Covid-19

The Agencies' Gazette
New Iranian militia in Syria, Chinese retiree recall, Finnish border, Swedish NSA, ANSSI

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community. This week we hone in on Tehran and Zhengzhou, via Helsinki, Stockholm and Paris.

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

France
French intelligence increasingly mobilised against cults

Cult-like organisations have grown more and more active since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, French anti-cult agency MIVILUDES, now under the authority of the interior ministry, is increasingly collaborating with the intelligence community.

China
Beijing puts its foreign influence spreaders on display

As it enters a new era, Chinese propaganda is relying on foreign diplomats, politicians, academics and journalists to promote its virtues abroad. Intelligence Online has investigated these influence spreaders, who were seen on videos released for the CCP congress.

Turkmenistan, United States
Lobbyist Eric Stewart reopens the door to Ashgabat for US industry

Profiting from Turkmenistan's new openness to foreign business agents, the US Business Councils' champion Eric Stewart is working to increase American industrialists' influence around the Caspian Sea.

France, Turkmenistan
With Vinci, Bouygues and Thales, French industry turns back towards Turkmenistan

The gradual reopening of Turkmenistan to foreign business representatives, after the Covid-19 pandemic, has revived discussions with French industrial partners, who have sought the advice of their historical contacts in the country.

Saudi Arabia
Bahri at forefront of Riyadh's logistics ambitions

Saudi Arabia's shipping company Bahri, at the centre of Mohammed bin Salman's ambition to transform the kingdom into a global logistics hub, is moving away from its foreign partners.

China, France
Paris sets foot back in Wuhan, puts past behind it

With Beijing now back in favour with French diplomats and spies, Paris has taken particular care over the appointment of its new consul in Wuhan, birthplace of Covid-19 and site of the P4 high-security laboratory backed by France.

Russia, San Marino, Vatican
War in Ukraine: San Marino offers to be Vatican's diplomatic pedestal

Two consultants, one French, the other Russian, are working to shape and then promote Pope Francis's mediation efforts with Moscow and Kyiv. They would like to see the microstate of San Marino play host to future talks.

Cambodia, China
Beijing's painstaking work to open up Cambodia's political and royal doors

In order to have a free hand to develop its naval holdings in the country, Beijing has ensured that it has a dedicated team of businessmen in Prime Minister Hun Sen's entourage.