The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the largest investor in new businesses in Africa , raising hopes of a promising future for emerging technologies on the continent. Between 2019 and 2023, Emirati companies invested £88 billion in the continent, with the vast majority of these coming in renewable energy . The figure is more than double the investment made by more traditional investors such as the UK, France and China who have all scaled back investment following a series of project which failed to produce the expected returns, according to the Financial Times. African countries had hoped for around £1 trillion to be pledged to fight climate change on the continent at the recent COP conference but were left disappointed when that figure ended up being around £270 million. But whilst the investment promises a bright future for the continents green energy sectors, there are fears that the Emirati’s poor history with regards to workers’ rights could see African workers exploited. Ahmed Aboudouh is an associate fellow at the Chatham House thinktank who believes that Emirati investment comes with risk. He said: “African countries are in dire need of this money [for] their own energy transitions. And they plug huge holes, the Emirati investors, that the west failed to. “But at the same time they come in with less attention to labour rights, to environmental standards.” Ken Opalo, an associate professor at Georgetown University agrees: “African countries need all the financing and trade they can get, however, there is also the opportunity for the attention to breed criminality – like we are seeing in the gold sector.” The UAE has long been a big player in North Africa and the Horn of Africa where it has been accused of fuelling conflicts in countries such as Libya and Sudan . But its expansion deeper into the continent is seen as an attempt to diversify its economy from oil and gas and open up now markets such as copper and lithium, both crucial to the production of electric vehicles. Aside from green initiatives, UAE companies have also invested in areas such as telecoms and agriculture with the Dubai royal Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook al-Maktoum recently agreeing a deal which will see him sell carbon credits from forests covering a fifth of Zimbabwe , 10% of Liberia, 10% of Zambia and 8% of Tanzania . Other investments have seen the Gulf state purchase significant holdings in many of the continent’s mining conglomerates.
Jussie Smollett’s conviction in 2019 attack on himself is overturned
If you are looking for an income boost with some ASX dividend stocks, then the three listed below could be worth a closer look. All three of these dividend stocks are expected to provide investors with good yields in the near term and could also rise meaningfully from current levels. Here's what analysts are saying about them: ( ) Goldman Sachs is positive on BHP and sees it as an ASX dividend stock to buy. It is of course one of the world's largest miners with operations across a range of commodities. This includes iron ore, potash, nickel, coal, and copper. It is copper that is getting Goldman Sachs the most excited. The broker highlights that it "remain[s] bullish on copper due to ongoing supply side challenges and increasing demand and expect BHP's copper EBITDA to increase by ~US$3bn to ~US$10bn by FY26E (~45% of group EBITDA). Under our base case, copper EBITDA is expected to reach US$14bn by FY35E and ~US$19bn with all copper growth, at GSe long run copper of US$4.44/lb (real $, from 2028)." It expects this to underpin fully franked dividends of 99 US cents (~A$1.59) per share in FY 2025 and US$1.08 (~A$1.74) in FY 2026. Based on BHP's current share price of $39.77, this implies of 4% and 4.4%, respectively. Goldman has a buy rating and $47.40 price target on its shares. ( ) Another ASX dividend stock that Goldman Sachs rates as a buy is Endeavour Group. It owns Australia's largest retail drinks network under the Dan Murphy's and BWS brands, as well as the country's largest portfolio of licensed hotels. Goldman's analysts like the company due to their "continued belief in a high quality retailer gaining share amid a category down-cycle with a resilient growth option in Hotels." The broker also notes that the "company is trading at FY25 P/E of 17x vs historical average of 22x." As for income, its analysts are forecasting fully franked dividends of 20 cents per share in FY 2025 and then 22 cents per share in FY 2026. Based on the current Endeavour share price of $4.23, this will mean dividend yields of 4.7% and 5.2%, respectively. Goldman currently has a buy rating and $5.50 price target on its shares. ( ) Finally, most brokers believe that Australia's oldest bank, Westpac, is overvalued at current levels. But one leading broker doesn't agree and sees it as an ASX dividend stock to buy right now. That broker is UBS. It is positive on the company and believes that it will deliver a result ahead of expectations in FY 2025. Despite this, it highlights that Westpac's shares are trading at a sizeable discount to peers. As for dividends, the broker expects fully franked dividends yields a touch under 5% in both FY 2025 and FY 2026 at current prices. UBS has a buy rating and lofty $37.00 price target on its shares.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — An imprisoned far-right extremist group leader who was the top target of the federal investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol balked at answering a prosecutor's questions about the attack when he testified on Thursday at the trial of a police officer accused of leaking him confidential information. A federal judge warned former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio that he could face consequences, including an order holding him in contempt of court, if he continued to refuse to answer the prosecutor's questions. Tarrio completed his testimony without incurring any sanctions from the judge. Tarrio, who is serving a 22-year prison sentence for a plot to keep Donald Trump in the White House after the 2020 election, waived his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when he agreed to testify as a defense witness at the bench trial of retired Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Shane Lamond. “What that means is you have to answer all the questions. You don't get to pick and choose,” U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson told Tarrio after he initially refused to answer whether Proud Boys were at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Dozens of Proud Boys, including Tarrio, are among the 1,500 people who have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol siege. A jury convicted Tarrio and three lieutenants of seditious conspiracy and other crimes last year after a months-long trial in the same courthouse where Lamond is on trial this week. Tarrio complained that the prosecutor, Rebecca Ross, shouldn't have “free reign” to ask him questions about Jan. 6. Lamond is on trial for charges that he lied about providing Tarrio with confidential information about a police investigation of Proud Boys who burned a Black Lives Matter banner in December 2020. “This case is not a Jan. 6 case,” he told the judge, arguing that he didn't “completely” waive his Fifth Amendment rights. “There is not a half of a Fifth Amendment privilege,” the judge responded. When Tarrio told her, “We'll agree to disagree,” the judge chuckled and replied, “Well, I'll just say, ‘You’re not in charge.'” Tarrio was the first witness to testify for Lamond's defense against charges that he obstructed justice and made false statements about his communications with Tarrio. The judge will decide the case against Lamond after hearing testimony without a jury. On Monday, the judge said Tarrio was waiting for the outcome of last month’s presidential election before deciding whether to testify at Lamond’s trial. President-elect Trump, who repeatedly has vowed to pardon people convicted of Capitol riot charges, suggested he would consider pardoning Tarrio. Tarrio was sentenced to more than five months in jail for burning the banner that was stolen in December 2020 from a historic Black church in downtown Washington, and for bringing two high-capacity firearm magazines into the district. Tarrio was arrested in Washington two days before the Jan. 6 siege. The Miami resident wasn’t at the Capitol when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the building and interrupted the congressional certification of Biden’s 2020 electoral victory. During the trial's opening statements on Monday, a prosecutor said Lamond was a “Proud Boys sympathizer” who warned Tarrio about his impending arrest for the banner’s destruction and later lied to investigators about their communications. Police officers who investigated the banner’s destruction testified that it would have helped them to know that Tarrio had privately confessed to Lamond that he burned the banner. The Proud Boys leader also publicly admitted on social media and on a podcast that he had burned the banner. Tarrio testified on Thursday that he didn’t confess to Lamond or receive any confidential information from him. Tarrio said he came to Washington two days before Jan. 6 because he wanted to be arrested for the banner burning but released in time to attend then-President Trump’s Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally. “I wanted to get this over with,” Tarrio said. He also said he thought that his arrest before the rally would help “put up a circus tent" and generate publicity for his group's message. “I wanted to show what the Department of Justice was, and I was dedicated to that cause with everything in me,” he said. Lamond, who met Tarrio in 2019, had supervised the intelligence branch of the police department’s Homeland Security Bureau. He was responsible for monitoring groups like the Proud Boys when they came to Washington. Lamond’s indictment accuses him of lying to and misleading federal investigators when they questioned him in June 2021 about his contacts with Tarrio. Lamond, of Stafford, Virginia, was arrested in May 2023. He retired from the police department that same month. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — What began as a childhood hobby more than six decades ago has led to what might be Africa's largest butterfly collection in a suburb of Kenya's capital. Steve Collins, 74, was born and raised in western Kenya. By the age of 5, he was fascinated by butterflies and started building a collection that has grown to more than 4.2 million, representing hundreds of species. “My parents encouraged us to look for butterflies after visiting the Congo and were gifted a trapping net by some friends," Collins said. “By the time I was 15 years old, I was already visiting other countries like Nigeria to study more about butterflies.” During his 20-year career as an agronomist, Collins dedicated his free time to research. He established the African Butterfly Research Institute in 1997. Now, running out of space and time, he hopes to hand it over to the next generation. On his 1.5 acres (0.6 hectare) of land, hundreds of indigenous trees and flowering bushes form a well-knit forest. Hundreds of butterflies dance from one flower to another, at times landing on Collins' hand. His collection is private, although it was initially open to the public when he ran it as an education center between 1998 and 2003. Collins has 1.2 million butterflies from across Africa delicately pinned in frames and stored in rows of shelves, with another 3 million in envelopes. “They need to be kept in dark spaces," he said. “The form of storage also ensures the dried butterflies are not eaten by other insects, parasites and predators. We also ensure we apply insecticides once a year to keep them safe.” Julian Bayliss, an ecologist specializing in Africa and a visiting professor at Oxford Brookes University, said he has collected butterflies for Collins over two decades. “There is a large part of that collection that is completely irreplaceable because a large part of Africa’s habitat is being destroyed,” Bayliss said. Africa is vulnerable to climate change, with periods of prolonged drought and serious flooding destroying forests and other butterfly habitats. Bayliss suggested digitizing the collection to make it accessible worldwide. Whoever takes it over "needs to be an institution that is well-founded, well-funded and secure,” he said. Scott Miller, an entomologist at the Smithsonian Institution, met Collins almost 30 years ago. He said such collections provide critical information that could show environmental changes over 60 years. “These physical specimens, you can actually keep going back to them to get new layers of information as you learn more or you get a different technology or you get different questions," he said. Collins is concerned that soon he will no longer be able to sustain his research. He said his most prized butterfly costs $8,000 — which he keeps from sight, concerned about possible theft — and hopes to sell the collection to an individual or research institution. The costs of running his institute are high. An annual budget posted in 2009 on the Lepidopterists' Society of Africa website was $200,000. Collins estimates that the specimens and other assets are worth $8 million. “This has been my hobby for decades, and I can’t put a price on what I have done so far. I’m currently seeking to ensure the species are in safe hands when I’m out of this world,” he said. ___ Associated Press journalist Khaled Kazziha in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report. Magdalene Mwaniki, The Associated Press
California Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the border in San Diego County Thursday to announce construction beginning in January on a new road leading to the long-awaited Otay Mesa East port of entry. The next step forward in the project is decades in the making. > 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are “We’ve been talking about this Otay East port of entry since quite literally the late 1990s,” Newsom said. “We’re finally here to make the announcement that we’re going to be moving forward in the next few weeks. We’ve identified a contractor. We’re going to be moving forward with building the roads right behind us to get down to this section of the border.” Newsom added that the state has been working with the White House and the Department of Homeland Security to formalize the design contract and partnership agreement by the end of the month. He said the port of entry is on track to open by December 2027. At issue in negotiations is staffing, specifically who will run the port of entry and how. “It's been a stubborn project for one reason and one reason alone. Full disclosure: operational questions of how we manage this new port of entry and the funding that comes from actively managing it,” Newsom said. “And that's the process that is unfolding in real time as it relates to the details of this final agreement that we're working with the White House.” Newsom said he “didn’t want to make this too political.” But in a conversation on commerce, he found it seemingly impossible to avoid talk of tariffs, taking aim at President-elect Donald Trump floating the idea of taxing imports. Local Drop off toys Friday, December 6 at NBC 7 & Telemundo 20's ‘Toys for Tots' drive-thru event December Nights, San Diego's largest free holiday festival, returns to Balboa Park “Tariff’s a tax that you pay for. Not even complicated,” Newsom said, pointing to confusion over what a tariff would do. “This is one of the biggest tax increases in U.S. history that that this guy Donald Trump just proposed. That’s a hell of a thing.” His office noted that Mexico is California’s top export market, buying $33.3 billion of goods each year, and the state’s second-largest source of imports, worth $61.5 billion. “The cost of food that will go up, the cost of tomatoes, the supermarket, the vegetables, over half that come in from Mexico,” Newsom said. He also brought up Trump’s unspecified promise of mass deportations, pointing to the potential impact particularly on agriculture. Newsom said about half of farm workers in California are undocumented, the vast majority having been in the state for years. “The impacts of mass deportation on the cost of food in this state, in this nation, are off the charts. This is serious business,” he said. “This is a serious moment in California’s history.” Also part of the announcement Thursday, CalGuard will add analysts to state and federal task forces investigating the flow of weapons and money from the U.S. into Mexico – fueling cartel activity – for a more collaborative border security effort.Dec. 29—The Eagles clinched the NFC East on Sunday in a dominant 41-7 win over the rival Dallas Cowboys. The Birds were led by Kenny Pickett before he suffered a rib injury after a big hit in the third quarter. In the Birds' win, Saquon Barkley cemented his place in NFL history and with Pickett out of the game, Tanner McKee saw the first NFL minutes of his career. As the Birds clinched the division, there were a lot of big moments that took place on the broadcast. If you spent your Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field or in the parking lots, here are some of the best and worst moments from the Eagles' broadcast. Philly fans troll Jerry Jones Eagles fans gave Jerry Jones and the Cowboys a warm welcome on Sunday as their division rivals flew into enemy territory. Ahead of kickoff, Philly fans trolled Cowboys owner Jones, throwing shade at the team's failures this season. "Keep doing the job you're doing, Jerry. We love you in Philly," said a fan in a video captured by NBC Sports Philadelphia. "I know you do," Jones responded. "I'm trying to live up to my standard this year for you." Sunday's loss to the Eagles meant the Cowboys went 0-2 against their division rivals. It comes as no surprise why the Philly fans are commending Jones for his efforts this season. Greg Olsen returns After Fox's Greg Olsen left Philly fans unhappy with his commentary during the Eagles-Commanders broadcast, he was back on the call for Sunday's matchup against the Cowboys. As the Washington Commanders rallied back from a 27-14 deficit, Philly fans accused Olsen of bias during the broadcast. The main criticism from fans was that both Olsen and play-by-play announcer Joe Davis didn't emphasize the impact of Jalen Hurts getting knocked out the game early enough. Olsen responded to the criticism on social media. After last week, fans weren't too excited to see that Davis and Olsen were back on the call for another Eagles game. Pickett gets a standing ovation A Pickett standing ovation wasn't on many NFL fans 2024 bingo cards. But all that changed on Sunday in the Birds win over the Cowboys. As Pickett headed into the locker room with the Birds leading 24-7 at the half, fans rose to their feet to applaud the backup quarterback in his first start with the Eagles. After a slow start, Pickett was 9-for-14 for 133 yards with a touchdown through the air and on the ground before he went to the locker room in the third quarter. The Eagles later announced Pickett as questionable with a rib injury after he was hit by Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons. The quarterback received another big ovation as he walked off the field. Despite leaving the game early, Sunday's game was a memorable moment for Pickett — from growing up an Eagles fan in New Jersey to receiving a standing ovation at the Linc while helping his favorite team clinch the division. But this wasn't the only praise Pickett received on Sunday. Ahead of the game, former Eagles quarterback and analyst Michael Vick commended Pickett on FOX NFL Kickoff. "Kenny Pickett with one week to prepare, I expect him to look a lot better than he did last week and this is a statement game for Kenny Pickett," Vick said. "If he goes out and wins this game, he could be a starter in this league. I do think he has that type of talent. But it's going to start today because Dallas isn't going to hold anything back." Big Dom retrieves McKee's TD ball Ahead of the game, Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson and quarterback Pickett showed love to "Big" Dom DiSandro — sporting a hoodie, featuring DiSandro as "The Godfather." DiSandro can be seen on the hoodie wearing a tuxedo and holding a football. That image came to life in the second half of Sunday's game — of course, without the tuxedo. After McKee stepped in for Pickett in the third quarter, the quarterback threw his first career touchdown pass to A.J. Brown. Without thinking, Brown launched the ball into the crowd. Fortunately for McKee, Big Dom was there to save the day. The Eagles' chief security officer put on his best Don Vito Corleone impression and retrieved the ball from the fan. Here's a different angle from the broadcast. Cowboys and Eagles brawl A few brawls are expected when the Eagles face off against the Cowboys. With the Eagles up, 41-7, they sent a punt into the Cowboys' end zone. As special teams converged, Cowboys receiver Jalen Brooks and Eagles defensive back Sydney Brown became tangled. After that, a huge brawl broke out with Brown grabbing Cowboys cornerback Troy Pride near the tunnel, igniting a larger skirmish with more players getting involved — pushing and shoving one another in the final moments of the game. Brown, Brooks, and Pride were all ejected with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Michael Strahan on Barkley's MVP chances In one of the most significant acquisitions of 2024, the former New York Giants running back Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles. Since his arrival, the two-time Pro Bowl has put on an MVP-caliber season. With Barkley's success in Philadelphia, there has been an increase in fans and analysts arguing for Barkley to win NFL MVP — including former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan. "Saquon Barkley, what can this guy not do? What hasn't he done?" Strahan said ahead of the game on Fox NFL Sunday. "This is a position that everybody said, 'You don't need a running back anymore. Don't pay those guys that much money.' He's completely shown them that the running back position is so essential. He leads the league in rushing. No. 2 in touchdowns. He still has two games to go. 268 yards and he breaks Eric Dickerson's rushing record. How do you not give a guy — who, if he does that — how do you not give him MVP?" Dickerson's record has stood for 40 years, 13 years before Barkley was born. Barkley currently has 2,005 yards, leaving him 100 yards away from the record with one game remaining. (c)2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.eBook Market: Comprehensive Analysis of Top Global Companies, Business Insights, Emerging Opportunities, Regional Overview, Strategic Approaches, and Size Forecast Through 2031Isro reveals first look of two Spadex satellites that will dock in space
Malaysia's government was ordered Monday to return 172 rainbow-themed Swatch watches it seized last year on grounds that their designs promoted LGBTQ+ rights . The Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that the Pride Collection timepieces were illegally confiscated without a warrant during a series of raids on Swatch stores in malls across Malaysia last year, the Associated Press reported. The watches must be returned within 14 days and Swatch can demand compensation if they're damaged, AP said, citing the Bernama national news agency. Malaysian Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said an appeal could be filed after officials "examine the basis of the judgment thoroughly," according to BBC . Swatch declined to comment, the BBC said. Same-sex relationships are illegal in Malaysia , a majority-Muslim country where Islam is the official religion and punishment ranges from caning to 20 years in prison. Swatch's Pride Collection watches were produced in six colors that matched those on the gay pride flag and featured rainbow-hued wrist straps, AP said. The Swiss watchmaker said Malaysian authorities alleged that they "bore LGBT connotations" following the seizures on May 13 and 14, 2023. "We strongly contest that our collection of watches using rainbow colors and having a message of peace and love could be harmful for whomever," Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek Jr. said at the time. Malaysia later outlawed the watches, saying they were "detrimental, or possibly detrimental, to morality, public interest and national interest by promoting, supporting and normalizing the LGBTQ movement which is not accepted by the general public." Swatch's stock price was around $9 a share early Monday afternoon, up more than 1.5%.
During a five-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party that ended Friday, Kim called the US 'the most reactionary state that regards anti-communism as its invariable state policy.' North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to implement the "toughest" anti-US policy less than a month before Donald Trump enters the White House. During a five-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party that ended Friday, Kim called the US "the most reactionary state that regards anti-communism as its invariable state policy." Kim said that the US-South Korea-Japan security partnership is expanding into "a nuclear military bloc for aggression." "This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how," Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. It said Kim's speech "clarified the strategy for the toughest anti-US counteraction to be launched aggressively" by North Korea for its long-term national interests and security. KCNA didn't elaborate on the anti-US strategy but did say that Kim set forth tasks to bolster military capability through defence technology advancements and stressed the need to improve the mental toughness of North Korean soldiers. Trump's return to the presidency raises prospects for high-profile diplomacy with North Korea. During his first term, Trump met Kim three times for talks on the North's nuclear programme. Many experts however say a quick resumption of Kim-Trump talks is unlikely as Trump would first focus on conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. North Korea's support for Russia's war against Ukraine also poses a challenge to efforts to revive diplomacy, experts say. The previous meetings between Trump and Kim had not only put an end to their exchanges of fiery rhetoric and threats of destruction, but they developed personal connections. Trump once famously said he and Kim "fell in love." But their talks eventually collapsed in 2019, as they wrangled over US-led sanctions on the North. North Korea has since sharply increased the pace of its weapons testing activities to build more reliable nuclear missiles targeting the US and its allies. The US and South Korea have responded by expanding their military bilateral drills and also trilateral ones involving Japan, drawing strong rebukes from the North, which views such US-led exercises as invasion rehearsals. Further complicating efforts to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons in return for economic and political benefits is its deepening military cooperation with Russia. According to US, Ukrainian and South Korean assessments, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops and conventional weapons systems to support Moscow's war against Ukraine. There are concerns that Russia could give North Korea advanced weapons technology in return, including help to build more powerful nuclear missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in Russia's Kursk region. Russia and China, locked in separate disputes with the US, have repeatedly blocked pushes to levy more UN sanctions on North Korea despite its repeated missile tests in defiance of Security Council resolutions. Last month, Kim said that his past negotiations with the United States only confirmed Washington's "unchangeable" hostility toward his country and described his nuclear buildup as the only way to counter external threats.
Published 18:06 IST, December 21st 2024 A US judge has ruled in favor of WhatsApp in a lawsuit accusing Israel's NSO Group of exploiting a bug in the messaging app to install spy software allowing unauthorized surveillance. Meta vs NSO Group: A US judge has ruled in favor 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. US 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. “Surveillance companies should be on notice that illegal spying will not be tolerated.” Cybersecurity experts welcomed the judgment. 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. Updated 18:06 IST, December 21st 2024UI Movie Leaked Online: Sci-Fi Thriller Surfaces On TamilRockers, Movierulez & Other Piracy Websites Hours After Release