International, Intrigue is the show where two former diplomats (Dmitry Grozoubinski and John Fowler) and the people they know break down the big stories in international news.

This week's main story was the Wagner Group PMC, a Russian private army that's in the news both in Ukraine and in Africa. Who are they, why have they been succesful and what does their rise mean for geopolitics?

John and Dmitry also discussed:

• Hong Kong - What the trials of those arrested during the 2020 proteests mean for Hong Kong's trajectory

• Iran - The regime has announced it will pardon "10's of thousands," but what does it mean for recent protesters?

• International Tax - The OECD has issued its ruling on implementing the international minimum tax treaty, but will the US Congress get in the way?

All this and more!

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We're back for the 2023 season of Intrigue, Explained - The show where two former diplomats and the people they know break down the big stories in international news.

This week we're focusing on a still largely secret agreement between the US, Japan and the Netherlands to restrict the export to China of the technology and components required to silicon chips.

This is part of a growing escalation as China and the West maneuver for supremacy in the technology future, and has implications for everything from Taiwan to the EU.

We're also taking a quick look at:

• Fiji - The decision by the new Prime Minister to end policing cooperation with China

• Ukraine - After months of prevarication, the west is sending 321 tanks and counting

• India - The Adani Group has been accused in a detailed report of corruption and money laundering

Sign up to International Intrigue's free daily newsletter here: bit.ly/IntrigueNews

In this special release before the first season, we discuss the history of China's Covid-19 response, the rush of protests in late November 2022 and the options President Xi has moving forward.

You can watch the episode on Youtube here.

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