HUAWEI SACKS EMPLOYEE ARRESTED IN POLAND ON CHARGES OF ESPIONAGE

HONG KONG/WARSAW : Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei said it had sacked an employee arrested in Poland on spying charges in a case that could intensify Western security concerns about the company. Poland’s internal affairs minister, Joachim Brudzinski, called for the European Union and NATO to work on a joint position over whether to exclude Huawei from their markets following the arrest of the Chinese employee and a former Polish security official on Friday. The two men have heard the charges and could be held for three months. Seeking to distance itself from the incident, Huawei said in a statement it had sacked Wang Weijing, whose “alleged actions have no relation to the company.” REUTERS

Russia loses control of radio telescope satellite

MOSCOW : Russia’s space agency says its specialists are attempting to fix problems that have blocked control of an orbiting radio telescope. The Spektr-r satellite is continuing to transmit signals, but scientists have been unable to control the satellite since Friday. The satellite was launched in 2011 and has exceeded its initially expected useful life of about three years. It is used to study radio sources within and outside Earth’s galaxy. An official from Russian space agency Roscosmos, Alexander Bloshenko, said Saturday that another attempt to establish control of the satellite will take place Sunday. AP

Gunmen attack Afghan police station, five killed

KABUL : Five people were killed in clashes between the police and gunmen who attacked a police station in Afghanistan’s western Herat province, officials said. Two gunmen who stormed the building killed three policemen, a civilian and a child, the spokesman for Herat provincial governor, Jailani Farhad, said, adding that four policemen were also wounded before the attackers were killed. Members of the Afghan National Security Forces seized a vehicle packed with explosives from the attack site. No militant group claimed responsibility. REUTERS

‘White House asked for options to strike Iran’

TEHRAN: President Donald Trump’s national security team asked the Pentagon last year for “options to strike Iran,” the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unidentified US officials. The request was made after militants in Iraq aligned with Iran fired mortars at Baghdad’s diplomatic district, which includes the US Embassy, the report said. The request generated concern at the Pentagon and state department, current and former US officials told the newspaper. Trump’s National Security Adviser John Bolton led the approach to the Pentagon, which compiled options. BLOOMBERG

Islamic State commander killed in Afghanistan

KABUL: A senior commander of the Islamic State militant group was killed in Afghanistan in a raid, U.S. Forces Afghanistan said on Saturday. Khetab Emir was killed in the raid on Jan 10 in the eastern area of Nangarhar province, said Lt. Ubon Mendie, a spokesman for the US forces based in Afghanistan. Emir, who was known by multiple names, facilitated high-profile attacks and supplied Islamic State fighters with weapons and materials to make explosives, Mendie said. “His removal helps protect innocent Afghans from future Islamic State violence.” REUTERS