China executed 11 individuals linked to criminal gangs operating in Myanmar, according to state media reports on Thursday. The executed individuals were key members involved in scam operations flourishing in Myanmar's lawless borderlands, part of a multibillion-dollar illicit industry.
This action highlights China's increased cooperation with Southeast Asian nations to crack down on the multibillion-dollar scam industry. These scam compounds, often located in areas like KK Part in Myawaddy, Myanmar, are hubs for scam centers and human trafficking.
In other international news, Mexico's President, Claudia Sheinbaum, confirmed the cancellation of an oil shipment to Cuba on Tuesday. She insisted the decision was a sovereign one and not a response to pressure from the United States, despite former President Trump's stance that no oil should go to Cuba. Fuel shortages are causing increasingly severe blackouts in Cuba, and Mexico has been the island's biggest oil supplier since the US blocked shipments.
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Starmer and Chinese President Xi Jinping were expected to announce a joint effort to combat gangs involved in trafficking illegal migrants, according to Downing Street. The deal focuses on reducing the use of Chinese-made engines for small boats transporting people across Europe to claim asylum, Reuters reported. British and Chinese officials will share intelligence to identify smugglers' supply routes and work with Chinese manufacturers to prevent legitimate businesses from being exploited by organized crime. Starmer expressed his desire for a "more sophisticated" relationship with China.
In Venezuela, there is speculation about whether Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's successor, could become a Latin American Deng Xiaoping. There is talk of an era of reform and opening up modeled on China's post-Mao boom.
In the technology sector, Tesla reported a 3% decrease in total revenues in 2025, with profits falling 61% in the last three months of the year, according to BBC Business. The electric vehicle (EV) maker is shifting its focus to artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. Tesla also announced plans to end production of its Model S and Model X vehicles, repurposing its California manufacturing plant to produce its line of humanoid robots, known as Optimus. In January, China's BYD overtook Tesla as the world's biggest EV maker.
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