Author: Steven Sahiounie

Credit score agency Equifax has agreed to pay up to $700m (£561m) as part of a settlement with a US regulator following a data breach in 2017. The Federal Trade Commission had alleged the Atlanta-based firm failed to take reasonable steps to secure its network. The records of at least 147 million people were exposed in the incident. At least $300m will go towards paying for identity theft services and other related expenses run up by the victims. This sum will expand to a maximum of $425m, if required to cover the consumers’ losses. The rest of the money will be…

Top White HouseOpens a New Window. economic adviser Larry Kudlow and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are meeting with a host of CEOsOpens a New Window. from the world’s biggest techOpens a New Window. companies on Monday. Executives from GoogleOpens a New Window., Intel and Micron were among those invited. Trump administration officials tell FOX Business the main purpose of the meeting is to discuss general economic issues. The ongoing concerns surrounding Huawei Technologies are expected to be a part of the discussion. The administration has listed the Chinese company as a threat U.S. national security, amid the ongoing trade conflict with Beijing. The Washington Post reportedOpens a…

Prices of many of the 25 tech companies listed on the STAR Market more than doubled, with one company, Anji Microelectronics Technology, logging a 400 percent advance. Regulators have approved 25 companies in information technology and other fields for the STAR Market. The market, modeled on the U.S.-based NASDAQ, reflects the ruling Communist Party’s desire to channel private capital into its development plans. It gives small Chinese investors a chance to buy into tech industries that until now have turned to Wall Street to sell shares. Trading kicked off with fanfare early Monday with the city’s Communist Party secretary, Li…

Turkey is ready to take counter-measures, if the United States imposes sanctions over the delivery of Russian-made S-400 air defense missile systems, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a live broadcast of the TGRT television channel on Monday. “If the United States takes measures against us, we will respond with counter-measures. Of course, we would like our relations to continue as two NATO partners. But if they display a hostile attitude towards us, we will take counter-measures,” the Turkish foreign minister is quoted as saying by TASS. According to Cavusoglu, S-400s are more advanced air defense systems compared to…

At least seven teenagers were killed when a landmine set by terrorists exploded in the town of Deblan in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor governorate, the country’s SANA news agency reported. According to SANA, the incident occurred during agricultural works. It is yet unkown whether anyone else was injured in the blast, TASS reports. Militants of the Islamic State terrorist group (outlawed in Russia), who occupied eastern Syria, left numerous bombs and landmines in rural areas during their retreat. According to SANA, this was done in a bid to disrupt peaceful life in agricultural regions. In a similar incident on June 22,…

Steven Sahiounie, Middle East observer An Israeli occupation agent is in Syria buying oil from the Kurds, who are mercenaries for the U.S., and enemies of the Turks, and the stolen Syria oil is being shipped out of a Turkish port. Syria is an oil rich nation, and used to pump enough oil for its domestic needs, and sell the surplus. However, the US-NATO attack on Syria beginning in March 2011 transformed the country into a warzone. Some oil wells were destroyed, or captured by ISIS; however, with the defeat of ISIS those wells are now under U.S. occupation, and…

Yuri Veselov, military commentator The sides summed up progress on implementation of previous agreements and discussed the issues of further trade and economic cooperation aimed at revival of the Syrian industry, public housing and key infrastructure facilities in the first place. The protocol of intent on reconstruction of currently-producing and development of new hydrocarbons fields, Russian capital investments in restoration of ruined and construction of new manufacturing plants, expansion of airfield network and mutual trade turnover has been signed. The signing of documents to further upgrade and bolster the sustainment center of the Russian Navy in the Syrian seaport of…

Alexander Levchenko, international commentator The withdrawal of the US from the international agreement on the Iranian nuclear program and introduction of new anti-nuclear sanctions are just the tip of the iceberg representing Washington’s far-reaching strategic goals in Eurasia and Central Asia. The goal of the new restrictions introduced by the US against Tehran is destabilizing the country as a minimum and regime change as a maximum. It doesn’t really try to conceal this. However, Washington does not need a different, loyal or even friendly Tehran just for the sake of it. The goals are much broader and long-term: the US…

The Syrian army repelled an attack by the Nusra Front terrorist group on its positions in the Qasabiyeh village in Idlib’s southern countryside, recently retaken by the government forces, the SANA news agency has reported. Terrorists used suicide bombers and several armoured vehicles to carry out the attack but were repelled by the Syrian army units, the SANA news agency says. The military killed several terrorists and destroyed their equipment, the media outlet added. Syria has remained in the grips of a civil war since 2011, with fights taking place between President Bashar Assad’s government forces, various opposition groups and terrorist organizations.…

Economic analysts have indicated that the largely young population in Middle Eastern countries presents a lucrative opportunity for tech companies, but at the moment they lack Arabic-language content to effectively capitalise on this. Apple has made an Arabic-only AppStore available to platform developers and participants of the Beta Software Program in a move that is viewed as preparation for a release to a broader public, The New Arab reported. According to the media outlet, the full-fledged launch will coincide with the release of the iOS 13 operating system. The localised AppStore will feature applications in Arabic, but the number of…