Author: Steven Sahiounie

The late PMC boss reportedly made deals with Chinese companies by transferring money with the help of HSBC and JPMorganThe late founder of the Wagner private military company, Evgeny Prigozhin, secretly used Western banks to funnel money to support his operations in Africa, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. Citing leaked documents allegedly obtained by the Washington-based Center for Advanced Defense Studies think tank, the newspaper claimed that a Sudanese mining company closely linked to Wagner, sent money in 2017 from a local bank account to a Chinese vendor via JPMorgan Chase. The Sudanese company, Meroe Gold, reportedly bought diesel…

Swiss police have detained several people after an American woman died using the devicePolice in Switzerland announced several arrests on Tuesday after the controversial Sarco pod, nicknamed the ‘suicide capsule’, was used to end the life of a US woman in the first documented use of the device. The Sarco, short for sarcophagus, is a 3D-printed capsule, designed to be operated by one person who can enter the coffin-like enclosure, lie down and press a button. The device then rapidly decreases the oxygen level and pumps in nitrogen, resulting in the user’s death by hypoxia. According to a statement published…

Transportation and police officials in the United Kingdom announced they are investigating a “cybersecurity incident” that affected public Wi-Fi networks at the country’s major railway stations. Passengers attempting to log into the Wi-Fi network at several stations, including Piccadilly in Manchester, New Street in Birmingham, and eleven stations in London, encountered a page displaying the message “We Love You, Europe,” followed by an “anti-Islam” message listing a series of terrorist attacks. Network Rail, which manages the stations, confirmed that the Wi-Fi service has been shut down and emphasized that no passenger data was compromised. In a statement, the company noted,…

According to two Syrian security sources, over 22,000 individuals, primarily Syrians, have crossed the border from Lebanon since the beginning of the week amid heavy Israeli airstrikes. One Syrian security official reported that more than 6,000 Lebanese and approximately 15,000 Syrians have made emergency crossings through the Jdeidat Yabous crossing over the past three days, up until Thursday morning. Simultaneously, another security source stated that around 1,000 Lebanese and about 500 Syrians entered through the Al-Jousiyeh crossing since Monday. On Thursday, the Israeli military announced that its fighter jets targeted infrastructure used by Hezbollah along the Syrian-Lebanese border. An official…

The World Bank reported on Thursday that the entire population of the Gaza Strip is suffering from poverty, with a staggering rate of 100%. In its latest report titled “Palestinian Economic Update,” the World Bank highlighted the dire situation as the first anniversary of the ongoing Israeli aggression approaches, which has displaced nearly two million people. The report noted that inflation has soared beyond 250% due to the ongoing conflict in the region. The report indicated a 35% decline in the real GDP of the Palestinian territories during the first quarter of 2024, marking the largest contraction ever recorded. The…

On Thursday, eyewitnesses described the ongoing violent clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital, Khartoum, as a “holocaust.” Fires rage across the cities of Khartoum, Khartoum North, and Omdurman, accompanied by the sounds of explosions and heavy shelling. There is a pervasive sense of panic and fear among civilians trapped in combat zones, as military aircraft soar overhead. Intense fighting erupted early Thursday when the army launched an assault from the Omdurman axis, attempting to cross two major bridges toward Khartoum and Khartoum North, supported by extensive airstrikes. In response, the RSF, which…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office clarified on Thursday that reports of a ceasefire with Hezbollah are inaccurate. The statement emphasized that Netanyahu has not responded to the U.S.-French proposal for de-escalation. The Prime Minister’s office further clarified that claims about instructions to de-escalate military operations in the north are untrue, asserting that Netanyahu has directed the military to continue fighting with full force according to the planned strategy. Earlier, Israeli media reported that a senior official in Netanyahu’s office had indicated a green light for a ceasefire on the northern front to allow space for negotiations. In a joint…

In a remarkable turn of events, a Japanese man who spent the longest time on death row in the world was acquitted after nearly 60 years of wrongful conviction. The Japanese public broadcaster, NHK, reported that on Thursday, Iwao Hakamada, now 88, was cleared of charges for which he was initially sentenced to death, marking a triumph for his family’s long battle for justice. The Shizuoka District Court acquitted Hakamada during a retrial for the 1966 murders of four people in central Japan. Hakamada had spent 45 years awaiting execution before the court ordered his release in 2014, citing doubts…

An individual impersonated a former Ukrainian official in an attempt to deceive U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Ben Cardin, through a Zoom video call. According to a notice circulated to Senate offices as a warning against similar attempts, the unidentified caller posed as former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. The notice detailed an email received by Cardin’s office on September 19 from someone claiming to be Kuleba, which led to a conversation laced with what the notice described as “politically charged questions regarding upcoming elections.” The incident highlights the growing risks of digital impersonation, particularly involving high-profile political figures,…

The technical meeting for the African Super Cup match between Al Ahly and Zamalek, scheduled for Friday, concluded with agreements on the teams’ kits. Al Ahly will wear their traditional red jersey paired with white shorts, while the goalkeeper will don a light green outfit. On the other hand, Zamalek will step onto the pitch in their alternate kit, featuring an all-black jersey and shorts, with their goalkeeper dressed in yellow and black. During the meeting, all organizational aspects of the match were finalized, including the teams’ arrival times at Kingdom Arena. It was also confirmed that if the match…