FP This Week: British and Palestinian decision-makers to know

Political profiles, Beijing’s naval ambitions, World Cup activism, and more. AUGUST 1, 2023  |  [VIEW IN BROWSER](  |  [SUBSCRIBE](     Hussein al-Sheikh, a Palestinian official and the head of the General Authority of Civil Affairs, attends the funeral of former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Feb. 22. Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images Today we’re highlighting two new political profiles of figures in places undergoing massive transitions. The question of how both cope with those changes will come to define each of their tenures in office. With the British Conservative Party unraveling and a general election likely to take place before the end of 2024, Labour’s Keir Starmer could be the next prime minister. But three years into his tenure as party leader, it’s not clear who Starmer is—or what he would do with the top job. Political journalist Jamie Maxwell [reviews]( the most comprehensive account of Starmer for clues, concluding that the would-be PM remains “curiously blank.” From a leader lacking definition to a leader without a country: What does it mean for Hussein al-Sheikh to lead Palestine now that its dream of independence is no longer alive? Over nine months, Foreign Policy interviewed 75 Palestinians, Israelis, Americans, and Europeans—including officials, diplomats, businesspeople, and rights advocates—to paint a picture of Sheikh’s rise. Read Adam Rasgon and Aaron Boxerman’s [in-depth profile](, which features a rare interview with Sheikh from Ramallah.—The editors   FP Live • LIVE SOON Foreign Policy for the Middle Class, Explained Aug. 1, 2023 | 11 a.m. EDTIs Washington’s turn toward industrial policy working as planned? What are the chances of a recession this year? As a member of President Joe Biden’s Council of Economic Advisers and chief economist of his Invest in America cabinet, Heather Boushey is one of the primary intellectual architects of the U.S. approach to inequality, growth, and job creation. Boushey will join FP’s Ravi Agrawal for a wide-ranging discussion on the U.S. economy and take questions from subscribers. [Register here.]( Inside Biden’s New Tech Policy Aug. 9, 2023 | 11 a.m. The Biden administration’s national security strategy has called for “an allied techno-industrial base” to safeguard American interests, security, and values. Key to the technological aspect of that strategy is the White House’s new Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital policy, run by Ambassador Nathaniel Fick. Fick joins FP Live to discuss cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, tech diplomacy, and more. [Register here.](   New and Noteworthy - Beijing Is Going Places—and Building Naval Bases: China famously built its first overseas base, a launch pad for the People’s Liberation Army Navy, in Djibouti in 2017. Where will it build the next one? Alexander Wooley and Sheng Zhang [mapped]( the eight most likely candidates for a future base, drawing on new data that focuses on ports and infrastructure construction financed by Chinese state-owned entities. - How to Fix the Spyware Scourge: Steven Feldstein writes in a new [argument]( that while Washington is taking serious efforts to curb the industry, “few other countries have shown much interest in taking on commercial spyware firms, despite a parade of public scandals revealing major rights violations.” To make a serious dent in the market, the United States needs Europe and Israel to take surveillance abuses seriously, and Feldstein offers three recommendations to advance cooperation on reining in spyware violations. - Is the Wagner Group a Terrorist Organization?: FP national security and intelligence reporter Amy Mackinnon details efforts on Washington’s Capitol Hill to brand the group—which has been accused of torturing, raping, and murdering civilians—as a foreign terrorist organization. But not everyone agrees, and the move would have wide-ranging implications for U.S. policy in Africa and beyond. [Read the full report for more.](   Exercise Your Mind Which African leader did Russian President Vladimir Putin meet Wednesday ahead of a two-day regional summit in Russia last week? - Kenyan President William Ruto - Nigerian President Bola Tinubu - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa - Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed You can find the answer to this question at the end of this email. [Click here]( to take the rest of our weekly news quiz.   Expert voices, intelligent analysis. [Get FP access today](.   A High-Dollar, Highly Outspoken Women’s World Cup In Australia and New Zealand, Latin American players are pushing for free expression and equal pay, Catherine Osborn writes in the latest [edition]( of Latin America Brief: Activism in this World Cup is distinct from that of last year’s men’s tournament. The tightly controlled environment both inside and outside stadiums in Qatar was designed to stamp out any form of political protest, though the Iranian and German squads made silent gestures in support of Iran’s “Women, Life, Freedom” movement and LGBTQ rights, respectively. Overall, the tournament demonstrated the [rising soft-power prowess]( of many Gulf states. It’s far easier for players to make their voices heard in this year’s host countries, and the Brazilian national team did so from the moment they arrived, touching down in an airplane painted with an image of Mahsa Amini, the Iranian woman whose death in police custody in 2022 [sparked]( nationwide protests. The plane was also painted with messages of support for feminist demonstrators in the country. More broadly, activism has flourished surrounding this tournament because it has been international, coordinated, and targeted toward inequalities at the heart of the soccer world. Top of mind has been the fight for better and more equitable pay for female athletes compared with their male counterparts. Members of 25 national squads, including Uruguay, Chile, and Jamaica, sent a letter to FIFA ahead of the tournament, calling for it to increase the tournament prize money for female players among other demands, including better travel conditions for tournaments. It was coordinated by the international players’ union FIFPRO, where former Chilean and Colombian women’s national team players are currently organizers. Read more from this [report](, and sign up to receive [Latin America Brief](, a weekly digest of the region’s politics, economics, technology, and culture written from Rio de Janeiro.   Most Popular on FP [Black Lives Matter protesters gather in London's Hyde Park on June 21, 2020, following the police killing of George Floyd in the United States. ]( [Britain’s Racism Isn’t America’s]( The United Kingdom needs to examine its own bigotries. By Angela Saini [Platoon commanders of Ukraine's National Guard take part in a military training in the Kharkiv region on July 26.]( [Ukraine Brings the Pain]( Kyiv’s forces are finally starting to breach the dragon’s teeth. By Jack Detsch, Robbie Gramer [Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy as the title characters in Barbie and Oppenheimer.]( [‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ Have More in Common Than You Think]( Both films attempt to atone for the complicated legacies of American icons. Only one succeeds. By Jennifer Williams [Syrian President Bashar al-Assad speaks during a press conference with Iraq’s prime minister in Damascus on July 16.]( [Normalizing Assad Has Made Syria’s Problems Even Worse]( Making nice with Assad was supposed to help stabilize the country. It has done the opposite. By Charles Lister [Osama bin Laden (left) sits with his adviser Ayman al-Zawahiri during an interview with Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan in a photo published in November 2001.]( [Whatever Happened to Al Qaeda?]( The once-powerful organization’s disappearance from headlines and the broader foreign-policy conversation is remarkable. By Daniel Byman [Britain’s Racism Isn’t America’s]( The United Kingdom needs to examine its own bigotries. By Angela Saini [Ukraine Brings the Pain](Kyiv’s forces are finally starting to breach the dragon’s teeth. By Jack Detsch, Robbie Gramer [‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ Have More in Common Than You Think](Both films attempt to atone for the complicated legacies of American icons. Only one succeeds. By Jennifer Williams [Normalizing Assad Has Made Syria’s Problems Even Worse](Making nice with Assad was supposed to help stabilize the country. It has done the opposite. By Charles Lister [Whatever Happened to Al Qaeda?](The once-powerful organization’s disappearance from headlines and the broader foreign-policy conversation is remarkable. By Daniel Byman   From Around FP - Seeking a New Opportunity?: Foreign Policy has open [opportunities]( across the organization. On our subscriptions team, we’re looking for marketing managers to focus on connecting with new audiences and engaging our readers. Join our strategic accounts team and support FP’s partnerships that produce events, research, podcasts, crisis simulations, and advertising. Our newsroom is looking for a social media editor, and FP Analytics has an open position for a research and policy analyst. See all [open jobs](. - Lessons Learned from Combating Russian Cyber Attacks in Ukraine: A multistakeholder, whole-of-society approach has been critical to supporting Ukraine’s digital resilience against Russian cyberattacks. With support from Microsoft, FP Analytics asked leading [experts]( from civil society, the private sector, and government—including Stéphane Duguin, Dr. Peter Maurer, and more—about what the war in Ukraine has taught them about their fields’ roles in combating current and future cyber threats. Read the latest [installment]( of the “Digital Front Lines” report. - An $886 Billion Bone of Contention: The United States is about to pass the biggest peacetime military budget of any nation in history. But, according to FP columnist [Adam Tooze](, American militarism is not in a happy place. Read more in the latest [edition]( of his Chartbook newsletter. And on the new [episode]( of Ones & Tooze, Adam and FP’s Cameron Abadi consider: What exactly is Bidenomics? Are you interested in learning more about FP Analytics’ cutting-edge research services, hosting an FP Virtual Dialogue event, or building a podcast with FP Studios? [Explore partnership opportunities](. Answer: (D) Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The summit to shore up support with African leaders follows Moscow’s withdrawal from a grain deal with Ukraine that permitted the latter to export food to nations in Africa and Asia. For more on this latest escalation by Russia, read FP’s [report]( from Christina Lu and Amy Mackinnon. Go behind the headlines Gain access to FP's insightful articles and deep analysis, enabling you to stay informed and broaden your global outlook. [SUBSCRIBE TODAY](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( You’re receiving this email at {EMAIL} because you signed up for the FP This Week newsletter. [MANAGE YOUR EMAIL PREFERENCES]( | [VIEW OUR PRIVACY POLICY]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Reach the [right online audience]( with us. [Foreign Policy]( is a division of Graham Holdings Company. All contents © 2023 Graham Digital Holding Company LLC. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 655 15th St NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC, 20005.