Latest news with #spy
Reuters
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Iran warns citizens of growing recruitment attempts by enemies, state media say
DUBAI, July 22 (Reuters) - The intelligence unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards has warned Iranian citizens of an increase in recruitment attempts by enemy intelligence agencies, state media reported on Tuesday. Entangled in a decades-long shadow war with Israel, which was able to assassinate numerous military commanders and nuclear scientists in its 12-day air war on Iran last month, Iran is ever more concerned about infiltration by the Israeli Mossad spy agency. (This story has been refiled to change 'intelligence service' to 'intelligence unit' in paragraph 1)
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iran warns citizens of growing recruitment attempts by enemies, state media say
(Changes intelligence service to intelligence unit in paragraph 1) DUBAI (Reuters) - The intelligence unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards has warned Iranian citizens of an increase in recruitment attempts by enemy intelligence agencies, state media reported on Tuesday. Entangled in a decades-long shadow war with Israel, which was able to assassinate numerous military commanders and nuclear scientists in its 12-day air war on Iran last month, Iran is ever more concerned about infiltration by the Israeli Mossad spy agency. Solve the daily Crossword
South China Morning Post
10 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Beware of overseas spies bearing souvenirs, China warns travellers
China's top anti-spy agency has advised citizens travelling abroad to be wary of accepting souvenirs that could be used for surveillance. Advertisement Items such as backpack charms, key rings, necklaces and earrings might have hidden spy functions , including cameras, listening devices and tracking features, the Ministry of State Security warned on social media on Tuesday. It said the public must understand national security regulations and exercise caution with these 'modified travel souvenirs'. It added that overseas spy agencies might push these altered gifts through 'forced gifting'. State sector personnel, employees in classified roles, and scholars and students in universities and research institutions are prime targets, according to the ministry. It said these gifts could pose a risk to state secrets if they entered classified workplaces. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
10 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China warns souvenirs from overseas could spy on citizens and leak state secrets
China's top anti-spy agency has advised citizens travelling abroad to be cautious while accepting souvenirs that could have surveillance capabilities. Items such as backpack charms, key rings, necklaces and earrings might have hidden spy functions , including cameras, listening devices and tracking features, the Ministry of State Security warned on social media on Tuesday. It said the public must understand national security regulations and exercise caution with these 'modified travel souvenirs'. It added that overseas spy agencies might push these altered gifts through 'forced gifting'. State sector personnel, employees in classified roles, and scholars and students in universities and research institutions are prime targets, according to the ministry. It said these gifts could pose a risk of leaking state secrets if they entered classified workplaces.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
A Spy Thriller With an Unlikely Hero: A Disgraced Comedian
PARIAH, by Dan Fesperman 'Tragedy is when I cut my finger,' Mel Brooks once said. 'Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.' A similar comparison could be made about the thriller genre. The domestic thriller is driven by self-contained, cut-finger tragedies full of personal drama, while the international spy thriller raises the stakes, with no less than the fate of the world often dangling over the precipice. Perhaps because of its exaggerated risks and us-versus-them story arcs, the spy thriller can feel like a relic of an age when we had more trust in government security apparatuses. Today, we tend to like our dangers closer to home, and our villains to be neighbors down the street. In truth, the formula for good spy thrillers hasn't evolved much from its Cold War heyday (John le Carré still looms over these novels as obstinately as Sylvia Plath does over confessional poetry). But there are exceptions. Dan Fesperman, wielding a sharp eye for atmospheric detail and a finely tuned ear for comic relief, has proved to be one of the genre's most exciting contemporary writers. His latest novel, the deliciously fun 'Pariah,' revolves around perhaps the least apt candidate for espionage work ever committed to ink: Hal Knight, a movie-star comedian and former Democratic congressman who has been #MeToo-ed for delivering a sexist rant on a film set. Hal is no Mel Brooks. His comedy is of the dumb, chauvinist, Neanderthal variety, and his films are beloved by 'the sorts of young men who spent most of their weekends at underage-drinking parties.' That's exactly the kind of track record that gets you voted into federal office these days, but Hal's political career lasted just six months before his public humiliation and cancellation. As it turns out, one of Hal's biggest fans is Nikolai Horvatz, the authoritarian president of the Eastern European nation of Bolrovia: a clear stand-in for Hungary, complete with far-right, repressive, anti-immigrant policies. When Horvatz invites Hal to his country as an honored guest, the C.I.A. cajoles Hal into working as a covert asset to gather intel on the secretive 'tinpot dictator.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
