🌍 Diplomats from Argentina and Brazil on strike

IN TODAY’S EDITION

Hi Intriguer. Four years ago, a survey revealed that 45% of Americans considered moving house to be the most stressful event of their lives—ranking higher than getting divorced (44%), having children (31%), or switching careers (27%).

I’m in the midst of moving house right now, and frankly, I’m shocked that only 45% of folks described it that way.

In contrast, when I was in the foreign service, my move from Australia to Beijing was a breeze. I simply packed a suitcase of essentials and left while a team of movers packed up my life, shipped it 6,000 miles to China, managed customs, and delivered it all to my Beijing apartment, which had been thoughtfully prepared for me with a welcome kit by my attentive colleagues at the embassy.

My point is twofold: 1) never move house ever, for any reason, and 2) while diplomatic service doesn’t always pay the best, it comes with some pretty sweet perks. I offer that without judgment as we dive into today’s top story about Argentine and Brazilian diplomats on strike—perhaps motivated by our recent diplomatic pay report 😉?

THE HEADLINES

WHO declares mpox emergency.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an outbreak in Africa of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) as “a public health emergency of international concern”. Details are still emerging, but this is the same alert the WHO has used previously for Covid, Ebola, and a 2022 mpox surge in Europe.

Ukraine claims more advances into Russia.
President Zelensky says Ukrainian troops have advanced another 1-2km further into Russian territory, capturing 100 more Russian soldiers, while Russia is now claiming it’s stopped the advances. Ukrainian officials have also described plans for a “security zone” in Russia to protect Ukraine’s borders. Meanwhile, Russia has begun moving some troops from Ukraine to respond to the incursion.

US markets rise as inflation cools.
The Fed is now widely expected to start lowering rates next month, after the latest US consumer price index data reinforced the recent trend of disinflation. Fed Bank of Chicago chief Austan Goolsbee says he’s now growing more concerned about the labour market than inflation.

Monthly inflation keeps dropping in Argentina.
President Milei is claiming vindication for his economic shock therapy after Argentina recorded its lowest monthly inflation since early 2022. Consumer prices rose 4% in July, as annual inflation slowed to 263.4%.

Columbia University president resigns.
Nemat Shafik is now the third Ivy League leader to resign in eight months, citing the university’s recent period of turmoil “where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community” regarding the Israel-Hamas war. She’s now taking a job to lead a review of the UK’s overseas aid program. Meanwhile, Gaza negotiations are due to resume in Qatar today (Thursday), with officials from the US, Qatar, Egypt and Israel participating, while Hamas is opting out. Israel and Hamas blame each other for delays in reaching an agreement.

TOP STORY

INTRIGUE’S TAKE

We loved our time in the foreign service. It’s an honour to serve, and we were often amazed by the work ethic, skills, and compassion we saw there. So we didn’t leave because we were disgruntled. In fact, you could call us ‘gruntled’.

But beyond the specifics of Argentina or Brazil, our sense is that this is all downstream of a few bigger issues that’ve been brewing for a while.

First, globalisation has meant foreign services no longer have a monopoly over presence, access, insight, or influence. That’s made their role (and value) harder to identify. So diplomats need to better articulate that to citizens back home.

But second, after the Cold War, many capitals lost their clarity of purpose and allowed their foreign services to atrophy, pushing them to irrelevance at home and impotence abroad. But now that the world’s gotten scarier again, it’s the national security agencies rather than diplomatic services that’ve grown, often proffering sharper solutions no matter how blurry the problems.

And third, against that backdrop, many ministries have become shackled by quirky subcultures that provide fodder for our resident meme lord (Jeremy), but which need to go: risk aversion, blame aspersion, waitocracy, over-servicing (“the soy milk not to your liking, minister?”), assumed incompetence (“my draft tweet is ready for your approval, ambassador”), learned helplessness (admiring rather than solving the problem), and so on.

The end result can resemble a sheltered workshop for the gifted and talented.

But all that aside, the last few years have been a reminder that there’s nothing impervious nor inevitable about our modern world’s bubble of relative security and prosperity. And so while there are valid criticisms of diplomats today, our world is not only going to need them more – it’s also going to need them at their best.

Also worth noting:

• Argentine diplomats already pay tax on their salaries. This new tax is on their allowances which enable them to survive abroad.

MEANWHILE, ELSEWHERE…

1. 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan: The business world is planning to have a smaller presence at the COP29 climate talks in Azerbaijan this November, with Politico reporting that execs are wary of the logistical challenges and the host nation’s oil-dependent regime. Many instead seem to be shifting to other events like Climate Week in New York City next month.

2. 🇷🇺 Russia: A Moscow court has sentenced US citizen Joseph Tater to 15 days in jail for petty hooliganism, according to a Telegram channel that monitors the city’s courts. It comes two weeks after the biggest Russia-West prisoner exchange since the Cold War, involving 24 individuals and months of negotiations and concessions.

3. 🇲🇲 Myanmar: China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, has visited Myanmar to meet its military rulers, as China continues to voice concern over instability along its border from Myanmar’s ongoing civil war. The visit follows allegations from Myanmar’s junta leader that foreign countries, including China, are supporting some of the ethnic militias.

4. 🇨🇴 Colombia: Prince Harry and Meghan will arrive in Colombia today (Thursday) at the invitation of Vice President Francia Márquez, to participate in events including a forum on cyberbullying. It’ll be the first visit to Colombia by the former working royals, with stops in Bogotá, Cartagena, and Cali.

5. 🇪🇬 Egypt: Magnom Properties, a Saudi-controlled real estate firm, plans to begin construction early next year on a $1bn, 50-storey office tower in Egypt’s new capital, powered by clean hydrogen. It’s a big bet that the new city, being built in the desert east of Cairo for 6 million people, will be able to attract development and international clientele.

EXTRA INTRIGUE

What’s happening in other worlds

• Architecture: It turns out folks have strong feelings about brutalism, with many DC locals wanting the FBI’s famed J. Edgar Hoover Building gone.

• Artefacts: They might not have the door that Rose couldn’t fit Jack on, but a secret warehouse full of Titanic artefacts contains all kinds of items from the original shipwreck, including a half-full champagne bottle, an alligator bag, and perfume vials.

• Sports: One of the many interesting stories to emerge out of the Paris Olympics was that of Cindy Ngambia, the Cameroon-born and UK-based boxer who became the first-ever medallist for the Refugee Olympic Team.

FLAG OF THE DAY

It’s election season in the remote Pacific Island nation of Kiribati, so let’s take a look at their flag, shall we?

Those soothing wavy stripes represent both the ocean and the three archipelagos (Gilbert, Phoenix and Line Islands), while the 17 golden rays of sun are for the 16 Gilbert Islands plus Banaba over in the West.

Oh, and that yellow frigatebird up top? It represents power, freedom, and local dance patterns, while the sun is all about the nation’s position on the Equator.

And you know what? In addition to all the symbolism, it also just really looks like a tropical postcard, practically shouting, “welcome to paradise!“

Intrigue’s score? Our first-ever 10/10!

DAILY POLL

Yesterday’s poll: Do you think Iran will accept a ceasefire in lieu of retaliation?

🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ ✅ Yep, the regime knows it can’t win an all-out war (40%)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ❌ No, it needs to restore its own credibility (55%)

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ ✍️ Other (write in!) (5%)

Your two cents:

• ❌ M.A: “It won’t start a full scale war, but it can’t pretend nothing happened, so it needs to do something.”

• ✅ M.G: “Iran always telegraphs any attack on Israel as it’s only symbolic and for domestic play. It knows a real attack would bring regime destruction.”

• ✍️ L.G: “It will wait for the right timing and keep everyone on their toes while concentrating to help end the Gaza conflict. After all, retaliation like vengeance is a dish you eat cold.”