Biden’s Bow Goodbye, Tik Tok For TikTok, Yoon Gets Arrested, And Gaza Ceasefire Finally?

A detailed recount mixed with meme comedy to mark our times at Week 3 of 2025 featuring source material from Jentry Chau Vs The Underworld, Lower Decks, No. 7 West Mars Street, and Hailey’s On It!

Jan 19, 2025

Author’s Note: There has been a surge in subscribers over the past 48 hours, officially breaking the 100 subscriber mark for my Substack. I would like to thank all the subscribers, both new and old, to my platform, and hopefully, we can all cope/enjoy/bear with the news for the next few years. Enjoy my flagship news-oriented weekly recap (Stay tuned for a potential daily briefing), and the last one published during the Biden adminstration.

The Worst Political Case Study On Earth - Biden’s Final Week

Things are not smooth sailing at MAGA-land, the past weekend saw Steve Bannon telling an Italian newspaper that he would “do anything” to keep Musk out of the White House, and CNN reported Trump’s border czar Tom Homan told GOP lawmakers to temper their expectations for mass deportations citing limited resources. In the last week of his term, Joe Biden began by boasting his foreign policy accomplishments in a State Department speech. The Senate also prepared itself for a grueling week, as the unceremonious procedure of Trump cabinet confirmation hearings was dubbed a “train wreck” before it even began. One of Trump’s appointees, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faces a new national coalition of health professionals and scientists who signed a public letter on Monday warning that his “unfounded, fringe beliefs could significantly undermine public health practices across the country and around the world.” In legal news, Trump’s concierge judge Aileen Cannon gave the green light to release the special counsel’s report into Trump’s election subversion case, meaning the DOJ could release it anytime as soon as Tuesday midnight without legal repercussions. Meanwhile, Special Counsel David Weiss defended his work prosecuting Hunter Biden in a new report, criticizing Joe Biden’s pardon and statements relating to the matter have undermined the justice system. In a slightly less important story, Biden announced two new nuclear-powered aircraft carriers will be named after Bill Clinton and George W Bush.

On early Tuesday morning, the DOJ released Jack Smith’s report to members of Congress and the public. In the summary obtained first by NBC News, Smith defended his decision to charge Trump, writing Trump spread claims that were "demonstrably and, in many cases, obviously false," adding "Trump knew that there was no outcome-determinative fraud in the 2020 election, that man of the specific claims that he made were untrue, and that he had lost the election." Furthermore, the report suggested Trump would have been convicted in the election interference case if it went on trial, noting that “But for Mr. Trump’s election and imminent return to the presidency, the office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial.” Trump’s cabinet confirmation hearings kicked off with embattled Defence Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, as the Washington Post reported the FBI did not interview a woman who accused Hegseth of sexual assault. When the hearing began, the top Senate Democrat in the Armed Services Committee Jack Reed attacked Hegseth, saying “I do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job.” Other Democrats also directed their rhetorical fire against Hegseth, Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand slammed Hegseth's past remarks about women in the military by raising her voice and saying “We have hundreds - HUNDREDS - of women who serve in the infantry, lethal members of our military ... But you degrade them.” Hegseth told senators his primary charge by Trump is “to bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense” and “he wants a Pentagon laser-focused on warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness. That’s it. That is my job.” The SecDef nominee also argued against DEI and diversity measures against Democratic lawmakers, telling them “The standards need to be the same and they need to be high.” On the sexual assault allegation, Hegseth claimed he was “falsely accused” and was “completely cleared” after an investigation. “He believes, and I humbly agree, that it’s time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm. A change agent,” Hegseth said of Trump’s decision to choose him, claiming false and anonymous attacks were orchestrated by a “coordinated smear campaign.” The good news for Hegseth is that he did not make any major gaffes during the interview process (If you can discount him not answering whether he would not shoot protestors in the street, or cannot name a single ASEAN country), with the SecDef nominee receiving a warm reception from the GOP Senate members. Senator Joni Ernest, who lodged tough questions against Hegseth and was seen as a skeptic for the nominee, said she would vote for his confirmation later in the day. However, GOP Senator John Curtis told Politico he is undecided on Hegseth and pondered voting against Tulsi Gabbard as the DNI pick. In other headlines, Michelle Obama will not attend Trump's inauguration in a norm-breaking first, the House voted to ban transgender students from girls’ sports but faces an uncertain future in the Senate, the Biden administration lifted the state sponsor of terrorism designation for Cuba, Biden touted his climate legacy by designating two new national monuments in California, Trump said he will create an “external revenue service” to collect revenue from tariffs alongside “energy domination” executive orders when he comes back to office, Iran denied they wanted to assassinate Trump. Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace challenged Democrat Jasmine Crockett to “take it outside” after the Democratic congresswoman called her “child,” Donald Trump got a special CocaCola can to commemorate his inauguration, the SEC sued Elon Musk for allegedly violating securities law by acquiring Twitter shares at “artificially low prices,” and Steve Bannon taunted Elon Musk by telling Politico that the billionaire doesn’t “have the ability to actually make decisions and inform those decisions and drive those decisions.”

Wednesday saw a slew of Trump appointees sitting in the hot seat for their confirmation hearings. Although buried due to the news in Gaza, there is still a lot of alarming stuff squeezed in between. Secretary of State pick Marco Rubio gained bipartisan support, criticizing China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran for sowing “chaos and instability and align with and fund radical terror groups, then hide behind their veto power at the United Nations and the threat of nuclear war.” In particular, Rubio was most animated when talking about China and its threat to the US, despite Beijing having “said mean things about me.” Rubio also voiced support for traditional US alliances like AUKUS and NATO despite attacks by Trump, while staying in line with the Washington consensus on Ukraine and Gaza. Attorney General pick Pam Bondi faced a much tougher resistance by the Democrats, as she dodged questions over retribution and walked a fine line on election denialism. During her testimony, Bondi did not say whether she would investigate Jack Smith or not, and claimed FBI pick Kash Patel doesn’t have an enemies list despite that he did. Concerning smaller picks, Project 2025 architect and Office of Management and Budget pick Russ Vought believed Trump can be above the law during a testy exchange with Senator Richard Blumenthal, Trump’s CIA pick John Ratcliffe pledged not to politicize the institution he wants to lead, and Department of Energy pick Chris Wright conceded climate change is a “real issue.” At night, Biden delivered his farewell address, capping off 4 years in office and more than 5 decades in public office. Instead of bragging about his legislative accomplishments, Biden dedicated his farewell address to describing what he believes America stands for and emphasizing the importance of democratic institutions, treating it as an opportunity to show his views for the country he ruled and not a moment to define his legacy. One particular moment of his farewell address focused on the ultra-wealthy, the president said an “oligarchy” is “taking shape in America” and warned of the influence of AI and social media. Biden did make a few jabs at Trump, but also pledged a peaceful transfer of power and wished for the president-elect to succeed.

We learned more on who’s attending Trump’s inauguration. One key feature is a who’s who of right-wing and populist leaders from around the world, including Argentinian President Javier, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British anti-EU populist Nigel Farage, French firebrand Éric Zemmour, Belgium’s Tom Van Grieken, and former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. However, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was banned from attending the inauguration, while China sent Vice President Han Zheng after Trump previously tried to invite President Xi Jinping to attend. Tech billionaires also got a front-row seat, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos are all on the list. There will be musical guests such as the Village People, Kid Rock, and Lee Greenwood. First responders attending to Trump after the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, as well as the garbage truck featured at the end of his campaign, will both show up as special guests. Elon Musk got the extra VIP treatment, because not only is he attending Trump’s inauguration,but there were reports that Musk is getting an office in the White House when Trump becomes president. In Congress, Speaker Johnson removed Mike Turner as chairperson of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, bowing down to Trump’s pressure. Behind the scenes, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden-Harris relationship was in rocky waters after the president claimed he would have beaten Trump. Individuals close to the VP claimed she had conveyed sadness to them. Among the confirmation hearings, the most notable character of the day is Treasury pick Scott Bessent, who told senators he would deploy American economic power against its geopolitical foes, and rejected a federal minimum wage increase even though he is a billionaire hedge fund boss. In other headlines, Nancy Pelosi won't attend Trump’s inauguration, Ron DeSantis selected Florida’s Attorney General Ashley Moody to replace Rubio’s senate seat, and Rudy Giuliani did not appear for his trial that would decide the fate of his Florida home hours before settling the defamation case.

In the morning, Joe Biden commuted the sentences of nearly 2500 drug offenders, the broadest commutation of individual sentences ever issued by a US president. After that, Biden said the Equal Rights Amendment has met the requirements of ratification and is part of the Constitution, a largely symbolic gesture of support for a decades-long campaign to enshrine gender equality. For the first time in decades, Trump’s swearing-in ceremony and inaugural address will happen indoors after weather forecasts report extreme cold and an “Arctic blast” affecting temperatures in Washington DC. In the meantime, Chinese state media reported Trump and Xi spoke to each other on the phone days before the inauguration and for the first time since 2021. Both sides reported positive progress after the phone call, the leaders touched on topics such as fentanyl and TikTok. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced the state’s Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted will fill in JD Vance’s vacant seat in the Senate, as DOGE co-leader Vivek Ramaswamy contemplated a run for DeWine’s current job. According to Bloomberg, Trump plans to designate crypto as a policy priority in an executive order, giving industry insiders a voice within his administration. Economy-wise, the IMF raised its US economic forecast to 2.7% growth for 2025, making a strong contrast to reduced growth projections in the euro area. The Senate confirmation hearings continued, with Homeland Security pick Kristi Noem in the hot seat calling the department she wants to run “broken and dysfunctional.” In other news, the Supreme Court will hear a case on parents opting out of lessons with LGBTQ+ books for their children, and the current IRS commissioner resigned as Trump mulled a replacement for the position.

On Saturday, Trump told NBC News he’s planning to sign a “record-setting” number of executive orders and set mass deportations plus a visit to Los Angeles as his week one priority. In new polling released in the New York Times, voters seem to be more supportive of Trump’s policies than the man himself, reflecting a trend numerous polls have suggested wanting a “MAGA-lite” version of what the president wants to offer. The Wall Street Journal first reported Trump is planning to begin a large-scale deportation raid in Chicago next Tuesday, a day after he gets into office. At the same time, the incoming border czar Tom Homan added on Fox News that immigration forces will begin targeted raids at several American cities. However, given that the Chicago raid plans were leaked to the press, Homan admitted that the incoming administration is reconsidering plans for an enforcement blitz requiring additional officers to ramp up arrests. On the appointment front, Trump chose school choice supporter and former Tennessee education commissioner, Penny Schwinn, as deputy education secretary. After taking a call with President Xi, Trump told his advisors he wanted to visit China in his second term. In case any of the things above aren’t crazy enough, Trump began selling his meme coin that was worth $32 billion on the first day, conflict of interest be damned. Thousands of people marched in Washington, and the “People’s March” protestors opposed Trump’s inauguration without fear of the cold temperature. Funny enough, Steve Bannon told ABC News the attendance of tech billionaires at Trump’s Monday inauguration is a sign of their "official surrender" to the president-elect, which surprisingly is not a wrong sentiment. On the final day of Biden’s term in office, he visited Charleston, South Carolina, the spot where his flailing 2020 campaign was revived.

Middle East War Watch - Biden’s Last Ceasefire Gambit

Hopes for an Israel-Hamas war ceasefire were ignited again, the AP reported on Monday that significant progress was made during peace talks, according to three US and Arab sources. Reports further indicate Qatar has submitted a final draft of a ceasefire deal to Israel and Hamas, and Joe Biden spoke with Benjamin Netanyahu last Sunday about such a deal. According to CNN hours later, two Israeli officials say the ceasefire deal will likely include the release of 33 hostages during the first phase of the agreement, Israel suspects they are all alive but an initial 42-day ceasefire deal will also likely see bodies being handed over to Israeli authorities.US officials showed careful optimism at ceasefire talks developments, as US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan saying there was a “distinct possibility” the deal could be reached before Biden leaves office, adding the “pressure is building for Hamas to come to yes.” Joe Biden consigned to that, saying during a foreign policy speech a ceasefire is “on the brink.” In the meantime, US news program 60 Minutes reported on dissent and resignations against the Biden administration’s Israel policy, former State Department diplomat Hala Rharrit, who resigned in protest, said she was shut down when she tried speaking up on how America's role in Israel’s war was perceived in the Middle East. The AP reported a growing number of Israeli soldiers are speaking out against the Gaza war, saying they saw or did things that crossed ethical lines to justify why they don’t want to fight anymore. Lebanon saw the top judge at the International Court of Justice Nawaf Salam chosen as Lebanon’s next prime minister, a surprising turnaround following President Joseph Aoun was chosen as the country’s new leader after years of gridlock.

On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel and Hamas were finalizing the final draft of a Gaza ceasefire agreement, claiming the deal could come as soon as that day. Qatari officials shared similar sentiments, telling the press that the agreement is "very close" and at its “closest point” yet. Inside the negotiating room, rumors claimed both Israel and Hamas seemed to be accepting the final draft agreement, while Egypt was reportedly preparing to open the Rafah Crossing to receive Israeli hostages. Blinken criticized both Israeli and Palestinian leadership and said Israel “must abandon” the annexation of the West Bank with Hamas gaining as many militants as they had lost, while thousands rallied for a hostage deal in Tel Aviv.

Finally on Wednesday, a ceasefire deal! Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced the long-awaited news and told reporters the deal would go into effect on Sunday, jubilation in both Israel and Palestine after the news broke despite lingering concerns. In the first stage of the ceasefire deal, the Israeli military will withdraw to within 700 meters inside Gaza, Israel will release about 2000 prisoners and Hamas will release 33 hostages, Israel will allow injured Gazans to travel to receive medical treatment and open the Rafah crossing with Egypt, and Israeli forces will begin to pull back from the Philadelphi Corridor before fully withdrawing in later stages. If Israel determines the conditions are met, Hamas will release all the remaining living captives and in return, more Palestinians will be freed in the Israeli prison system. Israel will initiate its “complete withdrawal” from Gaza under a three to five-year reconstruction plan. The only issue is there is no agreement over who will administer Gaza post-ceasefire. Still, the US has pressed for a reformed version of the Palestinian authority to do so. International figures like UN Secretary-General António Guterres praised the deal, posting on social media “I urge the parties and relevant partners to seize this opportunity to establish a credible political path to a better future for Palestinians, Israelis & the broader region. Ending the occupation & achieving a negotiated two-state solution, with Israel & Palestine living side by side in peace & security, in line with international law, relevant UN resolutions, and previous agreements remain an urgent priority. Only through a viable two-state solution can the aspirations of both peoples be fulfilled.” German Chancellor Scholz welcomed the deal and said it "must be implemented to the letter," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the agreement was "crucial" to achieving regional stability, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said the promise of "huge relief after so much unbearable pain and misery” lies on the ceasefire and it is “imperative” that it stays that way, US progressive Senator Bernie Sanders celebrated the “welcome, long-overdue news,” Turkey’s President Recep Tayip Erdogan expressed his government’s hope that “the agreement will be beneficial for our region and all of humanity, especially our Palestinian brothers, and that it will open the door to lasting peace and stability,” UK leader Keir Starmer noted in a statement that "After months of devastating bloodshed and countless lives lost, this is the long-overdue news that the Israeli and Palestinian people have desperately been waiting for," French President Emmanuel Macron said there is immense relief for the people of Gaza and hope for the hostages and their families, and EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen said the agreement "brings hope to an entire region, where people have endured immense suffering for far too long." As expected, Donald Trump swooped in to take credit, noting how his return to office forced a deal to materialize. He wrote on social media: “This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies. I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.” Biden took credit as well, albeit more humbly. He first released a statement noting “It is the result not only of the extreme pressure that Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran — but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy. My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done.” Then in a public address, the president said “For the past few days, we have been speaking as one team” when referring to efforts made by both diplomatic teams from the Biden administration and the Trump transition. For bonus points, Biden said Israel will negotiate a “permanent end to war.” In Israel, Netanyahu tried to refuse to accept the ceasefire deal, but Israel’s President Isaac Herzog publicly called on the Prime Minister to approve the ceasefire. For journalists within Gaza, it was a huge relief, evident when Al Jazeera Arabic’s correspondent Anas al-Sharif removed his flak jacket and helmet when announcing the deal. The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed the ceasefire deal and called for media access and war crimes investigations, CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg said: “Journalists have been paying the highest price – with their lives – to provide the world some insight into the horrors that have been taking place in Gaza during this prolonged war, which has decimated a generation of Palestinian reporters and newsrooms. We call on Egyptian, Palestinian, and Israeli authorities to immediately allow foreign journalists into Gaza, and on the international community to independently investigate the deliberate targeting of journalists that has been widely documented since October 2023.”

By Thursday morning, the ceasefire deal came out a little bit wonky. Netanyahu’s office claimed Hamas is trying to renege on the promises made in Doha talks, it comes as the Israeli leader claimed the deal is not settled. The situation was further jeopardized when Netanyahu claimed his cabinet would not meet to vote for the ceasefire deal, accusing Hamas of “last-minute blackmail.” Hamas responded by saying they’re “baseless” claims and urged the Trump team to pressure Israel. It comes as the far-right MK party threatened that they will “most likely” quit the ruling coalition government if the hostage deal is approved, so is the far-right finance minister Ben-Gvir who said his return hinges on the resumption of the Gaza war. Despite the disputes, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken believes the deal can still take effect on Sunday, but his farewell press conference was disrupted by two pro-Palestinian journalists who heckled “Why aren’t you in The Hague.” Meanwhile, Gaza continued to face Israeli bombardments, killing more than 80 Palestinians since the ceasefire was announced. Outside of the Middle East, countries like China have vouched for support for the ceasefire deal, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters the country hopes the deal can be “effectively implemented so a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in Gaza can be achieved.”

At midnight Friday, Netanyahu was informed by his country’s negotiation team that both Israel and Hamas had agreed to the ceasefire deal, following last-minute negotiations and the final announcement in Doha. The Israeli security cabinet first approved the ceasefire deal on Friday morning, with all 11 members voting in support of the deal. The Israeli cabinet then voted to approve the ceasefire deal later that day, with 24 ministers voting to support it and 8 against the agreement. Qatari officials made a statement on Saturday, announcing the ceasefire will begin at 8:30 am on Sunday, local Gaza time. As Israel continued to bombard Gaza hours before the ceasefire deal was supposed to take effect, Netanyahu claimed the US assured him the ceasefire with Hamas was temporary, and vowed to “resume the war if necessary,” specifically if talks for a second ceasefire round fails.

Hours before the ceasefire deal was supposed to take effect, the Israeli PM said the deal would not go ahead unless Hamas provided the names of the hostages that would be freed, as Israeli forces “continued to attack” inside the Gaza Strip and killed at least three Palestinians in Gaza City. At 8:30 am Gaza time on Sunday, the truce did not take effect. Moments later, Hamas announced it had provided Israel with the hostage list after technical difficulties inconvenienced the terrorist group from obtaining the final details, Israel then said they did receive the list which contains the names of three female hostages. They were identified by Hamas as Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher. By 11:15 am local time, the new timestamp where the truce takes effect. Ben Gvir and his far-right party announced their resignation from the cabinet, protesting against the deal being approved. As the three hostages were released, they were met by IDF representatives, as well as doctors and psychologists from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Tik Tok O’Clock - Countdown Before The Ban

The week marked crunch time for TikTok, as the app hurtles towards being banned in the United States on January 19. Bloomberg reported on Monday that China is weighing a potential option that involves billionaire Elon Musk buying the social media app, which the parent company ByteDance called “pure fiction.” Reports by Bloomberg were echoed by the Wall Street Journal, which wrote a similar story saying Chinese officials in Beijing have internally discussed the option of selling TikTok to Musk, it comes as China denounced the US ban on the social media app and said any forced divestiture would be like robbery. Then on Wednesday, the Washington Post reported Trump is considering an executive order to “save TikTok” from a potential ban, arguing it could help him reach an adoring audience in his second term. NBC News also reported the Biden administration is looking for ways to keep TikTok available in the US, in case the Sunday ban comes into effect. Among the new potential investors, one of the rich weirdos is Mr. Beast, the popular YouTube star.

By Friday, officials say Biden won’t be enforcing the TikTok ban, leaving the app’s fate to Trump. However, TikTok itself was already preparing to shut down on January 19, including helping users download their data so things can get back to normal when the ban is no longer in effect. As the Supreme Court ruled on upholding the TikTok ban that would take effect unless the app is sold from its Chinese owner, lobbyists began rushing to preserve the app in a last-minute dash. On Friday night, the app officially announced it would “go dark” on Sunday unless Biden makes “immediate” interventions, a move the White House called a “stunt.”

On Saturday, as TikTok creators made their farewell videos, many developments occurred. For one, Perplexity AI submitted a bid to ByteDance to merge the social media app with its company. The incoming Trump administration wants to give the app a 90-day reprieve when the president inaugurates next Monday, believing it is an “appropriate” move. Hours before the Sunday deadline, TikTok told users in a popup notification that it plans to go dark once the federal ban takes effect, writing “We regret that a U.S. law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable. We're working to restore our service in the U.S. as soon as possible, and we appreciate your support. Please stay tuned.”

Roughly an hour before the supposed TikTok ban was supposed to take effect, users of the app saw a notification that read “Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now.” The message added, "A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can't use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!" As more than 170 million users cannot access the app they have already downloaded, Apple and Google removed TikTok from their app stores. Other ByteDance apps, such as CapCut and Lemon8, were blocked in the US as well. Many observers were particularly alarmed by TikTok’s subtle political advertisement for Donald Trump’s second term, concerns further amplified when the president-elect posted on social media wanting to “save TikTok,” repeating the 90-day-reprieve to give the app a breathing space. Following the announcement, TikTok mysteriously restored its service for US users.

Ironically enough, as the US government cited national security as a reason to ban TikTok, many “TikTok refugees” flooded to another Chinese social media app named “Red Note” (Xiaohongshu when translated literally) out of spite, it even became the number one most-downloaded app in Apple’s US App Store. A new US poster wrote on the Chinese-dominated app: "To our Chinese hosts, thanks for having us - sorry in advance for the chaos.” On Red Note, Chinese netizens have generally welcomed the new “refugees,” with the hashtag “TikTokrefugee” being viewed 100 million times and sparking around 2.5 million discussion threads on the app by Tuesday. A day later, more than half a million “TikTok refugees” have popped up in Red Note over the past few days, with impromptu cultural conversations between Chinese and American users popping up in livestreams. Even though many Americans and Chinese have pleasant experiences interacting with each other in Red Note, some American users got censored due to their discussion topics. The most ironic part about Red Note is that, unlike TikTok, the app is explicitly controlled by the Chinese government, the same government that the US said poses a national security risk via TikTok.

Asia Watch - Scam Farm Outrage

Pressure has been growing for authorities in China, Thailand, and Myanmar to crack down on Burmese “scam farms” and release trapped individuals from forced detention and labor. The news of Myanmar’s “scam farms” is not new, Chinese authorities have taken action against cyber scams in previous years. Organized crime syndicates lure victims with the promise of high-paying jobs to travel to Thailand, but were then tricked into crossing the border to Myanmar and forced to work for online scams such as “pig butchering,” a long-term investment scam that gradually lures victims to make increasing contributions through cryptocurrency before taking the money and disappear. Aside from allegations of human trafficking conducted by criminal groups, victims have described slave-like working and living conditions, those who refuse to work under forced labor or fail to meet targets are physically abused and tortured.

What has brought renewed attention comes after a week-long campaign on Chinese social media to rescue Chinese actor Wang Xing, who had been communicating with what he believed were Chinese employees of a major Thai entertainment firm. After he arrived in Bangkok, one of the “employees” claimed there was a change in plans and brought him to the border town of Mae Sot, right across the Burmese border town of Myawaddy, both infamous for being a hub for criminal compounds where trapped individuals were forcibly detained in industrial scale “penal colonies,” according to the United States Institute for Peace. There are several reasons for the boom in illegal activity, partly due to Chinese criminal organizations resorting to these tactics since the COVID pandemic and less money being made through casinos due to lockdowns, another reason is due to Myanmar’s junta conducting a military coup in 2021 and descended the country into a near lawless state. Fortunately, after a popular outcry on Chinese social media by Wang’s girlfriend and major celebrities, the actor was rescued by Thai police and flew back home, but also told authorities there were around 50 Chinese nationals held in the same place as him. Experts say criminal syndicates have now targeted actors and academics for higher value, and are more likely to resort to methods such as kidnapping and torturing.

Unfortunately, China is not the only Asian country where victims have fallen for “scam farm” traps. After Hong Kong authorities sent a task force to Thailand on January 12 to follow up on victims of trafficking cases, pressure has also been building domestically from families of trapped loved ones to rescue them, citing the speed of Wang’s rescue. In Thailand, relatives of missing individuals have flown to the Chinese embassy in Bangkok, pleading with embassy staff to save their loved ones. Law enforcement has ramped up efforts to rescue trapped citizens and arrest scam organizers in their respective regions, while China and Thailand have arrested at least 12 gang members suspected of participating in the Maynmar trafficking scam.

Because I’m Too Busy For Memeing: A Global Wrap-Up

Dateline Seoul, South Korea:

Tuesday’s first hearing in the impeachment trial of South Korea’s disgraced president Yoon Suk Yeol only lasted for a few minutes, following the president’s no-show in court. Authorities again attempted to arrest Yoon on Wednesday, which was leaked to the local press on the night before. By early morning, South Korean authorities were at Yoon’s official residence to execute an arrest warrant again. Hours later, the authorities entered the presidential residence and detained Yoon, making him the first sitting president in the country to ever be arrested. Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) officials say Yoon refused to talk during two and a half hours of questioning, while his lawyer claimed the president “has decided to personally appear” and was supposedly going to deliver a speech but was arrested instead. Later on, we learned more details about the arrest, including the fact police cut wire fences to break into the president’s compound. The next day, local media reported Yoon was locked up alone in a 100 square feet room, and ate steak as part of his dinner. By Thursday night, a South Korean court rejected the president’s bid to release himself from jail through a petition, while reports suggest Yoon did not comply with answering questions in the days since his arrest. On early Sunday, a South Korean court officially ordered the former arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol, marking an extended period of custody that could last for months. Hours after the news broke, some Yoon supporters breached into the courthouse in protest.

Dateline California, USA:

The wildfires raged on at the beginning of the week, as the death toll rose to 24 people on early Monday, investigators and visual analysis by the Washington Post suspect the New Year’s Eve fireworks might have helped trigger the largest Los Angeles fire, while California Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass had to fend off political attacks by the GOP. In Congress, Republican Speaker Mike Johnson mused about setting conditions for disaster aid for California. On Tuesday, America’s National Weather Service issued its most serious fire warning for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura. As the week moved on, the winds did not speed up as expected which marked good news for firefighters, while life continued in a weird new normal.

Dateline Ottowa, Canada:

Following Trudeau’s resignation, there was more news about who wanted to replace him as Liberal Party leader. CTV News reported on Monday that the recently resigned Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland would announce her bid before Trump’s inauguration, but eyebrows were raised when Mark Carney teased a potential Liberal leader run on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Multiple supposed Liberal candidates dropped out over the week. Still, the most hilarious dropout is former Premier of British Columbia Christy Clark, who awkwardly had to walk back her claim this week that she’d never been a member of the Conservative party even though she was one for a year. Launching his leadership bid in his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, Mark Carney officially entered the race by presenting himself as an outsider who can bring a wealth of financial insight to an economically turbulent country. However, given more than 76% of Canadians don’t recognize the “rock star central banker,” Carney has a lot to do to boost his public profile. A day later, Freeland officially announced she was in the leadership race, posting on social media “I’m running to fight for Canada.”

Dateline Kyiv, Ukraine:

Within a week before Trump returns to office, Ukraine is not in a good spot militarily as Russia has made slow but gradually increasing gains on the battlefield. After capturing two North Korean soldiers on the battlefield, Zelensky showed a willingness to release them in exchange for Ukrainian soldiers. At the same time, Zelensky sent 150 Ukrainian firefighters to the US, helping LA firefighters to stop the raging fires. In private talks, European diplomats and leaders have become cautiously optimistic that Trump will not abandon Ukraine. In Russia, the country’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov held his annual news conference, saying that the Kremlin would keep a “close eye” on Trump while praising his views. At the same time, officials report “massive” drone attacks by Ukraine that have struck several Russian regions overnight. Poland’s PM Donald Tusk suggested on Wednesday that confirmed suspicions of a Russian plot to blow up cargo airplanes over Western countries, telling the media “I can only confirm that Russia planned acts of air terror, not just against Poland but against airlines across the globe.” When UK PM Keir Starmer made a surprise trip to Ukraine, the leaders of both countries signed a 100-year treaty, which pledges more weapons and promises a century of British support. In Azerbaijan, the country’s emboldened leader Ilham Aliyev seems to be picking a rare fight with Putin, blaming Russian air defenses for a plane crash this Christmas. On Friday, Putin’s regime sentenced three of deceased Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s lawyers to prison.

Dateline Space Exploration:

Space exploration experienced a busy week, especially in the private sector. For Jeff Bezos, his space company Blue Origin witnessed the launch of the New Glenn rocket after several postponements, making it a bigger rival to SpaceX. Speaking of Elon Musk’s space company, a SpaceX rocket launched two lunar landers setting sights on the moon. However, the company saw a small setback as it lost the flagship Starship rocket mid-flight, but it caught its reusable booster again after its launch. Internationally, India achieved its first space docking, becoming the fourth country to achieve a major space exploration milestone. After being stuck in the ISS for seven months, Suni Williams took a spacewalk to tackle some overdue outdoor repair work. Further into space, the World Monuments Fund added the Moon to its list of threatened cultural sites for the first time, arguing potential looting and commercial trips could pose a risk to artifacts left by the lunar landings.