cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/10376559

A Canadian national interning at NATO’s strategic military headquarters in Belgium has been arrested on charges of spying for a foreign power and participating in a criminal organisation, Belgian authorities announced on Saturday.

The suspect, an intern of Chinese origin based at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) near Mons, was formally served with an arrest warrant on 24 July, following a multi-agency security operation.

According to the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the suspect was initially flagged by SHAPE’s internal security team. The case was subsequently escalated to Belgium’s General Intelligence and Security Service (SGRS) and referred to federal prosecutors for a formal criminal investigation.

On 23 July officers from the Charleroi Federal Judicial Police carried out coordinated raids at the suspect’s residence and her office within the NATO facility. Specialised units, including the Computer Crime Unit and forensic teams from Charleroi and Mons, assisted in seizing potential digital and physical evidence.

An investigating judge at the Hainaut Court of First Instance ordered her detention the following day.

...

Archived

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/10376559

A Canadian national interning at NATO’s strategic military headquarters in Belgium has been arrested on charges of spying for a foreign power and participating in a criminal organisation, Belgian authorities announced on Saturday.

The suspect, an intern of Chinese origin based at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) near Mons, was formally served with an arrest warrant on 24 July, following a multi-agency security operation.

According to the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the suspect was initially flagged by SHAPE’s internal security team. The case was subsequently escalated to Belgium’s General Intelligence and Security Service (SGRS) and referred to federal prosecutors for a formal criminal investigation.

On 23 July officers from the Charleroi Federal Judicial Police carried out coordinated raids at the suspect’s residence and her office within the NATO facility. Specialised units, including the Computer Crime Unit and forensic teams from Charleroi and Mons, assisted in seizing potential digital and physical evidence.

An investigating judge at the Hainaut Court of First Instance ordered her detention the following day.

...

Archived

A Canadian national interning at NATO’s strategic military headquarters in Belgium has been arrested on charges of spying for a foreign power and participating in a criminal organisation, Belgian authorities announced on Saturday.

The suspect, an intern of Chinese origin based at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) near Mons, was formally served with an arrest warrant on 24 July, following a multi-agency security operation.

According to the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the suspect was initially flagged by SHAPE’s internal security team. The case was subsequently escalated to Belgium’s General Intelligence and Security Service (SGRS) and referred to federal prosecutors for a formal criminal investigation.

On 23 July officers from the Charleroi Federal Judicial Police carried out coordinated raids at the suspect’s residence and her office within the NATO facility. Specialised units, including the Computer Crime Unit and forensic teams from Charleroi and Mons, assisted in seizing potential digital and physical evidence.

An investigating judge at the Hainaut Court of First Instance ordered her detention the following day.

...

Archived

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/10376285

A massive majority of Spaniards believe corruption in the country has skyrocketed under the government of Pedro Sanchez.

The findings come from a new report published by the European Commission, which notes that this perception has especially worsened in the last five years – affecting not just the average citizen but companies and the judicial system.

The Special Eurobarometer survey found that Spain scores highly on the perceived corruption indexes compared to its European counterparts.

It comes after a turbulent week in which Sanchez’ family has been under fire for various corruption scandals.

...

Spain scored just 55 out of 100 in the Corruption Perception Index 2025, placing it seventeenth in the European Union and 49th worldwide.

According to the new survey, 92% of Spanish citizens consider that corruption is widespread, far above the European average of 71%. Moreover, 53% say they feel personally affected by corruption, in comparison to the 30% of the European average.

The document released this Friday comes on the back of a period of chaos.

Last Thursday, a court ruled that Begona Gomez, Pedro Sanchez’s wife, will stand trial for charges of influence peddling and embezzlement.

...

The ruling came just two days after a ruling against David Sanchez, the prime minister’s brother, who is now barred from public office for nine years.

He had been working a role that was specifically created for him.

Meanwhile, former transport minister Jose Luis Abalos was convicted last month over illegal pandemic mask contracts.

In response to the recent rulings, several Sanchez allies have attacked the decisions, calling them ‘a judicial conspiracy’ and ‘politically motivated cases’ which amount to ‘lawfare’.

Judges and legal professionals continue to show concern. The Constitutional Court warns that statements against judges contribute to eroding public trust in the justice system.

...

The EU Commission has warned Sanchez’ government that: “All powers of the state – executive, legislative and judicial – must act with mutual respect to guarantee proper functioning.”

This is not the first time Sanchez’ government is being put on the spot by the EU Commission. Last year former attorney general Alvaro Garcia Ortiz was found guilty in a controversial case over the leaking of confidential information.

...

Archived

A massive majority of Spaniards believe corruption in the country has skyrocketed under the government of Pedro Sanchez.

The findings come from a new report published by the European Commission, which notes that this perception has especially worsened in the last five years – affecting not just the average citizen but companies and the judicial system.

The Special Eurobarometer survey found that Spain scores highly on the perceived corruption indexes compared to its European counterparts.

It comes after a turbulent week in which Sanchez’ family has been under fire for various corruption scandals.

...

Spain scored just 55 out of 100 in the Corruption Perception Index 2025, placing it seventeenth in the European Union and 49th worldwide.

According to the new survey, 92% of Spanish citizens consider that corruption is widespread, far above the European average of 71%. Moreover, 53% say they feel personally affected by corruption, in comparison to the 30% of the European average.

The document released this Friday comes on the back of a period of chaos.

Last Thursday, a court ruled that Begona Gomez, Pedro Sanchez’s wife, will stand trial for charges of influence peddling and embezzlement.

...

The ruling came just two days after a ruling against David Sanchez, the prime minister’s brother, who is now barred from public office for nine years.

He had been working a role that was specifically created for him.

Meanwhile, former transport minister Jose Luis Abalos was convicted last month over illegal pandemic mask contracts.

In response to the recent rulings, several Sanchez allies have attacked the decisions, calling them ‘a judicial conspiracy’ and ‘politically motivated cases’ which amount to ‘lawfare’.

Judges and legal professionals continue to show concern. The Constitutional Court warns that statements against judges contribute to eroding public trust in the justice system.

...

The EU Commission has warned Sanchez’ government that: “All powers of the state – executive, legislative and judicial – must act with mutual respect to guarantee proper functioning.”

This is not the first time Sanchez’ government is being put on the spot by the EU Commission. Last year former attorney general Alvaro Garcia Ortiz was found guilty in a controversial case over the leaking of confidential information.

...

Archived

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/10372211

• Startups playing greater role in securing German defence
• Fund will take direct stakes in startups

Germany's government on Wednesday said it will create an investment fund that allows the state to take direct ‌stakes in defence startups, as part of a broader strategy to support new businesses.

Spurred by Russia's war in Ukraine and doubts about the reliability of U.S. security guarantees under Donald Trump, Germany and other European governments are moving to rebuild defence capacity after decades of underinvestment.

...

Startups and scale-ups in the security and ​defence sector are playing an increasingly important role in bolstering Germany's security and defence readiness, according to a government ​paper.

...

The defence sector ⁠overall could generate additional economic growth of 0.5% to 1.0% if the extra funding is invested well.

German AI defence firm Helsing ​and autonomous ground-systems startup ARX Robotics have supplied systems for battlefield use in Ukraine, where the war has become a proving ground for ​fast-deployable technology and helped show young European companies can deliver capabilities faster than traditional procurement channels.

To improve access to capital, the government will establish "a new vehicle for direct federal investments in startups and scale-ups" that develop products and services with clear military applications, it said.

The value of the fund has not ​been announced.

...

"After years of stagnation, one part of Germany’s economy is showing remarkable momentum: entrepreneurship," Deutsche Bank Research said in a note.

A record 3,053 startups were founded in Germany in the first half of 2026, up 52% from the second half of ​2025. They employed 26% more people ​in 2024 than in 2020.

...

The ⁠German bank said the startup strategy could provide fertile ground for the numerous newly founded firms to grow.

Europe and Germany perform well in early-stage financing — specifically pre-seed and seed capital — where Europe accounts for ​nearly 80% of the allocated funds.

However, Europe loses ground in larger funding rounds, with ​companies heading to ⁠the United States to secure major financing.

Germany struggles to turn successful startups into growth companies. According to the paper, venture capital investment reached €7.2 billion ($8.21 billion) in 2025, far below levels in the United States and Britain.

Germany's BVK private equity and venture capital association said the strategy ⁠marked an ​important step in strengthening Germany's standing as a startup location and "focused on the ​right levers, particularly regarding financing."

...

The strategy also aims to mobilise more private capital for sectors including technology and biotechnology.

The Future Fund — a German government-backed venture capital programme launched ​in 2021 — will be extended beyond 2030.

...

• Startups playing greater role in securing German defence
• Fund will take direct stakes in startups

Germany's government on Wednesday said it will create an investment fund that allows the state to take direct ‌stakes in defence startups, as part of a broader strategy to support new businesses.

Spurred by Russia's war in Ukraine and doubts about the reliability of U.S. security guarantees under Donald Trump, Germany and other European governments are moving to rebuild defence capacity after decades of underinvestment.

...

Startups and scale-ups in the security and ​defence sector are playing an increasingly important role in bolstering Germany's security and defence readiness, according to a government ​paper.

...

The defence sector ⁠overall could generate additional economic growth of 0.5% to 1.0% if the extra funding is invested well.

German AI defence firm Helsing ​and autonomous ground-systems startup ARX Robotics have supplied systems for battlefield use in Ukraine, where the war has become a proving ground for ​fast-deployable technology and helped show young European companies can deliver capabilities faster than traditional procurement channels.

To improve access to capital, the government will establish "a new vehicle for direct federal investments in startups and scale-ups" that develop products and services with clear military applications, it said.

The value of the fund has not ​been announced.

...

"After years of stagnation, one part of Germany’s economy is showing remarkable momentum: entrepreneurship," Deutsche Bank Research said in a note.

A record 3,053 startups were founded in Germany in the first half of 2026, up 52% from the second half of ​2025. They employed 26% more people ​in 2024 than in 2020.

...

The ⁠German bank said the startup strategy could provide fertile ground for the numerous newly founded firms to grow.

Europe and Germany perform well in early-stage financing — specifically pre-seed and seed capital — where Europe accounts for ​nearly 80% of the allocated funds.

However, Europe loses ground in larger funding rounds, with ​companies heading to ⁠the United States to secure major financing.

Germany struggles to turn successful startups into growth companies. According to the paper, venture capital investment reached €7.2 billion ($8.21 billion) in 2025, far below levels in the United States and Britain.

Germany's BVK private equity and venture capital association said the strategy ⁠marked an ​important step in strengthening Germany's standing as a startup location and "focused on the ​right levers, particularly regarding financing."

...

The strategy also aims to mobilise more private capital for sectors including technology and biotechnology.

The Future Fund — a German government-backed venture capital programme launched ​in 2021 — will be extended beyond 2030.

...

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/10371689

Ukraine’s leading arms company is manufacturing about 100 long-range Flamingo cruise missiles a month, a rate able to support an enduring campaign of deep strike against targets hundreds of miles inside Russia.

Fire Point is also making FP-1 and FP-2 fixed-wing drones at a rate of “hundreds per day”, according to chief executive Iryna Terekh. Manufacturing at scale is restarting after a pause caused by the delay in signing off €90bn of EU lending to Ukraine.

The startup’s development from its postwar foundation in 2022 demonstrates the rapid maturing of Ukraine’s homegrown defence industry, finally giving its military the long-range capabilities denied by the west earlier in the conflict.

“I’m not aware of any deep strike attack that was happening in the past few months that was not involving our products,” Terekh said. Missile and drone attacks using Fire Point munitions were taking place at a daily rate of “on average five to 15”.

...

Fire Point now operates from 83 factories inside Ukraine, plus another in Denmark, employing 6,000 people, up from 3,500 late last year, according to Terekh. The Guardian visited one manufacturing site last December, where dozens of men were assembling the plywood, plastic and carbon fibre structures into whole drones.

“What we’re seeing now is the result of several years of effort by the Ukrainian side,” said Ben Hodges, a former general who commanded the US army in Europe. “They can not only reach deep inside Russia with precision and get past Russian air defences, their weapons also carry a payload big enough to achieve effect.”

...

Terekh, who studied architecture before joining Fire Point in the summer of 2023, when it employed 18 people, said the company is an example of how the Russian invasion has urgently forced Ukraine – once at the heart of Soviet industry – to modernise and regenerate itself.

“Ukraine, in a postwar economy, will need to be an exporter of things with a high additional added value. We do not want to be like a breadbasket any more for the world,” said Terekh, referring to Ukraine’s historical strength in agriculture. For now, however, the demands of the war mean Fire Point’s weapons are not exported.

Archived

Ukraine’s leading arms company is manufacturing about 100 long-range Flamingo cruise missiles a month, a rate able to support an enduring campaign of deep strike against targets hundreds of miles inside Russia.

Fire Point is also making FP-1 and FP-2 fixed-wing drones at a rate of “hundreds per day”, according to chief executive Iryna Terekh. Manufacturing at scale is restarting after a pause caused by the delay in signing off €90bn of EU lending to Ukraine.

The startup’s development from its postwar foundation in 2022 demonstrates the rapid maturing of Ukraine’s homegrown defence industry, finally giving its military the long-range capabilities denied by the west earlier in the conflict.

“I’m not aware of any deep strike attack that was happening in the past few months that was not involving our products,” Terekh said. Missile and drone attacks using Fire Point munitions were taking place at a daily rate of “on average five to 15”.

...

Fire Point now operates from 83 factories inside Ukraine, plus another in Denmark, employing 6,000 people, up from 3,500 late last year, according to Terekh. The Guardian visited one manufacturing site last December, where dozens of men were assembling the plywood, plastic and carbon fibre structures into whole drones.

“What we’re seeing now is the result of several years of effort by the Ukrainian side,” said Ben Hodges, a former general who commanded the US army in Europe. “They can not only reach deep inside Russia with precision and get past Russian air defences, their weapons also carry a payload big enough to achieve effect.”

...

Terekh, who studied architecture before joining Fire Point in the summer of 2023, when it employed 18 people, said the company is an example of how the Russian invasion has urgently forced Ukraine – once at the heart of Soviet industry – to modernise and regenerate itself.

“Ukraine, in a postwar economy, will need to be an exporter of things with a high additional added value. We do not want to be like a breadbasket any more for the world,” said Terekh, referring to Ukraine’s historical strength in agriculture. For now, however, the demands of the war mean Fire Point’s weapons are not exported.

Archived

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/10371821

Megamarket, the Sberbank-owned online marketplace, has amended its seller agreement to shield itself from liability for failing to meet its obligations during drone attacks, the Telegram channel Mozhem Obyasnit said.

The agreement’s previous version, dated April 10, exempted the marketplace from responsibility when its failure to meet obligations stemmed from force majeure — including natural disasters, strikes, military actions, and robberies.

...

Other major Russian marketplaces — Ozon, Wildberries, and Yandex Market — had already made similar changes to their seller agreements. Wildberries revised its own agreement in early July, just days before a series of Ukrainian drone strikes hit its warehouses across several Russian regions.

...

Archived

Megamarket, the Sberbank-owned online marketplace, has amended its seller agreement to shield itself from liability for failing to meet its obligations during drone attacks, the Telegram channel Mozhem Obyasnit said.

The agreement’s previous version, dated April 10, exempted the marketplace from responsibility when its failure to meet obligations stemmed from force majeure — including natural disasters, strikes, military actions, and robberies.

...

Other major Russian marketplaces — Ozon, Wildberries, and Yandex Market — had already made similar changes to their seller agreements. Wildberries revised its own agreement in early July, just days before a series of Ukrainian drone strikes hit its warehouses across several Russian regions.

...

Archived

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/10371689

Ukraine’s leading arms company is manufacturing about 100 long-range Flamingo cruise missiles a month, a rate able to support an enduring campaign of deep strike against targets hundreds of miles inside Russia.

Fire Point is also making FP-1 and FP-2 fixed-wing drones at a rate of “hundreds per day”, according to chief executive Iryna Terekh. Manufacturing at scale is restarting after a pause caused by the delay in signing off €90bn of EU lending to Ukraine.

The startup’s development from its postwar foundation in 2022 demonstrates the rapid maturing of Ukraine’s homegrown defence industry, finally giving its military the long-range capabilities denied by the west earlier in the conflict.

“I’m not aware of any deep strike attack that was happening in the past few months that was not involving our products,” Terekh said. Missile and drone attacks using Fire Point munitions were taking place at a daily rate of “on average five to 15”.

...

Fire Point now operates from 83 factories inside Ukraine, plus another in Denmark, employing 6,000 people, up from 3,500 late last year, according to Terekh. The Guardian visited one manufacturing site last December, where dozens of men were assembling the plywood, plastic and carbon fibre structures into whole drones.

“What we’re seeing now is the result of several years of effort by the Ukrainian side,” said Ben Hodges, a former general who commanded the US army in Europe. “They can not only reach deep inside Russia with precision and get past Russian air defences, their weapons also carry a payload big enough to achieve effect.”

...

Terekh, who studied architecture before joining Fire Point in the summer of 2023, when it employed 18 people, said the company is an example of how the Russian invasion has urgently forced Ukraine – once at the heart of Soviet industry – to modernise and regenerate itself.

“Ukraine, in a postwar economy, will need to be an exporter of things with a high additional added value. We do not want to be like a breadbasket any more for the world,” said Terekh, referring to Ukraine’s historical strength in agriculture. For now, however, the demands of the war mean Fire Point’s weapons are not exported.

Archived