CCP's Car Crash Plan

Hi Global Recap readers,

Hope you all had a great weekend!

No major headline like the recent US strike on Iran this time around, but we've still got a packed lineup. I tried cutting it down, but honestly, how do you skip stories like:

• Musk tells lawmakers to hang their heads

• Iran ready to leak emails from Trump insiders

• China wants a say in the Dalai Lama's reincarnation

• Beijing plotted a car crash near Taiwan's VP

• North Korean spies got inside US tech companies

There are even some unconfirmed drone strikes in Tehran, potentially breaking the ceasefire, but details are still shaky.

So for now, we’re leaving that one out. 👇️ 

🌐 WORLD
Fast Scroll News

🇨🇦 Canada Nixes Tech Tax. Canada just killed its 3% digital services tax targeting US tech giants like Google and Meta (literally hours before the first payments were due).

• Trump had slammed the tax as “egregious” and pulled out of trade talks Friday, threatening more tariffs.

• Now, Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne says the move is meant to revive negotiations, with both countries aiming for a new deal by July 21.

• The tax would’ve hit firms retroactively to 2022 and cost them over C$2 billion in year one. Did Canada just cave?

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Party Disbands. Hong Kong’s League of Social Democrats, the city’s last pro-democracy group still holding street protests, officially shut down on June 29.

• Chairperson Chan Po-ying said that they have “no other choice,” citing relentless political pressure and legal risks under Beijing’s national security law, which has already jailed or silenced most opposition voices.

• On top of that, even their bank had cut them off.

• Chan added, “One country, two systems has already become one country, one system.”

🇺🇸 Musk Targets GOP Allies. Elon Musk just threatened to take down any Republican who backed Trump’s $2.5 trillion tax-cut and spending bill, calling it “utterly insane and destructive.”

• On X, he slammed lawmakers for “betraying” their small-government promises and warned “they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”

• He also added that "They should hang their heads in shame.”

• He’s now mocking both parties as one big “PORKY PIG PARTY” and pushing for a new America Party.

🇨🇳 China Eyes Dalai Lama Succession. The Dalai Lama, about to turn 90, is expected to drop hints this week on where his next reincarnation might be, and it won’t be in China (surprise).

• He’s publicly said the successor could be born in India and warned followers to ignore any pick backed by the CCP.

• China, meanwhile, insists it gets a say and has been pushing regulations to control the process.

🇺🇸 Trump Loosens Syria Sanctions. Trump just signed an order scrapping big chunks of the US sanctions program on Syria, saying it’s time to help rebuild after Assad’s fall.

• The 2004 asset freeze is out, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s now in charge of reviewing deeper relief, including the tough Caesar Act penalties on Syria’s natural gas and reconstruction sectors.

• Trump also asked Rubio to ease restrictions on exports, foreign aid, and Syria’s terrorism designation.

• Trump met the new Syrian leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, back in May, and officials are framing the move as leverage for peace talks, aid, and maybe even Israel normalization.

🇮🇷 Hackers Threaten Trump Leaks. A group called “Robert,” linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, says it’s sitting on 100 gigabytes of emails from Trump insiders like Susie Wiles, Roger Stone, Lindsey Halligan, and even Stormy Daniels.

• They already leaked some during the 2024 campaign, including ones revealing Trump’s financial ties to RFK Jr.’s legal team, but say more could be dumped or sold.

• Now, after the recent US strikes on Iran, they’re back, telling Reuters to "broadcast this matter."

• Why does it matter? These email leaks tend to cause damage quietly, without triggering any real reaction. What can a government actually do besides send a strongly worded letter?

🇨🇿 CZECH REPUBLIC
China’s Collision
Plot Exposed

Czech intelligence says Chinese diplomats schemed to stage a car crash targeting Taiwan’s Vice President during her visit last year. The upside is that it never happened, but the plan was real.

The Prague Visit

Let's rewind to March 2024. Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim made a high-profile visit to Prague. It was an important moment for both her and Taiwan, as it was her first overseas visit after winning the election in January.

• Her arrival was tightly escorted, but a Chinese diplomat reportedly ran a red light tailing her convoy.

• At the time, it was brushed off as “reckless” driving. Apparently, it was something else entirely.

Intelligence Details

Fast forward to June 2025, when the Czech Military Intelligence Agency went public with new info: it indeed wasn’t just a reckless diplomat, but rather the early stage of a “demonstrative kinetic action” (not my words).

• Officials now believe China’s Prague embassy planned to stage a car collision near Hsiao.

• Although it is believed that the Chinese diplomat who ran a red light was just trying to keep up with Hsiao.

• Petr Bartovský, the director of the Czech military intelligence service, claimed the goal was to “demonstratively confront Ms Hsiao” in a way that stopped short of direct violence but sent a message.

Taiwan Responds

Hsiao isn’t backing down. In a social media post, she wrote: “The CCP’s unlawful activities will NOT intimidate me.”

• Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council condemned the failed scheme, demanding a public apology from Beijing.

• The council said it “seriously threatened the personal safety” of Hsiao and her team.

Beijing’s Denials

Meanwhile, China brushed the whole thing off and pivoted to its usual Taiwan talking points.

• Spokesperson Guo Jiakun insisted Chinese diplomats “always observe the laws” of host countries.

• He accused the Czech government of “gross interference” for even letting Hsiao visit.

• Beijing called her a “diehard Taiwan independence separatist,” a label that carries a threat of capital punishment under Chinese law.

🇰🇵 NORTH KOREA
Remote Work, Real Spies

North Korean operatives faked their way into US tech jobs to fund the regime’s weapons program, using stolen identities, AI tools, and a lot of laptops.

How They Got In

Turns out remote work made the perfect cover. And you know what US tech companies are known for, right? Yes, remote work.

• They weren’t just faking résumés. They were posing as real people using stolen identities.

• Stolen identities of roughly 80 Americans gave them legit-looking paper trails.

• Around 100 US companies unknowingly hired North Korea-linked IT workers.

• Many used AI to ace interviews and slip through HR filters.

What They Were After

But of course, the jobs were just a front.

• The real mission: Grab data, steal cash, and funnel it all back to Pyongyang.

• An unnamed California-based defense contractor working on AI-powered equipment lost some technical data and files.

• US officials say virtual currency was also targeted.

• “Any government contracting company utilizing remote work could be a potential victim,” warned the FBI.

Laptop Farms and Fake Sites

But North Korea didn’t do it alone. They had help. Lots of it.

• US-based “laptop farms” ran machines 24/7 to make these fake workers seem legit.

• The FBI searched 29 farms across 16 states and seized around 200 laptops.

• Fraudulent websites and financial accounts were also used to launder millions.

Who's In Trouble Now

The US Justice Department came down hard, and they’re not done.

• One US citizen, Zhenxing Wang, was arrested for enabling the scheme and generating over $5 million.

• Four North Korean nationals were separately indicted for stealing $900,000 in crypto.

• Other American collaborators have been arrested or pleaded guilty, with one woman admitting she helped move $17.1 million through her home setup.

What's Next

The State Department is still hunting for leads, offering a $5 million reward.

• Remote work may be convenient, but it’s also proving alarmingly vulnerable.

• The DOJ says this is about more than stolen cash, as these funds North Korean weapons and violate sanctions.

• Expect more scrutiny on international hires and a whole lot more laptop seizures.