https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-officials-admit-to-killing-5-palestinian-children-in

Israeli officials admit to killing 5 Palestinian children in Gaza

Israeli news outlet Haaretz admitted that the five children who were martyred on the last day of the Israeli aggression on Gaza were killed by the Israeli occupation forces, and not by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement as was previously publicized by the occupation.

Yaniv Kubovich, a reporter who writes about military affairs in Haartez, quoted security sources as saying: "An army inquiry into the incident, which occurred on August 7 in the Al-Faluja Cemetery east of Jabalya, has concluded that the minors were killed by an Israeli airstrike."

The article affirms that contrary to the army's initial assessment that they were killed due to a failed PIJ rocket launch, Israeli security officials have confirmed that "Israel was responsible for the deaths of five minors killed on the last day of the recent hostilities with Islamic Jihad this month."

The Israeli occupation forces, according to the article, chose not to disclose the confession publicly, but rather in closed conversations with officials within the security establishment after the incident.

Ceasefire in Gaza came into effect on August 7, after days of Israeli aggression on the enclave.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, the Israeli aggression took the lives of 49 Palestinians, including 17 children, injuring 360 others.

The Israeli occupation began on August 5 its aggression on the Gaza Strip, and Al-Quds Brigades announced that Tayseer Al-Jaabari, a military commander in the northern Gaza Strip, had been martyred.

Consequently, Al-Quds Brigades launched an operation in response to the Israeli occupation's aggression on the Gaza Strip, sending salvoes of rockets toward the occupied Palestinian territories in retaliation to the bombing.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, expressed on August 11 her "concern" about the number of Palestinian children killed recently in the Gaza war, calling for holding those responsible accountable for the killing of Palestinian children. She pointed out that "the killing and maiming of so many children this year is unconscionable."

>> How many more Palestinian CHILDREN needs to die before people wake up to Israel's crimes?

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/aung-san-suu-kyi-jailed-for-additional-six-years-over-corrup

Aung San Suu Kyi jailed for additional six years over corruption

A Myanmar junta court jailed Aung San Suu Kyi for six years for corruption on Monday, a source close to the case said, taking the ousted leader's prison time to 17 years.

Suu Kyi, 77, has been detained since the generals toppled her government in a coup on February 1 last year.

She has since been hit with a series of charges, including violating the official secrets act, corruption, and electoral fraud. She faces decades in jail if convicted on all counts.

Suu Kyi was sentenced to "six years imprisonment under four anti-corruption charges," said the source, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Each charge carried a maximum of 15 years in jail. Suu Kyi was sentenced to three years for each, but three of the sentences would be served concurrently, the source said.

She appeared in good health and did not make any statement following the sentencing, they added.

The Nobel laureate had already been sentenced to 11 years in jail for corruption, incitement against the military, breaching Covid-19 rules, and breaking a telecommunications law.

Journalists have been barred from attending the court hearings and Suu Kyi's lawyers have been banned from speaking to the media.

Unlikely to ever assume leadership again

Suu Kyi's earlier 11-year sentence meant she was likely to miss elections the junta says it plans to hold by next year.

"Immune from domestic and international outrage, the punishment trials against Suu Kyi and her supporters are designed to erase the democratic past," independent Myanmar analyst David Mathieson claimed.

"Their intent is clear to everyone it seems, everyone but the international community."

In June, Suu Kyi was transferred from house arrest to a prison in the capital Naypyidaw, where her trial continues in a courthouse inside the prison compound.

She remains confined to the jail, with limited brief pre-trial meetings with lawyers.

Many of her political allies have also been arrested since the coup, with one chief minister sentenced to 75 years in jail.

Last month, the junta stoked renewed international condemnation when it executed Phyo Zeya Thaw, a former lawmaker from her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, for offenses under anti-terrorism laws.

Suu Kyi learned of the execution at a pre-trial hearing, a source with knowledge of the matter said, but has yet to speak on the matter.

The junta says it seized power following massive fraud during the 2020 elections in which the NLD trounced a military-backed party.

The EU calls it an "unjust" sentencing

EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned a Myanmar court's "unjust" sentencing of Aung San Suu Kyi to an additional six years in prison, calling for her immediate release.

He also urged the Asian nation's military junta to release "all political prisoners, and respect the will of the people."

The US, likewise, slammed the latest sentencing as an "affront to justice and the rule of law."

"We call on the regime to immediately release Aung San Suu Kyi and all those unjustly detained, including other democratically elected officials," a State Department spokesperson said.

Political unrest

The coup sparked widespread protests and unrest and renewed fighting with established ethnic rebel groups.

Dozens of "People's Defence Forces" have also sprung up to fight the junta and have surprised the military with their effectiveness, analysts say.

According to a local monitoring group, the crackdown has left more than 2,000 civilians dead and has seen some 17,000 arrested.

Last month, the junta reportedly killed at least 10 people and set fire to hundreds of houses during a raid on a village in a hotspot of opposition to the coup.

According to Data For Myanmar group, the junta’s armed forces set villages ablaze and burned down 18,886 houses within 16 months of the coup.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/feds-oppose-unsealing-affidavit-for-mar-a-lago-warrant

Feds oppose unsealing affidavit for Mar-a-Lago warrant

The US Justice Department rejected efforts on Monday to make public the affidavit supporting the search warrant for former President Donald Trump's Florida resort, claiming that the inquiry "involves highly secret material" and the document contains sensitive information regarding witnesses.

The government's rejection came in response to court papers by numerous news organizations, including AP, requesting to unseal the underlying affidavit presented by the Justice Department when it requested the search warrant for Trump's Mar-a-Lago home earlier this month.

In an early Tuesday Truth Social post, Trump asked for the publication of the unredacted affidavit in the interest of openness.

The lawsuit, from US Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez and Jay Bratt, a top Justice Department national security official, claims that making the affidavit public would "cause significant and irreparable harm to this ongoing criminal investigation."

The paper contains "highly sensitive information about witnesses," including those examined by the government, and private grand jury information, according to the prosecutors.

Prosecutors feel that some more materials, including the cover sheet for the warrant and the government's request to seal the documents, should now be made public, according to the government's letter to a federal magistrate judge.

Legal troubles

The FBI recovered 11 sets of classified documents, some of which were not only labeled top secret but also "sensitive compartmented information," a unique category meant to protect the nation's most essential secrets, which if released publicly may cause "exceptionally grave" damage to US interests. The court records did not specify what information might be contained in the documents.

The Justice Department acknowledged Monday that its ongoing criminal investigation “implicates highly classified material.”

The search warrant, which was also made public on Friday, stated that federal officials were looking into potential violations of three distinct federal laws, including one that covers gathering, distributing, or losing defense secrets under the Espionage Act.

The other acts concern record hiding, mutilation, or removal, as well as record destruction, alteration, or fabrication in federal investigations.

What's the Mar-a-Lago search warrant?

The search warrant for Mar-a-Lago was executed last Monday as part of an ongoing Justice Department investigation into the finding of secret White House papers taken from Trump's property earlier this year. The National Archives had requested an investigation after claiming that 15 cartons of paperwork taken from the estate contained secret information.

It is unclear whether the Justice Department issued the warrant solely to obtain the records or as part of a larger criminal investigation or attempt to prosecute the former President. Several federal regulations control the handling of classified material, including criminal and civil sanctions, as well as presidential records.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/putin:-ready-to-offer-allies-partners-most-modern-types-of-w

Putin: Ready to offer allies, partners most modern types of weapons

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed Russia’s readiness to offer his foreign allies and partners the most modern types of weapons, saying they had all been tested on the field of battle.

At the opening ceremony of the Army-2022 forum near Moscow, Putin said, "We are ready to offer allies and partners the most modern types of weapons – from small arms to armored vehicles and artillery, combat aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles."

Military professionals value Russian weapons for their "reliability, quality, and, most importantly, high efficiency," Putin stressed.

"Almost all of them have been used in real combat operations more than once," he added.

Putin also praised Russia's many allies despite the West’s barrage of sanctions against Moscow.

"We highly appreciate that our country has many allies, partners, and like-minded people on different continents. These are states that do not bend before the so-called hegemon," Putin said.

The Russian leader added that Russia "cherishes historically strong, friendly, truly trusting ties" with countries of Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

Russia is the second largest arms exporter in the world after the United States, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SPIRI).

It is worth noting that the head of state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, affirmed Monday that the military actions in Ukraine have not affected arms exports.

"This year we have already signed contracts with foreign customers worth over one trillion rubles ($16 billion). This figure exceeds some annual figures for the past 10 years," Chemezov said at the forum as quoted by Russian news agencies.

>> I'm shocked Prez Putin because I thought you already did it.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/putin:-us-fuelling-conflict-in-asia-africa-and-latin-america

Putin: US fuelling conflict in Asia, Africa, and Latin America

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Washington on Tuesday of attempting to prolong the conflict in Ukraine and fueling conflicts around the world, most notably with the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.

Addressing the opening ceremony of a security conference in Moscow via video link, Putin said that "the situation in Ukraine shows that the US is trying to prolong this conflict. And they act in exactly the same way, fuelling the potential for conflict in Asia, Africa, and Latin America."

"The American adventure in relation to Taiwan is not just a trip of an individual irresponsible politician, but part of a purposeful, conscious US strategy to destabilize and make chaotic the situation in the region and the world," he added.

He called Pelosi's visit to Taiwan a "brazen demonstration of disrespect for other countries' sovereignty and for its (Washington's) international obligations."

"We see this as a carefully planned provocation," Putin said.

Relations between Moscow and Washington have been strained since Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine in late February.

The US is sending hundreds of millions of dollars worth of weapons, not to mention facilitating the way for mercenaries to fight in Ukraine.

Since February 24, the United States has committed $5.6 billion in military supplies to Ukraine, ranging from heavy artillery to tactical drones to armored vehicles.

The latest batch of weapons announced is worth $350 million, as per the Pentagon. It consists of 18 155 mm howitzers, 36,000 rounds of 155 mm ammunition, 18 tactical vehicles for towing 155 mm howitzers, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HMARS, and four tactical vehicles for equipment and spare parts recovery.

In addition, the Pentagon will provide two Harpoon coastal defense systems, thousands of secure radios, night vision, and thermal devices, as well as funding for training and maintenance. The total value of this package is $650 million.

Meanwhile, a senior US defense official warned that hundreds of millions of dollars worth of US weapons sent to Ukraine might “drop into a big black hole, and you have almost no sense of it at all after a short period of time."

Since the beginning of the war on February 24, 2022, the US and the EU have multiplied punitive measures to isolate Russia by targeting its banking system, and freezing the assets of its leaders and its industries.

Simultaneously, Putin has sought to strengthen ties with African and Asian countries, most notably China.

During Pelosi's August visit to Taiwan, Moscow stood in complete solidarity with key ally Beijing.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-media:-friendly-fire-mayhem-between-israeli-soldiers

Israeli media: 'Friendly fire' mayhem between Israeli soldiers

Israeli media reported Monday that at least one Israeli occupation soldier was wounded in a shooting near the city of Tulkarm, in the West Bank.

The director of Al Mayadeen's office in occupied Palestine indicated that sources reported that IOF soldiers got confused and thought that one of their colleagues was being kidnapped.

According to Haaretz, an initial Israeli occupation forces (IOF) probe showed that "the incident was not an attack," adding that the IOF "has begun examining the possibility that the soldier was struck by Israeli military fire."

The Kan radio correspondent said IOF soldiers opened fire at each other due to a "mistaken identification", which is similar to what happened near occupied Al-Quds in January and led to the killing of two officers in what the IOF called a "serious friendly fire" accident.

In addition, Israeli media cited an IOF source as saying that "there may not be an attack, but rather an accidental shooting by the soldiers on themselves."

The director of Al Mayadeen's office in occupied Palestine pointed out that the Israeli occupation is attempting to hide the reality of the health condition of the wounded IOF soldier near Tulkarm.

According to Palestinian media, an IOF special force stormed Tulkarm prior to the incident.

It is noteworthy that Palestinian Mohammad Shaham died of severe wounds due to live bullets shot by the IOF straight to his head at dawn Monday after the occupation forces stormed his house in Kafr 'Aqab, northwest occupied Al-Quds.

>>17402737

a good one anon. Kek!

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/isis-leader-killed-in-special-operation-in-south-syria

ISIS leader killed in special operation in south Syria

SANA reported on Monday that the Syrian Special Mission Forces carried out a special operation in the city of Tafas in the Daraa countryside, during which a high-ranking leader of the ISIS terrorist organization was eliminated.

“The security forces carried out a special operation in Tafas city in Dara northwestern countryside, during which the terrorist Mahmoud Ahmad al-Hallaq, nicknamed as Abu Omar Al-Jababi, one of the most dangerous terrorists in the southern region, was eliminated”, a security source told SANA.

The source pointed out that the terrorist Al-Jababi was the former leader of ISIS in Yarmouk Basin and was responsible for the training of new recruits, adding that he was working with the recently killed terrorist Abu Salem Al-Iraqi and the terrorist Abdul Rahman Al-Iraqi, in coordination with the intelligence services of an Arab country.

This is the second ISIS leader to be eliminated by the Special Mission Forces this month. Last Wednesday, Special Forces carried out an operation in which the terrorist leader of ISIS in the south, Abu Salem Al-Iraqi, was killed. Al-Iraqi was killed after he blew himself up with an explosive belt when he was surrounded by the Special Forces.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/ex-afghan-special-forces-fighting-in-ukraine:-russian-foreig

Ex-Afghan special forces fighting in Ukraine: Russian Foreign Ministry

The Russian presidential envoy for Afghanistan and the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Second Asian Department Zamir Kabulov said, as quoted by Sputnik, that Former Afghan Special Forces fighters have fought on Kiev's side in Ukraine.

In mid-March, a source told Sputnik that the US was preparing to send former Afghan army soldiers to Ukraine.

"These special forces, some of them join Islamic State [ISIS] and fight in Iraq and Syria. It is very predictable, in my opinion. We have already discussed that this is a repeat of the Iraq scenario, which resulted in the IS emergence. And the other part of these former special forces apparently were promised money as mercenaries because they need to make a living, so they join the Ukrainian Nazis. But this does not depend on the Taliban in any way," Kabulov said.

He cited a Kyrgyz delegate as saying at a recent Afghanistan conference in Uzbekistan that approximately 110,000 former Afghan Special Forces had fled the country and were awaiting entry into the United States.

"Apparently, no one is going to give them any permission, which is the absolutely rude manner of the Americans," Kabulov said.

The Taliban have promised not to send militants or terrorists to Ukraine, according to the Russian diplomat.

Commenting on whether Moscow contacted the movement on the matter, Kabulov said, "The Taliban have guaranteed that they will not allow [this] within their real capabilities. And they are not talking with a forked tongue."

This is happening one year after the hasty withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and the collapse of the US-backed government. The 20 years of US war caused economic chaos and food shortages, bringing the country to the brink of a humanitarian crisis. Thousands of Afghans were forced to flee the crisis-stricken country.

Today, life in Afghanistan is difficult and precarious for almost everyone. More than half of this troubled country's 40 million people are suffering from severe malnutrition and grinding poverty, and 90% are food insecure.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, the US is fueling the war by sending hundreds of millions of dollars worth of weapons not to mention facilitating the way for mercenaries to fight in Ukraine.

Since February 24, the United States has committed $5.6 billion in military supplies to Ukraine, ranging from heavy artillery to tactical drones to armored vehicles.

The latest batch of weapons announced is worth $350 million, as per the Pentagon. It consists of 18 155 mm howitzers, 36,000 rounds of 155 mm ammunition, 18 tactical vehicles for towing 155 mm howitzers, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HMARS, and four tactical vehicles for equipment and spare parts recovery.

In addition, the Pentagon will provide two Harpoon coastal defense systems, thousands of secure radios, night vision, and thermal devices, as well as funding for training and maintenance. The total value of this package is $650 million.

Meanwhile, a senior US defense official warned that hundreds of millions of dollars worth of US weapons sent to Ukraine might “drop into a big black hole, and you have almost no sense of it at all after a short period of time."

Furthermore, current US officials and defense analysts agree that the risk is that some of those weapons will end up in the hands of mercenaries.

However, the story is far from over. Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported in March that 3,000 US “volunteers” were ready to fight in Ukraine.

The agency quoted the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ press service via Telegram as saying that "the volunteers are ready to repel Russia as part of an international battalion."

Among the US volunteers are army veterans "with combat experience gained in Iraq and other hotspots around the world.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-south-korea-japan-hold-military-exercises-off-hawaiian-co

US, South Korea, Japan hold military exercises off Hawaiian coast

After the announcement of military drills at the end of July, the Pentagon announced that Japanese and South Korean troops join hand-in-hand with US forces for missile defense drills off the coast of Hawaii.

The anti-missile drill took place between August 8 and 14. This would mark the first time these countries execute such tripartite drills since 2017.

According to the Pentagon, the war games are meant as a response to "challenges" posed by North Korea.

This comes after drills that began on August 1 were concluded on August 14, revealing that the three military allies “participated in a missile warning and ballistic missile search and tracking exercise” near the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii, part of what they called the ‘Pacific Dragon’ exercises.

The Defense Department revealed few details about the exercises, except that the drills “demonstrated the commitment of the US, [South Korea] and Japan to furthering trilateral cooperation,” upholding the “rules-based international order,” as well as responding to “DPRK challenges."

Seoul, moreover, recently confirmed that it would resume live-fire drills with Washington later this month. South Korean forces have recently raised concerns in Beijing, which has repeatedly criticized Seoul's decision to host the US-made Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD), arguing it undermines its national security.

South Korea has rejected calls to refrain from additional THAAD deployments.

Last month, the DPRK Foreign Ministry said that the joint US-South Korea military exercises in the future could bring the Korean Peninsula back to a state of war.

Read more: N. Korea ready to mobilize nuclear war deterrent: Kim Jong-un

Last June, the US, and Japanese forces conducted military exercises hours after North Korea (DPRK) launched ballistic missiles into the Sea of ​​Japan.

Kim: Washington "demonizing" Pyongyang

The DPRK leader pointed out that Washington continues "dangerous, illegal hostile acts" with South Korea, and seeks to justify its behavior by "demonizing" the country.

He considered that "The duplex act of the United States, which is misleading all the routine actions of our armed forces as 'provocation' and 'threat' while holding large-scale joint military exercises that seriously threaten our security, is literally a robbery."

"That is driving bilateral relations to the point where it is difficult to turn back, into a state of conflict," he added.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/gazprom:-gas-prices-for-europe-could-reach-4000-this-winter

Gazprom: Gas prices for Europe could reach $4,000 this winter

During the upcoming winter of 2022-2023, Gazprom, on Tuesday, stated that it does not rule out that gas prices across the European continent might reach up to $4,000 per 1,000 cubic meters.

In a statement, Gazprom said that "We would like to note, that on spot exchanges in Europe, gas prices have surpassed the figure of $2,500. According to conservative estimates, if the trend continues, prices will exceed $4,000 per 1,000 cubic meters in winter," Gazprom said.

For the first time since March 8, the spot price of gas in Europe on the ICE market in London earlier reached $2,450 per 1,000 cubic meters. This is taking place against a backdrop of rising spot gas prices in Asia, the closure of numerous Norwegian gas production and transportation facilities for planned maintenance through the end of August, as well as increasing temperatures, and a decrease in wind generation in Europe.

On March 7, 2022, the exchange rate for gas in Europe for the first time ever hit approximately $3,900 per 1,000 cubic meters.

According to Gazprom, over the first 7.5 months of 2022, gas shipments to nations outside the Commonwealth of Independent States fell by 36.2% to 78.5 billion cubic meters.

On July 27, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said it was wrong to link the level of Russian gas supplies to Europe with the removal of EU sanctions against Moscow but the restrictions affected Gazprom’s delivery volumes.

Due to the suspension of many gas turbines, the Nord Stream gas pipeline has only utilized 20% of its capacity since July 27.

One of these, manufactured by Siemens Energy in Canada, was shipped to Montreal for maintenance. The manufacturer first hesitated to deliver the repaired equipment to Germany, since no such agreement has been signed and because of Ottawa's sanctions against Moscow.

Later, the Canadian Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said the Nord Stream 1 turbines sent to Canada for maintenance would be returned to Germany instead of Russia due to the anti-Moscow sanctions.

However, the situation prompted Russian gas giant Gazprom to reveal on July 27 that it had not a single document allowing German conglomerate Siemens to take a gas turbine engine for the Portovaya compressor station from Canada. As a result, just one turbine is still functional.

>> Turning Europe into an ice cube.