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Tech compliance reports, Newsletter

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Tech compliance reports, Newsletter

This week’s key events presented by senior tech and industry reporter Cynthia Kroet

Key diary dates

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Monday 6- Wednesday 8 May: High-Level Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) organised by the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU.

Monday 6 May: Deadline for online platforms regulated under the Digital Services Act to submit transparency reports.

Tuesday 7 May: NGO Seas at Risk to publish report on under-sea mining. 

In spotlight

EU platform rules return to the spotlight this week, since today (6 May) is the deadline for the largest online platforms – those with more than 45 million users per month – to hand in their transparency reports under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

It’s the second batch of reports after the stringent rules started applying to the likes of Facebook, Amazon and TikTok last August.

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With the submission of the first reports in October, platforms were scrutinised over the low number of content moderators they had in some of the smaller EU member states. Facebook has a single employee looking at Maltese content, and three in Estonia, claiming that much of the process is automated. In comparison, TikTok, which has fewer users per month, has six people looking at Estonian content and none for Maltese.

In light of the latest DSA probes started by the European Commission last week: into Facebook’s and Instagram’s handling of disinformation and ability to stop Russian fake news, all eyes will be on platforms’ election preparedness. And it remains to be seen if the social media platforms have taken more action compared to half a year ago.

With just about a month to go to the European Parliament election, the Commission is trying to ramp up platform preparedness for the poll. Stress-tests last month (24 April) were designed to help mitigate risks that may impact the integrity of elections and their services, for example.

However, as the latest Facebook and Instagram probes show, the Commission largely counting on the willingness of mother company Meta to comply; since there is no deadline for when the probes might end. 

Policy newsmakers

@Kergueno                                                                                                                @Uspaskich

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MEPs interests

MEPs collectively earn more than €8.6 million a year from outside jobs – including from private companies that also actively lobby on EU policy, according to a report published by Transparency International EU today (6 May). Topping the list is Lithuanian MEP Viktor Uspaskich, who declares €3,000,000 per year working for a company called Edvervita UAB. The group, including Raphaël Kergueno, senior policy officer at Transparency, has called for EU lawmakers to be banned from moonlighting, as figures show over two thirds of the 705 deputies disclose activities in addition to their core role. 

Policy Poll

Should MEPs elected to the next European Parliament be permitted remuneration:

From MEP salary alone

From additional side jobs

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Subscribe here to see the results of last week’s poll and stay informed on the latest EU policy developments with our weekly newsletter, “The Policy Briefing”. Your weekly insight on European rulemaking, policy issues, key events, and data trends.

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Brazil's Flavio Bolsonaro Plans to Testify Against Proposed US Tariffs

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Brazil's Flavio Bolsonaro Plans to Testify Against Proposed US Tariffs
By Luciana Magalhaes SAO PAULO, June ⁠23 (Reuters) – ⁠Brazilian right-wing Senator ⁠Flavio Bolsonaro, who plans to run in the country’s October presidential election, has registered ‌to appear at a ‌public hearing before the U.S. International Trade ⁠Commission ⁠to oppose a proposed 25% tariff on …
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Kim Jong Un calls for North Korea to build 2 large warships per year in major naval expansion push: report

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Kim Jong Un calls for North Korea to build 2 large warships per year in major naval expansion push: report

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday called for a major expansion of the country’s naval forces, suggesting the regime should build two large warships each year for the next five years.

Speaking at a commissioning ceremony for a new destroyer, Kim suggested North Korea should build two warships comparable in size to its 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class vessel each year over the next five years, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim was celebrating the deployment of the new multipurpose destroyer at the port of Nampho. In April, he observed launches of two cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles from the vessel.

The destroyer successfully completed military operational tests over the past 14 months, according to KCNA.

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KIM JONG UN OVERSEES CRUISE MISSILE LAUNCHES FROM PRIZED NEW NORTH KOREAN WARSHIP

North Korea launched two cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles from the destroyer Choe Hyon, April 12, according to North Korean state media. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP)

Kim previously hailed the development of the Choe Hyon as a major step toward expanding the operational reach and preemptive strike capabilities of North Korea’s military.

Kim also said the navy’s nuclearization is “advancing along its own course,” contributing to the country’s nuclear deterrence.

The naval buildup comes as Kim seeks to strengthen what analysts have long viewed as one of the weaker branches of North Korea’s military.

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NORTH KOREA RELAUNCHES WARSHIP THAT SUFFERED EMBARRASSING FAILURE DURING INITIAL LAUNCH

The new multipurpose destroyer Choe Hyon during its commissioning ceremony at Nampho port, North Korea, Tuesday. (KCNA via REUTERS)

KCNA reported that Kim intends to deploy another 5,000-ton destroyer, the Kang Kon, along with larger 10,000-ton strategic warships.

The Kang Kon was first unveiled in May of last year but was damaged during a failed launch at the northern port city of Chongjin. The vessel was later relaunched following repairs.

By adding new capabilities, North Korea’s navy would become “something incredible beyond imagination,” Kim said.

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NORTH KOREA RELEASES IMAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINE

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the commissioning ceremony of the new multipurpose destroyer Choe Hyon at Nampho port, North Korea, Tuesday. (KCNA via Reuters)

“Building a modernized naval base has ​emerged as a ​desperate and ⁠essential task,” he added.

State media reported that Kim is also reviewing plans to construct new naval bases.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observes strategic cruise and anti-warship missiles test-fired from the destroyer Choe Hyon, April 12. (Korean Central News Agency/Reuters)

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Speaking during a meeting of the Workers’ Party’s Central Committee on Monday, Kim said the navy would undergo changes to its status, role and scope of operations.

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He did not elaborate on what those changes would entail.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman-Diamond and Reuters contributed to this report.

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Four Gaza aid flotilla activists released from Libya detention

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Four Gaza aid flotilla activists released from Libya detention

Global Sumud Flotilla group says six others remain in detention and are expected to be released within 24 hours.

Four pro-Palestinian campaigners detained in Libya for about a month have been released, the Global Sumud Flotilla group has said.

In a statement on Wednesday, the organisation said Achraf Khoja from Tunisia, Matias Rodriguez from Uruguay, and Domenico Centrone and Leonarda Alberizia, both from Italy, had all arrived in Tunis. Six others are expected to be released in the next 24 hours, it added.

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In an earlier statement, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani welcomed the news of the released Italians, saying the two, along with Rodriguez, who has Italian citizenship, were handed over to Italy’s consul in Benghazi. They will return to Italy on Wednesday, he said on X.

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More than 400 activists were arrested last month in international waters on board dozens of vessels while sailing towards Gaza to break a siege imposed on the enclave by Israel.

The activists held in Libya were part of a separate group which tried to reach the strip by land. They had staged a hunger strike in protest at their detention, the Global Sumud Flotilla said.

 

According to Amnesty International, on May 24, 2026, an armed group affiliated with Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF), which is allied to the de facto authorities in eastern and southern Libya, the Libyan National Army, arrested the 10 humanitarian activists from eight different countries as they were en route to the city of Sirte to negotiate the convoy’s passage with local authorities.

The activists were seeking approval from the authorities for the convoy to continue the journey through Libya and Egypt to reach Gaza.

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“Following periods of enforced disappearance ranging from two to nine days, prosecutors interrogated them before ordering their pretrial detention pending investigations into charges of ‘assembly without authorization,’” Amnesty said.

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