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Deep Dive | France
Spy games giant Ubisoft fighting its own intelligence wars

Ubisoft may have recruited ex-soldiers, spies and hackers to feed the realism of its flagship franchises, from Ghost Recon to Watch Dogs, but the French video game maker is still lagging when it comes to managing its own security and corporate intelligence.

Deep Dive | France, Japan, United States
The 'ninjas' at Nintendo, Sega and Sony who hunt down traitors and leaks

The major players in the video game industry use specialised units to track down pirates and traitors. The investigators working for the company that created Mario were exposed by a leak in 2020 and have been dubbed ‘Nintendo ninjas'.

France, South Korea
Thales Alenia Space eyes Seoul's future military communications satellite programme

As part of the new ‘comprehensive strategic partnership' between France and South Korea, a major strategic agreement is expected to be signed during President Lee Jae Myung's forthcoming visit to Paris. Discussions on this matter began during President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Seoul in March.

Deep Dive | United States
Pokémon Go to the rescue… of spies

The creators of Smurfs' Village are no longer the only ones working for US intelligence. Following on from the innovations of developers at Blackshark.ai, the makers of Pokémon Go are now also making a splash in one of the most coveted sectors: the revolution in GPS-free geolocation.

Deep Dive | United States
From Smurfs' Village to Flight Simulator: the European game developers helping US intelligence up its game

Strategic US technology is increasingly being developed by video game experts, and the conflict in Iran has shown their value. The European devs behind Microsoft Flight Simulator and Smurfs' Village are now at the vanguard making AI tools for intelligence.

France, Greece
Eyeing return to power, Greek ex-PM Alexis Tsipras reactivates Paris networks

The French capital is proving more popular than ever with Greek leaders. As Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis thrashes out a new defence deal with Paris, his rival Alexis Tsipras is reviving his French support base while dreaming of a return to the PM's job.

Spotlight | China, Russia, United States
US lawmakers raise alarm on Russia and China's 'seabed warfare'

As the war in the Middle East exposes the vulnerabilities of global supply chains, the US Congress wants the government to step up efforts to protect critical undersea infrastructure, particularly to counter Beijing and Moscow's malign activities.

Japan
Takaichi's intelligence reform looks to international cooperation to fix its flaws

In their reports submitted on the eve of Japan's intelligence reform, the country's ruling party and the House of Councillors' Research Office strongly emphasised the need to draw on foreign expertise given Japanese intelligence agencies' serious shortcomings.

France, Russia, Thailand
From Paris runway crash to Bangkok hangar: how Russian-Thai networks acquired a Boeing 737

Intelligence Online has obtained documents that show how a Russian-Thai network, suspected of evading civil aviation sanctions, acquired an airliner after it was involved in an accident at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport in 2022.

Thailand
Hyundai mandates influential businesswoman in Bangkok to secure frigate contract

The South Korean company Hyundai Heavy Industries is one of 11 bidders for Thailand's future navy frigate. A very well-connected businesswoman could be the key to securing this deal.

Spotlight | Russia, Ukraine
Ukrainian intelligence's 'Group 13' takes hunt for Russia's ghost fleet to the Mediterranean

Ukraine's GUR military intelligence is using a bulk carrier sailing out of Odessa as a covert operations platform. Specially configured for the deployment of naval drones, it can strike Moscow's ships in the Mediterranean being used to export sanctioned hydrocarbons.

The Agencies' Gazette
SGDSN anniversary watch, ODNI military adviser, Kyiv's Africa plan

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

FranceBespoke watches for SGDSN's 120th anniversary

USTulsi Gabbard's new military adviser is a Marine

UkraineA plan for Kyiv's return to Africa