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Espionage

Espionage
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Espionage. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
The Nvidia logo is seen on the compnay’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California. Photo: TNS
United States

US charges 2 Chinese nationals with sending Nvidia AI chips to China

Geng Chuan and Yang Shiwei are accused of illegally exporting tens of millions worth of advanced chips, including the advanced H100s.

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Germany

China espionage trial in Germany exposes far-right links and arms secrets

Britain

Family fears for British couple moved to notorious prisons in Iran

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US-China relations

Beijing denies threat as FBI opens new office in New Zealand to ‘counter China’

FBI director Kash Patel says Wellington office shows the agency is ‘prioritising a permanent presence across all Five Eyes countries’.

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US FBI Director Kash Patel opened the bureau’s new New Zealand office in Wellington on Thursday. Photo: Getty
Middle East

US and allies accuse Iran of covert overseas ‘kill, kidnap’ policy

Those allegedly targeted by Tehran’s intelligence services are said to include dissidents, journalists and officials in Western countries.

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Science

6G expert G.K. Chang counts costs after 4-year China Initiative case collapses

Exonerated Georgia Tech top scientist draws harsh lessons from legal nightmare after judge tosses visa, wire fraud charges.

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United States

Indonesia’s ‘Hollywood Con Queen’ loses UK extradition bid, faces US trial

Hargobind Tahilramani, accused of US$1 million fraud, failed to block US extradition on mental health and human rights grounds.

Hargobind Tahilramani is wanted in California for defrauding 300 people out of US$1 million. Photo: Apple TV
US-China relations

Chinese hacking groups are behind SharePoint attacks, Microsoft says

Microsoft said it identified 2 groups as leveraging flaws in SharePoint software; China said it firmly opposes all forms of cyberattacks.

China’s Communist Party

Beware of overseas spies bearing souvenirs, China warns travellers

State sector workers, scholars and students are prime targets for receiving surveillance-equipped gifts abroad, anti-espionage agency says.

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American cinema

Hey showbiz person – want to work for the CIA? It might have a job for you

America’s Central Intelligence Agency has a long history of hiring entertainment professionals, from storytellers to ballerinas.

The seal of the Central Intelligence Agency is seen on the floor at CIA headquarters in Langley, in the US state of Virginia. Photo: TNS
China’s Communist Party

China exposes foreign postal plots to steal rare earths

Security ministry tightens mail channels after uncovering schemes that include smuggling strategic minerals in mannequins.

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China’s security ministry cut off smuggling channels after discovering how spies used various strategies to bypass export controls to steal rare earths. Photo: Reuters
Japan

Is China a no-go zone for Japanese travellers? Espionage arrests raise concerns

Five out of the 17 Japanese nationals recently arrested on suspicion of spying or other crimes since 2015 are still in Chinese prisons.

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US-China relations

US-China spy wars intensify under Trump 2.0 as tech competition heats up

Both sides boosting espionage and counter-espionage efforts, increasingly publicise spy arrests and covert operations.

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Ukraine war

Ex-US Army officer shared classified Ukraine war details on dating site

David Slater had top-secret clearance at a civilian US Air Force job. He pleaded guilty to leaking secrets and faces over 7 years in jail.

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A retired US Army officer has pleaded guilty to conspiring to share classified information about Russia’s war with Ukraine on an online dating platform. Photo: Shutterstock
The Philippines

No more Alice Guos? Philippine lawmaker seeks new law against fake citizenship

Sherwin Gatchalian says the bill is a priority for Congress to pass, but analysts warn Manila must tackle patronage politics as well.

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Alice Guo, Bamban town’s ex-mayor, attends a hearing at the Philippine Senate last year. Photo: EPA-EFE
Ukraine war

Ukraine detains Chinese father-son duo suspected of spying

The Chinese nationals are accused of attempting to smuggle secret documents on Ukraine’s Neptune missile system to China, further straining Kyiv-Beijing relations.

United States

US targets North Korean fake IT worker scheme with China and Russia links

The ‘workers’ were given false American identities so they could hold remote jobs with US firms and generate money for Kim Jong-un’s regime.

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Italy

Chinese man fights US extradition in Italy, claims mistaken identity in Covid hack

Xu Zewei faces US charges for allegedly attempting to hack a Covid-19 vaccine project, but asserts his innocence, citing a stolen phone and common surname.

Facing US extradition, a Chinese man in Italy claims mistaken identity in a case over a Covid-19 vaccine hack. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China relations

2 Chinese arrested in US for espionage for allegedly spying on naval base

Yuance Chen and Liren Lai are accused of photographing a naval base and seeking to recruit members of the US Navy as intelligence assets.

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Science

Family of China-born neuroscientist Jane Wu files death-related civil complaint

Court filing accuses Northwestern University of discriminating and isolating actions that became a ‘decisive factor’ in her fatal decision.

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Crime

US announces arrest, charges in North Korean tech worker deception plot

North Korean workers used compromised identities of more than 80 US citizens to obtain remote jobs at US companies.

The US Justice Department said it has taken down a network that allegedly helped North Koreans obtain remote IT work with companies. Illustration: Shutterstock
The Philippines

From mayor to ‘usurper’: Philippine court rules Alice Guo is a Chinese citizen

The former Bamban mayor is now in detention, facing Pogos-linked charges of human trafficking, money laundering and corruption.

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Former Bamban mayor Alice Guo attending a hearing at the Philippine Senate on September 9, last year. Photo: EPA-EFE
Taiwan

Why Israel’s spy tactics against Iran have sparked fears in Taiwan

Analysts warn that Beijing could adopt similar methods to infiltrate political and defence systems on the island, where espionage cases have surged.

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South Korea

2 Chinese men arrested in South Korea for using drone to film naval base

A series of similar recent incidents involving Chinese nationals has sparked fears of South Korea’s national security being compromised.

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Russia

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

The harsh sentence comes as Russia has radically expanded its definition of state secrets since the 2022 Ukraine invasion.

Grigory Skvortsov during the verdict announcement. Photo: Perm Regional Court via AFP
Israel-Iran conflict

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

Having spies disable enemy radars and missile systems is ‘tactic belonging to a new form of warfare’ and a ‘wake-up call’, observer warns.

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Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency reportedly used spies and agents to smuggle armed drones and precision weapons into Iran in a prolonged operation, effectively creating a covert drone base within Iranian territory. Photo: Shutterstock
Israel-Iran conflict

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

The US spy agency cited new intelligence, in a statement supporting Trump’s claim that the facilities had been completely destroyed.

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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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