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China Executes 11 Members of Myanmar Scam Mafia
China executed 11 members of a notorious mafia family that ran scam centers in Myanmar along its northeastern border, state media reported on Thursday. The Ming family members were sentenced in September for various crimes, including homicide, illegal detention, fraud, and operating gambling dens, by a court in China's Zhejiang province, according to BBC World.
The Mings were one of many clans that transformed Laukkaing, an impoverished backwater town, into a hub of casinos and red-light districts. Their scam empire collapsed in 2023 when they were detained and handed over to China by ethnic militias. Dozens of members of the Ming mafia were sentenced in 2023.
In other international news, heavy gunfire and loud explosions were heard near the international airport outside Niamey, Niger's capital, early Thursday morning. Multiple eyewitness accounts and videos showed air defense systems engaging unidentified projectiles, according to BBC World. The situation later calmed down, with an official reportedly stating the situation was under control, but offering no further details. The cause of the blasts and potential casualties remain unclear. There has been no official statement from the military government. The gunfire and blasts began shortly after midnight, residents reported.
Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents involved in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, have been placed on administrative leave. The shooting occurred on Saturday and has sparked protests in Minnesota and public outcry across the US. Lawmakers from both parties have called for the removal of the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). According to a preliminary DHS report sent to Congress, two officers fired their weapons at Pretti during a scuffle.
In Iran, protesters are reportedly being treated in secret to avoid arrest. Tara, a protester in Isfahan, recounted being shot at by security forces. "My friend told an armed member of the security forces, 'Just don't shoot us,' and he immediately fired several shots at us. We fell to the ground. All our clothes were covered in blood," she said, according to BBC Persian. Tara and her friend were then bundled into a stranger's car, but were too frightened to be taken to a hospital because of the risk of arrest.
In Ukraine, a passenger train was targeted by Russian drones, killing five people. A Ukrainian soldier, whose army call-sign is Omar, described the moment of the attack. He was traveling on a route from Chop, on the border with Slovakia, to Barvinkove. When a carriage on the train was hit, passengers threw themselves on the floor in panic. Omar instructed them to get out immediately, moments before the carriage burst into flames. "Without his instruction, issued moments before the carriage burst into flames, many more passengers could have died," according to BBC World. Omar is part of Ukraine's 93rd brigade.
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