"Among the core courses is one titled “Defence against technical reconnaissance”. Over 144 hours across two semesters, students are taught the full toolkit of modern hacking, including password attacks, software vulnerabilities and so called trojans – malicious programs disguised as legitimate software that can grant unauthorised access to a system.

To pass the course, students are required to carry out “practical penetration tests”, while one module is devoted entirely to computer viruses. As part of the assessment, they must develop one themselves.

Students are also taught the structure and organisation of US and British military intelligence agencies. Separate sessions cover the use of western intelligence in the war in Ukraine, and the development of enemy reconnaissance and strike drones on the Ukrainian battlefield.

Apart from hacking tasks, the curriculum also covers information warfare. Advanced students must complete a seminar on developing a disinformation campaign, the documents suggest, tasked with creating a social media video using “manipulation, pressure and hidden propaganda”.

Students are taught the mechanics of psychological manipulation and how to impose a “correct” perception of information on an audience."

A wildfire broke out on Thursday near Weert, in the province of Limburg, according to the regional safety authority. The fire is located in the area of Geuzendijk. Kempen Airport, which is mainly used for recreational aviation, is being evacuated as a precaution. Smoke from the fire is moving in the direction of Budel. It is part of a spree of wildfires throughout the Netherlands in the last few days.

Update 20.38 CET via NOS

Here’s what has happened in the last few hours:

• The Netherlands is being ravaged by wildfires. These are the key developments from the last few hours:
• The Netherlands is requesting assistance from European fire services. “We hope to have additional resources at our disposal as early as tomorrow,” says the coordinator of the national wildfire task force. According to the coordinator, it is unprecedented for the fire service to request international assistance.
• There have been at least six wildfires across the country today. Some of these have now been brought under control or even extinguished, but a number of fires are still raging.

Translation via Deepl.

The Greek parliament on Wednesday voted to lift the immunity of 13 MPs from the ruling New Democracy party who are alleged to have been involved in a scandal involving EU agricultural funds.

Two MPs, Katerina Papakosta and Kostas Karamanlis, will be investigated for the alleged felony of moral instigation against the financial interests of the EU. Nine MPs – Ioannis Kefalogiannis, Notis Mitarachi, Kostas Tsiaras, Kostas Skrekas, Dimitris Vartzopoulos, Maximos Senetakis, Lakis Vasileiadis, Christos Boukoros and Theofilos Leontaridis – will be investigated for the same alleged offence, but as a misdemeanour.

EU member states on Wednesday gave a preliminary approval to unlock a €90 billion loan for Ukraine. The decision comes after delays linked to an oil dispute over the Druzhba pipeline, with Hungary vetoing the funding.

EU member states on Wednesday gave a preliminary approval to unlock a €90 billion loan for Ukraine. The decision comes after delays linked to an oil dispute over the Druzhba pipeline, with Hungary vetoing the funding.

Many hope that the stumbling blocks Orban erected will be removed, though there is also concern that Magyar, once a staunch loyalist of the defeated prime minister who split over anti-corruption concerns, won’t play ball all the time.

The main thing Magyar will try to focus on in Brussels is, after all, not foreign policy. It’s to unblock some 18 billion euros ($21 billion) that the EU has frozen in recent years due to what is perceived as democratic backsliding in the country during the Orban years.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s parliament voted Saturday to elect Nizar Amidi, a political official with one of the country’s two main Kurdish parties, as president, five months after a parliamentary election that didn’t produce a bloc with a decisive majority.

His election comes as Iraq is reeling from the fallout of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Iraq became caught in the middle of the conflict, with Iran-backed militias launching attacks on U.S. bases and diplomatic facilities as well as on critical energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Israel carried out airstrikes targeting the militias, some of which killed members of the Iraqi military.

The war and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz also largely halted the oil exports upon which Iraq’s economy depends.

The Great Recession in Europe, the economic downturn that began in 2008, resulted in job and income loss, which demonstrably contributed to a rise in poor mental health among those affected. The COVID-19 pandemic, and the measures put in place to contain the virus, similarly caused a spike in the prevalence of poor mental health due to job and income insecurity. Moreover, this crisis negatively impacted mental health through other factors, notably social isolation and the deterioration of working conditions in sectors such as care.

Question; these trends must somehow be worldwide anyone has a take on this from their region?

The 2024 report outlines several interconnected aspects influencing the situation of young people [15-29 yo] in the European Union (EU), encompassing demographics, employment, education, social inclusion, political engagement, environmental activism, and health. These topics are not isolated but are intricately related, with many factors influencing others, creating a complex landscape for policy makers and stakeholders.

#Note 1: Relevance with reference to this recent euronews Post and the many comments, I digged up a recent 2024 comparative study published by EU.

#Note 2: Summary of 90 page publication in the comments (via Le chat AI). Or check the original pub in pdf via the link.

#Note 3: This more elaborate eurofund 2025 study titled, 'The roots of Europe's mental health crisis run deep' , encompasses all big Europen crises since 2009 and their economic & mental health impact. Yes, there is a strong correlation, and there are no simple solutions.

• Trump administration said in 2020 that he could leave treaties
• Congress passed law in 2023 barring unilateral NATO withdrawal
• No NATO member has ever withdrawn from the 77-year-old alliance
• As senator, Rubio helped lead effort to prevent unilateral withdrawal

WHAT DOES U.S. LAW SAY? In 2023, Congress passed, and then-President Joe Biden, a ​Democrat, signed into law, legislation barring any U.S. president from suspending, terminating, denouncing or withdrawing the United States from the treaty that established NATO unless the withdrawal is backed by a two-thirds majority in the 100-member Senate.

TL;DR; Per 2023 Congressional Law, not without a 2/3 US Congressional majority (and with a one year notice to NATO). But, experts said this lack of commitment, rather than any law, was the key point.

Polish and Irish leaders have called the Hungarian government’s actions “repulsive” and “sinister”, after leaked audio appeared to capture its foreign minister telling Moscow he would try to amend the EU sanctions list to its liking.

On Tuesday – days before an election in which Hungary’s Viktor Orbán is facing the toughest battle of his 16 years in power – a joint media investigation published a report that it said was based on leaked phone calls between Péter Szijjártó and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

note : the report by Vsquare.org was earlier posted here

Russian oil is now selling at either no discount or even a premium as governments scramble to replace energy supplies lost after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Thursday.

“Today, when there’s a deficit in the market, our oil and petroleum products are in high demand,” Novak told reporters, according to the Interfax news agency.

“We’ve moved from a discount to either no discount or, in some cases, even a partial premium,” he said.

Reuters estimates that Russia’s oil and gas revenues could jump by around 70% in April from March amid the rise in global prices, reaching their highest monthly level since October 2025.

mediabias credibility: HIGH