Author: Steven Sahiounie

Building a military complex ten times larger than the Pentagon China has embarked on a massive construction project since mid-last year, with the Chinese military building what is set to become the largest military command center in the world, southwest of Beijing. According to the Financial Times, citing satellite imagery and statements from intelligence sources, this development is significant in scale and purpose. The construction site, as reported, covers over six square kilometers and will include underground bunkers designed to protect Chinese military leaders during any conflict, including potential nuclear warfare. The U.S. military has noted that “the complex will…

Israeli Spyware Company Targets Dozens of WhatsApp Users Officials from WhatsApp, a messaging app owned by Meta (which also includes social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram), announced on Friday that the Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions had targeted approximately 90 of its users. Among those targeted were journalists and members of civil society. In response to the breach, WhatsApp sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Israeli company. In a statement, WhatsApp reaffirmed its commitment to continuing to protect user privacy. Despite thwarting the hacking attempts, WhatsApp has referred those affected by the espionage to Citizen Lab, a Canadian internet…

Turkish Defense Ministry Discharges Officers from the Army The Turkish Ministry of Defense has announced the discharge of several officers from the ranks of the Turkish Armed Forces due to violations of established protocols. In an official statement, the ministry disclosed that three officers received disciplinary and administrative dismissal, while five lieutenants were also discharged following an investigation. The ministry’s statement highlighted that the decision was made in the context of administrative and disciplinary investigations initiated after images from a graduation ceremony at the Military Academy were publicized. “The High Disciplinary Board of the Ministry of National Defense has imposed…

FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup Draw Puts Israel in Same Group as Arab Nation: Will Jordan Withdraw? The draw for the 17th edition of the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, held on Friday, has placed the Jordanian national team in the same group as Israel. The event, conducted at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, has set the stage for a potentially controversial matchup. The draw resulted in the following groups: Group 1 : Serbia, Argentina, New Zealand, MaliGroup 2: Germany, Slovenia, Canada, ChinaGroup3: Switzerland, Israel, Dominican Republic, JordanGroup 4: USA, Australia, France, Cameroon. The tournament is scheduled to take…

US Insistence on Palestinian Deportation: Will Trump Succeed? In a contentious statement, U.S. President Donald Trump has asserted that “Washington has done a lot for Egypt and Jordan,” clearly signaling U.S. pressure on these nations to accept a proposal to deport Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to their territories. This statement, which smacks of political blackmail, has been met with official rejection from both Cairo and Amman, amidst warnings of its severe implications for regional stability. Egypt’s Stance: Firm Rejection and Escalation Concerns Hani Khalaf, former Assistant Foreign Minister of Egypt, emphasized Egypt’s fundamental objections to this proposal. In an…

Egyptian Protest Near Rafah Border Against “Trump’s Plan” On Friday, hundreds of Egyptians participated in a demonstration close to Egypt’s border with Gaza, protesting against a plan proposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The controversial plan suggested relocating Palestinians from the war-torn Gaza Strip to Egypt and Jordan. Al-Qahera News Channel broadcasted footage showing hundreds of protesters waving both Egyptian and Palestinian flags near the Rafah border crossing, a heavily guarded military zone accessible only with official escorts. Last week, Trump proposed what he termed as a plan to “clear” Gaza, suggesting that Jordan and Egypt should accept Palestinians…

Guardiola Comments on Facing Real Madrid in the Champions League Pep Guardiola, the Spanish manager of English club Manchester City, has labeled the frequent encounters between his team and Spanish giants Real Madrid as akin to a “derby”. This statement comes after the teams were drawn against each other once again in the UEFA Champions League knockout stage. Manchester City, under Guardiola’s leadership, will face Real Madrid, who hold a record 15 Champions League titles, in the Round of 16. This matchup follows City’s qualification after defeating Club Brugge 3-1 in their last group stage match. Meanwhile, Scottish team Celtic…

European Trio Urges Israel Not to Ban UNRWA Activities Berlin, Paris, and London issued a joint statement on Friday, expressing deep concern over Israel’s decision to impose a ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). In this statement, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, her French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot, and British Prime Minister David Lammy called on Israel to reconsider its decision to implement the ban. They emphasized that currently, “no other entity or UN agency has the capacity, infrastructure, or experience to perform the functions that UNRWA does.” The diplomats highlighted that UNRWA is…

UNRWA ‘continues to deliver’ as Israeli ban comes into effect UN Palestine refugee agency UNRWA on Thursday upheld its commitment to support millions across the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) as Israel’s order for it to cease operations went into effect. “UNRWA continues to deliver assistance and services to the communities we serve,” the agency said in a post on the social media platform X. “Our clinics across the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem are open while the humanitarian operation in Gaza continues.” No official word Last October, the Israeli parliament, known as the Knesset, passed two laws that called…

Pentagon Reveals Details of Military Helicopter Crash in Washington The Pentagon on Thursday disclosed that the three soldiers aboard the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, which collided with an American Airlines passenger jet on Wednesday, were experienced and equipped with night-vision goggles during their annual training mission at the time of the incident. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated in a video message that a special team of investigators has already arrived at the crash site near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. He expects soon to have answers regarding whether the helicopter was in its designated airspace and at the…