Snowden reveals how spying is rife



Based on leaks from former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, US intelligence has monitored up to 70 million phone calls made in France, and has spied on the leaders of Mexico, Brazil, Germany and many other nations, and on international organisations.

This, remarked Fahmi Huwaidi in the Doha-based newspaper Al Sharq, reveals that spying even between friendly nations is alive and kicking.

While the US takes the lead in intelligence activities considering that it is still the greatest power worldwide, the truth is that other countries are also involved in eavesdropping.

If, for instance, some intelligence employees in the UK or France had a pang of conscience and decided to share what they know, their disclosures would show that their countries do what the US does, argued the writer.

“What is happening in the outside world is not alien to us; not only because we are addicted to copying the worst things from the West, especially restrictions on freedom, but also because of the growing influence of the police state in the Arab world,” he added.

In fact, the only real progress in this part of the world is probably limited to that area. The Council of Arab Interior Ministers has, for more than three decades, been the most successful of areas of joint Arab action.

Although the agencies and their missions are the same worldwide, there are several differences between the espionage practised by democratic countries and the one happening in the Arab world. A major difference is that spying in democracies mainly seeks to protect nations. But here it is dedicated to protecting regimes and their influence.

Eavesdropping on citizens in the West is practised only after approval from judicial authorities; here it is done by virtue of a security decision, which might be supported later by a court.

A third difference is that in democracies, there are institutions that can hold authorities and security agencies to account if they cross the line, while in the Arab world security bodies are beyond any such oversight.

In Egypt, phone-call monitoring has been in place since the 1952 revolution, although in varying degrees and for differing purposes, the writer noted. He added that he heard from a former interior minister that under Hosni Mubarak, three copies were prepared every day at the interior ministry based on eavesdropping – one for Mr Mubarak, one for his son Gamal and the third for his wife Suzanne. Such activities have increased since the removal of president Mohammed Morsi on July 3, according to the writer.

The tremendous revolution in communications has taken its toll on people’s privacy and freedom. This is particularly worse in countries where there is a lack of guarantees and institutions that safeguard people’s freedom and privacy, he concluded.

For what did Arabs make sacrifices?

Now that decades have passed since Arab nations became free from the “foreign colonisers”, Arabs have to ask themselves the following question: “Was our fight against the occupation for the sake of freedom, justice, equality and dignity or was it just out of hatred for the rule of outsiders?”

So wrote Bahraini author Ali Mohammed Fakhro in yesterday’s edition of the Sharjah-based newspaper Al Khaleej.

Arabs must mull over this question to see whether it is for them a matter of preference between outsiders and insiders and the victory of the latter, or it is rather a matter of an unwavering belief in human principles that put dignity, freedom and justice above all else, including life under slavery, the writer said.

Reason says that people fight to see those human principles realised in their daily lives, irrespective of who violates them, the outside colonisers or the inside dictators.

Injustice is injustice whether it is done under English rule or French rule, or by a tyrannical tribe, sect or junta at home.

Arab nations, which sacrificed millions of causalities to free their countries from foreign occupation, should by no means give up their rights no matter who infringes them.

Yet this obvious conclusion does not ring true in Arab reality, the writer said. The Arab people had for six decades astonishingly coexisted with all sorts of local injustices until the Arab Spring.

Western media pushes optimism towards Iran

Despite the “phobia” among some Arab countries towards the recent US-Iran rapprochement – which is more like a test towards readiness for dialogue than a real detente – western media has promoted an optimistic outlook towards Iran since the election of Hassan Rouhani as president, wrote Jihad Al Zein in the Lebanese paper Annahar.

The western media, especially the American media, is playing a pivotal role in spreading a wave of optimism about relations between the West and Iran.

The recent visit by Mr Rouhani to the US did not see any “traps”, while his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had loads of traps set for him, into which he would easily fall given his open, hardline views.

The positive mood in the US has continued despite Israel’s concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme. The US-based online magazine Newsweek recently said in a report titled The Phantom Menace that Iran’s nuclear capabilities are greatly exaggerated.

Dozens of reports in the western media seem influenced by the US-Iran test for dialogue, which helped in achieving a US-Russian agreement over Syria’s chemical arsenal, with Iran appearing as a pivotal partner in this major progress that also benefits Israel, the writer concluded.

* Digest compiled by Abdelhafid Ezzouitni

AEzzouitni@thenational.ae

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

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Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

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The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
If you go

The Flights

Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.

The trip

Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

Results

Stage 5:

1. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Team Jumbo-Visma  04:19:08

2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates  00:00:03

3. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers

4. Sergio Higuita (COL) EF Education-Nippo 00:00:05

5. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:06

General Classification:

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 17:09:26

2.  Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers 00:00:45

3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:01:12

4. Chris Harper (AUS) Team Jumbo-Visma 00:01:54

5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo 00:01:56

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes. 

The trip

From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC