Italian sea rescue activist targeted with spyware, according to Meta alert
WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab warned a well-known Italian migrant rescue activist that he was recently targeted with spyware, according to a screenshot of the alert shared with Reuters, making it the second such case made public in Italy so far.
Luca Casarini, who co-founded the Mediterranea Saving Humans charity, said he received the warning over Meta's WhatsApp chat platform on Friday. It was the same day Meta publicly accused surveillance company Paragon Solutions of targeting roughly ninety of its users in more than two dozen countries, including an unspecified number of reporters and activists.
Meta's announcement, which was paired with a cease-and-desist letter to Paragon, alleged that the reportedly American-owned company had tried to steal data from its users using a sophisticated technique that required no interaction from its target, a so-called "zero click" hack.
Meta declined to comment on the message sent to Casarini. Paragon and its owner, Florida investment group AE Industrial Partners, did not immediately respond to emails.
Casarini is often criticized by anti-migrant, pro-government newspapers in Italy for his charity's work saving migrants in the Mediterranean, where Africans desperate to reach European shores in overcrowded boats that often capsize.
Casarini has previously been prosecuted for allegedly abetting illegal immigration, and he told Reuters that his communications had been intercepted as part of that case. But he said he did not know who was behind the attempt to break into his phone flagged by WhatsApp or whether it was judicially sanctioned.
"It's a violation of democracy," he said.
Italy's interior ministry did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Casarini's disclosure follows a few days after that of Italian journalist Francesco Cancellato, who outed himself as the recipient of one of the WhatsApp alerts on Friday.
Cancellato told Reuters his independent online newspaper, Fanpage, specialized in undercover investigations, notably a recent expose of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's youth wing which showed members describing themselves as fascists and shouting the Nazi slogan, "Sieg Heil."
Cancellato said he was shocked by the intrusion but wanted to reserve judgment about who was behind the hacking until his newspaper had conducted its own investigation into the spying.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
7 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Reeves says nuclear investment shows UK ‘back where it belongs'
The Chancellor has signed off on £14.2 billion of investment to build the new Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk, while Rolls-Royce has been named as the preferred bidder to build small modular reactors (SMRs) in a programme backed by £2.5 billion of taxpayers' cash. Ms Reeves will use Wednesday's spending review to allocate tens of billions of funding for major infrastructure projects over the rest of the decade. Officials hope SMRs will be cheaper and quicker to build than traditional power plants, and projects could be connected to the grid by the mid-2030s. Ms Reeves said: 'The UK is back where it belongs, taking the lead in the technologies of tomorrow with Rolls-Royce SMR as the preferred partner for this journey.' The SMR project could support up to 3,000 new skilled jobs and power the equivalent of around three million homes, with a first site expected to be allocated later this year by state-owned Great British Energy – Nuclear. Tuesday's announcement of Rolls-Royce as the preferred bidder came after the Government confirmed financial support for Sizewell C. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said new nuclear power capacity was needed to deliver a 'golden age of clean energy abundance'. Trade unions welcomed the Sizewell move, which the Treasury said would go towards creating 10,000 jobs, including 1,500 apprenticeships. But the head of a campaign group opposing the plant criticised the decision to commit the funding, saying it is still not clear what the total cost will be. Nuclear plants are seen as increasingly important electricity sources as the Government tries to decarbonise Britain's grid by 2030, replacing fossil fuels with green power. The last time Britain completed one was in 1987, which was the Sizewell B plant. Hinkley Point C, in Somerset, is under construction and is expected to produce enough power for about six million homes when it opens, but that may not be until 2031. The Energy Secretary said: 'We need new nuclear to deliver a golden age of clean energy abundance, because that is the only way to protect family finances, take back control of our energy, and tackle the climate crisis. 'This is the Government's clean energy mission in action – investing in lower bills and good jobs for energy security.' It will get the UK off the 'fossil fuel rollercoaster', he separately told The Guardian. 'We know that we're going to have to see electricity demand at least double by 2050. All the expert advice says nuclear has a really important role to play in the energy system. 'In any sensible reckoning, this is essential to get to our clean power and net zero ambitions.' The joint managing directors of Sizewell C, Julia Pyke and Nigel Cann, said: 'Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Sizewell C, the UK's first British-owned nuclear power plant in over 30 years.' At the peak of construction, Sizewell C is expected to provide 10,000 jobs and the company behind the project has already signed £330 million worth of contracts with local businesses. The plant, which will power the equivalent of six million homes, is planned to be operational in the 2030s. The GMB union said giving Sizewell C the go-ahead was 'momentous'. Regional Secretary Warren Kenny said: 'Nuclear power is essential for clean, affordable, and reliable energy – without new nuclear, there can be no net zero. 'Sizewell C will provide thousands of good, skilled, unionised jobs and we look forward to working closely with the Government and Sizewell C to help secure a greener future for this country's energy sector.' Alison Downes, of Stop Sizewell C, said ministers had not 'come clean' about the full cost of the project, which the group have previously estimated could be some £40 billion. She said: 'Where is the benefit for voters in ploughing more money into Sizewell C that could be spent on other priorities, and when the project will add to consumer bills and is guaranteed to be late and overspent just like Hinkley C?' The Government has also promised £2.5 billion over five years for fusion energy research and £6 billion of investment for the industrial base supporting the Royal Navy's nuclear submarine fleet.
North Wales Chronicle
32 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Trump orders thousands more troops to Los Angeles despite police warnings
The moves escalates a military presence that local officials and California governor Gavin Newsom do not want and the police chief says creates logistical challenges for safely handling protests. An initial 2,000 Guard troops ordered by Mr Trump started arriving on Sunday, which saw the most violence during three days of protests driven by anger over the Republican's stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws that critics say are breaking apart migrant families. Monday's demonstrations were far less raucous, with thousands peacefully attending a rally at City Hall and hundreds protesting outside a federal complex that includes a detention centre where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids across the city. Mr Trump has described Los Angeles in dire terms that Mayor Karen Bass and Mr Newsom say are nowhere close to the truth. They say he is putting public safety at risk by adding military personnel even though police say they do not need the help. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said in a statement he was confident in the police department's ability to handle large-scale demonstrations and that the Marines' arrival without coordinating with the police department would present a 'significant logistical and operational challenge' for them. Mr Newsom called the deployments reckless and 'disrespectful to our troops' in a post on the social platform X. 'This isn't about public safety,' Mr Newsom said. 'It's about stroking a dangerous President's ego.' U.S. Marines serve a valuable purpose for this country — defending democracy. They are not political pawns. The Secretary of Defense is illegally deploying them onto American streets so Trump can have a talking point at his parade this weekend. It's a blatant abuse of power.… — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 10, 2025 The protests began on Friday in downtown Los Angeles after federal immigration authorities arrested more than 40 people across the city. The smell of smoke hung in the air downtown on Monday, one day after crowds blocked a major freeway and set self-driving cars on fire as police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades. Additional protests against immigration raids continued into the evening on Monday in several other cities including San Francisco and Santa Ana in California and Dallas and Austin in Texas. In Austin, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a post on X that more than a dozen protesters were arrested, while in Santa Ana, a spokesperson for the city's police department said the National Guard had arrived in the city to secure federal buildings. California attorney general Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit over the use of National Guard troops following the first deployment, telling reporters in his announcement that Mr Trump had 'trampled' the state's sovereignty. 'We don't take lightly to the president abusing his authority and unlawfully mobilising California National Guard troops,' Mr Bonta said. He sought a court order declaring Mr Trump's use of the Guard unlawful and asking for a restraining order to halt the deployment. US officials said the Marine troops were deployed to protect federal property and personnel, including federal immigration agents. Mr Trump's Monday order put more National Guard members on active duty, but one US official warned that the order was just signed and it could take a day or two to get troops moving. T Despite their presence, there has been limited engagement so far between the Guard and protesters while local law enforcement implements crowd control. Ms Bass criticised the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines as a 'deliberate attempt' by the Trump administration to 'create disorder and chaos in our city'. She made a plea to the federal government: 'Stop the raids.' On Monday, thousands flooded the streets around City Hall for a union rally ahead of a hearing for arrested labour leader David Huerta, who was freed a few hours later on a 50,000 dollar bond. Mr Huerta's arrest on Friday while protesting agaisnt immigration raids has become a rallying cry for people angry over the administration's crackdown. He is the president of the Service Employees International Union California, which represents thousands of the state's janitors, security officers and other workers. Early protests had a calm and even joyful atmosphere at times, with people dancing to live music and buoyed by Huerta's release. Protesters linked hands in front of a line of police officers outside the downtown federal detention centre where Mr Huerta was being held. Religious leaders joined the protesters, working with organisers at times to de-escalate moments of tension. There was a heavy law enforcement presence in the few square blocks including the federal detention facility, while most in the immense city of some 4 million people went about their normal business on peaceful streets. Chanting against a line of National Guard troops with Homeland Security officers behind them surrounding the federal buildings ramped up in the afternoon as people yelled, 'Free them all!' and 'National Guard go away'.
North Wales Chronicle
32 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Reeves says nuclear investment shows UK ‘back where it belongs'
The Chancellor has signed off on £14.2 billion of investment to build the new Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk, while Rolls-Royce has been named as the preferred bidder to build small modular reactors (SMRs) in a programme backed by £2.5 billion of taxpayers' cash. Ms Reeves will use Wednesday's spending review to allocate tens of billions of funding for major infrastructure projects over the rest of the decade. Officials hope SMRs will be cheaper and quicker to build than traditional power plants, and projects could be connected to the grid by the mid-2030s. Ms Reeves said: 'The UK is back where it belongs, taking the lead in the technologies of tomorrow with Rolls-Royce SMR as the preferred partner for this journey.' The SMR project could support up to 3,000 new skilled jobs and power the equivalent of around three million homes, with a first site expected to be allocated later this year by state-owned Great British Energy – Nuclear. Tuesday's announcement of Rolls-Royce as the preferred bidder came after the Government confirmed financial support for Sizewell C. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said new nuclear power capacity was needed to deliver a 'golden age of clean energy abundance'. Trade unions welcomed the Sizewell move, which the Treasury said would go towards creating 10,000 jobs, including 1,500 apprenticeships. But the head of a campaign group opposing the plant criticised the decision to commit the funding, saying it is still not clear what the total cost will be. Nuclear plants are seen as increasingly important electricity sources as the Government tries to decarbonise Britain's grid by 2030, replacing fossil fuels with green power. The last time Britain completed one was in 1987, which was the Sizewell B plant. Hinkley Point C, in Somerset, is under construction and is expected to produce enough power for about six million homes when it opens, but that may not be until 2031. The Energy Secretary said: 'We need new nuclear to deliver a golden age of clean energy abundance, because that is the only way to protect family finances, take back control of our energy, and tackle the climate crisis. 'This is the Government's clean energy mission in action – investing in lower bills and good jobs for energy security.' It will get the UK off the 'fossil fuel rollercoaster', he separately told The Guardian. 'We know that we're going to have to see electricity demand at least double by 2050. All the expert advice says nuclear has a really important role to play in the energy system. 'In any sensible reckoning, this is essential to get to our clean power and net zero ambitions.' The joint managing directors of Sizewell C, Julia Pyke and Nigel Cann, said: 'Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Sizewell C, the UK's first British-owned nuclear power plant in over 30 years.' At the peak of construction, Sizewell C is expected to provide 10,000 jobs and the company behind the project has already signed £330 million worth of contracts with local businesses. The plant, which will power the equivalent of six million homes, is planned to be operational in the 2030s. The GMB union said giving Sizewell C the go-ahead was 'momentous'. Regional Secretary Warren Kenny said: 'Nuclear power is essential for clean, affordable, and reliable energy – without new nuclear, there can be no net zero. 'Sizewell C will provide thousands of good, skilled, unionised jobs and we look forward to working closely with the Government and Sizewell C to help secure a greener future for this country's energy sector.' Alison Downes, of Stop Sizewell C, said ministers had not 'come clean' about the full cost of the project, which the group have previously estimated could be some £40 billion. She said: 'Where is the benefit for voters in ploughing more money into Sizewell C that could be spent on other priorities, and when the project will add to consumer bills and is guaranteed to be late and overspent just like Hinkley C?' The Government has also promised £2.5 billion over five years for fusion energy research and £6 billion of investment for the industrial base supporting the Royal Navy's nuclear submarine fleet.
