July 25, 2021 – THE OVAL CIRCLE

EU

Over half of EU adults fully vaccinated against Covid, as bloc’s slow rollout picks up speed

Posted on July 25, 2021By Editor

The European Commission has announced that 54.7% of adults across the EU have been fully inoculated against Covid-19, with more than 200 million people having received both doses of a vaccine. … Read More >Over half of EU adults fully vaccinated against Covid, as bloc’s slow rollout picks up speed

EU

Hungarian prosecutors launch investigation into Pegasus scandal as Orban govt implicated in NSO surveillance allegations

Posted on July 25, 2021July 25, 2021By Editor

The Hungarian prosecutor general’s office has said it is opening an inquiry into possible criminal offences after a bombshell report claimed Viktor Orban’s government spied on the country’s media using Israeli surveillance tech. … Read More >Hungarian prosecutors launch investigation into Pegasus scandal as Orban govt implicated in NSO surveillance allegations

UK

Cyberpunk 20**? Researchers warn of ‘bleak’ future with companies owning private thoughts & world divided between cyborg and human

Posted on July 25, 2021July 25, 2021By Editor

Scientists at Imperial College London have warned of a “bleak panorama” relating to the commercial use of brain-computer interfaces. If left unregulated, they say, the tech could lead to companies harvesting our deepest thoughts. … Read More >Cyberpunk 20**? Researchers warn of ‘bleak’ future with companies owning private thoughts & world divided between cyborg and human

EU

‘Years of inaction’: Rights groups file class-action lawsuit against French police over alleged racial profiling

Posted on July 25, 2021July 25, 2021By Editor

A group of six major NGOs, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, has launched a massive class-action lawsuit against the French police, accusing the force of practicing “discriminatory identity checks.” … Read More >‘Years of inaction’: Rights groups file class-action lawsuit against French police over alleged racial profiling

World

African Union to start receiving 400mn J&J Covid-19 vaccines next week, but only 6mn will be delivered by end August

Posted on July 25, 2021July 25, 2021By Editor

The African Union’s special envoy for Covid-19 has said that the continent will finally start receiving doses of the lifesaving Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week, as the virus continues to spread there. … Read More >African Union to start receiving 400mn J&J Covid-19 vaccines next week, but only 6mn will be delivered by end August

World

Six arrested in plot to murder Madagascan president Andry Rajoelina after months-long investigation

Posted on July 25, 2021July 25, 2021By Editor

Madagascan police detained six people on Tuesday, including a foreign national and two bi-nationals, after a lengthy investigation uncovered an alleged plot to assassinate the president. … Read More >Six arrested in plot to murder Madagascan president Andry Rajoelina after months-long investigation

‘Are they going to bomb Vermont?’ Israel gets skewered after claiming Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream boycott is ‘new form of terrorism’

Posted on July 25, 2021July 25, 2021By Editor

Israel’s president has been targeted by a barrage of social media snark after he bravely compared Ben & Jerry’s decision, to stop selling its ice cream in the occupied Palestinian territories, to terrorism. … Read More >‘Are they going to bomb Vermont?’ Israel gets skewered after claiming Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream boycott is ‘new form of terrorism’

EU

‘Every vaccination counts’: Merkel urges Germans to get inoculated amid ‘worrying’ coronavirus rise

Posted on July 25, 2021July 25, 2021By Editor

Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged all citizens to get vaccinated, as concern over Germany’s “worrying” coronavirus situation grows, with the leader saying increased inoculation was the only means of exiting the pandemic. … Read More >‘Every vaccination counts’: Merkel urges Germans to get inoculated amid ‘worrying’ coronavirus rise

Russia eliminating US dollar transactions in its foreign military deals – state arms exporter

Posted on July 25, 2021July 25, 2021By Editor

The US dollar’s share in Russia’s military contracts with other countries is approaching zero, according to the country’s main defense contractor Rosoboronexport. … Read More >Russia eliminating US dollar transactions in its foreign military deals – state arms exporter