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EU diplomatic communications accessed by hackers

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BRUSSELS: Hackers accessed the European Union's diplomatic communications network for years, downloading cables that reveal concerns about the Trump administration, struggles to deal with Russia and China and the risk of Iran reviving its nuclear program, The New York Times (NYT) reported late on Tuesday.

More than 1,100 cables were supplied to the NYT by security company Area 1 after it discovered the breach, the newspaper said, adding that Area 1 investigators believed the hackers worked for China's People's Liberation Army.

The cables include memorandums of conversations with leaders in Saudi Arabia, Israel and other countries that were shared across the European Union, according to the report.

One cable shows European diplomats describing a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Finland as "successful (at least for Mr Putin)."

Another, written after a July 16 meeting, relayed a detailed report and analysis of talks between European officials and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was quoted comparing Mr Trump's "bullying" of Beijing to a "no-rules freestyle boxing match".

A third, from March 7, shows Ms Caroline Vicini, the deputy head of the EU mission in Washington, recommending that the trade bloc's diplomats describe the US as "our most important partner" even as it challenged Mr Trump "in areas where we disagreed with the US (for example, on climate, trade, Iran nuclear deal)".

The hackers also infiltrated the networks of the United Nations, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organisations, and ministries of foreign affairs and finance worldwide, the report added. - REUTERS

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