Diplomacy

Central Asia, Russia
Russia's soft power institutions tread carefully in Central Asia

Moscow is trying to maintain its influence in Central Asian countries through its soft power agencies with the aim of consolidating and strengthening its alliances in the region. But the 9 May celebrations revealed deep dissensions within some countries.

China, East Europe, Russia, United States
Washington seeks to prevent Russian power grab at International Telecommunication Union

Both major parties in the House of Representatives recently joined forces to pass a law calling on the State Department to actively back "pro-democracy" candidates for the leadership of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). So as to counter Rashid Ismailov, a Russian former minister who has also worked for Huawei.

France, Saudi Arabia
French consultants devising new avenue for business diplomacy with Riyadh

Negotiations on major contracts between Paris and Riyadh are at a standstill but a new network is gradually being set up, particularly in the naval field.

Armenia, Russia
Russia's FSB tightens its grip in Armenia

After its invason of Ukraine, European governments are nervous about Moscow stirring separatist tensions in other countries, such as Moldova. But the Caucasus remains the sensitive spot, with Russia strengthening its ties with Armenia's intelligence services.

The Corporate Intelligence Gazette
Raedas, Veracity

Appointments, financial results, new contracts: each week, we report on events both big and small that matter in the global corporate intelligence community. This week we go to London and New York.

London Raedas arrives in Washington.

New York With a new boss, Veracity plugs into Democrat diplomacy.

Egypt, Turkey
Turkish and Egyptian spymasters eye deal on Muslim Brotherhood extradition

Ankara, bent on regional reconciliation, is hoping to finalise the normalisaion of its relations with Cairo. It is ready to concede on the issue of extraditing exiled Muslim Brotherhood members, a non-negotiable condition for Egypt.

France, Japan, United Kingdom
Audere ups its game with new Asia-focused consultants

Oliver Blackmore earlier this year completed taking over Audere International, a corporate intelligence firm founded by his father Charles Blackmore. He is now stepping up recruitment of consultants internationally, particularly in Asia, to strengthen his company's presence there.

Sweden, United Kingdom
Online investigator Silobreaker to work for the young Swedish anti-fake news agency

The Swedish-British data analysis company Silobreaker is to provide an open source intelligence platform to the the anti-disinformation agency Myndigheten för Psykologiskt Försvar. This comes at a time when the country is living in fear of interference from Russia in the run-up to this year's parliamentary elections.

Italy
Italian intelligence services woo academia

Italy's DIS, which coordinates intelligence and answers to Prime Minister Mario Draghi, is looking to establish stronger ties between Italy's research and intelligence worlds.

Iraq
Security tensions high in Iraq's overcrowded Sinjar Mountain region

Various Iraqi and foreign interests with shifting alliances, including Turkey, Iran and the US, have added to the instability in Iraq's Sinjar region.

China, Ukraine
War in Ukraine: China concentrates its diplomatic attention on Europe

Although China, Russia and America are toughening up their public positions, the authorities in Beijing are working behind the scenes to push the different parties towards their own proposals for resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

France
Maritime surveillance firm Unseenlabs spreads its wings in Indo-Pacific

French maritime surveillance specialist Unseenlabs, which is already expanding in North America and the Middle East, is now growing in the Indo-Pacific region via a partnership with Starboard Maritime Intelligence and MDA.

Afghanistan
Taliban out of favour with Islamabad over worsening security situation

A worsening security situation, the rise of the local branch of Islamic State and a cooling of support from Pakistan are just some of the difficulties facing Afghanistan's increasingly divided Taliban.

Spotlight | Russia, Ukraine, United States
Kyiv and Washington coordinate future sanctions against Moscow

A group of senior officials, lobbyists, academics, activists, investigators and communications experts are drawing up lists of potential targets for US sanctions against Russia, as well as promoting new international political reprisals.