Asia Flood Disaster Claims Over 1,700 Lives, Indonesia Hit Hardest

Severe floods, landslides and storms across Asia have killed more than 1,700 people, with Indonesia suffering the worst devastation. Over 900 deaths were recorded in Indonesia alone as millions were displaced and entire communities destroyed. Rescue operations continue across remote regions in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India and Malaysia as authorities warn that the death toll could rise further.

Fugitive Chinese Fraudsters Caught in UK After £5.5bn Bitcoin Scam.

A Chinese national has been jailed in the UK following the country’s largest-ever cryptocurrency seizure, involving bitcoin worth more than £5.5 billion at the time of her conviction.

Zhimin Qian, 47, also known as Yadi Zhang, orchestrated a massive Ponzi scheme in China, defrauding over 128,000 victims between 2014 and 2017 through her company, Lantian Gerui. When Chinese authorities investigated her activities, she fled to the UK in September 2017 under a fake identity.

While on the run, Qian lived lavishly, renting a Hampstead property for £17,333 per month and traveling across Europe, converting bitcoin into cash, jewellery, and property. In 2018, she attempted to buy a £12.5 million London property, sparking UK authorities’ investigations.

Qian recruited accomplices including Jian Wen, who helped establish her life in London, and Seng Hok Ling, who assisted with transferring criminal property.

Ling, a Malaysian national, claimed he was unaware of Qian’s full criminality and described her as the “boss lady.”

Qian evaded arrest for nearly six years until April 2024, when she was caught in York following a trail of bitcoin transfers. Authorities recovered multiple devices, including a laptop containing millions in bitcoin.

On Tuesday, Qian was sentenced to 11 years and 8 months for money laundering and possessing criminal property, while Ling received 4 years and 11 months. At conviction in September, the bitcoin was valued over £5.5 billion; it is now worth around £5 billion.

This case marks the UK’s largest cryptocurrency seizure, highlighting the challenges of tracing digital assets tied to international financial crime.

Aide clears Sylva of coup involvement, confirms Abuja home raid.

Mr. Timipre Sylva, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources.

PORT HARCOURT — The Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to former Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, Chief Julius Bokoru, has dismissed rumours linking his principal to an alleged coup plot, describing them as false and politically motivated.

Bokoru stated that the former Bayelsa State governor had no connection to any coup-related activity, affirming that Sylva remains a committed democrat and supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to him, the rumour was the handiwork of political opponents seeking to tarnish Sylva’s image ahead of the 2027 elections.

He confirmed, however, that Sylva’s Abuja residence was recently raided by individuals believed to be operatives of the Defence Headquarters, during which some damage occurred.

“For the avoidance of doubt, it is true that the residence of His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, was recently subjected to a raid by individuals believed to be operatives of the Defence Headquarters. During the operation, considerable damage was inflicted on the property,” Bokoru said.

He added that the reason for the raid was not communicated by the security operatives, noting that Sylva and his wife were out of the country at the time.

“As of my last communication with His Excellency, he was undergoing routine medical checks in the United Kingdom, after which he was scheduled to attend a professional conference in Malaysia,” he stated.

Trump, Anwar Sign US-Malaysia Trade Deal on Critical Minerals and Rare Earths

US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday signed a new trade agreement aimed at strengthening US access to critical minerals. Under the deal, Kuala Lumpur pledged not to impose bans or export quotas on rare earths and other key minerals shipped to the United States, as China continues to tighten its control over the global supply chain.

Mass Deportation: Nigeria deports over 50 foreigners for internet fraud, others.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has deported 51 foreign nationals convicted of cyber-terrorism, internet fraud, and related financial crimes back to their home countries, marking the completion of a large-scale repatriation exercise that involved a total of 192 convicts.

According to official sources, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) coordinated the deportations in collaboration with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), in line with court directives and immigration protocols.

The deported convicts include citizens of China, the Philippines, Tunisia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Timor-Leste. They were expelled in coordinated phases between August and mid-October 2025, following their conviction by the Federal High Court in Lagos on charges bordering on cybercrime, money laundering, and Ponzi scheme operations.

The crackdown originated from a major sting operation conducted by the EFCC on December 10, 2024, at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, which led to the arrest of 759 suspects.

The first batch of 42 convicts primarily Chinese and Filipino nationals was deported on August 15, 2025, while the final group of 51, including 50 Chinese citizens and one Tunisian, was repatriated on October 16, 2025.

Investigations revealed that the convicts were part of a sophisticated cybercrime and Ponzi network operating under Genting International Co. Limited, where they allegedly trained recruits and managed fraudulent digital platforms targeting victims both locally and abroad.

The deportation, authorities said, brings the multi-agency cybercrime crackdown to a decisive close and reinforces Nigeria’s commitment to fighting transnational digital fraud and financial crimes.

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Trump Slams Nigeria with 10% Tariff Over BRICS Alignment.

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a new 10% tariff on Nigeria and other countries aligning with the BRICS bloc, which he accused of promoting “anti-American policies.”

Trump made the declaration on Sunday via his Truth Social platform, warning that “any country aligning itself with the anti-American policies of BRICS will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy.”

His post comes amid the ongoing BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where member nations criticized unilateral trade measures and rising protectionism—an indirect jab at Trump’s tariff-heavy approach.

Nigeria was formally admitted as a BRICS partner country in January 2025, becoming the ninth to join under the new partnership framework established during the bloc’s 16th summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024.

Other nations in this category include Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.

In a joint communique on Sunday, BRICS leaders expressed “serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures,” calling such practices harmful to global trade and inconsistent with WTO rules.

President Bola Tinubu, who attended the summit, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to BRICS and the Global South, stating that the country aligns with the group’s push for global financial restructuring and equity.

Speaking through his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said, “Nigeria associates with what I have heard today and all that has happened in BRICS. The next issues are financial restructuring and reevaluation of the global structure.”

He also emphasized the need to address environmental degradation, the climate crisis, and health disparities—issues he described as critical to Africa’s development.

Lagos Courts Jail 15 Foreigners for Cyber-terrorism, Internet Fraud

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentence of

11 Filipinos, two Chinese, one Malaysian and one Indonesian to one year imprisonment each for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud before Justices Yellim Bogoro and A. O. Owoeye of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The convicts were arraigned on Friday, May 30, 2025, on separate charges bordering on possession of fraudulent documents.

The convicts are: Winnie De Jesus, Kayceelynn Remorin, Irish Chna, Darwisa Esmael, Kimberly Nisperos, Savien Cire Renovilla, Zeng Zerong and Guo Bin,

Others are: Jessa Sanchi, Jhena Sarmiento, Rain Torida, Rex Jose Dilag (aka Madison), Tan Soon Kar, Fernando Fu Fang and Beverlyin Gumayo (aka Veb Sumayo.)

One of the counts reads: "That you, WINNIE DE JESUS & GENTING INTERNATIONAL Co. LTD, sometime in December 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems organized to seriously destabilize and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria

when you procured/employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain a financial advantage for yourselves and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 (As amended 2024) and Section 2(3) (d) of the Terrorism (Prevention,

Prohibition) Act, 2022".

Another count reads: “ That you, KAYCEELYN REMORIN and GENTING INTERNATIONAL CO. LIMITED, on or about the 18th of December 2024 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems organised to seriously destabilise the economic and social structure of Nigeria (which prohibits and prevents cyber and related crimes) when you procured/employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain financial advantage for yourselves and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 and 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024)".

They all pleaded “guilty” to the charges preferred against them.

In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, N.K.Ukoha, T.J.Banjo and N.C. Mutfwang, respectively, requested that the defendants be convicted as charged.

The Judges, consequently, convicted and sentenced the defendants to one year imprisonment each, with a fine of N1,000,000.00( One Million Naira).

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, was ordered to ensure that the convicts are repatriated to their countries of origin within seven days upon completion of their sentences.

The Judges also ordered that the devices recovered from the convicts be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.