Wife of Ukraine's spy chief: poisoned.

Hi Global Recap readers,

As you'll see, there's a palpable tension as geopolitics entangles itself in a maze of complexities today.

Let's dive headfirst into it.

And don't forget to stick around for the poll results!

🌐 Around the world:

• British PM abruptly cancels meeting with Greek PM.

• North Korea’s dissenting votes.

• Ukrainian spy chief’s wife: poisoned.

• CIA director in Qatar for a secret meeting.

• Ceasefire: Violated.

Let’s get into today’s news.

🇬🇷 Greece Wants Marbles Back, UK Says No

Greek PM Mitsotakis and British PM Sunak

The British PM Rishi Sunak and Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis were all set to meet on Tuesday.

But on Monday evening, Sunak canceled the meeting out of the blue.

• Reason? Mitsotakis went on British TV and demanded the return of the Parthenon marbles, the ancient sculptures that were taken from the Acropolis by Lord Elgin in the 19th century and are now in the British Museum.

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🇰🇵 North Korea’s Fake Democracy

Did you know that North Korea also has elections?

North Korea’s state media reported disapproval votes against candidates for provincial and city councils in the recent local elections, which are held every four years.

• Is this the end for them? 99.91% and 99.87% voted for them respectively - so nope.

• Why? Analysts suggest Kim Jong Un is bolstering his party’s credibility by portraying elections as fair, not rigged.

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🕵️‍♂️ Spy Wife Poisoned

Marianna Budanova and Kyrylo Budanov

The wife of Ukraine’s top spy was poisoned with heavy metals, according to Ukrainian media reports.

The victim is Marianna Budanova, the spouse of Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, who leads Ukraine’s military intelligence agency.

• Target: Budanov has been the target of at least 10 assassination attempts by Russia.

• Hoax: Russian media have spread false rumors of Budanov’s death, including a fake missile attack.

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🕵️ CIA Director in Qatar

CIA Director William J. Burns is in Qatar for secret talks with Israeli spy chief and Qatar’s PM to broker a large hostage deal and a longer ceasefire.

• Hostages: Burns is reportedly pushing for “immediate release” of American hostages held by Hamas.

• Ceasefire: Burns seeks a multi-day pause in fighting, while Israeli PM Netanyahu insists on a 10-day limit and vows to resume its offensive to “destroy Hamas.”

• Channel: Burns relies on his close ties with Mossad chief David Barnea, who has the trust of Netanyahu.

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Israel-Hamas

Ceasefire Violated

🚀 Israel vs. Hamas. The Ceasefire Crisis. Both sides accuse each other of breaking the fragile truce that was extended for another day.

🚨 Israel Claims. The tranquility of the ceasefire was shattered on Tuesday afternoon. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported a blatant violation of the truce agreement by Hamas.

• In two separate incidents, they detonated three explosive devices and opened fire on Israeli soldiers.

• Israel said Hamas planted the devices and attacked its soldiers, who were in their positions as per the agreement.

• The attack left several IDF soldiers wounded, casting a shadow over the fragile peace.

🇮🇱 Israel Responds with Fire. The IDF returned fire at the sources of the attacks, while not crossing the agreed-upon lines of the ceasefire.

🗣️ Hamas Claims. The spokesperson for Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades didn’t hold back, accusing Israel of a “clear violation” of the ceasefire. The call to action was loud and clear - urging mediators to apply pressure on Israel to stick to the truce terms.

🛫 Israeli Fighter Jets. Palestinian media reported that Israeli warplanes were seen flying over the Gaza Strip shortly after the incident. However, other reports dispute this.

❓ What Do They Want? The IDF was initially unsure whether the attack signaled an end to the ceasefire or a test of limits by Hamas.

• If Gazans were killed in IDF’s retaliation and Hamas was indeed testing waters, it could have exploited the incident to portray Israelis as war criminals.

• If it was a mere misunderstanding, then it was a bullet dodged.

🚑 First Day of Truce Extension. Despite the jittery nerves around the potential collapse of the ceasefire, Tuesday brought a sigh of relief. It marked not only the fifth day of the ceasefire but also the dawn of a two-day truce extension.

• The initial deal involved a four-day truce in exchange for the freedom of 50 Israeli hostages and the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners. For every ten additional Israeli hostages released, an extra day of ceasefire would be granted.

• With the pledge of freeing 20 more Israeli hostages, both Israel and Hamas nodded in agreement to extend the truce by two more days, starting Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Hamas released 12 more hostages - 10 Israelis and two Thais. In return, Israel released 30 more Palestinian prisoners.

🗓️ As of Tuesday: 60 Israeli citizens + 19 foreign foreigners have been released by Hamas, and 180 detainees were released by Israel.

🌐 Opinion

Yesterday’s question: Is Israel's response to Hamas terror justified?

• 🟢 🟢 🟢 🟢 🟢 👍 Absolutely: 61%

• 🔴 ⚪️ ⚪️ ⚪️ ⚪️ 👎 No: 12%

• 🟡 🟡 ⚪️ ⚪️ ⚪️ 🫳 50/50: 27%

As I delved into your responses, the passion radiating from each word was palpable. The depth of your writings is a testament to your fervor. Thank you for taking the time to share your insights.

Here’s what I learned from your comments:

Absolutely:

• As anticipated, many of those who chose Absolutely highlighted that Hamas, the governing body of Gaza, initiated an attack on another sovereign state, an act of war, thereby legitimizing Israel’s retaliation.

• The human cost in Gaza is complicated by the difficulty in separating terrorists from civilians, with Hamas operating among civilians. Many questioned what Israel should do when faced with such a dilemma.

No:

• This section was the most divided among selectees. Some empathized with Israel’s response but denounced the civilian casualties. Others staunchly backed Hamas, citing years of “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians by Israel.

• There is absolutely no doubt that the killing of innocent civilians under any circumstance is deplorable. The debate hinges on whether Israel’s response was excessive, or if Hamas is justified in operating near its citizens.

• One really interesting point: “Israel’s response is to cover up its failed intelligence on Oct. 7.” This is a really great point that many seem to overlook. Although, I think it’s more of an overcompensation.

50/50:

• People here were morally conflicted. Some equated Israel’s actions to the U.S. response post 9/11, while others grappled with forming opinions.

• Let me stress this: There’s absolutely no obligation to form opinions. The pressure of today’s social media landscape can be overwhelming, but remember, this poll is merely a platform for those with established views to express them. Geopolitics, with its intricate web of complexities, doesn’t lend itself to easy conclusions. So, feel free to sit on the fence!

🙏 Thank you again for expressing your thoughts.