International

LONDON: Britain’s government said on Wednesday it was investigating allegations that UK universities have collaborated with Iran on drones and other sensitive technology despite a legal ban. With Russia accused of unleashing Iranian-made attack drones in Ukraine, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was grilled in parliament about the report by the Jewish Chronicle newspaper earlier this month. “We take all allegations of breaches …

WASHINGTON: The US Federal Trade Comm­ission on Wednesday accused Amazon.com of enrolling millions of consumers into its paid subscription Amazon Prime service without their consent and making it hard for them to cancel, the agency’s latest action against the ecommerce giant in recent weeks. The FTC sued Amazon in federal court in Seattle, alleging that the company has “knowingly duped …

At least 31 people were killed when an explosion caused by a gas leak ripped through a restaurant in the northwestern Chinese city of Yinchuan, state media said Thursday. The blast occurred on the eve of the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, when many in China go out and socialise with friends. Footage on state broadcaster CCTV showed more than a dozen …

France’s World Cup-winning midfielder N’Golo Kante has joined Saudi Arabian champions Al Ittihad, the club said in a statement on Wednesday, joining up with compatriot Karim Benzema. “Kante is an Ittihad player now!” the club said on Twitter, while chairman Anmar al-Hailee tweeted: “Welcome to our new tiger Kante,” a reference to the team’s nickname.     The 32-year-old becomes …

The Biden administration will make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States, using this week’s state visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help some skilled workers enter or remain in the country, according to three people familiar with the matter. The State Department could announce as soon as Thursday that a small number of …

The Foreign Office on Thursday stated that Pakistan was not engaged in any talks with the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The statement from Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch comes days after Taliban Information Minister Zabihullah Mujahid offered to mediate between the TTP and Pakistan due to escalating tensions, particularly after the former terminated a ceasefire last year. “If Pakistan wants us …

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden’s son Hunter has agreed to plead guilty to two counts of failure to pay federal income tax, and admitted to illegally owning a gun, prosecutors said on Tuesday. Hunter Biden, whose business dealings have been under attack for years from Republican lawmakers, acknowledged possessing a firearm despite being a drug user. The plea agreement between …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said he planned to present Pakistan’s stance on the urgent need to restructure international financial institutions to address the challenges facing humanity. He made the remarks as he was departing for France to attend the New Global Financing Pact Summit in Paris. In a tweet, the premier emphasised that the summit provided a “unique …

AL SHARQIYA: Four people were shot dead Tuesday near a settlement in the occupied West Bank, Israeli officials said, a day after an army raid in the territory left six Palestinians dead. Tuesday’s attack took place at a petrol station near the Eli settlement, south of Nablus. Four other people were wounded, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency …

BUCHAREST: Roma­nian prosecutors on Tuesday charged US-British social media influencer Andrew Tate, who has gained millions of fans by promoting an ultra-masculine lifestyle, with human trafficking, rape and forming a gang to sexually exploit women. Tate was indicted with his brother Tristan and two Romanian female suspects. They are under house arrest pending an investigation into abuses against seven women …