Author: Steven Sahiounie

On Thursday, a federal judge ruled that Apple Inc must confront nearly the entirety of a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging that its voice-activated Siri assistant violates users’ privacy, according to Reuters. When users of mobile devices say “hot words” like “Hey, Siri,” voice assistants typically reply. But, the lawsuit says that users noticed their devices recording data even when they didn’t call out the hot words. The recorded data would then be sold to third-party contractors, which would use it to target advertisements towards the users. Companies in the tech industry have long pushed for the placement of listening devices in…

US tech giant Google has “temporarily” closed the email accounts of the Afghan government, according to Reuters. The agency reported that representatives of the Taliban are attempting to gain access to electronic messages and digital documents, indicating that there are more than two dozen accounts, including ones affiliated with the ministries of finance, industry, higher education, and mines. A government employee disclosed that the Taliban have already asked him to preserve the data on the servers of the ministry he worked at, saying: “If I do so, then they will get access to the data and official communications of the previous…

The Algerian judicial authorities have arrested Nabil Karoui, the president of the “Qalb Tounes” party. According to Ennahar Algerian newspaper, today, Saturday, the final investigation in the case of the Karoui brothers, Nabil and Ghazi, led to the arrest of 4 people who illegally entered Algeria. The identities of two Tunisians involved in the case were identified, as the case file and the detainees were transferred to the Specialized Criminal Judicial Section in Constantine. The investigation was carried out by the criminal division of the state administration of the judicial police in Tebessa governorate, east of Algeria.

Former Barcelona player Miralem Pjanic said that he chose to lower his salary at his new club Turkish side Besiktas to play more than he did at Camp Nou. In an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca, the 31-year-old midfielder revealed that Barcelona’s manager Ronald Koeman has disrespected him after transferring to his new club on loan. The Bosnian player explained that he wasn’t having enough chances to prove himself on the field, and this issue was killing his confidence because he had no communication with Koeman. He expressed that he had “always wanted to play for Barca” but didn’t expect…

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, announced today that the organization will hold, on September 13, an international conference on Afghanistan in Geneva to help it avoid a looming humanitarian catastrophe. Antonio Guterres tweeted that he would seek an immediate boost in humanitarian funds, adding that the international community must unite to support the Afghan people. The UN also calls for full and unhindered humanitarian access to ensure that Afghans continue to receive the basic services they need, noting that the United Nations stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and is committed to staying and providing…

Several Tunisian parties have announced rejecting an invitation from the US embassy to attend a meeting with a congressional delegation visiting Tunisia. Sami Tahiri, the Assistant Secretary-General of the General Labor Union, stressed that the Tunisian issues can only be resolved between Tunisians, expressing his refusal for foreign interference. In turn, the People’s Movement emphasized on not allowing any foreign side to interfere in Tunisian affairs and opposing anything that would harm Tunisia’s sovereignty. As for the Free Constitutional Party, it affirmed its refusal to the invitation for its belief in the right of the Tunisian people to self-determination. Yesterday,…

The Lebanese ministerial delegation arrived at the Jdeidet Yabous border area in Syria, which aims to pave the way for easing the electricity crisis in Lebanon by importing electric power from Jordan through Syria. In the visit, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad received Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Zeina Akar, Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni, Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar, and General Director of Public Security Major General Abbas Ibrahim. Al Mayadeen’s correspondent reported that the Lebanese delegation’s visit will be followed by meetings of joint technical committees, indicating that the visit can be considered a step in breaking the…

Protesters roamed the streets of Akka city in northern occupied Palestine, Friday evening, to demand the release of detainees in Israeli occupation prisons. The “Youth Committee of Akka’s Detainees” demanded that the occupation authorities free nearly 20 men imprisoned during the public rallies that coincided with the battle of Seif al-Quds. The families of the detainees intend to place a sit-in tent in the city demanding the release of their children. 200 Palestinian youths were arrested in Akka, with roughly 26 remaining detained, according to data provided by the Committee.

US President Joe Biden signed an executive order directing the declassification of documents related to the 9/11 attacks that led to the death of over 3,000 as the 20th-anniversary of the tragic event approaches. As per the executive order, the Department of Justice, as well as other federal agencies, are obligated to conduct a declassification review of several documents related to the FBI’s probe into 9/11. This was one of Biden’s electoral promises. He said he is honoring his commitment as we approach the 20th 9/11 anniversary. “When I ran for president, I made a commitment to ensuring transparency regarding…

Dozens of women marched the streets of Herat yesterday to press for more rights and integration into the future Taliban government, the New York Times reported. Herat, in western Afghanistan, is one of the most liberal cities where thousands of girls there attended universities and worked outside their homes before the Taliban took control. The march organizers revealed that their aim is to expand the protests across the country. “We wanted to show our power to the Taliban,” expressed Maryam, one of the protest’s organizers. “If we stay in our houses, we can’t show our power, but the Taliban can…