While the delicate task of working towards Syria's reconciliation with its neighbours in the Middle East is in the hands of his intelligence chiefs, Bashar al-Assad has also sought help from prominent figures of his father's old guard. One such adviser is Bouthaina Shaaban, who is close to his wife Asma al-Assad.
Russia's largest shipbuilder will shortly retake a capital stake in one of its former subsidiaries, ticking off another box on its list of potential acquisition targets in the strategic Vladivostok region.
After ten years holding down the British defence giant's most secretive role, Andrew Cooper has moved into corporate diplomacy alongside Daniel Brennan, prominent barrister and former member of the UK parliament's Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy.
