Via The Cradle

A retired Syrian general who commanded forces fighting ISIS was abducted by personnel from the Syrian embassy in Lebanon, Al-Akhbar reported on Saturday.

Adel Issa, an Alawite brigadier general from Tartous, entered the Syrian embassy in Beirut at 12:30 pm on Friday to arrange a power of attorney for a relative. His Syrian driver waited outside for him, but he never returned. As his driver waited outside, a car with several young men stopped and demanded that the driver hand over the retired general’s phone, claiming they needed to register his passport.

The driver waited for Issa until 4:30 pm before going to the embassy entrance to inquire about him. A Lebanese guard prevented him from entering, telling him the embassy had closed an hour before.

After persisting, the driver was able to speak with an embassy employee who told him that Issa had left the embassy 20 minutes earlier. This surprised the driver, as Issa never came out of the embassy to have the driver take him home.

The driver then informed the general’s family of the incident. They began making calls to locate him, but his phone was switched off after 3:30 pm.

The family contacted several Lebanese organizations for help in determining his fate, fearing he might have been illegally detained at the embassy, ​​given his status as an Alawite officer in the deposed government of Bashar al-Assad. There were also fears that he might be transferred to Syria and subjected to torture.

Since the fall of Assad’s government in October 2024, Syria’s new authorities, led by the former Al-Qaeda leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, have detained thousands of Alawite officers from the former army. 

Syrian authorities claim they are detained for committing war crimes during the 14-year war that began in 2011. However, in practice they are typically detained based on their religious identity as Alawites.

According to a December 2025 report by Reuters, Syria’s prisons are overflowing with Alawite men who are held without trial and often tortured.

Al-Akhbar notes that Brigadier General Issa had retired more than six years ago. He continued to live in Tartous and move around Syria without being pursued by the new authorities.

He gave a statement before a Syrian court a few months ago regarding a financial dispute with someone without being arrested or prosecuted, as there was no warrant or legal case against him. However, roughly one month ago, a group of unknown armed men raided Issa’s home and inquired about him.

#Syria/#Lebanon: Following the scandal reported by the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar over the Syrian Embassy’s abduction and detention of Syrian citizens, the embassy admitted yesterday that retired officer Adel Issa had been held inside the embassy. Embassy staff then handed him… https://t.co/WEkW2aF9TW pic.twitter.com/IgDK7k0H9N

— Syria Justice Archive (@SyJusticeArc) August 9, 2026

Issa was unable to determine whether the armed men were from the official Syrian security forces or from an armed faction affiliated with the new government but operating outside the chain of command. As a result, Issa decided to leave Syrian territory for Lebanon.

The Syrian Justice Archive (SJA) noted that after news emerged of the detention of the retired general, an attempt was made to cover up his abduction at the embassy and make it appear as if it was part of a legal process.

Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat claimed that Lebanese authorities had arrested Issa and requested his judicial file from their Syrian counterparts to decide whether to hand him over to Syrian authorities. SJA notes that the evidence indicates that Issa was taken by Syrian embassy personnel, not by Lebanese prosecutors or police.

“If Syria wanted his arrest and extradition, the proper procedure would have been for the Syrian Prosecutor General to formally request his arrest and handover through the Lebanese authorities, not for him to be abducted while visiting the embassy after legally leaving Syria,” SJA stated.

The Syrian embassy admitted later on Saturday that Issa had been held inside the embassy and that embassy staff then handed him over to Lebanese security authorities after he had spent more than a day detained inside the embassy.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that Issa commanded the Syrian army’s 17th Division. In 2015, he was given command of all Syrian ground forces in the eastern governorate of Deir Ezzor, which borders Iraq, before he retired in late 2016.

Under Issa’s command, the 17th Division was responsible for protecting Deir Ezzor from ISIS, of which self-appointed Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s armed group, the Nusra Front, is an offshoot. The Nusra Front was later rebranded as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Another scandal emerged last week when journalist Lindsey Snell reported that the Nusra Front member, Mohamad Qanatari, who had kidnapped her in northern Syria in 2016, had been named as charge d’affaires to the Syrian Embassy in Washington.

My interview with the Syrian chargé d’affaires to the US back when he was a member of Jabhat al-Nusra. pic.twitter.com/g0NSaH1WUp

— Lindsey Snell (@LindseySnell) July 28, 2026

In 2012, Nusra was designated as a terrorist group by both the UN and the US State Department, despite covert US support for the group. Since HTS and Sharaa came to power, the US government has openly embraced members of the former terror group, including Sharaa himself, who visited the White House to meet US President Donald Trump in November 2025.

SJA reports that another disturbing incident involving the Syrian embassy in Beirut occurred earlier this week when a Syrian social media influencer, Hussein Abdul Qader al-Ahmad, was abducted after making a video for social media in front of the embassy.

In the video, Ahmad criticized the new extremist-dominated Syrian authorities, including President Sharaa – who formerly went by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani and is well known for dispatching suicide bombers and car bombs to kill thousands of civilians in Iraq and Syria.

After his abduction at the Lebanese-Syrian border, Ahmad appeared on Syrian government media in detention with visible marks on his forehead, suggesting that he was subjected to abuse or torture. He is now detained on charges of “insulting state symbols” and “provoking the feelings of Syrians.”

An investigation into surveillance equipment fitted to Royal Navy unmanned vessels has raised concerns over military supply-chain security after cameras containing Chinese-made components were found communicating with an internet address in China.

The cameras were installed on K3 Scout unmanned surface vessels used by Royal Marines and other specialist British forces, according to a report by The Telegraph. The vessels form part of the Royal Navy’s push to expand its use of autonomous systems for surveillance and maritime operations.

A technical assessment reportedly discovered that the cameras were sending routine electronic signals to an IP address located in China. The communications were described as “heartbeat” traffic – automated messages commonly used by connected devices to confirm that they remain online and operational. The Ministry of Defence said investigators found no evidence that classified information, military systems or other sensitive data had been accessed or transmitted abroad. Nevertheless, internet connectivity associated with the cameras was removed after the issue was discovered.

The episode has renewed scrutiny of the increasingly complex international supply chains behind modern defense equipment, where a system designed and assembled in one country can contain electronic components manufactured across several others.

Concerns over sensitive military locations

The K3 Scout vessels have been used by the Royal Marines since earlier this year and are capable of extended autonomous operations. Their surveillance equipment is intended to give military personnel greater awareness of maritime activity without requiring crews to remain aboard the vessels.

Security concerns are heightened by reports that the craft have operated around sensitive defense facilities and personnel.

One concern is whether connected cameras could potentially expose information about individuals, training activities or locations even when the main platform itself is not actively conducting a mission. Reports that some camera functions may have remained active while vessels were otherwise powered down have added to calls for closer examination of how individual subsystems operate.

The Ministry of Defence said its routine cyber-security procedures were responsible for identifying the vulnerability and stressed that its investigation found no evidence of a compromise of departmental information.

Internal Audit

The K3 Scout fleet was supplied by British defense company Kraken Technology Group, which obtained the cameras through a third-party supplier.

Kraken said the equipment had been considered compliant with relevant US defense procurement requirements but acknowledged that a small number of components inside the cameras originated outside the UK. Following an audit conducted with the Royal Navy, the company said it was satisfied that sensitive information had not been transmitted through unintended channels and that identified vulnerabilities had been addressed.

The distinction highlights a broader problem for defense procurement. A product can comply with rules prohibiting equipment from specified manufacturers while still incorporating individual components produced in countries viewed as potential security risks. Modern cameras, drones and communications systems can contain processors, sensors, networking modules and firmware originating from numerous suppliers. That makes establishing the provenance and behavior of every component increasingly important – and increasingly difficult.

The K3 Scout is designed for long-duration maritime missions and can carry a substantial payload. The platform has also been tested internationally and has attracted interest beyond the UK.

For the Royal Navy, such vessels are part of a wider strategy to combine conventional warships with autonomous and remotely operated systems.

Uncrewed platforms can conduct surveillance, patrol dangerous areas and provide intelligence while reducing the number of personnel placed directly in harm’s way. Britain has committed billions of pounds to expanding military drone technology and accelerating the introduction of autonomous systems.

But greater reliance on digitally connected equipment also creates new vulnerabilities.

A conventional mechanical defect may prevent a vehicle from functioning. A compromised digital component could potentially create a less visible threat by transmitting information, receiving unauthorized instructions or revealing patterns of military activity.

Chinese technology remains a security concern

The discovery comes against a wider backdrop of British concern about technology and equipment with links to China. Successive governments have tightened restrictions on Chinese-made hardware in sensitive environments, while Huawei was removed from Britain’s 5G infrastructure plans following national-security concerns. UK intelligence agencies have also repeatedly warned about Chinese espionage and efforts to obtain sensitive political, commercial and technological information.

Via Remix News,

Health sources have confirmed that Ceuta University Hospital has treated at least five girls over the past week for alleged rapes following the mass migrant invasion of Ceuta last month.

All the girls are Moroccan and were reportedly under the age of 14 when they were raped, with an emergency doctor verifying the cases and noting that many of these minors are sleeping on the street because of a shortage of places in shelters.

Susana Ascaso, an emergency-room doctor at Ceuta University Hospital, confirmed in an interview published by the Spanish outlet El pueblo de Ceuta that her service is dealing with cases of rape involving migrant girls.

She described the victims as 14-year-old minors who remain on the street because reception centers for minors have no available places.

“It’s not that we refuse to receive them, it’s that there is no room for them,” the doctor said.

In addition to the Moroccan girls, at least one boy was also reportedly raped, bringing the total number of underage victims to six. There may also be more cases that have not been reported yet, as there are more than ten cases involving sexual assault that have been handled by the hospital.

The Spanish National Police have opened an investigation into the alleged rape of a minor who entered Ceuta during the recent mass arrival of migrants. The child was taken to hospital, where injuries consistent with sexual assault were recorded. No arrests have been announced and the precise details of the case remain undisclosed as the investigation continues.

Judicial sources also added that several attempted sexual attacks were prevented by the intervention of local residents.

Ascaso described the entire situation as a “health disaster,” with her department receiving an average of “300 to 400 migrants a day” while operating with the same staff and resources that existed before the massive migrant crisis in July.

After being discharged from the hospital, most patients have nowhere to go. She also warned of the risk of epidemic diseases.

“We do not know if people arrive with tuberculosis, hepatitis or other types of diseases that, today, we will not be able to detect either,” she said.

Meanwhile, the people of Ceuta are also competing for medical care with the migrants.

Ascaso said the “population of Ceuta continues to get sick and go” to hospital as well, where medical authorities have established two different areas, one for migrants and another for Ceuta residents, who “also have the right to receive assistance,” according to the doctor.

Organizations such as Save the Children have highlighted the heightened risk of human trafficking and sexual exploitation facing migrant girls and adolescents in Ceuta, largely because of gaps in identification, accommodation, and support.

Jennifer Zuppiroli, a migration specialist with the organization, stressed that an adolescent girl left alone and outside the protection system can find herself in a situation of great vulnerability.

The National Police have given priority to girls and children under 13 in their identification operations. Meanwhile, the Minister of Youth and Children, Sira Rego, has acknowledged a change in the profile of minors arriving in the city, marked by an increased presence of girls and very young children.

Read more here…

Via Middle East Eye

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated an alleged quote attributed to a senior Iranian commander about Tehran’s determination to develop nuclear weapons, even though the statement had no identified primary source and was later traced to an Indian pro-Israel account on X.

An investigation by Israeli news outlet Ynet and New York Times journalist Ronen Bergman found that Netanyahu used the alleged quote, attributed to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Ahmad Vahidi, in an official address to warn Israelis about Iran’s nuclear plans. Ynet’s investigation traced the source of Netanyahu’s remarks to Ritika, an Indian Hindu-nationalist and pro-Israel X account, which posted the alleged quote on 5 August.

“There will be no discussion over enriched uranium or nuclear weapons. As long as the United States and Israel possess nuclear weapons, we will continue working on them for our national security. If they disarm, we will disarm,” the post attributed to Vahidi said.

According to Ynet, the quote began circulating rapidly after it was posted.

About four and a half hours later, Mossad Commentary, which presents itself as an unofficial account of Israel’s intelligence agency on X but has no connection to the Mossad foreign intelligence agency, repeated the claim to its more than 1 million followers.

“THERE WILL BE NO FINAL DEAL. The sooner we understand that, the better,” the account said, before citing the alleged remarks by Vahidi. The account added: “The regime is not preparing to abandon its nuclear ambitions. It is buying time. There will be no deal.” 

Israel’s Channel 14 repeated the alleged Vahidi quote, describing it as the first direct admission by an Iranian official that Tehran was developing a nuclear bomb. It did not provide a primary source for the quotation. Channel 14 News is widely regarded in Israel as a mouthpiece for Netanyahu and his far-right government.

A recent report found that the Israeli government had bought millions of shekels worth of commercial airtime from the channel in recent years.

Ynet reported that Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister’s eldest son, subsequently reposted content from the two Israeli accounts to his near-300,000 followers on X.

Yair Netanyahu is one of the most influential figures in the Prime Minister’s inner circle, with numerous reports indicating that he and his mother, Sara Netanyahu, are heavily involved in the prime minister’s decision-making. Netanyahu’s eldest son is known for promoting hardline politics and false information through his social media accounts, with many of Netanyahu’s Likud party members seeking his approval.

Netanyahu Picks Up on Statement, Which then Spreads to United States

“Today, we heard the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Vahidi, explicitly declare Iran’s intention to continue developing nuclear weapons – ‘continue’, as he put it,” Netanyahu said, according to Ynet’s investigation.

The alleged quote subsequently spread to the United States. 

According to Ynet, Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the United Nations, reposted the Channel 14 report before later deleting it. US conservative commentator Mark Levin also reposted it.

Fox News later reported that Vahidi had said Iran would continue working on nuclear weapons as long as the US and Israel possessed them. The outlet subsequently clarified its report, saying the remarks “were previously taken out of context and amplified as comments made this week”.

The alleged quote continued to circulate in Israeli media, with journalists close to Netanyahu, including Yaakov Bardugo and Avishay Ben Haim, repeating the prime minister’s warning on Israeli television, Ynet reported. The Israeli foreign ministry’s Persian-language X account also posted Netanyahu’s remarks about Vahidi.

About 13 hours after the original post appeared on the Indian X account, Fox News reported on the alleged statement, saying it was “intensifying concerns that Iran is using negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz to postpone concessions on its nuclear program”.

Two days later, the outlet clarified that Vahidi’s remarks “were previously taken out of context and amplified as comments made this week“.

Two hours after Fox’s initial report, Asian News International, a major Indian news outlet, repeated the claim, citing Israeli media reports.

Vahidi’s alleged quote, Ynet said, served Netanyahu to bolster his claim that Iran seeks to develop a nuclear weapon amid reports suggesting that Netanyahu opposes a deal between the US and Iran.

In June, Netanyahu told Channel 14 News that “as long as I am prime minister, Iran will not have nuclear weapons”, adding that he saved Israel from “annihilation” twice by claiming Iran possessed atomic bombs.

While Ynet could not determine whether Netanyahu or his inner circle directed the circulation of Vahidi’s alleged quote, the investigation pointed “to a series of familiar markers of disinformation distribution”.

It said that Netanyahu had faced similar accusations in the past. In September 2024, Netanyahu’s office allegedly provided the UK-based Jewish Chronicle and Germany-based Bild newspaper with false information claiming that Hamas intended to smuggle Israeli captives through the Rafah area between the Gaza Strip and Egypt to Iran.

Two Netanyahu aides are also under investigation over allegations that classified documents were leaked to influence Israeli public opinion about military operations in Rafah.

Ynet’s investigation said recent reports suggested Israeli influence operations had increasingly targeted audiences outside Israel, including in the US, amid growing criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and Iran from both Democratic and Republican figures.

Last month, Iran’s embassy in India also accused Indian media of spreading false information about Iran. “Indian media should not compromise the public trust and its professional credibility by disseminating fake and fabricated news,” the embassy said, adding that it expected outlets to “avoid participating in external propaganda efforts”.

In “that’s enough internet for today” news…

North Korea has apparently found the answer to record-breaking summer heat: dog-meat soup, chicken broth and stories about how hard Kim Jong Un sweats, according to Reuters.

Pyongyang hit 98 degrees, on Thursday, which state media said was the highest temperature recorded in the capital. With tropical nights piling up, the regime has rolled out an unusually enthusiastic summer survival guide.

Some advice is straightforward: watermelon, cucumbers, mung beans and plenty of fluids. Then things get considerably more North Korean.

A doctor quoted by the ruling party’s Rodong Sinmun recommended “nutritious foods” including fish porridge, red-bean porridge and dog-meat soup, traditionally believed to help people endure summer heat.

The newspaper even published a separate feature celebrating dog-meat soup, reviving an old saying that soup spilled on your foot during the summer dog days “becomes medicine.” North Korea also held a national dog-meat cooking competition earlier this year, because apparently it’s important there that someone determines who is the best at cooking dog.

For less adventurous diners, state media promoted samgyetang, a chicken soup stuffed with ginseng, rice and jujubes. Television broadcasts also offered advice on hydration, swimming and outdoor exercise.

According to Reuters no North Korean weather emergency would be complete without reminding everyone that Kim Jong Un is also very hot, possibly hotter than you.

State media recycled stories of Kim heroically sweating through previous summers, including a 2013 construction-site inspection where his clothes supposedly became soaked. Other reports recalled him trudging through mountains and rain in 2018 and inspecting a seafood factory in temperatures reportedly reaching 39°C.

What Kim is actually doing during this heat wave was conspicuously absent. North Korea has disclosed no heat-related death figures, while neighboring South Korea has reported more than 20.

So the official North Korean summer survival plan appears simple: drink water, eat some soup and, if things get unbearable, remember that the Supreme Leader once perspired at a construction site.

President Trump was spotted over the weekend at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, under a notably elevated air-defense posture. An AN/TWQ-1 Avenger positioned near the fairway provided last-line missile defense, indicating that security planners considered a low-altitude airborne attack plausible.

The Avenger’s presence indicates a planned, layered air-defense posture around the president, complemented by F-16 fighter jets overhead and temporary flight restrictions over the course.

The X account POPULAR FRONT posted an image of the Avenger mounted on the back of a Humvee, with President Trump swinging what appears to be an iron.

President Donald Trump was seen golfing at his Bedminster, New Jersey, club with a missile-defense system deployed nearby as F-16s were scrambled to intercept civilian aircraft that entered the temporarily restricted airspace over the area. NORAD said two general aviation aircraft were intercepted and escorted out of the restricted zone while Trump was attending the LIV Golf tournament.

🇺🇸 #US: President Donald Trump was seen golfing at his Bedminster, New Jersey club with a missile-defense system deployed nearby, as F-16s were scrambled to intercept civilian aircraft that entered the temporary restricted airspace over the area.

NORAD said two general-aviation… pic.twitter.com/NyZbj9OUEo

— POPULAR FRONT (@PopularFront_) August 10, 2026

The Avenger provided terminal point defense over the course should a low-flying aircraft, helicopter, larger drone, or potentially a cruise missile penetrate the restricted airspace before fighters could respond. 

Types of drone threats (view note): 

The deployment supports the view that President Trump’s security team was taking precautions in response to a constantly evolving threat environment, but it should not be taken as evidence that officials had warning of a particular attack. 

Wildfires burning across the western United States and Canada continued to threaten communities Sunday, leaving thousands of residents displaced and others watching closely for possible evacuation orders. While some evacuees waited anxiously to learn whether their homes had survived, firefighters worked to contain several major blazes across the region.

In western Canada, more than 20,000 people were forced to flee communities along Okanagan Lake in British Columbia over the weekend as a fast-moving wildfire destroyed homes and prompted dramatic aircraft rescues. Farther south, crews in eastern Washington continued cleanup and containment work on three wildfires that have burned in the Spokane area for more than a week.

Laurie Allen evacuated her home in Nine Mile Falls, a community north of Spokane, the previous weekend as flames burned nearby. She fled with her husband, dog and two kittens. Although roads into her neighborhood remained closed Sunday, Allen said a friend had told her that her home and several others nearby were still standing, though covered in ash.

“I’ve been here 65 years. It’s never happened,” Allen said. “We didn’t think about anything but grabbing our animals and leaving. But now it’s affected so many of our friends and family around. So it’s pretty dang devastating.”

More Than 20,000 Flee Wildfires in British Columbia

In Canada, residents across the Okanagan Lake region faced rapidly changing conditions as wildfires forced large-scale evacuations, AP reports.

Anette Boulet was among those who fled Summerland, a community of about 12,000 people along Okanagan Lake. She and her family left around 4:30 a.m. Saturday as thick smoke surrounded their home and flames approached nearby ridges.

“You couldn’t see barely. It was, it was just dark, and the ridge, the ridge of fire just coming towards you,” Boulet said after evacuating to a center in Penticton.

“There’s no words to express it,” she added. “The fear.”

Later Sunday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said an 80-year-old woman died while attempting to escape the wildfire that prompted evacuations throughout the Okanagan Lake region.

🔥 BRITISH COLUMBIA IS ON FIRE — 20,000+ PEOPLE FORCED TO FLEE

British Columbia has declared a state of emergency as the Bald Range wildfire explodes across southern B.C., forcing more than 20,000 people to evacuate.

The fire nearly doubled in size overnight, expanding to… pic.twitter.com/hZAnb2DvSo

— Zacky vicent (@VicentZacky) August 9, 2026

In addition to the evacuations in Summerland, the Bald Range fire, first reported Friday evening, forced roughly 8,000 people to leave their homes in and around nearby Peachland. British Columbia declared a state of emergency Saturday as officials mobilized additional resources to respond to the worsening fire conditions.

Eleanor Olszewski, Canada’s minister of emergency management and community resilience, said Sunday that she had approved British Columbia’s request for federal assistance, including support for shelter and temporary accommodations for displaced residents.

Spokane-Area Fires Leave Communities on Alert

Across the border in Washington state, firefighters continued “mop-up operations” Sunday along containment lines surrounding three wildfires in the Spokane area. None of the fires were expanding, according to the team managing the response, offering some relief after more than a week of destructive fire activity.

Together, the fires have damaged or destroyed about 920 structures, leaving a significant recovery effort ahead for affected communities.

Earlier in the week, a man was arrested and charged with intentionally setting the largest of the three Spokane-area fires.

Residents of Malden, a small rural town about 35 miles south of Spokane, were urged Saturday to evacuate immediately as conditions worsened. By Sunday, however, officials had lowered the evacuation level, telling residents to remain prepared to leave quickly if conditions changed.

#BREAKING: Insane video shows devastating wildfires engulfing Spokane, Washington. pic.twitter.com/0M49raXjtO

— Insider Wire (@InsiderWire) August 3, 2026

“The wind is fairly calm. The fire is not progressing,” said John Goyke, whose company operates Malden’s water system under contract. “But we’re using social media and Facebook to keep in contact with everyone.”

Goyke, who also serves as mayor of nearby Rosalia, said Malden residents had been asked to conserve water so supplies would remain available for firefighting operations. Malden’s fire department has also been trucking additional water in from Rosalia.

The renewed wildfire threat carries particular significance for Malden. In 2020, a wildfire destroyed much of the town, including its fire station, post office, city hall and library.

Two Pilots Killed in Utah Wildfire Helicopter Crash

Elsewhere in the West, the wildfire response turned deadly in Utah, where two helicopter pilots were killed when their aircraft crashed Friday morning while they were fighting a fire in Fishlake National Forest. Emergency crews were unable to reach the crash site until Saturday because of active fire conditions and the steep, rugged terrain. Officials confirmed the pilots’ deaths after reaching the area.

Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis said responders encountered both the burning wreckage and an advancing wildfire when they arrived.

“When we first got there we could see two different plumes of smoke, one from the crash site, one from an active fire coming towards us,” Curtis said.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the helicopter crash.

As firefighters across the U.S. and Canada continue working to contain the blazes, displaced residents face an uncertain return home and communities already scarred by previous wildfires are once again confronting the growing dangers posed by fast-moving fires.