Trump: "We will take over Gaza Strip, we will own it"
U.S. President Donald Trump declared that the United States will take over the Gaza Strip, dismantle unexploded ordnance, and lead economic redevelopment in the area.
U.S. judge ruled on Friday in favour of Meta Platforms' WhatsApp in a lawsuit accusing Israel's NSO Group of exploiting a bug in the messaging app to install spy software allowing unauthorized surveillance.
A U.S. judge ruled on Friday in favour of Meta Platforms' WhatsApp in a lawsuit accusing Israel's NSO Group of exploiting a bug in the messaging app to install spy software allowing unauthorized surveillance.
U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton in Oakland, California, granted a motion by WhatsApp and found NSO liable for hacking and breach of contract.
The case will now proceed to a trial only on the issue of damages, Hamilton said. NSO Group did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, said the ruling is a win for privacy. "We spent five years presenting our case because we firmly believe that spyware companies could not hide behind immunity or avoid accountability for their unlawful actions," Cathcart said in a social media post.
A WhatsApp spokesperson said they were grateful for the decision. "We’re proud to have stood up against NSO and thankful to the many organizations that were supportive of this case. WhatsApp will never stop working to protect people’s private communication", he said.
John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher with Canadian internet watchdog Citizen Lab — which first brought to light NSO’s Pegasus spyware in 2016 — called the judgment a landmark ruling with “huge implications for the spyware industry.”
“The entire industry has hidden behind the claim that whatever their customers do with their hacking tools, it's not their responsibility,” he said in an instant message. “Today's ruling makes it clear that NSO Group is in fact responsible for breaking numerous laws.”
WhatsApp in 2019 sued NSO seeking an injunction and damages, accusing it of accessing WhatsApp servers without permission six months earlier to install the Pegasus software on victims' mobile devices. The lawsuit alleged the intrusion allowed the surveillance of 1,400 people, including journalists, human rights activists and dissidents.
NSO had argued that Pegasus helps law enforcement and intelligence agencies fight crime and protect national security and that its technology is intended to help catch terrorists, pedophiles and hardened criminals.
NSO appealed a trial judge's 2020 refusal to award it "conduct-based immunity," a common law doctrine protecting foreign officials acting in their official capacity.
Upholding that ruling in 2021, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals called it an "easy case" because NSO's mere licensing of Pegasus and offering technical support did not shield it from liability under a federal law called the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which took precedence over common law.
The U.S. Supreme Court last year turned away NSO's appeal of the lower court's decision, allowing the lawsuit to proceed.
The Sarandí stream in Buenos Aires, Argentina, turned bright red on Thursday for unknown reasons, raising concerns among authorities and residents. The waterway, which flows into the Río de la Plata, is under investigation to determine the cause.
Uzbekistan’s flag carrier has announced airline’s plan to purchase a dozen of aircrafts from Boeing and Airbus, marking a significant milestone in upgrading and expanding its fleet.
Azerbaijan has halted activities of “Russian House” in Baku according to local media reports on Thursday, following accusations of espionage. This is being described as an escalation of tensions between the two countries.
Elon Musk has called for the shutdown of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Voice of America (VOA), arguing that the U.S.-funded media outlets serve as government propaganda tools and waste taxpayer money.
A major fire erupted near Istanbul’s historic Spice Bazaar in the Eminonu district on Thursday, quickly spreading to nearby buildings. Emergency teams, including firefighters and medical personnel, were dispatched to control the blaze and ensure public safety.
BP CEO Murray Auchincloss pledged on Tuesday to fundamentally reset the company's strategy as it reported a 35% fall in annual profits, missing analysts' expectations.
Apple is reportedly working on a version of AirPods Pro with integrated cameras, set to launch as early as 2027, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. While the cameras won’t be featured in the upcoming AirPods Pro 3, the new tech aims to enhance AI-driven features and spatial audio integration.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he will introduce 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States, on top of existing metals duties, in another major escalation of his trade policy overhaul.
The year 2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal period for commercial lunar exploration, with half a dozen missions slated to launch over the coming months. These ventures, led by private companies under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, mark a significant expansion of commercial
Elon Musk and a group of investors have submitted a $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. The offer was presented to OpenAI’s board on Monday, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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