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Revelations by a consortium of media agencies that politicians, journalists and activists were potential targets of surveillance through Pegasus software of Israeli surveillance company NSO Group have triggered outrage around the globe.

While the world went into a tizzy, Israel has ordered a probe to review the allegations against NSO. However, NSO has claimed the list in public domain wasn't theirs.

NSO Group has maintained that the software was only sold to governments and not to private players. Ariela Ben Avraham, Global Communications Director, NSO Group told India Today, "We only sell to governments and law enforcement agencies. List of countries mentioned in the reports was not accurate."

Although NSO refused to reveal names of countries contracted with the company, they welcomed any kind of probe.

"We will welcome any probe initiated by the Israeli government. NSO is not related to the list published by Forbidden Stories; it never was an NSO list - it is fabricated information; a possible list of targets/potential targets is false information. NSO does not have access to data of people mentioned in the list," Avraham said.

It has been reported widely that the software sold by the Israeli surveillance company has been used by governments to snoop on individuals and entities having a divergent position from that of that country.

ALSO READ | Pegasus updated guide: How it infects phones, what it does, how to detect and get rid of it

WHAT UN, EU SAID ON PEGASUS SNOOPING ROW

The United Nations and the European Union are among a list of international organisations and countries that have condemned the acts by governments.

The UN Human Rights chief said the apparent widespread use of Pegasus spyware to illegally undermine the rights of those under surveillance was "extremely alarming" and confirmed "some of the worst fears" surrounding the potential misuse of such technology.

"Various parts of the UN Human Rights system, including my own Office, have repeatedly raised serious concerns about the dangers of authorities using surveillance tools from a variety of sources supposed to promote public safety in order to hack the phones and computers of people conducting legitimate journalistic activities, monitoring human rights or expressing dissent or political opposition," High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said in a statement.

The UN Human Rights High Commissioner said that a "red line" was crossed by the use of the Pegasus spyware by state actors and termed it "completely unacceptable".

"Freedom of media, free press is one of the core values of the EU. It is completely unacceptable if this (hacking) were to be the case," said European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in Prague.

"What we could read so far, and this has to be verified, but if it is the case, it is completely unacceptable. Against any kind of rules we have in the European Union," Urusula von der Leyen said.

While most affected nations have been cautious with their response, saying they do not discuss security protocols, this could impact bilateral relations between nations if the forensic reports prove snooping.

ALSO READ | Rahul Gandhi, Prashant Kishor, 2 Union ministers targeted by Pegasus: Report

WHICH COUNTRIES ARE ON PEGASUS SPYWARE LIST

According to the consortium's analysis of the leaked data, at least 10 governments are believed to be NSO customers who were entering numbers into a system: Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, India, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Analysis of the data suggests the phone numbers that were selected, possibly ahead of a surveillance attack, spanned more than 45 countries across four continents.

WHAT DID AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SAY ON PEGASUS ROW

While the NSO Group has rejected the list, Amnesty International said it stood by the Pegasus spyware list contrary to inaccurate media stories in relation to the project.

They said that the rumours were false and intended to distract from the widespread unlawful targeting.

"Amnesty International categorically stands by the findings of the Pegasus Project, and that the data is irrefutably linked to potential targets of NSO Group's Pegasus spyware. The false rumours being pushed on social media are intended to distract from the widespread unlawful targeting of journalists, activists and others that the Pegasus Project has revealed," Amnesty International said in a statement.

ALSO READ | Pegasus controversy, a legal viewpoint | Expert Opinion

HOW AFFECTED COUNTRIES REACTED TO PEGASUS ROW

France has already ordered an investigation and said it would sue countries actively involved in spying on their nationals. French President Macron convened an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss reports that his cellphone and those of top officials might have been targeted by the spyware.

Some others like Hungary and India have already denied these allegations.

Peter Szijjarto, Hungarian Foreign Minister said, "I am unaware of any such data collection, and I have never been aware of it."

Speaking to the media he added, "The technical tool, let's call it software, is not used by the Information Office and the agency did not make any agreement of using it."

Reports said the leak contained a list of more than 50,000 phone numbers which, it is believed, have been identified as those of people of interest by clients of NSO since 2016.

ALSO READ | Amit Shah invokes 'aap chronology samajhiye' in response to Pegasus spyware allegations

ALSO READ | Pegasus a weapon used against terrorists, says Rahul Gandhi, demands Amit Shah's resignation

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Pegasus row: United Nations to European Union, here is how the world reacted - India Today

The European Union on Thursday said that 200 million Europeans had been fully vaccinated against coronavirus. This translates to more than half of the adult population in European Union. However the bloc still short of 70 per cent target it had set for the summer.

European Commission spokeswoman Dana Spinant told reporters that based on the latest data of the European Centre for Disease Control "54.7 percent of the adult population is fully vaccinated with either two doses or one dose in the case of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine".

"We have 68.4 per cent of adults in the EU who have already had their first dose," she added.

"We are now among the regions of the world that have vaccinated the most, but it is important that this progress is distributed in a more balanced way so that there are no pockets where the virus can spread and mutate," she added.

Rollout of vaccines was slower in Europe than in the UK or US due to supply shortages. This had drawn heavy criticism earlier this year.

The European Commission, which coordinated vaccine orders for the 27 member states, was the subject of many of the complaints.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen had announced on July 10 that the EU had enough doses to vaccinate "at least 70 percent of the adult population this month".

According to official data compiled by AFP, just over 440 million doses have been administered in the European Union. That is 98.4 doses per 100 inhabitants, while the United States are at 102.4 per 100 inhabitants.

(With inputs from agencies)

Original post:
More than half of adults in European Union countries fully vaccinated against Covid - WION

KENILWORTH, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization in the European Union (EU) for soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator VERQUVO (vericiguat). In the EU, VERQUVO (2.5 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg) is indicated for the treatment of symptomatic chronic heart failure in adult patients with reduced ejection fraction who are stabilized after a recent decompensation event requiring intravenous (IV) therapy. VERQUVO is being jointly developed by Merck and Bayer AG. Merck has the commercial rights to VERQUVO in the United States and Bayer has the exclusive commercial rights in the rest of world. Bayer also issued a news release earlier today announcing the EC approval.

In January of this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved VERQUVO in the U.S. to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and heart failure hospitalization following a hospitalization for heart failure or need for outpatient IV diuretics in adults with symptomatic chronic heart failure and ejection fraction less than 45%. In the U.S., the product label for VERQUVO contains a boxed warning that indicates that VERQUVO should not be administered to pregnant females because it may cause fetal harm. For more information, see Selected Safety Information below. In June, the medicine was approved by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan. Bayer has also submitted applications for marketing authorization of the medicine in China as well as multiple other countries worldwide.

This announcement reflects another important regulatory milestone in the development of this medicine, said Dr. Roy Baynes, senior vice president and head of global clinical development, chief medical officer, Merck Research Laboratories. The approval of VERQUVO in the EU will provide doctors, health care professionals and patients with an important treatment option to complement currently available heart failure therapies.

About VERQUVO (vericiguat) tablets for once daily oral use (2.5 mg, 5 mg and 10 mg)

VERQUVO is a stimulator of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), an important enzyme in the nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway. When NO binds to sGC, the enzyme catalyzes the synthesis of intracellular cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), a second messenger that plays a role in the regulation of vascular tone, cardiac contractility, and cardiac remodeling. Heart failure is associated with impaired synthesis of NO and decreased activity of sGC, which may contribute to myocardial and vascular dysfunction. By directly stimulating sGC, independently of and synergistically with NO, vericiguat augments levels of intracellular cGMP, leading to smooth muscle relaxation and vasodilation.

Selected Safety Information for VERQUVO in the United States

WARNING: EMBRYO-FETAL TOXICITY

Females of reproductive potential: Exclude pregnancy before the start of treatment. To prevent pregnancy, females of reproductive potential must use effective forms of contraception during treatment and for one month after stopping treatment. Do not administer VERQUVO to a pregnant female because it may cause fetal harm.

VERQUVO is contraindicated in patients with concomitant use of other soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulators. VERQUVO is contraindicated in pregnancy. Based on data from animal reproduction studies, VERQUVO may cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise females of reproductive potential of the potential risk to a fetus. Obtain a pregnancy test before the start of treatment. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with VERQUVO and for at least one month after the final dose.

In a clinical trial, the most commonly observed adverse events with VERQUVO vs placebo, occurring at a frequency greater than or equal to 5%, were hypotension (16% vs 15%) and anemia (10% vs 7%).

Concomitant use of VERQUVO with PDE-5 inhibitors is not recommended because of the potential for hypotension.

There are no data on the presence of VERQUVO in human milk, the effects on the breastfed infant, or effects on milk production. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in breastfed infants from VERQUVO, advise women not to breastfeed during treatment with VERQUVO.

About the Worldwide Collaboration Between Bayer and Merck

Since October 2014, Bayer and Merck have pursued a worldwide collaboration in the field of sGC modulators. The collaboration brings together two leading companies that have stated their intent to fully evaluate this therapeutic class in areas of unmet medical need. The vericiguat program is being co-developed by Bayer and Merck. Merck has the commercial rights to vericiguat in the U.S. and Bayer has the exclusive commercial rights in the rest of world. The companies share equally the costs of the development of vericiguat.

About Merck

For 130 years, Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the worlds most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives. We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world. For more information, visit http://www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the company) includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the companys management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline products that the products will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of the global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19); the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the companys ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the companys patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the companys 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the companys other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SECs Internet site (www.sec.gov).

Please see Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning, for VERQUVO (vericiguat) at https://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/v/verquvo/verquvo_pi.pdf and Medication Guide at https://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/v/verquvo/verquvo_mg.pdf.

Read more from the original source:
VERQUVO (vericiguat) Approved in the European Union - Business Wire

The European Union, as one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters behind China and the United States, is set to become the leader of global climate change initiatives as they release their new Fit for 55 plan last Wednesday.If successful, the EU will cut their total emissions 55% by 2030, based on levels from 1990. Already, they are on track to reach their target, as emissions have been reduced by 24%, leaving another 21% to be cut in 9 years. The policies included within the plan cover many sectors of the economy that have been slower to reduce emissions, including industry, transportation, energy, and housing. With a goal this ambitious, the 27 member states and the European Parliament will go through months of negotiations before the package is passed. However, it looks promising that the EU will become the first and largest economy to be driven by greener, more sustainable practices.

European lawmakers have so far responded positively to the new policies, with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the forefront, calling the target to cut emissions our generational task and the package a part of political aspiration [turning] to legal obligation. Even though other states made initiatives to reduce their overall negative impacts on the environment, the Fit for 55 plan is the first of its kind to have an effect on global trade flows. But, as U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen claims, theres a powerful incentive once one significant country has adopted this that might inspire other states to follow suit. In all, the transition to a greener economy might be difficult, but beneficial in that our economy will look a lot better, and we can get the climate crisis under control as EU Commissioner Frans Timmermans says.

The EU has made a bold step in combating climate change with their new plan, one that will force a change in how these states and the EU as a whole will operate. But this is the type of legislation needed to make a significant difference in slowing the effects of climate change, because what has been done up to now is not enough. Even if not all of the policies are passed into law, initiatives like carbon border tariffs will pressure companies to reduce their emissions and create a wider impact that reaches outside the EU. The Fit for 55 package is a symbolic move in the right direction and a call for all leaders and policymakers, such as in the U.S., to consider passing stricter legislation that will streamline companies and consumers into moving towards a green economy.

Until this point, many large-scale climate initiatives have been more on an agreement basis, where states will sign a protocol or plan without much enforcement and repercussions for not following policy, such as the Kyoto Protocol. States could even just leave, like the U.S. did with the Paris Accords. But the policies that are adopted with this new package will bind all states in the EU to these standards, and hopefully other outside states move in that direction as their industries will be left at a competitive disadvantage. The EU has already taken initiative in their larger goal towards carbon neutrality by 2050 under the name the European Green Deal. The Fit for 55 is just the most recent proposal moving to fulfill that ambition.

With the introduction of the EUs new set of climate initiatives, there comes praise that this is the beginning of widespread stricter legislation that will hold states, industries and consumers accountable in helping to fight climate change. But there are also its critics, for questions are being raised concerning rising consumer costs such as with energy bills and renovated housing, as well as industry opposition against higher taxes. There is also to consider the gap between richer and poorer states within the EU and being able to front the extra costs ofmoving to renewable practices. Either way, whether those view the Fit for 55 deal as too much or too little, it is still an important step in the wider movement to combat climate change, for the good of everyone.

Excerpt from:
The European Union's New Climate Plan: A Move In The Greener Direction - The Organization for World Peace

In late June, the Council of the European Union gave the green light to the first European Climate Law, following the adoption of the legislation by the European Parliament a few days earlier. The law is designed to reduce greenhouse emissions by 55 per cent (compared to 1990 levels) by 2030 and reach climate neutrality in the next 30 years. The EU is gradually turning into a climate champion, and this step converts its moral commitment into a legal obligation. The law provides European citizens and businesses with certainty and clarity about the path for the green transformation.

While MEPs from opposing sides of the political spectrum rejected some of the provisions of the law, 26 member states voted in favour of it at the Council of the EU. The only exception was Bulgaria. The countrys caretaker government, which has been in place since mid-May, explained the abstention with a brief, vague comment: the final compromise does not reflect sufficiently our national position. Subsequently, the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water specified that the adopted text does not take into consideration several requests from the Bulgarian government, such as the inclusion of natural gas as transition fuel until 2030; recognition of the technology neutrality approach in the transition; or a proposal for a smoother reduction of coal subsidies, which currently sustain Bulgarian coal mining and processing.

The Bulgarian government has acted too late to oppose or affect the EUs legal framework for tackling climate change. The abstention runs counter to both the expectations of Bulgarian citizens and the unions long-running efforts to transform Europe into the first climate-neutral continent.

Successive Bulgarian governments and leaders have been reluctant to commit to a clear path for the green transition within a set timeframe

Since early 2021, the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations has conducted extensive research into the ways in which Bulgarian businesses and citizens view the EUs green recovery and climate policy efforts. According to a public opinion poll commissioned by ECFR, 80 per cent of Bulgarians support the 55 per cent emissions-reduction target and only 3 per cent oppose it. The survey shows that Bulgarians are strongly supportive of climate-oriented policies, but their concerns are not reflected in the programmes of the political parties. In Bulgaria, 85 per cent of respondents believe that global warming and its consequences are a problem of paramount importance, while just 3 per cent are climate change sceptics 4 percentage points lower than the EU average. Despite their concerns, three-quarters of Bulgarians do not feel informed about or satisfied with the governments position on climate issues. These polling numbers are confirmed by recent Eurobarometer findings. The Eurobarometer study reveals that only 10 per cent of Bulgarian respondents regard their national governments climate actions as sufficient, compared to the EU average of 20 per cent.

Generally, Bulgaria is among the least advanced EU countries in terms of the public debate and executive decisions within the framework of the European Green Deal. Climate change and the commitment to net zero still receive too little attention from Bulgarian politicians and scientists. Lately, the Bulgarian public debate on the European Green Deal has concentrated on the amount, timing, and allocation of EU funds Bulgaria will receive from the blocs planned financing mechanisms. The main rationale for the new EU policy achieving carbon neutrality and resource-saving or recycling has been absent from the national discussion. Successive Bulgarian governments and leaders have been reluctant to commit to a clear path for the green transition within a set timeframe.

The political debate in the country does not reflect the urgency of the issue and, instead of producing forward-looking solutions, is mainly focused on populist slogans on issues such as the danger of high unemployment in the energy sector. This is particularly apparent in the region of Stara Zagora, where a coal mine and two thermal power plants are located. One cannot expect much support for the climate agenda from residents of this area, as political actors have prevented a reasoned debate on the potential closure of the plants.

Moreover, Bulgarias abstention on the European Climate Law not only isolates the country within the EU once again but also reveals two familiar shortfalls in Bulgarian diplomacy. Firstly, the abstention on such an important and unprecedented law shows the Bulgarian civil services lack of expertise and negotiation skill. It had years to negotiate a solution to Bulgarias grievances, while equipping the economy for a low-carbon future. Secondly, the reaction to the abstention in the union resembles the response to the Bulgarian veto of the start of EU accession talks with North Macedonia in late 2020, which damaged Sofias reputation and diminished its bargaining power within EU institutions. And, by resisting the EUs vital efforts to create a joint carbon-neutral future, Bulgaria has undermined European taxpayers confidence that the country will efficiently allocate its share of the Just Transition and Recovery and Resilience facilities to climate mitigation and green investment. While the previous Bulgarian government was struggling to adjust to Europes ambitions of climate leadership, the Commission launched the new legislative package Fit for 55. Adopted on 14 July 2021, the package includes 13 new or revised pieces of legislation that will have a broad impact on all EU economies if the Commission succeeds in addressing all the technical, social, and diplomatic challenges it presents, as ECFRs Alex Clark recently explained. The proposed extension of carbon pricing to the construction and transport sectors is likely to have a major impact on Bulgarian society, as is the carbon border-adjustment mechanisms effect on the price of products imported from neighbouring Turkey and Serbia. This was not the case with the EU Emissions Trading System, whse effect on energy prices largely spared Bulgarian consumers (due to their countrys coal subsidies and partially regulated energy markets). The Bulgarian government will now have to face up to the climate challenge, by the raising expectations of Bulgarian voters and catching up to climate policy developments in Brussels and further afield.

The European Council on Foreign Relations does not take collective positions. ECFR publications only represent the views of its individual authors.

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Bulgarias abstention from the fight against climate change - European Council on Foreign Relations