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Hi there Intriguer. Political party names are always good for a chuckle, whether it’s Mexico’s ‘Institutional Revolutionary Party’ (confusing but inclusive) or Turkey’s ‘Good Party’ (virtuous and modest!). But, as always, they take it too far Down Under. Over the years, Australia has had the ‘Surprise Party’, the ‘Party! Party! Party! Party’ and the ‘Deadly Serious Party’. What we’re saying is… democracy is the least funny form of government, except for all the rest.
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Today’s edition is a 5.0 min read:
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🇮🇷 Iran buries the hatchet with Saudi Arabia in China.
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🌍 Africa‘s diaspora senses opportunity back home.
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➕ Plus: Iran’s nuclear program reaches a crisis point, how the papers are covering South Korean President Yoon’s upcoming trip to Japan, and some Oscar-themed laughs for your Monday.
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On today’s Intrigue Outloud: Go deeper on the recent turmoil in Georgia, and China’s historic mending of fences between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
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– Valentina, Ethan & Jeremy
🗺️ AROUND THE WORLD
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🇦🇫 Afghanistan: An Islamic State offshoot in Afghanistan (ISK) has claimed responsibility for a bombing in the northern Balkh province that killed the region’s Taliban governor on Thursday. The Taliban has conducted several raids targeting ISK militants recently.
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🇫🇷 France: The Senate voted in favour of President Macron’s plan to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64 on Thursday. Protestors have rallied for months against the measure, which will now move to the National Assembly for final approval.
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🇫🇲 Micronesia: A letter from outgoing President David Panuelo accusing China of engaging in “political warfare” in the Pacific was leaked to the public on Friday. Panuelo said he was considering switching diplomatic ties from China to Taiwan.
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🇺🇸 United States: Days after confirming a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy turned down an offer from Ukrainian President Zelensky to visit Kyiv. McCarthy has expressed concern about Ukraine’s use of US aid.
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🇲🇱 Mali: The ruling junta has delayed a constitutional referendum that was designed to hasten the country’s return to civilian rule. The junta promises it’ll still hold elections in February of next year.
🕊️ MIDDLE EAST | PEACE
The Saudis and Iranians break bread in Beijing
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Briefly: In a surprise announcement on Friday, long-time rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish diplomatic ties. The deal was brokered by (and unveiled in) China.
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Some context: The Saudis broke off ties in 2016 after protestors ransacked Saudi diplomatic posts in Iran. But the rivalry goes back decades and has been getting messier: proxy wars in the region, a drone attack on the Saudi oil industry, Iran’s nuclear program… the list is longer than an Oscars acceptance speech.
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So why’d they do this deal?
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🇮🇷 After years of isolation and crippling US sanctions, Iran desperately needed the kind of legitimacy and solidarity that only China could offer.
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🇸🇦 The Saudis wanted to hedge their bets and show Washington that they’ve got other options, after years of tension with their US allies.
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🇨🇳 The world’s largest oil importer needed stability in the world’s key oil region. Plus, China wanted to show that it’s a global power, like the US.
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Intrigue’s take: Peace is good, no matter the broker. But the details can reveal broader trends. In this case, three things come to mind:
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First, it was novel to see such an historic deal happen without the US in the room. And yet… the US was in the room by clearly being on the mind of each signatory.
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Second, energy independence has freed the US to focus elsewhere (eg, Ukraine, East Asia). But a major oil importer like China is still tied to the Middle East, so it’ll only get more involved in the region. And that’s no fun (just ask the US).
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And third, Iran and Saudi still loathe each other. This deal is less about them burying the hatchet, and more about them hedging against the US and courting China.
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Make no mistake, this is a big deal; it’s just more nuanced than it seems.
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Also worth noting:
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The 2019 drone attack on Saudi oil facilities drove global oil prices up 20% in a single weekend, the largest single spike since the 1970s.
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UK intelligence says it’s foiled 15 attempted assassinations and kidnappings against Iran’s enemies in the UK, including journalists.
📰 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
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How different newspapers covered: South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol‘s upcoming trip to Japan.
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Links: Korea Times, Japan Times, Inquirer.Net
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Sponsored by Notion
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🌍 AFRICA | DIASPORA
Insights on Africa from our friend Caleb at Tech Safari
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There’s a country with 150 million people. It’s the 10th largest in the world. In fact, it’s so big, the African Union even declared it Africa’s sixth region. And yet… it’s not a country. It’s Africa’s diaspora: folks with origins in Africa, now living abroad.
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And it’s not just population size. The single largest financier in all of Africa is the diaspora, sending back $53 billion in remittances (ie, sending money home) in 2022. For six African nations, remittances made up more than 10% of their GDP. In Gambia, it was 28%.
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But Africa’s diaspora has unique problems (beyond strict migrant parents!). Migration is a long process. Banking and credit can be tough to access abroad. And even when you’re settled, a new set of challenges emerges: sending money home, caring for family, finding your community and connecting with your culture.
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But where there’s problems to solve and cash to spend, there’s startups. And Africa’s no exception. After minting its first unicorn in 2016, there are now a dozen across the continent. And many startups are now building specifically for Africa’s diaspora.
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Africa’s startup journey is just getting started.
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Also worth noting:
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One startup is trying to build a new country for Africa’s diaspora – on the internet.
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In January the Ghanaian government partnered with rappers Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa on Black Star Line – a festival for Africa’s Diaspora. 50,000 people attended, including Black celebrities like Dave Chapelle and T-Pain. Check it out here.
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We love Caleb’s insights into Africa’s tech scene. On Wednesday he’ll be exploring some of the startups building for Africa’s diaspora. So be sure to subscribe to Tech Safari and check it out.
💬 QUOTE OF THE DAY
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Are Iran and the West inching towards war?
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Iran watcher Ellie Geramayeh thinks they might be. Check out Friday’s episode of Intrigue Outloud on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever, to hear why Ellie’s worried and why engagement is in everyone’s best interest.
👀 EXTRA INTRIGUE
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In honour of the Oscars over the weekend, here’s a roundup of Hollywood-themed tales to start the week with a smile. Or not. We won’t tell you what to do.
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After the surprise success of Cocaine Bear, get ready for cocaine wildcat. Thankfully, the feline is doing well. Maybe a little too well.
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Oscar nominees have been gifted a square metre of Australian land they can’t actually use.
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A fungi-killing compound, keanumycins, has been named after Keanu Reeves.
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Inflatable HIMARS vehicles are the next big thing in fake army equipment. It’s only a matter of time before there’s a movie about an inflatable arms dealer (i.e. the weapons are inflatable, not the dealer).
🗳️ POLL TIME!
Are you satisfied with the weekend’s Oscar winners? |
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Friday’s poll: Do you think the days are numbered for Georgia’s current government?
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🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⏰ Yes, the people are angry and want to join the EU (77%)
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🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ ✋ No, the government can still balance the EU and Russia (23%)
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Your two cents:
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⏰ S: “The government may fall but Georgia will not be allowed by Putin to enter the EU. If you think there’s growing fatigue in supporting Ukraine against Russia wait till you see the apathy in supporting Georgia.”
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✋ J.L: “More than ‘balancing’, Tbilisi’s government can simply wait out the protests. It’s all up to Ivanishvili.”