Happy Saturday.
To be ITK, know this:
Who is not attending the Queen's funeral?
Afghanistan, Syria, and Venezuela have not been sent an invitation.
Russia, Myanmar, and Belarus have also been snubbed.
Britain has invited North Korea, Nicaragua, and Iran at an ambassadorial level
Must-watch television: More than four billion people are expected to watch the Queen's funeral on Monday.
Read this: King Charles and the future of the monarchy: Can Britain’s new line of kings hold the union and Commonwealth together? FT
+ And keeping the King has a special appeal to the Canadians’ fragile national ego, perpetually attenuated by its overbearing neighbor. As Stephen Bates, author of Royalty Inc, puts it: “The monarchy is one thing the Americans don’t have.”
+ Constitutional monarchy, muses Lord Hennessy, is like cricket. “It may look bonkers, but it just happens to work.”
Read this: The King’s problems with pens break the royal spell: Britain’s monarchy is a charismatic enterprise that has to balance intimacy with invisibility. John Gapper
+ "We are witnessing a once-in-a-generation product launch."
+ “Visibility must be tightly stage-managed and balanced with . . . invisibility”
Check this: Mapped: Which countries still have a monarchy? Visual Capitalist
Read this: In a disposable world, prime ministers are like iPhones: The UK is on its fourth premier in six years — will it finally get an upgrade? FT
+ The UK is now enjoying, if that is the word, its fourth premier in six years (its third in three). This is iPhone levels of disposability although when you replace a mobile it is normally in the expectation of an upgrade.
+ "the more leaders are worrying about being toppled in the near future, the less likely they are to take the difficult decisions or undertake necessary reforms that won’t benefit them."
Read this: Ruthless Liz Truss plans to stamp her authority with four-day whirlwind: A hectic series of policy announcements will begin as soon as the royal funeral ends. The Times
+ “Turn a two-year administration into a seven-year administration” -- Mark Fullbrook, the new chief of staff
+ Kwarteng wants to prioritize making London the “crown” of international finance, ensuring that highly paid bankers live, pay their taxes, and spend their money in the UK.
Read this: Growth or bust: Can Liz Truss’s bold gamble pay off? The PM is going for broke with headline-grabbing tax cuts and an energy price cap that may cement her authority as a leader — if it doesn’t cost the Tories the next election. The Times
+ Politically, Truss is going for broke. If she is right, she will be hailed as a new Thatcher. But if she’s wrong it is the country that will be broke, and along with it any chance the Conservatives have of retaining power in 2024.
Reuters: China plans sanctions on CEOs of Boeing Defense, Raytheon over Taiwan sales
Read this: Putin under pressure: what is Russia’s next move? Following Ukraine’s advances on the battlefield, the Russian leader is facing criticism from the right over his conduct of the war. FT
+ Backed by western weapons and intelligence, Ukraine’s lightning counter-offensive across the Kharkiv region has shifted the momentum of the war, laying bare the vulnerability of Russia’s overstretched invasion forces
+ The EU is mobilizing for an energy war with Moscow with no sign of weakening resolve over western sanctions against Russia.
+ “By the end of this year, the Kremlin will lose almost all of its artillery ammunition, almost all of its armored vehicles, battle tanks, and the main part of its ground forces”
+ “It’s a battle of resources, and the most important resource is time. Now either he waits out longer than Europe [during the winter], or the Russian people get tired. And it’s unclear what collapses first — Putin, or everyone else.”
Read this: Multinational mission to train Ukrainian troops hits major milestone: The Ukrainians are getting basic training far superior to what Russian soldiers receive, says expert. CBC
+ The allied effort to train Ukrainian recruits accomplished a major achievement this week when Ukraine confirmed 5,000 of its troops had been put through the British-led program.
+ Canada has sent roughly 225 troops, including instructors. The Netherlands and New Zealand are also contributing trainers.
+ The Ukrainian recruits are flown to the UK on British military planes. There they receive instruction at four different bases, including a major training center in Kent where urban combat is taught.
+ The basic training is a step above the instruction Russian troops are getting because western soldiers are taught what's known as "combined arms tactics" involving ground troops, tanks, artillery, and aircraft.
+ "It will be a more sophisticated approach to maneuver warfare, probably enabled with a variety of other technologies"
Read this: The last salute: Canadian military begins changing oaths and honors in the wake of Queen's death: The late Queen was known for taking a personal interest in the lives of soldiers. CBC
+ The Queen was colonel-in-chief — the ceremonial head — of 16 different military units in Canada. That's an extraordinary number given the relatively small size of Canada's armed forces.
FT: Ron DeSantis breaks fundraising record for US governor’s campaign
+ According to financial disclosures filed on Friday, he has raised $175.8mn for his campaign committee and his affiliated political action committee Friends of Ron DeSantis during the 2022 cycle.
In Ohio, Vance scrambles to ramp up campaign after mounting GOP criticism: WP reports although party strategists voice confidence Vance will still prevail, they say they fear he wasted precious time, requiring a financial bailout that limited resources for GOP candidates in other states.
+ Trump in Northeast Ohio today to stump for Senate candidate JD Vance
Engadget: Zoom is reportedly developing email and calendar apps
+ Known internally as Zmail and Zcal, Zoom could announce the apps at its annual Zoomtopia conference in November.
Phantom of the Opera will be performed at Majestic Theatre for a final time on February 18, 2023.
+ Broadway’s longest-running show
Read this: What do dogs know about us? Man's best friend is surprisingly skilled at getting inside your head. Alexandra Horowitz
+ "People wonder not just what their dogs are thinking but what they are thinking about them—whether they see through our deceits or feel the love we feel for them."
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Caracal produces ITK Daily.
Caracal is a geopolitical business intelligence firm specializing in global business issues at the intersection of globalization, disruption, and politics.
Clients are Chief Communications Officers with global responsibility who rely on Caracal for help navigating today's interconnected business environment with political intelligence, research, strategic planning, public affairs, and communications.
More @ www.caracal.global
