BANNED: Anti-Communist Game

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Global Recap
June 11, 2025 • Read in: 8 minutes

Hi Global Recap readers,

The Streisand Effect is alive and well. Hong Kong’s attempt to ban a game pushing the idea of “armed revolution” against China has totally backfired.

Instead of shutting it down, the ban ended up promoting the game. The game’s publisher, ESC Taiwan, is openly mocking Hong Kong because of it.

Turns out, censorship might just be the best hype machine around. 👇️ 

🌐 WORLD
Fast Scroll News

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Bans Game. Hong Kong police are cracking down on a mobile game they claim promotes “armed revolution” against China. The game, Reversed Front: Bonfire, lets players choose factions like Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, and others to fight the Communist regime or lead the Communists to victory. Authorities say downloading, using, or recommending the game could violate national security laws, which carry harsh penalties. The game’s publisher, ESC Taiwan, has mocked the ban online, joking that the crackdown gave it free publicity.

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner flipping off Milei’s supporters, Dec. 2023.
Click for video

🇦🇷 Kirchner Sentenced for Corruption. Argentina’s Supreme Court upheld a six-year prison sentence against Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, barring her from public office for life. The former president rejected the ruling, calling it political persecution. Kirchner was convicted of fraud in 2022 for directing millions in taxpayer money to a family friend through a construction company. While she has five days to present herself for arrest, her lawyers plan to request house arrest due to her age.

✍️ Context: Yes, she's the one who gave Milei’s supporters the finger during his inauguration.

🇮🇱 Netanyahu’s Coalition in Crisis. Israel’s opposition has pushed a bill to dissolve parliament, and shockingly, Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox allies might support it. They’re furious over the government’s failure to pass a law exempting them from military service—a long-standing issue. If the bill passes, elections could be on the horizon, but expect frantic last-minute negotiations first.

🇺🇸 Musk Regrets Trump Posts. Elon Musk admitted Wednesday that some of his social media posts targeting President Trump "went too far." Musk had accused Trump of being in the so-called “Epstein files” and even suggested the president should be impeached. Now, Musk suddenly softened, sharing a heart emoji in response to Trump wishing him well.

🇺🇦 Ukraine Repatriates War Dead. Ukraine has retrieved the bodies of 1,212 fallen soldiers from Russia, following months of tough back-and-forth. Kremlin officials say Ukraine returned 27 Russian soldiers’ remains, but the process hasn’t been smooth—Russian trucks reportedly sat at the border for five days before Ukraine accepted them.

🇵🇱 Tusk Survives Confidence Vote. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk pulled off a crucial win in parliament, securing 243 votes to keep his pro-European government afloat. His coalition had been struggling after his ally lost the presidency to nationalist Karol Nawrocki, who’s backed by the opposition and Donald Trump. Tusk’s reforms have been repeatedly blocked, and with Nawrocki in charge, that seems unlikely to change anytime soon.

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
US-China
Rare Earth Deal.

Donald Trump announced that he’s reached a “framework” deal with China: they’ll supply magnets and rare earths, and in return, he’ll ease up on visa threats.

However, details are still murky, and critics say the deal doesn’t change much about the bigger US-China trade war.

London Sessions

From left to right, US Trade Representative Greer, US Secretary of Commerce Lutnick, US Treasury Secretary Bessent, Chinese vice premier He, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang, and China's International Trade Representative and Vice Minister of Commerce Li, in London, on Monday, June 9, 2025.

US and Chinese officials spent two days in London trying to hammer out a deal to dial down the tensions between them.

  • The push came after a June 5 call between Trump and Xi to kickstart negotiations.

  • They aimed to cool a trade war that had threatened to paralyze supply chains.

Deal in Principle

Once London wrapped, Trump took to Truth Social to declare, “Our deal with China is done, subject to final approval from President Xi and me.”

  • China agreed to supply US companies with magnets and rare earth metals.

  • The US will walk back threats to revoke visas for Chinese students.

  • Implementation hinges on sign-off from Xi Jinping and Trump, according to China's Vice Commerce Minister Li Chenggang.

Fine Print Missing

But beneath the headline, details about what actually changes are scarce.

  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted at further trade negotiations beyond the 90-day deadline set earlier.

  • Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the deal “cleaned up” the Geneva agreement and is “totally on the right track,” further teasing that the US agreed to remove “some counter-measure.”

  • However, officials wouldn’t specify which “counter-measures” the US plans to lift.

  • Pangaea Policy’s Terry Haines called the scope “very limited” and “unfinished.”

  • Some believe it merely resets earlier agreements rather than delivering anything new.

Why It Matters

The US relies on China for rare earth metals, essential for everything from smartphones to electric vehicles. This deal aims to keep that supply flowing while easing tensions.

Next Steps

So now it’s a waiting game as the two presidents review the framework before anything real kicks in.

  • White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says Trump is “reviewing the details” and “liked” what he saw.

  • Other trade talks, including with the EU, may get the same 90-day extension.

  • A broader, comprehensive deal is still on the horizon and likely to take much longer.

📌 Additional Note: Despite optimism, there’s chatter about a possible rug-pull from Xi Jinping. It wouldn’t be totally out of character. But for now, we’ll have to wait and see.