Europe

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Bitdefender Labs warns of an active cyber-espionage campaign targeting organizations in Central Asia and European countries. The group, tracked as UAC-0063, employs sophisticated tactics to infiltrate high-value targets, including government entities and diplomatic missions, expanding their operations into Europe.

Since the start of the Ukraine war , the geopolitical landscape of Central Asia has undergone significant shifts, impacting the region's relationships with both Russia and China. Russia's influence, once dominant, has noticeably declined due to its actions in Ukraine, which have damaged its reputation as a regional security guarantor, with some Central Asian countries feeling that Russia doesn't respect their sovereignty.

In contrast, China's influence in Central Asia is growing, particularly in the economic sphere, as it seeks access to raw materials and prioritizes economic development as a path to stability. China's approach differs from Russia's; Beijing focuses on economic instruments such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to build infrastructure and trade links, while Moscow historically relied on military presence and formal alliances.

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Based on the analyzed data, the UAC-0063 attacks likely targeted embassies in Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Afghanistan. In some cases, there were attempts to reinfect previously compromised targets using the same known infection vector involving weaponized documents.

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Italy’s data protection authority on Thursday blocked access to the Chinese AI application DeepSeek to protect users’ data and announced an investigation into the companies behind the chatbot.

The authority, called Garante, expressed dissatisfaction with DeepSeek’s response to its initial query about what personal data is collected, where it is stored and how users are notified.

“Contrary to the authority’s findings, the companies declared that they do not operate in Italy, and that European legislation does not apply to them,’’ the statement said, noting that the app had been downloaded by millions of people around the globe in just a few days.

DeepSeek’s new chatbot has raised the stakes in the AI technology race, rattling markets and catching up with American generative AI leaders at a fraction of the cost.

Almost half of Danish people now consider the US to be a considerable threat to their country and the overwhelming majority oppose Greenland leaving to become part of the US, new polling has found.

The research by YouGov, shared exclusively with the Guardian, comes after weeks of tension between Denmark, Greenland and the US over Donald Trump’s repeated assertions that he plans to take control of the autonomous territory, which is part of the Danish kingdom.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/17863364

A court [in the UK] has ruled that consent for two new Scottish oil and gas fields was granted unlawfully and their owners must seek fresh approval from the UK government before production can begin.

The written judgement on the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields [off Shetland] came after a case brought by environmental campaigners, Uplift and Greenpeace, at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

In his judgement, Lord Ericht said a more detailed assessment of the fields' environmental impact was required, taking into account the effect on the climate of burning any fossil fuels extracted.

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Shell's Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea was originally approved by the previous UK Conservative government, and the industry regulator, in summer 2022.

Permission for the Rosebank oil development, 80 miles west of Shetland in the North Atlantic, was granted in autumn 2023.

In a 57-page judgement, Lord Ericht wrote that there was a public interest in having the decision "remade on a lawful basis" because of the effects of climate change - which he said outweighed the interests of the developers.

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In a landmark move reinventing the working week in the United Kingdom, at least 200 British companies have signed up for a permanent four-day working week for all their employees without any loss of pay.

Together, these 200 companies employ over 5,000 people, and among these charities, marketing and technology firms are the best-represented, a report by The Guardian said quoting the 4 Day Week Foundation.

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The change was first adopted by around 30 marketing, advertising and press relations firms. The suit was followed by 29 charity, NGO, and social care industry-based organisations, and 24 technology, IT and software firms. Later, another 22 companies in the business, consulting and management sectors also joined the bandwagon and permanently offered four-day weeks to staff, according to The Guardian report.

The decision by the previous UK Conservative government to approve the giant Rosebank oilfield was ruled unlawful by an Edinburgh court.

Paywall? https://archive.is/llC5y

Also, why list it in dollars instead of SEK or Euros?

It's €1,17bn or 13,5bn SEK.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/17862259

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As the world races to decarbonise its energy systems, Europe faces mounting challenges in competing with global powerhouses like China and the US in PV manufacturing. To address these challenges, the European Technology and Innovation Platform for Photovoltaics (ETIP PV) has emerged as a key player in fostering collaboration, innovation and strategic policymaking among European countries.

“PV is a global technology,” Rutger Schlattmann, chair of ETIP PV and head of the Solar Energy division at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, tells PV Tech Premium. “The technology is developed worldwide, and some of the effort should be done across countries because these challenges are bigger than what individual countries – especially the smaller ones – can afford.”

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Meanwhile, the EU sets a new record for renewable energy use in 2024.

In the European Union (EU), 47% of electricity now comes from renewable sources like wind and solar, a new record according to a report from the think tank Ember. This is a far higher percentage than in other countries, including the United States and China, where about two-thirds of energy comes from fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and gas.

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The share of electricity produced by renewables jumped to 47% last year compared to 34% in 2019, in large part due to strong growth in solar and wind energy. In 2024, 11% of the EU’s electricity came from solar power, 17% from wind, and 24% from nuclear. The share produced by traditional fossil fuels dropped from 39% in 2019 to 29% in 2024.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson admitted that his government has lost control over a burgeoning wave of violence sweeping the country, amid escalating public concern.

kyivindependent.com/romanias-p…

Paywall? https://archive.is/OGBsM

I havent seen any english Articles about this so Im giving you guys the Infos on this way.

Yesterday our conservative Party (CDU) has passed a suggestion for a law about immigration, which is a plan with 5 points, with the help of the liberals (FDP) and the far right facist party (AfD). Prior to this the CDU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz has announced, that hes willing to pass this with the support of the AfD. This marks an official end to the so called "firewall against the far right". This law includes, that immigrants who are seeking Asylum are no longer allowed to enter Germany and criminal immigrants who have to leave germany will be detained until they get deported or decide to leave germany by themselves.

The 5 points of the plan are the following:

• Permament controls at the borders of the German Federal Republic (using the emergency provision of the Schengen Borders Code), de facto ending the free movement of European Citizens;
• Blocking the access to the country to anyone not possessing adequate documentation (making it near impossible to come and request asylum);
• Immediate sequestration of anyone required to leave the German soil, ordering the creation of special detention camps to keep up with the induced demand;
• Request of active participation of the Bundesländer (regions) with information regarding the financing and support to create detention camps;
• Tightening of the right of residence for offenders and dangerous persons: Offenders and dangerous persons who are obliged to leave the country should remain in an indefinite detention until they return to their home country voluntarily or their deportation can be carried out.

Thanks to @[email protected] for sharing this.

This law is probably illegal (its against our constitution). On Friday it is likely that more laws will be passed with the support of the AfD. The pro putin party (BSW) has also announced, that they are willing to support the laws.

Edit: it isnt a law that has been passed, but a suggestion. However, since the CDU and the AfD are about to be the two major parties it is likely that it will be turned into a law after the election.

Edit: Theres an English article about it by The Guardian
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Germany is under attack from China, a senior German opposition MP has warned, as Berlin grapples with a fresh wave of cyber attacks and espionage plots.

Roderich Kiesewetter, the crisis prevention spokesman for the centre-Right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said Germans needed to stop thinking of China as a “partner”.

“Many in Germany are turning a blind eye … China is no longer a partner, but a systemic rival that is attacking us,” Mr Kiesewetter, a former colonel in the Bundeswehr, told The Telegraph.

“Germany is at the centre of Chinese hybrid influence operations in Europe – it uses all the tools in its toolbox; espionage, sabotage, lawfare, repression and disinformation,” added Mr Kiesewetter, who is also the deputy chairman of the German parliament’s intelligence committee.

His comments are a major intervention in Germany, where China wields immense influence over the economy despite rising tensions over Beijing’s tacit support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and apparent plans to invade Taiwan.

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Here is the link to the report: https://graphika.com/reports/chinese-state-influence

A Chinese social media operation that aims to whip up political anger in the West has called for the overthrow of a foreign government when impersonating protesters criticising flood relief efforts in Spain, online analysis outfit Graphika said.

Graphika said an operation dubbed Spamouflage, which it believed was linked to the Chinese state, posed this month as human rights group Safeguard Defenders to spread online calls for the government to be toppled in response to the catastrophic floods in October that killed 224 people.

"This is the first time we have seen Spamouflage directly calling to overthrow a foreign government," Graphika said in its latest report.

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The report also finds:

• Chinese covert influence operations have impersonated human rights organizations critical of Beijing, almost certainly in an effort to discredit their activities and disrupt domestic political conversations in Western countries. The state-linked Spamouflage operation, for instance, has repeatedly targeted the Spain-based non-profit Safeguard Defenders and in January posed as the organization to spread online calls for the Spanish government to be overthrown in response to deadly floods in Valencia. This is the first time we have seen Spamouflage directly calling for the overthrow of a foreign government.
• Chinese state influence actors and pro-China communities continue to leverage international trade issues in their efforts to advance Beijing’s strategic interests. In recent weeks, this has included attempts to orchestrate a boycott of Japanese retail brand Uniqlo due to the company’s reported refusal to use cotton from China’s Xinjiang region, and efforts to exacerbate tensions between the U.S. and Japan over a blocked steel company merger.
• Chinese officials and state media have used social media and other online platforms to dismiss and deflect allegations of Chinese state hacking activity. After Japan accused China in January of orchestrating a years-long hacking campaign against Japanese government agencies and companies, for example, Chinese state actors spread statements dismissing the allegations as groundless and disseminated cartoons casting Tokyo as an agent of U.S. “disinformation.”
• Overt and covert Chinese state influence actors have engaged in a sustained effort to advance narratives that reinforce Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and attempt to legitimize its activities in the region. In November, these actors amplified comments by an international law scholar that appeared to support China’s position.

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The sanctions reportedly entail a complete ban on broadcasting, distributing, and promoting the content of these outlets. E.U. Internet providers will be required to block access to these resources.

• RT and Sputnik are already under sanctions in Europe. Several other pro-Kremlin media outlets are banned in specific E.U. countries, mainly in the Baltic states.

• A day earlier, on January 28, Bloomberg reported that the next E.U. sanctions package could cut more Russian banks off from the SWIFT banking system and impose new restrictions on more than 70 “shadow fleet” tankers involved in shipping Russian oil.

European law enforcement conducted raids at 14 properties across Barcelona (4), Madrid (9), and Toledo (1) in Spain, and one property in Zagreb in Croatia. These operations resulted in 30 arrests, among which were the leaders of the criminal network. In addition, EUR 180 000 in cash was also seized, alongside weapons, 70 passports, equipment to falsify passports and visas, narcotic substances, 10 high-end vehicles and 33 mobile phones. A total of 33 victims – Chinese and Vietnamese nationals – were also safeguarded.

This investigation builds on the dismantling of Europe’s largest Chinese prostitution ring in February 2023. Digital evidence seized during that operation has since then been meticulously analysed, including at a forensic sprint held at Europol’s headquarters in March 2023. During this sprint, experts from nine countries extracted tens of terabytes of data from hundreds of confiscated mobile phones.

The new intelligence provided unprecedented insights into the methods used by Chinese criminal networks in Europe, revealing a sophisticated division of labour and reliance on crime-as-a-service actors.

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Paywall? https://archive.is/ClHAl

Prime Minister François Bayrou sparked outrage from the opposition, and indignation from his allies, when he referred to a feeling taking root in France of being “flooded” by immigration. The prime minister was accused of citing the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory that has fuelled the far right for decades.

The EU wants its businesses to compete at the international market. Especially with regards to China and the US, the bloc has been falling behind. Now, it has a plan how to get back into business. But some are worried this might have consequences.

The Swedish Security Service is involved, according to information provided to Expressen.

– In general terms, we have close cooperation with the police. But when it comes to this particular operation, it is a police matter, says Gabriel Wernstedt, press spokesman for Säpo.

During the night, a major police operation was underway in the area. Pictures from the district show police with reinforcement weapons.

Salwan Momika, 38, became a name during Sweden's NATO process when he repeatedly burned Korans.

Massive protests erupted in Muslim countries, which plunged Sweden into a diplomatic crisis, with a heightened terror threat level as a result.

In Iraq, the city of al-Kufa offered a reward of two million dollars and a Koran made of two kilos of gold to whoever killed him. The government in Baghdad requested his extradition.

Salwan Momika came to Sweden in the spring of 2018. In the fall of 2023, his temporary residence permit was revoked and he tried to apply for asylum in Norway – but was soon back in Sweden and last year received a one-year residence permit. The Migration Board considered that he risked torture if he were to return to his home country of Iraq.

Together with his partner Salwan Najem, he was charged in August 2024 with four counts of incitement against an ethnic group.

The verdict will be handed down today at 11 a.m.

Salwan Najem was visited by police during the night of Thursday, he tells Expressen.

– They told him that Salwan Momika had been shot and that he is dead, says Salwan Najem.

The police held a short interrogation. Among other things, they asked when he last met Momika, which was during the trial for incitement against an ethnic group.

– Then we joked with each other. When we were done I told him "we might get life, you and I", and we laughed, says Salwan Najem.

The evidence in the case consists largely of video footage from the burnings.

In connection with the indictment, Salwan Momika told Expressen that he was surprised - but not scared.

• I chose Sweden because I knew that it is a country where law and order are applied equally to everyone. I know that Sweden and Swedish society cherish free thought and freedom for individuals to criticize and question religions.