Interpol

Saudi Arabia, UAE
Abu Dhabi challenges Riyadh for UNESCO director-general role

Audrey Azoulay will step down as DG of UNESCO in 2025 and Saudi Arabia's designs on the prestigious international role now face a challenge from the UAE as the neighbouring countries both seek to raise their profiles and influence.

France, United Kingdom, United States
Ergo, Vantage, G3, Silverbridge, Audere, Amarante, GEOS, Baubigeat Zeller

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 Washington, London and Paris.

China
Xi Jinping to bring PLA political commissars to heel

In his third term, China's president wants to consolidate his hold over his country's military apparatus. To regain control over the politics of the People's Liberation Army, Xi has chosen to drastically rein in political commissars, who have now been relegated to merely executing the party's will.

Spotlight | France, Qatar, Russia, United Kingdom, United States
Quest, McLaren and 5 Stones lead the race in 'sport business' investigations boom

After having originally targeted doping and then corruption and sexual and moral abuse, the number of private investigations being carried out in the world of sport has exploded, partly due to the political importance sport has taken on in some countries.

The Corporate Intelligence Gazette
Goron to supplant MPP at LVMH, GEOS in El Salvador, Jones joins Alvarez, EU sets up sanctions helpdesk, banking lobby fights financial crimes in EU

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 Paris, Brussels, Basel and Washington.

Paris Goron poised to take over from MPP as LVMH provider

Basel/Brussels Anti-money laundering banking lobby registers in EU

France GEOS heads to El Salvador for the EU

Washington Alvarez & Marsal ropes in investigations star Kenneth Jones

Brussels EU forks out €4m to help small businesses do due diligence

Saudi Arabia
Mohammed bin Salman hunts Abdullah's military equipment broker

The royal authorities have set their sights on businessman Salah Fustok, the authorising officer for the National Guard's contracts during King Abdullah's reign, and are determined to apprehend him.

Spotlight | Ukraine
Kyiv to appoint new head of asset recovery

Ukraine's asset recovery agency, another of the country's anti-corruption tools, is following Kyiv's good governance path and focussing its efforts on managing assets seized from sanctioned individuals.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian security and cybersecurity firm Viso Group has connections in London and the Hague

The firm, founded in 2020, has landed Saudi Arabia's Neom smart city project as a client, thanks to the pedigree of its management and advisers.

Switzerland
Huawei's French strategic affairs director heads to CyberPeace Institute in Geneva

Adding to its line-up of senior Western cyber experts, the NGO CyberPeace Institute, of which Microsoft is a major donor, has hired Huawei executive and former French special forces officer Vincent de Crayencour.

Europe
Contract-hungry industry tries to weigh in as Interpol charts standards for anti-drone measures

Interpol will soon be issuing its first recommendations on anti-drone measures. The industry is involved in this process that will structure the global market, and is trying to make its voice heard.

Spotlight | Syria
Spymaster Ali Mamlouk has slipped from public view

Syria's spymaster in chief during the civil war, Ali Mamlouk, has been active in all the country's intelligence campaigns since 2012, both internal and external. Although no official announcement has been made and there has been no major incident, he looks to have been sidelined in favour of rising star Hussam Luka.

France
Arrest of French cybersecurity agency volunteer calls cyber ransom negotiation into question

As in the "real world", the payment of ransoms in cyberspace is of concern to governments and insurance companies, as the recent arrest of a French 'ethical' hacker has highlighted.