International News
Chinese Official Receives Suspended Death Sentence Over $25m Bribes
After being found guilty of accepting $25 million in bribes, the former leader of the Chinese Communist Party in Hangzhou, a center of e-commerce, was given a suspended death sentence, according to official media on Tuesday.
According to government data, more than 1.5 million officials have been impacted by President Xi Jinping’s efforts to combat corruption.
Zhou Jiangyong was the former Communist Party secretary of Hangzhou, the hometown of internet giant Alibaba, and was handed a death sentence with a two-year suspension, state broadcaster CCTV said.
The broadcaster said a court found him guilty of taking more than 182 million yuan ($25 million) in bribes.
Suspended death sentences are usually reduced to life imprisonment in China if the accused is not found guilty of other crimes during the reprieve period.
Zhou was placed under investigation in 2021 and Britain’s the Financial Times reported the following year that Ant Group, Alibaba’s finance affiliate, had received a discount on a property purchase after investing in mobile payment companies owned by Zhou’s brother.
The court found on Tuesday that Zhou had taken advantage of various positions in Zhejiang province, to which Hangzhou belongs, and exchanged favours in construction and land acquisition for bribes.
Zhou “accepted a huge amount in bribes and caused particularly heavy losses to the interests of the country and the people, and deserves severe punishment according to law”, CCTV said.
The crackdown on corruption has been depicted as a much-needed cleansing of state and party organs but critics contend that it is also a vehicle for Xi to purge political rivals.
Alibaba founder Jack Ma has kept a low profile since late 2020 when a speech he made attacking Chinese regulators was followed by Beijing pulling the plug on a planned IPO by Ant Group.
Later, the internet behemoth was hit with a record $2.75 billion penalties for allegedly using unfair commercial tactics.
Analysts theorized that Ant Group’s declaration in January that Ma no longer had controlling interests in the business may have assisted in rescuing Ant and Alibaba from the regulatory quagmire.
International News
DOJ Confirms Federal Criminal Investigation After Agents Raid Ilhan Omar’s Home
Federal agents raided the Washington, D.C., home of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar early Monday morning as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has confirmed.
Homeland Security Investigations agents arrived at the Minnesota congresswoman’s residence at about 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time, according to a report by Fox News.
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The report said both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the DOJ are involved in the investigation.
A DOJ spokesperson confirmed the operation, stating: “Today in the Washington, D.C. area, Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice.”
The spokesperson added: “This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.”
Details later……….
International News
Bangkok Underwater: Nearly 4,900 Evacuated as Floods Hit Thailand Capital
Heavy rains have triggered severe flooding across parts of Bangkok, Thailand, forcing nearly 4,900 residents to evacuate to shelters as floodwaters swept through roads and residential areas.
The flooding has disrupted movement across parts of the Thai capital, with motorists and pedestrians forced to navigate submerged roads and seek alternative routes.
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According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, about 52,000 households have been affected by the flooding, prompting authorities to declare a flood disaster and intensify emergency response efforts.
Emergency teams have been deployed to assist affected communities and move residents from vulnerable areas to safer locations as water levels rise.
Bangkok is accustomed to seasonal heavy rainfall, but intense downpours can overwhelm drainage systems, particularly in low-lying areas, resulting in widespread flooding and disruption.
Authorities are continuing to monitor affected locations while coordinating evacuations and other emergency measures.
For thousands of residents, the immediate priority remains securing safe shelter and protecting homes and livelihoods as authorities work to manage the situation and restore normal activities once the floodwaters recede.
International News
‘They Are Dying’ — Trump Explains Why He Rejected Iran’s Hormuz Proposal
US President Donald Trump has explained his decision to reject Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying Tehran was seeking an agreement because it was losing revenue.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Iran wanted to immediately reopen the strategically important waterway but argued that the proposal was not acceptable to his administration.
“They want to make a deal, and I think that’s fine. I like making a deal, too, but that deal would not be acceptable,” Trump said.
SEE ALSO: How the Strait of Hormuz Attack Could Trigger a Fresh Global Oil Shock
According to the US president, Iran’s push to reopen the strait was driven by the economic pressure it was facing.
“What they want to do is immediately open the Hormuz Strait. Do you know why? Because they are dying,” Trump said.
“You know why they’re dying? Because they have no money coming in, because they get their money from the Hormuz Strait.”
Trump also claimed that the US had established an unprecedented naval blockade against Iran, describing it as “a wall of steel.”
“So they outsmarted themselves. We put up the greatest blockade ever in military history. It’s a wall of steel,” he said.
“And guess what? They don’t have any money now because they wanted to close the strait.”
The Strait of Hormuz is a major global energy shipping route, and disruption to traffic through the waterway has significant implications for international oil markets and countries that depend on energy imports.
Trump’s remarks came amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran over the reopening of the strategic waterway and negotiations involving Iran.





