We did it! We’ve survived another week of political turmoil, war threats, and civil unrest. And guess what? There’s more to come!

These are some of today’s highlights:

• 🇰🇵 Photos from yesterday’s military parade in North Korea.

• 🇮🇱 Netanyahu’s jab at Biden.

• 🇨🇳 China supplying Russia with military equipment?

Let’s kick off with the latest update on Niger’s coup.👇

📈 Top News

🇳🇪 Niger now has a new leader: Abdourahamane Tiani. He’s made his debut on state television following the recent military coup, introducing himself as the “President of the National Council for the Preservation of the Homeland.” So, is he the President of Niger or not?

Here’s what we know:

• The coup sparked international condemnation.

• The whereabouts of President Bazoum are currently unknown.

• There’s been some infighting among the coup plotters.

Find out more.

⏰ Just two days ago, we discussed the no-confidence vote that Modi is facing in light of the violence in Manipur. And now, the plot thickens.

👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 The tribal Kuki women have had enough and are demanding their own separate administration in Manipur. The Kuki-Zo Women’s Forum took to the streets of New Delhi on Friday, staging a protest at Jantar Mantar. They are calling for capital punishment for the rapists of their community and an end to the attacks on their villages.

Find out more.

👉 The US is now pointing the finger at China, accusing them of providing Russia with equipment that could be used for military purposes. China could have just kept quiet, but instead, they decided to speak up and defend their trade with Russia. They’re calling it:

In other words, they’re telling the US to mind their own business.

But remember? The Biden administration warned Xi Jinping's government of unspecified consequences if they aid Russia’s war efforts.

What will happen now?

🇯🇵 Japan wants to beef up its counterstrike capabilities against missile threats, but some say that’s unconstitutional.

Does its Constitution ban the military? Sort of. Enacted in 1947 after Japan's surrender in World War II, Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution renounces war as a means to settle international disputes and outlaws maintaining armed forces capable of waging war. Consequently, Japan has only maintained a small force for self-defense purposes.

Its military chiefs are pushing for this change as China and Russia flex their muscles in the region. They are calling this tension the most dangerous security situation since World War II.

What do you think?

🤝 Modi and Xi had a secret chat in Bali last year, India confirms. After China claimed they reached an “important consensus”, India finally confirmed that they did indeed have a chat about stabilizing bilateral ties at their Bali meeting. But they refused to confirm what the “important consensus” was.

Find out more.

📷 Here are some photos from yesterday’s military parade in North Korea. These images were not available when we were writing the newsletter:

Reaper-type drone

The photo above is North Korea’s Morning Star-9 drone, and the one below is the US' MQ-9 Reaper drone. Can you tell the difference?

✍🏻 In-Depth

Israel
Bibi Snubs Biden with Xi’s Book

🙂 Behold, a grinning Netanyahu, brandishing an autographed copy of Xi Jinping’s literary masterpiece. This book is so great that even Mark Zuckerberg recommends it! Here’s what he had to say:

👀 To the untrained eye, it may appear as though Israel and China are the best of friends. But you, dear Global Recap reader, are well-versed in the complexities of global politics. We know that this is Netanyahu’s way of sending a not-so-subtle message to the US.

📕 What’s the book about? It is called "The Governance of China," and it contains Xi's speeches and writings on various topics. According to Netanyahu's office, the Chinese ambassador, Cai Run, told him that Xi read and appreciated what Netanyahu wrote in his memoir about China-Israel relations. The ambassador also said that Xi is "looking forward" to meeting Netanyahu in Beijing later this year.

🤔 So what’s the beef between Netanyahu and Biden? They have a long history of friendship, but also of friction. They disagree on several issues, such as the Iran nuclear deal, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and human rights. The latest source of tension is the judicial overhaul bill, which would weaken the Supreme Court’s power to overturn laws and appoint judges. Biden had urged Netanyahu not to pass the bill without consensus, but Netanyahu ignored him and pushed it through with his right-wing coalition.

⌛️ The timing, as they say, is everything. Netanyahu has been seeking an invitation to the White House, but President Biden has been keeping him at bay. It wasn’t until a phone call between the two last week that Biden finally agreed to meet with Netanyahu, after a staggering seven months of playing hard to get. The specifics of when and where this meeting will take place are currently shrouded in mystery.

🌏 What does this mean for US-Israel relations? Well, it’s complicated. The bond between the US and Israel remains strong and strategic, but it’s also fraught with tension. Netanyahu is facing backlash from some Democrats and American Jews for his policies and actions. Biden, on the other hand, is feeling the heat from some progressives and human rights groups to hold Israel accountable for its transgressions. Both leaders are walking a tightrope, trying to balance their domestic and international interests and challenges.