Putin’s Little Test

Hi Global Recap readers,

Did you know that on this day in 1940, the Italian dictator Mussolini declared war on France and Great Britain, formally entering WWII?

Do you know why? He thought the war was “nearing its end” and wanted to secure as much territory as possible without much effort. 🙃 

In 1940.

🌐 WORLD
Fast Scroll News

🇩🇪 Germany Warns of Russian Test. German intelligence chief Bruno Kahl believes some Russian officials doubt NATO’s Article 5 and might send “Little Green Men” to Estonia just to test it. These men are unmarked Russian forces who famously seized Crimea in 2014. Meanwhile, NATO’s chief warns Russia could be gearing up for a full-scale assault within five years. Given how oddly specific this intel is, is Kahl hinting to Putin that he knows what’s up?

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🇨🇳 China Seeks Stronger Ties. Chinese President Xi Jinping called South Korea’s new President, Lee Jae-myung, urging deeper cooperation. Xi pushed for a “healthy, stable, and continuously deepening” relationship, emphasizing trade and regional stability. Lee, a progressive populist who was elected in a landslide last week, has signaled a foreign policy shift, moving away from his predecessor’s US-leaning stance.

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🇬🇧 UK-Led Sanctions Hit Israeli Ministers. UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway have all slapped sanctions on Israeli security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, citing “extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights.” The move freezes their assets and bars them from travel. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called their actions “monstrous” while pressuring Israel to negotiate a ceasefire. Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, fired back, calling the move “outrageous,” with the government set to discuss a response next week.

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🇮🇱 Israel Strikes Yemeni Port. Israel’s navy launched its first seaborne assault against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, striking docks in Hodeida, a vital hub controlled by Houthi terrorists. While the docks are also crucial for humanitarian aid, they also allegedly act as a weapons-smuggling hub, bypassing UN inspections. Israel warned more strikes could follow as Houthis continue firing missiles over its war in Gaza. The Houthis haven’t released damage assessments, but they insist the attack won’t shake their support for Palestinians.

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🇫🇷 FRANCE
Thunberg Deported Handcuffed

Greta Thunberg touched down in France after her sudden deportation from Israel, stepping off the plane and straight into a press scrum. She wasted no time blasting Israel’s blockade, calling it “war crimes” and accusing them of “kidnapping” her.

Interview

• Thunberg also had words for her critics—laughing off Trump’s claim that she’s an “angry person” by saying, “The world needs a lot more young angry women, to be honest.” 😬

• She’s unsure where she’s heading next, but Sweden is a possibility. Just don’t expect her to fly—she prefers trains to reduce her carbon footprint.

• Knowing this, Israel may have trolled Thunberg one last time by deporting her on a plane. 👇️ 

Others

So, how about the others? Eight activists from the Madleen flotilla refused to sign deportation papers and are now detained in Israel. Among them is French Member of European Parliament Rima Hassan, who will contest her deportation before an Israeli tribunal.

• The activists are being held at the Givon detention center near Tel Aviv.

• They could be detained for up to 96 hours before Israel forcibly deports them.

• Adalah, an Israeli legal group, is representing them in court

🇯🇵 JAPAN
China’s Aircraft
Carriers Spotted

Japan’s defence ministry spotted two Chinese carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong, operating beyond its second chain of islands for the first time, and Tokyo scrambled ships and jets to tail them.

The First Sighting

It all started last weekend when Japanese patrols logged both vessels deep in the Pacific.

• Liaoning was seen about 300 km southwest of Minamitori Island on Saturday.

• Shandong showed up roughly 500 km southwest of the Japanese island of Iwo Jima and north of Okinotori.

• Both groups conducted fighter-jet and helicopter take-off and landing drills.

Tokyo’s Response

After Japan learned about this, it moved fast to keep tabs on Beijing’s carriers.

• Warships and aircraft were dispatched to monitor the Chinese operations.

• Defence Minister Gen Nakatani said prompt disclosure “underscores its commitment to deter any forceful, unilateral shifts in the regional status quo.”

• Japan is boosting Pacific air defenses and closely tracking Chinese naval movements.

China’s Stance

But Beijing insists these exercises are routine and lawful.

• Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China’s activities are “consistent with international law and practice.”

• Liaoning was shadowed by destroyers Wuxi and Tangshan, plus support ship Hulunhu.

• China has upped its naval and coast guard presence in East Asian waters since May.

Considerations

• That chain of islands, including Guam’s US base 2,700 km from Taiwan, serves as Japan’s secondary defense line.

• Critics link these carrier ops and daily Taiwan Strait drills to a possible staged military escalation.

• Japan sees this as part of a wider contest over freedom of navigation in international waters.