Author: Steven Sahiounie

The Czech Republic’s interior minister has confirmed that the country will not halt deportations of asylum seekers back to Afghanistan, unlike several other European nations, amid the Taliban’s rapid gains in the war-torn country. Speaking to local media on Friday, Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said the Czech Republic will not be adopting a similar “blanket” stance to the European nations that have temporarily suspended deportations from their countries to Afghanistan. “The Czech Republic approaches all asylum applications individually, carefully examining the reasons for possibly granting it. We will not make any blanket exceptions,” Hamacek remarked. The central European country has also reportedly been…

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) for people with compromised immune systems, according to The Washington Post. The FDA’s action means that additional shots could be available as soon as this weekend for patients who have had organ transplants or who have certain types of cancer or other illnesses. Medical experts applauded the move, as they have lately become extremely worried about people who are unable to generate robust anti-virus responses even after being fully vaccinated. Details on how the shots will be administered, as well…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Gasoline had been subsidized by the Lebanese government, but now it will fluctuate depending on the import cost on a free market price. The government had supported merchants importing gasoline previously, as well as flour, medicine, and several basic commodities. The central bank of Lebanon announced as of August 12, they were ending the fuel subsidy, which has drained the reserves, as the country fell into financial ruin. It is feared that fuel prices will rise perhaps four times the prior subsidized price. The World Bank has said Lebanon is suffering one of the…

The team of CIA Director William Burns is said to have dashed Israeli hopes for US military action against Iran under President Ebrahim Raisi. It comes after the Israeli defense minister reportedly insulted NATO. CIA Director William Burns’ team is said to have dampened Israeli hopes for US military action against Iran under President Ebrahim Raisi. It comes after a reported insult made to NATO by the Israeli defense minister. Burns made his first visit to the Middle East as CIA chief this week. In Israel, Iran was the focus of negotiations with officials. According to Haaretz sources in the…

Once again, people are furious at Jeff Bezos. After his trip to space in a rocket designed by his company Blue Origin, Amazon’s founder flaunted his wealth in front of his workers and the press, stating that he wants “to thank every Amazon employee and every Amazon customer, because you guys paid for all of this.” Many have viewed this as a sick display of detachment with the populace’s reality, the act of a man who can no longer understand the fears and concerns of the average citizen. In response to Bezos’ discourteous showmanship, among other reasons, many users have since canceled…

The International Energy Agency said today, Thursday, that the spike in oil demand has abruptly reversed and is moving slower due to the spread of the mutated Covid-19 Delta strain. “Growth for the second half of 2021 has been downgraded more sharply, as new COVID-19 restrictions imposed in several major oil-consuming countries, particularly in Asia, look set to reduce mobility and oil use,” the Paris-based IEA said. “We now estimate that demand fell in July as the rapid spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant undermined deliveries in China, Indonesia, and other parts of Asia,” the Agency said in its monthly…

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid declared that while he is not a major supporter of the 2015 Iran deal, he doesn’t see a better alternative. Lapid added that “Israel” continued close consultations with the US and the EU over Iran nuclear talks, according to Israeli media. Meanwhile, the Israeli Foreign Minister, who is on a two-day visit to Morocco, has inaugurated the Israeli delegation in Rabat, the capital of Morocco. The ceremony took place in the presence of Moroccan Deputy Foreign Minister Mohsin Jazoli. Lapid has also met Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. During the meeting, Lapid delivered a letter from…

Early on August 12, local fighters in the northern countryside of Daraa attacked positions of the Syrian military and intelligence. The fighters attacked posts of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the center of the town of Nawa with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Some fighters also targeted an army checkpoint located on the road leading to the nearby town of Tasil. At the same time, local fighters in Jasim attacked the town’s cultural center, where a force of the General Intelligence Directorate (GID) is situated. The attacks, which were apparently meant to pressure Syrian authorities, didn’t inflict any losses…

ISIS cells in Syria’s central region continue to launch attacks against government forces and their allies despite facing more military pressure. On August 12, two Syrian fighters of an Iranian-backed pro-government group were killed when an improvised explosive device planted by ISIS exploded near them in the al-Bishri Mount on the administrative border between Raqqa and Deir Ezzor, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. On the same day, ISIS cells attacked posts of the National Defense Forces near al-Musarab and al-Madhul in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor. The attack was repelled by pro-government fighters. The Russian Aerospace…

After recently overtaking Apple as the world’s second-largest mobile brand, Xiaomi has begun to eye top place, currently held by South Korea’s Samsung Electronics. “Our current task is to cement the number two position in the global market,” said Xiaomi’s founder Lei Jun during an online event in celebration of the 10th anniversary of its first smartphone launch, adding, “We aim to become the global number one in three years.” According to research firm IDC (International Data Corporation), Xiaomi’s share of the global handset market in the second quarter was 17%, whereas Apple scored a 14.1% share. At the same…