Putin’s Body Double?

Hello again, Global Recap readers! We are nearing the weekend. Just two more days, and we can slip into an uneventful calm and peace to recharge before diving back into the race on Monday. This was precisely my thought last Thursday before being blasted with 24-hour action-packed coverage of the Wagner Group's coup attempt. Let's hope this weekend is more peaceful in the world of geopolitics.

Today, we have stories of a book burning, missile strikes, protests, and much more. Let's take a breather and dive into it. 👇🏻

Russia
Putin’s Body Double?

💭 Wait, something’s a bit off with that Putin… Putin got up close to his die-hard fans in Dagestan last night, kissing, hugging, and taking selfies with them. In the video of the event, “Putin” is seen as uncharacteristically personable and upbeat. But it’s not just his behavior. His appearance is also being scrutinized as being “off.”

Besides, for a President who has just survived a coup attempt, he seems awfully unconcerned about his security. Even with security guards surrounding him, his close proximity to the crowd of girls would make it easy for an unsuspecting assassin to easily take him out.

But once again, there is no way of confirming these suspicions.

🌐 Opinion

🫵 Now I want to hear from you. The video seems to show a much more personable Putin than the stoic Putin we are all used to.

Belarus
Wagnerites Unwanted Everywhere

👀 Belarus is getting ready for some unwanted guests. Satellite images show a tent camp being built on an abandoned Belarusian military base to host the exiled Wagnerites. The group is allegedly looking for a new home after a failed coup attempt against Putin.

But not everyone is happy about this arrangement. Some locals are worried about the presence of armed fighters near their villages. But according to Belarusian President Lukashenko, there aren’t any camps being built for the mercenaries. He also claims that the Wagnerites are currently in Luhansk, a region controlled by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Sweden
Sweden’s Quran Burning Protests

🔥 A Quran burning protest sparks outrage across the Muslim world. Sweden, the land of ABBA, IKEA, and meatballs, is also home to some controversial free-speech laws that allow people to burn copies of the Quran, which is what happened yesterday when Salwan Momika, an Iraqi man living in Sweden, set fire to a Quran in front of a mosque in Stockholm, on the first day of Eid al-Adha, one of the most important Muslim festivals.

The incident triggered a wave of condemnation from Muslim-majority countries, including Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco. Some of them recalled their ambassadors or summoned Swedish diplomats to express their anger. Turkey’s reaction is especially notable as it is a NATO ally that has a say over whether Sweden joins the alliance.

It also led to protestors storming the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. The protesters remained inside the building for approximately 15 minutes before security forces drove them out.

World
Top of the News World

🇨🇳 China is not backing down. It just passed a new law that gives more legal power to its foreign policy tools, including sanctions, and countermeasures - strengthening Xi Jinping’s aggressive foreign policy initiatives. The new law also requires foreign nationals and organizations in China to abide by its national security interests so as not to endanger China's sovereignty, security, or public order.

🇺🇦 Pence makes a surprise visit to Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. The former VP and GOP presidential hopeful is showing his support for Kyiv as it battles Moscow’s forces for its survival. He’s also throwing shade at Biden for being too slow to send more weapons and aid to Ukraine. This starkly contrasts his fellow GOP members, who are more cautious about arming Kyiv. Pence is also the first Republican candidate to visit Ukraine since the crisis began.

🔥 Putin is sweating bullets as Ukraine blows up a vital bridge between Crimea and mainland Ukraine with long-range missiles. The bridge was used by Moscow to transport military equipment and ammunition to the annexed peninsula, but now it’s in ruins. The Ukrainians are not stopping there, as they are ready to target any pontoon crossings that the Russians might try to set up. Kremlin’s strong grip on Crimea is slipping away.