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Top Briefings
Why China wants you to buy a new microwave

As clickbaity as it sounds, we’re not making the above title up.  On Wednesday, China’s policymakers announced they’ve added all sorts of small electronic appliances — microwaves, rice cookers, water purifiers — to a list of consumer products eligible for a subsidised trade-in. We’re not here to dunk on that idea — the US and others have […]

Economics 10 January, 2025
Diplomat salary report – 2024

Nobody gets into diplomacy for the money. At least, they shouldn’t. Or at least, we didn’t.

Uncategorized 7 August, 2024
Election Intrigue – What is Kamala Harris’s foreign policy?

Vice President Kamala Harris has been the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for a whopping… checks notes… five days. We weren’t alive in 1968 when President Lyndon Johnson chose not to run again, but from the accounts of those closest to Johnson, it was a more orderly process.

Geopolitics 26 July, 2024
The four things embassies in DC are telling their home governments about Biden’s withdrawal

24 days after that debate, while recovering from Covid at his Delaware beach house, Joe Biden announced Sunday afternoon local time that he’s withdrawing his 2024 candidacy to “focus solely on fulfilling” his duties as president. He then endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, who in turn declared her intention to “earn and win” the Democratic Party’s nomination. And yet again, it’s […]

Geopolitics 22 July, 2024
Newsletter
Events
Podcast

Intrigue Outloud

All the best things about the International Intrigue newsletter, straight to your podcast app of choice.

Listen on
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Listen on
Apple Podcast

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About us
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Explore On
Top Briefings
Why China wants you to buy a new microwave

As clickbaity as it sounds, we’re not making the above title up.  On Wednesday, China’s policymakers announced they’ve added all sorts of small electronic appliances — microwaves, rice cookers, water purifiers — to a list of consumer products eligible for a subsidised trade-in. We’re not here to dunk on that idea — the US and others have […]

Economics 10 January, 2025
Diplomat salary report – 2024

Nobody gets into diplomacy for the money. At least, they shouldn’t. Or at least, we didn’t.

Uncategorized 7 August, 2024
Election Intrigue – What is Kamala Harris’s foreign policy?

Vice President Kamala Harris has been the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for a whopping… checks notes… five days. We weren’t alive in 1968 when President Lyndon Johnson chose not to run again, but from the accounts of those closest to Johnson, it was a more orderly process.

Geopolitics 26 July, 2024
The four things embassies in DC are telling their home governments about Biden’s withdrawal

24 days after that debate, while recovering from Covid at his Delaware beach house, Joe Biden announced Sunday afternoon local time that he’s withdrawing his 2024 candidacy to “focus solely on fulfilling” his duties as president. He then endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, who in turn declared her intention to “earn and win” the Democratic Party’s nomination. And yet again, it’s […]

Geopolitics 22 July, 2024

Kim and Putin are meeting up

Pyongyang and Moscow confirmed yesterday (Monday) that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet President Putin in Russia this week.

The announcement, which contained no further details, came after warnings from Western intelligence officials that:

  • 🚀 Kim could agree to send Russia additional stocks of artillery, rockets, and small arms munitions for its invasion of Ukraine, and
  • 🛰️ Putin could in return share blueprints on advanced weapons systems like nuclear submarines and intel satellites.

This kind of deal would be an escalation of the existing arms trade the two neighbours have reportedly conducted for months.

Intrigue’s take: Russia and North Korea are as isolated as ever: Putin can’t travel to most countries for fear of being arrested, and Kim hasn’t left home since 2019. But two pariahs combined can still wield plenty of power.

Also worth noting:

  • Kim’s armoured train entered Russia earlier today (Tuesday).
  • The 1,100km journey took around 20 hours because the train travels at around 60km per hour.

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