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Saudi Arabia ordered to pay £3m to London dissident over Pegasus spying
ByHaroon Siddique and Stephanie Kirchgaessner January 26, 2026

High court finds kingdom responsible for hacking phones of Ghanem al-Masarir and for physical attack on himA judge has ordered Saudi Arabia to pay more than £3m in damages to a London-based dissident whose phones were targeted with Pegasus spyware.In a…

Read More Saudi Arabia ordered to pay £3m to London dissident over Pegasus spying
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Internet | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Protest | Technology | World news

Iran president’s son urges authorities to restore internet after protests blackout
ByPatrick Wintour Diplomatic editor January 25, 2026January 25, 2026

Yousef Pezeshkian says nothing will be solved by trying to postpone moment images of violent crackdown circulateThe son of Iran’s president has called for the internet restrictions in the country to be lifted, saying nothing will be solved by trying to…

Read More Iran president’s son urges authorities to restore internet after protests blackout
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Jordan | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestine | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Protest | Surveillance | Technology | World news

Jordan used Israeli phone-cracking tool to surveil pro-Gaza activists, report finds
ByStephanie Kirchgaessner January 22, 2026

Researchers find with high confidence that security officials used Cellebrite to extract data from activists’ phonesAuthorities in Jordan appear to be using an Israeli digital tool to extract information from the mobile phones of activists and proteste…

Read More Jordan used Israeli phone-cracking tool to surveil pro-Gaza activists, report finds
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Cryptocurrencies | Donald Trump | E-commerce | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nigel Farage | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Technology | World news

Iran’s central bank using vast quantities of cryptocurrency championed by Farage, says report
ByTom Burgis and Michael Goodier January 21, 2026

Regime appears to have turned to digital currency issued by Tether in the face of sanctionsIran’s central bank appears to have been using vast quantities of a cryptocurrency championed by Nigel Farage, according to a new report.Elliptic, a crypto analy…

Read More Iran’s central bank using vast quantities of cryptocurrency championed by Farage, says report
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Internet | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Technology | World news

Iran plans permanent break from global internet, say activists
ByAisha Down January 17, 2026

Report claims unrestricted online access will be a ‘government privilege’, limited to individuals vetted by regimeIran is planning to permanently break from the global internet, only allowing individuals vetted by the regime to connect online, accordin…

Read More Iran plans permanent break from global internet, say activists
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Internet | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Protest | SpaceX | Technology | World news

An ecosystem of smuggled tech holds Iran’s last link to the outside world
ByAisha Down January 13, 2026

Despite internet blackout, a small number of Iranians are risking their lives to share messages as protests continueFor most of Iran, the internet was shut off on Thursday afternoon – the most severe blackout the country has seen in years of internet s…

Read More An ecosystem of smuggled tech holds Iran’s last link to the outside world
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Censorship | Donald Trump | Gaza | Internet | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Technology | World news

Iran’s internet shutdown is chillingly precise and may last some time
ByAisha Down January 10, 2026

Experts note the blackout is unprecedented in its extent but also selective, allowing some government communicationsIran’s internet shutdown, now in place for 36 hours as the authorities seek to quell escalating anti-government protests, represents a “…

Read More Iran’s internet shutdown is chillingly precise and may last some time
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The best of the long read in 2025
ByMiddle East and north Africa | The Guardian December 23, 2025

Our 20 favourite pieces of in-depth reporting, essays and profiles from the yearVictor Pelevin made his name in 90s Russia with scathing satires of authoritarianism. But while his literary peers have faced censorship and fled the country, he still sell…

Read More The best of the long read in 2025
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Bahrain to argue at UK supreme court it has immunity from surveillance claims
ByPatrick Wintour Diplomatic editor November 26, 2025

Gulf nation is accused of placing monitoring software on computers of two dissidents living in LondonBahrain is to tell the UK’s supreme court that it enjoys sovereign immunity from claims it placed surveillance software on the computers of two disside…

Read More Bahrain to argue at UK supreme court it has immunity from surveillance claims
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Bahrain to argue at UK supreme court it has immunity from surveillance claims
ByPatrick Wintour Diplomatic editor November 26, 2025

Gulf nation is accused of placing monitoring software on computers of two dissidents living in LondonBahrain is to tell the UK’s supreme court that it enjoys sovereign immunity from claims it placed surveillance software on the computers of two disside…

Read More Bahrain to argue at UK supreme court it has immunity from surveillance claims