Happy Wednesday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily.
To be ITK, know this:
Ross Rant: The geopolitics of World Cup Qatar 2022
We are days away from World Cup Qatar 2022 kickoff.
The level of excitement seems on par with being told as a kid to eat spinach.
Is it the unprecedented six-week break in the middle of the soccer season?
Is it the lack of extended training camps and no friendly matches for national teams to prepare?
Or is it simply that the tournament is in Qatar?
I believe it is a combination of three, but FIFA's decision to have the games played in Qatar has an exceptional own goal quality.
Full post here.
Ten trends to watch in the coming year: A letter from Tom Standage, editor of “The World Ahead 2023.” Economist
The UN reports there are now 8 billion people on Earth.
Of the 8 billion, I know 275 really well.
Actually, it's probably closer to 115.
Wild.
Biden-Xi talks mark shift in US-China ties toward managing fierce competition: The meeting, arranged through weeks of back-channel negotiations, helped establish new guardrails as differences between the countries widen. WSJ
+ The Philippines on Tuesday said it will speed up the implementation of a defense agreement that allows U.S. troops to rotate for extended periods and access local military bases.
US congressional panel seeks China sanctions body with eye on Taiwan: Nikkei reports the US should create a cross-agency body tasked with drafting sanctions targeting China in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, a US congressional advisory panel said in a report released Tuesday.
+ Congress should "enact legislation creating a permanent interagency committee" charged with drafting plans for sanctions or other economic measures in the event of "a Chinese attack, blockade, or other hostile action against Taiwan," the panel recommends.
Xi Jinping meets with Anthony Albanese, ending diplomatic deep freeze: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has claimed a diplomatic win from a meeting with Xi Jinping in which he urged the Chinese president to end the threat of conflict over Taiwan, ensure stability in the region and drop sanctions on Australian exports worth $20 billion a year. SMH
+ In a breakthrough meeting after years of tensions, the two leaders spoke of restoring stability to the relationship but made no immediate concessions on either side on trade or security.
+ Xi said Australia and China had “highly complementary economic structures” reflecting China’s demand for Australia’s natural resources and called for the Australian government to open up further to Chinese business investment after a series of multi-million dollar deals were scuppered by the Foreign Investment Review Board.
+ Xi did not raise the AUKUS alliance on nuclear-powered submarines between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, although China has objected to the agreement.
SCMP: In diplomatic flurry, European leaders press China’s Xi Jinping on opposing nuclear weapons
+ Xi’s stance on nuclear weapons seen as a rebuke to brinkmanship by Russia’s Vladimir Putin
+ Appeals from French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte follow similar efforts by US and German leaders
Nikkei: Xi sheds 'wolf-warrior' coat on return to world stage
Rishi Sunak ditches plan to class China as a ‘threat’ to UK security: Politico reports the British PM’s comments have angered China hawks in his own party as they await a refresh of a major foreign policy plan.
G20 latest: Rishi Sunak admits UK’s reputation was harmed by leadership chaos: PM tells Russia to ‘end this barbaric war.’ The Times
+ Sunak is thought to have been distressed at the damage done to Britain’s global image after the collapse of Boris Johnson’s government, an acrimonious leadership election, and the disastrous Liz Truss interlude.
+ “Across the board, whether it’s on COP and climate change, or indeed how to fix the global economy, stand up to aggression everywhere, support vulnerable countries with food — these are all issues where we can play a role and people are looking for us to do that.”
France to conduct biggest ever war games in 2023: AFP reports France is planning its biggest ever military exercise involving 12,000 troops, including NATO allies, in the first half of next year.
+ The wargames, called Orion, will involve European NATO allies Germany, Britain, Belgium, Italy, and Spain, as well as the United States.
Italy unearths exceptional haul of ancient bronzes: Le Monde reports the discovery of statues depicting deities venerated at a sanctuary in San Casciano dei Bagni in Tuscany is 'unparalleled,' according to the archeologist in charge of the project.
+ Italian archaeologists announced on Tuesday, November 15, the extraordinary discovery of more than 20 bronze statues created over 2,000 years ago, almost perfectly preserved in the mud of hot springs in Tuscany.
+ Votive offerings and around 5,000 gold, silver, and bronze coins were also found during three years of excavations at the site, which has drawn visitors to its natural thermal waters for more than two millennia.
Eritrea's shadow looms over Ethiopian peace process: Le Monde reports the successful outcome of talks between Tigrayan insurgents and Addis Ababa depends on the attitude of Asmara, which has been militarily involved in the conflict in Tigray since November 2020.
Brazil needs three key reforms to boost growth, Lula aide says Bloomberg
+ Congress has advanced on a VAT proposal, part of tax reform
+ Country must seek Mercosur-EU trade agreement, OECD membership
US, Cubans will meet again in Havana: State Department: AP reports US and Cuban officials plan to meet in Havana on Tuesday to discuss migration policy, the latest in a series of sessions between two governments with a historically icy relationship and amid one of the biggest migratory flights from the island in decades.
NYT: DeSantis, without naming Trump, slams ‘hugely underwhelming’ midterms for the GOP
+ "There were a lot, a lot of disappointments," Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Tuesday, summing up how Republicans fared in the midterm elections. "That’s just the reality. It was a hugely underwhelming, disappointing performance."
Trump v DeSantis: Republicans split over 2024 run and predict ‘blood on the floor’ Guardian
Donald Trump’s presidential rerun: WSJ - Editorial asks whether the GOP will nominate the man Democrats know they can beat.
+ @courtneyrozen: Email just now: The Democratic National Committee is sending media relations staff to Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, S. Carolina, & Florida to prepare for 2024 election. The DNC has never sent media staff to states this early, the committee says.
Gallup: Marijuana views linked to ideology, religiosity, age
+ 68% of U.S. adults favor legalizing marijuana, tied for record high
+ Liberal, younger, and less religious are the most supportive
+ Only 32% of conservatives aged 65 and older are in favor
CNBC: FBI is ‘extremely concerned’ about China’s influence through TikTok on US users
+ Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray remarks build on those from other government officials and members of Congress who have expressed deep skepticism about the ability of the Chinese-owned video platform to protect US user information from an adversarial government.
What riding in a self-driving Tesla tells us about the future of autonomy NYT
Metro service to DC’s Dulles Airport finally arrives, 60 years in the making: Bloomberg reports this week riders on the US capital’s new Silver Line will be able to take a train to their planes.
Ticketmaster has extended presales for tickets to Taylor Swift’s upcoming “Eras” tour after fans flocked to the site, causing site disruptions and slow queues.
Amazon launches new telehealth service.
244: Number of Lexus dealerships in the US.
272: Number of Apple retail stores in the US.
Are you tipping 20%? A study from Popmenu, a restaurant customer service company, found that while 56% of consumers usually tipped waiters at least 20% in 2021, that number dipped to 43% this year. When polling 1,000 customers and 165 restaurant owners in the US, Popmenu also found that delivery tipping went down over the course of a year.
Guardian: Steve Jobs’ old Birkenstocks sell for nearly $220,000
NY Mag: Beyoncé leads the 2023 Grammy nominations with 9
Foreigner announces farewell concert tour starting in July 2023.
NFL to make sports content with Skydance, the production firm behind ‘Top Gun: Maverick’: WSJ reports a production pact is NFL’s latest effort to broaden its business beyond football.
The Times: England World Cup squad land in Qatar on Virgin’s ‘Rain Bow’ pride plane
The World Cup is the only real American underdog story
Will Leitch
In the land of the giants: Does size really matter in the NBA? Height confers obvious advantages in basketball. But super tall players are often more susceptible to injury and smaller stars have thrived at the top. Guardian
+ “It is common for a player to compete in 200-plus AAU, All-Star and high school games in a year proceeding the NBA draft. [And it has been] demonstrated that the knee was the joint most frequently affected by sports injuries … The excessive load placed on these young players opens the window to accelerate a normal level of joint degeneration and musculoskeletal abnormalities.” -- Jack Ransone, an athletic trainer with the US Air Force Academy
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Caracal produces ITK Daily.
Caracal is a geopolitical business communications firm specializing in global business issues at the intersection of globalization, disruption, and politics.
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.
To receive Caracal ITK Daily by email, subscribe here.
