China & Russia Shake Hands on Lunar Nuclear Plan

Hi Global Recap readers,

We couldn’t cover Super Tuesday yesterday due to scheduling, but don’t worry, we’ve got a compact summary ready for you today!

But before: As if war and competition on Earth weren’t enough, nations are now racing to become nuclear power… in space.

China-Russia

China & Russia Shake Hands on Lunar Nuclear Plan

Russia and China are eyeing a joint project to build a nuclear power plant on the moon by 2035, according to the head of Russia’s space agency, Roskosmos.

• 🌕 Ambition. The two countries have signed an agreement on creating an international lunar research station and have a roadmap for its construction.

• 🔥 Heat. The nuclear plant would provide a reliable source of electricity for lunar settlements, as solar panels would not suffice in the long lunar nights.

• 🚀 Race. The US is also pursuing its own lunar mission, Artemis, and has plans to launch its own nuclear power system by the end of the decade.

Here we are… Space Race 2.0.

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HUNGARY

President Signs Sweden’s NATO Bid

After Hungary’s National Assembly approved Sweden’s NATO bid in late February, the Hungarian President finally signed the bill. This clears the way for Sweden to officially join NATO as the 32nd member in the following days.

However, Russia isn’t too amused.

• 🔥 Context. Both Finland and Sweden decided to abandon their policy of non-alignment and seek greater security within NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

  • Although both countries applied for membership in May 2022, Finland was the first to be accepted, in April 2023.

  • For a country to join NATO, it needs the approval of all existing member states of the alliance.

• 🐻 Reaction. Russia sees Sweden’s NATO membership as a threat to its interests and a blow to its regional influence, as it now faces an almost unbroken chain of NATO members to its west.

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HAITI

Prime Minister’s Turbulent Flight Home

As Haitian gangs wreak havoc on the streets and threaten a civil war unless the Prime Minister steps down, Ariel Henry, the current Prime Minister of Haiti, was under US pressure to resign while he was en route back to his crisis-ridden country.

• 🛫 Diversion. After gangs tried to take over the nation’s main airport, anticipating the PM’s arrival, Henry’s plane was rerouted to Puerto Rico after the Dominican Republic denied him landing clearance.

• 📲 Message. While in mid-flight, Henry was presented with a proposal from the US to accept a new transitional government and resign from his position as Prime Minister. This plan had been on the table from the Biden administration for several months.

• 🔥 Crisis. Henry’s absence has left Haiti in chaos, as gangs have taken over the capital, attacked airports, and threatened to overthrow the government.

Will Henry return to Haiti with a plan?

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US

Biden vs Trump: The Rematch

The 2024 US presidential race is heating up as both Biden and Trump score big wins on Super Tuesday.

What is Super Tuesday?

For our non-US readers, Super Tuesday is a key date in the US presidential primaries when most states hold their elections and caucuses.

About a third of all delegates for the presidential nomination conventions are up for grabs.

Takeaways

• 🏆 Victories. Biden and Trump swept most of the states that voted on Tuesday, moving closer to clinching their parties’ nominations.

• 👊 Challenges. Both candidates showed vulnerabilities: Biden saw a drop in progressive support, with votes going to “uncommitted”, while Trump lost some suburban backing to Haley. It’s believed that the “uncommitted” votes for Biden were protest votes from those displeased with his stance on Israel.

• 🔮 Outlook. The general election is expected to be incredibly close and could be decided by a few battleground states and third-party candidates.

Trump Wins, Haley Quits

Due to former President Trump sweeping Super Tuesday, his rival, Nikki Haley, was forced to drop out of the race.

• 👩🏽‍💼 Challenge. Nikki Haley, the ex-governor of South Carolina and former UN ambassador, launched a long-shot bid to unseat Trump as the GOP nominee.

• 🗳️ Results. Haley won only two contests: Vermont and Washington, D.C. She lost her home state and every other state to Trump by huge margins.

• 🏳️ Concession. Haley announced her campaign suspension on Wednesday, saying she had “no regrets” and urging Trump to “earn the votes” of her supporters. To the frustration of Trump voters, Haley did not endorse Trump.

Trump’s Remarks

In his speech following a dominant Super Tuesday performance, former President Trump spoke as the solution to President Biden’s failed policies.

These include:

• 🏃🏻 Crisis at the Southern Border/Illegal Immigration. Trump mentioned in his speech that the Biden administration is airlifting illegal immigrants from South America.

  • Despite sounding like a conspiracy theory, this is accurate.

  • Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, through the US Customs and Border Protection mobile app, individuals were able to apply for asylum remotely. This resulted in the “importation” of 320,000 migrants without legal permits, whose locations are kept confidential for “security reasons.”

• ⚡️ Energy Independence. Trump blamed Biden for negatively affecting the US’ path toward energy independence by lifting his sanctions on the Venezuelan oil industry.