How facial-recognition software could track down G20 suspects
Lesley Ciarula Taylor The facial-recognition software Toronto police will use to track down suspects in its G20 summit investigation is an off-the-shelf tool that can sort through multiple databases very quickly. [thestar.com] The Canadian Bankers Association bought and installed the software because “the banks and the CBA have investigative functions, too. We investigate crimes against […]
Boykottiert das gläserne De-Mail!
[daten-speicherung.de] Seit kurzem kann man von einigen privaten Anbietern De-Mail-Adressen registrieren lassen. De-Mail ist ein E-Mail-Postfach, vor dessen Einrichtung man sich mit einem Ausweis eindeutig identifizieren muss (z.B. per Postident). Aus den folgenden Gründen kann von einer Registrierung und Nutzung von De-Mail nur abgeraten werden: Vor der Einrichtung eines De-Mail-Briefkastens muss man sich identifizieren, was […]
Europa macht das Meer dicht
[derwesten.de] Ein besseres Leben in Europa. Diesen Traum hatte der Senegalese Idrissa Sane, als er sich im Sommer 2007 wie 18 000 weitere Afrikaner von der Westküste des schwarzen Kontinents, dicht gedrängt auf morschen Pirogen auf lebensgefährliche Fahrt machte, um über die Kanaren das spanische Festland zu erreichen. Drei Jahre später wird es wohl weniger […]
South Korea: Machine gun-toting robots deployed on DMZ
By Jon Rabiroff A set of SGR-1 armed robots have been set up near the southern boundary of Korea’s Demilitarized Zone on an experimental basis to see how well they complement the soldiers that keep an eye on the heavily fortified border between the North and South. The robot, using heat and motion detectors, can […]
France, Germany & UK: No Questions Asked“: Intelligence Cooperation with Countries that Torture
[hrw.org] International efforts to combat terrorism since the 9/11 attacks in the United States have done incalculable damage to the absolute prohibition on torture. The global ban on torture is a cornerstone of international law, binding on all nations in peace and at war, and no exceptions or justifications are permitted. The attack on the […]
INTERPOL – At the centre of security for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
[interpol.int] As one phone crashes down in the Uruguay police booth at South Africa’s International Police Co-ordination Centre (IPCC) in Pretoria, another is snatched up in the nearby INTERPOL booth where staff launch into animated dialogue with colleagues at the INTERPOL Regional Bureau in Harare about two illegal immigration suspects who have just been detained […]
SH-60F Seahawk Helis for Tunisia
[defenseindustrydaily.com] On July 2/10, the US DSCA announced [PDF] Tunisia’s formal request to buy 12 refurbished US Navy SH-60F Seahawk utility Helicopters, plus associated equipment. The SH-60Fs would be offered as Excess Defense Articles (grant EDA notification is being submitted separately). In the US Navy, the SH-60F is a utility and search and rescue helicopter, […]
CEPOL – European Police College Draft Annual Report 2009
FOREWORD Detlef Schröder, Head of Programmes and Kate Armitage, Head of Administration We are pleased to present the CEPOL Annual Report for 2009, the fourth annual report since CEPOL began operating as an agency of the European Union and the first as the two new Heads of Units. 2009 was a challenging year for CEPOL […]
CDU/CSU und SPD halten an heimlichen Online-Durchsuchungen fest
Vertreter der alten großen Koalition haben sich ablehnend gegenüber einem Antrag (PDF-Datei) der Linksfraktion im Bundestag geäußert, die umkämpfte Befugnis für das Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) zum Einsatz des Bundestrojaners wieder zu streichen. [heise.de] Das Instrument heimlicher Online-Durchsuchungen, von dem die Wiesbadener Polizeibehörde bis Mai noch keinen Gebrauch gemacht haben will, "ist auch weiterhin unverzichtbar", erklärte Armin […]
UK: Police forces under pressure over Europe evidence demands
Police forces risk being swamped by demands from foreign countries for DNA and other evidence under plans for a new Europe-wide investigation warrant. By Rosa Prince [telegraph.co.uk] The Government has until the end of the month to decide whether to opt out of the scheme – which would give authorities in any country in […]
Ireland objects to EU data transfer with Israel
ANDREW WILLIS Irish minister for justice Dermott Ahern has confirmed that Dublin is seeking to block a new European Commission initiative that would allow the free transfer of personal data on EU citizens to Israel. [euobserver.com] The minister’s statement over the weekend, reported in Israeli daily Haaretz on Monday (12 July), follows recent media reports […]
Obama requests $600 million for border security
The president’s emergency funding request would pay for more Border Patrol agents, drones, National Guard troops and more. [latimes.com] The Obama administration formally asked Congress on Tuesday for $600 million in emergency funds to hire another 1,000 Border Patrol agents, acquire two drones and enhance security along the Southwest border. The money would also pay […]
Ireland seeks to block Israel access to data on EU citizens
Irish government retaliates over use of forged Irish passports by alleged Mossad spies in Dubai assassination. By Ora Coren [haaretz.com] Ireland is seeking to stop a European Union initiative that would enable Israel to receive sensitive information about European citizens, due to concerns about the use that Israel would make of this information, the Irish […]
»Außenpolitik der EU wird weiter militarisiert«
Europäische Union bekommt Auswärtigen Dienst. Klassische Entwicklungshilfe vermischt sich mit Kriegseinsätzen. [jungewelt.de] Ein Gespräch mit Tobias Pflüger Tobias Pflüger ist Mitglied des Parteivorstandes der Linkspartei und aktiv in der Informationsstelle Militarisierung Das EU-Parlament hat mit 549 zu 78 Stimmen der Einrichtung des »Europäischen Auswärtigen Dienstes« (EAD) unter Führung der Außenbeauftragten Catherine Ashton zugestimmt. Warum lehnt […]
Eritrean refugees in Libya – the recent proposal from Tripoli is insufficient
EveryOne Group and Habeshia, the Eritrean Refugee agency: “Forcing the refugees to carry out “socially useful labour” without any guarantee of asylum or dignified living conditions is a further unacceptable violation of their human rights. Europe and Italy must take them in and grant them asylum. In the meantime we are asking for an inspection […]
Nach Swift-Abkommen: EU und USA streben umfassenden Datenaustausch an
Die EU und die USA streben nach dem Swift-Abkommen weitere Vereinbarungen zum Datenaustausch an. Eine umfassendes Abkommen bis 2011 stehen. [welt.de] Die EU-Kommission und die USA planen den Abschluss eines übergreifenden Abkommens zum Austausch von persönlichen Daten. Die neue Vereinbarung sollte den jüngst vom EU-Parlament verabschiedeten Vertrag zu Bankdaten umfassen, sagte EU-Vizepräsidentin Viviane Reding in […]
Irregular immigration hits new low in first quarter 2010, facilitator detections up 13%
[frontex.europa.eu] The quarterly report by the Frontex Risk Analysis Network (FRAN) for the first three months of 2010 showed significant drops in all indicators of irregular migration at the external borders of the European Union. These lows continue a general decreasing trend already noticeable in 2009 and are attributed to reduced employment opportunities for irregular […]
Drone Wars
Conference London 18th Sept, 2010 [for.org.uk] Drone Wars is a one day conference in London on September 18th to explore the growing use of armed, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), otherwise known as drones. Armed drones are used by Britain, US and others at great human cost and often in breach of humanitarian law. Used in […]
Two babies dead in refugee boat rescue drama
A boat carrying at least 37 refugees, amongst them five dead, including two babies, was rescued this afternoon off the coast of Motril (Granada) by the Martitime Rescue Services and the Guardia Civil. [thinkspain.com] The boat was spotted around 4pm about 43 nautical miles to the south of Motril by a Maritime Rescue aircraft doing […]
Außer Kontrolle
Uwe H. Sattler Das künftige "EU-Außenministerium" könnte ein schwer beeinflussbares und gefährliches Eigenleben entwickeln. Trotzdem gab das Europäische Parlament grünes Licht für die Megabehörde [heise.de] Die zelebrierte Einigkeit und Freude täuschte. Am Donnerstag war wohl niemand so richtig glücklich im Europäischen Parlament. In ihrer "Straßburg-Woche" hatten die Abgeordneten am französischen Parlamentssitz die Pläne zum Aufbau […]