News from January 15, 2025 at 2 PM

South Korea's law enforcement has arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of organizing and leading an insurrection. The arrest operation lasted over seven hours, with the second attempt occurring at 3:20 a.m. local time on Wednesday. Yoon was officially arrested at 10:33 a.m. Law enforcers have 48 hours to question him, with interrogation materials exceeding 200 pages. Yoon refuses to testify, and the interrogation was not recorded. This marks the first arrest of an impeached but still incumbent president in South Korea's history. On December 3, Yoon declared martial law, lifted six hours later. He was impeached by parliament on December 14 and suspended from office. On December 31, a warrant was issued for his arrest on insurrection charges related to the martial law situation.

Recent reports have highlighted the dire situation of illegal miners trapped in an abandoned gold mine in South Africa. These miners have been living underground for months, with over 100 reported deaths. Videos show the miners are starving and in desperate need of help. Following a court order last week, a rescue operation commenced on Monday. So far, 26 miners and nine bodies have been retrieved. The miners' union blames government policies for the tragedy and calls for more assistance. An update on the operation will be provided in a briefing on Tuesday.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk on Tuesday, alleging he committed securities fraud in 2022 by failing to disclose his ownership in Twitter and buying shares at 'artificially low prices.' Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion and renamed it X. Prior to the acquisition, he held over 5% of the company but did not publicly disclose it. The SEC's complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., claims Musk withheld this material information, allowing him to underpay by at least $150 million for shares purchased after his financial beneficial ownership report was due. The SEC had been investigating Musk's actions in 2022 as he sold Tesla shares and increased his stake in Twitter. Musk posted on X last month that the SEC demanded a settlement within 48 hours or face multiple charges. His lawyer, Alex Spiro, called the suit a 'sham' and claimed Musk 'has done nothing wrong.' Musk is set to play a key advisory role in the upcoming Trump administration. In July, Trump vowed to fire SEC Chairman Gary Gensler, who later announced his resignation. In a separate civil lawsuit, the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System sued Musk for deliberately concealing his Twitter investments. The SEC alleges Musk crossed the 5% ownership threshold in March 2022 and disclosed it only on April 4, causing Twitter's stock price to surge by over 27%. During this period, Musk spent over $500 million on more Twitter shares, underpaying shareholders by over $150 million. The SEC seeks a jury trial and demands Musk pay disgorgement of his unjust enrichment and a civil penalty.

According to a report by the Yonhap News Agency on the 15th, a self-immolation incident occurred in the parking lot near the office of the Korean Agency for the Investigation of High-Ranking Officials' Crimes, located in the Gwacheon Government Complex in South Korea. The incident resulted in one fatality. Police have launched an investigation, and the specific cause is still under investigation. The event has attracted widespread public attention.

According to the Associated Press, the administration of US President Joe Biden is planning to remove Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. Sources familiar with the matter indicate that a relevant announcement may be made soon. However, this decision is likely to be reversed shortly after President-elect Donald Trump takes office and Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio, a long-time proponent of sanctions on Cuba, assumes his position. The US severed diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961 in response to the nationalization of US property, followed by a trade and economic embargo. In December 2014, then-President Barack Obama acknowledged the failure of Washington's previous policy towards Havana and moved to normalize bilateral relations and ease sanctions, removing Cuba from the terror sponsor list in 2015. The rapprochement stalled when Donald Trump took office in January 2017, tightening travel rules and imposing bans on business with Cuban military-controlled entities, and re-listing Cuba as a terror sponsor. The Biden administration has stated it will review Cuba policy but has not yet removed the country from the list.

Princess Catherine of Wales announced on social media that she is in remission from cancer, expressing her relief and focus on recovery. She previously received treatment at the Royal Marsden Hospital in west London, where she thanked staff and encouraged patients during a visit. This is the first confirmation of her remission. Last March, she disclosed her cancer diagnosis and completed chemotherapy in September. Despite finishing treatment, Catherine noted the challenges of returning to normal life. Her visit marked her first significant public engagement since treatment ended, and she has become a joint royal patron of the hospital.

On January 15, Huseyin Bagci, head of the Ankara Global Advisory Group, told TASS that if the US acquires Greenland, President-elect Donald Trump and his administration aim to control Russia and China's commercial shipping routes in the Arctic. Bagci noted that Trump, as a businessman, views all issues as business opportunities, seeing Greenland as a strategic location to leverage its advantages amid climate change, develop tourism, and attract investments. Previously, Republicans in the US Congress drafted a bill authorizing Trump to negotiate with Denmark on Greenland's acquisition immediately after his inauguration on January 20. Trump has previously stated that Greenland should become part of the US to counter alleged threats from China and Russia, proposing the idea of purchasing Greenland during his first presidential term in 2019.

On January 31, 2024, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg attended a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing at the U.S. Capitol. CNBC reported that Meta plans to cut approximately 5% of its workforce, focusing on the company's lowest-performing employees. Zuckerberg informed employees of the decision to 'move out low performers faster' in a memo posted on the company's internal Workplace forum on Tuesday, describing 2025 as an 'intense year.' A company director specified in a separate message that they are 'exiting approximately 5% of our lowest performers.' According to its most recent quarterly report, Meta has over 72,000 employees. Affected employees will be notified by February 10 and will receive severance in line with previous company standards. This represents Meta's largest layoffs since cutting 21,000 jobs in 2022 and 2023. The move follows several major operational changes within Meta aimed at building closer ties with President-elect Donald Trump.

The UK government announced on Tuesday a ban on livestock imports from Germany following a confirmed case of foot-and-mouth disease. The move aims to prevent the disease's spread to the UK, where no cases have been reported. The UK experienced major outbreaks in 2001 and 2007, leading to massive livestock culls. Agriculture Minister Daniel Zeichner stated the government will take all necessary measures to protect farmers. Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Christine Middlemiss urged livestock keepers to be vigilant and follow biosecurity protocols. The government has also invested £200 million in enhancing disease prevention research.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Wednesday that Iran has never attempted to assassinate US President-elect Donald Trump, dismissing it as a scheme by Israel and other countries to promote Iranophobia. Trump had previously accused Iran of taking specific steps against him, with the entire US military on watch. In September, the Trump campaign claimed Trump was briefed by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence about potential Iranian assassination attempts. Pezeshkian expressed hope that Trump would contribute to peace rather than conflict in the region and emphasized Iran's readiness to respond to any US-Israeli attack without seeking war. He also reiterated Iran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, blaming the other party for failing to meet its obligations.

The six-week-long Hindu festival Kumbh Mela commenced on January 13 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. A large number of Hindu pilgrims gathered early in the morning at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers to bathe in the sacred waters, seeking to wash away their sins. Kumbh Mela is the world's largest religious gathering, held every three years in four Indian cities, with the one occurring every 12 years considered especially auspicious. This year marks the 12-year Kumbh Mela, expected to attract up to 400 million people. Many pilgrims set out weeks ago, traveling thousands of kilometers to reach Prayagraj.

According to Bloomberg News, the Chinese government is considering a plan for Elon Musk to acquire TikTok's U.S. operations to prevent the app from being effectively banned. This contingency plan is one of several options China is exploring as the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether to uphold a law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok's U.S. business by January 19. After this deadline, third-party Internet service providers would be penalized for supporting TikTok's operations in the country. Under the plan, Musk would oversee both X, which he currently owns, and TikTok's U.S. business. However, Chinese officials have not yet decided whether to proceed, and the plan remains preliminary. It is unclear whether ByteDance is aware of the Chinese government's plans and TikTok and Musk's involvement in the discussions. Senior Chinese officials are debating contingency plans for TikTok's future in the U.S. as part of broader discussions about working with President-elect Donald Trump. A TikTok spokesperson said in an email to CNBC, 'We can't be expected to comment on pure fiction.' X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Russia has noted a shift from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his team towards recognizing the 'realities' on the ground in Ukraine, seeing it as a positive sign. The Kremlin is open to a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Trump. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated Moscow is ready to study Trump's plan to end the conflict in Ukraine once he takes office. Lavrov highlighted that both Trump and incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz have mentioned the ground realities. Waltz emphasized the need to end the war through diplomatic means. Trump recently acknowledged Russia's opposition to Ukraine's NATO ambitions. Russia, which controls about a fifth of Ukraine, insists any peace deal must consider this. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stressed that security guarantees would only be effective if provided by the United States.

On January 15th local time, the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) voted to extend the state of war and general mobilization for an additional 90 days, until May 9, 2025. The previous day, Ukrainian President Zelensky submitted the relevant draft law to the Verkhovna Rada. This extension follows multiple previous extensions and aims to address ongoing military tensions. The newly extended state of war and general mobilization will cover the entire country, impacting a wide range of defense and social sectors.

UK Treasury Economic Secretary Tulip Siddiq has been urged by a group of anti-corruption charities to step aside from her anti-corruption duties. Siddiq is implicated in an investigation alleging her family embezzled up to £3.9bn from infrastructure spending in Bangladesh. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called for the PM to sack Siddiq over the weekend. The 42-year-old MP for Hampstead and Highgate has referred herself to the PM's standards adviser, insisting she has done nothing wrong. The prime minister's spokesperson said Sir Keir Starmer retains 'full confidence' in Siddiq. However, the UK Anti-Corruption Coalition, including organizations like Oxfam and Transparency International, claims Siddiq has a 'serious conflict of interests'. The investigation involves Siddiq's aunt, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was deposed last year. Court documents seen by the BBC accuse Siddiq of helping broker a 2013 deal with Russia that overinflated the price of a new nuclear power plant in Bangladesh by £1bn, with 30% allegedly distributed to Siddiq and family members through a complex network. The coalition states there are urgent decisions within Siddiq's brief that the government needs to make, but it is unclear if she can make these decisions due to the conflict of interests.

Spain is planning to impose a tax of up to 100% on properties bought by non-residents from countries outside the EU, announced Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, citing it as a necessary measure to address the country's housing emergency. He highlighted the challenge of avoiding a society divided into rich landlords and poor tenants. In 2023, non-EU residents purchased 27,000 properties in Spain for profit, not for living. The move aims to prioritize housing for residents. Sánchez did not provide details on the tax or a timeline for parliamentary approval, but the government plans to finalize the proposal after careful study. Other measures announced include tax exemptions for landlords offering affordable housing, transferring over 3,000 homes to a new public housing body, and stricter regulations on tourist flats.

According to a source familiar with the planning, tech titans Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg will attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on January 20. The CEOs of Tesla, Amazon, and Meta will be prominently featured at the swearing-in ceremony, sitting alongside Republican Cabinet nominees and other elected officials, as first reported by NBC News. Representatives for the executives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mr. Bezos' Amazon and Mr. Zuckerberg's Meta are among the companies that have donated $1 million each (approximately S$1.3 million) to Trump's inauguration. Mr. Musk, the head of Tesla, SpaceX, and X, spent over a quarter of a billion dollars to help elect Trump in November.

Kyoto, Japan, announced on January 14 plans to increase its accommodation tax in response to local residents' dissatisfaction with the excessive number of tourists. Complaints include tourists harassing geishas, causing traffic congestion, and littering. The proposed tax is tiered based on room rates, with taxes for rooms priced between 20,000 to 50,000 yen doubling to 1,000 yen per person per night, and those over 100,000 yen seeing a tenfold increase to 10,000 yen. The new tax requires city council approval and is expected to take effect in March next year.

US Secretary of State Blinken outlined the Biden administration's post-war reconstruction and governance plan for Gaza in a speech at the Atlantic Council in Washington, stating the plan would be handed over to the incoming Trump team. Blinken emphasized the leadership of a reformed Palestinian Authority in Gaza, inviting international partners to help establish a temporary government. The US has repeatedly warned Israel that military action alone cannot defeat Hamas. Blinken's speech was interrupted by protesters accusing the Biden administration of complicity in Israeli war crimes. Gaza ceasefire negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US are nearing an agreement, with Hamas awaiting an Israeli withdrawal map. President Biden discussed negotiation progress with Egyptian President Sisi, while Netanyahu met with hostages' families, revealing a phased hostage release plan.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Tuesday that the Comprehensive Partnership Agreement to be signed by the Russian and Iranian presidents in Moscow is not directed against any country. On Monday, the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will sign the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement following negotiations on January 17. Lavrov, speaking at a press conference on the overview of Russian diplomacy in 2024, emphasized that the agreement aims to enhance the capabilities of Russia and Iran globally, promote economic development, address social issues, and ensure reliable defense capabilities.