🌍 The EU reveals its new green transition push

Hi there Intriguer. After more than three decades as America’s most beloved breed, the Labrador just lost its crown to the French bulldog. Though funnily enough, the French pups don't get much love in France, where apparently the Australian Shepherd is top dog. Go figure. They say the grass is greener on the other side. Maybe the dogs are cuter too. 

And happy St Patrick’s day to all those celebrating today!

Today’s edition is a 4.9 min read:

• 🇪🇺 The EU’s new green transition push.

• 🇵🇰 Pakistani police seek to arrest a former prime minister.

• ➕ Plus: the most polluted city on Earth, how the papers are covering the Credit Suisse debacle, and a diplomacy-themed quiz to wrap up the week.

On today’s Intrigue Outloud: Go deeper on Israel's internal turmoil with Knesset member Rabbi Gilad Kariv and Israeli journalist Haviv Rettig Gur.

– Valentina, Ethan and Jeremy

🗺️ AROUND THE WORLD

1. 🇯🇵 Japan: During a landmark visit by South Korean President Yoon, Japan has agreed to end its long-standing restrictions on the export of semiconductors to South Korea. Intrigue Outloud recently went deeper on the current thaw in Japan-Korea relations.

2. 🇹🇭 Thailand: Bangkok has agreed to restart free trade negotiations with the EU, which abandoned the talks in 2014 after the Thai military took power in a coup.

3. 🇦🇷 Argentina: The country's inflation rate surged past 100% in February for the first time since 1991. It's bad news for the Argentine people as well as President Fernández, who faces a tough re-election slog in October.

4. 🇳🇪 Niger: US Secretary of State Blinken headed to Niger on Thursday, where he's expected to announce additional US support for the West African country. Niger hosts a US-built and operated military base used to combat jihadism in the region.

5. 🇮🇹 Italy: And a wild one to round out our five… according to Italian intelligence, Russian mercenary group Wagner has put a $15M bounty on Italy’s defence minister! Wagner’s chief has denied this, claiming the group has “a lot of our own problems to deal with”.

🇪🇺 EU | TRADE

EU announces new green push to compete with China, US

Briefly: The EU unveiled yesterday (16 March) its plans to jumpstart the bloc's green transition, and compete with China and the US on green tech.

The proposed Net-Zero Industry and Critical Raw Materials laws offer easier rules and access to finance, to get the EU producing (rather than importing) 40% of key inputs for the green transition by 2030.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em: These proposed laws are basically Europe's response to what China and the US have been up to lately.

China now supplies almost all of the EU's rare earths, magnesium, and lithium, plus 90% of its solar panels. It's the biggest monopoly since Ticketmaster.

The proposed laws don't mention China, but they seek to curb imports from any "single source" with more than a 65% market share. So yeah, China.

Why bite the hand that manufactures? The EU says it's learned the hard way (through the war and pandemic) the dangers of being over-reliant on any one country.

As for the US, its response to China was last year's massive subsidies for green products. The EU loathed these advantages for US companies, so it's now proposing some advantages of its own.

Intrigue’s take: Europe’s two proposed laws are clever: they hit climate, economic and geopolitical goals. And it's not every day you get to kill three birds with two stones.

The proposed laws are also a sign that 'industrial policy' is sexy again. 'Industrial policy' is a dull term for a big idea: governments backing key sectors rather than leaving markets to decide.

The world's three largest economies are now strutting their industrial policy. But not everyone has the resources to follow suit.

Also worth noting:

• Europe’s manufacturing activity has contracted for its eighth month in a row.

📰 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

How different newspapers covered: Credit Suisse obtaining a lifeline loan after the bank’s shares dropped alarmingly.  

Links: The Independent, Anadolu Agency, NZZ. 

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🇵🇰 PAKISTAN | POLITICS

Turbulence in Pakistan as police seek to arrest former PM

Briefly: Police are due to resume their attempts to arrest former Pakistani prime minister and cricket superstar Imran Khan in Lahore this morning (17 March). Earlier attempts were halted this week after police clashed violently with Khan's supporters.

Authorities accuse Khan of selling official gifts (including six Rolexes!) while he was PM. He denies the charges, but a court issued an arrest warrant to ensure he shows up for his hearing tomorrow (18 March), after months of skipping court on security fears.

Khan says the charges are an attempt to disqualify him from national elections due in October. The current Prime Minister, his political rival, denies any involvement.

Intrigue’s take: After being ousted from power last year then surviving an assassination attempt, Khan has now re-emerged as Pakistan’s most popular politician. Even while evading arrest, he's proved adept at rallying his supporters via Twitter.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's economy is teetering, and support for the government is cratering. We don't want to dampen anyone's spirits, but it's hard to see this ending well.

Also worth noting:

• Khan is facing a slew of other charges like terrorism, attempted murder and money laundering, all of which Khan describes as "frivolous".

• In initially suspending police attempts to arrest Khan, the Lahore court cited potential disruptions to a major cricket tournament.

📚 REPORT OF THE DAY

Speaking of Lahore…

The city of more than 11 million is the most polluted city on Earth, according to a recent report. The World Health Organization recommends a maximum concentration of just 5 micrograms of lung-damaging airborne particles (known as PM2.5) per cubic metre.

👀 EXTRA INTRIGUE

In need of some inspiration for the coming weekend? Fear not, Team Intrigue's got you covered! If you have:

• 5 mins: Read about the fascinating contradiction at the heart of TikTok-famous Buddist monks.

• 12 mins: Watch the remarkable story of Saint Patrick, who lived in the 5th Century.

• 45 mins: Listen to ‘Watergate: Part 1’, a podcast episode by The Rest is History detailing what led Richard Nixon into the greatest political scandal in American history.

🗳️ QUIZ TIME!

Plenty of you really enjoyed our last quiz, so our co-founder Helen is back with more!

Scroll for the answers!

Quiz answers: 1-a, 2-a, 3-b.