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Espionage

Espionage
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Espionage. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Photographer Grigory Skvortsov, left, during the verdict announcement in his treason trial in Perm, Russia on Thursday. Photo: Perm Regional Court / AFP
Russia

Russia jails photographer for 16 years for handing material to US journalist

Grigory Skvortsov, arrested in 2023, was found guilty of treason for passing information about once-secret Soviet-era bunkers to a journalist.

Israel-Iran conflict

China warned to watch for threats as Israeli spies in Iran open ‘Pandora’s box’

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Israel-Iran conflict

CIA says US bombing set Iran’s nuclear programme back for ‘years’

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US-China relations

‘Peddling fear’: China’s top security agency mocks CIA Chinese informant drive

US spy agency’s ‘clumsy’ effort to recruit Chinese informants is budget-driven stunt in face of Trump cuts, Ministry of State Security says.

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In an online article posted on Wednesday, China’s Ministry of State Security claimed the CIA has doubled down on hyping the “China threat” with recruitment videos that were “riddled with clumsy rhetoric and slanderous claims”. Photo: Reuters
Britain

UK calls China’s power ‘an inescapable fact’, says freezing ties not an option

Chinese attempts to spy on and destabilise Britain have grown, but Beijing remains a vital economic partner, a government audit concludes.

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Ukraine war

Ukraine reveals details of alleged plot to assassinate Zelensky

Polish former soldier, recruited by Russian intelligence, was to kill Zelensky at an airport in Poland, according to Ukrainian intelligence.

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Israel-Iran conflict

Iran executes man convicted of being spy for Israel

Majid Mosayebi, accused of seeking to provide ‘sensitive information’ to Mossad spy service, was hanged on Sunday, Iran’s judiciary said.

Iran on Sunday hanged a man who was convicted of being an agent for Israel’s Mossad spy service. Photo: Shutterstock
China-Russia relations

Opinion | In China-Russia relations, power speaks louder than friendship

A leaked Russian memo reportedly calling China a potential threat continues the long and tangled arc of Sino-Russian history.

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China’s Communist Party

China’s state security agency warns of phishing emails sent by foreign spies

In one case a shipbuilding expert at a well-known university received an email with a Trojan program embedded in it, ministry says.

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Hong Kong courts

Opinion | Hong Kong an example in balancing national security and people’s rights

Five years on from introduction of security law, the city is showing how the two issues, rather than being in conflict, are interconnected and reinforce each other.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Britain

UK appoints first woman to head MI6 spy service

Career intelligence officer Blaise Metreweli chosen as next MI6 chief, an appointment the UK prime minister called historic.

The headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, in London. File photo: AP
US-China relations

Trump seems to reverse course on Chinese students in US, saying he supports them

State Department has announced policy to ‘aggressively revoke’ visas, but president’s remarks suggest a link to trade deal with Beijing.

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China-UK relations

UK vows due diligence on Chinese embassy in London amid security concerns

Trump has warned PM Starmer against letting China set up mega-embassy near UK’s key financial centres; plan revived following lobbying by Xi.

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Middle East

Iran says it obtained sensitive Israeli nuclear documents

The trove of files was so large that Tehran ordered a news blackout until they were transported safely into Iran, state media reported.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran in May. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
US-China relations

US Senate panel passes Taiwan, mainland China overseas military growth measures

Foreign Relations Committee also backs nomination of Michael DeSombre as assistant US secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs.

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The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed bills on Thursday that would counter Beijing’s overseas military expansion and bolster Taiwan’s role in global finance. Photo: AFP
Books and literature

The secret’s out, former CIA director William Burns is writing a memoir

Joe Biden’s Central Intelligence Agency chief is penning a memoir, Diplomat Spy, to be published by Random House, which calls it riveting.

US-China relations

Chinese spies at Stanford? US tightens visa policies over espionage fears

As State Department cracks down on Chinese student visas, analysts say the risks are overstated and often unsubstantiated.

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China's military weapons

China introduces rules in bid to protect its military-industrial assets

Facilities for research, production, testing and storage of important weapons and equipment deemed ‘protected areas’.

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The Regulation on the Protection of Important Military Industrial Facilities, which comes into effect on September 15, is intended to to protect Chinese facilities from spying, cyber and data crimes and terrorism, according to Beijing. Photo: Handout
China’s Communist Party

China’s former state employees warned not to leak classified information

Top intelligence agency says those with access to such information must maintain ‘constant vigilance in safeguarding national security’.

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Mainland China

China’s top spy agency warns of foreign agents hiding in plain sight

‘Don’t be fooled by sweet talk,’ ministry says in social media post highlighting deceptive identities used by foreign spies.

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China’s Communist Party

China security tech expos seize opportunities to guard state secrets

In a flourishing industry, country’s top tech companies showcase latest products to compete for military, police contracts.

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A visitor tries a sniper simulation training system during the 10th China (Beijing) Military Intelligent Technology Expo in Beijing on May 15. Photo: China News Service via Getty Images
US-China relations

FCC votes to bar some Chinese labs from testing US electronics

About 75 per cent of US devices such as phones, cameras and computers are tested in facilities located in China.

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FCC Chairman Brendan Carr attends a hearing at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
South Korea

South Korean police apply for reporter’s arrest over ‘99 Chinese spies’ article

The report claims the Chinese were arrested at an election commission building on the same day as Yoon Suk-yeol’s martial law imposition.

The Philippines

In Philippines, ‘fake Filipinos’ rekindle fears of Chinese spying. Here’s why

As arrests mount, Manila faces growing pressure to address systemic corruption that allows foreigners to obtain fake IDs.

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Germany

Germany arrests 3 Ukrainians over Russian sabotage plot

The accused allegedly aimed to send packages from Germany containing explosive devices to recipients in Ukraine.

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The Russia embassy in Berlin. Germany, Kyiv’s second-biggest military back after the United States, has been shaken by a string of alleged sabotage and espionage cases linked to Russia. Photo: dpa
China-Japan relations

China confirms Japanese citizen has been jailed for spying in Shanghai

The foreign ministry did not reveal details of the case, but Japanese media reports say a man in his 50s has been given a 12-year sentence.

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There are mulitple sources of tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. Photo: Reuters
Donald Trump

Why Trump’s freebie Qatar jet is the stuff of nightmares in spyworld

Legal and ethical qualms aside, the luxury Boeing 747 would present a prime opportunity to bug, track and surveil the US president.

Germany

3 Germans go on trial over hi-tech spying for China

Prosecutors say they collected information on boat engines, sonar, propulsion systems for armoured vehicles and military-grade drones.

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