EU to launch rare inquiry

The European parliament is preparing to launch a committee of inquiry into the Pegasus spyware scandal after evidence emerged of government critics in Poland and Hungary being targeted with the surveillance software. The cross-party body will seek testimony from member states' intelligence services, elected politicians and senior officials, with a previous inquiry into alleged European facilitation of CIA "black sites" providing a model. The move is the most significant yet from Brussels since a group of media organisations including the Guardian revealed that Pegasus software was being used against journalists, activists and politicians in numerous countries across the world including in Europe. It follows the announcement from the Israeli government this week that it would investigate reports of Israeli police using Pegasus against its citizens. Local media reports claimed the list of targets included people involved in the corruption trial of the former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.