Author: ALJAZEERA

A former member of the European Parliament was hacked with Pegasus spyware while serving on a committee investigating surveillance by the tool’s Israeli creator, a Canadian research group has found.The iPhone of Greek investigative journalist Stelios Kouloglou, who served as an MEP from 2015 to 2024, was infected at least three times with Pegasus spyware in 2022 and 2023, Citizen Lab said in a report released on Friday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe three incidents, which occurred while Kouloglou was in Athens and Brussels, coincided with the ex-parliamentarian’s time on a committee tasked with investigating the illegal use…

A massive heatwave sweeping across the United States is straining the country’s power grid and water supplies, testing public support for the rapid expansion of AI data centres, which consume vast amounts of electricity and water.The heatwave comes at a time when the US is racing to build thousands of new AI data centres to support the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. Utilities, regulators, and policymakers have increasingly warned that the pace of construction is outstripping the expansion of the country’s electricity and water infrastructure.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listAcross the political spectrum, lawmakers are calling for increased…

Published On 2 Jul 20262 Jul 2026The administration of United States President Donald Trump is slashing commercial fishing regulations from coast to coast, including reopening New England waters to scallop fishing that was banned after overfishing.“We’re opening the Atlantic and the Pacific, and the American consumers are going to benefit from what we’re doing now,” White House adviser Peter Navarro said in a briefing with reporters on Thursday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe US Department of Commerce and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced regional priorities that the government said were designed to revitalise the seafood sector.In…

Brent falls below $71 a barrel amid reports of progress in talks to end the war permanently.Published On 2 Jul 20262 Jul 2026Oil prices have fallen to levels not seen since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran amid rising hopes for a breakthrough in negotiations aimed at sealing a permanent peace deal.Brent crude fell more than 1 percent on Thursday to below $71 a barrel, returning the international benchmark to pre-war prices.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listBrent futures for August delivery stood at $70.82 per barrel as of 04:30 GMT, lower than at any point since…

In 2026, a mounting housing crisis in Western nations has finally forced its way onto the agenda of some of the world’s richest governments.In the UK, a landmark renters’ rights law took effect in England and Wales on May 1, ending “no-fault” evictions in one of the country’s biggest private-rental reforms in decades.Across the Channel, the European Commission and Parliament have launched a new push on housing affordability, while in Washington, the United States Senate has advanced a rare bipartisan bill aimed at loosening barriers to new construction and expanding affordable housing supply.Experts say the lack of affordable housing is…

New York City’s rent freeze fulfills a key campaign promise from Mayor Zohran MamdaniNew York City has passed a rent freeze for roughly one million regulated apartments, delivering on a signature campaign promise for Mayor Zohran Mamdani.The 7-1 vote was handed down by the city’s Rent Guidelines Board on Thursday. The decision will freeze rent increases on one- and two-year leases on rent-stabilised apartments.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list“This is a historic victory for New York City tenants,” Mamdani said in a statement provided to Al Jazeera. “This is the relief that working people across our city deserve.”Rent-stabilised…

Brent crude edges up as tit-for-tat strikes hinder return to normality in key waterway.Published On 29 Jun 202629 Jun 2026Oil prices have climbed following the latest flare-up in hostilities between the United States and Iran.Brent crude, the primary international benchmark, rose about 0.9 percent on Monday after tit-for-tat US and Iranian strikes over the weekend renewed doubts about a return to normal shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listBrent futures for August delivery stood at $73.21 a barrel as of 03:30 GMT, 127 cents higher than the day before the US and Israel launched…

The Republican leader has taken an aggressive stance against countries that weigh taxes or regulations on US tech firms.Published On 26 Jun 202626 Jun 2026United States President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on any country that implements a digital service tax on US tech companies, adding that the new tariffs would override any previous agreements.The message came in a Truth Social post on Friday, and Trump named Europe as a possible targets for the tariffs.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe threat is the latest of Trump’s measures to aggressively counter efforts to regulate…

Judge says DOJ’s reasoning for dropping Adani charges lacks clarity, orders detailed explanation from prosecutorsPublished On 26 Jun 202626 Jun 2026A United States federal judge has ordered the US Justice Department (DOJ) to justify its decision to drop criminal charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani.Friday’s request comes a month after the DOJ said it would no longer seek prosecution. Adani’s lawyers had asked Brooklyn-based US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis on Wednesday to formally dismiss the case.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listIn a written ruling published to the court docket on Wednesday, Garaufis said federal prosecutors’ notice that they…

Tech giants roll out steep price increases amid shortage of memory chips used to power AI.Published On 26 Jun 202626 Jun 2026Apple and Microsoft have rolled out steep price hikes for some of their best-selling products, blaming soaring memory chip costs amid the boom in AI.Apple on Thursday increased prices across its range of Macs and iPads, with many of its most popular models seeing hikes of 20 percent or more.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe base model MacBook Air now retails in the United States for $1,299, up from $1,099, while the lowest-spec MacBook Pro rose from $1,699…