Security

Iran
Pasdaran play kingmakers in Ali Khamenei's succession

With pressure building to name a successor to Iran's ailing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Pasdaran are manoeuvring to influence the appointment. President Ebrahim Raissi is their current favourite.

The Corporate Intelligence Village Voice
Hakluyt, ADIT/ECCO, FTI Consulting

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, Singapore and Paris.

New YorkHakluyt brings in hedge fund veteran.

ParisAlain Fernandez brings ADIT and ECCO closer together on offsets.

London/SingaporeCrédit Suisse not doing well against former Georgian president despite FTI Consulting's help.

France, Singapore
Paris wants to reboot its partnership with Singaporean agency HTX

The French ministry of the interior signed a deal with the fledgling Singaporean security and intelligence technology development agency Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) in 2019. Covid-19 then got in the way of the project, which France is now trying to rekindle.

Ukraine
Kyiv engaged in intelligence legislation frenzy

The Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has been busy lately producing amendments and bills aimed at facilitating the army's operations. It is now poring over military counter-espionage.

Spotlight | United States
UN agencies beef up due diligence

Increasingly conscious of reputational and corruption risks, UN agencies are discreetly beefing up their compliance and due diligence, supplied by a diverse array of consulting firms in this sector.

France
Cyber Impact Fund poaches national cybersecurity policy officer William Lecat

The new French fund specialised in supporting European cyber start-ups has made its first two investments. William Lecat will be responsible for investing in 20 other start-ups over the next five years.

Israel, Sudan
Mossad ordered to help build bridges with Khartoum

A delegation of Sudanese officials is currently visiting Israel in an attempt to establish diplomatic relations, a process currently at a standstill. The Israeli intelligence officers who were recently in Sudan will facilitate the meeting.

China, Vatican
Vatican's secret diplomacy clashes with internal tensions in Beijing

After the Hong Kong cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun's brief arrest on 11 May, what remains of any domestic opposition to the Chinese Communist Party has taken another swipe at the China's talks with the Vatican so dear to President Xi Jinping.

Japan, United Kingdom
Nihon Cyber Defence grows into Japan-based relay of Five Eyes cyber model

The consulting firm Nihon Cyber Defence, which is looking to extend its strategic activities beyond the UK and Japan, has hired the US embassy in Canberra's former intelligence liaison officer, John Powers.

Jordan
GID gets battle ready to tackle drug trafficking

Jordan's intelligence community is on high alert over the increased threat of Captagon pills coming across the border from Syria and has been recruiting amongst those connected to the illicit drug trade there.

Russia, Ukraine
FSB still at forefront of intelligence gathering in Ukraine

Rumours abound about the leadership of the Russian security services deployed in Ukraine to back the military offensive and feed Moscow with intelligence from the field.

Russia, Ukraine
Moscow's shifting security and political strategies in the Donbass

The heavy losses suffered by its armies in Donetsk and Luhansk are forcing Moscow to review its political and security roadmap for the territories.