Spy agencies brief people in power. We brief you. Each week we bring you one story that matters, and a few that don’t!

Your Brief for January 16, 2025: The Cambridge Five, Baltic Sentry mission, AI tools helping doctors, The Ritchie Boys and more!

News

Baltic Sentry Mission

At a summit in Helsinki on Tuesday, NATO announced the launch of its "Baltic Sentry" mission to boost the monitoring of ships in the Baltic Sea following damage to critical undersea cables last year. The mission will deploy additional patrol aircraft, warships, and drones to safeguard the region’s infrastructure. NATO chief Mark Rutte announced the plan and underscored the importance of undersea cables, which carry over 95% of global internet traffic and secure an estimated $10 trillion in financial transactions daily. NATO’s increased surveillance aims to protect this vital infrastructure and prevent further disruptions.

True Spies

The Ritchie Boys

Could your words win a war? 

The Allies invaded Nazi-occupied Normandy on June 9, 1944. Guy Stern, a 22-year-old US Army intelligence officer, was with the follow-up team, landing in France three days after D-Day to interrogate German POWs in their native tongue. Unlike many of his comrades in the US Army, it wasn’t his first time in Europe.

Guy was 15 when he fled from Nazi Germany in 1937 and headed to the US, helped by a kind uncle in St. Louis. Born in 1922, he was the golden boy, a student of languages who was supposed to blaze the trail and bring the rest of his family to America. But World War II intervened, and Guy volunteered for Naval Intelligence. Rejected because he wasn’t born in the US, he worked through university while juggling a job as a busboy. But by July 1943 Mussolini’s Italian government fell, and Guy was drafted into the war. His assignment? To use his very German-ness to undermine the Nazi war machine!

Landing craft and the churn of boots battered the dark green sea to foam. Needless to say, the air was still thick with bullets. Join Guy in this week’s podcast selection, ‘The Ritchie Boys’, for a story of wit and courage in the face of unimaginable pressure.

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Culture

Maha Kumbh Mela Festival

Is this one of the largest gatherings in history?

India’s Maha Kumbh Mela festival kicked off Monday, drawing an estimated 400 million visitors over the next six weeks! The festival has transformed a 10,000-acre area in Prayagraj into a temporary city, complete with 150,000 tents, 3,000 kitchens, and 99 parking lots. The Hindu pilgrimage is held every three years at one of four sacred river sites and peaks in Prayagraj every 12 years. Pilgrims ceremonially bathe in the Ganges River, believed to cleanse them of sins, while engaging in spiritual talks and discussions with religious leaders. Vendors and pop-up markets spring up to support the millions of participants in this spiritual event.

Articles

The Cambridge Five

Who were the Cambridge-educated spies smuggling intelligence to the KGB?

MI5 has just released a cache of declassified documents shedding light on the infamous Cambridge Five spy ring—a glimpse into the tools of the trade during the height of Cold War espionage. Among the revelations: Queen Elizabeth II was not told for nearly a decade that Anthony Blunt, her trusted royal art adviser, had confessed to being a Soviet spy in 1964. Officials reportedly withheld the information to spare her additional distress. The files include confessions from other members of the spy ring, such as Kim Philby, a master double agent, and John Cairncross, known as the “fifth man,” who passed critical intelligence to the Soviets during World War II. The documents also featured advice for new MI5 recruits, including tips like crafting a believable cover story and avoiding fake hair. Discover more about The Cambridge Five in this SPYSCAPE article.

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Science

US Dementia Study

How common is dementia in the US?

A recent study, published in Nature Medicine, which involved roughly 100 researchers at 10 universities, revealed that around 40% of Americans aged 55 and older will develop some form of dementia in their lifetime. Dementia refers to a range of neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases, that impair cognitive abilities. Alzheimer's disease alone accounts for two-thirds of all dementia cases.

The study highlights aging as the primary factor but also points to lifestyle factors like diet and exercise. The number of new diagnoses could double by 2060, increasing from about 500,000 cases annually to 1 million. Women face a 48% likelihood of developing dementia, compared to 35% for men, due to their longer life expectancy. Black Americans and individuals with a specific gene linked to cholesterol and lipid transport showed an even higher risk, ranging from 45% to 60%. 

Quirky

AI Tools Helping Doctors

Can AI help solve the GP appointment crisis?

Getting a GP appointment in the UK is no small feat, but AI tools may be starting to ease the strain on overworked doctors. Dr. Deepali Misra-Sharp, a GP in Birmingham, recently began using Heidi Health, an AI-assisted transcription tool. It records and transcribes patient appointments, saving valuable time to focus on patient care.

With a declining workforce and a growing number of patients, GPs face immense pressure. According to the British Medical Association, a single GP now handles an average of 2,295 patients—up 17% since 2015. But AI tools like C the Signs are helping. Used by about 1,400 practices across England, the platform analyzes patient records for cancer symptoms, risk factors, and signs, and then recommends the following steps based on published research.

Image Credit: C the Signs

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