Author: Steven Sahiounie

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.…

The New iCloud Passwords App: Apple’s new, dedicated iCloud Passwords app will provide you with some much-needed new features if you sync your iCloud Passwords with Windows. The software, which is included in the iCloud for Windows 12.5 update, allows you to search through your saved passwords, update them, add new ones, and erase login information you don’t need. How To Use the New Tool? Apple’s website describes how to use the new tool to manage your iCloud Passwords, but it’s very simple. You can open the app from the Start menu and make any necessary changes to your passwords.…

Facebook is employing a dedicated staff of Afghan professionals monitoring and removing content associated with the Taliban. For years, The Taliban has been using social media to spread their propaganda. The Taliban’s rapid conquest of Afghanistan poses new concerns for technology companies in terms of how to handle content related to the group. According to the BBC, a Facebook spokeswoman declared that under US law, the Taliban is designated as a terrorist organization, therefore prohibiting them from using the US services under “Dangerous Organization policy.” This means Facebook will deactivate accounts run by or on behalf of the Taliban, as well…

The Kuwaiti Cabinet has ordered all government departments to cut spending by at least 10% from the current fiscal year’s budget of 2021-2022. The cabinet stated on Twitter that the decision was taken after considering suggestions from the economic affairs committee citing a lack of liquidity in the general reserve and “the necessity to identify radical solutions to address the state’s general budget deficit.” It will also request that the Public Authority for Manpower investigate the potential of suspending the payment of national labor support to private-sector workers whose total salary exceeds 3,000 dinars ($9,993). Additionally, the cabinet assigned the…

Turkey described messages sent by the Taliban since seizing power in Kabul as “positive,” revealing that it held talks with the movement. Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, met with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi in Amman today. During the press conference where the meeting took place, the Turkish minister said: “We welcome the messages sent by Taliban movement so far, whether to foreigners and diplomatic missions or to the Afghan people, and we hope that this will be translated in their actions.” “We continue to engage in dialogue with all parties in Afghanistan, including the Taliban,” he added. Çavuşoğlu pointed…