They're Onto Us...

Hi Global Recap readers,

Well, looks like they knew this one. I woke up this morning to find our Spotify channel pummeled with one-star reviews overnight.

• Given our recent focus on Russia (and the sudden drop in ratings and increase in reviews) I’ve got a fairly good idea who’s not thrilled with us...

• If you’ve been following us and getting value from our work, a quick 5-star rating would mean a lot. I really dislike asking for favors, but it would help balance the scales and keep our coverage visible.

Alright, on to this week’s geopolitical news. Plenty to cover.

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Diplomat Hid Secrets

A longtime State Department adviser allegedly removed classified documents and met with Chinese officials while holding top-secret clearance.

• Identity: The accused is Ashley Tellis, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a subject-matter expert on India and South Asia.

• Discovery: Federal agents searching his Vienna, Virginia home found more than 1,000 pages of documents marked "TOP SECRET" and "SECRET."

• Timeline: Court filings say Tellis began working for the State Department in 2001 and allegedly started meeting Chinese officials as early as 2022.

• Incidents: On Sept. 12, 2025, he had a coworker print multiple classified files, and on Sept. 25 he allegedly printed Air Force documents on aircraft capabilities.

• Meetings: Prosecutors say he dined with Chinese officials in Virginia restaurants, discussed Iranian-Chinese relations and emerging technologies, and even received a gift bag at a September 2023 dinner.

🇲🇬 MADAGASCAR
Madagascar Army Seizes Power

Madagascar’s elite CAPSAT unit just seized control of the government, after weeks of youth-led protests and the president’s sudden disappearance.

• Leader: Colonel Michael Randrianirina announced from the steps of the Presidency in Antananarivo that the armed forces had taken charge and would form a committee of military and police leaders.

• Impeachment: Parliament voted 130 to 1 to impeach President Andry Rajoelina for abandoning his post, only hours after he tried to dissolve the lower house to block the vote.

• Flight: Rajoelina fled over the weekend, reportedly on a French plane, and later posted a video from hiding insisting he remained in charge.

• Protests: Demonstrators, mostly Gen Z, had filled the streets for weeks demanding his resignation over water and electricity shortages, with the UN confirming more than 20 deaths during clashes.

• History: Rajoelina himself first rose to power in a 2009 coup backed by the same CAPSAT unit, before later winning two elections.

🇮🇷 IRAN
Iran Jails French Citizens

Iran convicted two French nationals, Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, on espionage charges tied to both France and Israel, handing them decades-long sentences in Tehran.

• Sentences: One received 6 years for spying for France, 5 years for conspiracy against national security, and 20 years for aiding Israeli intelligence. The other got 10 years for spying, 5 years for conspiracy, and 17 years for aiding Israel. It wasn’t specified who got which sentence.

• Detention: Both were first arrested in May 2022, though Iranian reports oddly claim March 2023. They have been held in Evin Prison, notorious for harsh conditions.

• Diplomacy: France has repeatedly called their detention arbitrary, accusing Iran of blocking consular access and subjecting them to treatment "tantamount to torture."

• Swap: At the same time, Iran has been pushing for the release of Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian student jailed in Lyon on terrorism-related charges, hinting at a possible prisoner exchange.

• Pattern: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have detained dozens of foreign and dual nationals in recent years, often on espionage charges linked to Israel, which rights groups say are used as "bargaining chips."

🇮🇱 ISRAEL
Hamas Executes After Treaty

Hours after signing a peace deal with Israel and after the IDF withdrew from parts of Gaza, Hamas carried out executions in Gaza, sending a blunt signal that the ink on the agreement meant little on the ground.

• Targets: Reports say those executed were accused of collaborating with Israel, a charge that has historically carried the death penalty in Gaza.

• Reaction: Israeli officials called the move a betrayal of the agreement, while Palestinian factions split between condemning and justifying the act.

• Symbolism: The executions took place in public squares, a deliberate choice to project defiance and control despite the peace framework.

• Diplomacy: International mediators, including Egypt and Qatar, scrambled to salvage the fragile deal, warning that the credibility of future negotiations is now in doubt.

🇮🇱 ISRAEL
Israel Troops Fire

On top of the above story, here's a story that shows the fragility of this peace deal. 👇🏼

Israeli forces opened fire in northern Gaza after several suspects crossed the ceasefire's yellow line boundary and refused repeated warnings to retreat.

• Incident: The Israel Defense Forces said the suspects approached soldiers on Monday, in violation of the ceasefire terms.

• Casualties: Gaza’s health authority reported six Palestinians killed in two separate shootings, though the IDF did not confirm numbers.

• Positioning: Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi stated Israel still controls 53% of Gaza, including the Philadelphi Corridor, parts of Rafah, half of Khan Younis, and sections of the north.

📊 POLL
Important Question

Thanks for following all the stories! Since you’ve made it this far (and are one of our most dedicated readers) I want to get your take on something that’s been bugging me.

• Because of the topics I cover, sometimes linking an extremely violent video is necessary (like the Hamas video above).

• I know many of you read Global Recap to cut through the noise of the internet and mainstream media and get unfiltered access to relevant information. Longtime readers also know I lean Libertarian when it comes to access to information.

• That said, I don’t want anyone accidentally stumbling into traumatizing content. That’s why, unlike other video links, the images in these cases aren’t clickable.

So, here’s my question:

• Yes – you’d prefer I let readers moderate themselves.

• No – you want me to act as a safety net, so it’s impossible for readers to even accidentally encounter graphic content.

• Not sure – you’re on the fence but want to share your opinion for me to think about.