Shocking new details

Hi Global Recap readers,

I hope you’ve had a great start to the week and are staying safe.

Before we delve into our initial topic, let’s take a look at the preliminary results of yesterday’s poll.

Q. Who is to blame for the "heating up" of political rhetoric?

“Both” is leading with 39% of the votes, “Democrats” is very closely trailing with 38%, and “Republicans” is last with 23%.

Despite it being difficult to pin-point where all this started, there are a few theories:

• Donald Trump normalized verbal attacks on political opponents. This becomes clear when comparing the presidential debates of 2012 and 2016.

• Long before Trump entered the political scene, rhetoric on social media was already intensifying.

• Years of suppressing the more divergent views led to an accelerated escalation of tensions from both sides.

We may never get the “answer,” but it might be worthwhile to reflect on it.

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
More Details Discovered

As authorities investigate Thomas Crooks, the shooter who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump on Saturday, new details are beginning to emerge.

Did nepotism allow the shooting to happen, or was it more nefarious?

Before Shooting

• On Friday: the day before the shooting, Crooks visited the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club to practice shooting.

• On Saturday morning: Crooks bought 50 rounds of ammunition and a ladder, indicating premeditation. Reports suggest he spent around 48 hours preparing for the attack.

• That same day: Crooks’ father notified the police that his son and one of his approximately 20 guns were missing.

26 Minutes Before

• Crooks was spotted by police at least twice, 26 minutes before he fired rounds at Trump and his followers.

• The Beaver County Emergency Services Unit took a photo of Crooks on the roof and reported it around 5:45 pm, about 26 minutes before the shooting.

• What is incredibly outrageous is that the building from which the shots were fired was being used by local police as a watch post for snipers to scan for threats to Trump.

Biden Connection

Remember Kimberly Cheatle, the Director of the Secret Service? After facing public calls to resign over her department’s failures, new details about her background have emerged.

• First lady Jill Biden actively pushed for Cheatle’s appointment as the Director.

• She was part of Joe Biden’s security detail during his vice presidency.

• Before becoming the senior director of global security at PepsiCo, she served in the Secret Service for 27 years.

• When asked by ABC’s Pierre Thomas if she plans to resign following the incident, she responded, “I do plan to stay on.”

Here’s the short interview:

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Iranian Plot to Assassinate Trump

It seems like even Iran wants former President Donald Trump assassinated.

Intelligence

• US Authorities reportedly obtained intelligence about an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump.

• The Secret Service supposedly enhanced Trump’s security detail due to the threat in recent weeks.

• The Trump campaign was warned against holding outdoor rallies due to higher risks.

• Authorities do not believe Crooks was linked to the Iranian plot.

Why Iran Wants Trump Dead

So why would Iran want Trump dead?

• Iran has vowed revenge for the 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani, which was ordered by then-President Trump.

• Former Trump officials, including John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, have also been targets of Iranian assassination plots.

• Recent intelligence suggests an uptick in threats against Trump and his former officials.

Security Concerns

• The Secret Service has repeatedly warned the Trump campaign about the risks of outdoor rallies.

• Despite enhanced security, the recent incident raises questions about potential lapses.

• The Trump campaign has stopped holding unscreened, spontaneous events due to security concerns.

🇹🇭 THAILAND
Six Dead in Apparent Poisoning

On Tuesday, at the Grand Hyatt Erawan, a five-star hotel in Bangkok, six individuals were discovered dead.

Discovery

The discovery was made shortly after 5:30 pm when the hotel staff noticed that the guests had not checked out as scheduled.

• Five bodies were found inside a room, and one was found outside.

• The deceased included two Vietnamese Americans and four Vietnamese nationals.

• The bodies were found foaming at the mouth, indicating possible poisoning.

Investigation

The investigation is ongoing, with Thai police currently looking into the cause of death.

• Police were summoned by hotel staff in the late afternoon.

• Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visited the scene but did not provide additional information.

🇰🇵 NORTH KOREA
Diplomat Defects to South Korea

A senior North Korean diplomat based in Cuba has defected to South Korea, marking another high-profile defection from the North’s ruling elite.

Diplomat’s Defection

• The diplomat, Ri Il Kyu, was based in Cuba and defected with his wife and children.

• Ri cited disappointment with North Korea’s political system and unfair job evaluations as reasons for his defection.

• He also mentioned the lack of medical facilities in Cuba to treat his neural damage due to international sanctions. He hoped to go to Mexico to get treated, but North Korea’s Foreign Ministry disapproved.

Political Impact

Ri’s defection occurred before South Korea and Cuba established diplomatic ties.

• This event likely posed a political blow to North Korea, which relies on Cold War-era allies like Cuba.

• Ri had been involved in efforts to prevent Cuba from opening diplomatic ties with South Korea.

Previous Defections

There have been several high-profile defections from North Korea in recent years.

• In 2016: Tae Yongho, a minister at the North Korean Embassy in London, defected to South Korea. He is now serving in South Korea’s National Assembly, representing a right-wing party.

• In 2019: North Korea’s acting ambassadors to Italy and Kuwait also defected to South Korea.

• In 1997: Hwang Jang-yop, a senior official from the ruling Workers’ Party, has defected. To date, he holds the record for being the highest-ranking defector.

Defector Statistics

A significant number of North Koreans have defected to South Korea since the Korean War.

• About 34,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea to escape economic hardship and political suppression.

• Most defectors are women from the North’s poorer northern regions, especially since the mid-1990s famine.

🇭🇺 HUNGARY
EU Snubs Hungary’s Presidency

The European Union has decided to partially boycott Hungary’s six-month presidency of the European Council, reacting to Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s “peace mission” to Moscow.

Orban’s Peace Mission

• Orban went on a tour of Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing, Washington, and Mar-a-Lago, Florida, right after Hungary took up the presidency.

• He called it a “peace mission” and claimed to be one of the few EU and NATO leaders able to negotiate with all sides.

• This tour sparked sharp criticism from other EU member states and NATO allies.

EU’s Partial Boycott

The European Commission announced it would only send civil servants to council meetings chaired by Hungary.

• No EU Commissioners, including President Ursula von der Leyen, will attend these meetings.

• This decision follows similar actions by several EU member states, including Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.

Hungary’s Response

Hungary criticized the EU’s decision, accusing Brussels of favoritism.

• Hungarian Minister for European Affairs Janos Boka argued that the European Commission should not “cherry-pick” which member states to cooperate with.

• He questioned if all Commission decisions are now based on political considerations.

EU’s Structure

The European Union’s structure involves three main political institutions.

• The European Commission drafts legislation and holds technocratic power.

• The European Parliament, with elected members, must approve Commission proposals.

• The European Council, made up of elected governments, must sign off on almost all EU policies.

Setting aside your political preferences, do you consider this to be fair?

🇸🇴 SOMALIA
Deadly Car Bomb Attack

A car bomb explosion rocked Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, on Sunday night, resulting in multiple casualties and injuries.

Explosion Details

A car bomb exploded outside a restaurant in Mogadishu, killing five and injuring 20.

• The explosion occurred while patrons were watching the Euro 2024 football final on TV.

• The blast destroyed 10 cars and damaged several nearby buildings.

• The attack happened in a well-guarded area near the Presidential Palace.

Responsibility

Islamist insurgents claimed responsibility for the attack.

• Al Shabaab militants stated the bombing targeted a place frequented by security and government workers.

• The group has been fighting to impose its strict interpretation of Islam on Somalia.

• Despite losing territory, they continue to launch deadly attacks in Mogadishu and other regions.

Ongoing Conflict

The attack is part of a larger conflict involving Al Shabaab and the Somali government.

• Al Shabaab once ruled much of Somalia but has lost significant territory to government forces.

• The insurgents have frequently launched raids and attacks over the past two years.

• The conflict continues to impact the safety and stability of the region.