Tehran pulls its militias from Syria to beef up domestic fronts

Pro-Damascus Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce makes Paris comeback 

The Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, the industrial and commercial arm of President Bashar Al Assad's regime, attended the recent Franco-Arab Chamber of Commerce summit in Paris, despite continuing French hostility to a rapprochement with Damascus.

Saudi Arabia's earthquake aid reveals Riyadh's changing posture towards Syria 

Saudi Arabia and Syria's secret normalisation process has been brought into the open by recent Saudi deliveries of humanitarian aid to areas of Syria controlled by Assad, an initiative that paves the way for more direct diplomatic contact.

• IRAN/SYRIA - IRGC mobilises new militia against US interests in Syria

• CHINA - Retired military, state personnel hired to prevent iPhone production jam

• FINLAND - Border guards camp in the east
  

• SWEDEN - Bigger budget for interception agency FRA
  

• FRANCE - Senators move to make ANSSI more aggressive

Basiji militia leads Pasdaran crackdown against popular uprising in Iran 

Mobilising all its military forces in a bid to crush the anti-government uprising that began nearly two months ago, Tehran has positioned its Basiji miltia, which can infiltrate all levels of the poulation, at the front line.

Mohammad Kazemi already at work reorganising the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence service 

Only just appointed to his new post as head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' intelligence service, Mohammad Kazemi intends to respond rapidly to Ali Khamenei's wish to reform this key component of the regime's security apparatus.