Al-Qaeda suspect extradited from Britain to US

A Pakistan-born US national accused of supplying military equipment to Al-Qaeda was extradited to the United States, police have said.
Syed Hashmi, 27, now faces trial in the United States over allegations that he was a 'quartermaster' who supplied the terror network's operatives in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"Syed Hashmi, an American national, has been extradited this evening from Gatwick airport to America," said a spokesman for London's Metropolitan Police on Friday.
His lawyers had argued that any trial should take place in Britain and had no relevance to the United States. They also claimed that arrest warrants against him were flawed.
But at London's High Court in March, Lord Justice Scott Baker and Justice David Clarke said that this complaint was "without substance."
Hashmi, who was arrested at London Heathrow Airport last June as he boarded a flight to Pakistan, came to Britain on a student visa in 2003 and joined the Islamist group Al-Muhajiroun, which has now disbanded.
His extradition warrant alleged that he had received 'military gear' for use in committing terrorist acts between January and March 2004.
He was indicted by the United States District Court for the southern district of New York.
-
Taiwan begins live-fire artillery drill simulating defence against China attack
Taiwan's military began a live-fire artillery drill Tuesday simulating a defence of the island against an attack after days of massive Chinese military exercises, an AFP journalist at the site of the exercise said. Spokesman for Taiwan's Eighth Army Corps, Lou Woei-jye, confirmed that the drills had started in the southern county of Pingtung shortly after 0040 GMT with the firing of target flares and artillery.
-
Trump says FBI raided his Florida home, broke into his safe. What we know so far
Former US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that the FBI was conducting a search at his Mar-a-Lago estate and broke into his safe. While there has been no official confirmation from the federal law enforcement agency, the action is said to be related to a probe of whether Trump had taken classified presidential records from his White House tenure to his Florida residence, according to Associated Press.
-
Israel re-opens Gaza crossings as truce with Palestinians holds
At least 44 people, 15 of them children, were killed in 56 hours of violence that began when Israeli airstrikes hit a senior Islamic Jihad commander. Israel said its action was a pre-emptive strike against an attack the Iranian-backed group had planned.
-
Russia suspends inspection under new START treaty over western sanctions
Russia said Monday it was suspending US on-site inspections under a strategic arms reduction treaty with Washington, pointing to Western sanctions and coronavirus infections. The Russian foreign ministry said facilities that are subject to inspections under the New START treaty will be "temporarily" exempt from such inspections. The announcement comes as ties between Russia and the United States unravel over Moscow's intervention in Ukraine and debilitating Western sanctions.
-
Rishi Sunak gets support of US-based Indian organisation to become UK PM
A US-based Indian organisation that caters to the interests of the Hindu-American community on Monday endorsed former UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak to become Britain's first Indian-origin Prime Minister. The race to elect a new Conservative Party leader, who will take charge as British Prime Minister early next month, heated up on Monday as the two finalists –Sunak and Liz Truss – clashed over their proposals to tackle the soaring cost-of-living crisis in the country.