• Pandora Papers: Massive data leak exposes world leaders’ offshore millions

    Pandora Papers: Massive data leak exposes world leaders’ offshore millions

    Hundreds of world leaders, powerful politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders and drug dealers have been stashing away their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts and other assets for the past quarter century, according to a review of nearly 12 million files obtained from 14 different firms located around the world. The report released on Oct. 3, 2021, by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists involved 600 journalists from 150 media outlets in 117 countries.

    New York ( AFP ) : More than a dozen heads of state and government, from Jordan to Azerbaijan, Kenya and the Czech Republic, have used offshore tax havens to hide assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars, according to a far-reaching new investigation by the ICIJ media consortium.

    The so-called Pandora Papers investigation – involving about 600 journalists from media including The Washington Post, the BBC and The Guardian – is based on the leak of about 11.9 million documents from 14 financial services companies around the world.

    About 35 current and former leaders are featured in the latest vast trove of documents analysed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) – facing allegations ranging from corruption to money laundering and global tax avoidance.

    In most countries, the ICIJ stresses, it is not illegal to have assets offshore or to use shell companies to do business across national borders.

    But such revelations are no less of an embarrassment for leaders who may have campaigned publicly against tax avoidance and corruption, or advocated austerity measures at home.

    The documents notably expose how Jordan’s King Abdullah II created a network of offshore companies and tax havens to amass a US$100 million property empire from Malibu, California to Washington and London.

    The Jordanian embassy in Washington declined to comment, but the BBC cited lawyers for the king saying all the properties were bought with personal wealth, and that it was common practice for high profile individuals to purchase properties via offshore companies for privacy and security reasons.

    Family and associates of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev – long accused of corruption in the central Asian nation – are alleged to have been secretly involved in property deals in Britain worth hundreds of millions.

    And the documents also show how Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis – who faces an election later this week – failed to declare an offshore investment company used to purchase a chateau worth US$22 million in the south of France.

    In total, the ICIJ found links between almost 1,000 companies in offshore havens and 336 high-level politicians and public officials, including more than a dozen serving heads of state and government, country leaders, cabinet ministers, ambassadors and others.

    More than two-thirds of the companies were set up in the British Virgin Islands.

    “I guess it mostly demonstrates that the people that could end the secrecy of offshore, could end what’s going on, are themselves benefiting from it,” the ICIJ’s director Gerard Ryle said in a video accompanying the investigation.”We’re looking at trillions of dollars.”

    For Maira Martini, a policy expert with Transparency International, the latest investigation once more offers “clear evidence of how the offshore industry promotes corruption and financial crime, while obstructing justice.” “This business model cannot go on,” she said.

    Among the other revelations from the ICIJ investigation:

    -The former British prime minister Tony Blair, who has been critical of tax loopholes, is shown to have legally avoided paying stamp duty on a multi-million pound property in London, when he and his wife Cherie bought the offshore company that owned it.

    -Members of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s inner circle, including cabinet ministers and their families, are said to secretly own companies and trusts holding millions of dollars. In a series of tweets, Khan vowed to “take appropriate action” if any wrongdoing by Pakistani citizens is established.

    -Vladimir Putin is not directly named in the files, but he is linked via associates to secret assets in Monaco, notably a waterfront home acquired by a Russian woman believed to have had a child with the Russian leader, The Washington Post reports.

    -Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta – who has campaigned against corruption and for financial transparency – is alleged along with several family members of secretly owning a network of offshore companies.

    As well as politicians, the public figures exposed included the Colombian singer Shakira, the German supermodel Claudia Schiffer and the Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. Representatives for all three told the ICIJ the investments were legitimate and denied tax avoidance.

    The Pandora Papers are the latest in a series of mass ICIJ leaks of financial documents, from LuxLeaks in 2014, to the 2016 Panama Papers – which triggered the resignation of the prime minister of Iceland and paved the way for the leader of Pakistan to be ousted.

    They were followed by the Paradise Papers in 2017 and FinCen files in 2020.

    The documents behind the latest investigation are drawn from financial services companies in countries including the British Virgin Islands, Panama, Belize, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Switzerland.

    4 October , 2021

    Photo :Some 35 current and former leaders are featured in leaked financial documents analyzed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). (Photo: AFP/Jim Watson)

    • Connecting you with the world of travel and tourism

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      India resumes tourist visa for

      Chinese citizens after 5 years

      India announced  that it will open tourist visa applications to Chinese citizens from July 24, 2025. It was the first time in five years since the South Asian country suspended Chinese citizens’ tourist visa applications in February 2020.

      The Embassy of India in China announced via its Sina Weibo account  that, starting from July 24, 2025, Chinese citizens can apply for a tourist visa to visit India after completing an online application, scheduling an appointment, and personally submitting their passport and other required documents to three Indian visa application centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou in South China’s Guangdong Province.

      Responding to the related inquiry, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said  that “we take note of this positive move. Easing cross-border travel is widely beneficial. China will maintain communication and consultation with India to further facilitate travel between the two countries.”

      Chinese experts said the latest move taken by the India marks a phased milestone in the easing of relations between the two countries, and creates favorable conditions for further strengthening bilateral people-to-people exchanges.

      On February 2, 2020, India temporarily suspended its e-visa facility for Chinese travelers and foreigners residing in China amid coronavirus outbreak. – Global Times

      Trump to pause anti-immigrant

      raids in hotels , restaurants

      US President Donald Trump has decided to temporarily suspend raids on farms, hotels and restaurants, according a media report.

      The US government has ordered immigration officials to pause raids and arrests on farms, hotels and restaurants, according to a report by the New York Times.

      Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were sent a directive asking that they refrain from heading to such establishments, which also include meatpacking plants and aquaculture.

      Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the report, saying in a statement that “we will follow the president’s direction and continue to get the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens off America’s streets.”

      The pause in the raids potentially reflects the government’s concerns about the negative impact these operations are having on vital economic sectors, as well as electoral support. The agricultural industry, particularly in states like California, relies almost exclusively on immigrant labour for its day-to-day operations.

      The recent protests in Los Angeles, which were triggered by large-scale immigration raids in local communities, have increased pressure on the government. This situation poses a dilemma for the president, who is seeking to maintain the support of key constituencies ahead of the upcoming congressional and midterm elections in 2026.

      Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has implemented an unprecedentedly heavy-handed immigration policy. His cabinet officials recently held meetings with ICE leadership, setting a minimum quota of 3,000 arrests per day, a mandate that has resulted in intensified immigration raids nationwide.

      The temporary suspension of the agriculture and hospitality raids likely does not represent a fundamental change in Trump’s immigration policy, which remains aggressive in rhetoric.

      Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem pledhed that federal authorities are “not going away”, and that people who are in the country illegally, as well as violent protesters, will “face consequences”.

      The administration has relied heavily on a crime-focused message, which places significant emphasis on apprehending individuals illegally in the country who are also violent criminals.

      That message has been undercut, however, by statistics revealed this week which show the number of people arrested for immigration violations that have never faced other criminal charges or convictions has shot up from 860 in January this year to 7,800 this month.

      The number of individuals arrested with criminal charges and convictions also went up, but at a significantly lower rate of 91%. – Euronews , June 14, 2025

      Gulf Cooperation Council Tourism 

      Dubai – As tourism destinations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) continue to grow, involving local communities in destination development has become increasingly vital for long-term success.

      Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030 aims for 39.3 million visitors per year, while Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 targets 150 million domestic and international visits, emphasising how tourism is being established as a key element of economic diversification throughout the region.

      At Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025, industry leaders emphasised that sustainable revitalisation of destinations must align tourism investments with community partnerships, cultural authenticity, and immersive guest experiences to provide lasting value for both residents and visitors.

      During the session on “Considerations and Implications of Involving Communities in Destination Revitalisation” on the ATM 2025 Global Stage, experts shared insights into building resilience, enhancing local prosperity, and ensuring tourism growth is both inclusive and enduring.

      Arabian Travel Market 2025, held under the theme “Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity”,  featured more than 200 speakers across three content stages and welcomes over 55,000 travel professionals from 166 countries.

      Messe Berlin India launched 

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      Messe Berlin announces the official launch of Messe Berlin India, a newly incorporated subsidiary that underscores the company’s long-term commitment to one of Asia’s fastest-growing markets. Headquartered in Delhi , the new entity will serve as a strategic base for expanding ITB India and launching future projects tailored to the Indian market. With this establishment, Messe Berlin is reinforcing its vision of India as a regional hub for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable business growth within the exhibition and events industry.

      “Messe Berlin’s presence in India reflects our strategic intent to strengthen our international reach by being where the growth is. India is a key market for us — vibrant, diverse, and full of opportunities. With Messe Berlin India, we are laying down long-term foundations to build strong partnerships, support local industries, and elevate our global platforms,” said Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO, Messe Berlin.

      ITB India, inaugurated in 2023, continues as the flagship event under the new subsidiary. Held annually, ITB India is a three-day B2B travel trade show and convention that connects the global travel and tourism industry with the Indian market. Alongside MICE Show India, Travel Tech India, and the ITB India Conference, ITB India serves as a unique platform to forge new partnerships, strengthen existing ties, and capitalize on the fast-growing potential of the Indian and South Asian travel economies. The show hosts key players from the MICE, Leisure, Corporate Travel, and Travel Technology sectors. The upcoming edition, ITB India 2025, will take place from 2 – 4 September 2025  in Mumbai.

      FACTS —

      Tourism helps in:

      👉Reducing poverty

      👉Reducing Inequalities

      👉Promoting gender equality

      👉Fostering decent work and economic growth

      World Tourism Day 2021: ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth’

      In 2019, Travel & Tourism’s direct, indirect and induced impact accounted for:
      -US$8.9 trillion contribution to the world’s GDP
      -10.3% of global GDP
      -330 million jobs, 1 in 10 jobs around the world
      -US$1.7 trillion visitor exports (6.8% of total exports,
      28.3% of global services exports)
      -US$948 billion capital investment (4.3% of total
      investment)