Appointed after the sacking of her predecessor Paz Esteban, who approved the use of Pegasus spyware to monitor Catalan separatists, Esperanza Casteleiro has begun reviewing the Spanish intelligence service's priorities, despite being weakened by internal opposition.
A parliamentary report by French MP Jean-Charles Larsonneur published late last month raises the need for heightened cooperation on strategic anticipation at an inter-ministerial level, and not only within the intelligence services.
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Across the globe, spies gather in inconspicuous dens where they meet contacts and hold discreet conversations. This week, Intelligence Online explores Al Ustad Special Kabab, a long-established Iranian eating place in Dubai's Old Town. Its clients include the inner circle of Crown Prince "Fazza", which makes it a favourite meeting place for diplomats, senior civil servants and businessmen looking for direct contact with the emirate's future ruler.
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China is boosting its activity in the area around the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Its proposal for the construction of a new deepwater port in Bangladesh was rejected, but it is building bridges and a submarine base in the country, despite competition from India and Japan.
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With the final touches being put to the 2023 federal budget, Moscow's political class and biometric technology providers are queuing up for the public funds that could be allocated to facial recognition projects.
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Poised to play a key role in the maritime border deal between Beirut and Tel Aviv, TotalEnergies is getting fully engaged in Lebanon again - but some issues remain to be settled before exploration of its "Block 9" can be launched.
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The financial repercussions of the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan have caught up with security giant Constellis and other groups active in the country before the Taliban resumed control.
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An Italian Carabinieri unit combating organised crime has tasked DeepCyber with developing a complete open source intelligence system for it. In so doing, the unit is following the example of counterparts in other European countries, which are also looking to develop their own dedicated systems.
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