The world of hi-tech, fast moving intelligence is often characterised as something out of a spy film, but the practice has its roots well-established in history. One man in England’s story, Sir Francis Walsingham, arguably did more than any other to solidify the tenets of English intelligence and set the tone for the next 500 […]
“When sorrows come, they come not single spies…” Read More »
After a two rounds vote concluded earlier this month, and various fraud allegations, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has won another term as President of Mali. Since 2012 the country has been experiencing a deep crisis characterized by rebellions and widespread violence mostly in the northern region; during his first term in power Keita was not able
Mali: just a forgotten state? Read More »
Plot the key jurisdictions where hackers find the warmest welcome and you would likely come up with the usual suspects: Russia, China, Israel and so on. But one name sits a little incongruously on the list: Brazil. How is it that this state with no state-sponsored ‘hacker armies’, and not a major player in the
Hacking in Brazil: Order and progress? Read More »
Would you trust an AI to offer you a job? A Russian company is offering AI software to interview and recommend candidates for employment, at a much faster and more efficient rate than humans could ever hope to match. ‘Vera’ can perform all aspects of the recruiter’s job and is currently used by hundreds of
More human than human? The rise of business AI Read More »
While the British rush to get Irish passports, the rest of the world rush to get British ones. The wealthiest of the elite – those who can immediately invest two million pounds into the economy – are given ‘golden visas’ which entitle them to an immediate 40 month period of UK residency despite a purported
Willy Wonka and the Visa Factory Read More »
Whether you are singing le football rentre a la maison or nogomet se vraca kuci, or the original under your breath: however many years of hurt your country may have, football will be going somewhere. Whether ‘home’ or not, rather depends on your geography. But while variations on that theme will have been heard throughout
Bambi On Ice: famous footballing fakes Read More »
The time is running out and Turkey is now prepared to face the presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday 24th June. Millions of voters have been bombarded with all sort of (fake/real) news. In the past debates had been raised regarding the impact fake news had on elections in other countries, such as in the
Turkey elections: a glimmer of hope? Read More »
Picture the scene. A particular table at a particular casino, strangely not part of the action. A gentleman comes to the table and plays one single game of baccarat. The stake – ten million dollars. He loses, pays his debt and leaves without a word. But while this may sound like the stuff of spy
Cyberlaundering: A Bad Deal Read More »
‘Unexpectedly’ Nicolas Maduro won another six-year term as President of Venezuela in the recent elections. The country has now reached its lowest point since Chavez’s departure. The 55-year-old leftist will have a lot to work on, even though it was his policy of extensive corruption and remissness of economic stability that led his ship to
Venezuela: a failed state Read More »
Could Britain be about to take suspected Russian dirty money seriously? First was the introduction of Unexplained Wealth Orders, allowing for greater exploration into the vast amounts of money certain individuals brought to the UK. Now, Roman Abramovich is leading the line of oligarchs facing visa renewal issues. It appears that the Chelsea owner will
Blue is the colour (of Russian money) Read More »