Hi Global Recap readers,
High-resolution image of the Earth, taken from the Orion capsule window. You can track the mission from NASA’s interactive page.
For those who celebrate Easter, hope Good Friday was meaningful and that your Easter weekend is full of peace, love, good people, and maybe a little too much chocolate. 🐰
🇩🇪 GERMANY
Now, You Must Be Approved
A change that took effect on January 1 under Germany’s Military Service Modernization Act went largely unnoticed... until now.
Men ages 17–45 now need approval from a Bundeswehr career center if they want to leave the country for more than 3 months.
Before, that only kicked in during major national defense situations.
This isn’t uncommon for countries to track military-age men as part of basic defense preparedness.
This new act is part of Germany’s bigger military buildup, with plans to grow the army from about 184k troops to 255k–270k by 2035.
🇮🇷🇺🇸 IRAN & USA
Planes Down, Pilot Missing
An ACES II ejection seat posted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Images of wreckage published by Iranian state media.
A US F-15E jet went down in southwestern Iran.
One crew member was reportedly rescued, one is still missing.
Iranian and USA forces are both racing to recover the pilot.
Iranian authorities are urging people to help look for the pilot, offering a reward of 10 billion tomans (roughly $60,000-$76,000).
The estimated monthly salary of Iranians range from $200-$305.
Iran also claims it shot down a second US warplane (A-10 Warthog) over the gulf.
The pilot has been successfully rescued.
🇮🇷🇺🇸 IRAN & USA
US Ceasefire Offer Rejected
US President Donald Trump (left) and Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei (right).
🇲🇲 MYANMAR
Junta Chief Takes “Presidency”
Min Aung Hlaing
TLDR:
^ Min Aung Hlaing just locked in the presidency.
^ He got there through a parliament built by what critics call a one-sided "sham" elections.
^ He was already the acting president, so this mostly "formalizes" his grip.
^ The International Criminal Court prosecutor wants him for Rohingya crimes.
^ Analysts don't expect this to calm Myanmar.
Details
Khing Hnin Wai accidentally recorded a workout video while a military coup is going on behind her in 2021.
Vote. Min Aung Hlaing was voted president on Friday by lawmakers in a parliament dominated by the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which won a landslide in the recent "election." He was already acting president, so this looks more like a formal upgrade than a real change in who runs the country.
Coup. He had wanted the role for years, but Aung San Suu Kyi's electoral success kept getting in the way until he had enough and overthrew her government militarily on February 1, 2021.
His justification at the time: voter fraud.
The coup triggered mass protests that turned into civil war.
Aung San Suu Kyi and her staff with US President Barack Obama and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2012. She is serving a 27-year prison term on charges including incitement, corruption, and election fraud (prosecutions widely viewed as politically motivated). However, in 2025, her son, Kim Aris, stated that nobody’s heard from her directly since 2023.
Record. The ICC prosecutor wants him over crimes against humanity against the Rohingya, and UN investigators have accused his regime of airstrikes on civilians, mass killings, rape, and burning villages.
Context: Rohingya is a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority from Myanmar, largely living in Rakhine State, who have long faced discrimination, denial of citizenship, and persecution.
Myanmar denies genocide accusations, and the military says it is fighting terrorists.
Outlook. Analysts don't think the new title will ease the conflict or political crisis. Large parts of Myanmar are controlled by opposition forces or stuck in active fighting, even as Min Aung Hlaing tries to rebuild ties abroad with backing from allies like China.
