5 years in prison

Hi Global Recap readers,

There’s a wise phrase that humbles anyone who has lived it.

FAFO: F*** Around And Find Out.

It seems this group of protestors didn’t get the memo. They pushed and pushed the envelope until, well… they found out. 👇

🇬🇧 UNITED KINGDOM
Activists Sentenced for Protests

Five activists from the Just Stop Oil campaign have been sentenced to several years in prison for blocking a major London highway in 2022 to protest.

Sentencing Details

• Roger Hallam received a five-year sentence, while the other four activists were each sentenced to four years.

• The protests involved climbing onto gantries over the M25 highway for four days in November 2022.

• The judge described the activists as having crossed the line from concerned campaigners to fanatics.

Costs

The protests caused significant economic and traffic disruptions.

• The economic cost was at least £765,000, and the Metropolitan Police incurred costs exceeding £1.1 million.

• More than 50,000 hours of vehicle delay affected over 700,000 vehicles.

• The M25 was compromised for over 120 hours.

Incident Details

The protests also led to injuries and further complications.

• A police officer suffered concussion and bruising after being knocked off his motorbike in traffic caused by the protests.

• The judge’s characterization of climate breakdown as a matter of opinion was heavily criticized by experts.

Criticism and Reactions

The sentences have sparked criticism from environmental groups and scientists.

• Just Stop Oil called the decision an "obscene perversion of justice."

• Greenpeace UK described it as a “dark day for the right to protest.”

• Critics argue that the trial and verdict were an assault on free speech and demonstrated ignorance of the climate emergency.

Thoughts

I’m not sure if it’s just the nature of X that attracts certain people, but most of the comments I read about this news were highly critical of the protestors.

Many argued that the right to protest does not justify disrupting society in such destructive ways.

🇮🇱 ISRAEL
Tel Aviv Drone Attack

A drone attack hit Tel Aviv early Friday, causing casualties and raising concerns about regional tensions.

Attack Details

A long-range Iranian-made drone struck Tel Aviv, killing one and injuring four.

• The drone, identified as an upgraded Samad-3 model, hit a building near the beachfront close to the US Embassy.

• The explosion did not trigger air raid alarms, likely due to human error.

• The attack occurred hours after Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon.

Houthi Claim

The Yemen-based Houthi militia claimed responsibility for the attack.

• The Houthis, aligned with Iran, stated the attack was in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war.

• They used a new drone model called “Yafa,” capable of bypassing interception systems.

• Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree declared the operation a success.

Israeli Response

Israel is reviewing its air defenses and preparing for further actions.

• Defense Minister Yoav Gallant emphasized the need for readiness for both defensive and offensive measures.

• Increased air patrols have been implemented to protect Israeli airspace.

• Tel Aviv has been placed on heightened alert.

Regional Tensions

The attack adds to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iranian-backed groups.

• Israel has been exchanging fire with Hezbollah along its northern border and in southern Lebanon.

• The Houthis have increased attacks on Israel and Western targets, citing solidarity with Palestinians.

• The conflict has resulted in significant casualties on both sides, with fears of a wider regional conflict escalating.

🇬🇧 UNITED KINGDOM
Leeds Riots: Chaos Erupts

Riots broke out in Leeds, resulting in overturned police cars, fires, and chaos. This has led some residents to question:

“Has our immigration policy allowed this?”

But is this justified?

Incident

Riots erupted when police assisted social workers with a child protection issue. So far, we know that chaos began when three children were forcibly removed from their parents and taken into care.

• Rioters attacked police, flipped a police car, and used makeshift weapons.

• Mobs set buses, cars, and houses on fire, causing widespread chaos.

• Police stated that the chaos was "instigated by a criminal minority intent on disrupting community relations."

Controversy 1

Many on X, after watching videos of the incident, are claiming that the UK has been taken over by immigrants and are calling for mass deportations immediately.

• However, the child being taken away in the video is reportedly from a Roma Gypsy family.

• Roma Gypsies, known to be ethnic Indians, have been recorded in the UK since at least the early 16th century.

• They are often regarded as “outcasts,” with many never having fully assimilated.

Controversy 2

This interview didn’t help either.

• Here, Mothin Ali, a Green Councilor in Leeds and a campaigner for Muslim community outreach, stated that language barriers significantly contributed to the violence, suggesting that the UK police’s inability to speak the community’s language led to the unrest.

• However, critics are questioning why the police in the UK should be expected to speak any language other than English.

Controversy 3

Of course, the biggest controversy in this situation is the violence itself.

• Because many individuals in the riot videos appear “foreign-looking,” people on X are blaming immigrants in general for the chaos.

• This highlights how some individuals are increasingly getting vocal about their intolerance toward migrants who they feel are not assimilating into UK culture.

• But people aren’t adversarial toward immigrants without reason. Many have different underlying reasons that differ from one another.

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Massive IT Outage Chaos

A global IT outage has thrown airlines, hospitals, media, and banks into disarray, causing widespread disruptions.

When the story first broke, people speculated that it might be the result of a cyberattack by adversaries. However, it turned out to be something much less alarming: an update.

The Outage

• The issue stemmed from a defect in a single content update of CrowdStrike’s software on Microsoft Windows operating systems.

• CrowdStrike’s CEO, George Kurtz, confirmed the problem and advised customers to reboot their computers.

• The issue is specific to Falcon, one of CrowdStrike’s main software products, and does not impact Mac or Linux systems.

About CrowdStrike

CrowdStrike is a major player in the cybersecurity industry, known for its high-profile investigations.

• The firm is best known for investigating the Russian hack of Democratic National Committee computers during the 2016 US election.

• CrowdStrike’s software is used by numerous Fortune 500 companies to detect and block hacking threats.

• The company operates globally through software sales and investigations of major hacks.

Global Impact

• Airports: Major airports in India, Hong Kong, the UK, and the US faced issues, grounding flights and causing delays.

• Hospitals: Surgeries were canceled, and emergency services in Alaska warned of 911 system unavailability.

• Media: Broadcast networks in Australia struggled, with Sky News UK going off air temporarily.

• Banks and Supermarkets: Payment systems were down, affecting supermarkets like Coles in Australia.

🇻🇳 VIETNAM
Vietnam’s Communist Party Chief Dies

Vietnam’s Communist Party chief, Nguyen Phu Trong, has passed away at the age of 80 after a period of illness, marking the end of an era in Vietnamese politics.

Here are some key facts to remember him:

Longest Reign

• Nguyen Phu Trong held the position of General Secretary for over a decade, the longest since Le Duan’s tenure after Ho Chi Minh’s death in 1969.

• He was also the country’s president from 2018 to 2021.

• Trong’s leadership was marked by his dominance in Vietnamese politics since 2011.

Anti-Corruption Campaign

• Trong was the architect of Vietnam’s largest anti-corruption campaign.

• Thousands were arrested on corruption charges during his time in office.

• The campaign mainly targeted members of the Communist Party, the police, and the army.

• However, analysts linked the campaign to political infighting. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, is also known for conducting similar anti-corruption campaigns to purge his political opponents.

Early Life and Career

• Born in April 1944, Trong studied literature and socialist theory before earning a doctorate in Communist Party building in the Soviet Union.

• He joined the Communist Party in 1968 and worked as a journalist before rising to become editor-in-chief of Communist Review magazine.

• Trong became a member of the party’s Central Committee in 1994 and served as head of the National Assembly since 2006 before becoming General Secretary in 2011.

Health and Succession

• Rumors of Trong’s deteriorating health had been circulating for days.

• He had rarely been seen in public this year, with his last appearance on June 20 during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

• Vietnamese President To Lam took over Trong’s duties on Thursday.