Blogtrepreneur, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Summary:

• The Israel-based NSO Group responsible for developing Pegasus software has been accused of spying on journalists, activists, and even world leaders.
• French President Emmanuel Macron, King Mohammed VI of Morocco and three current prime ministers — Imran Khan of Pakistan, Mustafa Madbouly of Egypt, and Saad Eddine El Othmani of Morocco are all a part of the group of 15 world leaders said to be targeted by Pegasus.
• None of the leaders are willing to provide their phones for forensic testing, however thirty-seven other phones have been identified to have signs of a breach.
• Many attribute the ease of breaching privacy to the fact that all personal information is now easily accessible in one device, the phone.
• The NSO Group completely denies allegations and states that all of their customers are carefully assessed to prevent the misuse of their service.
• Multiple lawsuits have been filed against the NSO Group including Facebook who claims the firm hacked their branch application Whatsapp.
• Sources:

https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/07/21/pegasus-spyware-scandal-emmanuel-macron-among-14-heads-of-states-identified-as-possible-ta

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57910355.amp

• Tweets:

#Pegasus use is hacking, not “authorised interception” or tapping. Hacking is a crime, whether it’s done by individuals or govt

Govt has to expressly disclose or deny only 2 things:
1 Did you use NSO spyware or not?
2 Did you target specific people named in news reports? 1/2

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) July 18, 2021

It’s appalling! The revelations about the use of the #Pegasus spyware inspire shock and revulsion, given the extent of the surveillance and targeting of journalists (at least 180 journalists in 20 countries in all, from 2016 to June 2021). #PegasusProject #PressFreedom pic.twitter.com/Bjrx0LApPm

— Christophe Deloire (@cdeloire) July 19, 2021

 

Takeaway from the #PegasusProject spyware revelations:

If 10 Prime Ministers & 3 presidents can't be safe from mercenary spyware, what chance do the rest of us stand?

Since the hacking industry is incapable of self control, governments must step up.https://t.co/qW4paLz7IF

— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) July 20, 2021

Other Headlines:

First Ever Hijabi Referee, Sara Gamal, Makes Olympic History

• 32-year-old Sara Gamal will take the court in Tokyo as the first hijabi basketball referee in the Olympics.
• Gamal’s breakthrough first happened in 2017 when she effectively ended the ban on Islamic headscarves in the International Basketball Federation as they changed their rules regarding headgear.
• Gamal stated “In the past, many thought they would never be able to take charge of international games, and that they would only be restricted to local matches…But now I’m happy to have played a part in making the difference…Veiled referees now have every reason to believe that they can take their careers to the international level. Many have called me to say they were encouraged to follow suit.”

Tweets:

Sara Gamal will be the first hijab-wearing Muslim woman to referee basketball at the Olympic Games.

“It's good for me that I've opened a route for more female referees to be true to their faith and dreams."

1/3https://t.co/tE0eZVdcCg

— David Challen (@David_Challen) July 20, 2021

Permafrost Thawing in Russia Due to Extreme Heat

• Extremely hot summer temperatures in the Russian Arctic are thawing permafrost, causing massive wildfires in northern Siberia and showing the dramatic effects of climate change.
• The fires release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. In the last three years, the fires have accelerated, creating uncertainty for the villagers’ livelihood.
• The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is having structural problems due to permafrost melting, which causes a change in the slope and bends several of the braces. It is one of the world’s largest pipelines, and an oil spill would be nearly impossible to clean up.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the thawing of permafrost could lead to “very serious social and economic consequences.” Russia recently passed a law requiring businesses to report greenhouse gas emissions.

Tweets

In Siberia last summer, as well as devastating forest fires, we saw these bizarre bumps: thawing permafrost is scarring the landscape. More signs of the climate emergency. Camera/edit @mattgodtv Producer @BBCWillVernon @BBCNews @BBCWorld @BBCScienceNews pic.twitter.com/LC7nhfH4Mp

— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) July 16, 2021

Massive fires are raging across Siberia engulfing 95,000 hectares per day in Russia's Yakutia region.

This is what the #ClimateCrisis looks like. Time to shift the subsidies, protect forests, and build #renewable.#ActOnClimate #energy #GreenNewDeal #BuildBackBetter pic.twitter.com/6ril3Tv0dY

— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) July 9, 2021

Lebanon Close to Trying Political Figures for Beirut Explosion

• Judge Tarek Bitar sought to lift the immunity of political figures in order to investigate and try them for the Beirut blast earlier this month. His initiative is reported to be supported by dozens of MPs.
• Parliament may transfer the case to the Supreme Council, which deals with matters of impeachment. Currently the case is under a special judicial body, which many people are critical of because it shields the officials from prosecution.
• The list of those being tried is as follows: caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab, former Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil, former Public Works Ministers Ghazi Zeiter and Youssef Finianos, and former Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk.
• The explosion in Beirut in August 2020 killed more than 200 people and injured more than 5,000 people. The explosion was caused by hundreds of tonnes of explosive ammonium nitrate that was unsafely stored, allegedly with the officials’ permission.

Tweets

if people ask you "what happened" in the Beirut Explosion investigation, share this video of riot police beating families of the victims of the explosion. Their crime? Demanding accountability for their loved ones. So far PMs & security heads have refused to even be questioned https://t.co/bbmNkSN6eo

— Maya Mikdashi (@mayamikdashi) July 13, 2021

#EidAdhaMubarak with God’s blessings. My thoughts & prayers are with the survivors & families of victims of #Beirut port explosions that are going to observe Eid without their loved ones & with no results to the investigations yet. I pray God to grant them strength #Lebanon

— Najat Rochdi (@rochdi_najat) July 19, 2021

#BREAKING: Police use heavy tear gas in #Lebanon as Beirut blast victims demand justice. Interior Minister Mohamad Fahmy’s granting of legal immunity to high officials implicated in the blast has outraged the Lebanese to the core.pic.twitter.com/jPyghTK6VL

— Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) July 14, 2021

Women Soccer Players Kneel at Day One of Tokyo Olympics

• The Tokyo Olympics kicked off day one with Britain’s women soccer players taking a knee in their match against Chile. In similar fashion, the US and Swedish women soccer players did the same in their match,
• The players took a knee against discrimination and racism in the midst of recent relaxed rules allowing players to express their opinions in a non disruptive manner.
• The rise of Covid-19 cases in Japan raised concerns about the hosting of more than 11,000 athletes and staff. Some athletes and attendees of the Olympic games have contracted Covid, leading senior officials to discuss the cancellation of the games if infections increase.

Tweets

Team GB Women’s footballers will take the knee before their Olympic matches. “We are clear that taking the knee is an important symbol of peaceful protest against discrimination, injustice and inequality in society,” Head coach Hege Riise. #Tokyo2020

— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) July 15, 2021

Tesla Will Most Likely Restart Acceptance of Bitcoin Payments 

•  Tesla will restart the acceptance of bitcoin payments for vehicle purchases, according to Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
• Musk had stated the decision to suspend bitcoin use in May on Twitter, citing the concern of “rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels for bitcoin mining.”
• Since Tesla’s suspension of bitcoin, Beijing expelled crypto miners – many of whom travelled to North America for mining.
• The United States is home to some of the cheapest sources of power, which are more often renewable sources of energy – it is estimated that bitcoin mining in the U.S. is more than 50% powered by renewables, a reason Musk cited for continuing bitcoin use.

Tweets:

Elon Musk at The B-Word: “It looks like bitcoin is shifting a lot more toward renewables and a bunch of the heavy-duty coal plants that were being used…have been shut down, especially in China."https://t.co/WdILMlGi9o

— MacKenzie Sigalos (@KenzieSigalos) July 21, 2021

Tunisia President Announces Army Takeover to Handle COVID Crisis

• Tunisia’s President, Kais Saied has announced Wednesday that the military health department will take over management of the COVID-19 health crisis, as the nation grapples with a resurgence with overwhelmed hospitals and limited supplies.
• Tensions between Mr. Saied and Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi have led to the announcement with Mr. Mechichi accusing the Health Minister of making “criminal” decisions that led to overcrowding and slow vaccinations.
• Tunisia has received aid from Europe and Arab countries, including three million vaccine doses and field hospitals – the nation is suffering its worst financial crisis and on the verge of bankruptcy.
• Out of 11.6 million residents, only 940,000 residents have been vaccinated – the death toll from COVID-19 infections has reached 18,000.

Tweets:

The director of the local public hospital of Mateur (NW of #Tunisia) is literally crying. They're running out of oxygen. There is a nationwide shortage of medical oxygen. The reserves of many hospitals can barely cover the next hours. pic.twitter.com/bnplRg6Fme

— Mohamed-Dhia Hammami – محمد ضياء الهمامي (@MedDhiaH) July 18, 2021

A grim gulf is opening up between the wealthy, mostly vaccinated world and the poorer, mostly-unprotected.

In the UK, vaccines have reduced the case-fatality rate roughly 12-fold, from ~2% to 0.16%

In Namibia, Tunisia, Malaysia and Indonesia, death rates have never been higher.

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) July 18, 2021

Death Toll in South Africa Riots Rises to 276

• The death roll from riots in South Africa has risen to 276 as the nation witnessed a week of violence, protest, and criminal activity.
• Police are investigating 168 cases of murder as poverty and inequality fueled the ongoing unrest – South African society continues to grapply with inequities nearly three decades after the apartheid in 1994.
• While authorities have curtailed the violence, the economic cost is estimated at 20 billion rand equivalent to 1.37 billion U.S. dollars.
• While noxious smoke, looting, and vandalism of homes and businesses became rampant during the riots, several volunteers came forward to help clean remaining debris off the streets and other areas heavily damaged by the violence.

Tweets

Hungry, unemployed and without hope: How corruption and COVID launched South Africa’s riots https://t.co/d8xRlmpAdj

— Charles Onyango-Obbo (@cobbo3) July 14, 2021