First Arab long-duration astronaut mission to launch next month

First Arab long-duration astronaut mission to launch next month
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will carry UAE astronaut Sultan Al-Neyadi, two NASA astronauts Mission Commander Stephen Bowen and Pilot Warren Hoburg, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. (WAM)
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Updated 27 January 2023

First Arab long-duration astronaut mission to launch next month

First Arab long-duration astronaut mission to launch next month
  • UAE mission specialist Sultan Al-Neyadi to make first trip to space
  • Country sent its first astronaut to ISS in 2019

DUBAI: The first Arab long-duration astronaut mission is scheduled to launch on Feb. 26, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center has announced.
A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket will carry UAE astronaut and mission specialist Sultan Al-Neyadi, along with two NASA astronauts — mission commander Stephen Bowen and pilot Warren Hoburg — and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
Key mission information, such as the launch time and launch opportunities, was announced during the NASA Crew-6 mission overview media briefing, Emirates News Agency reported on Thursday.
MBRSC Director-General Salem Humaid Al-Marri said: “We are proud to talk about our second mission under the UAE Astronaut Program and Sultan’s first mission to space.
“Our human space program kicked off in 2017 where we selected our first two astronauts, Hazzaa Al-Mansoori and Sultan Al-Neyadi. We had our first mission to the ISS in 2019, which had an impact on hundreds of thousands of people.”
He added: “Today, Al-Neyadi is a very capable astronaut and he, along with his colleague Al-Mansoori have a total of five years of training, including training on EVAs and operations aboard the ISS.
“We have over 20 science experiments from UAE universities in the upcoming mission and a lot of outreach activities being done across the region.”
Al-Neyadi said: “The idea of waking up every morning and having access to a window like the Cupola, where one can scan the entire world in 90 minutes, is amazing, and I believe it is literally out of this world.
“The trip to space by Al-Mansoori marked the UAE’s consistent presence in space. Our prime minister promised to continue these flights, and now we’re talking about the second mission to the International Space Station.
“This time we raised the bar to six months, and we now have two additional astronauts training with the class of ‘23.
He added: “I would also love to see a UAE flag on the lunar surface, carried on the shoulder of a UAE astronaut.
“The UAE is doing an excellent job, and I believe that in the next 10 years, we will be following international efforts to go to space and push the boundaries of exploration.”


Gaza fisherman tests waters in legal fight over Israeli blockade

Gaza fisherman tests waters in legal fight over Israeli blockade
Updated 11 sec ago

Gaza fisherman tests waters in legal fight over Israeli blockade

Gaza fisherman tests waters in legal fight over Israeli blockade
  • Palestinians argue it is an effective siege that has crippled Gaza’s economy
  • Fishing zone currently extends to only between 11km and 28km off the Gaza coast
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Gaza fisherman Jihad Al-Hissi is used to rough waters but he now faces a new storm. An Israeli court may seize his boat after he breached the limits of the enclave’s fishing zone.
The issue is crucial for thousands in the blockaded Palestinian territory of 2.3 million people, where fishing in the Mediterranean Sea remains one of the few economic lifelines.
Hissi, 55, with square shoulders and a scruffy beard, told his story at Gaza’s dock early one morning as fishermen sold their overnight catch of sea bream, prawns and sardines.
For now he has his boat, but its fate is uncertain as Israeli authorities argue before a Haifa court that it should be permanently taken away.
The vessel, used to catch gamberi prawns off southern Gaza near Egypt, is named the “Hajj Rajab,” but its owners have erased the name from its yellow hull.
“I don’t want the Israelis to spot us and seize my boat,” said Hissi, who had a violent encounter with an Israeli naval patrol boat more than a year ago.
Israel says its land, air and sea blockade of Gaza is needed to protect it from rocket and other attacks from Hamas and to prevent arms smuggling to the Islamist militant movement.
Palestinians argue it is an effective siege that has crippled Gaza’s economy and further impoverished its people, while the fishing limits deny it crucial protein.
Last year’s incident came on February 14 when Hissi’s vessel ventured beyond the maritime zone that Israel declared in 2007, the year Hamas seized power in Gaza.
Jihad’s brother Nihad, who was at sea that day, said that “100 meters beyond the area, we were surprised by three Israeli boats with commandos.
“They attacked our boat ... tied us up and arrested us.”
The boat’s cabin is still damaged from the water cannon blasts and the rubber-encased bullets fired by the Israeli forces that day.
Israel, in documents presented to court, accuses Hissi of having “repeatedly violated the security restrictions imposed by the Israeli army in the maritime zone adjacent to Gaza.”
The Israeli non-government group Gisha has helped defend Hissi and in September secured the boat’s return, but Israeli authorities now demand the court “permanently confiscate” the vessel.
The fishing zone allowed by Israel currently extends only to the heavily fished areas between six and 15 nautical miles (about 11 to 28 kilometers) off the Gaza coast.
Hissi argues this is less than the maximum of 20 nautical miles agreed in the 1990s under the Israeli-Palestinian agreements in Oslo.
But he also admits to going even beyond that from time to time, in search of shrimp which nets around $21 per kilogram (2.2 pounds) and can make the difference between profit and loss.
The legal fight is closely watched by thousands of fishermen in Gaza.
If Hissi’s boat is permanently confiscated, this would spell “a serious threat to the thousands of fishermen in Gaza, because it aims to put an end to fishing,” charged Nizar Ayyash, president of the union representing the 4,000 fishermen in Gaza.
The court battle comes amid a rise in Israel’s temporary seizures of fishing boats suspected of smuggling or breaching the fishing zone.
Last year saw 23 boat confiscations, the highest number since 2018, according to the Palestinian non-governmental group Al-Mezan.
The group also recorded 474 security incidents involving Gaza fishermen last year, the most in five years.
Gisha lawyer Muna Haddad argued that the case was “outrageous” and came amid “an unprecedented escalation in targeting those fishermen.”
Haddad accused Israel of misusing provisions of international law on armed conflict regarding the seizure of enemy ships by imposing them on civilians.
In the court documents seen by AFP, Israel claims Hissi “abused” legal protections and that his crew had “threatened” the safety of soldiers during the maritime seizure.
Israeli military officials assured AFP they wanted to support Gaza’s economy — but without compromising Israel’s security.
“We fish to survive,” said Hissi, whose family once lived in Jaffa, now part of Tel Aviv, before fleeing to Gaza during the 1948 war.
“And we will continue to fish even when our profits are low. I don’t know how to do anything else in life anyway.”

Syria says Israel attacked Aleppo airport, no casualties

Syria says Israel attacked Aleppo airport, no casualties
Updated 10 min 44 sec ago

Syria says Israel attacked Aleppo airport, no casualties

Syria says Israel attacked Aleppo airport, no casualties
  • Attack causes material damage in the second attack on the facility this month
  • Airport has been one of the main channels for the flow of aid into the country after the Feb. 6 earthquake

DAMASCUS: An Israeli airstrike early Wednesday targeted the international airport of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, causing material damage in the second attack on the facility this month, state media report.
State news agency SANA, quoting an unnamed military official, did not mention if the strike caused any deaths or injuries. It said warplanes fired the missiles toward Aleppo, Syria’s largest city and once commercial center, while flying over the Mediterranean.
The airport has been one of the main channels for the flow of aid into the country after the Feb. 6 earthquake hit Turkiye and Syria, killing over 50,000 people, including more than 6,000 in Syria.
On March 7, an Israeli airstrike put the airport out of service for several days and flights were rerouted to two other airports in the war-torn country until the damage was fixed.
Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, including attacks on the Damascus and Aleppo airports, but it rarely acknowledges or discusses the operations.
Israel has acknowledged, however, that it targets bases of Iran-allied militant groups, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which has sent thousands of fighters to support Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces.
Israel has targeted airports and seaports in the government-held parts of Syria in an apparent attempt to prevent arms shipments from Iran to militant groups backed by Tehran, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah.


Probable civilian deaths during British air strikes in Iraq throw doubt on ‘perfect’ war claims

Probable civilian deaths during British air strikes in Iraq throw doubt on ‘perfect’ war claims
Updated 25 min 48 sec ago

Probable civilian deaths during British air strikes in Iraq throw doubt on ‘perfect’ war claims

Probable civilian deaths during British air strikes in Iraq throw doubt on ‘perfect’ war claims
  • UK forces were probably responsible for civilian deaths in at least six strikes on the city of Mosul in 2016 and 2017

LONDON: Civilian deaths as a result of air strikes on Daesh targets in Iraq have been linked to British forces, according to a Guardian investigation released on Tuesday.

Forces in the US-led coalition fighting against Daesh in Iraq have admitted the killings of hundreds of civilians in Iraq in the period after 2014, but Britain’s government and military have long claimed that a “perfect” war was fought, in which no non-combatants or ordinary Iraqis were killed.

However, the report, which was carried out with the watchdog Airwars, concluded that UK forces were probably responsible for civilian deaths in at least six strikes on the city of Mosul in 2016 and 2017.

In the strikes highlighted, the coalition admits the deaths of 26 civilians, and victims of two of the strikes were identified in the report.

A further strike on Jan. 9, 2017 on Mosul, which coalition officials accepted killed two civilians, has been confirmed as a Royal Air Force mission, but British officials deny that the casualties were civilian but rather legitimate militant targets.

British bombing in Iraq as part of the Operation Inherent Resolve coalition efforts against Daesh started in 2014, and in Syria the year after, with more than 4,000 munitions in the two countries, the report concluded.

UK military figures claim 3,052 Daesh militants were killed in Iraq with no civilian deaths, with 1,017 militants killed in Syria with one civilian death, between 2014 and 2020.

“There is no evidence or indication that civilian casualties were caused by strikes in Syria and Iraq,” a Ministry of Defense spokesperson told the Guardian.

“The UK always minimizes the risk of civilian casualties through our rigorous processes and carefully examines a range of evidence to do this, including comprehensive analysis of the mission data for every strike,” the spokesperson said.

However, critics say that the British position is not convincing.

Former military officials have called the claim of no civilian deaths in Iraq “a stretch” and “nonsense,” especially after the 2016 Chilcot report into the UK’s role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq found that not enough had been done to locate injured or killed non-combatants.

If Britain is forced to accept responsibility for civilian deaths, a law passed in 2021 set a six-year cut-off point for compensation claims for survivors, which leaves those in Iraq and Syria unable to make a claim against the government.

 


Kuwait, UK hold strategic dialogue in London

Kuwait, UK hold strategic dialogue in London
Updated 22 March 2023

Kuwait, UK hold strategic dialogue in London

Kuwait, UK hold strategic dialogue in London

LONDON: The first session of strategic dialogues between Kuwait and the UK were held in London on Monday with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation in several fields, the Kuwait News Agency reported.

The Kuwaiti side was led by Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah while the British side was chaired by James Cleverly, secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs. 

During the session, Cleverly said although the world has witnessed significant changes, Kuwaiti-British relations had grown stronger. He also lauded Kuwait’s well-balanced foreign policy, which focuses on promoting regional security and peace. 

Sheikh Salem and Cleverly discussed the most recent regional and international developments as well as strategies for enhancing international cooperation. They also coordinated on issues such as the situation in occupied Palestinian territories and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
 


Houthi court sentences Yemeni YouTubers to different prison terms

Houthi court sentences Yemeni YouTubers to different prison terms
Updated 22 March 2023

Houthi court sentences Yemeni YouTubers to different prison terms

Houthi court sentences Yemeni YouTubers to different prison terms
  • The four YouTubers were apprehended by the Houthis from various places in Sanaa and at various periods in December and January

AL-MUKALLA: A Houthi-controlled court in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, sentenced four Yemeni YouTubers to different prison sentences on Tuesday and shut down their internet channels after accusing them of inciting the public against the militia, rekindling indignation against the Yemeni militia and their habit of punishing dissidents through courts.

Abdul Majeed Sabra, a Yemeni lawyer who defends abductees held in Houthi prisons, said that the Specialized Criminal Court of First Instance in Sanaa sentenced Ahmad Elaw to three years in prison, Mustafa Al-Mawmari to one and a half years, Ahmed Hajjar to one year, and Hamoud Al-Mesbahi to six months, accusing them of circulating false information to damage national security.

The court ordered the closure of their YouTube channels and a fine of 10 million Yemeni riyals ($1=547 riyals in Houthi-controlled territories). The court also ordered the confiscation of Elaw’s mobile phones, cameras, and bank accounts.

Waddah Qutaish, the YouTubers’ attorney, said on his Facebook page that the judge read out the judgment without providing any grounds or evidence for granting it, calling the sentence “unjust” and intended to stifle free speech, and stating that he has filed an appeal.

The four YouTubers were apprehended by the Houthis from various places in Sanaa and at various periods in December and January.

The Houthis abducted Hajjar, a well-known Yemeni comedian, actor, and YouTuber, as he walked down Al-Zubairi street in Sanaa in December, just days after he appeared in a video criticizing the Houthis for overtaxing people, failing to pay government salaries, corruption, and failing to address aggravating poverty.

The Houthis kidnapped the other three YouTubers in January after they released videos showing support for Hajar, calling for his release, and criticizing the Houthis once more.

Al-Mawmari is the most popular YouTuber with over 2 million YouTube subscribers and tens of thousands of Facebook fans, followed by Elaw with 800,000 YouTube subscribers.

On Monday, Houthi security services released a video of the YouTubers confessing to inciting the public to revolt against the movement, as well as creating fake content and social media accounts, apologizing for criticizing the militia, and blaming “aggression” for the worsening economic situation in Sanaa, referring to the Yemeni government and the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen.

The ruling has provoked protests against the Houthis, who have been accused of attempting to muzzle dissenting voices. “Al-Houthi is an unruly gang that utilizes the court as a weapon for repression…and the abolition of individual liberties,” Mohammed Al-Ahmadi, a Yemeni journalist, said on Facebook.