Chinese spy pigeon?

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Global Recap
February 02, 2024 • Read in: 6 minutes

Hi Global Recap readers,

Imagine: You are strolling around in Mumbai.

Then, suddenly… you spot a pigeon with two rings on its legs with a message that looks Chinese.

What’s the first thought that pops up in your mind?

I’ll tell you what it was for the Indian police:

“Spy!”

🌐 Around the World

  • 🕊️ Spy Pigeon Freed

  • 🔥 Massive Explosion in Nairobi

  • 🇷🇺 Wagner Group Under Control

  • 🚢 Navies Show Off on China’s Turf

  • 💉 Chinese Couple Executed for Throwing Babies out of the 15th Floor

🕊️ Spy Pigeon Freed

A pigeon that was suspected of being a Chinese spy has been released by Indian police after eight months in custody. The bird was caught near a port in Mumbai with two rings and a message that looked Chinese.

  • Revelation: The pigeon turned out to be an open-water racing bird from Taiwan that had escaped and flown to India.

  • Ordeal: The pigeon was sent to an animal hospital and then to an animal welfare society before being set free on Tuesday. Wait… Was it interrogated?

  • Precedent: This is not the first time a pigeon has been accused of espionage in India. In 2020 and 2016, two other pigeons were detained and cleared of spying charges.

🔥 Massive Explosion in Nairobi

A huge fire broke out at a gas cylinder company in Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday night, injuring dozens of people and damaging nearby buildings.

  • Cause: The catalyst is still unknown. But it happened while the cylinders were being refilled, according to a government spokesperson.

  • Tremors: Witnesses reported feeling the ground shake after the blast, which was captured on social media videos.

  • Casualties: At least 3 were killed and nearly 300 have suffered injuries.

🇷🇺 Wagner Group Under Control

A new report reveals that Russia’s national guard is absorbing former Wagner Group fighters into its volunteer corps.

  • Rebellion: Wagner Group tried to overthrow Putin in June 2023, but failed miserably and lost its leader.

  • Deployment: Rosgvardia, Putin’s personal security force, is likely to send its new volunteers to Ukraine and Africa to advance Russia’s interests.

  • Motive: The move is seen as a way for Moscow to tighten its grip over the notorious mercenary organization.

🚢 Navies Show Off on China’s Turf

A Chinese military vessel trailing a US vessel.

The US and Japan just wrapped up a four-day naval exercise involving multiple aircraft carriers in the Philippine Sea.

Its purpose? To send a message to China, which claims most of the waters as its own territory.

  • Participants: The drill involved the USS Carl Vinson, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the JS Ise, and nine other ships.

  • Observers: China’s navy watched the exercise from a distance.

  • Context: The exercise came a week after the US, Japan, India, and Australia conducted another joint drill focused on anti-submarine warfare.

China

Chinese Couple Executed for Throwing Babies out of the 15th Floor

🔪 Love Over Lives. A Chinese couple, Zhang Bo and his girlfriend Ye Chengchen, were executed on Wednesday by lethal injection.

  • Reason? For throwing Zhang’s two children out of a high-rise apartment window.

The Story

👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 A Deadly Affair. Zhang had begun an extramarital affair with Ye without telling her that he was already married and had two children.

  • After his divorce from his then-wife, Chen Meilin, in February 2020, Ye urged Zhang to kill his two children.

  • Ye viewed the children as “obstacles” to their love and a "burden on their future life together."

👨‍👧‍👦 The Children. The crime took place in a high-rise apartment in southwest China’s Chongqing in 2020.

  • The two children were:

    • a 2-year-old girl; and

    • a 1-year-old boy.

  • They were thrown from the 15th floor.

🎭 A Staged Tragedy. After the despicable act, Zhang and Ye tried to stage the children’s deaths as an “accidental” fall.

⚖️ Justice Served. The pair were sentenced to death in 2021 but were only executed this week following a lengthy appeals process that resulted in a second trial. The Supreme People’s Court of China approved their death sentences, finding their roles and overall influence equivalent.

🤔 Why It Matters. This case highlights the extreme lengths people can go to for selfish desires, disregarding the sanctity of life. It serves as a grim reminder of the importance of laws and justice systems in holding individuals accountable for their actions.