On Monday, July 6, Armenian businessman and leader of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party, Gagik Tsarukyan, was detained in Yerevan on suspicion of organizing large-scale fraud and money laundering. According to Armenia’s Investigative Committee, the operation began early in the morning. Security forces conducted searches at more than 70 locations...
UK imposes new sanctions on Russian developers of Novichok
The UK government has announced new sanctions against Russian scientists and research institutes involved in the development of the Novichok nerve agent and the toxin epibatidine. The British government's press office reported the move. The sanctions target seven individuals and two leading research institutes that participated in Russia's chemical weapons...
Paris court of appeal to deliver ruling on Marine Le Pen case today
The Paris Court of Appeal will issue its decision today, July 7, in the case involving the alleged fraudulent employment of parliamentary assistants by the former National Front (now the National Rally). Marine Le Pen, the party’s leader, is accused of complicity in a system that illegally used European Parliament...
Slovakia’s referendum to cancel Robert Fico’s lifelong pension fails
The nationwide referendum on abolishing lifelong payments to former prime ministers of Slovakia, including current Prime Minister Robert Fico, has been officially declared invalid. The reason is extremely low voter turnout. According to Slovakia’s Statistical Office, after processing protocols from 99.5% of polling stations, turnout stood at just 16.1% (approximately...
Hungarian Prime Minister calls for constitutional changes
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has submitted a draft bill of constitutional amendments to parliament. Among the key proposals is the possibility of early termination of the current president’s mandate. According to Magyar, this is the first precedent in 36 years in which changes to the Constitution are being made...
UK forms new Drone Operational Group inspired by Ukraine
The UK Ministry of Defence has announced the formation of a specialized task force designed to radically accelerate the adoption of unmanned systems across all branches of the country's armed forces. The new unit is partly modeled on Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, which have proven their effectiveness in full-scale warfare....
Spanish Defence Minister announces launch of 15 defence initiatives
Ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles announced the launch of 15 new defence programs. She stated that these initiatives will enable the country to guarantee defense spending at 2% of GDP, thereby fulfilling key commitments to the North Atlantic Alliance. Robles's announcement came as...
Hackers breach UK Foreign Office staff email accounts
Russian hackers have compromised the email accounts of British government officials and Foreign Office staff stationed abroad. The stolen login credentials are being offered for sale on darknet forums for up to $60,000, according to The Daily Telegraph. The breach affected accounts that could potentially provide access to sensitive Whitehall...
Hungary revokes refugee status from Poland’s former Justice minister and his associates
Hungary has revoked the refugee status of Poland’s former Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro, his ex-deputy Marcin Romanowski, and the former minister’s wife, Patrycja Kotecka-Ziobro. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced the development. “I have received written confirmation that Hungary has stripped Marcin Romanowski, Zbigniew Ziobro, and Patrycja Kotecka-Ziobro of...
Russian drones spied on European nuclear sites for 18 months
Russia conducted a large-scale espionage operation targeting strategic nuclear and military facilities across several European countries for 18 months. The drones were launched directly from vessels of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” according to a new report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). According to the study, at least...