The Saudi company dedicated to creating the kingdom's sovereign naval industry is taking shape, including through the creation of a new joint venture with a Singaporean giant in the sector.
Ukraine's strongmen in war (4/4) – At the head of Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps, Andriy Biletsky exerts his power through alliances with oligarchs, technological partnerships and propaganda. His denunciation of corrupt elites worries the presidency, which sees him as a rival in uniform with close ties to the far right.
Subscribers only
Back-door diplomacy The European Union's call for more Hong Kong students to come and study is a tactical boon for the Chinese Communist Party's politburo. With Xi Jinping insisting on reasserting his United Front, the influx of students offers a low-cost way to test influence tactics.
Subscribers only
Back-door diplomacy The budget allocated to the French defence ministry's Russia observatory run by the Paris-based IFRI think tank has plunged from €1m to €535,000.
A consultation launched by France's DRM military intelligence directorate for its geopolitical analysis Piranha programme has been halted. The service providers who had bid for the contract were informed of the fact in late October.
Beijing has been taking an increasing number of satellite images of sites being used to test kamikaze drones made by NATO-backed start-up Stark Defence.
Subscribers only
Space A French pro-Moscow association co-chaired by far-right MEP Thierry Mariani is planning its second trip to Russia this year, with the help of a travel agency linked to the Moscovite elite.
