logo
ENع
#

Latest news with #Fri

Some foreigners pulled out of Myanmar scam centres face struggle to get home
Some foreigners pulled out of Myanmar scam centres face struggle to get home

Reuters

time28-02-2025

  • Reuters

Some foreigners pulled out of Myanmar scam centres face struggle to get home

Summary Multi-national crackdown launched on scam compounds Hundreds of foreign nationals moved to militia camp Conditions in the camp are difficult, witnesses say Some face problems trying to go home, they say BANGKOK, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Hundreds of foreign nationals pulled out of scam compounds in Myanmar during a crackdown on centres run by criminal gangs have little food, scant healthcare and filthy toilets in the remote militia camp they have been taken to, two detainees said. Some also have no easy way to get back to their distant home countries after being moved to the camp, along the border with Thailand, which is run by Myanmar's Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) militia. About 470 people are housed in the camp, where already harsh living conditions are deteriorating, two African nationals who are detained there told Reuters. Both asked not to named because of safety concerns but shared their location by WhatsApp. It matched the location of a DKBA camp that was provided by an aid worker on the Thai border who is tracking the issue. In recent weeks, authorities from China, Thailand and Myanmar have attempted to dismantle scam centres and illegal online operations on the border, part of a network of compounds across Southeast Asia, where hundreds of thousands have been trafficked by gangs, according to the United Nations. "We barely eat twice a day. Sometimes twice, sometimes just once," a 29-year-old man from a central African country, who was moved to the camp on February 15, said by phone. "The ladies don't have access to any sanitary pads. We have to use at most five restrooms for about 500 people." Another detainee, a 39-year-old man from an east African country, accused the DKBA of not caring about humans and said: "We live like animals." Asked for comment on the detainees' remarks, DKBA official Saw San Aug told Reuters the armed group was attempting to help those plucked out of scam compounds and had the best of intentions, supplying them with two meals a day. "It might be true that they don't have enough toilets," he said. "There are lots of people and we are doing our best." Although operational for years, illegal scam compounds are now the target of the multi-national crackdown launched after the abduction of a Chinese actor from Thailand in January. He was later rescued from a compound in the Myawaddy area of southeastern Myanmar. Scores of people, many of them human trafficking victims, have since been released from the Myawaddy area and flown home through Thailand. About 7,000 pulled out of scam compounds are still trapped in limbo, including the group housed in the DKBA camp, opposite the Thai settlement of Chong Khaep. NO MONEY FOR FLIGHT TICKET Videos of the camp shared by a detainee show rows of filthy toilets, some clogged with faeces, and stacks of plastic food containers overflowing out of a black garbage bag. In one photo, a group of men are seen lying or sleeping on a sheet on a bare floor. A meal served on Friday consisted of a small portion of rice and vegetables served in a white foam box, another photo showed. Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the images. Since an initial group of released scam centre workers entered Thailand in February, Thai authorities have throttled cross-border movement, allowing only those people to come in whose countries have made arrangements for repatriation. Thailand's foreign ministry said on Friday it would enable foreign embassies to verify their citizens in Myanmar. The 29-year-old detainee who spoke to Reuters said he had contacted his central African country's embassy in China this week seeking help, but was told he and his countrymen would have to arrange for their tickets to leave Thailand themselves. The embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The detainee from the east African country said his nation's embassy in Tokyo had given him similar directions, but he and others did not have the funds to pay for their tickets. "I spent almost three months in the jungle," he said, referring to his time at a scam compound. "I don't have any financial support from outside." He said panic was beginning to grip some detainees in the DKBA camp over the prospect of being sent back to scam centres where witnesses have said coercion and torture are rife. "We don't know what is happening, when we're going to leave this place," said the 29-year-old man.

Alex Ovechkin goals tracker: 'The Great Eight' is 14 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time record of 894
Alex Ovechkin goals tracker: 'The Great Eight' is 14 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time record of 894

Yahoo

time23-02-2025

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Alex Ovechkin goals tracker: 'The Great Eight' is 14 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time record of 894

Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin is inching closer to an NHL scoring record that many thought was unbreakable. The 39-year-old Ovechkin is within striking distance of Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record of 894. "The Great One" scored his final goal on March 29, 1999. "The Great Eight" could very well surpass that mark 26 years later. Ovechkin entered the 2024-25 NHL season with 853 career NHL goals. He started the season off red-hot with 15 goals in 18 games. But after suffering a broken fibula in November, he missed five weeks. That time off didn't affect his goal-scoring prowess: He recorded four goals in his first five games back from injury. With 25 games remaining in the regular season, Ovechkin is currently tied for seventh in the NHL with 28 goals in 40 games. The winger scored goals No. 880 and No. 881 on Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers, getting a shot right down the middle to put him 14 goals away from surpassing Gretzky. OVI IS 15 GOALS AWAY FROM THE RECORD 🚨🚨🚨 — B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 23, 2025 OVI HAS HIS SECOND OF THE GAME 🤯14 AWAY, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN 😱 — B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 23, 2025 "It's just a matter of time, whether it's late this year, early next year, whenever," Gretzky told earlier this season about Ovechkin's chances of breaking his record. "I mean, he's a great player. He's a great goal scorer." NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in December that he will follow Ovechkin around when he's within four or five goals of the record with Gretzky accompanying him. Ovechkin continues his chase of Gretzky's mark on Sunday when the Capitals host Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. We will track Ovechkin's race to 894 goals and beyond all season. 1. Wayne Gretzky (894)2. Alex Ovechkin (879)3. Gordie Howe (801)4. Jaromir Jagr (766)5. Brett Hull (741)6. Marcel Dionne (731)7. Phil Esposito (717)8. Mike Gartner (708)9. Mark Messier (694)10. Steve Yzerman (692) Tue, Feb 25: vs. Calgary, 7 p.m. ETThu, Feb 27: vs. St. Louis, 7 p.m. ETSat, Mar 1: vs. Tampa Bay, 12:30 p.m. ETMon, Mar 3: vs. Ottawa, 6:30 p.m. ETWed, Mar 5: at Rangers, 7 p.m. ET Fri, Mar 7: vs. Detroit, 7 p.m. ETSun, Mar 9: vs. Seattle, 3:30 p.m. ETTue, Mar 11: at Anaheim, 10 p.m. ETThu, Mar 13: at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. ETSat, Mar 15: at San Jose, 5 p.m. ETTue, Mar 18: vs. Detroit, 7 p.m. ETThu, Mar 20: vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m. ETSat, Mar 22: vs. Florida, 5 p.m. ETTue, Mar 25: at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. ETThu, Mar 27: at Minnesota, 8 p.m. ETSun, Mar 30: vs. Buffalo, 3 p.m. ETTue, Apr 1: at Boston, 7 p.m. ETWed, Apr 2: at Carolina, 7 p.m. ETFri, Apr 4: vs. Chicago, 7 p.m. ETSun, Apr 6: at Islanders, 12:30 p.m. ETThu, Apr 10: vs. Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ETSat, Apr 12: at Columbus, 7 p.m. ETSun, Apr 13: vs. Columbus, 6 p.m. ETTue, Apr 15: at Islanders, 8 p.m. ETThu, Apr 17: at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. ET No. 1: Oct. 2, 2005 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (Pascal Leclaire) In honor of YOU the fans voting Alex Ovechkin the GREATEST goal scorer in NHL history we throw it back to his very FIRST goal in the NHL. October 5th, 2005. 🚨@Capitals | @ovi8 — NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) April 1, 2020 No. 50: April 13, 2006 vs. Atlanta Thrashers (Mike Dunham) No. 100: Oct. 12, 2007 vs. New York Rangers (Henrik Lundqvist) No. 200: Feb. 5, 2009 (Jonathan Quick) No. 300: April 5, 2011 (James Reimer) No. 400: Dec. 20, 2013 (empty net) No. 500: Jan. 10, 2016 (Andrew Hammond) Best part of Ovechkin's 500th is all his teammates immediately jumping onto the ice to mob him — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) January 11, 2016 No. 600: March 12, 2018 (Connor Hellebuyck) No. 700: Feb. 22, 2020 (Mackenzie Blackwood) No. 800: Dec. 13, 2022 (Petr Mrazek) In case you missed it (you didn't)...here's how Alexander Ovechkin became just the third player in NHL history to score 800 goals. — NHL (@NHL) December 14, 2022 2005-06: 12006-07: 12007-08: 32008-09: 32009-10: 12010-11: 12011-12: 02012-13: 22013-14: 12014-15: 02015-16: 22016-17: 22017-18: 32018-19: 32019-20: 42020-21: 02021-22: 12022-23: 22023-24: 02024-25: 1

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store