Author: Steven Sahiounie

Syria reiterated its support for the global security initiative launched by the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, in 2022. “Syria renews its support for the global security initiative launched by the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, in the year 2022, and asserts that there is an urgent need more than ever before for such constructive initiatives at the global level due to the unprecedented challenges that the world is witnessing today, which increasingly threatens security and stability around the world,” Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said in a statement on Monday. “Syria has…

US occupation forces removed Daesh terrorists from a prison controlled by QSD militia in Hasaka province to their bases inside Iraqi territory. Sources told SANA reporter that the US occupation forces removed terrorists of foreign nationalities from Industrial Secondary Prison controlled by QSD militia via Simalka illegal crossing to places near the occupation bases inside Iraq. The sources affirmed that the move took place hours after the visit of US occupation’s delegation comprising diplomats and military experts to the region, and after a series of meetings between members of this delegation and members of QSD militia. They added that several…

The presidents of Iran and Belarus signed a road map to comprehensive cooperation between the two countries in addition to several agreements in various fields. Following high-profile talks in Tehran on Monday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko signed the road map to comprehensive cooperation between the two states. Ministers and ranking officials from the two countries also signed seven other cooperation agreements in the event. The deals entail interaction in the trade sector, transportation, agriculture, cultural and artistic activities, extradition of convicts, and implementation of plans on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of establishment…

The US Defense Department’s fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget request includes $170 billion for procurement, marking the largest such investment in its history, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Monday. “The FY 2024 president’s budget allows the Defense Department to invest in capabilities that will ensure we maintain a ready, lethal and combat-credible joint force with a laser focus on China as the department’s pacing challenge and addressing the acute threat posed by Russia,” Austin said in a statement. “This budget also funds $170 billion for procurement, the largest in history.” Investments include $61.1 billion for air power development, modernization…

The US Interior Department said on Monday that it is approving three out of five drill sites proposed by ConocoPhillips as part of its Willow Master Development Plan in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. “The Record of Decision denies two of the five drill site pads proposed by ConocoPhillips, reducing the project’s drill pads by 40%,” the Interior Department said in a statement. “[The actions] significantly scale-back the Willow Project within the constraints of valid existing rights under decades-old leases issued by prior administrations.” The Biden administration’s decision to grant partial approval to the energy development project comes despite objections by environmental…

In an attempt to soften his image, Macron is trying to improve his ties with Africa, whose countries France had formerly colonized. Before starting his 18th trip to Africa in a mere eight years, French president Emmanuel Macron boasted of “humility,” “partnership” and “investment” after his country, the previous colonizer of Africa, withdrew its army from multiple African nations. In Gabon’s capital Libreville, Macron expressed: “The days of la Françafrique are well and truly over,” “We have reached the end of a cycle of French history in which military questions held preeminence in Africa,” Macron said. Henceforth, “there will be no…

In a new piece on Chinese influence in the Middle East and across the globe, Modern Diplomacy argues that China is “not in competition with the US.” Chinese influence continues to grow across the Middle East, making it “unavoidable” according to a new analysis featured in ModernDiplomacy (MD), an international magazine that characterizes itself as a “leading European opinion-maker.” As part of the argument that China became highly influential across Asia and Africa, the MD piece set the premise that China played a role in Middle East affairs, as shown in the most recent and successful Iran-Saudi agreement, as well as the approach to show…

Turkish diplomatic sources announce that Foreign Ministers from Syria, Turkey, Russia, and Iran will meet in Moscow on March 15 and 16. A meeting that will involve Syria, Turkey, Russia, and Iran at the level of Deputy Foreign Ministers is set to be held on March 15 and 16 in Moscow, Turkish diplomatic sources revealed on Monday. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced earlier last week that a technical delegation will head to Moscow, prior to the planned foreign ministers’ meeting in mid-March. “The Iranian side will also attend this meeting. At this meeting, preparations for the foreign ministers’ meeting will be…

Recent days were marked by the bloody attacks of the Ukrainian military on the civilian settlements in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. On a daily basis, dozens of Ukrainian strikes are targeting civilian facilities, private houses, and public places in cities and villages where no battles are ongoing. The Ukrainian military is intentionally targeting the strategic civilian facilities like grain warehouses and farms in an attempt to cause famine in the recently liberated regions; as well as public transport hubs in order to disrupt communication and transportation within the towns. The main goal of the Kiev regime is to…

The US military hasn’t taken credit for the strike, which was reported on January 30 AntiWar According to the monitoring group Airwars, a suspected US drone strike killed seven civilians, including three children, in Somalia on January 30. Airwars cited media reports from three news outlets: Shabelle Media Network, Somali Guardian, and Caasimada Online News. Local residents said the strike took place between two villages near the border of the Hiraan and Middle Shabelle (Shabeellaha Dhexe) regions. US Africa Command did not report an airstrike on January 30, but it’s not clear if the command is reporting each strike it launches. It’s also possible…