Global Street Smarts.
Happy Thursday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily.
To be ITK, know this:
Turkey election: Erdogan’s challenger vows to end ‘authoritarian rule’ WP
Erdoğan faces a real risk of losing election: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has ruled Turkey for over 20 years. Now, there is a real chance he could be defeated in Sunday's election. A journey to disappointed supporters, companies suffering under the beleaguered economy – and the man who could oust the eternal president. Der Spiegel
Turkey’s top election challenger pledges closer ties to NATO and EU: Kemal Kilicdaroglu leads the race to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday. WSJ
Americans hold positive feelings toward NATO and Ukraine, see Russia as an enemy: Growing share of Republicans say the US should pay less attention to problems overseas and focus on concerns at home. Pew
NYT: Ukraine claims gains near Bakhmut as deadly fighting continues
New claims that Russian units fled Bakhmut: DW reports the planned counteroffensive against Russian forces may not be the last, Ukraine's foreign minister has said. Meanwhile, the European Union is discussing new sanctions.
Beyond Ukraine’s offensive: The West needs to prepare the country’s military for a long war. Michael Kofman + Rob Lee
Ukraine war puts spotlight on tech-led defense companies: Conflict shakes up arms industry dominated by long-established contractors. FT
China pours cold water on bilateral meeting with US defense minister: FT reports the stand-off is the latest obstacle to top-level dialogue between Washington and Beijing.
Analysis: China's messaging machine tamps down Taiwan war hype: Wolf warrior propaganda proves too effective, leaving authorities rattled. Nikkei
SCMP: Germany says controversial Chinese stake in Hamburg port to go ahead
+ Berlin had been reassessing whether to let the deal proceed amid security concerns over the sale of what has been classed as critical infrastructure.
+ State-owned Chinese shipping giant Cosco will be allowed to buy up to 24.9 percent stake in the Tollerort container terminal.
Much more than meets the eye in Ottawa’s expulsion of Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei: Profound and intense foreign policy disagreement within the Canadian government over China has spilled into the public domain, resulting in frequent leaks to the press. Alex Lo
‘The full treatment’: China sends a message with raid on consultancy: Clampdown on Capvision at odds with Beijing’s efforts to woo back foreign investors. FT
US business lobby backs Biden China efforts while urging caution: “There is still a vast area of commercial opportunity where we can and should engage productively,” US Chamber of Commerce President Suzanne Clark said in a speech in Washington on Wednesday. “But perhaps most importantly, and I can’t underline this enough: If we treat every economic interaction as a risk, we will lose focus on those that truly pose a threat.” Bloomberg
Japan, France vow to ensure peace, stability in Indo-Pacific region: KN reports the two nations' foreign and defense ministers also confirmed during their "two-plus-two" talks that their basic positions on Taiwan remain unchanged, apparently in light of French President Emmanuel Macron's controversial remarks last month in relation to the self-ruled democratic island.
President Joe Biden will host Indian PM Narendra Modi at the White House next month, courting an Indo-Pacific leader with whom he has sought stronger ties as the United States looks to blunt China’s growing assertiveness in the region, the AP reports.
The miscalculation of inviting Modi to France on Bastille Day: French President Emmanuel Macron has invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to celebrate the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille at a time when democracy in India is being subjected to repeated attacks orchestrated by the government. Sophie Landrin
Southeast Asia's space race chases wins in tourism, communications: Nikkei reports Thailand plans smart-farming as Vietnam eyes tourist spaceport.
‘We don’t want this war’: Trapped in Khartoum as combat rages: NYT reports Sudan’s capital city has become an arena for a battle between two generals vying for power, while residents brave shelling, looting and dwindling supplies of food, water, medicine, and electricity.
Sudan: Fierce battles underway in Khartoum, Omdurman: DW reports heavy air attacks, and clashes were witnessed in several major Sudanese cities, as the UN warned more people will go hungry amid a prolonged conflict.
Saudi-backed group explores launch of English news channel to rival Al Jazeera: FT reports the Gulf kingdom aims to expand its media influence around the world.
AP: Israeli-Palestinian fighting intensifies as Egyptian cease-fire efforts falter
Data on the German retreat from nuclear energy tell a cautionary tale Hannah Ritchie
Labour makes striking gains in the heartland of Brexit: In Nigel Farage’s old stamping-ground, voters turn to a party they once scorned. Economist
‘Nearshoring’ push is fueling tech job demand in Latin America: Post-pandemic interest in reducing reliance on Asia is benefiting IT workers from Chile to Guatemala. Bloomberg
Why chaos looms at the US-Mexico border: As a measure to limit migration expires, several cities have already declared a state of emergency. Economist
Pence 2024 campaign? Former VP Pence says he’ll make a decision about running for the Oval Office by the end of June.
+ @Santos4Congress: WITCH HUNT!
Bloomberg: Disney CEO on Florida fight: ‘Does the state want us to invest?’
How Mark Zuckerberg led the tech industry into a metaverse wasteland John Herrman
Google is changing the way we search with AI. It could upend the web. Google Search will start answering some queries directly by generating its own results — a move dreaded by publishers and bloggers. WP
Google is about to talk back: AI chat to relegate conventional results: Chatbot update will be fed by reputable sources, the company insists. The Times
Google unveils AI-powered search engine to rival Microsoft’s Bing: US tech giant seeks to make up lost ground in race to embed powerful new language models. FT
The National: Google I/O: Company drops wait-list for Bard, launching AI tool in more than 180 markets
+ Bard is now available in English, Japanese, and Korean and will support 40 languages soon.
TV’s war with the robots is already here: AI screenwriting, a point of contention in the Writers Guild strike, may not yet be ready for prime time. But streaming algorithms and derivative programming have prepared the way for it. NYT
AI drug discovery is a $50 billion opportunity for Big Pharma: Artificial intelligence can shave years off the development process, and companies like Japan’s Takeda are making large investments. Bloomberg
Bloomberg: Microsoft makes its first nuclear fusion deal
+ The tech giant will buy energy from startup Helion Energy.
+ The fusion company aims to generate electricity by 2028.
Fusion power by 2028? Microsoft is betting on it. Microsoft inks deal with fusion start-up for electricity on a timeline that would be game-changing, if real. Scientists are skeptical. WP
Purdue University considers small nuclear reactors to become carbon neutral: Bloomberg reports modular reactors installed near the Purdue campus are a real possibility that would allow the school to transition its steam, chilled water, and electricity services away from fossil fuels, the report found. Small reactors are an emerging technology that has been touted as a simpler and cheaper alternative to large, conventional nuclear plants.
Australia needs bigger ambitions to be a hydrogen powerhouse: The alternative energy won’t be as lucrative as the dirty fossil fuel that needs to go away. David Fickling
Southeast Asia's unicorns need to spin a new yarn: Investors want to see true earnings potential before piling back in. Tim Culpan
26 Empire State Buildings could fit into New York’s empty office space. That’s a Sign. Edward L. Glaeser + Carlo Ratti
Is Supreme still cool? Hype may be cooling around Supreme’s $2 billion empire, say some collectors and resellers of the iconic streetwear brand. Jacob Gallagher
Why even the preppy look is preferable to egalitarian shabbiness George Will
Centre Pompidou confirms five-year closure from 2025: Le Monde reports the world-famous art museum will shut its doors for a major refurbishment to 'enable its survival,' announced the French culture minister.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
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