UAVs made in Punjab
GAJINDER SINGH Punjab — famous for its agriculture, textiles and bicycles — is now aiming for the sky. [telegraphindia.com] A private firm will supply unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the eyes in the sky to be used to track Maoists in inhospitable terrain, besides the familiar job of watching enemy movements across the border. Ludhiana’s Bhogal […]
Call for European cybercrime centre
A European cybercrime centre should be considered to coordinate efforts tackling the problem across Europe, the European Council has said. [policeprofessional.com] During a meeting last week, the council urged the European Commission to set up a feasibility study for a European cybercrime centre, which would carry out the cybercrime provisions laid out in the Stockholm […]
Bursting the Brussels Bubble
Written by some of the leading experts on lobbying transparency in Europe, this book provides an eye-opening insight into decision-making within the European Union – and offers a valuable guide to fighting for greater transparency and accountability. [alter-eu.org] Bursting the Brussels Bubble is a valuable tool for anyone concerned with decisionmaking and democratic accountability within […]
Meet ‘Robocopter’ the micro-UAV which provides CCTV footage of inaccessible or dangerous locations
A company run by a couple from Burn, near Selby, has become the first in the UK to be granted a licence to operate the German-made flying unit. [yorkpress.co.uk] The ground-breaking MRL Eye is a micro-UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) which provides CCTV footage of inaccessible or dangerous locations. The “spybot” is used by the military […]
Afghan surge strips UAVs from forces elsewhere
The U.S. military has sent so many of its 6,500 UAVs to the Middle East that other operating theaters are going without, says Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Glenn Walters, deputy director for resources and acquisition for the Pentagon’s Joint Staff. [airforcetimers.com] Walters said Pacific Command, Southern Command and Africa Command have requested more UAVs, but […]
EU TERRORISM SITUATION AND TREND REPORT
TE-SAT 2010 The European Union (EU) Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (TE-SAT) 2010 is Europol’s first major public awareness product under our new legal framework. On 1 January 2010 Europol became an EU agency, acquiring a broader mandate and an enhanced capability to fulfil its mission of supporting its Member States. The TE-SAT aims to […]
Future UAVs must multitask, Air Force says
Next-generation drones, such as the MQ-X, will need to do more than gather intelligence and carry weapons By Amber Corrin [defensesystems.com] The Defense Department is reassessing its view of unmanned aerial vehicles – a key component of modern combat operations – and deciding what the military needs from UAVs beyond their traditional use as a […]
New place for EU-US scientific and technologic cooperation
BILAT-USA and Link2US have now launched a new web portal offering the latest information on joint EU-US activities and initiatives, as well as key documents and overviews that will advance transatlantic research cooperation. [euroalert.net] International cooperation is the cornerstone of the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), and BILAT-USA ("Bilateral coordination for the enhancement and development […]
EULEX suspends Romanians over smuggling charges
Sixteen Romanian gendarmes, members of EULEX, are charged with smuggling excessive amounts of cigarettes and alcohol. An investigation is under way. [setimes.com] More than a dozen Romanian members of EULEX were suspended from the mission on Thursday (April 22nd) over their involvement in a possible smuggling incident. "The gendarmes, who were travelling back to Romania […]
EU to set up anti-cybercrime body
VALENTINA POP EU ministers on Monday proposed to set up a cybercrime centre as part of a longer term strategy to cope with internet scams, fraud and child pornography. [euobserver.com] Foreign ministers gathered in Luxembourg asked the European Commission to draw up a feasibility study looking at the creation of a body that would assess […]
UK police blamed for 1979 protest killing
By Peter Griffiths Thirty years after the death of an anti-fascist protester during clashes in London, Britain’s top policeman Tuesday released a secret report that blamed his killing on riot police. [washingtonpost.com] Blair Peach, 33, a teacher from New Zealand, was hit over the head by an officer who is suspected of conspiring with his […]
Police monitoring social media in anticipation of G20 protests
While arrests are made at the G8 meeting protests in Halifax, Toronto police say this city should brace for major demonstrations and disruptions during the G20 in the downtown core this summer. [cp24.com] Police say they’re tapping social media for tips on major protests to prepare for the meeting of major world leaders in June. […]
Report: CIA Using Micro-drones and Smaller Missiles
Sharon Weinberger Miniature drones and smaller missiles are now part of the CIA’s arsenal in its clandestine war aimed at killing al-Qaida and Taliban leaders in Pakistan, according to The Washington Post. [aolnews.com] In a recent drone attack in Pakistan, the CIA used a 35-pound bomb "probably no bigger than a violin case," the Post […]
Stockholm Action Programme
[frontex.antira.info] Last December (2009), the European Union decided upon the Stockholm Programme, its 5-year-plan for Justice and Home Affairs (check here and here). The Programme itself is more of a framework and doesn’t conclusively state what is exactly to come. For that, there is the Stockholm Action Programme. Statewatch released the Commission Proposal, along with […]
Flying Robot from Canadian Company Aids Central American Drug Raid
The Aeryon Scout, a small man-packable flying robotic UAV system, manufactured by Aeryon Labs of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada gave law enforcement officers the break they needed in a recent drug bust in Central America. The reconnaissance photos taken allowed for a successful raid and subsequent conviction. [prweb.com] The Aeryon Scout, a small man-packable flying robotic […]
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on Italy
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published today the report on its fifth periodic visit to Italy, carried out from 14 to 26 September 2008, together with the response of the Italian Government. These documents have been made public at the request […]
Army Tests Flying Robo-Sniper
By David Hambling Stopping the pirates of Somalia hasn’t been easy. But when the navies of the world have repelled or killed the hijackers, it’s often involved three elements: helicopters, drones and trained snipers. The U.S. Army is working on a weapon which combines all three. [wired.com] It’s called the Autonomous Rotorcraft Sniper System. It […]
The European Commission is about to adopt its Action Plan on the Stockholm Progamme
1. European Commission: Action Plan on the Stockholm Programme: Statewatch Analysis: A bit more freedom and justice and a lot more security by Tony Bunyan: http://www.statewatch.org/analyses/no-95-stockholm-action-plan.pdf "The “harnessing of the digital tsunami” as advocated by the EU Future Group and the surveillance society, spelt out in Statewatch’s “The Shape of Things to Come” is embedded […]
Commission outlines EU justice priorities
The European Commission will today (20 April) present its priorities for the so-called ‚Stockholm Programme‘ to modernise and harmonise EU justice and home affairs policies. But it will shy away from tabling immediate proposals on the controversial issues of immigration and the rights of same-sex couples. [euractiv.com] Immigration, data protection, security and civil rights feature […]
Maker of unmanned aircraft hovers over new UAE deals
Ivan Gale Schiebel, the Austrian defence company, is seeking more contracts in the Middle East for its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) after nearing the end of deliveries on its 60-aircraft deal with the UAE Armed Forces. [thenational.ae] The focus comes as military and national security planners around the world shift to unmanned systems to lower […]