How a Saudi woman's iPhone revealed hacking around the world

Reuters

A single activist helped turn the tide against NSO Group, one of the world's most sophisticated spyware companies now facing a cascade of legal action and scrutiny in Washington over damaging new allegations that its software was used to hack government officials and dissidents around the world.

It all started with a software glitch on her iPhone.

BA.2 is like Omicron's sister. Here's what we know about it so far

By Paul Griffin, The University of Queensland

Queensland, Feb 3 (The Conversation) Cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron have escalated globally over the past two months, with many countries experiencing peaks higher than previous variants.

Now we're seeing cases of a sub-variant of Omicron, known as BA.2, emerge in Australia and more than 50 countries.

Rather than a daughter of the Omicron variant BA.1 (or B.1.1.529), it's more helpful to think of BA.2 as Omicron's sister.

Remind me, what is a variant?

Vast lithium reserves to transform Afghanistan from aid to trade economy

by Iftikhar Gilani

The commitments held out by nations at the recently concluded UN Climate Change Conference, or COP26, are largely contingent on the return of peace and stability in Afghanistan, as the country's vast lithium reserves hold promise for global non-conventional energy requirements.

Analysts believe the focus will shift back to Afghanistan to tap the country's vast lithium reserves, which is used in batteries to power cell phones, laptops, and electric and hybrid vehicles.

The perils of the digital age: How Facebook failed to protect Rohingya

by Elif Selin Calik

Rohingya refugees and victims are suing Facebook for $150 billion. They allege that Facebook played a key role in the brutal crackdown against Muslims in Myanmar by promoting anti-Rohingya posts. This online hate turned into real-world violence, according to the lawsuit.

Yemeni former Guantanamo detainee disappears day after release

by Mansoor Adayfi

After 20 years of torture and indefinite and arbitrary detention, former Guantanamo detainee Abdulqadir Al-Madhfari was transferred to Yemen from his cell in a United Arab Emirates (UAE) prison. Despite being cleared of all charges, his freedom did not even last for a day. This article is in his honour.

Hunger strikes from Gandhi to Al-Singace are the last resort in the struggle for freedom

by Saeed Al-Shehabi

Hunger strikes are a new-old phenomenon resorted to by those who lack any other means to claim their rights, express their opinion or defend themselves. They are often the last resort in the struggle for freedom.

After Afghanistan withdrawal, US faces distrust from its allies

by Jonathan Fenton-Harvey

The world watched as the Taliban swept across Afghanistan and seized the capital Kabul, and the faction announcement of an interim government on 7 September was further evidence of the United States' flawed military withdrawal.

Indeed, many US partners and allies who have traditionally relied on American military and security backing may feel unease and perceive that America's support is not always guaranteed.

What's the Mu variant? And will we keep seeing more concerning variants?

By Paul Griffin, The University of Queensland

Brisbane, Sep 3 (The Conversation) This week the World Health Organization named a new variant of interest of the coronavirus, called the Mu variant. It was first found in Colombia in January 2021, and has been found in about 39 countries so far.

Mu has changes, called mutations, which mean it might be able to evade some of the protection we get from COVID vaccines.

In a world first, South Africa grants patent to an AI system

By Meshandren Naidoo, PhD Fellow and LexisNexis Legal Content Researcher and Editor, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Johannesburg, Aug 8 (The Conversation) At first glance, a recently granted South African patent relating to a food container based on fractal geometry seems fairly mundane. The innovation in question involves interlocking food containers that are easy for robots to grasp and stac

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