Stabilising Syria's northeast | Xi-Trump summits | Kyiv's elite hacker collective pt. 2

More news: French intel veterans, No further Rafales for Athens, Leonarda in Jakarta

Tuesday 3 February Read this issue     Spotlight | Syria Damascus facing challenge of securing freshly seized northeast   Having managed to seize vast swaths of northeastern Syria in only a few weeks, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa now faces the daunting task of stabilising this Kurdish heartland still riddled with Islamic State cells.   Subscribers only | Agencies     China, United States Washington banks on Xi-Trump summits to smooth relations with Beijing     The US was defeated in the first round of the new trade war it launched against China last year, but is now looking to strike a deal to extend a strategic truce. To do so, it is counting on a series of meetings to stabilise relations.   Subscribers only | Back-door diplomacy       Russia, Ukraine Black Owl Team: The uneasy relationship between hacktivists and spies in wartime Ukraine     BO Team, part 2: Since January 2024, a shadowy cyber collective has attached itself to Ukraine's military intelligence (GUR). Black Owl team works closely and effectively with the government, but there are underlying tensions in the relationship.   Subscribers only | Operations, Cybersecurity, Defence Read this Deep Dive: Black Owl Team       France French intelligence veterans association seeks new president     Alain Juillet has presided since 2022 over the French association of former members of the special services of national defence, which boasts some thousand members. He is now looking for his successor and has contacted leading figures from the intelligence community.   Subscribers only | Agencies       Indonesia, Italy Rome set to seal deal with Indonesian air force   Subscribers only | Defence     France, Greece Athens's Rafale aircraft order on standby   Subscribers only | Defence

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