France, United States
Diplomat or undercover agent? US embassy visit in French school raises DGSI's eyebrows

France's DGSI domestic intelligence service, which monitors foreign embassy activities for potential covert operations, recently investigated a US embassy representative in Paris who spoke at a secondary school in western France.

Iran, UAE
Fake names, empty offices and code words: How Iranian securocrat's family keeps illicit oil ops alive

The Shamkhani group's huge oil, gas and commodities empire has generated tens of billions of dollars by facilitating trading of Russian and Iranian products. As US and European governments clamp down on the group's activities, employees have sought various ways to avoid detection.

Saudi Arabia
Loyal MbS aide takes charge of fighter jet talks

The sudden dismissal of three senior Saudi defence industry officials last month has called into question most military procurement negotiations. One figure appears to be the new point man for fighter jet acquisitions.

Philippines
Manila defence chief sets sights on Indian underwater drones

The strategic rapprochement between New Delhi and Manila has led the Philippine defence secretary, Gilberto Teodoro, to consider alternative options to acquiring submarines.

UAE
From grappling mat to boat building empire: the story of the UAE spy chief's former jiu jitsu partner turned top shipping exec

Little in Guy Neivens' background foretold his role as one of Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed's closest confidants, but the unassuming former sports enthusiast from London now manages more than $2bn of marine infrastructure assets.

Turkey
Mystery remains over provenance of Turkish drones used in India-Pakistan clashes

India claims Pakistan used Turkish Songar drones during the May conflict between the two countries. But the manufacturer itself claims not to have sold any such aircraft to Pakistan and has launched an investigation into the matter.

Bosnia, United States
Bosnian Serb charm offensive targets Trump's power circle

United Kingdom
Audere-Viceroy: UK ombudsman studying MP's involvement in black PR campaign

Short seller Fraser Perring's complaint to the House of Commons' Standards Commissioner last month upped the ante in a long-running campaign against Liam Byrne MP, who is accused of abusing parliamentary privileges during a speech in 2023.

Australia, UAE
Dubai money laundering trial explores nexus of Western financiers and lawyers in UAE

A Dubai criminal court has been hearing evidence of fraud and money laundering against more than 12 individuals and entities in the UAE litigation sector. Among the accused are lawyers, Gulf law firms and the CEO of London-listed dispute funder Litigation Capital Management.

France
French army gives up on Safran's Patroller drone

After months of rumours, several military sources say the French army is set to quietly abandon the Patroller programme, which has been marked by technical delays, tactical vulnerabilities and incompatibility with the realities of modern warfare observed in Ukraine.

Europe
Maker of Pokemon Go moves into European geospatial intelligence

Niantic, the company that developed the hit mobile game Pokemon Go, will be unveiling a geospatial language model at the London Defence Exhibition that may significantly impact the geospatial sector.

Poland, Ukraine
Gladius, the Polish strike system covertly created on Ukrainian battlefields

Presented as the pride of Poland's drone warfare capabilities at this month's MSPO 2025 trade show, the Gladius system embodies WB Electronics' expertise. Yet according to documents seen by Intelligence Online, this apparatus would never have seen the light of day without clandestine tests conducted in Ukraine, tests that are causing concern as Warsaw distances itself from Kyiv.

Germany, Israel
Israeli spyware champion has eyes on reviving German market

The German government wants to forge alliances with Israeli cyber companies, bringing relief to the ailing sector. Israel's Candiru appears to be in an ideal position to heed its call.