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JUST IN: 7.7-magnitude quake hits Myanmar

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A powerful 7.7 earthquake hit central Myanmar on Friday, close to the country’s second city of Mandalay, home to around 1 million people and historic temple complexes, with tremors shaking buildings as far away as the Thai capital of Bangkok.

Video posted online from both countries showed panicked residents running from swaying residential towers as dust fills the air, and traffic comes to a sudden stop on busy city streets.

Myanmar is already reeling from more than four years of civil war sparked by a bloody and economically destructive military coup, with has seen military forces battle rebel groups across the country.

It remains one of Asia’s poorest nations and is ill-equipped to deal with major natural disasters.

One resident in Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial hub and around 380 miles away from the epicenter, told CNN: “We felt the quake for about one minute and then we ran out of the building.”

“We saw other people running out of the buildings too. It was very sudden and very strong.”

Another resident said phone networks in the city home to around 8 million people were briefly down following the quake but were now running again.

Video obtained by CNN from Myanmar appeared to show a road bridge spanning the Irrawaddy River that runs through Mandalay, collapsing into the river in a cloud of dust and water.

The epicenter was in nearby Sagaing region, which has been ravaged by the civil war, with the junta, pro-military militia and rebel groups battling for control and all running checkpoints, making travel by road or river extremely difficult.

In an early indication of the quake’s strength, tremors were felt not just in Thailand, but also China’s southwestern Yunnan province.

Video posted to X showed the collapse of a building in Chatuchak Park, Bangkok. The building, which appeared to be under construction, fell in a matter of seconds, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The National Institute for Emergency medicine says 43 people were trapped in the building while seven others have been injured.

A resident in Thailand’s northern city of Chiang Mai, who also did not want to be named, said “I felt it for about ten seconds in my room then I figured out I couldn’t stay inside. So I rushed out on to the street.”

CNN

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International

Trump warns Entire Iran could be ‘taken out’ Tuesday night

” The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be Tuesday night,” he said.

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US President Donald Trump says Iran could be “taken out” in one night as the deadline set for the country to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic approaches.

On Saturday, Trump gave Iran 48 hours to comply or risk facing “hell”.

He later threatened that the US would blow up Iran’s power plants and bridges if Tehran failed to adhere to his warning.

The US president said Iran had until Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET (1 am WAT) to make a deal.

In a press conference on Monday, Trump reiterated and intensified his threats.

“The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be Tuesday night,” he said.

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International

Trump orders Iran to open Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday or face ‘hell’

The president threatened to bomb the country’s power plants and bridges.Trump subsequently posted “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” without further explanation.

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President Donald Trump gave Iran until Tuesday to open the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on its power plants.

Consequently, U.S. crude oil futures for May pared earlier gains to rise 0.5% at $112.08 per barrel at 9:28 p.m. ET. International benchmark Brent prices for June delivery also scaled back to 1.3%, trading at $110.47 per barrel.

Trump gave the warning on Sunday in an expletive-filled social media post that Iran would be “living in Hell” if they do not open the Strait.

The president threatened to bomb the country’s power plants and bridges.Trump subsequently posted “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” without further explanation.

Iran has effectively kept the Strait closed through attacks on oil tankers.

The sea route connects the Persian Gulf to world markets. About 20% of global supplies passed through the Strait before the war.

The closure of the Strait has triggered the largest oil supply disruption in history. Crude, jet fuel, diesel and gasoline prices have surged since the war started.

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Crime

Vietnam Police Dismantle Multi-Billion Dollar Cryptocurrency Fraud Operation

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Vietnamese authorities have busted what officials describe as one of the country’s largest cryptocurrency scams, arresting key suspects in a multi-billion dollar Ponzi-style scheme that allegedly defrauded thousands of investors both domestically and overseas.

The operation, centered around a fraudulent digital token known as Paynet Coin (PAYN), was dismantled by police in Phu Tho province in August 2025. Authorities charged at least 20 individuals, including the alleged ringleader, Nguyen Van Ha, a 45-year-old entrepreneur and founder linked to the Hahalolo platform.

According to reports from local state media, including Công an Nhân dân, the suspects operated an illegal multi-level marketing (MLM) network disguised as a legitimate cryptocurrency investment platform.

Victims were lured with promises of high returns through the Paynet Coin scheme, which authorities labeled as the biggest crypto fraud uncovered in Vietnam to date. The operation reportedly spanned multiple provinces and attracted investors from abroad.

Police seized evidence related to the scheme and charged the suspects with fraud and organizing illegal MLM activities. Estimates of the total scale have varied in reports, with some describing losses in the billions of dollars, though exact figures for victim losses and assets recovered have not been fully disclosed publicly.

This bust is part of a broader crackdown on cryptocurrency-related crimes in Vietnam, where digital asset trading has grown rapidly in recent years but has also attracted scammers exploiting regulatory gaps.

Other recent cases include arrests tied to platforms like ONUS and HanaGold for alleged price manipulation, as well as smaller scams involving fake exchanges and investment schemes totaling millions of dollars.

Vietnamese law enforcement has intensified efforts against online fraud, Ponzi schemes, and unlicensed crypto operations amid a surge in investor complaints. Officials have warned the public to exercise caution with high-yield crypto investments promising unrealistic returns.

The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities urging additional victims to come forward. This case highlights the risks in Vietnam’s booming but largely unregulated crypto market, where millions of citizens hold digital assets.

No further details on trial dates or additional arrests have been released as of the latest reports.

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