Ukraine peace delay, TikTok alternative, SKorea arrest and wildfire aid fight
12:42 Share

Today, South Korea's impeached president is arrested. Trump's advisers concede that a Ukraine peace deal could be months away. While aid for Los Angeles wildfire recovery becomes a political fight in the House. Plus, self-proclaimed TikTok refugees are fleeing to another Chinese app as a U.S. ban approaches.

It's Wednesday, January 15th. This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front lines in 10 minutes every weekday. I'm Tara Oaks in London. And I'm Christopher Waljesper in Chicago. When you hear LSEC Data & Analytics, what do you think of? Comprehensive data you can trust. Exclusive access to Reuters news. Industry-leading analytics and unique insights. Discover new possibilities with LSEC Data & Analytics.

Advisors to President-elect Donald Trump now concede that the Ukraine war will take months or even longer to resolve in a sharp reality check on his biggest foreign policy promise. Two Trump associates who've discussed a war in Ukraine with the president-elect described the day one promises as a combination of campaign bluster and a lack of appreciation of how long it will take to tackle the intractable conflict with the new administration. Over the past several weeks,

Our intensive efforts have brought us to the brink of full and final agreement. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on a possible Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. Close, but not over the finish line yet. US and Egyptian negotiators say their focus is on the coming hours and hammering out the final details after marathon talks in Qatar. In South Africa, authorities have pulled at least 60 bodies from the shaft of a shuttered gold mine.

More than 100 survivors have been forced out and arrested. And an unknown number of men are still feared trapped more than a mile underground following a crackdown on illegal mining. President Joe Biden will relax sanctions targeting longtime foe Cuba days before Donald Trump takes office. Biden is reversing several hardline restrictions put in place by Trump and expects the broad set of steps to lead to the release of political prisoners in Havana.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is suing Elon Musk for failing to properly disclose his ownership of X. Musk has suggested the disclosure delay was a mistake. And Kate, Britain's Princess of Wales, says she is relieved to be in remission following her cancer treatment. Her comments coming after a visit to a London hospital where she underwent months of medical care.

Investors are treading water as they wait for a raft of numbers due out today, including US consumer price data that could potentially shift the monetary policy outlook. Plus, Q4 results from some of the top banks. Investors are eyeing Citi and JP Morgan earnings to see if they will deliver on sky-high expectations. And you can see the results and the market reaction on Reuters.com and the Reuters app.

The U.S. Supreme Court could announce as soon as today how it might rule on the U.S. TikTok ban. TikTok users say they're bracing for the worst and looking for alternatives.

In fact, thousands of them have joined another Chinese app called Red Note. Users like Crystal from Massachusetts, who recently posted this on Red Note. Our tech reporter Crystal Hu in New York has been looking into Red Note and other apps that have seen a boost from the impending TikTok ban.

RedNode has a pretty vibrant community. And in the past two days, I think too much surprise to RedNode the company itself,

What we heard is over 700,000 new users joined the platform and a lot of them call them the TikTok refugees. And it was a very interesting phenomenon to see American users joining into another Chinese app to avoid a ban on the Chinese app TikTok. And now we're seeing media reports that a possible option for keeping TikTok alive in the U.S. would be a purchase potentially by Elon Musk.

What do we know about that prospect? To be fair, Trump and Elon Musk's team haven't said a word on this. And when we reached out to TikTok for comment, they told us they cannot be commenting on pure fiction. And the Chinese government did not reply for any requests for comments.

What has been reported is that there is internal deliberations between the Chinese government. So if indeed there is a loosening up of that line that Chinese government is holding, that they're open for a conversation and effectively put TikTok in a for sale sign, as this report asserted, there will be tons of interest, we believe, from the U.S. investors and the business side.

TikTok plans to keep paying its U.S. employees past the January 19th deadline, even if the Supreme Court does not overturn the law that would force its sale or ban. That's according to an internal memo reviewed by Reuters. Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been arrested and questioned by authorities over his failed attempt to impose martial law in December.

Yoon says he's only cooperating with what he calls an illegal probe to avoid unsavoury bloodshed. Joo Min Park is on the ground and centres this from South Korea's Corruption Investigation Office.

The arrest today was, you know, live broadcast from like before dawn and hundreds of thousands of people were watching live feeds on YouTube. Finally, Yoon, with a prosecutor, got in his car and departed his residence and came to this corruption investigation office where intense questioning is expected.

As soon as there was news that Yoon might be shortly arrested, the supporters were very upset. They teared up and some people are so upset and angry and they slapped the police with their Korean and American flag poles.

It's very classic to see Yoon supporters holding South Korean and American flags together because they are huge fans of Trump, U.S. president-elect. And they hope that Trump is going to save Yoon or support Yoon. It's a busy week for President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet appointees.

His pick to lead the Pentagon came under fierce grilling during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday. One of your colleagues said that you got drunk at an event at a bar and chanted, kill all Muslims. Democrats like Senator Tim Kaine voiced concern about Pete Hegseth's inexperience and alleged drunkenness.

The former Fox News host called those allegations a coordinated smear campaign. And why do they want to destroy me? Because I'm a change agent and a threat to them because Donald Trump was willing to choose me to empower me. He has vowed to abstain from alcohol if confirmed. Hegseth largely weathered the four-hour hearing without making any major gaffe that would have alienated Republicans. And even won critical backing from Republican Senator Joni Ernst, who holds sway in her party.

All confirmation hearings are set for today, including Attorney General, Secretary of State and Homeland Security Secretary.

Meanwhile, over in the House, a fight over California wildfire disaster aid is breaking out. Republican Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters on Monday that there should be conditions placed on aid, claiming that officials in the Democrat-led state mismanaged water resources and forests. House Democrats like Representative Ted Lieu pushed back on Tuesday. When Mother Nature strikes, she doesn't go, hey.

Are you a Democrat or Republican? Because if you're a Democrat, I'm going to take your home and burn it. And if you're a Republican, I'm not. That's not what happened. Our reporter David Morgan is following the story in Washington. There are a couple of things that seem to be going on. One is that President Trump has voiced a partisan political message about California. But also there is a climate in Congress these days that frowns on spending of any kind.

Hardline Republicans don't want to spend that much money on things. So there are some elements to this that seem to delve into partisan politics. There are other elements that seem to be wholly focused on fiscal matters. It's important to realize that FEMA, for the moment, says that it has enough money to deal with the need that it faces in the Los Angeles area.

And it's also important to understand that if aid for California goes through the usual appropriations channels, it means that the Senate will need 60 votes to pass it. That means that Republicans will need help from Democrats, and therefore Democrats will be involved in negotiating what the final package looks like.

To stay ahead in fast-moving markets, you need to transform quality data into tailored, practical, and valuable intelligence. Access your choice of pre-built and market-validated models fast. And choose AI-powered analytics tools to suit your specific business needs. Experience distinct advantages with innovation, differentiated analytics, actionable insights. Discover new possibilities with LSEC Data & Analytics.

And for today's recommended read, a special report which digs into Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway.

A Reuters analysis shows the company operates the dirtiest set of coal-fired power plants in the US, and that despite big investments in renewable energy, has resisted efforts by regulators to make its coal plants cleaner. A link to a special report is in the pod description. For more on any of the stories from today's show, check out Reuters.com or the Reuters app. Don't forget to follow us on your favorite podcast player. We'll be back tomorrow with our daily headline show.