International

KARACHI: The US State Department spokesperson has denied the impression that Iran was supporting the militant Islamic State (IS) group in carrying out attacks in Pakistan. During the daily press briefing on Thursday, Matthew Miller was asked if the US has any information about Iran supporting IS in Pakistan to carry out the recent terrorist attacks. “…I do not have …

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he was “considering” a request by Australia to drop the prosecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on espionage charges. Australia’s parliament passed a motion in February with the prime minister’s support calling for an end to the legal saga surrounding Assange, who has been held in Britain since 2019 while fighting extradition …

LONDON: British High Commission officials have denied media reports claiming that the UK government had added Pakistan to the list of dangerous countries. In a recent update, the Foreign and Common­wea­lth Development Office (FCDO) has added eight additional destinations, including Israel and Gaza, to the list of places deemed ‘too dangerous’ for UK citizens to visit. Indian media reports, as well …

JERUSALEM: As Israel on Friday nervously awaited an attack by Iran or its proxies in retaliation for the last week strike on Iran’s embassy in Damascus, the United States said it was sending reinforcements to the Middle East. “We are moving additional assets to the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts and increase force protection for US forces,” said a US defence …

MAE SOT: Hundreds of refugees crossed over the river frontier between Myanmar and Thailand on Friday following the fall of a strategic border town to rebels fighting Myanmar’s military junta. Some said they feared air strikes by the Myanmar military after the rebel capture of Myawaddy, a town of around 200,000 people lying across the Moei River from the Thai …

NEW YORK: Donald Trump goes on trial on Monday (April 15) for allegedly covering up hush money payments to hide affairs ahead of the 2016 presidential election which propelled him into the White House. He will become the first former US president to go on criminal trial when jury selection begins next week. Here are the key questions ahead of …

WASHINGTON: A lucky Japanese astronaut will become the first non-American to set foot on the moon during one of Nasa’s upcoming Artemis missions, US President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday. The offer to Japan — an opportunity many nations have long dreamed of — came as part of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s state visit, and as Washington seeks to strengthen …

DUBLIN: Ireland and Spain are getting “much closer” to recognising a Palestinian state, new Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said on Friday as he met Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez. The comments, following talks in Dublin, came hours after Norway announced during a visit by Sanchez that it too was ready to recognise a Palestinian state. The Spanish leader is currently …

GAZA: A surprise ground assault on Thursday followed by Israeli bombardment from air, land and sea claimed dozens of lives on Eid day. Residents of Al-Nusseirat camp reported that several houses and two mosques had been destroyed, while officials said at least 25 people had been killed and several wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Al-Daraj …

An attacker who fatally knifed six people in a mall was shot dead by police in Sydney’s beachside suburb of Bondi on Saturday, police said, as hundreds fled the scene. The assailant was shot by a police officer after he attacked shoppers in the busy Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre, police said in a statement. Five of the six victims …