International

The Saudi capital was bedecked with Chinese flags ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit on Wednesday that is likely to focus on energy ties but also follows months of tensions with the United States. The red-and-gold Chinese emblem alternated with the green flag of Saudi Arabia along major roads in Riyadh, while Xi was pictured on the front pages of …

STOCKHOLM: Sales of arms and military services grew in 2021, researchers said on Monday, but were limited by worldwide supply issues related to the pandemic, with the war in Ukraine increasing demand while worsening supply difficulties. The top 100 arms companies sold weapons and related services totalling $592 billion in 2021, 1.9-percent more than the year before, said the latest report from …

LONDON: The UK government on Monday stressed the British Museum is legally forbidden from breaking up its vast collection, after a report said it could possibly hand the Parthenon Marbles back to Greece. The ancient sculptures were taken from the Parthenon temple in Athens in the early 19th century by British diplomat Thomas Bruce, the earl of Elgin. Secret talks …

SYDNEY: Australia on Monday started building a vast network of antennas in the Outback, its section of what planners say will eventually become one of the most powerful radio telescopes in the world. When complete, the antennas in Australia and a network of dishes in South Africa will form the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), a massive instrument that will aim …

MOSCOW/KYIV: Russia rained long-range missiles on Ukraine on Monday, killing two people, destroying homes in the southeast and causing power outages, but Kyiv said its air defences had limited the damage. Air raid sirens blared across the country and men, women and children huddled in the capital’s cavernous metro system to take cover during the latest big wave of missile …

LONDON: Britain’s opposition Labour Party vowed on Monday to scrap the unelected and “indefensible” House of Lords as part of a constitutional revamp to redistribute economic growth after Brexit. Labour looks set to take power in the next election, due by January 2025, streaking far ahead of the governing Conservatives in opinion polls after a tumultuous period politically and economically. …

ZURICH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is considering investing around $500 million in a new Credit Suisse investment bank spin-off, CS First Boston, according to The Wall Street Journal. Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the US financial newspaper listed several potential investors in the new unit. In addition to the Saudi crown prince, the potential investors include …

WASHINGTON: Experts bla­m­ed poor Taliban governance and international policies for the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan where more than 90 percent of the households go hungry, says a report published on Monday. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has already described this as “the worst humanitarian crisis on Earth” while the international community still ponders how to help Afghans without benefiting …

A roadside bomb killed at least seven petroleum company employees aboard a bus in northern Afghanistan on Tuesday, police said. “Today at around 7am a blast took place in […] Balkh on a bus which belonged to Hairatan oil employees,” said Mohammad Asif Wazeri, police spokesman for northern province of Balkh, adding that at least six people were wounded. He …

People in China’s capital Beijing were allowed to enter parks, supermarkets, offices and airports without showing proof of a negative Covid-19 test on Tuesday, the latest in a mix of easing steps nationwide after last month’s historic protests. “Beijing readies itself for life again” read a headline in the government-owned China Daily newspaper, adding that people were “gradually embracing” their newfound freedoms. Authorities have …