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IN TODAYβS EDITION
1οΈβ£ The US and China play ball on fentanyl |
2οΈβ£ A fugitive separatist returns to Spain? |
3οΈβ£ Photo of the day |
Hi Intriguer. I got a jump-scare over the weekend. It happened when I was leisurely driving the Intrigue crew back to DC after our retreat in the Chesapeake Bay: windows down, corn fields rolling, and Bruce Springsteen Americana blasting to my very accommodating European colleagues.
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All of a sudden, weβd whizzed past a huge sign that displayed the number of opioid deaths in the state of Maryland just this year, which was a sobering reminder of the opioid crisis across the US.
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So, Chinaβs move to regulate some of the ingredients that go into fentanyl will be welcome news to many. Letβs dig into it in todayβs top story.

THE HEADLINES
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Taylor Swift concerts cancelled due to terrorism threat.
Local organisers have cancelled three Vienna concerts by pop star Taylor Swift, after the Austrian government confirmed two people had been arrested on suspicion of planning a terror attack targeting her Eras Tour. The suspects apparently had links to ISIS and had become radicalised online.
Chile steel-maker suspends production.
The largest Chilean steel producer has suspended production indefinitely, citing βthe intensification of Chinese dumpingβ. Chile imposed tariffs on China-made steel bars in April, but Huachipato insists the measures were insufficient. Steel is a key input for copper production (which Chile leads).
EU criticises Israeli ministerβs statement on Gaza starvation.
The EU, UK, and France have asked the Israeli government to distance itself from the words of Israelβs finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who in a speech earlier this week stated: βno one in the world will allow us to starve two million people, even though it might be justified and moral in order to free the hostagesβ.
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Yunus returns to lead Bangladesh.
Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus (84) has just touched down in Dhaka to lead an interim government towards fresh elections, after weeks of tumultuous student-led protests forced Prime Minister Hasina to flee the country in a helicopter. Yunus says heβll be guided on next steps by the students.
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Powerful earthquakes hit Japan.
Authorities have issued a tsunami warning after a 7.1 earthquake hit southern Japan earlier today (Thursday). No significant damage has been reported so far.
TOP STORY
Why did China just agree to work with the US on fentanyl?

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Itβs not often we get to cover a positive story these days, particularly when it comes to the veritable dumpster fire that is US-China relations.
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But yesterday (Wednesday), the White House made an announcement that left us feeling just a little warm and fuzzy – like, 0.000001% warm and 0.000002% fuzzy: China has agreed to subject three key China-made precursor chemicals used in the manufacturing of fentanyl to βadditional regulation and controlβ.
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National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett even called it a βvaluable step forwardβ.
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Fentanyl?
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Our US readers will know that fentanyl is a synthetic opioid thatβs:
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Ultra-potent (80 to 100 times more-so than morphine) and
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Ultra-low-cost (the folks at Reuters found they could make three million pills – worth $3M – using an internet connection and $3k).
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Fentanyl has had a legitimate pain relief role for decades, but its potency and cost have now enabled the drug to wreak havoc across the US, in two ways:
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First in terms of public health, driving 100,000 overdose deaths per year, and
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Second in terms of national security, with organised crime thriving off its ability to supply the US market.
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So⦠the US has long been struggling to stem the flow.
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And whatβs this got to do with China?
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A lot of the finished product used to enter the US from China, until Beijing slapped aΒ wide-ranging ban on the drugΒ and its variants in 2019.
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The ban βworkedβ in slashing the amount of China-made fentanyl smuggled into the US, but organised crime did what it always does: it pivoted. So instead of importing the finished product, it imported the ingredients (precursors).
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And most of those precursor chemicals are made in China then shipped to labs in Mexico, where syndicates synthesise them into fentanyl and smuggle them into the US via illicit established channels.
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The very nature of fentanyl makes this supply chain hard to stop: the entire annual US supply could reportedly fit in the back of a couple of Ford F-150s.
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So⦠will this new US-China pact work?
We started this piece feeling all warm and fuzzy, but itβs a liiiiittle harder to end it that way. Hereβs why:Β
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Many of fentanylβs precursor chemicals are legit inputs for perfumes, dyes, rubbers, and insecticides, so an outright ban isnβt viable
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The criminal supply chain can also just tweak the chemical structure of any key restricted substances to evade specific bans, and
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The transnational nature of the supply chain means itβs often a criminal result built on lots of legal steps, making it hard to prosecute.
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So you can bet organised crime will again pivot. But honestly? Thatβs the cat-and-mouse story of tackling organised crime: itβs a path rather than a destination.
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And in the meantime, weβll print out the White Houseβs US-China announcement and just nuzzle into it, breathing in its musk, all as a reminder that even staunch rivals can – and must – still find a way to work together.
INTRIGUEβS TAKE
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Of course, this all begs the question⦠why did China agree to place restrictions on its own vast and highly-lucrative chemicals industry, to help a rival like the US deal with its own drug problem?
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We have a few theories:
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First, this was all imposing a reputational cost on China, particularly among US lawmakers who will shape Americaβs evolving response on issues where China can really feel pain (like Chinaβs access to US markets and tech).
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Second, the issue had already evolved beyond just US-China ties in 2022, when a top UN narcotics body added key fentanyl precursors to its list of substances that all members (including China) must now regulate.
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And third, weβve written before about how Xi Jinping has a real incentive to tactically stabilise ties with the US while he seeks to grapple with the growing list of economic (and therefore political) challenges heβs facing back home.
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All three above probably played a role in Beijingβs decision to play ball, and all arguably offer insights for anyone hoping to shape Chinaβs choices ahead.
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Also worth noting:
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Last year, the Biden Administration added China to the US list of the worldβs major drug-producing countries.
Diplomat salary report
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Nobody gets into diplomacy for the money. At least, they shouldnβt. Or at least, we didnβt.
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Most pursue a career in diplomacy because they want to serve their country, see the world, and do meaningful work. And you canβt put a price on that, right? Wrong! Weβve just compiled the first-ever comparison of diplomat salaries across the G20.
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Why? Mostly for the LoLs. But also, the world is getting a little crazy, so itβs worth asking the question: are our diplomatic services still attracting and retaining the best talent, to help us avert disaster?
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Itβs free to read for all Intrigue subscribers!
MEANWHILE, ELSEWHEREβ¦

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π¦πΏΒ Azerbaijan: Baku has reportedly agreed to defer its demand for a ‘Zangezur Corridor’ through southern Armenia, removing a significant obstacle to signing a peace agreement. The proposed transport corridor through Armenian territory aims to link mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave.
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πͺπΈΒ Spain: Catalonian opposition figure ββCarles Puigdemont, whoβs been in exile since 2017 after leading the regionβs unconstitutional bid to secede from Spain, has said he plans to attend the plenary session of the Catalan parliament today (Thursday). Itβs unclear what exactly he has in mind, given Spain still has a warrant out for his arrest.
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πΉπΒ Thailand: A constitutional court has ordered the dissolution of the Move Forward Party, a reformist movement that was attempting to amend strict laws protecting Thailandβs monarchy from criticism.Β The party snagged the most seats in the 2023 election, prompting Thailandβs spooked royalist establishment to respond with a crackdown.
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π΅π¦Β Panama: Panama’s border police have announced the arrest of 15 individuals suspected of facilitating the movement of Chinese migrants through the Darien Gap. President JosΓ© RaΓΊl Mulino took office on July 1st with a promise to halt irregular migration through the Gap, including by returning migrants to their countries of origin.
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πΉπ·Β Turkey: After weeks of escalating rhetoric, Turkey has filed a request to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Israel’s actions in Gaza. Colombia, Nicaragua, Spain, Libya, the State of Palestine, and Mexico have also sought to intervene in the ICJ case.
EXTRA INTRIGUE
Hereβs whatβs been happening in other worlds
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Travel: Colombian lawmakers are debating whether to ban souvenirs depicting the late drug kingpin, Pablo Escobar.Β
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Science: NASAβs Mars rover has found what could be evidence of life on the planetβ¦ but weβre talking molecules rather than Martians.
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Sports: Nine US figure-skaters finally got their gold medals for the 2022 Winter Olympics, after a Russian figure-skaterβs positive doping test meant no medals were awarded at the time.
PHOTO OF THE DAY

Photo courtesy of the Intrigue team
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Youβve seen the White House press room hundreds of times before, right?
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But before ducking out for our team retreat in Maryland last week, we saw the press room up close after scoring a private tour of the White House. And in addition to snapping the above pic, we also collected four fun facts we thought you might enjoy:
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The White House press pool takes its name from the fact it was actually built over an old pool, which is still there beneath the briefing room!
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On the ceiling above the Oval Office is the only US seal with 50 eight-point (rather than five point) stars. Thatβs because an Italian sculptor took some creative liberties when Alaska and Hawaii first joined the US.
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The White House has 412 doors, which⦠seems a lot?
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Plus, thereβs an official βReceptionist of the United Statesβ (aka ROTUS), whoβs in charge of welcoming the presidentβs guests.
DAILY POLL
What do you think the US should do to help confront the opioid crisis? |
Yesterdayβs poll: Do you think Yunus can bring Bangladesh back from the brink?
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π©π©π©π©π©π©Β πΒ Maybe, he’s a statesman and the people’s choice (61%)
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π¨π¨π¨β¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈ β No, the country’s problems run deeper (38%)
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β¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈ βοΈ Other (write in!) (2%)
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Your two cents:
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πΒ D.D: βYunus is controversial, but his heart is in the right place. He may not be able to pull it all together, but there is no one else with better chances on the stage right now.β
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Β βΒ C.F: βUntil the endemic corruption in Bangladesh is eliminated, the country will suffer politically.β
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βοΈ K.F: βHe needs to set limited goals and a date when he will definitely leave office.β
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πΒ M.G: βIf Yunus can truly serve as a transition to a civilian government, it’s possible.β
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