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China Executes 11 Members of Myanmar Scam Mafia
China executed 11 members of a notorious mafia family that operated scam centers in Myanmar along its northeastern border, state media reported. The individuals, members of the Ming family, were sentenced in September by a court in China's Zhejiang province for crimes including homicide, illegal detention, fraud, and operating gambling dens.
The Ming family was part of a network of clans that transformed Laukkaing, a previously impoverished town, into a hub for casinos and red-light districts. Their criminal enterprise collapsed in 2023 when they were detained and handed over to Chinese authorities by ethnic militias. Dozens of members of the Ming mafia were sentenced in 2023.
Plane Crash in Colombia Kills 15
In Colombia, a passenger plane crashed in the northern part of the country, killing all 15 people on board. The state-run airline Satena confirmed that its Beechcraft 1900 aircraft "suffered a fatal accident." The wreckage was located in a mountainous area in North Santander, Colombia. Contact with the plane was lost 11 minutes before its scheduled landing in Ocaña, near the Venezuelan border, at 12:05 local time, according to Satena. The official passenger list included lawmaker Diógenes Quintero Amaya and Carlos Salcedo, a candidate in upcoming congressional elections.
Emergency Loans Offered to Civil Servants
The British government is offering interest-free loans of up to £10,000 to civil servants experiencing financial hardship due to pension payment delays. Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds described the delays faced by retired civil servants as "completely and utterly unacceptable." According to the government, approximately 8,500 people have experienced issues with pension payments since Capita took over administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme in December. Capita has apologized for the issues, stating that it inherited a backlog of 86,000 cases.
Santander to Close Branches, Cut Jobs
Santander announced it would close 44 branches, putting 291 jobs at risk. The Spanish-owned bank cited the increasing shift of customers to online banking as the reason for the closures. Last year, Santander announced plans to close 95 branches, a quarter of its total, affecting 750 workers. Lloyds Bank is also planning to shut more than 100 branches by March under a scheme of closures announced last year. Santander stated that 96% of its transactions are now conducted digitally. Ministers have criticized the closure of bank branches, arguing it restricts access to cash for elderly and vulnerable people.
Reports of Gunfire and Blasts at Niger Airport
Gunfire and loud blasts were reported at the main airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger, according to Reuters and an independent source. A witness told Reuters they heard explosions just after midnight. The airport is located next to Base Aérienne 101, a military base previously used by American and then Russian troops. According to one source, two aircraft on the ground were destroyed, although authorities have yet to comment on the situation.
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