rising death toll (updated)

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Global Recap
March 29, 2025 • Read in: 14 minutes

Hi Global Recap readers,

It’s finally the weekend! For many, it’s a chance to relax, but for others, it’s a weekend of misery and pain.

  • First, today’s stock market chaos. It was truly a bloodbath, with NASDAQ futures plummeting around 3%. Many portfolios took a hit, and those who jumped in recently, thinking the recent bounce signaled the start of a new bull market, were left devastated.

  • But, more importantly, a massive earthquake has claimed countless lives and toppled buildings, sparking rescue efforts from the international community and leaving many people suffering from the direct impact.

Here are some videos from the disaster. 👇️

🇲🇲 MYANMAR & 🇹🇭 THAILAND
Massive Earthquake
Kills, Topples

A massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand, leaving countless people struggling in the aftermath.

Please note that the numbers are constantly being updated by the minute, so by the time you read this, they might have changed again. In fact, I've already revised this writing twice.

Quake Strikes

These are videos showing a building under construction collapsing and a swimming pool on top of a tall building spilling water due to the earthquake.
Click for videos

This is a dashcam footage from Mandalay, Myanmar.
Click for video

This powerful earthquake hit at midday, with its epicenter just 10 miles from Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city.

  • Myanmar reported nearly 700 dead and thousands injured, with the toll expected to rise.

  • In Thailand, six people were confirmed dead, 22 injured, and 101 missing after a high-rise building collapsed in Bangkok.

  • Aftershocks, including one measuring 6.4, added to the chaos.

  • The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates the death toll could exceed 10,000.

Myanmar’s Struggles

Myanmar, already grappling with civil war and a humanitarian crisis, faces immense challenges in responding to the disaster.

  • Buildings, including monasteries and bridges, collapsed in multiple cities.

  • A dam burst in Mandalay, flooding lowland areas.

Thailand’s Tragedy

In Bangkok, a 33-story building under construction crumbled into a cloud of dust, causing panic and chaos.

  • Rescuers are still searching for survivors amidst the wreckage.

  • The quake was felt across the city, with high-rise residents fleeing to safety.

International Aid Steps In

Countries like China, Russia, and India have sent rescue teams and supplies to assist in relief efforts.

  • The UN allocated $5 million to kickstart aid.

  • Myanmar’s military government has expressed willingness to accept foreign help.

  • US President Trump also pledged to send help as well:

🇺🇦 UKRAINE
Russian Drone
Attack in Dnipro

Destruction isn't just caused by nature—it’s also caused by humans.

A massive Russian drone strike on Dnipro, Ukraine, killed four people, injured 19, and left three in critical condition, igniting fires throughout homes and businesses.

Attack Details

Russian drones targeted the southeastern city of Dnipro, causing widespread destruction.

  • A hotel and restaurant complex caught fire, along with a high-rise apartment building and nearly ten private homes.

  • Firefighters managed to control the blaze in the hotel complex.

  • Over 20 drones were launched, but most were intercepted.

Previous Attacks

Seeing the footage of the destruction brought to mind past Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil. Curious, I searched my email archive for “mushroom cloud” and found some videos that serve as a reminder of the devastation both sides are enduring.

Just remember, these videos—from both sides—exist only because someone was there to witness and record them.

A large-scale Ukrainian drone attack in September 2024 led to a massive explosion at a Russian arsenal in Tver.
Click for video

Just a few days ago, Ukrainian drones targeted the Engels airfield, located about 700 kilometers from the war's front lines.
Click for video

🎬 YOUTUBE
YouTube Is Paying Creators
$64M Per Day—Here’s Why

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan.

YouTube just announced something huge: it’s paying creators $64 million per day.

🤔 Why? Because it simply doesn’t have enough creators. That’s why you’re seeing more small creators on your homepage—even videos with fewer than 1,000 views.

Why This Matters

YouTube is pushing new and smaller channels harder than ever. If you’ve ever thought about starting a YouTube or faceless channel, now is the time. But we know starting a channel isn’t easy—there are a million questions.

Get Our Free YouTube Bootcamp

We get tons of emails from people asking how to start and grow a channel. So we decided to put all our best advice into one free training bootcamp.

What You’ll Learn:

  • How to launch and grow your channel from scratch

  • Strategies for making content without showing your face

  • The key to getting YouTube’s algorithm to push your videos

This isn’t an evergreen course—it’s a live training with limited spots (just 100 people). If you’re serious about starting your channel, sign up now before spots run out.

👉 Reserve Your Spot Here

🇱🇧 LEBANON
Israel Strikes Beirut

Things are heating up between Israel and Lebanon again, with rockets flying and airstrikes hitting Beirut for the first time since a ceasefire was announced in November, following missile strikes at Northern Israel.

What Happened?

Friday morning saw two rockets fired from Lebanon toward northern Israel.

  • One rocket was intercepted, while the other fell short inside Lebanon.

  • This marks the second rocket attack in a week, following a similar incident on March 22.

  • However, Hezbollah denies involvement.

  • In response, Israel issued evacuation warnings before striking a Hezbollah site in Dahieh, where UAVs were being stored.

  • Three people were reported killed, and eighteen others were injured.

🤔 Thoughts: 

I see many online calling this attack an "act of genocide." But if you watch the video above, two things stand out:

• The strike precisely hit its intended building, even in a densely populated area.

• The person recording was filming well before impact, suggesting prior evacuation warnings from Israel.

There are plenty of reasons to criticize Israel, but at the very least, I don’t think one can categorize the above as an “act of genocide.”

Political Fallout

The Lebanese government and Hezbollah are pushing back against Israel’s actions.

  • Lebanese President Joseph Aoun contacted US officials to discuss the ceasefire agreement.

  • Hezbollah accused Israel of using the incident as a pretext for aggression.

The Bigger Picture

  • The ceasefire, agreed upon last November, has been shaky at best, with sporadic violence continuing.

  • Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has been in a standoff with Israel, with both sides accusing each other of violations.

  • Lebanese officials, including President Joseph Aoun, are urging international intervention to prevent further escalation.

🇹🇷 TURKEY
Imamoglu’s Lawyer:
Arrested, Then Released

Istanbul Mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu.

Turkey’s political drama just got messier.

I originally wrote a story about the news that a lawyer defending Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a major opponent of President Erdogan who was recently arrested, had also been detained.

But now, he’s been released. Still, this hasn’t done much to calm the outrage or the accusations of political interference.

The Detention Drama

Mehmet Pehlivan, the lawyer in question, was detained overnight for what his attorney called “fabricated reasons.”

  • Authorities questioned him about a money transfer and a charity donation he didn’t make.

  • Upon release, Pehlivan was barred from leaving the country.

  • His lawyer claims the detention was a “warning” for defending Imamoglu.

Imamoglu’s Legal Battle

Imamoglu, a major rival to President Erdogan, was jailed pending trial over graft charges.

  • His arrest has triggered Turkey’s largest anti-government protests in over a decade.

  • The opposition and Western powers have slammed the case as politically motivated.

✒️ Context: 

There are several "sus" aspects surrounding the arrest that have people questioning the true motive behind it.

Just a day before the arrest, Imamoglu’s university diploma was invalidated, effectively disqualifying him from running for president.

How popular is he?

• In 2019, he won the Istanbul mayoral election, defeating the candidate from Erdogan’s party.

• In 2025, he was selected as the presidential candidate for the Republican People’s Party (CHP) for the 2028 elections, with nearly 15 million people taking part in the primaries—a record turnout.

Many are pointing out the odd timing of his arrest, coming just as his presidential bid was getting started. So it's not just about his popularity, but the momentum his campaign was gaining as it built toward the 2028 elections.

Journalists Too

The crackdown isn’t just limited to lawyers—journalists covering the protests are also being targeted.

  • Two reporters were detained after covering the Istanbul protests.

  • This follows the release of seven journalists who were jailed for attending an “illegal march.”

Political Fallout

The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is rallying supporters, despite Erdogan dismissing the protests as a “show.”

  • Nearly 1,900 protesters have been detained since the demonstrations began.

  • The CHP has planned a mass rally in Istanbul’s Maltepe district this Saturday.

🇺🇦 UKRAINE
Zelenskyy: US Aid, Not a Loan

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is being cautious about a proposed minerals deal with the US, while also clarifying that previous US aid was not a loan.

The Proposal

The US has pitched a newly revised deal requiring Ukraine to send all profits from its natural resources to a joint fund until American wartime aid is fully repaid.

  • The fund would be managed by a US-led board, with three American and two Ukrainian members.

  • Washington would have first rights to purchase extracted resources.

  • Ukraine would only access profits after repaying aid, plus 4% annual interest.

  • He also stated that Kyiv would not recognize billions of dollars in past US aid as loans.

Zelenskyy’s Concerns

Zelenskyy is cautious, emphasizing the need to protect Ukraine’s integration with the EU and avoid impoverishing the nation.

  • He insists on reviewing the draft thoroughly before making any commitments.

  • He maintains the belief that the current proposal lacks future security guarantees for Ukraine.

✒️ Context:

As mentioned earlier, the deal aims to give the US a financial stake in Ukraine, while also sending US diplomats and workers to the country to help fulfill the agreement.

Gist: The idea is that this would make Russia more hesitant to attack Ukraine, as doing so could risk killing US personnel, potentially escalating into a much larger conflict. However, President Zelenskyy insists this is not a "security guarantee."

Disagreement: We don’t have access to the details of the deal, so we can’t definitively say whether he’s right or wrong. It’s most likely the case that the US sees this as an “implicit security guarantee,” while Zelenskyy may be seeking a more “explicit security guarantee.” The latter, though, could risk further aggravating Russia, which might explain the US's reluctance.

Ultimately, it is up to the people of Ukraine their President to decide on the fate of their nation.

What’s Next?

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko has called for consensus before making any public statements on the deal.