International

WASHINGTON: A new report released on Monday shows how Arab rulers stashed hundreds of millions of dollars at the Credit Suisse bank before the so-called Arab spring in 2011. The report titled “False Spring” shows the Arab elite had deep ties to Credit Suisse on the eve of those historic uprisings that jolted the Middle East. The Arab Spring also …

WASHINGTON: Journ­alists and investigators who uncovered a new Swiss banking scandal this weekend said on Monday that some account holders tried to stop their investigation but government officials did not interfere. At an online news conference from Lisbon, Portugal, members of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) said “there have been steps from clients who tried to, in …

LAHORE: A convoy of 41 Afghan trucks reached Wagah border on Monday to collect the first consignment of wheat from India at Attar. New Delhi has committed 50,000 tonnes of wheat for Afghanistan because of food shortages there. The unloading of wheat from Indian lorries and its loading onto Afghan trucks is expected to begin today (Tuesday). “The 41 trucks, …

Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed hope for a “peaceful solution” to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine as he emphasised that military conflicts could never solve problems. He made these remarks during an interview with Russia’s state-owned television network RT released by the outlet on Tuesday. “I am not a believer in military conflicts. I believe the civilised societies resolve …

LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II tested positive on Sunday for Covid-19 but aides said her symptoms were “mild”, as politicians wished Britain’s longest-serving monarch a rapid recovery in her 70th year on the throne. In what is meant to be a banner year of Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the news comes at a stressful time for the 95-year-old queen with scandals stalking her two …

THE HAGUE: An international case accusing Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya ethnic minority returns to the United Nations’ highest court on Monday amid questions over whether the country’s military rulers should even be allowed to represent the Southeast Asian nation. Four days of public hearings at the International Court of Justice start Monday into Myanmar’s preliminary objections to the …

ABU DHABI: The UAE and its allies warned on Sunday of the rising threat of drone attacks, as Middle East militants rapidly acquire a taste for the cheap and easily accessible unmanned systems. But while the countries called for a collective effort to protect airspaces against the small and often hard to detect targets, one question remained: how to easily …

OTTAWA: The last big rigs were being towed Sunday out of Canada’s capital, where the streets were quiet for the first time in three weeks after a massive police operation ended a drawn-out siege over Covid health rules. A major cleanup was underway in Ottawa’s snowy downtown, where police in riot gear faced off with trucker-led demonstrators for two full …

TEHRAN: Iranian MPs urged the government on Sunday to secure Western guarantees at Vienna talks to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, state media reported, amid signs a deal could be close. In a letter addressed to President Ebrahim Raisi and read at parliament, 250 MPs out of the 290-strong assembly, set out several conditions for reaching a deal. It came …

BEIJING: Prime Minister Imran Khan’s upcoming official visit to Russia is historic and of great strategic significance, said Cheng Xizhong, visiting professor of Southwest University of Political Science and Law and Senior Fellow of the Charhar Institute. “It is particularly noteworthy that with a gap of 23 years, Russia has invited the Pakistani leader to visit Moscow, which reflected PM Imran Khan’s …