ITK Daily | July 27

ITK Daily is geopolitical business intelligence.

Happy Thursday.

Here’s today’s ITK Daily.

To be ITK, know this:

Global economy shows signs of resilience despite lingering threats: The International Monetary Fund upgraded its global growth forecast for 2023. NYT

Biden orders US to share evidence of Russian war crimes with Hague court: NYT reports the step signals a major shift in American policy and ends months of resistance by Pentagon officials who feared setting a precedent that could pave the way for the court to prosecute US troops.

West scrambles to hash out details of Ukraine F-16 training: Politico reports despite ambitious timelines to deliver the jets, Western partners still need to finalize plans for pilot instruction.

Ukraine launches new push, claims gains against Russians in south: WP reports Kyiv’s goal is to reach the Sea of Azov, severing Moscow’s land bridge to occupied Crimea, a key conduit for moving Russian troops, equipment, and supplies into Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine is spurring a revolution in drone warfare using AI: The advent of AI-enabled drones holds huge promise for Ukraine’s military but may also be exploited by nefarious non-state actors. WP

WP: Putin courts Africa at summit, but many African leaders stay away

The Times: Humiliation for Putin as African leaders shun summit

The Times: Moldova expels 45 Russian diplomats and embassy staff as tensions grow

How bad is China’s economy? Millions of young people are unemployed and disillusioned: Nation needs workers, but college graduates shun low-skill work; many opt out of job market, ‘lying flat.’ WSJ

Xi daily asks himself: "How do I keep this Party going?"

‘Nobody in Hollywood’ like Xi Jinping: China’s leader is ‘smart, brilliant, everything perfect,’ Trump says. WSJ - Editorial

Rumors swirl over dramatic fall of Xi loyalist Qin Gang: Sacked foreign minister’s rise was linked to his ties to president; his disappearance and dismissal have caused a scandal. Guardian

China’s foreign minister is removed after a month of silence: Qin Gang, a sometime favorite of Xi Jinping, was replaced by Wang Yi, a seasoned diplomat, leaving many unanswered questions about Qin’s fall. NYT

Analysis: Did rocky China-US ties doom Qin Gang as foreign minister? Biden's branding of Xi as 'dictator' threatens plans for big trip to San Francisco. Nikkei

China insists diplomacy ‘orderly’ after foreign minister’s shock removal: Replacement of presidential favorite Qin Gang with a veteran diplomat seen as possible stop-gap move. FT

US and China battle for influence in Pacific island nations WP

Nikkei: North Korea's Kim Jong Un meets Russian defense minister

Kim Jong Un meets Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang: AFP reports Kim Jong Un met the Russian defense minister and a high-ranking Chinese delegation in Pyongyang ahead of major Korean War anniversary celebrations, state media said Thursday, the leader's first known foreign guests since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kim Jong-un opens exhibition promoting ‘cult of personality’: The Times reports the North Korean leader has lifted a rule blocking artists from painting him.

Sounds fun.

Israeli Supreme Court to hear challenge to judicial overhaul: WSJ reports the court sets September date for preliminary hearing on constitutionality of law.

WP: Soldiers in Niger claim president is ousted in coup

Soldiers in Niger claim to have overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum: Al Jazeera reports a group of soldiers appear on national television to announce the toppling of Bazoum’s government as US calls for the president’s ‘immediate release.’

Niger soldiers claim to have overthrown president: Le Monde reports members of Niger’s presidential guard surrounded the presidential palace Wednesday. 'We, the defense and security forces... have decided to put an end to the regime' of President Bazoum, said Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane in a televised address.

Niger’s Bazoum ‘held by guards’ in apparent coup attempt: Al Jazeera reports the president says army ready to attack if guards do not back down, as regional bloc sends diplomat to Niger on mediation mission.

Niger army seizes power as president ousted and parliament shut: Bloomberg reports: “We condemn any effort to seize power by force," Blinken said.

Hydrogen: Germany reliant on emerging economies: Revisiting its national hydrogen strategy (NHS), the German government foresees a huge need for hydrogen. It will need to import as much as 70% of it. DW

The Conservative war on Big Everything: Opposing costly green policies could be the strategy the Tories need in their fight against liberal orthodoxy. Robert Shrimsley

Canada's Trudeau reshuffles cabinet with eye on elections: AFP reports Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a major cabinet overhaul on Wednesday with the stated goal of strengthening his economic team ahead of upcoming legislative elections.

Federal Reserve raises interest rates to 22-year high: WSJ reports during a press conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said he sees a path to a soft landing for the economy and rate cuts this year are unlikely. The quarter-percentage-point increase brings the federal-funds rate to a range between 5.25% and 5.5%.

Biden’s ‘Made in America’ pledge collides with his climate goals: Companies, lawmakers are trying to influence how the government gives out billions in subsidies. WSJ

Vivek Ramaswamy runs as Trump 2.0 — an outsider with extreme proposals: Policies suggested by the 37-year-old political novice lean heavily on executive actions that experts say push the bounds of presidential authority. WP

Ron DeSantis scrapped two Hamptons fundraisers last weekend due to a lack of interest.

DeCrash.

The Republicans in Iowa: Can anyone really catch Trump? With the former president far ahead in the polls, most of his rivals believe the Midwestern state is their only hope of halting his momentum. FT

Automakers plan thousands of EV chargers in US push: WSJ reports GM, Honda, and Stellantis are among the companies planning a joint investment of $1 billion to build thousands of electric-vehicle charging stations in the US.

WP: 7 automakers join forces to double EV fast-charger network in US

Volkswagen invests $700mn in China’s Xpeng to boost faltering car sales: FT reports the German group’s 5% stake will give it one seat as an ‘observer’ on Chinese carmaker’s board.

Stellantis to deepen cost cuts to fend off Chinese carmakers’ ‘invasion’ in Europe: FT reports the Fiat owner posts record first-half revenues but chief executive warns Chinese EVs are 25% cheaper.

The rebel group stopping self-driving cars in San Francisco – one cone at a time: The Safe Street Rebel group has waged a war against robotaxis in an effort to end vehicle dominance in the city and promote public transport. Guardian

Out of office: The rise of the ‘workcation’: Companies including Google and American Express are allowing staff to work from their holiday locations. FT

How workers really spend their days: At the office, we kill time by surreptitiously staring at our phones. Working from home, we make breaks about more than mental distraction. Rachel Feintzeig

ChatGPT tech to be adopted by Japan government for administrative tasks: Nikkei reports Microsoft AI data centers in Japan to be used to ensure confidentiality.

Top tech companies form group seeking to control AI: Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI team up to establish best practices but critics argue they want to avoid regulation. FT

Thirsty data centers are guzzling water to serve up kitten memes Bloomberg

Sinéad O’Connor, Irish singer of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U,’ dies at 56: WP reports the musician said she was “proud to be a troublemaker,” and made headlines for protesting sexual abuse by ripping a photo of the pope during a performance on “Saturday Night Live.”

A beautiful, broken America: what I learned on a 2,800-mile bus ride from Detroit to LA: Gone are the small, clean, cheap motels and public spaces where anyone can find a place to nurse a cup of coffee. Yet the camaraderie of the Greyhound is hanging on. Guardian

The US women’s national team is a bunch of bookworms. Here’s what they’re reading. WP

+ “Sports diplomacy is an incredibly powerful thing, because sports, like the arts, takes down barriers. It connects people across languages, across cultures, across borders. And in my line of work, when you’re really trying to connect people and break through, it’s wonderful to have this team out there showing the best of our country.” -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Kylian Mbappé has refused to enter into talks with officials from the Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal despite them being given permission to formally approach the striker by Paris Saint-Germain.

Kylian Mbappé to Saudi talks show football is now poker for world’s richest: Al-Hilal’s ￡259m offer is just diplomacy between states disguised as transfer gossip. No wonder he’s not keen. Jonathan Liew

The mind is willing, so the body doesn’t have much choice: These men, many in their 80s, may have titanium hips and implantable defibrillators. But they plan to play hockey until they go to that big locker room in the sky. NYT

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc

Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal

Caracal produces ITK Daily.

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