» Modi accused of treason by opposition over India spyware disclosures | India | The Guardian theguardian.com/news/2021/jul/…
The stories, published in the Guardian and in partner media outlets around the world on Sunday and Monday, revealed details of hundreds of verified Indian phone numbers that appear in leaked records of numbers.
In a statement, the opposition Congress party accused the Modi government of being the “deployer and executor” of a “spying racket”.
The allegations about the use of the malware, known as Pegasus, were published on Sunday as part of a global investigation by the Washington Post, the Guardian and 14 other media organisations, including The Wire in India. bbc.com/news/world-asi…
Pegasus infects iPhones and Android devices, allowing operators to extract messages, photos and emails, record calls and secretly activate microphones.
Roula Khalaf, who became the first female editor in the newspaper’s history last year, was selected as a potential target throughout 2018. theguardian.com/world/2021/jul…
Her number is included in a leaked list of mobile phone numbers selected for possible surveillance by clients of NSO, an Israeli firm that manufactures spyware and sells it to governments.
Analysis of the leaked data suggests that Khalaf’s phone was selected as a possible target by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). At the time, Khalaf was a deputy editor at the FT.
Reporters whose numbers appear in the data range from local freelancers, such as the Mexican journalist Cecilio Pineda Birto, who was murdered one month after his phone was selected, through to prize-winning investigative reporters, editors and media executives.
Thakurta was hacked in 2018 while he was working on an investigation into how Modi's BJP government was using Facebook to systematically spread disinformation among Indian people online.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Tensions remain high as hopes dashed for breakthrough in China and India stalemate - The Guardian theguardian.com/world/2021/jul…
The clash did not result in all-out declarations of war, but pledges of de-escalation and multiple rounds of failed military talks have instead been overshadowed by a year of troop, artillery and infrastructure buildup.
While Indian army officers say they cannot match the high-tech Chinese infrastructure, they at times admitted to copying their way of living.
The chapters are: 1. Seize Power (Hitler), 2. Crush Your Rivals (Saddam), 3. Reign through Terror (Idi Amin), 4. Control the Truth (Stalin), 5. Create a New Society (Gaddafi), 6. Rule Forever (Kim Il-sung and family). afr.com/life-and-luxur…
Idi Amin was nicknamed “Big Daddy” or “the gentle giant”, before he revealed his true nature, which resulted in the disappearances of about 300,000 Ugandans.
Colonel Gaddafi came to power on a wave of popularity and a platform of genuine reform. He would remain in charge for 42 years, growing steadily more quixotic and brutal, until he literally died in a ditch.
In contrast with the U.S. states that have explicitly banned vaccination mandates or passports, the European Union is using digital covid certificates, with scannable QR codes that quickly show if someone has been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from covid-19.
As in Greece and Italy, vaccination would become mandatory for health workers in France by fall. Most everyone else here would still be in a position to decline vaccines.
Both England and Wales recorded the hottest day of the year on Sunday, beating records set on Saturday, and forecasters predict it could be even warmer throughout the week up to Thursday.
Booster shot debate takes center stage as global Covid cases rise - Financial Times ft.com/content/ec0cf6…
The World Health Organization has challenged the ethics of administering third shots, while billions of people in lower-income countries are still waiting for their first.
Last week, Pfizer said it planned to apply for emergency use authorisation in August from the US Food and Drug Administration to give people a third dose.