https://english.almayadeen.net/news/economics/germanys-public-debt-spending-expected-to-double

Germany’s public debt spending expected to double

Due to increasing inflation, servicing government loans in 2023 would cost Germany about twice as much as it does now, German media group Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) said on Friday, citing data from the country's finance ministry on next year's budget.

An error in previous governments' inflation forecasts will cause Germany's interest payments on its public debt to rise from €16 billion ($16.09 billion) to nearly €30 billion next year, as the federal government has been issuing bonds linked to the inflation rate in recent years, according to the report.

Berlin misjudged the risk of inflation increase, and as a result, it is now required to provide far bigger sums to service these bonds, according to the news outlet.

“According to the documents for the draft budget for 2023, around €7.6 billion must be reserved for the repayment of so-called inflation-linked bonds in the coming year. This is €3 billion euros more than this year and almost €7 billion more than last year when inflation was still low,” RND reports.

The sum of such indexed government loans is currently around €65 billion, which is a little under 5% of the country's total public debt of €1.5 trillion, according to the German Debt Office. However, the ratio of these loans to interest payments is significantly disproportionate, amounting to approximately 25%.

According to the research, banks, insurance companies, and entities that have made loans to the German government will benefit the most from the situation since they will earn more money in interest payments. However, German taxpayers are unlikely to be thrilled because the interest would be paid with their money.

“Betting on infinitely low inflation rates when taking on debt was a mistake that is now becoming very costly for taxpayers,” Dietmar Bartsch, leader of the Left faction of the German Parliament, said, commenting on the situation. He also demanded an investigation into the debt policies of the previous governments.

Nonetheless, despite the high cost of inflation-linked bonds, Germany's government debt expenditure is expected to climb in the future years, according to RND, because interest rates are expected to rise as Europe attempts to combat an economic crisis. The European Central Bank (ECB), for example, is likely to raise interest rates later this month for the first time in 11 years.

Highest inflation rates since 1973

German statistics office Destatis reported another hike in food and energy prices as inflation continues. Europe’s top economy, Germany, has reached 7.9%, the highest level since the 1973 oil crisis.

The surge came as the Ukraine war resulted in the collective-West imposing unprecedented sanction packages on Russia. The sanctions imposed on oil and gas hit Europe the hardest and consequently impacted inflation rates the most since late February said Destatis.

The agencies also pointed out that “another factor with an upward effect on prices” is the Covid-19 pandemic and all the supply chain interruptions it had caused throughout a period of two years.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/technology/israeli-spyware-firm-nso-cannot-be-counted-on:-hrw

Israeli spyware firm NSO "cannot be counted on": HRW

Human Rights Watch considered that Israeli spyware firm NSO Group "cannot be counted on" and has weaknesses in its internal processes, in regard to the investigation of the targeting of Lama Fakih, Middle East, and North Africa director.

On Friday, the human rights organization said that "Despite claims that NSO Group has internal processes to root out misuse of its technology, human rights groups have long documented the failure of those processes to reveal abuse and lead to accountability for unscrupulous government clients."

It is noteworthy that in January 2022, the organization filed a complaint to NSO with supporting evidence that the firm's Pegasus spyware was used to target Fakih.

According to Human Rights Watch, NSO committed to making an “initial assessment” to decide whether an investigation was needed.

"Weaknesses of NSO’s internal processes"

However, on June 27, Chaim Gelfand, NSO’s vice president for compliance claimed that “This issue has been investigated to the best of our ability based on the information provided to us. We have not seen evidence that Ms. Fakih’s number, provided below had been targeted using the Pegasus system by our existing customer’s.”

The human rights organization considered that "Gelfand’s unhelpful response simply highlights the weaknesses of NSO’s internal processes."

Human Rights Watch explained that "One interpretation of NSO’s response could be that a former client targeted Fakih – but the company does not publish a list of government clients that have been terminated."

"Another explanation could be that NSO relied on incomplete information because its investigations depend on client cooperation," it added.

Claims that are impossible to verify

NSO provided conflicting statements on its ability to ensure clients are not abusing its technology, the organization indicated.

In June 2020, NSO claimed that it “monitors and reviews the due diligence of all entities that use its technologies both on an ongoing and periodic basis.” However, the Israeli firm said that its assessment “depends on cooperation of the user,” and without that, it is “limited to reviewing available metadata, which fails to provide detailed insights and does not provide sufficient data to allow one to determine if there was misuse.”

Gelfand, at a recent hearing of a European Parliament Committee of Inquiry on Pegasus, claimed that if a customer does not cooperate with an investigation, the Israeli firm will suspend the client: "a claim that is impossible to verify. When it terminates a contract, NSO loses access to the data needed for investigations, he said, which would prevent it from conducting meaningful investigations," the human rights organization pointed out.

"The company cannot be counted on"

"NSO’s empty response following Human Rights Watch’s full cooperation underscores that the company cannot be counted on, and may not even have the ability, to investigate itself," Human Rights Watch underlined.

It is noteworthy that NSO Group has been embroiled in a seemingly never-ending spate of extremely prominent controversies. Revelations that it sells its powerful Pegasus spyware to authoritarian regimes, that its products have been used to spy on journalists, activists, politicians, and even potentially world leaders, and accusations that it played a role in Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death have put it at the center of international criticism.

Hungary, India, Spain, Mexico, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia are some countries listed in a report last July that details how the Israeli spyware was used by governments to spy on journalists and critics.

In addition, Apple is suing NSO Group in a US federal court, saying the Israeli firm's spyware was used to attack iPhone users worldwide.

Last year, the US blacklisted the firm, stating that it had sold software that had been used to "maliciously attack" government officials, journalists, businesses, activists, academics, and diplomatic personnel.

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https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/unsc-resolution-to-ban-small-arms-transfer-to-haiti-unanimou

UNSC resolution to ban small arms transfer to Haiti unanimously passes

On Friday, the United Nations Security Council agreed to ask member states to ban transferring small arms to Haiti, which is affected by gang violence - however, it stopped short of a Chinese-requested comprehensive embargo.

Along with fuel shortages and increasing food prices, bloodshed in the Caribbean nation has been on the rise. Many areas, according to agencies, are inaccessible. Between July 8 and 12, gang violence alone killed or injured at least 234 people in Haiti's Cite Soleil, a densely populated neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, according to the UN.

"Most of the victims were not directly involved in gangs and were directly targeted by gang elements. We have also received new reports of sexual violence," said UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence.

The USNC resolution, which was mainly put forward by Mexico and the United States, was adopted unanimously. The resolution calls on UN members to prohibit the transfer of small arms, light weapons, and ammunition to non-state factions in the country, while also granting the UNSC the authority to impose individual sanctions against gang figureheads within 90 days from when the resolution is adopted.

Zhang Jun, the Chinese Ambassador to the UN, called the resolution a "warning" to gangs in Haiti and a "step in the right direction."

The Council's resolution, however, did not mention another Chinese request, which was that the UN examines the possibility of sending a regional peace force to support the Haitian security forces. Instead, the resolution asks the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to join, along with countries in the region, to consider options regarding the strengthening of Haitian security. A report will also be submitted on October 15.

The resolution, furthermore, asserts the extension of the mandate of the UN special political mission in Haiti, Binuh, until 2023.

On Thursday night, Haiti announced the seizure of weapons from cargo containers holding 18 military-grade weapons, four 9 mm handguns, 14,646 rounds of ammunition, and $50,000 in counterfeit cash.

Arrest warrants have been issued by Haitian prosecutors against a number of suspects possibly linked to the cargo.

Over the past years, China has been vocal about issues regarding Haiti, particularly pertaining to Haiti's recognition of Taiwan, which China regards as under its sovereignty.

Poverty and gang violence in Haiti has caused many to flee to the Dominican Republic or to the US.

On Friday, speaking to AFP, Haitians appeared pessimistic that the UN could do anything to change the harrowing situation in the country.

"Gangs are multiplying, insecurity is increasing and so is arms trafficking. Binuh has failed in its mission," Fleurant Duceppe, a law student in Port-au-Prince, remarked.

"It is not useful to us in any way," he added. "It is up to us, the people, to take our destiny in hand."