Day: September 2, 2022

Tunisian security forces have killed three gunmen from Jund al-Khilafa (Caliphate Soldiers) terrorist group in the Kasserine province, the country’s Defense Ministry said on Friday.

“Joint units of the army, the (gendarmerie) and the national security were able to eliminate three terrorists affiliated with the Jund al-Khilafa organization,” the ministry said.

The statement added that the terrorists were killed “in a field operation in the heights of Salloum, without recording injuries among the intervening units.”

“Operations are still underway to track down the remaining terrorist elements of the aforementioned organization,” the ministry said.

Since May 2011, Tunisia has witnessed several terrorist attacks that escalated in 2013, killing dozens of security and military personnel and foreign tourists.

Jund al-Khilafa is a Daesh/ISIS affiliated terrorist group and is responsible for several terrorist attacks between 2019 and 2020, targeting civilians and security forces, according to the Tunisian authorities.

Source: Anadolu Agency

British health officials have confirmed that a new strain of monkeypox has been discovered in the UK.

The UK Health Security Agency said on Thursday that a person who had recently travelled to West Africa was diagnosed with a monkeypox strain that was different from the one currently circulating in the UK.

The person, who remains unnamed, is now at the High Consequence Infectious Disease unit at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

The British health agency said that no other cases had been identified as of Thursday, and that contact tracing is currently being carried out.

Sophia Maki, incident director of the UK Health Security Agency, said: “We are working to contact the individuals who had close contact with the case prior to confirmation of their infection, to assess them as necessary and provide advice.”

She added that the risk to the public was still “very low” due to infection control procedures.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Iran on Friday announced that it temporarily seized two US unmanned vessels in the Red Sea for “endangering maritime security,” according to state-run media.

Th two US unmanned reconnaissance vessels were briefly seized by the Iranian navy on Thursday before they were released, Iranian TV reported.

The frigate Jamaran of the Iranian navy seized the boats to prevent a possible accident after warning the US fleet.

After the international shipping routes were secured, the two boats were left in a safe area.

Footage broadcast on the state television showed Iranian soldiers pushing two unmanned vehicles into the sea from the deck of their ship.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Sweden’s ruling Social Democrats said on Friday that the far-right Sweden Democrats pose a security and foreign policy threat to the country.

“Our view is that the Swedish Democrats are a party that has shown untrustworthiness on security and foreign policy issues,” Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist told a press conference.

The populist party is the main rival to the Social Democrats, as according to recent polls, they are set to become the country’s second-largest party in parliamentary elections set for Sept. 11.

Anders Ygeman, the country’s integration and migration minister, added that there is no other party “that has that kind of Nazi and racist roots and continues to be revealed with them, time and time again.”

Hultqvist stressed that Sweden must pursue an active “responsible and credible security-solid policy” and accused the party of having links to undemocratic leaders, right-wing populist groups, and Russia and authoritarian states.

A week before the war in Ukraine started on Feb. 24, said Hultqvist, Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson couldn’t choose between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Hultqvist pointed to a Thursday incident when an official at the Sweden Democrats office in parliament sent out an email inviting colleagues to a “celebration” of the 83rd anniversary of Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland. A party official later said the invitation had been mischaracterized and in fact was meant to honor the Poles.

Ygeman stressed the danger of the Sweden Democrats, saying they must figure out a way to prevent the party’s influence on an upcoming government, or how to restrict the actions of an upcoming Sweden Democrats government in future or ongoing conflicts.

Source: Anadolu Agency

At least 23 people died of measles different areas of Zambia last month, officials said on Friday.

According to Health Minister Sylvia Masebo, authorities detected a measles outbreak in Sinazongwe and Pemba, two districts located in Zambia’s Southern Province.

“In August, there were 73 cases and 13 deaths in Pemba, along with 57 cases and three fatalities in Sinazongwe,” she told reporters in the capital Lusaka.

Seven more deaths were reported in North-Western Province and Kafue, a district outside Lusaka.

All the patients were not vaccinated against measles, Masebo said.

As of mid-August, 475 measles cases had been confirmed throughout Zambia since the start of the year, according to the minister.

“Measles remains a threat in our country,” said Masebo, adding that the government has deployed rapid response teams in affected areas to offer vaccination and guidance on prevention measures.

Source: Anadolu Agency

German authorities have started to implement new energy saving measures to prepare for a possible gas shortage in winter.

According to the new measures that came into effect on Thursday, public buildings are now required to turn off non-essential lights and hot water, and limit heating to a maximum 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit).

Historical buildings and monuments across the country are no longer illuminated, with the exception of lighting for security purposes, to reduce electricity use.

The Energy Saving Ordinance also introduces restrictions for businesses, obliging them to switch off illuminated advertising between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. (2000-0400GMT).

They are also required to close doors while heating their shops to improve energy efficiency.

The government is hoping to decrease energy consumption by 20% and fill up its gas storage facilities to 95% by Nov. 1 to get ready for potential disruptions to Russian gas imports in winter.

This week, Russia halted gas deliveries to Germany via the Nord Stream pipeline, citing maintenance reasons. German politicians, however, accused Moscow of using gas as a weapon to exert pressure on Berlin.

Germany has around 23 billion cubic meters of gas storage capacity, and currently the total storage level is around 84%, according to Bundesnetzagentur, the country’s energy regulator.

Source: Anadolu Agency

G7 finance ministers agreed to finalizing the implementation of a price cap on Russian crude on Friday, while prohibiting the export of Russian-origin crude oil and petroleum products by maritime transport.

The transport of Russian sea-born crude “would only be allowed if the oil and petroleum products are purchased at or below a price cap,” G7 members announced in a joint statement.

The purpose of the price cap is to reduce Russian revenue and the country’s ability to fund the war, while limiting the impact of the war on global energy prices.

The group committed to urgently work on the finalization and implementation of the measure in their own jurisdictions. Among the 27 EU member states, unanimity is required for the measure to take effect.

“The initial price cap will be set at a level based on a range of technical inputs and will be decided by the full coalition in advance of implementation in each jurisdiction,” the G7 said.

Meanwhile, the group encouraged oil-producing countries to increase their output to decrease volatility in energy markets.

G7 members include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, US and the EU as a non-enumerated member, meaning it cannot assume rotating G7 presidency.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of $1.1 billion worth of missiles, radar system and related equipment to Taiwan, the Pentagon said Friday.

The largest sum of the sale includes the Surveillance Radar Program (SRP) and related equipment for an estimated $665.4 million, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

It includes 60 AGM-84L-1 Harpoon Block II Missiles and related equipment for $355 million and 100 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder tactical missiles and four AIM-9X Block II tactical Guidance Units and related equipment for $85.6 million.

Congress has been notified about the possible sale, said the agency. The requests were made by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, or TECRO.

The sales will improve Taiwan’s capability to meet current and future threats and help increase its warfighting effectiveness and augment existing surface and air defenses, the agency said in a statement.

Ties between Washington and Beijing have frayed significantly in recent weeks following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which was conducted in spite of repeated warnings from China.

China viewed the trip as a threat to its claims of sovereignty on the island, which has ruled itself since 1949. China views Taiwan as a “breakaway province,” and has vowed to reunify it, including by force if necessary.

China also repeatedly conducted military exercises surrounding Taiwan that included missile launches and mass deployments of ships and aircraft.

Apart from the show of military might, Beijing has downgraded military dialogue with the US and suspended cooperation on climate change issues, along with six other countermeasures.

Source: Anadolu Agency

US stocks were up at opening on Friday after strong jobs report for August.

The Dow Jones rose 242 points, or 0.77%, to 31,989 at 10.25 a.m. EDT. The S&P 500 added 37 points, or 0.95%, to 4,005.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq increased 104 points, or 0.88%, to 11,889.

US economy added 315,000 jobs in August, above market estimate of 300,000, the Labor Department announced on Friday.

The VIX volatility index, also known as the fear index, plummeted 7.7% to 23.59. The 10-year US Treasury yield fell 1.9% to 3.204%.

While the dollar index lost 0.4% to 109.24, the euro was up 0.6% to $1.0006 against the dollar.

Precious metals reversed course, with gold adding 1% to $1,714 and silver rising 1.9% to $18.15.

Oil prices were on the rise. Global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading at $94.97 a barrel for a 1.8% gain, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was around $89 — a 2.7% increase.

Source: Anadolu Agency