By all accounts, Dominique Strauss-Kahn's PR defence strategy is in full swing. In addition to the Euro RSCG "gang of four" with which he has longstanding ties, the former IMF chief has also called in TD International, a US firm that is characterised as being "ex-CIA". Hiring a firm that is already being linked to black ops may not have been the smartest PR move, under the circumstances. Chime Communications’ relationship with the Sri Lankan government continues to reap lucrative dividends. Sports consultancy pmplegacy has been appointed to handle Hambantota’s bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games, an account which has already netted some $2.4m. The brief follows Bell Pottinger’s well-publicised assignment to boost Sri Lanka’s post-war global reputation. More trouble at Apple supplier Foxconn, which was rocked by a deadly factory blast, again raising questions about working conditions at the Chinese company. Foxconn’s woes were analysed in detail earlier this year, after 13 employee suicides in 2010. Burson-Marsteller appears to have its work cut out rebuilding trust for the company, even if Chinese media has blacked out news of the explosion. Perhaps Apple will bring more pressure to bear now that the latest mishap could cost the company as much as $1.7 billion in sales of the iPad 2. IPRA finds itself hitting the headlines, following numerous resignations from the global trade body. Unravelling the various strands of this story is not a task for anyone who values their sanity, but several moves - including IPRA’s decision to adopt a new constitution earlier this month - appear to have raised the concerns of influential members.