UK court to resume Nirav Modi extradition trial today
LONDON: Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, who has been lodged at a prison in London since his arrest in March last year, is set to appear via videolink for the second leg of his extradition trial at a UK court on Monday. The 49-year-old jeweller is fighting extradition charges related to the estimated USD 2-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case brought by the Indian government, being represented at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London by the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Assange to fight US extradition bid in UK court
LONDON: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to fight for his freedom in a British court after a decade of legal drama, as he challenges American authorities’ attempt to extradite him on spying charges over the site’s publication of secret US Military documents. Lawyers for Assange and the US Government are scheduled to face off in London Monday at an extradition hearing that was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaker wants daily COVID-19 tests for UK parliamentarians
LONDON: The Speaker of the House of Commons on Sunday called for daily COVID-19 tests on lawmakers in order for Parliament to resume its sessions with a full House. Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he and the Leader of the Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, had ruled out the use of face masks during sessions to further cut down on the social distancing requirements within the Commons but he was keen to see daily tests as a means of encouraging greater participation in person by members of Parliament (MPs).
24 killed in air conditioner blast in Bangladesh mosque
DHAKA: Twenty four people have now died and around 50 are injured after six air conditioners exploded during prayers in a mosque in Bangladesh’s Fatullah town. So far, a total of 24 people, including a child, have died from burn injuries sustained in the blasts which took place around 9 pm on Friday, said Dr Partha Shankar Pal, resident medical officer of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. Police have filed a case over the incident, suspected to be caused by a gas leakage in pipelines.
Iran, Russia to jointly produce COVID-19 vaccine
CAIRO: Iran and Russia will cooperate to produce a COVID-19 vaccine in the Islamic republic as COVID-19 cases in Iran surged to 384,666 on Saturday. Meanwhile, an Iraqi health official warned that the citizens should not play down the seriousness of the coronavirus as 4,644 daily new infections were reported. Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East region, reported 1,894 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 384,666, Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday. The pandemic has so far claimed 22,154 lives in Iran, up by 110 in the past 24 hours. A total of 332,131 coronavirus patients have recovered, with 3,708 still in critical condition.
Toddler killed in shooting along Louisiana road
BATON ROUGE: A toddler was fatally shot while riding in a vehicle along a Louisiana road late Friday in a shooting that was condemned by the city’s mayor. Ibrie Combs, 3, was identified Saturday as the child who was killed, Baton Rouge Police Sgt. L’Jean McKneely Jr Said in a news release. Detectives believe a passing vehicle opened fire on the vehicle Combs was riding in, and the child was struck. Combs was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the vehicle crashed during the shooting and was taken to a hospital with injuries, McKneely said. A photo from WAFB-TV appeared to show a car overturned at the scene. A description of the passing vehicle wasn’t immediately available. No suspects or arrests were announced in the Saturday morning release. Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome denounced the fatal shooting on Twitter.
Turkey ready for every possibility in East Med
ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey is prepared for every possibility and consequence regarding the Eastern Mediterranean issue. “We are ready for every possibility and every consequence,” Erdogan said on Saturday at the opening ceremony of a hospital in Istanbul, noting Turkey “has the political, economic, and military power to tear away immoral maps and documents imposed by others.”
