Author: Steven Sahiounie

The World Health Organisation warned on 12 August that the huge explosion, which left as many as 300,000 people homeless, had a drastic effect on the country’s healthcare, leaving half of Beirut’s 55 medical facilities non-functional. This is especially dangerous as Lebanon has recently seen a surge in coronavirus cases. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will join international and Lebanese officials in the probe into the cause of the catastrophic blast that occurred in Lebanon’s capital Beirut on 4 August, said David Hale, the US State Department’s under secretary for political affairs. Hale made the statement as he…

Apart from the UAE, Egypt and Jordan are the only Arab countries that have reached a peace agreement with the Jewish state, although it maintains official as well as reportedly unofficial ties with other regional powers. US President Donald Trump has announced that Israel and the United Arab Emirates have reached an agreement to establish full diplomatic ties in exchange for Tel Aviv halting its West Bank plans, which Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had long promised to carry out. The Israeli prime minister later clarified that the extension of Tel Aviv’s sovereignty over the West Bank territories is not completely…

France announced Thursday that it will deploy two warplanes, and reinforce its presence in the eastern Mediterranean with one of its warships.The French Ministry of Defense said that France will send two Rafale fighter jets and the naval frigate Lafayette to the eastern Mediterranean as part of plans to increase its military presence in the region, amid indications of tension with Turkey, the Reuters News Agency reported.Earlier in the week, French President Emmanuel Macron called on Turkey to stop drilling for oil and gas in disputed waters in that region, which led to an escalation of tensions with Greece.Macron had…

The Libyan News Agency reported that the warplanes of the Libyan National Army (LNA) had struck “enemy targets” southeast of the city of Misrata.The Libyan National Army’s air force reportedly targeted a boat that violated the exclusion zone with “terrorists from the Sarraj militia on board.”The agency quoted identical sources as saying that the raid was south of the Abu Gurayn area, on the road leading to a town in the municipality of Al-Jafra, confirming that the local residents heard the sound of loud explosions from the direction of the town of Wadi Bai.The sources added that the Libyan Army’s…

A suspected U.S. drone strike targeted two vehicles in the northern countryside of Idlib on Thursday, resulting in their subsequent destruction.According to opposition reports, the drone, which is believed to belong to the U.S.-led Coalition, struck two vehicles near the town of Sarmada, north of the administrative capital of Idlib.The reports from the scene of the attack indicate that both vehicles were destroyed and all passengers were either killed or wounded.No information has been released about the passengers of the vehicles; however, in the past, when the U.S. has targeted Idlib with drones strikes, they have usually hit hardline factions…

The Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Central Command, General Kenneth McKenzie, announced that his country “intends to reduce its forces in Iraq and Syria in the coming months, in exchange for maintaining a long-term presence.”McKenzie said at a conference that brought him together with several officials, that American and other NATO forces would maintain a long-term presence in Iraq, to ​​help fight terrorism and stop Iranian influence in the country, and he refused to disclose the size of this presence, but other American officials said that the discussions with Iraqi officials are set to resume this month and the number of…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator To understand the effect of terrorism in the world today, we must accept that terrorism has been yabsorbed into some legitimate governments.  They use fear to achieve their goals, and have adapted to the use of digital technology.  These terrorists are used by well-known politicians who disregard law, international norms, and treaties.  Terrorists have even become part of international negotiations. It may sound like a futuristic ‘action film’ script; however, it is the facts on the ground in Libya today. Following the overthrow of Muammar Al-Qadhafi in 2011, a centralized Libyan State ceased to…

On Wednesday, the Greek Ministry of Defense condemned Turkey’s continued provocations in the eastern Mediterranean region and its violation of the country’s maritime borders.The Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Wednesday that “the ships of the Turkish Navy were at a distance of 60 nautical miles south of the Greek island of Kastellorizo, which constitutes a violation of the maritime borders,” explaining that the Greek naval fleet is in the area to monitor Turkish activities.Meanwhile, the Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmaz said in a tweet that the Uruj Reis vessel launched the seismic cables…

Jordan announced the closure of the Jaber Crossing between the Hashemite Kingdom and Syria, starting tomorrow, Thursday.According to the Jordanian news site, Al-Maqar, the Minister of Interior, Salameh Hammad, decided today, Wednesday, to close the Jaber border center between Jordan and Syria, starting tomorrow, for a period of a week.According to the site, the decision came after recording a number of coronavirus cases among workers at the border center.On Wednesday, Jordanian Prime Minister Omar Al-Razzaz chaired a meeting at the Ministry of the Interior for the Committee to Organize and Follow Up Border and Airport Affairs.The meeting discussed the implications…

President Hassan Rouhani says Iran has “high hopes” that the US will fail in its push to extend the UN arms embargo on Tehran and will face isolation at the Security Council, urging neighboring countries not to let Washington “exploit” them to advance its own agenda. Speaking during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Rouhani said the resolution proposed by the US to block the expiry of the Iranian arms embargo violates UNSC Resolution 2231, which enshrined the 2015 nuclear deal — officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). “We have high hopes that the United States will…