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    Spotlight | Europe, France, Middle East
    France showers intelligence allies with medal diplomacy

    A French Knight of the Legion of Honour medal.
    A French Knight of the Legion of Honour medal.© Quentin de Groeve/Hans Lucas via AFP

    Awarding the Legion of Honour or the Order of Merit to foreign spymasters is a long-standing tradition in France. However, the worsening geopolitical situation and the search for new strategic alliances are drastically accelerating the awarding of medals to Paris's new friends.

    LogoSubscribers only Agencies, Back-Door Diplomacy

    Dubai, United Kingdom
    Dubai ruler's close adviser Mohammed Al Shaibani removed from all government roles

    Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani in Dubai, on 21 January 2023.
    Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani in Dubai, on 21 January 2023.© Samir Hussein/Getty Images via AFP

    Mohammed Al Shaibani, a long-term confidante of Dubai's ruling Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has been accused of using his powerful positions to ensure UK businessman Ryan Cornelius' continued imprisonment. Last week, Shaibani resigned as chairman of Dubai Islamic Bank, but he also lost almost all his duties in the emirate, Intelligence Online can reveal.

    LogoSubscribers only Back-Door Diplomacy

    Spy Way of Life | France, Pakistan
    Masseuses, cigars and a Pakistani funder: the new 'French Club'  in Islamabad

    The cigar lounge at the French Club in Islamabad.
    The cigar lounge at the French Club in Islamabad.© Le French Club Islamabad

    Before leaving Islamabad, the former French ambassador Nicolas Galey quietly relaunched an exclusive French club in the city's diplomatic enclave. The new venue is an iteration of another leisure establishment that was closed down a few years ago over concerns about its excesses.

    LogoSubscribers only Agencies, Back-Door Diplomacy

    China
    Beijing reins in local authorities in wake of overseas 'secret police stations' scandal

    Celebration of the Chinese National Day at the Bund in Shanghai.
    Celebration of the Chinese National Day at the Bund in Shanghai.© Benoit Durand/Hans Lucas via AFP

    The secret "police stations" opened by China in Europe were operated by Chinese provincial units and acted without central guidance. Following recent scandals linked to these stations, the Chinese Communist Party has taken steps to bring its apparatus into line through its own channels and is trialling a new model for maintaining contact with overseas Chinese communities.

    LogoSubscribers only Agencies

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