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Hi Global Recap readers,

China finally rolled out its long-hyped Victory Day military parade, and it was every bit the spectacle people expected.

• It was a massive displays of weapons, well-choreographed marches, and a headline speech from Xi.

• But the real head-scratcher for Aussies wasn’t the show itself. Just days after Modi was snapped rubbing shoulders with dictators, former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews turned up in photos doing the same thing. Now, Aussies online are wondering what on earth he’s doing over there. 👇️ 

🌐 WORLD
Fast Scroll News

🇺🇸🇻🇪 US Sinks Cartel Boat

President Trump released video of a US military strike that obliterated a small vessel off Venezuela today, killing all 11 aboard, identified as members of the Tren de Aragua gang.

• Strike: A single missile hit the boat in international waters, igniting it instantly and leaving no survivors.

• Target: The US labeled Tren de Aragua a Foreign Terrorist Organization tied to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, accusing it of drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and violent crimes across the Americas.

• Deployment: In late August, Trump sent three guided-missile destroyers and 4,000 Marines to the Venezuelan coast, escalating tensions with Caracas.

• Response: Maduro mobilized millions of militia members, accused Washington of plotting regime change, and claimed Venezuela faced its “biggest threat in 100 years.”

• Policy: This was the first known cartel strike since Trump authorized direct military action against such groups earlier this year.

🇫🇷 France Preps For War

France’s health ministry just ordered every hospital in the country to be ready to handle waves of wounded soldiers by March 2026, citing the risk of a “major engagement” in Europe.

• Directive: Internal documents instruct hospitals to integrate military casualty care into civilian systems, including patients from other European states.

• Trigger: The move follows Germany’s top defense chief Carsten Breuer warning NATO will stay on alert during Russia’s Zapad 2025 drills in Belarus.

• Scenario: Officials anticipate a surge of foreign and domestic war casualties requiring rapid triage, surgery, and long-term care capacity.

• Warning: NATO chief Mark Rutte has said a coordinated Russia-China offensive could start with China seizing Taiwan while Russia strikes NATO’s eastern flank.

• Capability: Rutte claims Russia now produces triple NATO’s annual ammunition output in just three months, aided by North Korea, China, and Iran.

• Response: However, speaking in China, Putin mocked Europe of spreading "hysteria" and "horror stories."

🇺🇸🇷🇺 Trump Rebukes Putin

US President Donald Trump publicly rebuked Vladimir Putin today on the Scott Jennings Radio Show, saying he was “very disappointed” in him as Russia intensified strikes on Ukrainian cities and shut down prospects for peace talks.

• Casualties: Trump cited 7,000 weekly deaths, mostly soldiers, as his reason for pushing to “help people live.”

• Attacks: On August 28, Russia hit Kyiv with 598 drones and 31 missiles, killing 25 people, according to President Zelenskyy.

• Diplomacy: The Kremlin recently rejected any meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissing Ukraine’s government as illegitimate.

• Pressure: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration is weighing new sanctions after the latest bombing campaign.

🇧🇪 Belgium Backs Palestine

Belgium will recognize a Palestinian state at this month’s UN General Assembly, but only after every hostage in Gaza is freed and Hamas is out of power.

• Condition: Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said recognition will take effect by royal decree once the last hostage is released and Hamas no longer governs any part of Palestine.

• Timing: The announcement came today, ahead of the UN meetings in New York from September 9 to 23.

• Allies: France, Britain, Canada, and Australia have signaled similar moves, while the United States and President Trump have criticized the push.

• Sanctions: Belgium will ban imports from Israeli settlements, review public contracts with Israeli companies, and bar entry to two unnamed Israeli ministers, several violent settlers, and Hamas leaders.

• EU Angle: Prévot urged the European Union to suspend its economic cooperation agreement with Israel, though Germany has resisted.

🇨🇳 CHINA
Beijing’s Calculated
Display of Power

President Xi Jinping oversaw China’s largest-ever military parade in Beijing, flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. In his speech, he framed current geopolitical tensions as a choice between “peace or war.”

Strategic Optics

The presence of Xi, Putin, and Kim together was a deliberate signal of alignment among states challenging the US-led order. The choreography and messaging was the point.

• Xi told a crowd of more than 50,000 at Tiananmen that humanity faces “peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum.” He went on to declare China “unstoppable” and said that it is “never intimidated by any bullies,” in an implicit reference to the United States and its allies.

• What's also notable is that this is the first time Kim appeared publicly with both Putin and Xi at one event and only his second reported trip abroad in six years.

• Other attendees included Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing. No major Western leaders were present.

Military Capabilities on Display

After the rhetoric came the inventory. The parade served both to commemorate the defeat of Japan in WWII and to deter Western influences by showcasing the scope of China’s military modernization.

• Featured assets included tanks, drones, stealth aircraft, nuclear-capable missiles, and newly unveiled systems such as hypersonic anti-ship missiles, the AJX002 underwater drone, and the DF-61 intercontinental ballistic missile.

• Analyst Drew Thompson noted the lineup is meant to “give the United States, Europe and China’s neighbors pause” before testing Beijing’s core interests.

• Xi stood in an open-top car to review the ranks.

• The People's Liberation Army (PLA)’s rapid modernization sits alongside recent anti-corruption purges at levels not seen since the Mao era—one of the most notorious being that a general who was reportedly involved in filling rockets with water instead of fuel. 😬

Taiwan Context

Additionally, Xi’s repeated references to the “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” in his speech carries implications for Taiwan.

• The phrase is closely tied to Beijing’s stated objective of bringing Taiwan under its control, a goal rejected by Taiwan’s government and public.

• China considers Taiwan a long-lost part of its territory, viewing its unification as essential to making the nation whole again.

• The PLA’s modernization is widely viewed as the military foundation for this objective.

Diplomatic and Security Signaling

The event also conveyed Beijing’s willingness to maintain strategic partnerships despite Western sanctions.

• One of the most intriguing aspects of China’s messaging lies in its challenge to the US-led economic order.

  • The US has long leveraged its economic strength to impose sanctions on other nations, framing them as punitive measures against behavior it deems unacceptable.

  • However, as more countries develop alternative economic networks independent of the US, the effectiveness of these sanctions (and, by extension, US soft power) naturally diminishes.

  • If nations begin to demonstrate that it is possible to withstand or even prosper despite US sanctions, why wouldn’t others be encouraged to follow suit?

• And today, we see just that. China’s public alignment with Russia and North Korea, despite threats of sanctions and economic backlash from the US, signals its willingness to confront the United States head-on.

  • Recent reports indicate that DeepSeek’s R2 LLM model was delayed due to the CCP’s directive to prioritize domestic Huawei chips over US Nvidia chips—showing China’s aggressive push toward technological independence from American infrastructure despite near-term technical shortcomings.

  • As this independence solidifies, the leverage of US economic threats will steadily erode.

Trump's Response on Truth

On Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.”

• Supporters are calling this a show of strength from the US to keep the dictators in check.

  • Many also argue that the Chinese parade is merely a flashy display, lacking real substance.

  • Citing various corruption scandals within China, Trump supporters say that beneath the choreography and gleaming metals, it is all hollow.

• Critics argue it shows the US’s shrinking soft power, pointing to Trump’s isolationist policy that’s pushing other countries to stand more on their own instead of orbiting US influence.

What do you think?