Author: Steven Sahiounie

US magazine Newsweek revealed that Joe Biden’s administration is ready to release an Afghan leader who has been lying in a US federal prison for 16 years. In return, the US administration demanded the release of the last American hostage in Afghanistan, provided that the Taliban produce a proof of life. On the other hand, Biden warned that ISIS seeks to target Kabul airport and attack US forces. Biden added that the airlift that the US initiated to evacuate its citizens, Western nationals, and Afghan citizens who cooperated with its forces, “must end soon.” In turn, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby…

The brother of Palestinian prisoner Karim Younes, Nadim, divulged to Al Mayadeen that his mother last saw her son approximately a month ago. Despite her old age and being wheelchair-bound, Younes told Al Mayadeen that his mother was subject to scrutiny when she visited, as her age and condition were not taken into account. Nadim stated that the prisoner Karim Younes (61 years old), who has been in jail for 39 years, has been suffering in Hadarim jail, with one year and four months remaining of his sentence. His release date is set for January 5, 2023. Nadim added that he met with his…

Ukraine, which has long served as one of the main transit countries for Russian gas, vehemently opposes the launch of a new pipeline. Kiev fears Nord Stream 2 will strip it of transit revenue, and demands that the EU, and specifically Germany, drop the project. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the Nord Stream 2 pipeline “a dangerous geopolitical weapon of the Kremlin” following his meeting with outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The president said he had discussed the pipeline with the German head of government, stressing that Nord Stream 2 would only benefit Russia and not Europe. Merkel stopped short of…

More than 200 protesters were arrested in Melbourne on Saturday. At least 19 will be subjected to criminal trials, while the rest face fines of over 5,000 Australian dollars (£2,600). Nine police officers were hurt in the clashes, with one kept in hospital overnight. Melbourne’s top cop has claimed Saturday’s anti-lockdown protests were the most violent in two decades after officers pepper-sprayed children. Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton claimed on Sunday his officers had no choice but to use “less than lethal” weapons against what he called an armed mob determined to “confront and attack” at the protests in Australia’s…

The Head of the political office of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, says the recent Operation al-Quds Sword proved that the holy city of al-Quds is the main axis of anti-Zionism struggles. Ismail Haniyeh made the remarks on Sunday, during a speech he delivered at the third international scholarly forum – titled “The Operation al-Quds Sword Gateway to Liberation” – on the 52nd anniversary of an arson attack against the al-Aqsa Mosque. On August 21, 1969, the mosque was set on fire by an Australian settler named Dennis Michael Rohan in coordination with Israeli officials and military forces. The fire gutted…

A Turkish airstrike has killed two Iraqi civilians in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq, where Turkey is pressing ahead with a military campaign against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants. Local mayor Farhad Mahmoud said the latest bombardment took place in Zakho, a city near the Turkish border on Sunday. Mahmoud said the Iraqi civilians who were killed “had gone to an area where it is advised not to go,” adding that they were not from the area, but had been visiting from the city of Mosul. “They were caught in a Turkish bombing and died,” he said. The PKK militants…

The Russian Soyuz rocket has launched 34 OneWeb satellites into constellation in space, totalling 288 satellites in orbit. The rocket, engineered by French company Arianespace, in tandem with British company OneWeb, aims to improve internet provision around the world. “Once deployed, the OneWeb constellation will enable user terminals that are capable of offering 3G, LTE, 5G and Wi-Fi coverage, providing high-speed access globally — by air, sea and land,” Arianespace said. The ArianeSpace rocket took off from the cosmodrome of Baikonur in Kazakhstan on Saturday at 22:13 GMT, the Space Agency of Roscosmos stated in a statement. It was OneWeb’s…

Al Mayadeen correspondent reported that a number of explosions were heard in Central Gaza, noting that Israeli warplanes targeted the Resistance’s Arin site, in Nuseirat. Our reporter had said earlier today that occupation forces fired live ammunition and teargas on Palestinians near the separation fence, as they were partaking in the “Seif Al-Quds” festival in commemoration of the 52nd anniversary of the burning of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. He also added that injuries were reported after the occupation forces opened fire on the demonstrators, who, in their turn, set rubber tires on fire near the separation fence east of Malaka Camp, with some of…

US and Western media outlets reported on potential ISIS threats against Afghan and US nationals awaiting evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. The Associated Press reported that a US official cited potential ‘Islamic State’ threats against Americans in Afghanistan, and that these threats are forcing the United States military to develop new ways to bring the evacuees to safety in the airport. In a similar vein, NBC reported that US defense officials say that the military is looking for alternative ways to get US, Afghan, and third-country nationals to the airport safely following threats from the ‘Islamic State.’ The United States had…

Today, Sunday, the Ramallah Magistrate’s Court announced the release of seven inmates, including Maher Al-Akhras, who was imprisoned for taking part in a protest against the assassination of Nizar Banat. Coincidingly, the lawyer for the released prisoner Khader Adnan, divulged that his client remains at the Palestinian General Investigations. “We are before the court in Ramallah and we do not know anything about Akhras’ health condition or the grounds for his detention,” Al-Akhras’ wife said earlier today. The “Islamic Jihad” movement criticized the persecution of demonstrators, calling the attack on Akhras a “shameful deed” by the authorities and their security…