Europe

France’s research minister said a French scientist was denied entry to the US this month after immigration officers at an airport searched his phone and found messages in which he had expressed criticism of the Trump administration.

“I learned with concern that a French researcher” on assignment for the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) “who was traveling to a conference near Houston was denied entry to the United States before being expelled”, Philippe Baptiste, France’s minister of higher education and research, said in a statement on Monday to Agence France-Presse published by Le Monde. “This measure was apparently taken by the American authorities because the researcher’s phone contained exchanges with colleagues and friends in which he expressed a personal opinion on the Trump administration’s research policy,” the minister added.

A diplomatic source told the French news agency that the incident occurred on 9 March. Another AFP source said that US authorities accused the French researcher of “hateful and conspiratorial messages”. He was reportedly also informed of an FBI investigation, but told that “charges were dropped” before being expelled.

Here is an Open Letter to French MPs by the European Digital Rights, EDRi, (pdf) association.

In the midst of the media uproar over drug trafficking, a law on “drug trafficking” is passing through Parliament. In reality, this text does not only apply to the sale of narcotics and leads to a heavy reinforcement of the surveillance capacities of the intelligence and judicial police. It is one of the most repressive and dangerous texts of recent years. This law could notably give even more powers to repress activism.

This bill was adopted unanimously in the Senate, with the support of the Socialists, the Ecologists and the Communists, and will now be discussed in the National Assembly. La Quadrature du Net is calling for urgent mobilization to raise awareness of the dangers of this text and to push left-wing parties to reject it.

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• The so-called “Drug Trafficking” law undermines the protection of encrypted messaging services (such as Signal or WhatsApp) by requiring the implementation of backdoors for the police and intelligence services.
• By modifying the legal regime for organized crime, applicable in other cases, this law does not only apply to drug trafficking. It can even be used to surveil activists.
• The safe-deposit box, a provision of the law, makes secret the documents in a file detailing the use of surveillance techniques during an investigation. This violates the right to defend oneself and prevents the public from knowing the extent of the surveillance capabilities of the judicial police.
• The text provides for authorizing the police to remotely activate the microphones and cameras of fixed and mobile connected devices (computers, telephones, etc.) to spy on individuals.
• It extends the authorization to use “black boxes”, a technique for analyzing data from all our communications and exchanges on the Internet for the purpose of “fighting delinquency and organized crime”.
• The police will be able to tighten its policy of censoring Internet content by extending it to publications related to the use and sale of drugs. The risks of abuse of freedom of expression are therefore amplified.

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• Cyber security firm ESET discovered a cyberespionage operation by the China-aligned MirrorFace advanced persistent threat (APT) group against a Central European diplomatic institute in relation to upcoming Expo 2025 in Japan.
• MirrorFace has refreshed both its tooling and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
• To our knowledge, this represents the first time that MirrorFace has targeted a European entity.
• MirrorFace has started using ANEL, a backdoor previously associated exclusively with APT10, and deployed a heavily customized variant of AsyncRAT, using a complex execution chain to run it inside Windows Sandbox.

"Known primarily for its cyberespionage activities against organizations in Japan, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first time MirrorFace has shown intent to infiltrate a European entity," Eset says in the report.

The campaign was uncovered in Q2 and Q3 of 2024 and named Operation AkaiRyū (Japanese for RedDragon) by ESET; it showcases refreshed TTPs that ESET Research observed throughout last year.

“MirrorFace targeted a Central European diplomatic institute. To our knowledge, this is the first, and, to date, only time MirrorFace has targeted an entity in Europe,” says ESET researcher Dominik Breitenbacher, who investigated the AkaiRyū campaign.

MirrorFace operators set up their spearphishing attack by crafting an email message that references a previous, legitimate interaction between the institute and a Japanese NGO. During this attack, the threat actor used the upcoming World Expo 2025 – to be held in Osaka, Japan – as a lure. This further shows that even considering this new broader geographic targeting, MirrorFace remains focused on Japan and events related to it. Before the attack on this European diplomatic institute, MirrorFace targeted two employees at a Japanese research institute, using a malicious, password-protected Word document delivered in an unknown manner.

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By Eric Albert (Frankfurt, Germany, special correspondent) Published yesterday at 11:36 am (Paris)

LLM summary:

On March 12, 2025, Trump escalated the trade war by imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum, prompting the European Union to respond with its own tariffs. Despite the tensions, a sense of optimism emerged during a conference at Goethe University in Frankfurt, where economists and financial experts speculated that the euro could become a safe haven currency and a reserve currency, traditionally dominated by the US dollar. Klaus Adam, an economist, suggested that Trump's actions might undermine the dollar's "exorbitant privilege," leading to a shift in global currency dynamics.

Financial markets have reacted positively to this speculation, with the euro gaining value against the dollar. Economists are questioning the desirability of holding dollars given the uncertainties surrounding US economic policies and the independence of the Federal Reserve. Concerns have been raised about potential manipulation of the dollar by Trump and the implications for foreign investors. The upcoming appointment of a new Federal Reserve chair by Trump is seen as crucial, as it will determine the central bank's ability to resist political pressures.

While the eurozone faces its own challenges, including sluggish growth and geopolitical threats, there is a growing belief that it could strengthen its position as a reserve currency. Germany's plans for increased spending on infrastructure and defense could provide more secure assets for foreign investors, which is essential for the euro's status as a reserve currency. Although the dollar's dominance is not expected to end soon, there is a possibility that the euro could gain more significance in the global financial landscape, potentially leading to a multi-currency reserve system.

The Dutch parliament on Tuesday approved a law criminalizing digital espionage and diaspora espionage, which refers to foreign powers attempting to influence communities in the Netherlands with ties to those countries.

The new law expands on existing legislation [...]. Offenders can face up to eight years in prison, with a maximum of 12 years for severe cases, such as espionage leading to death.

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Last year, the Dutch intelligence service warned that Chinese cyber espionage was more extensive than initially thought and was targeting Western governments and defence companies.

In 2022, the Dutch government ordered two Chinese offices in the Netherlands to close amidst a probe into their activities. China said they were centres to help Chinese citizens renew documents, but a Dutch media report alleged they were intimidating Chinese dissidents.

The draft proposal released yesterday shows that the French have prevailed. The headlines in Europe proclaimed that the decision excludes the US, UK and Turkish arms industries from European procurement in the billions of euros, but Israel too will be outside the fence.

According to the proposal, 65% of the cost of procurement of defense systems must be spent in countries in EFTA (the European Free Trade Association), which consists of the EU countries plus Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein, and also Ukraine.

The remaining 35% can be spent in other countries, but only if they have signed a security and defense partnership agreement with the EU. South Korea, Japan, and the UK are expected to sign such agreements, but the US is not, because of the fear that they will not allow countries to bar the sale of certain weapons systems.

Israel and its defense companies are liable to find themselves torn between the EU requirements and the security alliance with the US, which will prevent the signing of such a strategic agreement and deny them billions of euros in potential sales. The EU plan also excludes the possibility of European countries buying weapons systems entirely designed in a country that is not in EFTA or has not signed an agreement.

Trump administration 'has made the call for tech sovereignty an urgent geopolitical issue'

The UK left the European Union thinking it would gain sovereignty and economic independence. But nearly a decade later, many Britons regret their decision, and some are even asking if the UK should rejoin the EU. However, the real question is: Does the EU even want Britain back? From new trade agreements to stricter immigration policies, Brexit forced Europe to change in ways no one expected. Would the UK be welcomed back, or is the EU better off without it?

Let’s break down the 7 major changes Brexit triggered in the European Union!

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/58972937

https://archive.is/SqxpW

"It is right for Europe to equip itself to play its part but gullible to think it can do so on its own, outside the framework" of NATO, noted Meloni.

The anti-dumping duties range from 26.3% to 56.1% and will help re-establish fair competitive conditions on the EU market between glass fibre yarns imported from China and those produced domestically.

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Investigations found strong evidence of WTO-incompatible Chinese subsidies offered to exporting producers both in China and abroad, via the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as efforts to circumvent EU measures through the setting up of production in third countries outside China.

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Archived

The University of Amsterdam (UvA) announced that it will stop supporting a student exchange with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The Dutch university also said it will also ensure that it will not enter into collaborative projects with Hungarian institutions under various sanctions by the European Union. At the same time, the UvA also said Thursday it will re-examine its efforts to provide safeguards for doctoral students from China who could potentially be subjected to political pressure by the Chinese government and organizations working on behalf of the Chinese state.

The UvA’s Executive Board said it will follow the advice it commissioned from the Advisory Committee on Collaboration with Third Parties. This was one of the concessions the UvA gave to demonstrators who primarily pressured the university to stop projects with Israel.

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Further, the advice also called on the university to end its arrangements with Hungarian institutions that are blocked from participation in the Erasmus and HorizonEurope programs. The UvA specifically mentioned the University of Pannonia, which is mainly located in Veszprém, and HU-rizon, a Hungarian government international research program with funding equivalent to about 20 million euros.

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The university also took note of concerns about PhD students from the China Scholarship Council, or CSC. Media outlets in the Netherlands have been reporting for several years that students from these programs can find themselves pushed into a difficult position based on the pledges of political support they are required to sign before getting approval and funding from the CSC.

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“At the moment, these three specific collaborations have problematic aspects, which the assessment committee has pointed out to us. That is why we will not be continuing them in their current form for the time being,” said the university rector, Peter-Paul Verbeek.

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/31326900

Archived

Original article (requires registration)

Canada has floated doing major defense deals with Europe and improving the continent’s access to its critical minerals in response to President Donald Trump’s threats and his pullback from US defense commitments.

Canada is seeking closer defense industry cooperation with Italy and the European Union as “a matter of urgency,” Elissa Golberg, its ambassador in Rome, wrote to Italy’s finance, foreign affairs, defense and enterprise ministers.

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The ambassador’s letter, which was seen by Bloomberg News, requested Italy’s support in ensuring that legislative texts allow third parties to collaborate with the EU’s ReArm defense plan.

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Golberg’s letter outlined plans “to purchase a number of key capabilities through major near-term procurement efforts” including as many as a dozen submarines, additional fighter jets, and battle tanks “that could potentially be acquired from European suppliers”.

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Canadian industry “has much more to offer,” the letter continues, like drones, satellite communications, robotics, AI, cybersecurity, and better integration of supply chains for Canada’s large reserves of critical minerals needed for advanced defence technologies and renewable energy systems such as nickel, cobalt and lithium.

Europe’s effort to boost defense spending “is of interest to us as Canada because of a potential alternative supplier,” Carney told reporters in London on Monday. “It creates the potential to create supply chains that mean that Canadian companies are participating in the development of these defense systems.”

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Under an agreement signed with France’s Naval Group, Thales is to supply the sonar suite for the Orka-class submarines to be deployed by the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) under the Replacement Netherlands Submarine Capability (RNSC) programme, Thales announced on 19 March 2025.

https://archive.ph/nJfXn

German newspaper article: https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000262056/die-schallwaffe-von-serbiens-machthaber-wurde-identifiziert

Translation (DeepL + minor corrections):

The sonic weapon of Serbia's ruler has been identified

Recordings on social media show sound cannons on the riot police's off-road vehicles. The interior minister becomes entangled in contradictions.

The disturbing images of panic among the peaceful participants at a protest rally in Belgrade went around the world. In numerous videos show thousands of people suddenly trying to escape and trying to flee and stumbling over each other. Some of them fall.

An extremely shrill sound can be heard in the videos. There are many indications the use of a sound weapon by the large contingent of Serbian riot police. Serbian riot police represented in the large contingent. The regime of President Aleksandar Vučić denied any use of such a weapon, DER STANDARD reported.

However, images emerged on Wednesday that contradict the official account from Belgrade. On the images, which were shared by opposition politician Marinika Tepić on X can be seen in police off-road vehicles on which so-called are clearly fitted with so-called Long-Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD). As research by several Serbian daily newspapers has revealed, this is likely to be that this is a product of the US company Genasys.

Weapon for psychological warfare

Specifically, the Serbian police are said to have used an LRAD 450XL. This is, despite its name, a device in the medium size category. Officially the device is marketed as completely harmless: according to a video from the manufacturer, it is a powerful speaker with an MP3 player.

The speaker is designed to make announcements which, according to the manufacturer Genasys are still understandable at 1700 meters distance. The fact that that it can also be used to quell protests is indicated by the sound the sound pressure levels: Sounds at 145 decibels are said to be continuously continuously for over eight hours thanks to the built-in rechargeable battery. Sounds can be reproduced at a relatively sharp angle of 15 or 30 degrees.

Loud noises above 85 decibels are already harmful to human hearing. Acute acoustic trauma can occur from 140 decibels. A fraction of a second is enough to damage the hearing. The weapons are marketed as “non-lethal” and manufacturers do not mention permanent hearing damage.

What the manufacturer only briefly mentions in the official product video is the button for the alarm sound. Only when you click further through the website, it becomes clear that the device is mainly sold to armies or police units. According to the manufacturer 100 countries and over 500 police authorities in the USA are already using such sonic weapons.

The LRAD 450XL is also advertised as a device for psychological warfare: It can be used to acoustically simulate the sounds of gunfire or even even entire battles acoustically. Something that conventional loudspeakers fail, according to the website. The “loudspeaker” also makes it possible to immediately create an acoustic “safety corridor” and disperse crowds of people.

On the hood

The device has a magnetic stand. This allows the weapon to be mounted on the hood of a car. In the case of the material that has now emerged, this is on the Defender jeeps of the Serbian police.

Remote control is also possible. The manufacturer offers a kit for wireless control from a distance of around 200 meters. This is consistent with the statements of the anonymous police officer in the Danas report: he stated that several such weapons were used during the mass protests on Saturday.

Interior Minister Ivica Dačić confirmed on Tuesday that the police have sonic weapons. These were purchased in 2021 and are the property of the Serbian Ministry of the Interior. However, they are not used according to the Minister of the Interior: “These systems (...) have not been neither put into operation nor installed in any of our vehicles or systems installed,” Dačić told Danas.

Sonic cannon? Yes, no, maybe

The police sources quoted by the publication contradict this account. All major police stations in Serbia would have sonic weapons, they say. Research by the newspaper Vreme also comes to the same conclusion.

Dačić had previously stated that the Ministry of the Interior had neither a sonic cannon nor similar sonic weapons. It was later said that this claim was “clumsy”. “What was meant was that the Ministry of the Interior has not included this instrument in its arsenal of means of coercion,” Dačić explained. And: “These systems are in boxes in our warehouses.” On Wednesday afternoon, things sounded different again: yes, sonic weapons were available, but they had only been used as loudspeakers, Dačić explained at a press conference.

President Aleksandar Vučić had categorically ruled out the possibility that the Serbian army had sonic cannons. A diversionary tactic, because it is obviously not the army, but the police police that uses such systems.

At the same time, Vučić announced legal action against all those who accuse the police of using such weapons. Furthermore it was said that a drone gun had triggered the panic, which is highly doubtful from a technical point of view. In principle, drone guns are nothing more than jammers, and these are completely harmless to humans.

“At a moment when everyone was quiet, when thousands and thousands and thousands of people were completely peaceful and not threatening anyone, you come up with the idea of demonstrating violence. That is an attack on on your own people,” says military analyst Aleksandar Radić, sharply criticizing the use of a sonic weapon. (Peter Zellinger, 19.3.2025)

TelegrafRS without much content: https://www.telegraf.rs/english/4075115-this-is-the-device-filmed-close-to-the-assembly-this-is-how-the-communication-tool-works

LRAD-450XL manual: https://genasys.com/content/uploads/2021/08/LRAD-450XL_D00101-Rev.-B_3-4.pdf

Miran Pogačars Video: https://x.com/MiranPogacar/status/1902310681988255912