The Taliban Say They've Changed. Have They?

1 - Erase the Past

The Taliban on Tuesday promised that women would be allowed to participate in public life — albeit under strict Islamic laws. In their first press briefing since taking Kabul on Sunday, the group added that they would not engage in retribution against former opponents. But the Taliban’s attempt to portray themselves as more conciliatory than when they last ruled isn’t convincing many Afghans. Kabul storefronts have been painting over images of women without burqas. Meanwhile, the Taliban’s political leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar arrived in Kabul, signaling the group’s grip on power. (Sources: Al Jazeera, Vice News, BBC)

2 - What’s in Your Wallet?

Retail sales in the U.S. dropped in July amid a spike in cases of the delta variant of COVID-19. Restaurants and bars were spared, with their sales going up 1.7% over the month. As Walmart’s sales growth slowed, Amazon has eclipsed it in the race for the most profitable retailer in the world, now just behind China’s Alibaba. (Sources: WSJ, NYT)

3 - Go Home

Countries in the Asia-Pacific region are imposing new restrictions on movement in response to rising COVID-19 cases. Japan has extended its state of emergency, while large areas of New Zealand and Australia have entered fresh lockdowns. Meanwhile, in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott, a vocal opponent of mask mandates, has tested positive for the virus. (Sources: WSJ, CNBC) 

4 - Torture in Bolivia

A new report commissioned by the Organization of American States has accused the former interim Bolivian government of Jeanine Áñez of torture and executions of protesters and political opponents. Áñez rose to power in 2019 after a disputed general election triggered mass protests and former President Evo Morales’ exile. Since then, Morales’ party has returned to power after fresh elections, while Áñez is in jail on charges of sedition and terrorism. (Source: WaPo)

5 - Untape the Passenger, Please

United Airlines has told its flight crew to avoid using duct tape to restrain unruly passengers. That’s after a rise in reports of violent incidents as planes have returned to the skies in recent months. Is the company overreacting? Vote here or on Twitter. (Source: The Guardian)

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1 - Anson Wong Keng Liang

Known as the “Pablo Escobar of wildlife trafficking,” Wong has for decades led an illicit wildlife trade career comparable to the world’s most notorious drugs and weapons kingpins. Running a wildlife trading company out of a tiny storefront on the Malaysian island of Penang, he legally sold tens of thousands of reptiles globally, earning the nickname “Lizard King. ” On the side, Wong also ran an illicit wildlife business, smuggling anything from panda pelts to live elephants. Perhaps aptly for a reptile smuggler, a sting operation landed him in jail. But in 2012, a Malaysian court set him free after reducing his sentence — only for Wong to return to his old tricks. Unlike a chameleon, he hasn’t changed his colors.

2 - Yang Fenglan

A middle-aged Chinese woman, Yang isn’t what you’d imagine her to be: an ivory-smuggling kingpin. If Wong is Lizard King, Yang is “ Ivory Queen,” smuggling over 700 elephant tusks worth $2.5 million to the Far East while working with Tanzania’s most notorious poacher Matthew Maliango. It was one of Africa’s biggest ivory smuggling rings. In 2019, Yang was sentenced to 15 years in prison in Tanzania. 

3 - The Jefwa Brothers

Criminal Kenyan duo Samuel and Nicholas Jefwa have been on the run since 2015, after allegedly conspiring to smuggle 440 pounds of rhino horns and 10 tons of ivory from East Africa to buyers in Southeast Asia and America. They each earned a spot on Interpol’s most-wanted eco-criminals list in the process. The brothers have also been linked to the notorious West African ivory cartel boss and trafficker Moazu Kromah. And unlike Yang, they’re still free.

1 - Game for Change

Indie game designer Garabed Khachadour had just 48 hours to craft a video game about freedom for a tournament. So the Lebanese-Armenian millennial drew inspiration from his great-grandparents — the only two of their entire village to survive the 1915 Armenian Genocide. Titled Mayrig (meaning mother in Armenian), the game places the player into the role of a woman fleeing from genocide. Khachadour is part of a new generation of developers that wants to use gaming as a tool for education and change as much as for fun. Read more on OZY.  

2 - Cost of Peace

Under the peace deal, Azerbaijan has gained control of large chunks of the largely Armenian, landlocked enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Now historians and conservationists around the world, including UNESCO, are worried that Azerbaijan might target the historic Armenian churches and monuments there to erase evidence of an inconvenient legacy. Will Armenia lose its history along with disputed land? Read more on OZY.

3 - Bottoms Up

The world’s oldest evidence of winemaking goes back 6,100 years to the rich soil, luscious valleys and optimal climate of Armenia, which make it a hub for some of the finest reds and whites around. Under the USSR, Armenia focused on making brandy. But Armenia’s post-Soviet generations are reclaiming the country’s winemaking legacy. Cheers, or as the Armenians say, Kenatsy! Read more on OZY.

1 - Indian Classical Music

What better to listen to while you meditate than music from the home of meditation? At the heart of Indian classical music’s long and glorious history are ragas — pieces of music that each speak to a different mood. So let the soothing sounds of the sitar or the fluttering flute take you to a state of meditative Nirvana. 

2 - Desert Blues

It’s the music of the Tuareg people, a nomadic Berber ethnic group in Algeria, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. Also known as Tuareg Rock, traditional Tuareg instruments started being replaced by guitars beginning in the 1970s, providing a unique blend of traditional Berber sounds and bluesy Western notes. Get hypnotized.

3 - Binaural Beats

Okay, some may argue that binaural beats aren’t music. But however picky you are about definitions, psychedelic vibrations may in fact help you curb your anxiety and stress. Sound waves rooted in science, binaural beats emit varying frequencies to your brain. Start with the theta frequency, ideal for relaxation, meditation and creativity. 

1 - Caption Contest Winners

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2 - Carlos on Amazon!

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