REEL INTELLIGENCE: BEIJING TAKES SPIES TO THE SILVER SCREEN: If you plan on being in China to celebrate the Lunar New Year (around February 17), you may also want to catch the premiere of Beijing’s first big-budget, contemporary national-security espionage thriller. The movie, called Jingzhe Wusheng - which loosely translates to something like “Scare Out” - is reportedly a frantic cat-and-mouse chase through the ultra-modern city of Shenzhen after plans for China’s new fighter jet get leaked. The film was produced under the leadership of China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). Reuters notes that while the MSS has dabbled in television dramas and documentaries before, this marks its first swing at a big-screen blockbuster. Part of the agenda, apparently, is to keep the Chinese public sharply focused on counter-espionage - a message that may land even harder following the recent purge of two top generals from the People’s Liberation Army. You can check out the movie trailer here - assuming your algorithm hasn’t already queued it up for you.
DON’T TEXT AND SPY WHILE DRUNK: When the FBI arrested a 35-year-old Russian Nomma Zarubina in New York in November of 2024 for allegedly lying about her FSB ties, prosecutors expected a straightforward case. What they got was a spy suspect allegedly drunk-texting the lead FBI agent at 4 a.m. with selfies in a cowboy hat. "I need you. Call to the court. Please. Wake up," she messaged. "So many Russians. And Prostitutions in Manhattan. Catch me baby. So many spies." We spotted this story on Radio Free Europe’s which reported that Zarubina’s lawyer told the court the texts were "largely a byproduct of her being intoxicated." Zarubina had worked for Elena Branson's Russian Center New York, allegedly cultivating relationships with journalists and academics at Moscow's direction under the FSB code name "Alyssa."
THIS COULD TICK YOU OFF: We’re generally optimists around here, but according to a rather dark, recent announcement, “The Doomsday Clock” now sits at a mere 85 seconds to midnight, the closest humanity has ever been to global disaster. That’s four seconds worse than last year’s reading. The clock watchers at The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, who maintain the clock, cite a familiar cocktail of factors: nuclear arms drifting out of control, AI sprinting ahead of guardrails, climate data and bio-risks that sound like rejected sci-fi plots. The good news? Experts at the outfit, which was started by Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer in 1945, say catastrophe is still avoidable. The bad news? It will require international cooperation, leadership, and restraint. That should be no problem, right?
NOT YOUR GRANDFATHER’S ARMY (BUT IT COULD BE): According to Military.com, Britain is considering a new law that would raise the military recall age to cover former service members who fall between the golden ages of 55 and 65. Officials are also reportedly considering changing the conditions for such a recall. Currently, the “Strategic Reserve pool” (as it is called) of former soldiers can only be called up if His Majesty’s government deems that “national danger, great emergency or attack in the UK” is imminent. But proposed new guidelines wouldn’t be so strict and might be employed if the government simply felt the need to make “warlike preparations.”
THE TURTLE WAS WHERE?? The Transportation Security Administration has released a list of the most unusual things snagged at U.S. checkpoints in 2025. They include a replica pipe bomb found in Boise complete with PVC pipes, wires, and a ‘C-4’ label. Relax though - it was declared a harmless prop. But seriously, what kind of person thinks it’s a good idea to pack that in your carry-on? Following closely behind in the ‘head scratching category’: travelers trying to hustle turtles through security in creatively shocking locations. One man at Newark Liberty was reportedly caught with a turtle stuffed in his pants while in Miami, a woman attempted to board her flight with two turtles taped to the inside of her bra. Her audacious shell game, according to previous reports, sadly cost one turtle its life. Other entries on TSA’s “Top 10” range from bullets hidden in chocolate containers to pills stuffed in shampoo bottles. Travel tip? Follow TSA’s advice offered up in a social media post last year: “OK friends, please - and we cannot emphasize this enough - stop hiding animals in weird places on your body and then trying to sneak them through airport security.” Jeez.
A REASON TO TOAST – The Cipher Brief is hitting the treadmill this week to make sure they can fit into their black-tie evening attire by March 13, when they're rolling out a series of awards recognizing leading national security professionals who have made the greatest impact in a range of areas including; Cyber, Intelligence, Investment, Journalism and Alliances among others. We already know that former NSA Director General Paul Nakasone (Ret.) will be recognized with the Impact in Cyber Award and former senior CIA Officer Janet Braun will be recognized with this year’s Impact in Intelligence Award. We expect at least three additional awardees to be announced this week. Think you can fit into your tux or gown and want to help celebrate the accomplishments of the community when it comes to national security? You're in luck. Tickets and Tables are available now.
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