🌍 Guterres invokes article 99

Hi Intriguer. A member of Team Intrigue attended the Aspen Security Forum in DC last night – it’s a top conference on security, intel and diplomacy. While the event featured a solid line-up, the audience vibes suggested there was one clear star of the show: David Cameron.

The former UK prime minister (and now foreign secretary) gave an impassioned defence of US support for Ukraine, drew a big audience laugh by referring to himself as an “expert in referendums”, then hung around to greet a long queue of influential well-wishers.

Of course, Cameron has his fair share of critics, so I can’t help but wonder if this warm reception reflected a bit of nostalgia for the era when he was prime minister (2010 to 2016).

It’s a more complex world today, reflected in our below briefing on the UN chief’s rare decision to invoke Article 99 of the UN Charter.

– Jeremy Dicker, Managing Editor

Hack and leak. The UK has accused a group “almost certainly” linked to Russian intelligence of carrying out a years-long hack-and-leak campaign to interfere in British democracy. The UK’s statement (in coordination with the US) points the finger at a group known as Star Blizzard, which is known to conduct surveillance on its high-profile targets. Russia hasn’t yet addressed the allegations.

Duelling claims. Israel has released maps, satellite photos, and video footage it says show that Hamas has fired rockets towards Israel from areas in southern Gaza where civilians were seeking shelter. Separately, watchdog group Human Rights Watch has released a report claiming that an Israeli strike that killed a Reuters videographer on 13 October appeared to be deliberate.

Charm offensive. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has made his first trip to Athens since 2017 for talks with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. It’s an effort to ease the neighbours’ long-standing tensions over territory, history, and beyond. The two struck a pretty positive tone in public, with Erdogan saying, “there’s no problem that cannot be solved between us.”

ECB promises to bare its teeth. The European Central Bank (ECB) has warned that banks dragging their feet responding to regulatory requests will face tougher fines. The ECB has tended to impose smaller fines than US and UK regulators, but it’s now promising a tougher approach, particularly towards banks reluctant to tackle climate risks in their portfolios.

INTRIGUE’S TAKE

The UAE (currently a member of the Council) plans to put forward a resolution calling for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire” during this morning’s emergency meeting.

It reportedly will not include amendments submitted by the US, including a condemnation of Hamas, a call for both Palestinian and Israeli civilians to be protected, and a call for the immediate release of all hostages.

The US Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, has already hinted at his country’s position, saying a resolution “would not be useful” right now.

So, given the basic calculations among the key Council members seem unchanged, it’s hard to see any resolution passing.

Also worth noting:

• Responding to the Article 99 news, Israel’s ambassador to the UN said the “distorted positions of the Secretary-General only prolong the fighting in Gaza, because they give hope to the Hamas terrorists that the war will be stopped and they will be able to survive.”

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A COP DARK SIDE?

We’ve worked at plenty of global summits, including in our former lives as diplomats. Summits are exhilarating, frustrating, surreal, and essential parts of how our world works.

But they have a dark side, too. Trusted friends have passed us some information on one such dark side now playing out in the margins of the COP28 climate talks in Dubai: sex trafficking. You can read more on our website here.

MEANWHILE, ELSEWHERE…

1. 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan: President Ilham Aliyev has called a snap election for 7 February. He’s been president since 2003 and has been riding a wave of popularity since Azerbaijan seized the ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in a lightning military operation this September. 

2. 🇩🇰 Denmark: Parliament has passed legislation to outlaw the desecration of holy books after a series of high-profile Quran burnings. Some opponents of the bill said the government was infringing on freedom of speech. 

3. 🇸🇬 Singapore: China and Singapore have agreed to initiate a 30-day visa-free reciprocal travel program starting next year. Malaysia and Thailand have similar programs in place for Chinese tourists. 

4. 🇲🇽 Mexico: The US and Mexico have agreed to more-closely monitor foreign capital in Mexico amid soaring Chinese investment there. Mexico is by far America’s largest trading partner, accounting for more than $850B in bilateral trade last year. 

5. 🇸🇨 Seychelles: President Wavel Ramkalawan has declared a state of emergency in Seychelles after a huge explosion at a mining company wrought destruction along the main island’s east coast. Heavy rains and flooding overnight have complicated the emergency response.

EXTRA INTRIGUE

Some weekend recommendations if (like our very own Ethan) you happen to find yourself in 🇲🇽 Mexico City this weekend

• Eat: Swing by Taqueria Orinoco for their al pastor tacos. This place is on every must-eat list for good reason!

• Explore: Built on a Mexican-American War battlefield, the Museo Nacional de las Intervenciones is a hidden gem of a museum that recounts the many wars fought on Mexican soil.

• Shop: If you need an authentic souvenir, there’s no better place than the massive Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela near the city’s centre.

_{Got weekend tips for another city? Hit reply and send them in!}

EMBASSY OF THE DAY

It may not get much hipper than Italy’s embassy in Brazil, which was completed in 1977 and designed by Pier Luigi Nervi, a legend of Italian design. Nervi was famous for his use of reinforced concrete, which he moulded into ‘quadricuspid’ columns for this project, giving the embassy a lightness and upward movement over the lake underneath.

Pretty, pretty, pretty good.

FRIDAY QUIZ