Possible diplomatic crisis over Pegasus spyware triggers damage limitation frenzy in Israel
The Israeli government is forming a special team to manage the fallout from reports that software developed by Israeli firm NSO was used by governments around the world to spy on journalists, human rights activists and possibly world leaders, two Israeli officials tell me. So far, this is primarily a...
Liverpool leads Arsenal for Aouar as Lyon raise asking price for midfielder to $48m
Liverpool is leading Arsenal in the chase for Houssem Aouar’s signature after the Gunner’s interest for the Olympic Lyon’s playmaker appeared to cool, reports in France say. Arsenal failed with a £32 million ($48 million) offer to land Aouar ahead of the 2020-21 season – with Lyon demanding €60 million...
Australia to host Olympics for the third time as Brisbane is picked for 2032 games
Brisbane has been confirmed as the host city for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032. It will be the third time that the Games has been held in Australia after Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000. Brisbane’s bid was the only one in the running, although it still...
US President Biden and Facebook feud over Covid vaccine hesitancy as virus ravages Americans
The White House and Facebook got into a feud over the past few days after President Biden and aides repeatedly accused the company of doing too little to combat Covid vaccine misinformation. On Thursday, US surgeon general Vivek Murthy released an advisory about health misinformation that included some fairly banal...
China launches world’s largest carbon market, but questions linger over defiant emitters
China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has launched its first national emissions-trading scheme. Such carbon-pricing mechanisms exist in around 45 countries already, but China’s scheme, which began trading last week, is the world’s biggest. It has been plagued by delays, and researchers argue it might not be ambitious...
Rebellion: Prince Harry announces a book about his highs and lows as a royal will be out next year
Prince Harry is writing a book about his life in the Royal Family to be published in late 2022. The Duke of Sussex, aged 36, is said to have been secretly working on the book for almost a year. A statement from publisher Random House said: “In an intimate and...
A $100,000 birthday gift elicits strong resentment of parents by unemployed son
A man who has been unemployed for three years expressed resentment toward his parents for giving him huge loads of money, paying for his college tuition and spoiling him. Qiaochu Yuan in a 35-tweet thread said he had taken a “medium dose of aci” a few days before and explained...
Grave mistakes by South Africa opposition may allow ANC to retain power despite shambolic performance
South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa may now finally be in a position where he can advance his own agenda. Key to this, of course, would be ensuring the rule of law, the document that he helped to negotiate in the 1990s. As the physical dust begins to settle it is...
Astronomers call for talks on humanity’s right to ‘dark and quiet skies’ at next month UN meeting
Aerospace companies have launched about 2,000 Internet satellites into orbit around Earth over the past two years, nearly doubling the number of active satellites. This has sparked concerns among astronomers and other skygazers, who worry about interference with observations of the night sky. Now, in what would be the biggest...
Arsenal bag Sambi Lokonga from Anderlecht, Locatelli getting closer to Emirates
Arsenal have completed a £17 million ($23.3 million) deal to land Anderlecht midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga. The 21-year-old has put pen to paper on a long-term contract and becomes the Gunners’ second signing of the summer transfer window following the recent £8 million ($11 million) arrival of Benfica left-back Nuno...
