Putin Suffers Cardiac Arrest?

Hi Global Recap readers,

The US seems to be inching towards a more direct role in the Middle East as Iran keeps poking its buttons. Will they listen to the US’ latest stern warning?

We’re also exploring what really happened to the young Iranian girl who fell into a coma. Is it a question of human rights or a medical crisis?

🌐 Around the world:

• Putin Suffers Cardiac Arrest?

• China’s Forces Clash with Filipino Vessels.

• US Pulls Out of Iraq Amid Israel-Hamas War.

• US Warns Iran’s Proxies to Back Off, Or Else.

• 16-Year-Old Iranian Girl “Brain Dead.” Was She Really Beaten by Morality Police?

Let’s get into today’s news.

💔 Putin Suffers Cardiac Arrest? A former Kremlin insider claims on Telegram that Putin had a heart attack on Sunday night and was found unconscious by his guards.

After being found by his guards "lying on the floor, rolling his eyes," he was resuscitated and rushed to a special medical facility in his apartment. His condition is unknown.

Telegram post (translated):

Be careful with this claim though.

1. Not many news platforms are covering this.

2. The account’s history is a bit suspect.

3. The Telegram account, General SVR, is reportedly run by former and current members of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. The mastermind(s) behind it is still unknown.

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🚢 China’s Forces Clash with Filipino Vessels. China’s coast guard and navy have intercepted and struck two Filipino vessels near Second Thomas Shoal, triggering diplomatic outrage and a stern warning from the US. Despite the Philippines’ protest and summoning of a Chinese Embassy official, China remains defiant, accusing the Filipino ships of trespassing on their territory.

When both parties are claiming that the territory is theirs, how can this ever be resolved?

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US Marines in front of the American Embassy in Baghdad.

🚨 US Pulls Out of Iraq Amid Israel-Hamas War. In response to escalating threats from Iran-backed militias, the US State Department has issued an urgent evacuation order for all non-essential personnel and their families from its Iraqi embassies.

The announcement comes after three drones of Iran-backed militias attacked US bases in Iraq.

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, right.

🚀 US Warns Iran’s Proxies to Back Off, Or Else. As the Israel-Hamas war rages on, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken foresees a potential escalation due to Iran-backed militias targeting American forces.

He sternly warned that if the US is attacked it will be “ready for it” and won’t “hesitate to take the appropriate action.”

This sure sounds like a recipe for disaster. Yet, indecisiveness in retaliation and weakness in messaging could be a greater threat to security than a firm stance that sets clear boundaries that must never be breached.

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Iran

16-Year-Old Iranian Girl “Brain Dead.” Was She Really Beaten by Morality Police?

Our long-time readers might remember the story of a 16-year-old Iranian girl who was allegedly assaulted by Iran’s “morality police” for not properly wearing a head covering in the metro.

Tragically, State media confirmed on Sunday that Armita Geravand is now “brain dead.”

Here’s a recap of what happened + the weird “coincidences” that line up too conveniently.

🚑 The Tragic Story. Early this month, reports of a young girl being hospitalized with traumatic head injuries started surfacing, along with a security cam footage that shows an unconscious girl being carried out of a Tehran metro.

🗣️ The Voices of Outrage. Human rights groups, journalists, and social media users started pointing fingers at the regime for what happened to Geravand. This is understandable considering Mahsa Amini died under “mysterious circumstances” last year after being arrested by Iranian police for not wearing a hijab. Authorities claimed back then that she suffered from a “heart attack,” but activists begged to differ.

🇮🇷 Iran’s Defense. This time too, Iranian authorities have dismissed the allegations as propaganda and claimed that Geravand was injured due to her falling after suffering “low blood pressure.”

🤔 The Question. How convenient would it be if a video of what happened inside the metro could be found? It would settle the score. This is what journalists and activists also thought. Soon after the incident, they started digging for videos and testimonies that would validate claims by either party. And this is what they found.

Video from October 1:

• 6:52 AM. Geravand entered the metro station with her hair uncovered.

• 7:08 AM. She boarded the last carriage of a train.

• 4 seconds later. She is lying on the floor, unconscious.

Geravand was then taken to an Air Force hospital’s intensive care unit and later confirmed to be in a coma.

📹 Here’s where things get weird. When asked to release any videos of those 4-crucial-seconds, authorities shrugged off requests, blaming Geravand’s collapse on a simple fainting episode due to “low blood pressure.” Under mounting pressure, state media interviewed a conductor who conveniently claimed the train was camera-free. That’s odd considering most Tehran trains are known to have multiple cameras.

👨‍👩‍👧 Parents Back Officials. Geravand’s parents echoed official claims, denying any morality police showdown.

✏️ Context. Iran recently passed a law that imposes harsher penalties on hijab offenders, including up to 10 years in prison.

👩‍⚖️ The Fate of Two Journalists. Yesterday, two journalists who spotlighted another hijab victim’s death last year were slapped with 6 and 7-year sentences. They were charged with cooperating with the US and colluding against national security.

Who do you believe? Authorities and Geravand’s parents? Activists and critics?