Hello again, Global Recap readers! 

Here we are, wrapping up another week of hard work. Get yourselves some well-deserved rest! Here’s a quick look at what’s ahead:

• 🇰🇵 North Korea continues to dodge US inquiries about private King.

• 🇭🇰 A man has been jailed for altering a song.

• 🇰🇷 Seoul warns North Korea about “ending” its regime.

• 🇮🇳 How India’s rice export ban will affect you.

We also have an important question for you in the end, so stick around. 🙏

📈 Top News

🔥 Putin warns Poland to back off of Belarus. The Russian President warned that any attack on Belarus or its allies would be seen as an attack on Russia itself. He also accused Poland of eyeing the former Soviet Union territories, claiming that a Polish-Lithuanian unit is planning to operate in western Ukraine. Meanwhile, Belarus is hosting Russian mercenaries on its own turf. So, who is the aggressor here? Find out more.

🚨 Seoul warns North Korea: Using nukes means “the end of Kim Jong Un’s regime.” Tensions are rising on the Korean Peninsula as Pyongyang justified a potential nuclear strike yesterday. Is it just me, or is everyone getting too comfortable saber-rattling with nukes? Find out more.

🏛️ The White House is worried sick as North Korea is dodging the US’ inquiries about the AWOL US soldier who defected to their side. He had completed his deployment in Korea and time in prison before running away from the airport on his way back to the US. Find out more.

🎵 He changed the tune, now he’s in jail. A Hong Kong man got a 3-month sentence for replacing China’s national anthem with a protest song in a YouTube video of an Olympic medal ceremony. Find out more.

🚢 The US deploys its military forces to the Gulf region in response to Iran’s threats. The USS Bataan amphibious readiness group and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit are being deployed to defend freedom of navigation. This is in addition to the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, as well as F-35 and F-16 fighter jets. Find out more.

✍🏻 In-Depth

India
India Bans Rice Export: What It Means for You

🍚 India says no more rice. India, the world’s largest rice exporter, has decided to stop shipping non-basmati white rice to other countries. The reason? Domestic prices are rising faster than a rocket 🚀 due to crop damage from heavy rains and droughts. This will affect about 10 million tons of rice exports - almost half of India’s total shipments of 22 million tons last year.

🌎 The world is not ready for this. India’s decision will have a huge impact on the global rice market, which is already facing supply shortages and high prices due to weather disruptions and geopolitical tensions. Global prices are at their highest level in 11 years, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

🍽️ What does this mean for you? If you love rice, you might want to stock up on some before it gets too expensive or scarce. African countries like Benin, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Togo, and Guinea, as well as Bangladesh and Nepal, will have to look for alternative sources of rice, such as Thailand and Vietnam, but they will have to pay a lot more. China and the Philippines, which usually buy Vietnamese and Thai rice, will also face higher costs.

🙏 Thank you for reading! We want to provide all the essential information without overwhelming you. Recently, we’ve been thinking a lot about striking the right balance to hit the sweet spot of the length of the newsletter.