International

TOKYO: Japan’s “Moon Sniper” mission blasted off on Thursday as the country’s space programme looks to bounce back from a string of recent mishaps, weeks after India’s historic lunar triumph. Only the United States, Russia, China and as of last month India have successfully landed a probe on the Moon, with two failed Japanese missions — one public and one private. Watched by 35,000 …

WASHINGTON: Former US President Donald Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro was found guilty of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the House of Representatives committee that investigated the 2021 attack on the Capitol. Separately, a lawyer for Mr Trump said in a court filing that he may seek to move the Georgia criminal case – in which he …

KYIV: Russia carried out its fourth drone attack in five days on Ukrainian port facilities on the Danube River on Thursday, damaging grain silos and other infrastructure on a vital export route for Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said. The attack on Izmail district in southern Odesa region lasted three hours, governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram messenger. Two truck drivers were …

PARIS: France’s top administrative court on Thursday upheld a government ban on traditional over-garments worn by some Muslim women in schools and rejected complaints it was discriminatory and could incite hatred. President Emmanuel Macron’s government announced last month it was banning the abaya in schools as it broke the rules on secularism in education. Muslim headscarves have already banned on the ground …

WASHINGTON: A senior White House official has assured Islamabad that US President Joe Biden understands the threats Pakistan faces and is committed to working with the country to remove those threats. At a Wednesday afternoon news briefing in Washington, White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communication John Kirby also highlighted US efforts to reshape and scale up multilateral …

SHANGHAI: Microsoft researchers said on Thursday they found what they believe is a network of fake, Chinese-controlled social media accounts seeking to influence US voters by using artificial intelligence. A Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington said that accusations of China using AI to create fake social media accounts were “full of prejudice and malicious speculation” and that China advocates for …

ISTANBUL/ FARKADNA: Rescuers on Thursday recovered the body of the last man reported missing in floods that hit Istanbul and north-western Turkiye this week, bringing the death toll to eight, officials said. Torrential rains hit the northern stretches of Istanbul and parts of Kirklareli province on Tuesday, sweeping away shops and tourist bungalows. Two people died in Istanbul. The toll …

WASHINGTON: Moderna said on Wednesday its updated fall Covid booster, which is pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration, performed well against the highly mutated BA.2.86 variant. Human trial data showed the shot produced an 8.7-fold increase in neutralising antibodies against the variant, also known as Pirola, which has been designated a variant under monitoring, the US biotech company …

A COURT in military-ruled Myanmar on Wednesday sentenced a photojournalist to 20 years in prison, his employer said, the longest known prison term handed down to a media professional since the 2021 army coup. Sai Zaw Thaike was arrested in late May in Rakhine state while he was reporting on the Cyclone Mocha’s impact. The specifics of the charges against …

ISTANBUL: The European Union’s enlargement commissioner told Turkiye on Wednesday to address issues around democracy and the rule of law if it wants to boost its drive to join the bloc. Ankara secured a pledge from Brussels to resurrect stalled membership negotiations in exchange for lifting its blockade of Sweden’s drive to join the Nato military alliance. Turkish President Recep …