ITK Daily | April 18

Happy Tuesday.

Here’s today’s ITK Daily.

To be ITK, know this:?

The Times: Sudan fighting: Moscow’s mercenaries accused of fuelling unrest

Al Jazeera: Sudan: More than 180 people killed, UN envoy says

Reuters: World Food Programme halts Sudan operations, 3 workers killed

+ The European Union is calling on the warring parties in Sudan to halt the violence, according to the bloc’s top envoy.

+ The Biden administration is developing a response to escalating violence in Sudan by warring factions.

The world’s deadliest war last year wasn’t in Ukraine: Sudan is not a one-off. There’s a disturbing resurgence in civil wars.?Economist

G7 countries promise to end plastic pollution by 2040: Le Monde reports the commitment announced on Sunday precedes a round of negotiations on a future international treaty to fight this exploding pollution, scheduled for the end of May in Paris.

2023’s most important election: Turkey: The election on May 14 is a pivotal moment for security in Europe and the Middle East.?Politico

Italy’s Giorgia Meloni has surprised her critics?Lee Hockstader

Angela Merkel's own party questions her suitability for nation's top honor: The Telegraph reports the former German chancellor of nearly 16 years has been accused of making ‘grievous errors’ that detract from her credibility for the award.

Many French tune out Emmanuel Macron’s TV address on pension overhaul: Protesters bang pots in ‘concert of casseroles’ as French leader speaks.?WSJ

French pension reforms: Macron refuses apology as poll rating plummet: The Times reports the president’s televised address to the nation is greeted with anger.

Hoping to turn pensions page, Macron calls for 100 days of action 'at the service of France': In his first address since signing the reform into law, the French president defended the bill as 'necessary' and insisted 'doing nothing' was not a solution.?Le Monde

+ France has just experienced its driest winter in 60 years and is now headed for a worse drought than last year, according to the country’s geological service.

Dictators are gaining upper hand in espionage: Leaks are less likely in surveillance states, which also disseminate misinformation in the West and support war in Ukraine.?William Hague

China’s Xi Jinping seeks to shake trans-Atlantic solidarity with flurry of diplomacy: The leader pushes back against what he calls US suppression.?WSJ

China’s diplomatic dance isn’t what it seems: A flood of high-ranking visitors may give the impression Xi Jinping is running circles around Joe Biden. In fact, those envoys are sending a pointed message to both men.?Mihir Sharma

China starts ‘surgical’ retaliation against foreign companies after US-led tech blockade: Spectre of hostage diplomacy returns following raids on offices of western companies.?FT

WP: Bangladesh to pay off Russian nuclear plant loan in Chinese currency

Wild.

Japan, South Korea hold first security talks in 5 years: Nikkei reports regional tensions push two sides to thaw relations following 2018 radar incident.

Bloomberg: Taiwan to buy 400 US anti-ship missiles intended to repel a China invasion

Apple CEO Cook to meet Indian PM Modi amid expansion - sources: Reuters Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook will meet India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its deputy IT minister as part of his visit to inaugurate the iPhone maker's first retail store in the country this week, people familiar with the plans said.

Apple’s chief rival has a cautionary tale for India: The iPhone-maker enjoys positive sentiment and greater local connections, but the growing middle-class market won’t last forever.?Tim Culpan

Sweden stages biggest war games in 25 years: Le Monde reports the Nordic country gathered 26,000 soldiers from 14 nations as its bid to join NATO remains blocked.

Russian invasion of Ukraine revolutionizes NATO military strategy: Shocked by Russian atrocities, NATO is becoming the war-fighting alliance it was during the Cold War, committed to defending “every inch” of its territory from Day 1.?NYT

How the Ukraine war has divided the world: China is making diplomatic progress with countries that are unhappy about America’s approach to the conflict.?Gideon Rachman?

China and Russia vow to strengthen military ties: The Times reports China’s new defense minister meets Putin in Moscow.

WP: China willing to work with Russia to maintain global security, defense minister says

CNN: US should stop ‘encouraging’ Ukraine war, Brazilian president says

Lula's China visit illustrates the ambitions and limitations of the BRICS alliance: Le Monde reports Brazil says it is ready to increase its trade with China in yuan and supports China's peace plan for the conflict in Ukraine, the details of which remain unclear.

'Anxious and frustrated' Lula takes swerve to the left in Brazil: President has, in effect, abandoned his ‘big tent’ coalition only a few months into his third term.?Bryan Harris

Lula’s nostalgia trip won’t reinvent Brazil’s future: Shrinking economic clout and a changed geopolitical landscape will dash the president’s hopes of reliving his past successes and restoring his country as a global player.?Eduardo Porter

Without Katie Telford, there’s no Justin Trudeau: Trudeau’s top aide helped mastermind the prime minister’s rise eight years ago. Will she stick with him till the end??Politico

Why the global economy is becoming ever more confusing: Welcome to the Mona Lisa effect.?Economist

Chinese cities court foreign investment for post-COVID recovery: Nikkei reports local officials to travel abroad to draw capital for flagging economies.

US, allies weigh how to reduce economic ties with China: Countries seek to lessen dependence on China but maintain global trade, and investment.?WSJ

‘Transformational change’: Biden’s industrial policy begins to bear fruit: FT research shows commitments of more than $200bn to US manufacturing since IRA and Chips Act.?FT

Biden’s green subsidies could lure gigafactory away from Dundee: The Times reports proposals for a ￡200 million “gigafactory” making batteries in Scotland could be scrapped in favor of America because of subsidies on offer under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

+ AMTE Power’s boss says America is now more attractive for business.

McCarthy proposes one-year debt ceiling increase tied to spending cuts: NYT reports clashing with President Biden, who has called for raising the debt limit with no conditions, the Republican speaker went to Wall Street to pitch what he called a “responsible, sensible” solution.

Election 2024: Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) plans to formally announce his presidential campaign in Bentonville on April 26.

George Santos says he will run for re-election in 2024: NYT reports Santos, a Republican House member from New York, has admitted to lying about parts of his biography and is facing several ethics and criminal inquiries.

Today: Opening arguments in Dominion’s lawsuit against Fox News are scheduled to begin after a delay.

SpaceX postpones Starship launch attempt: WP reports a mechanical issue forced the company to postpone the launch. The company hopes to try again within a few days.

Google devising radical search changes to beat back AI rivals: NYT reports the tech giant is sprinting to protect its core business with a flurry of projects, including updates to its search engine and plans for an all-new one.

Silicon valediction? Our road trip to tech industry hotspots as the sector cools: Tables may have freed up at Silicon Valley’s Coupa Cafe, but ‘scalability’ is still on the menu as tech workers look forward.?Guardian

+ “It feels like we were in a nightclub and the lights just turned on.” -- Brian Chesky, Airbnb’s CEO, contemplates the end of the easy money sloshing around Silicon Valley.

The unlikely center of America’s EV battery revolution: WP reports Georgia is gaining thousands of jobs from electric vehicle manufacturing. But lawmakers are hesitant to fully embrace EVs — or the fight against climate change.

Volkswagen left behind as China goes all in on EVs: The push for battery power is leveling the playing field for foreign and domestic manufacturers.?Bloomberg

David’s Bridal will close all stores in Chapter 11 unless buyer emerges: WSJ reports America’s largest bridal retailer files for bankruptcy to continue marketing itself for sale.

Love is dead.

Hollywood writers approve of strike as shutdown looms: NYT reports the writers have not gone on strike in 15 years, and the vote gives their unions the right to call for a walkout when their contract expires on May 1.

The hypebeasts have come for Frank Lloyd Wright: A streetwear collaboration taps architecture’s biggest name for a new take on a classic sneaker.?Dwell

What did the pandemic do to lunch??It used to be a vital part of doing business, but lunch is lagging in downtown areas as workers stay home.?WP

Glazers confident of Man United stay, aim to double club value - source: ESPN reports Joel and Avram Glazer are increasingly confident of securing the outside investment that will enable them to remain as Manchester United owners and potentially double the value of the club over the next decade.

Evans Chebet repeats as champion; Hellen Obiri wins Boston debut: NYT reports the two Kenyans outpaced their fields, but their countryman Eliud Kipchoge, the world’s greatest marathoner, stumbled to sixth place in his first Boston Marathon.

A sailboat race with a French flair: Les Voiles de St. Barth Richard Mille is a combination of high-end fun on shore and drama on the water.?NYT

Paris 2024: Is France capable of being among the top five medal winners??The objective of the Olympic Games host country is both political and sporting. But the optimization of athletic performance is accompanied by highly contested budget decisions.?Le Monde

Women tackle football with a full-contact league of their own: The Women’s Football Alliance has grown to dozens of teams in 32 states.?Bloomberg

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc?

Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal

Caracal produces ITK Daily.

Geopolitics is disrupting every business and industry.

Caracal is here to help.

Caracal is a geopolitical business communications firm specializing in global business issues at the intersection of globalization, disruption, and politics.

Clients are Chief Communications Officers and executive communications professionals who rely on Caracal for help navigating today's interconnected business environment with geopolitical intelligence, strategic planning, economic diplomacy, and communications.

Caracal believes that to be a world-class geopolitical business communicator, you need global street smarts coupled with holistic, high-frequency, and high-low communications.?

More @ caracal.global