🌍 Thai parliament bars Pita from PM post

Hi there Intriguer. We’ve finally arrived at today’s theatrical release of the most geopolitically-charged film of the year… *checks notes* Barbie.

Today’s briefing is a 4 min read:

• 🇹🇭 End of the road for Thailand’s would-be PM?

• 🇹🇼 War games in Taiwan.

• ➕ Plus: A spicy flag, how the papers are covering protests at Sweden’s embassy in Iraq, and a fragile 600-year-old tradition.

⏱️ Around the world in sixty seconds

1. 🇯🇵 Japan: Singapore now has the world’s strongest passport, ending Japan’s multi-year run in the top spot. Singaporeans can now visit 192 countries visa-free against Japan’s 189.

2. 🇬🇧 UK: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has criticised the EU’s decision to refer to “the Islas Malvinas/Falkland Islands” in a declaration this week. Argentina says the “Malvinas” reference is a diplomatic “triumph” that recognises its claims over the islands (for its part, the EU says its position hasn’t changed).

3. 🇮🇳 India: A viral video involving sexual violence against two ethnic Kuki-Zo women has triggered outrage in India, prompting Prime Minister Modi to break his two-month silence on violence in the Indian state of Manipur. Over 130 people have died since clashes between the majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities broke out earlier this year.

4. 🇻🇪 Venezuela: Former Venezuelan spy chief Hugo Carvajal has been extradited from Spain to the US to face drug trafficking charges. Carvajal fled to Spain after turning against President Nicolás Maduro.

5. 🇲🇦 Morocco: Israel has officially recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, a resource-rich desert region which claims independence from Moroccan rule. The US is the only other country formally recognising Rabat’s territorial claims.

🇹🇭 Thailand | Politics

Thai lawmakers dash hopes of would-be PM

Lawmakers have blocked Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of Thailand’s reformist Move Forward party, from becoming prime minister. Earlier the same day (Wednesday), a court suspended him from parliament for owning shares in a defunct media company.

Pita and his party won the largest chunk of votes in May’s election as voters rejected Thailand’s decade of military-backed rule.

But to be appointed PM, he then had to convince a majority of lawmakers in both houses. And with Thailand’s current senate being military-appointed, it was an uphill climb for any candidate pledging to upend the status quo.

In the end, a majority of lawmakers not only blocked Pita’s bid to become PM, but also stopped him from re-nominating. So it may be the end of the road for Pita.

Intrigue’s take: This whole saga has had more plot twists than Gone Girl. Parliament reconvenes on 27 July and there are a few possible scenarios:

1. The second-largest party (Pheu Thai) could put forward its own candidate, perhaps dropping Move Forward to win over the senate

2. The military could (again) intervene and install another loyalist as prime minister, claiming a need to restore stability, or

3. A third option could emerge, like the current deputy PM (a former army chief whose party came 4th).

But… it’s hard to see how any of these military-leaning options could enjoy broad support after May’s stunning election results. So strap yourself in.

Also worth noting:

• Pita’s Move Forward party had pledged to reform Thailand’s strict laws on criticising the monarchy. The military has long invoked its duty to protect the monarchy to justify its political interventions.

• Move Forward supporters and other protesters are now planning to hold a mass march.

📰 How newspapers covered…

Sweden’s Baghdad embassy being set on fire by protestors

*Tobias Billström is Sweden’s foreign minister

Intrigue Outloud: Season One

All your favourite episodes in one place!

We’ve compiled all eighteen special edition episodes from our inaugural season of Intrigue Outloud. Let us know which guests you want on next season by emailing our host Ethan at ethan@internationalintrigue.io, and check out Intrigue Outloud wherever you get your podcasts!

🇹🇼 Taiwan | Defence & security

Taiwan doesn’t want war, but it’s prepping for the worst

Our co-founder Helen participated in a war game in Taiwan earlier this month (that’s not a sentence we type often).

What’s a war game? The details vary, but war games are basically table-top exercises that simulate aspects of warfare to try and explore future possible scenarios. Some games literally involve standing around a big map and moving pieces around, like a board game (or a WWII movie).

What were the key findings from this war game?

1. 🕊️ Peace remains Taiwan’s top priority, but it’s still focused on retaining a military edge

2. 🚚 Taiwan believes it’s prepared for war with China, but this is based on assumptions like resolute US support, and that China would attempt an amphibious attack on its flatter western shore (Taiwan’s east is ~80% mountainous)

3. 🕵️ For its part, China has other options to co-opt Taiwan, like cutting off the island’s submarine cables or energy supplies, and/or infiltrating Taipei politically

There are also a few wildcards:

• 👨‍💻 Taiwan is the global leader in nanoelectronics, but 60% of its exports go to China. This risk of a mutually-assured meltdown complicates calculations on both sides of the strait

• ✊ Also, Taiwan’s people increasingly support independence, though one ex-general in the war game queried their motivation levels and got a laugh with this line: “If you ask young Taiwanese to fight for their country, they might. But if you ask them to fight for their UberEats, then they definitely will.“

In parallel, Taiwan is looking to build its resilience 

• 🛰️ Some folks there are working towards satellite autonomy to ensure the island can remain online in the event of war, and

• 🦔 The US has been coaxing Taiwan towards an asymmetric ‘porcupine-style’ defence for years, with mixed results.

Helen’s take: When folks talk about ‘the Taiwan issue’, they often focus on the US-China angle and can end up neglecting Taiwanese voices. So this war game was a way to hear those voices directly, expressing everything from military bravado and defiance, through to doubt and fear.

But there were still Taiwanese voices missing (I was one of very few young/female delegates in the room). And the entire exercise was conducted in Mandarin, showing the importance of language skills in the region still. Intriguers, it’s never too late to learn a language.

🎧 Today on Intrigue Outloud

Why did protestors storm Sweden’s embassy in Iraq?

➕ Extra Intrigue

We’re back with some weekend suggestions from Team Intrigue. If you have:

• 10 mins: Read about how one Venetian glassmaker is struggling to keep her family’s 600-year-old tradition alive.

• 30 mins: Listen to this ‘Reply All’ episode to find out why a woman in New Jersey is getting random phone calls from unknown numbers (each seemingly eavesdropping on the life of a different stranger).

• 1 hour: Try this delicious skillet eggplant parmesan recipe, which may or may not change your life.

🏁 Flag of the day

Grenada’s flag seems simple enough: green for the Caribbean nation’s fertile land, yellow for its near ever-present sun, and red for courage and vitality. We dig it already. But that cheeky symbol on the left is what really lifts this puppy: it’s a clove of nutmeg. Grenada produces more of the stuff than any country bar Indonesia. No wonder it’s known as the ‘Isle of Spice.’ 🔥

Our score: 9.2/10

🗳️ Quiz time!

To mark Oppenheimer’s theatrical release, we have some nuclear-themed trivia.

Answers: 1-b, 2-d, 3-b.