Hot News This Week: Assad has Fled, TikTok Ban, Martial Law, CEO Assassination, Everyone Hates Spotify Wrapped and more
+ Some dishes made in the Hot Source Kitchen
Welcome to the first ever Substack post for what we hope will become a regular series. In our “Hot News This Week” Segment, we bring you all the hot news that you may have missed in the past week! So next time you’re at a pub or cafe with your mates, you can certainly conjure up some variation of current affairs/pop culture and appear knowledgeable. Perhaps even share in idea for a dish or two, who knows! So please do subscribe to make sure you’re updated for the rest of the series.
Jokes aside, it is vital for the populace to be informed in order to carry out their democratic rights. So without further ado, here we go:
In the past week, it certainly was not a slow news week for the people in my profession. From South Korea’s temporary martial law to Bashar Al Assad Fleeing Damascus, here’s what you may have missed last week.
Syrian president Bashar Al Assad has fled Damascus
In 2011, Assad brutally crushed a peaceful, pro-democracy uprising, resulting in civil war. More than half a million people have been killed and 12 million others have been displaced or forced to flee their homes.
Twelve days ago, the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied rebel factions launched a major offensive in north-western Syria.
The group took over Aleppo, then swept southwards down the highway to the capital, Damascus, as the military collapsed.
Hours after the rebels entered Damascus and crowds gathered on the streets to celebrate, it was announced that Assad had stepped down and left Syria on Sunday
Disappeared Syrians imprisoned by Assad for speaking out against the regime have emerged from Assad’s Prisons. The Syrian community in London has been celebrating the fall of the oppressive regime.
As of the writing of this article, Russian Media has confirmed that Assad has been given asylum in Moscow.
Editor's Brief Analysis: Anyone getting any flashbacks from what happened in Bangladesh this summer? no? just me? The gist is that there was a huge student led protest to abolish unfair job quotas within public sector jobs in Bangladesh But former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina has a track record of not adhering to the democratic rights to protest for the residents of Bangladesh. turmoil unfolded when Hasina released Paramilitary forces against the peaceful protestors. This went on for days, hundreds of protesters were killed in the hands of their own government, with many also being incarcerated and severely injured. Phone lines and internet were also cut off at some point and making it increasingly difficult for Bangladeshis to reach out to international news outlets. Days later it was reported that Hasina had resigned and fled the country, residing in India, whilst trying to claim asylum in UK. It's immensely interesting to see revolutions against oppressive governments and regimes taking place in more than one instance this year. The patterns are interesting to unpack here as both Assad and Hasina come from dynastic families and have held power for a while until ousted by their own undoing. But let us know what you think in the comments, have you noticed other familiar instances of revolution globally this year?
South Korea had Martial Law Enacted…It Lasted for a few Hours
South Korea's president shocked the country on Tuesday night when, out of the blue, he declared martial law for the first time since 1979.
Yoon Suk Yeol's decision - announced in a late-night TV broadcast - mentioned "anti-state forces" and the threat from North Korea. But it soon became clear that external threats were not the true reasoning behind Yeol’s action, but rather his own desperate political troubles. This is apparent as others saw the move as an extreme reaction to the political stalemate that had arisen since the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) won a landslide in April, reducing his government to vetoing the bills it passed, as well as Yoon's increasing unpopularity in the wake of a scandal surrounding the First Lady.
The imposed Martial Law lasted for only a few hours overnight as MPs and members of the public strongly opposed this outcome. Under Martial law, the Military would have full control over every aspect of life in the country. Upon the declaration, heavily armed military was deployed into the streets. This did not stop protesters as they took to the streets to speak out against the decision and gathered outside the compound to call for the removal of the law. MPs also filed into the National Assembly to vote against the law, with many having to climb over or breaking barricades to vote. Soon enough, the law was overturned.
Yoon Suk Yeol has survived impeachment. The bill to censure Yoon Suk Yeol fell five votes short of the 200 needed to pass, with many members of parliament in the ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotting the vote.
CEO of United Healthcare Assassinated
CEO of United Healthcare, Brian Thompson, was assassinated Wednesday last week in New York.
Thompson was gunned down outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel as he was on his way to UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference Wednesday morning, officials have said.
Police have not named a suspect or motive in the shooting, but Thompson’s wife said he had received threats and police called the shooting “a brazen targeted attack.”
However, this has led to a variety of reception on the internet as people from different walks of life are bringing to light the volatile issues and dire shortcomings within the American healthcare insurance systems. Such response was prompted further as it was found that the bullets used for the assassination had the words Deny, Defend, Depose carved into the shell casings. The words are seemingly a variation of the title of a 2010 book, “Delay, Deny, Defend,” which is heavily critical of the insurance industry. These words resonate alleged tactics insurance companies are accused of using to avoid paying claims.
The suspect is on the run and Police have started a manhunt.
BREAK TIME: Here’s what we made in the Hot Source Kitchen in the past week:
Alright back to news…
USA TikTok Ban in January
TikTok may be banned in the USA as the appeals court has denied bid to overturn new law.
Friday’s decision from the Washington DC-based appellate court sided with the Department of Justice, which has argued that the federal government has the authority to restrict or ban the app on grounds that it allegedly poses a national security risk if its China-based parent company, ByteDance exposes, Americans’ data or manipulates what they see.
The app used by over 170 million Americans may be banned starting January 19 2025. However there is still a chance for the supreme court to intervene for their duty to protect free speech.
"The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans' right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement.
Regardless, many American content creators on the app have been jumping over to other social media platforms and have been urging their followers to follow them on Instagram.
TikTok has been quintessential for the American audience, but more-so for politicians as well, as it has catapulted the modern era of social media campaigning for elections.
Everyone hates Spotify Wrapped 2024
On to entertainment, Everybody hates Spotify Wrapped 2024. Ok maybe not EVERYONE, but certainly a noticeable amount. But hey, you guys can let us know what you think:
Spotify wrapped was released earlier this week and people are not entirely Pleased.
With many claiming that it’s a huge downgrade from last year. Some have also claimed that their listening stats don’t seem accurately in line with the final outcome. Whilst others can recognise the noticeable difference in the presentation and how it is feels like AI was used heavy handedly, making it obvious that it lacked detailed metrics as well.
Regardless of the presentation, both Spotify and Billboard indicates that this year was huge for pop music. Especially women in Pop music. With Artists like Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Doechii all releasing new albums and garnering applause from critics and also listeners.
