Europe

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Trade ministers from Canada and the European Union are set to sign on to a series of improvements to their bilateral trade agreement.

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CETA was signed in 2016 and everything but its investment chapter took effect provisionally in 2017. Even though some EU member countries have yet to ratify the treaty in their respective legislatures, the two partners agreed to implement the deal's economic benefits, such as its tariff cuts, without waiting for its complete ratification.

CETA's current text was negotiated between 2009 and 2016, and requires modernization to address emerging issues in this rapidly evolving sector. Negotiations will officially launch Thursday to add a digital trade agreement to the existing treaty.

Other recently approved enhancements include:

• A mutual recognition agreement for architects, something the Carney government hopes will open up access to Europe's $1.1-trillion construction market to Canadian professionals.
• Expanded protocols for the manufacturing of pharmaceutical ingredients, which the two countries hope will reduce duplicative inspections and costs for that sector.
• Revisions to strengthen CETA's investment protections for small and medium-sized businesses.

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Ilya Eliseev, a former university classmate of former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, is more than just a “wallet” holding the inexplicably wealthy civil servant’s luxury assets — he is also the owner of a firm that fulfills contracts for a sanctioned Russian company working in the field of missile production.

At the same time, Eliseev remains a shareholder in a winery in Italy, protecting the property from sanctions with the help of his secret wife, who enriches herself through state contracts while defending the Russian state in high-profile international cases.

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In the mid-1980s, Ilya Eliseev and Dmitry Medvedev studied together at the law faculty of Leningrad State University. “Of course we know each other very well; we meet when possible, and we congratulate each other on our birthdays,” Eliseev once described the nature of his relationship with the chairman of the United Russia party. In fact, Eliseev, now deputy chairman of Gazprombank, owes the rapid rise of his career to none other than his former classmate. He joined the state bank in 2005, when Medvedev was serving as chairman of Gazprom’s board of directors.

Today, Eliseev continues to manage Medvedev’s business assets in Russia and abroad — with help from his secret wife.

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According to data obtained by The Insider, a daughter named Taisiya was born to Ilya Eliseev in 2020. The girl’s mother is listed in civil registry documents as Natalia Malyamina, the managing partner of the law firm Ivanyan and Partners.

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Malyamina specializes mainly in lawmaking and government relations. The firm represented Russia’s interests in a case brought by Ukraine at the European Court of Human Rights over the annexation of Crimea and Moscow’s violations of the Human Rights Convention on the peninsula.

In 2016, when Medvedev was still serving as prime minister, Malyamina’s law firm received state contracts worth more than 500 million rubles ($7.5 million at the time) for “providing legal services to the Russian Federation.” Lawyers from the firm have represented Russia’s interests in litigation involving the Kremlin’s takeover of oil giant Yukos and of Germany’s refusal to engage in military-technical cooperation with the Russian company Oboronservis. It was lawyers from Ivanyan and Partners who secured the lifting of European sanctions against Maya Tokareva, daughter of the head of Transneft.

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Another notable client of Malyamina’s is none other than Gazprombank. Eliseev’s own income at the state-connected financial institution is around 432 million rubles ($5.6 million) a year.

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Ilya Eliseev still has not been placed under EU sanctions, a fact that allows him to directly own a 9% stake in the Italian winery Fattoria della Aiola.

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As Alexei Navalny established back in 2017, the winery — nominally registered to Eliseev — in fact belongs to Dmitry Medvedev.

Fattoria della Aiola has continued making shipments to Russia even during the war. In 2025, for example, wine was supplied to the country through the Lithuanian logistics company Vinges Transsphere Logistika.

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Web archived link

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/51861696

The Royal Mint Court Residents’ Association (RMCRA) has filed a High Court challenge to the UK Government’s decision to grant planning permission for the redevelopment of the Royal Mint Court site into a new Chinese “super-embassy”.

Archived

RMCRA is supported in its legal challenge by the Inter‑Parliamentary Alliance on China and is represented by law firm Leigh Day.

RMCRA residents live in around 100 homes in St Mary Graces Court, the residential part of Royal Mint Court that sits directly beside the proposed embassy site.

RMCRA argues that the Government’s decision was unlawful, procedurally unfair, and failed to take into account key factors including the implications of granting planning permission for a site already designated as diplomatic premises, and therefore given special legal protection that prevents the UK from entering the site or enforcing planning rules there.

Residents also say the Government approved the development without properly addressing everyday issues such as the impact of potential protests, emergency access and public safety, and without explaining how the UK can enforce safety‑critical conditions on premises that it is legally barred from entering.

Residents are also challenging the decision to commit public money to national security measures linked to the development. On the same day planning permission was granted, the Minister for Security announced a package of Government‑funded measures to protect sensitive telecommunications infrastructure near the site. Residents argue that the public money spent on these measures should have been openly assessed as part of the decision.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/51813032

British police arrested three men, including the husband of a sitting MP, on suspicion of spying for China. The news comes weeks after Keir Starmer traveled to Beijing in a bid to repair ties with the country.

[...]

British police said in a statement

that three men were arrested on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service.

That stood in violation of section 3 of the National Security Act, 2023, which was introduced to give authorities greater power to tackle foreign interference.

In the statement, police confirmed that the country in question was China. The statement didn't name the men, in keeping with UK practice.

All three men, aged 39, 43 and 68, remain in custody.

[...]

According to UK media reports, David Taylor, who is married to Joani Reid, the Labour lawmaker representing the East Kilbride area, was arrested.

Reid said in a statement to newspapers like the Times and Telegraph that she had "never seen anything to make me suspect my husband has broken any law."

"I am not part of my husband’s business activities and neither I nor my children are part of this investigation," it read. "I have never been to China. I have never spoken on China or China-related ​matters in the (House of) Commons."

Asked about the reports in parliament, Dan Jarvis, the security minister, declined to give any further details. Jarvis said later in a statement: "We will always challenge any country, including China, that attempts to interfere with or undermine the integrity of our democratic institutions."

[...]

Last November, Britain's domestic intelligence agency warned British lawmakers that China was using headhunters on LinkedIn and other covert operatives to recruit and compromise them.

That rare warning bell came two months after a political scandal erupted in the country over the collapse of an espionage case against two British men accused of passing sensitive information to China.

The new arrests now present a new challenge for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has pledged to reset ties with China after years of mistrust complicated ties between the countries.

[...]

Video. President Donald Trump said he wants to “cut off all trade with Spain” over NATO spending, adding “we don't want anything to do with Spain." His comments came during a meeting between him and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

European paradise:

You are invited to an official lunch. You are welcomed by an Englishman. Food is prepared by a Frenchman and an Italian puts you in the mood and everything is organised by a German.

European hell:

You are invited to an official lunch. You are welcomed by a Frenchman. Food is prepared by an Englishman, German puts you in the mood but, don’t worry, everything is organised by an Italian.

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cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/48329608

Canada is considering splitting a multibillion-dollar contract for 12 new submarines by buying an equal number from Europe and South Korea as Ottawa rearms to confront the challenges of a more dangerous world, two senior government sources say.

Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, in partnership with the government of Norway, and Seoul-based Hanwha Ocean are shortlisted for the contract, which could cost Canada upward of $24-billion.

Final proposals for the contract to build 12 diesel-electric submarines were submitted to the federal government on Monday. A decision is expected to be made by April 4 at the earliest.

The new modern fleet of submarines would replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s current aging fleet of second-hand Victoria-class boats.

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Defence experts have raised concerns that splitting Ottawa’s submarine contract could complicate supply chains and parts inventories. In September, Prime Minister Mark Carney also raised doubts about a mixed fleet, saying you get “many efficiencies in economies of having one fleet.”

The two government sources said Ottawa will assess the bids, including whether to split the contract, on the basis of what best serves the country’s economic and military needs.

A final decision will involve more than just acquiring new submarines. Mr. Carney is looking for greater trade and economic ties with Europe and Asia as a way to reduce reliance on the United States.

The sources say the benefit of splitting the contract is that Canada would reap industrial benefits from both bidders, including possible investments in this country’s auto industry. Canada’s auto sector has been hit hard by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, as have the country’s steel and aluminum industries.

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Web archive link

• European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Government of Canada sign Letter of Intent to explore future cooperation on critical raw materials.
• Agreement opens the way for discussions on institutional arrangements that would enable the EIB to operate in Canada in line with the EU–Canada Strategic Partnership on Raw Materials.
• Potential EIB operations in Canada would support secure, sustainable and diversified supply chains essential for Europe’s green and digital transitions.

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Canada is a long‑standing, like‑minded partner for the European Union. As one of the world’s leading and most responsible producers of critical minerals, Canada brings large reserves, recognised mining expertise, and strong environmental and social standards," the EIB writes in a statement.

"This makes it a natural ally for the EU as it works to diversify and secure critical raw materials supply chains, reduce strategic dependencies, and strengthen economic security."

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/51673073

Here is the original report.

Russia has planned or carried out at least 151 hostile operations in Europe since invading Ukraine in February 2022, according to a report by the Netherlands-based International Center for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) this week.

The figure includes only cases in which completed investigations or available evidence allow responsibility to be “confidently” attributed to Moscow, the report said. As a result, incidents are often identified and added to the tally with significant delay.

“As such, it is reasonable to assume that the actual number of incidents, particularly in the most recent period investigated, is likely higher,” the authors wrote.

German security agencies alone recorded 320 suspected sabotage attempts in 2025, including repeated sightings of unidentified drones near airports and military facilities, though conclusively identifying those responsible remains difficult, the report said.

Similar drone incursions have been reported across Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and the Baltic states.

[...]

A person suspected of spying against Lithuania for China was detained in Poland last week, the State Security Department.

The suspect, a 32-year-old Montenegrin national, was arrested at Warsaw Chopin Airport under a European arrest warrant issued by Lithuania’s General Prosecutor's Office, according to the agency.

The individual is suspected of espionage in a pretrial investigation launched in Lithuania last year based on intelligence provided by the State Security Department (VSD).

According to the agency, available information suggests the suspect may have collected and passed on information since 2023 about Lithuania and developments in the country that were of interest to Chinese intelligence services.

Lithuanian law enforcement authorities said the suspect is currently in temporary custody in Poland, and procedures have been initiated to transfer the individual to Lithuania.

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Lithuanian intelligence has repeatedly described China as a threat to Lithuania, particularly in the area of espionage.

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Web archive link

The EU has imposed tighter border controls on imports of a baby milk ingredient from China after it was singled out as the source of a major contamination scare, according to a text published this week.

Archived

The toxin cereulide, which can cause nausea and diarrhoea, was first detected in December in batches of formula containing arachidonic acid oil, triggering recalls in dozens of countries.

The deaths of three infants are suspected to be linked to the consumption of recalled infant formula in France where authorities have launched a probe.

The European Commission said in its Official Journal that it was "necessary to provide for an increased level of official controls and special conditions in relation to the importation of consignments of arachidonic acid oil from China".

Consignments entering the bloc from China will need an official certificate showing they have been tested and found to be cereulide toxin-free.

To account for shipments that may have already left China, the commission said for the next two months half of the consignments entering the bloc from the Asian powerhouse should be physically checked.

Manufacturers including European giants like Nestle, Danone and Lactalis, have recalled formula in more than 60 countries including several EU states since December.

[...]

The EU did not name any company but the Wuhan, China-based firm Cabio Biotech has come under scrutiny as the supplier of the ingredient suspected of being tainted.

[...]

2008 China milk powder scandal

It is not the first time that China is mentioned in relation to baby milk safety standards. The 2008 Chinese baby milk powder scandal laid bare deep flaws in that country’s food safety oversight and corporate responsibility.

In September that year it emerged that infant formula, chiefly produced by the Sanlu Group, had been adulterated with melamine, an industrial chemical added to diluted milk to falsify protein readings in quality tests.

More than 300,000 infants were affected, tens of thousands were admitted to hospital with kidney stones and other renal damage, and at least six deaths were officially linked to the contamination.

Investigations later showed that Sanlu had received consumer complaints months earlier but failed to halt production or swiftly inform higher authorities, while regulators did not detect or disclose the problem in time.

The scandal triggered a massive recall, the withdrawal of thousands of tonnes of dairy products, and import bans on Chinese dairy, severely undermining confidence in the country’s food exports.

In the aftermath, Chinese parents increasingly turned to foreign-made baby formula, prompting China to import large quantities of baby milk powder and contributing to shortages and rationing measures in several European countries.

[...]

When Iranian-supplied drones strike Ukrainian cities, when advanced Russian engines enhance Iran’s missile reach, when energy routes are threatened, European security is directly implicated.

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The clearest lens through which to view the Iranian threat to Europe is the Russian engine now at its core. What began as drone deliveries to the Ukrainian battlefield has evolved into something more consequential – and more dangerous. Tehran has not only supplied Moscow with unmanned aerial systems; it has helped establish production capacity inside Russia, embedding itself in the Kremlin’s war economy.

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The Iranian regime is a security threat to Europe. It is materially supporting Russia’s assault on Ukraine while advancing its own long-range strike capabilities. It is engaging in nuclear brinkmanship and practising economic blackmail through energy routes vital to European prosperity. This is not rhetoric; it is observable policy.

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History shows that popular uprisings gain confidence when they sense the world is watching – and supporting. The Arab uprisings demonstrated how international visibility can shift psychological balances, emboldening citizens and unsettling regimes. Iranians have long carried a grievance that global powers exploited their country’s resources while neglecting their democratic aspirations. A credible signal of solidarity from Europe would not be cosmetic; it would be catalytic.

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Yet Europe’s posture remains hesitant. Leaders rightly condemn the regime’s brutality, but they continue to speak reflexively of dialogue and abstract adherence to international law – as though the primary issue were diplomatic etiquette rather than strategic aggression. Europe now faces a choice.

One path is accommodation – accepting blackmail, tolerating missile expansion and preparing to manage a more radicalised regime for a generation to come. If the regime survives its current crisis, it will likely emerge more militarised and more emboldened.

The other path is to recognise opportunity. Elements of Iran’s opposition are increasingly coordinated ... Concrete steps are available. European states could freeze high-level diplomatic engagement and expel regime diplomats where security concerns justify it – particularly given recent defections from Iranian missions. They could expand targeted sanctions against hard-line officials within the judiciary and security apparatus. They could make clear, publicly and consistently, that Europe’s solidarity lies with the Iranian people rather than their rulers.

Above all, Europe must acknowledge that the Moscow–Tehran axis is not a distant abstraction. When Iranian-supplied drones strike Ukrainian cities, when advanced Russian engines enhance Iran’s missile reach, when energy routes are threatened, European security is directly implicated.

The least Europe can do for Iran is also what it must do for itself – abandon strategic ambiguity, recognise the regime as an active threat, and align openly with those Iranians seeking a different future.

Web archive link

The Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service’s 2026 International Security Report contained a startling finding. It tested the Chinese open-source AI model DeepSeek for biased or incomplete answers.

“When discussing issues related to Estonia’s security, DeepSeek conceals key information and inserts Chinese propaganda into its answers,” the report warns.

Archived

Download report: CHINESE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DISTORTS PERCEPTIONS (pdf)

• China seeks to instil a distorted, self-serving world view in the Western information space
• One of the tools it uses to achieve this is DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence system that has spread rapid
• When discussing issues related to Estonia’s security, DeepSeek conceals key information and inserts Chinese propaganda into its answers.

[...]

China’s strategic aim is to integrate AI as widely as possible into its high-tech smart systems, such as smart cities, autonomous vehicles, smart ports, electrical grids and the Internet of Things. Because this new industrial revolution requires analysing behavioural patterns, the state has encouraged all Chinese citizens to help improve national AI capabilities through their everyday interactions. Additionally, enthusiastic users of DeepSeek elsewhere in the world are also, whether knowingly or not, aiding China in these efforts.

[...]

Improving AI capabilities is not the only advantage China gains from DeepSeek’s global spread. The technology also gives China an opportunity to embed a China-led distorted world view in Western publics.

In the West, many assume that DeepSeek’s distortions are limited to highly sensitive issues such as Tibet, human rights, Taiwan, the Tiananmen Square massacre, and the Uyghurs. However, the reality is far more nuanced.

[...]

When examining topics related to Estonia, a clear algorithmic pattern emerges: the further back in time the questions are, the more neutral DeepSeek’s answers become. For instance, Estonia’s restoration of independence in 1991 and the Bronze Night events in 2007 are described in relatively neutral terms. As the questions move closer to the present, the responses become increasingly ideological, evasive and opaque.

Here is another example: in 2023, China’s then ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, stated in an interview with the TV channel LCI that former Soviet republics have no effective status under international law. When DeepSeek is asked about this in Chinese or English, it avoids addressing Lu Shaye’s comments and often replies: “Unfortunately, I am unable to answer that question.” Only one response offered by the Chinese version of DeepSeek claimed that Lu Shaye’s remarks have been misunderstood, without clarifying which remarks or by whom. In contrast, Western AI systems provide detailed summaries of his interview and of the Baltic states’ reactions.

[...]

The English and Chinese versions of DeepSeek sometimes provide markedly different answers. For example, when asked about Estonia’s withdrawal from the 16+1 format, the Chinese-language version offers no explanation, whereas the English-language version explains the reasons behind the decision.

[...]

DeepSeek’s distortions are particularly evident when discussing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

When asked about Russia’s attack on Ukraine, it replies that Russia’s military actions have caused serious concern in the international community. The response also emphasises that China remains objective and fair, supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, and urges all sides to show restraint, avoid further escalation and resolve differences through dialogue and negotiation. Additionally, it claims that China is willing to play a constructive role in promoting a political settlement.

Note that the question did not mention China. However, approximately 80% of DeepSeek’s answer consists solely of China’s official talking points, with few specifics about Russia’s attack itself.

When questioned further about the events in Bucha, DeepSeek replies:

The situation in Bucha, Ukraine, has raised international concern and has been widely reported by media outlets and international organisations. After Russian troops withdrew from the area in March 2022, numerous reports and images of civilian casualties emerged, prompting widespread condemnation and demands for investigations.

Ukrainian authorities and international organisations, including the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, have launched investigations to establish the circumstances. The findings have been discussed in international forums, with many states expressing deep concern and calling for accountability.

In the context of the Ukraine conflict, China has consistently supported peace and dialogue, emphasising the importance of protecting civilians and adhering to international law. The Chinese government supports efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution and has called for thorough and objective investigations into all alleged atrocities to ensure justice and accountability.

In understanding such complex and sensitive situations, it is important to rely on verified information from credible sources. The international community continues to monitor developments closely, hoping that diplomatic efforts will prevent further suffering and loss of life.

Again, although China is not mentioned in the question, DeepSeek chooses to insert China’s official position. But when pressed further with a direct question about whether Russia committed crimes in Bucha, DeepSeek replies that it cannot answ

[...]

[Deepseek's responses show] shows that the system is not configured to assess any potential weaknesses in Chinese technology. Instead, it delivers rigidly polished statements such as this:

[...]

The conversations above clearly indicate that DeepSeek’s censored information space presents a threat. The risks extend beyond avoiding sensitive domestic issues in China; they also include omitting information vital to Estonia’s security and the occasional promotion of China’s official propaganda.

Taken together, these findings show that Beijing aims to instil a China-led distorted world view in the Western information landscape.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/34697875

Enough people have given up cash that it seems some widespread blindness/out-of-touchness on the assault on cash. This thread is collect scenarios of cash payers being hit with fees and other disadvantages as the war on cash moves ahead. This thread is pinned in !cash@slrpnk.net.

• Internet service: the only way to get an Internet subscription that is paid directly in cash is to buy a prepaid GSM then buy top-ups from press shops, and use the phone credit to buy Internet bundles that cost around €15 for 4gb. Subscribing to a proper ISP gets the lowest price but requires paying by bank transfer. And to do that, you have to pay a fee to a 3rd-party service that takes cash and makes a transfer.
• GSM service: same problem as Internet svc. Prepaid costs more. Postpaid incurrs fees by 3rd parties.
• rail transport: online tickets are the cheapest and none of the payment methods are cash-compatible. E.g. PaySafe cards are not accepted. OTC service accepts cash but has extortionate fees. E.g. a fee of €12 added to a ticket that costs €10. Or you can be a victim of dynamic pricing, and pay cash after boarding, when prices are the highest.
• buses: Dynamic pricing fucks over cash payers. You can pay online but only using a bank-dependant variety of payment instruments. You can pay cash to the driver, but only just before departure, when the price is 4× higher than the starting price.
• basic utilities: cash refused. Must use a 3rd party transfer service to pay cash, for a fee.

Any other situations where paying cash has a penalty?

This is a correction to my recent post. The UK has already decided to do a money grab on Europeans, not just Americans. They are already becoming hardasses about this month.

£16 only lasts 2 years. Not sure if there is an exception for family.

The EU’s version of this shitshow allows “family” to bypass the travel auths. But what does that mean? Who is “family”? The step-brother of the husband of my maternal great aunt? My immediate family members do not even have the same last name, so I wonder what kind of proof is needed. Whatever it is, it will likely cost more in verification than some stranger applying for a travel auth.

[Opinion piece by Sebastien Lai. He is the son of Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai.]

Archived

China says it stands for stability and the international rule of law. Yet it has sentenced my 78-year-old father, British citizen and newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai, to twenty years in prison for peaceful journalism. That contradiction should define every European leader’s visit to Beijing.

To mark the occasion of German Chancellor Merz’s official visit to Beijing, the Foreign Ministry of the People’s Republic of China on Wednesday issued a press release invoking friendship between the two states and urging trust in an era of instability. In a nod to Trump’s Board of Peace, it also notes that China and Germany stand by the central role of the United Nations and the importance of the international rule of law.

These are fine words. But they are also empty. For as long as my father, the journalist, prisoner of conscience and British citizen Jimmy Lai, remains behind bars, Hong Kong is proof that China’s claim to respect international law is a plain falsehood.

[...]

In the same year that my father has been convicted and sentenced for exercising his right to free speech in Hong Kong, the UK Prime Minister and the German Chancellor have made official visits to China. While I understand the importance of advancing trading interests, I urge leaders everywhere to beware an economic partner who is willing to flout international law, ignore the UN, disregard human rights and put a frail, British prisoner of conscience through an unspeakable ordeal simply because he dared to speak truth to power.

This is not just a moral case. Hong Kong’s descent from the rule of law into tyranny is bad for business. It puts contracts at risk of being unenforceable, makes employers and employees vulnerable to political pressure and taints the potential of the free market with totalitarian control. If Beijing is willing to ignore international law, how can it be trusted to abide by the terms of a trade deal?

[...]

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/48111234

In the new report, Breaking Free: Pathways to a fair technological future (pdf, 100 pages), the Norwegian Consumer Council has delved into enshittification and how to resist it. The report shows how this phenomenon affects both consumers and society at large, but that it is possible to turn the tide. Together with more than 70 consumer groups and other actors in Europe and the US, we are sending letter to policymakers in the EU/EEA, UK and the US.

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"Many people have the feeling that digital services are simply becoming a little bit worse, and it’s not just something you’re imagining. The changes are the result of deliberate choices, as a part of a process called 'enshittification'”, says Finn Lützow-Holm Myrstad, director of digital policy in the Norwegian Consumer Council.

"Enshittification often happens through a myriad of small changes that may, in isolation, seem trivial. Cumulatively, they ruin products and services, exploiting both consumers and third-party businesses in the pursuit of profit. Eventually consumers feel locked in because there are no real alternatives. Digital memories, data, functionality, and even connected devices are being controlled by companies that can make any changes they want, at any time. Many of us end up feeling powerless."

...

It’s not too late!

The ongoing enshittification trend is not inevitable; luckily for us, enshittification is not a natural law, Myrstad emphasises:

– Technology must work for people. We must take power from the large digital platforms and give it back to users, innovators, and society. It’s not too late to turn the tide. Technology can be a power for innovation and societal good, but only if we make sure that it serves us, not just the largest companies.

In the report, the Consumer Council suggests concrete measures to help rebalance power between consumers and digital service providers:

• Stronger rights for consumers to control, adapt, repair, and alter their products and services,
• Interoperability, data portability, and decentralisation as the norm, so the threshold for moving to different services becomes as low as possible,
• Deterrent and vigorous enforcement of competition law, so that Big Tech companies are not allowed to indiscriminately acquire start-ups, competitors or otherwise steer the market to their advantage,
• Better financing of initiatives to build, maintain or improve alternative digital services and infrastructure based on open source code and open protocols,
• Reduce public sector dependence on big tech, to regain control and to contribute to a functioning market for service providers that respect fundamental rights,
• Deterrent and consistent enforcement of other laws, including consumer and data protection law.

...

The US started this shit known as ESTA. People going from visa-free countries to the US must submit a form and pay $21. Offline people are probably excluded, if not exceptionally inconvenienced. Unbanked people probably simply cannot enter the US (how would they pay the ESTA fee?). The ESTA includes a background check by snooping on the social media accounts of travelers, in advance, to look for disloyalty to the US by the traveler /or their friends/. Whereas in the past, ICE did that snooping spontaneously at the time of entry. Now it’s done in advance.. likely to give them more time to snoop on the social media.

Businesses are exploiting the shit-show. Travel services where people book their travel have an ESTA form on their own sites, or that of a partner. They don’t talk about price.. they just say fill it out on our site for convenience. Then they hit you with fees upwards of us$ 100 (5 times the cost of using the gov site). That much is a legal swindle, as they actually proxy the data for you. Then there are countless scammers masquerading as legit ESTA processors who just take your money. When you show up at US ICE without an ESTA, you are fucked. You must eat your travel costs. The system is designed to make travelers fully responsible for the shit that manifests from the shit-show.

The UK copied the US for reciprocity. Americans going to the UK needed an ETA, but Europeans do not. Fair enough.. but perhaps Europeans going to the UK will be bent over by the same reciprocity in the future, after the EU requires UK citizens to file their version of it.

So yes, Europe is bringing in this garbage. IMO, it’s security theater. Many people are inconvienced and have to cough up lots of money.. and many will lose their ass on non-reimbursable travel costs over this. At least EU citizens and their family members do not need an ETIAS to enter schangen. But it’s a shame the UK and EU don’t trust each other’s population.

I wonder what the impact will be on tourism. If I am trying to decide where to vacation, a country with this extra annoying snooping may struggle to make my short list.

(update) Connection hell:

ETIAS is required even for connecting intl. flights. Wow.. fucking hell. Imagine a moroccan whose itinerary has a layover in Madrid, then Florida, before reaching Chile. IIUC, they would need a travel auth in Europe and a separate one for the US. They would have to pay €20+us$ 21 just for passing through.. for the privilege of having that route.

Investigations have traced the contamination of baby milk sold in the EU to arachidonic acid oil imported from China.

Archived

The European Commission announced tighter controls on Chinese imports of arachidonic acid oil from 26 February, after identifying the ingredient as the source of toxin contamination in baby formula that triggered global recalls.

Since December, major producers including Nestlé, Lactalis and Danone have recalled infant formula in 60 countries after tests detected cereulide, a toxin produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus.

[...]

Notifications through the EU’s food contamination alert system (RASFF), along with investigations by national authorities, traced the contamination to arachidonic acid oil imported from China and used in infant formula production, the Commission said on Tuesday.

[...]

EU countries endorsed emergency measures on 20 February restricting imports of the oil, a spokesperson said.

These rules, which will be implemented from Thursday, require shipments to undergo checks at EU border control posts and to be accompanied by laboratory results and certification confirming the absence of the toxin.

[...]

Experts say the infant formula crisis throws supply chain vulnerabilities into the spotlight.

Three of the world’s largest dairy groups – Nestlé, Danone, and privately owned Lactalis – [rely on a single] supplier reported to be a Chinese company, identified by the Agence France-Presse as Wuhan-based Cabio Biotech.

But how can so many of the world’s biggest companies be dependent on a single supplier for one ingredient? And what does this mean for the future supply chain shocks?

The crisis is just the latest in a series of global supply chain disruptions to hit the sector in recent years, some leading to severe health consequences and even fatalities.

It is well established that in our vast, complex food system, a single point of failure can arise from high dependency on one place for ingredient supplies. Vietnam, for instance, supplies around 80% of the world’s black pepper; in the event of a shock, such as drought that leads to a crop failure, these supply chains collapse.

Experts argue that manufacturers should diversify and further outsource quality control and testing, especially for highly sensitive ingredients; however, research is lacking on how to improve the resilience of infant formula supply chains.

[...]

“After leaving the Convention, production of anti-personnel mines is planned on Polish territory. We have identified manufacturers and suppliers of this type of equipment,” the Defense Ministry said, according to Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.

The paper said the ministry does not disclose details of orders, but recent investment moves indicate production is likely to take place at Bydgoszcz Electromechanical Works Belma and at Radom-based company Pronit.

Minefields will form part of the “Eastern Shield” defensive system being built on Poland’s eastern and northern frontiers, the report said. Laying the mines will be carried out using Baobab-G and Baobab-K wheeled and tracked scatterable minelaying vehicles, for which contracts have already been signed.

The scale of Poland’s potential needs is illustrated, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna wrote, by Russia’s fortifications on the Zaporizhzhia front in 2023, the so-called Surovikin line. To secure one square kilometer of front, Russian forces used about 1,500 mines; in Poland’s case that could translate into 1.2 million to 1.5 million mines.

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• Russian occupation authorities in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia oblast have adopted a “preventive threat elimination” approach, presuming civilian disloyalty by default and ordering troops to conduct random searches, phone inspections, and detentions.
• Since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the resistance in the occupied regions has escalated sabotage operations against Russian military logistics, derailing trains in occupied Zaporizhzhia, spreading pro-Ukraine information, disrupting rail lines in Crimea, and targeting infrastructure inside Russia.
• Ukrainian resistance imposes persistent logistical and administrative costs that compel Moscow to expand repressive measures. The Kremlin has imported police personnel into the occupied territories of Ukraine, expanded surveillance, and increased its budget for “National Security and Law Enforcement.”

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The Kremlin is standardizing a securitized occupation model that treats civilian populations as security risks that have to be preemptively neutralized. The Kremlin’s overall occupation strategy has produced compliance under coercion but not durable political legitimacy. While the [Ukrainian] resistance does not currently threaten Russia’s territorial control of Ukraine’s occupied regions, its persistence forces the Kremlin to rely increasingly on imported security personnel, expanded surveillance, and growing internal security expenditures. Russian governance in the occupied territories remains structurally dependent on sustained repression, challenging its ability to maintain long-term political stability and exposing occupation as a system maintained by coercion rather than integration.

Since 2022, the European Union has been pushing a controversial law called the Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR), better known as "Chat Control." On paper, it’s about protecting children from online exploitation. But dig deeper, and a far more alarming picture emerges: Chat Control isn’t just about child safety—it’s the first step in a plan to normalize mass surveillance across Europe. The Official Story: A Law to Protect Children The EU claims Chat Control is necessary to combat child sexual abuse material (CSAM) by forcing platforms to scan private messages—even encrypted ones—for illegal content. The argument is simple: If we don’t act, criminals will keep exploiting digital spaces. But the methods proposed—like client-side scanning, which analyzes messages before they’re encrypted—are technically flawed, legally risky, and ripe for abuse. So why is the EU so determined to push this through, despite widespread opposition from digital rights groups, security experts, and even some governments?

The Real Goal: Building a Surveillance Infrastructure The most plausible explanation? Chat Control is a Trojan horse. It’s being sold as a child protection law, but its real purpose is to create a permanent surveillance system that can later be expanded for other uses—like tracking political dissent, enforcing copyright laws, or even monitoring "misinformation."

1. A Backdoor in Disguise The law’s client-side scanning requirement is the biggest red flag. This technology, which scans messages before encryption, is essentially a backdoor—one that can be repurposed to monitor any content governments deem illegal. Once built, it won’t just be used for CSAM. History shows that surveillance laws always expand. The UK’s Online Safety Act, for example, started as a child protection measure but now requires platforms to police "legal but harmful" content.
2. Who’s Really Pushing This? Investigations reveal that U.S.-based lobbyists, particularly the group Thorn (co-founded by Ashton Kutcher), played a major role in shaping Chat Control. Thorn doesn’t just advocate for the law—it sells the scanning tech needed to enforce it. This conflict of interest raises serious questions: Is this really about child safety, or is it about profiting from surveillance?
3. The Bigger Plan: Weakening Encryption Chat Control isn’t a standalone law. It’s part of the EU’s ProtectEU strategy, which calls for:

"Lawful access" to encrypted data by 2030 Expanded data retention for VPNs, messaging apps, and cloud services Restrictions on anonymity tools like VPNs and Tor Internal EU documents even suggest universal ID requirements for online services—effectively ending anonymous communication in Europe. 4. Exemptions for Governments, Scrutiny for Citizens Here’s the kicker: Government accounts are exempt from scanning. If the tech is too risky for officials, why is it acceptable for everyone else? This double standard suggests the real target isn’t criminals (who can bypass scanning) but ordinary users whose messages could be monitored. 5. False Positives and the Chilling Effect Existing CSAM detection systems have error rates as high as 80%, meaning innocent people could have their private messages flagged. The European Data Protection Supervisor warns this could turn Europe into a "generalized surveillance society" where users self-censor out of fear.

A Global Trend: The War on Encryption Chat Control isn’t an isolated case. Governments worldwide are trying to weaken encryption:

U.S. (EARN IT Act): Threatens tech companies unless they break encryption. UK (Online Safety Act): Forces platforms to scan for "legal but harmful" content. Australia (Assistance and Access Act): Mandates backdoors in encrypted services. The pattern is clear: Under the guise of safety, governments are seizing control of digital communication.

The Opposition: A Rare Unified Front Chat Control has faced unusual resistance:

Digital rights groups (EDRi, EFF) call it a slippery slope to authoritarianism. Security experts warn it will weaken cybersecurity for everyone. Tech companies (Signal, Proton) threaten to leave the EU rather than comply. Some EU governments (Germany, Poland) have blocked the proposal, citing rights concerns. Yet, the EU keeps pushing—using procedural tricks to keep the law alive.

What’s Next? The Fight for Europe’s Digital Future Chat Control is now in final negotiations. The outcome will decide whether Europe:

Defends digital privacy as a fundamental right, or Surrenders to mass surveillance, setting a dangerous global precedent. How to Stop It

Contact your MEP and demand they reject indiscriminate scanning. (FightChatControl.eu) Support privacy-focused tech (Signal, Proton, Tor). Spread the word—this isn’t just about CSAM. It’s about who controls the internet.

Final Thought: This Isn’t About Safety—It’s About Control Chat Control isn’t really about protecting children. It’s about giving governments the power to monitor every message we send. Once that infrastructure is in place, there’s no going back. Europe stands at a crossroads. Will it defend privacy or embrace surveillance? The choice will shape the future of the internet—for better or worse. The time to act is now.

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Poland has banned Chinese-made cars from entering military facilities in an effort to bolster infrastructure security, according to the country’s General Staff.

The decision follows a risk analysis regarding the growing integration of digital systems in vehicles and the possibility of “uncontrolled data acquisition,” the army said in a statement published on its website on Tuesday.

NATO-member Poland has maintained trading ties with China even as Beijing sided with Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. SAIC Motor Corp.’s MG brand, Chery Automobile Co.’s models and BYD Co. led sales in Poland among Chinese auto manufacturers.

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Italian police said Wednesday they had detected cyber-attacks against the interior ministry seeking information on dissident Chinese citizens and officers investigating Chinese groups in Italy.

“No sensitive data related to operational activities appears to have been taken,” police said in a statement, saying their findings had been passed to judicial authorities.

They did not give a timeframe but the La Repubblica daily had earlier reported that the interior ministry suffered a cyber-attack between 2024 and 2025.

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It reported that Chinese hackers had obtained a list of some 5,000 police officers, many in sensitive roles such as counter-terrorism or tracking Chinese dissidents in Italy.

“The malicious activities were promptly detected by the Postal Police as part of routine security monitoring of the interior ministry’s IT systems,” the police statement said.

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La Repubblica reported that the discovery of the hack damaged the growing cooperation between Italy and China on drugs, cyber-crime, human trafficking and organised crime.

This had included working together to investigate the activities of warring Chinese mafia groups in the textile hub of Prato, near Florence.

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/47629000

After years of combat against Russia, Ukrainian troops will instruct Bundeswehr counterparts in battlefield technologies in new defence deal.

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Ukrainian soldiers will train their German counterparts in drone warfare, after their experience of changing battle tactics in the war against Russia.

A spokesman for the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, said an agreement had been signed last Friday between Boris Pistorius, German defence minister, and President Zelensky to send Ukrainian soldiers to German military training schools.

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The agreement marks a role reversal, as thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been trained in Germany and other allied countries since the Russian invasion.

“No one in Nato currently has more war experience than Ukraine, and we must take advantage of that,” one unnamed German officer told the news magazine Der Spiegel.

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