rainfall across most parts of the country until August 30. The country has already been hit by earlier monsoon spells from June 26 to August 20, which left 788 people dead and 1,018 injured as of Saturday.
Flooding has worsened in Punjab, where around 20,000 people have been evacuated over the past 24 hours, officials said on Sunday.
“People from Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar and Vehari have been moved to safety after several villages submerged under floodwater,” Farooq Ahmad, spokesperson for Punjab Emergency Services Rescue 1122, said.
The affected areas are located near the Indus, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Jhelum rivers. Ahmad said evacuations of populations in the Sutlej and Ravi riverbeds have been completed.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said emergency operations were continuing across multiple districts, with a fresh monsoon spell forecast until August 27.
The Sutlej River has reached a high flood level at Ganda Singh Wala. “The situation at Ganda Singh Wala is critical and expected to persist for the next 48 hours,” the PDMA warned, adding that water levels in the Indus at Tarbela and Kalabagh are also rising.
“The epicentre of the crisis remains Sutlej, where authorities are focusing evacuation efforts in areas like Jalalpur Pirwala. We have begun relocating residents to prevent any potential damage. Their lives and property are our primary concern,” the authority said.
The government has urged citizens to cooperate with rescue agencies and avoid recreational activities near rivers and canals.
(With inputs from agencies)
Keep ReadingShow less
In her social media post, Haley said, 'India must take Trump’s point over Russian oil seriously, and work with the White House to find a solution. The sooner the better.'
INDIA should take president Donald Trump’s concerns over its purchase of Russian crude oil seriously and work with the White House to resolve the matter, US Republican leader Nikki Haley has said.
The Trump administration has been sharply critical of India’s imports of discounted Russian oil. Washington, however, has not voiced the same criticism against China, which is the largest buyer of Russian crude.
India has defended its imports, saying its energy procurement is guided by national interest and market conditions.
Haley, the Indian-origin Republican leader and former South Carolina governor, posted on X on Saturday a portion of an opinion piece she had written in Newsweek four days earlier. Her post came after she faced criticism within her party over the article.
In the piece, Haley wrote that India should be treated as a “prized free and democratic partner” and not like an adversary such as China. “Scuttling 25 years of momentum with the only country that can serve as a counterweight to Chinese dominance in Asia would be a strategic disaster,” she said.
In her social media post, Haley said, “India must take Trump’s point over Russian oil seriously, and work with the White House to find a solution. The sooner the better.”
She added, “Decades of friendship and goodwill between the world’s two largest democracies provide a solid basis to move past the current turbulence. Navigating issues like trade disagreements and Russian oil imports demands hard dialogue. But, we should not lose sight of what matters most: our shared goals. To face China, the United States must have a friend in India.”
Several Trump administration officials have criticised India for its energy ties with Russia. White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro on Wednesday accused India of running a “profiteering scheme” by using discounted Russian crude and then selling refined petroleum products at higher prices in Europe and elsewhere.
Washington has argued that India’s purchases help fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine. India has rejected the charge.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar, responding to a question on Saturday, said, “It’s funny to have people who work for a pro-business American administration accusing other people of doing business. That’s really curious. If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, don’t buy it. Nobody forces you to buy it. But Europe buys, America buys, so you don’t like it, don’t buy it.”
Relations between New Delhi and Washington have been strained after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent, including 25 per cent additional duties linked to India’s Russian oil imports.
India turned to discounted Russian crude after Western countries imposed sanctions on Moscow and reduced purchases following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.