If Beijing's political-economy were a prime-time drama, the showrunner (let's call him Xi Jinping?) just executed the ultimate plot-twist , waiting until right in the middle of a heart-warming economic comeback montage to then abruptly kill off one of the show's longest-surviving main characters.
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UKRAINE
Kyiv says US intelligence sharing has now resumed following last week’s brief-but-deadly freeze, though DC denies there was ever a pause at all. Meanwhile, the White House and Elon Musk are still trading leaked denials around exactly who curbed Ukraine’s critical Starlink/Starshield access (which still seems to be throttled). (WSJ $) Comment: Whether a unilateral move by an erratic billionaire or a coordinated Trump squeeze to stop Kyiv frying Russian refineries and force it into a Moscow-friendly deal, the mix of silence and denial suggests everyone realises it’s been a PR backfire ahead of key midterms.
CANADA
Alberta residents have voted overwhelmingly to remain part of Canada, with 76% rejecting a proposal for a formal independence vote procedure. (RCI)
COLOMBIA
In an early legislative win for the populist-right’s new President de la Espriella, congress has now approved next year’s $200B budget. It redirects funds away from the 2016-era peace deal with guerrillas, reassigning them instead to a mix of more defence spending and debt service. (Reuters)Comment: That budget reflects the tightrope ‘El Tigre’ is now walking, between his campaign pledge to ramp up security spending, versus the growing debt and deficit trajectory he now owns.
EUROPEAN UNION
The EU has unveiled its new Arctic Strategy to counter growing competition from Russia, China, and even the US in the High North. The plan pledges more undersea cable surveillance, expanded satellite capabilities, and a new fleet of European icebreakers. (EuroNews)
UNITED KINGDOM
The UK has announced it’ll send fighter jets to help defend Saudi Arabia from Houthi aerial attacks, though playing no role in offensive missions. (BBC)
INDIA
India’s second-richest man (Mukesh Ambani) is launching what could become the country’s biggest-ever IPO, targeting a $110B valuation for his Meta/Google-backed telecoms giant, Jio Platforms. (Guardian)
YEMEN
Residents of Yemen’s third-largest city are now facing critical food, fuel, and water shortages as a Houthi siege of the city enters its third week. UN Human Rights chief Volker Türk is calling for immediate aid corridors. (UN)
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