International

France
French parliament mulls over government's capacity for strategic anticipation

A parliamentary report by French MP Jean-Charles Larsonneur published late last month raises the need for heightened cooperation on strategic anticipation at an inter-ministerial level, and not only within the intelligence services.

Russia
Siloviki eye facial recognition as potential windfall in their search for funds

With the final touches being put to the 2023 federal budget, Moscow's political class and biometric technology providers are queuing up for the public funds that could be allocated to facial recognition projects.

Argentina, China
Beijing takes action behind the scenes for control of Ushuaia naval base

Despite US opposition, Tierra del Fuego governor Gustavo Melella is making the most of the energy emergency to help keep Chinese investors in the region.

Germany, UAE
Veterans of Germany's defunct cyber firm FinFisher pursue new avenues

Ex-Finfisher CEO Georg Magg has been appointed to head the European branch of US cybersecurity firm SilverSky, while Martin Johannes Münch, the brains behind Finfisher's Trojan Horse, is now in the UAE.

Spotlight | United States
Role of US private military contractors expanding sharply in Ukraine

As Russia's war in Ukraine grinds into its ninth month, the role of PMCs backing Ukrainian troops appears to be growing, interviews and a review of job ads show.

Azerbaijan
Baku counts on its preferred mobile operator to control Nagorno-Karabakh's telecoms

Ilham Aliyev's government is counting on Azerbaijani mobile operator Azercell to help it establish itself permanently in Nagorno-Karabakh, where, ultimately, it aims to install a major surveillance network.

The Corporate Intelligence Village Voice
Amarante in the south of France, Kroll waiting on money, McRoberts back to Veracity, 5 Stones expands to SIGINT

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 New York, London, Miami and Marseille.

New York Kroll waiting for Smerling fraud money

London Carla McRoberts returns

Miami 5 Stones Intelligence expands into technical intelligence

Marseille Muselier brings in Amarante

France, Saudi Arabia
French consultants steer Saudi Arabia's Scopa Industries

The Saudi Arabian defence company Scopa Industries is tapping into French expertise through offshoots of the Saint-Etienne-based company Meta Productique.

France, Israel
Tracfin seeks cooperation with counterpart IMPA to crackdown on bi-national financial crimes

A real problem for the French-Israeli relationship for years now, financial frauds carried out by dual nationals from the Jewish state continue to grow in number, but a joint agreement between the two countries is set to change that.

Russia
Kremlin puts its think tank in media spotlight

The Russian Institute of Strategic Research, headed by former external intelligence chief Mikhail Fradkov, is under orders to raise its media profile.

Kazakhstan, UAE
Kazakhstan's Butterfly Effect aims to get into the Gulf via partnerships with UAE's state-owned cyber groups

Kazakh interceptions firm Butterfly Effect is looking for partners in the UAE to help it win public sector contracts in the Middle East.

France, Kazakhstan
All eyes on Orano at Paris celebration of Kazakhstan's Republic Day

Kazakhstan's national day was the perfect opportunity to have a chic little shindig at the Pavillon Royal in Paris. This diplomatic event encouraging bilateral projects attracted companies like uranium miner Orano.

Israel, UAE, United States
Israeli warzone consultant takes on peers over US Somalia contract

A lawsuit by Israeli warzone logistics consultant Roy Shaposhnik over one of the US State Department's biggest security contracts is dragging in the sector's biggest players in the Gulf of Aden.