WikiLeaks founder wins bid to challenge extradition to US
London, May 20: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on Monday won a major reprieve as a London court permitted him to appeal against his extradition to the US on espionage charges, a legal saga which has been going on for over a decade. The 52-year-old Australian national has been held at Belmarsh high-security prison in London since 2019 when he was taken into custody from the Ecuadorian Embassy here where he had sought asylum. While the US authorities want Assange to face trial for allegedly endangering lives by publishing thousands of classified documents on Wikileaks, his lawyers have argued that the case against him is politically motivated. On Monday, two High Court judges at the Royal Courts of Justice granted the Australian-born Assange permission to appeal against his extradition order. (AP)
Nepali PM wins trust vote
Kathmandu, May 20: Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on Monday won a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives for the fourth time after he reassumed the premiership in December 2022. Dahal took the vote of trust amid protests from the opposition Nepali Congress, which has been demanding a probe committee against Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane for his alleged involvement in the embezzlement of deposits in cooperatives, Xinhua news agency reported. “As many as 158 lawmakers took part in the vote of confidence, of which 157 voted for the vote of confidence, which is a majority of the total existing lawmakers in the house,” announced Dev Raj Ghimire, speaker of the lower house. (IANS)
Two killed in stabbing spree in China school
Beijing, May 20: At least two people were killed and 10 others injured when a knife-wielding woman went on a stabbing spree at a primary school in east China’s Jiangxi province on Monday, in the second such incident in the country this month. The incident happened in Guixi city and the suspect, a 45-year-old female surnamed Pan, has been brought under control by the police, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Two people were killed in the incident, while 10 others were injured. The injured have received treatment, among which six were slightly wounded while trying to dodge the attack, local public security authorities said. Further investigation into the incident is underway. (IANS)
20 IS suspects detained in Turkey
Istanbul, May 20: Turkish Police on Monday detained 20 suspected members of the IS in a large operation in Turkey’s western province of Izmir, local media reported. As part of the investigation conducted by the Izmir Public Prosecutor’s Office Terrorism Crimes Investigation Bureau, several simultaneous operations were carried out in the Menemen district, according to the state-run TRT broadcaster, reported Xinhua News Agency. Police units seized weapons, organisational documents, and many digital materials during the searches at the addresses, TRT said, noting that the suspects were referred to the courthouse for further procedures. (IANS)