Author: Steven Sahiounie

After Apple’s rollout of a new technology that scans images directly from within the users’ phones, responses were mixed, to say the least. Now the tech giant is taking a new controversial step which many have deemed as “very cheap”. Apple is appealing on a copyright case against security startup Corellium, which lets security researchers test a mobile device operating systems through the emulation of the device’s software. The startup’s goal is to allow researchers to look for security gaps and report them to Apple in exchange for cash bounties and other benefits. At times, the findings were shared with the government to…

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian told a press briefing on Wednesday that Beijing would “help the economic reconstruction of Afghanistan, within its capabilities.” Zhao Lijian added that China “has always pursued a friendly policy with the entire Afghan people, something which is not subject to change.” He stressed that the situation in Afghanistan has undergone “significant changes” recently, and after more than 40 years of war and instability, “the Afghan people yearn for peace.” He concluded by saying that “China hopes that all parties in Afghanistan can resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation, avoid new wars, prevent humanitarian…

A senior “Taliban” member told Reuters that Afghanistan may be ruled by a governing council after the Taliban took control of the country. Waheedullah Hashimi, who has access to the Movement’s decision-making, said in an interview for Reuters today, Wednesday, that the “Taliban” will also communicate with former pilots and soldiers from the Afghan armed forces to join its ranks. Hashimi also explained that “there will be no democratic system at all because it does not have any base in our country… We will not discuss what type of political system should we apply in Afghanistan because it is clear. It is sharia law…

Ahmad Masoud, the son of the late Afghan Leader, Ahmad Shah Masoud said: “We mourn our leader, Ahmad Shah Masoud, the leader who fought the Taliban until his final moments in life. It has been 24 years since we have been under the power of the Taliban, and it is because of them that the Afghan people were harmed,” adding that “we do not want a treaty or a deal with the Taliban, and we will fight them to the end.” News spread that Masoud had left the country, with Sputnik reporting that he boarded a military helicopter from Panjshir Province, north…

In the wake of the US Strategy failure in Afghanistan, many are asking questions that will be repeated by future generations: if “the US did not go to Afghanistan to nation build,” what did they go for? What’s the reason behind the unjust war on Afghanistan? Why did the US kill more than 48,000 Afghan civilians? Where is Afghanistan heading after the US hasty withdrawal? All the answers lie in Assange’s “Afghan War Diary” that gave a definitive verdict, 11 years ago. The great WikiLeaking saga The current resounding failure of US strategy in Afghanistan is not a bolt from the blue. Eleven…

Legislators in Hong Kong introduced a new law on Wednesday reclassifying wildlife trafficking under the region’s Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance to give authorities more power to crack down on the illegal trade. The legislation was deemed necessary by lawmakers as, due to its busy port and transport links, Hong Kong has become a transit hub for illegally trafficked endangered animal parts traveling to mainland China. The addition of the criminal wildlife trade to Hong Kong’s Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance puts the illicit industry on the same level as drug smuggling or human trafficking, giving police more powers to…

Afghanistan’s embassy in Tajikistan has demanded that Interpol detain ousted president Ashraf Ghani, accusing him of “stealing” from the Afghan people after he reportedly fled Afghanistan on a helicopter filled with cash. The Afghan ambassador to Tajikistan said in a press statement on Wednesday that he “demands” the “thieves” who stole from the Afghan people be arrested, including Ghani. The envoy said that he asked the Interpol to pay attention to the case. The ambassador, Mohammad Zahir Aghbar, insisted that the former Afghan officials, including the ousted president, should be brought to an “international court” so that they could be tried and “the people’s wealth and finances can be returned.” The…

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, is facing pushback for citing a “strongly worded statement” demanding the Taliban “respect women’s rights” when asked about reports of human rights violations. The ambassador has done her best in a handful of media interviews this week to do public damage control on the situation in Afghanistan, after the Taliban captured Kabul and as President Joe Biden faces international scrutiny for struggling to evacuate both Afghan allies and American citizens amid the chaos. In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday, Thomas-Greenfield was confronted about “mounting reports” of the Taliban threatening citizens…

The shift in American capital movements is taking place amid a massive sell-off of shares of Chinese companies, prompted in no small part by Beijing’s perceived crackdown on private IT and education firms. US investment companies D1 Capital Partners and Soroban Capital Partners have sold major stakes in Chinese companies following a strategy previously pursued by George Soros’ investment firm, filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have shown. D1 namely sold 25 million shares, or a 1.5% stake, in the New Oriental Education & Technology Group. Soroban Capital Partners, in turn, closed its 2.06-million-share position in the…

With the spread of the delta variant around the world, a fierce discussion has emerged over whether or not third doses should be recommended by public health professionals. According to The New York Times, some countries, notably France, Germany, and “Israel,” have authorized older people to receive anti-Covid-19 third doses. The administration of US President Joe Biden is forming a plan that would release the doses as early as this fall, stating that the logistical services are too complicated waiting for scientific certainty that the additional doses requested are needed. Last week, the third dose of Covid-19 was approved by the F.D.A.…