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Turkish Electricity Company Expands Rapidly in Northwest Syria

An aerial photo of solar energy production cells in northern Syria near the Turkish border on June 9 (AFP)
An aerial photo of solar energy production cells in northern Syria near the Turkish border on June 9 (AFP)
    Idlib, London - Firas Karam, Asharq Al-Awsat
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Turkish Electricity Company Expands Rapidly in Northwest Syria

An aerial photo of solar energy production cells in northern Syria near the Turkish border on June 9 (AFP)
An aerial photo of solar energy production cells in northern Syria near the Turkish border on June 9 (AFP)

In cooperation with the Syrian opposition Salvation Government’s General Electricity Corporation (GEC), a Turkish private firm is setting up power transmission lines to all parts of Syria’s opposition-held northwest governorate of Idlib.

In Idlib, the GEC oversees the management of power services, but the bulk of electricity feeding the governorate’s new power grid comes from Turkey.

“After the contracting company assigned to build the power-supply project in Idlib concluded its work…our company started delivering electricity to the densely populated cities of Idlib, Harem, Salqin, Al-Dana and Sarmada with high quality, efficiency and speed,” revealed the media relations officer at Turkey’s “Green Energy” company.

The energy project in Syria’s Idlib included building substations with the capacity to receive (66 kV) from Turkey, establishing a voltage line linking the power networks in the two countries to each other, and equipping and maintaining high-voltage networks located in the region.

For citizens in Idlib, connecting to the new grid will require them to purchase a pre-paid electric meter and draw a cable from the network. At the network, both single-phase and three-phase electric power meters are available to subscribers.

Getting a single-phase meter would cost TRY 350 with an additional subscription fee of TRY 100, while the price of a three-phase meter is set at TRY900 with a TRY400 subscription fee.

Moreover, a domestic kilowatt would cost 0.9 TRY, while the price of a commercial or industrial kilowatt stands at 1TRY, according to Green Energy.

Separately, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Turkish intelligence agreeing with ally Syrian opposition factions to send fighters to Afghanistan.

“There is an agreement between Turkish intelligence and the leaders of Syrian opposition factions, whether in the northern city of Afrin or other areas under their influence in Syria, to send members of the factions to Afghanistan, specifically to Kabul,” said the Observatory, noting that combatants were also sent to Libya and the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Unlike previous deployments to Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, fighters will be sent to Afghanistan after getting enlisted in Turkish security companies with official contracts.

“Turkish intelligence will work to recruit these people into Turkish security companies with official contracts and deploy them officially,” explained the Observatory.

There was no official comment from Ankara or Syrian opposition factions on the report, but the Observatory said that the operation is likely to start in September.

“Turkish intelligence will supervise the process of selecting Syrian personnel--because they do not trust faction leaders,” noted the Observatory.

According to the human rights watchdog, the main task of those deployed to Afghanistan will be to protect Kabul airport, government facilities, and headquarters and guard international forces.

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'Breathtaking': Artemis Astronauts Blast towards Moon

This image taken from video provided by NASA shows the Earth, left, from NASA's Orion spacecraft as it fired its engines heading toward the moon Thursday, April 2, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This image taken from video provided by NASA shows the Earth, left, from NASA's Orion spacecraft as it fired its engines heading toward the moon Thursday, April 2, 2026. (NASA via AP)
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'Breathtaking': Artemis Astronauts Blast towards Moon

This image taken from video provided by NASA shows the Earth, left, from NASA's Orion spacecraft as it fired its engines heading toward the moon Thursday, April 2, 2026. (NASA via AP)
This image taken from video provided by NASA shows the Earth, left, from NASA's Orion spacecraft as it fired its engines heading toward the moon Thursday, April 2, 2026. (NASA via AP)

Four Artemis astronauts were zooming towards the Moon late Thursday after a major engine firing, a milestone that commits NASA to the first crewed lunar flyby in more than half a century.

With enough thrust to accelerate a stationary car to highway driving speed in less than three seconds, the Orion capsule engine blasted the astronauts on their trajectory towards the Moon, which they now will loop as part of the 10-day Artemis 2 mission, reported AFP.

In the moments that followed what the US space agency dubbed a "flawless" firing that lasted just under six minutes, astronaut Jeremy Hansen said that "humanity has once again shown what we are capable of."

The astronauts said they were "glued to the window" taking pictures, and later passed a floating microphone back and forth as they took questions from US television networks.

They said the spacecraft was a little chilly and they were still making it a home, but the crew was all smiles.

"There's nothing that prepares you for the breathtaking aspect of seeing your home planet both lit up bright as day, and also the Moon glow on it at night with the beautiful beam of the sunset," said Christina Koch.

Thursday's nudge came one day after the enormous orange-and-white Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion capsule launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the long-anticipated journey around the Moon.

The astronauts are now on a "free-return" trajectory, which uses the Moon's gravity to slingshot around it before heading back towards Earth without propulsion.

"From this point forward, the laws of orbital mechanics are going to carry our crew to the Moon, around the far side and back to Earth," NASA official Lori Glaze said.

The astronauts are wearing suits that also serve as "survival systems" -- in the unlikely case of a cabin depressurization or leak, they'll maintain oxygen, temperature controls and the correct pressure for up to six days.

The astronauts -- Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Koch along with Canadian Hansen -- spent their first hours in space performing checks and troubleshooting minor problems on the spacecraft that has never carried humans before, including a communications issue and a malfunctioning toilet.

Queried on the toilet situation, Koch said she was "proud to call myself the space plumber.

"I like to say that it is probably the most important piece of equipment on board," she said. "So we were all breathing a sigh of relief when it turned out to be just fine."

- 'Herculean' -

Crewmembers also had their first workouts of the mission on the spacecraft's "flywheel exercise device" -- each astronaut will carve out 30 minutes a day for fitness, a bid to minimize the muscle and bone loss that happens without gravity.

The 10-day mission is aimed at paving the way for a Moon landing in 2028.

Artemis 2 marks a series of historic accomplishments: sending the first person of color, the first woman and the first non-American on a lunar mission.

If all proceeds smoothly, the astronauts could also set a record by venturing farther from Earth than any human before.

"There is nothing normal about this," said Wiseman. "Sending four humans 250,000 miles away is a Herculean effort, and we are now just realizing the gravity of that."

The Artemis 2 mission is part of a longer-term plan to repeatedly return to the Moon, with the goal of establishing a permanent base that will offer a platform for further exploration.

The current era of American lunar investment has frequently been portrayed as an effort to compete with China, which aims to land humans on the Moon by 2030.

Asked about division closer to home and what message they had for Americans, Glover said from his vantage point, "You look amazing. You look beautiful."

"From up here, you also look like one thing," he added. "We're all one people."

World

Ukraine Says Russia Fired Hundreds of Drones, Missiles in ‘Massive’ Daytime Attack

People relax at the Gryshko National Botanical Garden in Kyiv on April 1, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
People relax at the Gryshko National Botanical Garden in Kyiv on April 1, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
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Ukraine Says Russia Fired Hundreds of Drones, Missiles in ‘Massive’ Daytime Attack

People relax at the Gryshko National Botanical Garden in Kyiv on April 1, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
People relax at the Gryshko National Botanical Garden in Kyiv on April 1, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

Kyiv and its surrounding region on Friday faced pummeling by Russian missiles and drones, officials said, the latest in an increasing number of daytime attacks on Ukraine.

"The Kyiv region is once again under a massive enemy missile and drone attack," said regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk.

One person died in the attacks, he added.

The barrage prompted emergency power outages in several regions, energy operator Ukrenergo announced.

Russia launched almost 500 drones and missiles over Ukraine, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said.

"Terrorist Russia strikes in broad daylight deliberately -- to maximize civilian casualties and damage," Sybiga said.

"This is how Moscow responds to Ukraine's Easter ceasefire proposals -- with brutal attacks," he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was ready for a truce over the Easter holidays, but the Kremlin said it had not received any proposals.

Ukraine accuses Russia of deliberately prolonging the war to capture more Ukrainian territory and says Moscow is not genuinely interested in peace.

Talks between the two warring parties, mediated by the United States, have been stalled by the war in the Middle East.

Zelensky said he had invited an American delegation to Kyiv to relaunch negotiations with Moscow.

"The American group can come to us and, after us, go to Moscow. If it does not work out with three parties, let's do it this way," Zelensky said, in remarks made public Friday.

World

Human Remains Found on Thai Ship Attacked in Hormuz Strait

A cargo ship in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (Reuters)
A cargo ship in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (Reuters)
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Human Remains Found on Thai Ship Attacked in Hormuz Strait

A cargo ship in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (Reuters)
A cargo ship in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (Reuters)

Human remains have been found aboard a cargo ship struck by Iran while transiting the Strait of Hormuz last month, the vessel's owner said Friday, after three crew members were reported missing following the attack.

US-Israeli strikes on Iran late February prompted Tehran to respond by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial artery for global oil supplies.

The Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree was struck in March while travelling through the strait after departing Khalifa port in the United Arab Emirates.

"Certain human remains were found within the affected area of the vessel," a statement from transport company Precious Shipping said Friday, adding it could not yet confirm the identities or the number of individuals.

Twenty Thai crew members returned home in mid-March, while three of their colleagues were missing and presumed trapped in the damaged engine compartment.

A search was carried out under "challenging conditions" as the vessel's engine room had been flooded and damaged by fire, the company said.

Thailand's foreign ministry said it was "saddened" by the development and that families of the missing crew had been informed.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in March they had struck the Mayuree Naree, as well as a Liberia-flagged vessel, in the strait because the ships had ignored "warnings".