By André Pienaar For eighty years, Japan has been the only major power in the world without a standalone civilian intelligence service. That era ended on 31 July, when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi chaired the first meeting of a new National Intelligence Council and formally launched the National Intelligence Bureau beneath it. It is the first centralised intelligence body Japan has had since the Allied occupation dismantled the Imperial apparatus in 1945. Two months on, Tokyo has shown no sign of pausing. On 28 September, Takaichi convened a seventeen-member expert panel to begin drafting the country’s first national intelligence strategy,…

France is stepping up protection of critical infrastructure and defence sites against Russian drone and cyber-attacks as the threat to Europe intensifies. President Emmanuel Macron has ordered a new protection plan for critical infrastructure and sensitive defence sites. Macron said: “In recent weeks, the threat – particularly the Russian hybrid threat – facing Europeans and France has intensified.” He added: “We are not intimidated, because we know that our security today and tomorrow is at stake in Ukraine.” The move follows a meeting at the Élysée Palace involving French political leaders and the heads of the country’s principal security and…

Five men arrested over an alleged bomb plot targeting an RAF base used by American forces have been released on bail after police found no explosives in three vans at the centre of the security alert. The suspects, British nationals aged between 23 and 25, were freed after an extensive examination of the vehicles by military bomb disposal specialists and forensic experts near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. No explosive material or bomb-making equipment was discovered, despite the men initially being arrested on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act and later on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism. Donald…

Iranian leaders are still waiting for a formal US response to Tehran’s ceasefire proposal despite Donald Trump publicly rejecting the plan. The latest diplomatic push comes after Tehran offered a seven-day ceasefire and the phased reopening of the Strait of Hormuz last week. Trump rejected the proposal, but indirect talks have continued through regional mediators, with US and Iranian officials holding separate discussions with intermediaries on Monday. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said Tehran had made no changes to its proposal and was waiting for Washington to respond through Qatari mediators. Araghchi said: “Our plan, which became known as the…

By André Pienaar During the Second Congo War from 1998 to 2003, the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO), otherwise known as the Scorpions, the elite law enforcement unit I architected for President Mandela, carried out several impactful investigations to combat international illicit arms networks that helped fuel the war. The DSO conducted these operations to help protect the peace process that culminated in the Pretoria Accord of 2002 and the Sun City Agreement of 2003. Today, the chessboard in Africa is considerably more complex, with many more non-African countries engaged in the growing number of conflicts across the continent. The…

Five British men arrested over a suspected plot to attack RAF Fairford have been released on police bail as counter-terrorism officers investigate whether a foreign state was involved. The men, aged between 23 and 25 and all from London, were detained early on Sunday after police were alerted to three white vans travelling towards the Gloucestershire airbase, which is used by American bombers flying missions connected with the conflict with Iran. They were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and preparing an act of terrorism but have not been charged. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing,…

By Andre Pienaar How a principled conservative is building the relationship between the United States and South Africa by speaking truth to power. When Leo Brent Bozell III presented his letters of credence in Pretoria on 23 February 2026, he inherited one of the most strained bilateral relationships in the American diplomatic portfolio. The post had sat vacant for more than a year. South Africa’s own envoy to Washington had been expelled. Trade preferences were under threat. The South African Government had been named a national security threat to the United States in one of the first executive orders signed…

By Andre Pienaar A quiet meeting ten blocks from the UN On 24 September, on the 43rd floor of a Manhattan office tower, officials from the United States, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Kazakhstan sat down together for the first time since January 2023. Ten blocks away the UN General Assembly was busy with its annual theatre of resolutions and walkouts. The Abraham Accords countries had chosen a quieter room. The gathering was hosted by the N7 Foundation, the philanthropic vehicle of the hedge fund manager Jeffrey Talpins, with Under Secretary of State Allison Hooker leading the…

Donald Trump’s energy adviser is calling for new oil export routes across the Gulf to reduce reliance on the Strait of Hormuz after months of disruption to energy supplies during the Iran war. The push comes as Washington and Tehran resume negotiations over ending the conflict, with Iran proposing a ceasefire of up to 60 days and the phased reopening of the strait. Jarrod Agen, head of America’s Energy Dominance Council, says Gulf states should develop alternative corridors capable of carrying energy exports without passing through Hormuz. Agen said: “We need to de-emphasise the strait [Hormuz].” He said: “When Europe had…

The International Monetary Fund has called on Britain, the United States and other advanced economies to rein in debt as the Middle East energy shock adds to inflationary pressures and pushes up government borrowing costs. Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF’s managing director, says a series of global shocks have been “pushing debt levels up like a staircase not to heaven” while governments have taken “no action to contain that service cost”. “[It’s] time to take that action,” she said, adding that “courage” was needed from politicians to make difficult decisions. Speaking during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Georgieva…

Britain’s Chagos deal has been put on hold after Donald Trump refused to support the plan, describing it as “terrible”. Ministers have admitted the controversial and politically sensitive agreement over the strategically important islands cannot go ahead without American backing. Andy Burnham, the prime minister, agreed to review the plans to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after Trump described the deal as “terrible” and “ridiculous” during their first face-to-face meeting. Wes Streeting, the defence secretary, confirmed on Wednesday that the plans were on hold, adding: “We’re not going to go ahead without the Americans.” Trump and Burnham…

Britain will begin refuelling Saudi fighter jets defending the kingdom from Houthi attacks as Andy Burnham meets Donald Trump for talks on the widening conflict in the Middle East. An RAF Voyager tanker will provide air-to-air refuelling for Saudi aircraft following a request for military assistance from Riyadh. The deployment is expected to begin within days as Houthi forces intensify missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia. Burnham is due to meet Trump in New York on Tuesday during the UN General Assembly, where the conflict and efforts to reduce tensions with Iran are expected to feature in discussions. The…