Caracal Daily | August 8

Caracal Daily | August 8

Caracal Daily is geopolitical business news + intelligence for comms pros.

Geopolitics is disrupting every business and industry. Caracal is here to help.

Always Be Communicating.

Happy Thursday.

Here’s today’s Caracal Daily:

*** Globalization + Geopolitics ***

Summer COVID surge hits at least 84 countries and continues to climb: WP reports at least 40 Olympic athletes have tested positive for the coronavirus and other respiratory illnesses, suggesting the virus may not exhibit the same seasonal patterns as the common cold and flu.

Reuters: Israeli army issues new evacuation orders in north Gaza after rocket fire

Israeli aircraft buzz Beirut as the drums of war bang loud: Economist reports as Iran and Hizbullah threaten retaliation for Israeli assassinations, Lebanon is the firing line.

WP: Washington and Arab states scramble to avert an all-out Middle East war

Arab and Western nations urge restraint as Israel-Iran tensions simmer: NYT reports trying to head off a Middle East war, several countries are pressing Iran to temper its retaliation for the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran.

How to end a spiraling Middle East crisis: A ceasefire deal in Gaza is the only way to put a stop to the region’s cycle of violence. FT - Editorial

Egypt told its national airlines to avoid flying over Iran in three-hour intervals on Wednesday and early on Thursday local time, apparently because of scheduled military exercises

US sends another carrier from Asia to Middle East, widening Pacific gap: Nikkei reports some call for stationing a flattop in the Mediterranean on a permanent basis.

Politico: Turkey joins South Africa’s genocide case at ICJ against Israel

Ukraine: The uncertainties of a war of attrition: Le Monde reports on Sunday, Kyiv confirmed the reception of the first F-16 fighter jets promised by its allies a year ago. But the arrival of these American-made aircraft likely won't be enough to upend the balance of power on the ground.

Ukraine struggles to implement its 'African Strategy': Le Monde reports after the revelation of its aid to independence fighters in Mali, who are fighting against the Malian army and its Russian ally Wagner, Kyiv is suffering a series of diplomatic setbacks in West Africa.

Reuters: Ukraine pierces Russian border, triggering fierce clashes

Ukraine presses on with surprise military incursion into Russia: Second day of hostilities in Kursk region is driving up death toll, according to Moscow. FT

The Times: Putin accuses Kyiv of ‘major provocation’ with cross-border attack

Politico: EU, UK cyber chiefs say there were hacking efforts aimed at recent elections

Taylor Swift concert terror attack plan foiled: Newsweek reports two people were arrested in Austria on Wednesday, foiling a potential terror attack that may have been targeted at a Taylor Swift concert.

Bloomberg: UK regulator tells online services to ‘act now’ to stop riots

Fears of fresh anti-immigrant violence put Britain on high alert: NYT reports thousands of extra police officers were mobilized across the country, but as of early evening there were no signs that large far-right crowds had gathered.

After a week of UK riots, thousands fill the streets to decry racism: WP reports for the most part, the counterdemonstrators appeared to outnumber the agitators. And, for one night at least, they helped stop the violence.

Catalan separatist to return to Spain, despite arrest threat: DW reports Carles Puigdemont, who fled the country after organizing an illegal independence referendum seven years ago, says he will return home on Thursday. Facing an arrest warrant, it is unclear how he intends to do it.

The Times: Meloni says China trip with her daughter sets good example

Chinese firms are growing rapidly in the global south: Western firms beware. Economist

Analysis: Xi Jinping's draft internet ID law sparks '1984' fears: Online criticism goes viral, then disappears on eve of Beidaihe meeting. Nikkei

Xu Zaozao, an unmarried Chinese woman, lost her final legal appeal to freeze her eggs. 

Australia: Great Barrier Reef waters warmest in 400 years: DW reports record water temperatures have led to more and more mass bleaching events along the Great Barrier Reef. Experts warn the reef is running out of time.

AI is coming for India’s famous tech hub: The country’s outsourcing companies have added urgency to shift to higher-end services. WSJ

Newsweek: India and Pakistan brace for rising ISIS threat

Bangladesh: The fall of a dynasty: Le Monde reports the hasty departure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sealed the collapse of a family that has been linked to power since Bangladesh's independence in 1971.

Can hope beat hatred in Bangladesh? Domestic politics and great-power rivalries will make transitioning to democracy hard. Economist

Chile’s only steel mill shuts amid surge in Chinese imports: FT reports the South American country had slapped tariffs on its largest trading partner in order to save the plant run by CAP.

Miami Herald: US supports negotiations with Maduro but won’t call opposition winner president-elect

US nears milestone in race to prevent quantum hacking: Global authorities speed up focus on growing threat to traditional cryptography. FT

***  US Politics + Elections ***

Harris was ‘last person in the room’ on Afghan exit, but her influence is unclear: WP reports the vice president’s role in the Afghanistan withdrawal suggests her limits in meaningfully altering President Biden’s course on historic choices.

Kamala Harris seeks centre-left sweet spot in US election battle: Democrat candidate has dropped leftwing policies from her failed 2020 presidential campaign. FT

Tim Walz looks the everyman part in flannel shirts and camo hats: The Minnesota governor lends a folksy dad vibe to the Harris campaign, from his jeans, tees and glasses to his dog-loving social-media posts. WSJ

Tim Walz and China: Close personal ties and sharp criticism of Beijing: Nikkei reports Harris' VP pick taught and honeymooned in country before becoming vocal on human rights.

The wisdom in calling Donald Trump weird: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are trying to make Democrats normal again. Economist

Will Donald Trump blow another election? As Kamala Harris rises in the polls, the former President doesn’t know how to respond. WSJ - Editorial

Trump took a private flight with Project 2025 leader in 2022: WP reports Trump took the flight to speak at a Heritage Foundation conference, where he said, “They’re going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do."

“F*** these Trump-loving techies”: Hollywood takes on Silicon Valley in an epic presidential brawl: LA’s liberal moguls are coming after Elon Musk and the rest of the Silicon Valley billionaire boys club in a political clash of the titans: “People are putting up a lot of dough just to teach these dudes they can’t buy an election.” THR

Forty-eight hours at the MAGA-fied crypto lovefest: The crowd at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville hopes Trump can make crypto great again. Bloomberg

*** Disruption + Innovation ***

NASA says Starliner astronauts could return with SpaceX—next year: WSJ reports officials confirm that NASA is considering using SpaceX for the return trip. Boeing said its craft is safe for crew.

Starliner crew may stay in space until February as NASA weighs SpaceX option: WP reports the astronauts on the Boeing test flight were supposed to stay on the International Space Station for eight days but could end up staying eight months.

Bloomberg: Warner Bros. takes $9.1 billion writedown on TV networks

Amazon develops China seller network to take on Temu, Shein: Nikkei reports Chinese upstarts are cutting into US e-commerce giant's share with cheap goods.

A booming industry of AI age scanners, aimed at children’s faces WP

Sound clashes are a thrilling reggae tradition. Will AI ruin them? The use of fake AI vocals – including those of Donald Trump – is sending shockwaves through this historic scene. At a Montego Bay clash, performers debate their culture’s future. Guardian

The Google decision is the right ruling — at the wrong time: The glacially slow process of reining in bad behavior by a powerful corporation lands just as AI takes off. Adam Lashinsky

*** Culture ***

Why a black-and-white feminist film was bigger than ‘Barbie’ in Italy NYT

The billionaire vs. the old money: On a coveted slice of Lake Michigan, a land swap has triggered a seething fight over the malign influence of wealth. NY Mag

*** Sport ***

Watching the Olympics is making me wonder: Is sport good for us? Medal-winning brilliance requires obsession as well as dedication and skill. I can’t help wondering what these athletes’ bodies and minds have gone through over the years. Adrian Chiles


Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc 

Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal