Author: Steven Sahiounie

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…

Ennahda Movement denounced the conspiracies threatening Tunisian national security and the President’s personal security. The movement issued a statement in which it called on the State’s security services and judicial body to probe into the matter to expose those involved in the said conspiracies. Ennahda Movement also warned against internal and foreign plots that aim to undermine the country’s stability. Ennahda indicated that the unconstitutional decisions and measures announced on July 25 and thereafter are ‘exceptional,’ noting that overcoming them requires cooperation. Additionally, the Tunisian Judicial Council announced Saturday the arrest of Beltayeb Rached, the first president of the Court…

Tree planting has been at the heart of China’s environmental efforts for decades and is a major part of plans to bring carbon emissions down to net zero by 2060. The total area pledged to have trees planted each year is greater than the size of Belgium and is being described as “land greening” by Li Chunliang, vice-chairman of the State Forestry and Grasslands Commission. “By 2035, the quality and stability of national forest, grassland, wetland, and desert ecosystems will have been comprehensively upgraded,” Mr. Li said. According to Reuters, China will accelerate grassland conservation and restoration during the 14th…

At SeaWorld San Diego, the youngest orca died from disease, leaving her caretakers heartbroken. The six-year-old whale, Amaya, died Thursday and the cause of death will not be revealed until postmortem examination results conclude, which can take weeks. Amaya started to show signs of illness on August 18, and animal care specialists and veterinarians immediately started treating her. Despite the efforts of her care team, the condition of Amaya continued to fall quickly. Her death was unexpected and sudden. The youngest of 10 whales, Amaya spent time with her mother Kalia and father Ulises in San Diego Park, according to…

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore warned that Lebanon is in danger of losing critical access to water. “Unless urgent action is taken, more than four million people across Lebanon – predominantly vulnerable children and families – face the prospect of critical water shortages or being completely cut off from safe water supply in the coming days,” she said. Fore said Saturday in a UNICEF statement that the UN organization had previously warned that more than 71% of the Lebanese population could run out of water in the summer. “Since then, this perilous situation has continued,” she added, explaining that with…

Leading Japanese cryptocurrency exchange company Liquid Inc. has been hit by hackers, with almost $100m stolen. This was the second major theft of cryptocurrencies to take place in recent days. Last week, the digital token platform Poly Network was at the center of a $600m heist. “We are sorry to announce that #LiquidGlobal warm wallets were compromised; we are moving assets into the cold wallet,” the company said on Twitter. So-called ‘warm’ or ‘hot’ digital wallets are usually online and designed to allow users to access their cryptocurrencies in a more feasible manner, while ‘cold’ wallets are offline, making them…