Apple Removes Podcast Apps in China

A popular podcasting platform, Pocket Casts, has been removed from Apple’s app store in China at Beijing’s request, according to the company’s Twitter thread. Pocket Casts confirmed Wednesday on Twitter that the request was made by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), Beijing’s top internet watchdog agency that controls which apps can be accessed on iOS…

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Trump Sanctions ICC Officials Probing Alleged US Wrongdoing in Afghanistan

U.S. President Donald Trump imposed new travel and property sanctions Thursday on International Criminal Court officials, attempting to penalize them for investigating alleged wrongdoing by U.S. military personnel and intelligence operatives fighting against terrorism in Afghanistan over the past 18 years.    Trump declared a national emergency, calling the ICC investigation at The Hague “an…

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Zoom Temporarily Suspends Account After Hosting Tiananmen Square Anniversary Event 

Videoconferencing company Zoom temporarily shut down the account of a U.S.-based activist group days after it held an event commemorating the 31st anniversary of China’s Tiananmen Square protests. Humanitarian China, an organization focused on providing relief for political prisoners and activists, held the Zoom conference on May 31. A week later June 7, the account used…

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BLM Protests Increase Pressure on Biden to Pick African American VP

The Black Lives Matter protests that have erupted in the U.S. following the death of an African American man after being in police custody have increased pressure on Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, to pick a black running mate. While Biden has already promised to name a woman as his vice-presidential nominee, VOA’s Brian Padden reports, the changing political landscape has raised the prospects for some female African American leaders that had…

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