European Parliament

The Agencies' Gazette
UK tight with US space force, Uzbek state probe, Abbas succession reboot, Russian separatists summit, China's reservists

Appointments, reforms and key issues: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community. This week, we hone in on London and Tashkent via Ramallah, Brussels and Beijing.

United Kingdom/United States Britain buddies up with US Space Force

Uzbekistan Senior officials investigated by State Security Service

Palestinian territories Abbas's presumed successor falls from grace

Brussels Kremlin opponents and separatist leaders gather at European Parliament

China Xi changes reservist conscription system

Europe
ChapsVision and Cy4gate continue to consolidate Europe's cyber intelligence sector

By buying up smaller companies, ChapsVision and Cy4gate are each looking to build up a dominant position in the European cyber intelligence business.

Latvia, United States
US lobbyist David Merkel at the centre of Latvian lawyer's murder case

The Latvian probe into the murder of Latvian lawyer Martins Bunkus, linked to the liquidation of the country's third largest commercial bank ABLV, has extended to the US. His former lobbyist is being investigated.

The Agencies' Gazette
Hossam Louka in Riyadh, State Department's generosity to Chisinau, France's Zahra center

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community from Riyadh to Washington, and Paris to Tehran.

Syria/Saudi ArabiaHossam Louka pops up in Riyadh.

United States/MoldovaChisinau biggest receiver of US fund to counter Russian influence.

France/IranFormer pro-Iranian Centre Zahra France official fails to block asset freeze.

Poland, Ukraine, United States
Warsaw fights information war for Kyiv in North America

The Polish government, which is already at the heart of the logistical system for the Western response to Russia's war on Ukraine, is also one of Kyiv's leading allies in the information war. It is using American firms to carry out its communications campaigns.

Spotlight | United States
European far-right hired Beltway lobbyists to build US political ties

Logan Circle Group brokered introductions for European politicians with a constellation of far right wing counterparts in Washington and Arizona.

China, France
Detekt'in helps Chinese firm Nuctech enter French market

Paris-based security systems distributor Detekt'in is helping Chinese scanner manufacturer Nuctech, a company close to the Chinese defence ecosystem, expand in France. Long barred from the United States, Nuctech is coming under increased scrutiny in Europe.

Afghanistan, United Kingdom
Opcit Research to serve as UN terrorism look-out in Afghanistan

With high-level diplomatic meetings in full swing in Central Asia, and Afghanistan one of the main subjects of discussion, the UN has called in one of its regular contractors to help it gain a better understanding of the area.

Spotlight | Russia, United Kingdom
Londongrad divided over use of SLAPPs and GDPR in lawsuits

Private investigators and lawyers representing foreign executives, particularly Russian, East European and Central Asian oligarchs, are bracing themselves for bitter fights over libel and privacy cases.

Europe
Airbus and Thales rally networks of influence to reap benefits of European rearmament

Russia's war on Ukraine is set to swell European Union expenditure on defence. Airbus and Thales want to ensure a share of that windfall comes their way.

The Agencies' Gazette
Afghan planes in Tashkent, Russian military engineers decorated, DNI

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, we serve up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community. This week, we go from Paris to Tashkent, Washington, Brussels and Kabul.

Uzbekistan/AfghanistanTashkent refuses to return Afghan planes to Kabul.

RussiaMoscow decorates military engineers.

FranceMarc Burg lures more top spies to his degree course.

ParisSenators call for a law on facial recognition.

United StatesDNI tasked again to tackle China's support to Russia.

EuropeEuropol, future watchdog of foreign investment in the EU.

China, European Union
European Commission hires US's Rhodium to monitor Chinese investments

The New York firm will keep a database on Chinese direct investments in Europe, following a less than stellar report on the European mechanism to control foreign investment that came into force in October 2020.

France, Syria
Syria creeps into France's presidential election campaign

French presidential candidates will not be able to avoid talking about Syria, whether on issues relating to French special forces, repatriating French nationals in prison or the threat still posed by Islamic State. With just two months to go to the first voting round, Intelligence Online looks at their positions.