A YAKUZA boss was plotting to traffic plutonium nuclear materials and several heavy-duty weapons to be used in wars.
Takeshi Ebisawa, 60, has been found guilty of transporting the lethal materials from Myanmar as part of a global web of illegal activity.
The feared crime leader now faces decades in prison after being charged in February 2024.
Ebisawa “brazenly trafficked nuclear material, including weapons-grade plutonium,” acting US attorney for the Southern District of New York Edward Y Kim said.
A year later, he also worked to send over massive quantities of drugs to the US, such as heroin and methamphetamine in exchange for weaponry.
In a New York court on Wednesday, the Japanese nation pled guilty to conspiring with a network of associates to traffic the nuclear materials out of Myanmar.
He also admitted to international narcotics trafficking and weapons charges.
The plan was uncovered by a daring Drug Enformacement Administration (DEA) investigation in 2021.
Ebisawa tried to sell the materials to someone he believed was an Iranian general who wanted them for a nuclear weapons program, the department said in a statement.
During the operation, Ebisawa unknowingly introduced an undercover US DEA agent to his “international network of criminal associates”.
This spanned Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and the US, court documents reveal.
From this DEA agent, the guilty conspired to buy US-made surface-to-air missiles and other heavy-duty weaponry in exchange, in part, for drugs.
It was also noted that he repeatedly attempted to sell the agent 500kg of methamphetamine and heroin for New York distribution.
Ebisawa began contact in early 2020, telling the undercover agent that he had access to a “large quantity of nuclear materials” that he wanted to sell, court papers said.
Prosecutors said that the nuclear material came from an unidentified leader of an “ethnic insurgent group” in Myanmar.
The attempted smuggler sent photos of the substance with Geiger counters measuring radiation.
These pictures were accompanied by pages of what he claimed was lab analysis proving the radioactivity of the material.
The agent went along with the deal, and Ebisawa’s plan eventually unravelled as he was arrested in an operation involving US, Indonesian, Japanese and Thai authorities.
His sentencing has been set for April 9.
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been embroiled in a civil war since February 2021 when the Southeast Asian nation’s military ousted the democratically elected government.
The country boasts large amount of rare-earth materials vital for civilian and military technology, including uranium.
This has made Myanmar a hotspot for transnational crime.
KATIE Price has sparked fan fears with a new video showcasing her slim figure.
The 46-year-old glamour model and media star modelled a cropped tracksuit from her JYY London range on Instagram in a new video.
But viewers were distracted by Katie’s appearance and believe she’s taken her body transformation a bit too far.
One person said: “She needs help.”
Another concerned fan urged: “Wake up and stop the surgery…”
A third said: “Omg Katie what the hell have u done u where stunning my idol back in the day your ruined yourself so sad.”
A fourth wrote: “Katie used to be stunning, an inspiration in her time, but not only have you gone way to far with the weight crap but the only thing that facelift done was make you look like a frail old woman.”
Back in October Katie, who underwent a facelift and 17th boob job last year, assured fans her slim frame was due to a new gym regime and not weight loss drugs like Ozempic.
A spokesman for her told the Mail: “Katie has always been tiny and she’s recently been enjoying going to the gym more and getting herself into a routine with exercise etc which has been beneficial for her overall well being.”
Meanwhile, Katie and her MAFS UK star boyfriend JJ Slater, 32, recently sparked speculation their relationship was over after it was reported they spent Christmas apart.
The pair attempted to put on a united front as they headed out together for the Geordie Shore series launch this week, but we revealed that they were “frosty” with each other and spent most of the night apart.
An insider told us: “Katie and JJ arrived separately to Geordie Shore launch and didn’t speak at all for a few hours.
“They were with their own friends on separate sides of the room and were really frosty with each other.
“They did finally speak for about five minutes later in the night, took a few pictures together and then left. It was all very bizarre and it’s clear that they aren’t at their best right now.
“They are clearly trying to make things work in some way and haven’t called it quits yet, but the signs don’t look good.”
A rep for Katie told The Sun: “They are 100% still together.”
Mum-of-five Katie confirmed her relationship with JJ in February last year following weeks of speculation.
However they raised eyebrows over the festive period when Katie chose to spend with with close pal Kerry Katona.
And JJ posted a picture of his Christmas celebrations with his family – with Katie noticeably absent.
A WOMAN feared she would never find her dream wedding dress after spending hours in pricey stores trying on gowns.
Julia Webber, 26, went to countless boutique stores but could never find a wedding dress that ‘felt right.’
But she couldn’t believe it when she found the perfect dress in her favourite second-hand store.
Julia tried on the elegant gown and said it fit perfectly and she knew it was the one.
She tied the knot to school sweetheart Michael Webber, 26, a certified public accountant, in December 2024 and said he cried when he saw her down the aisle.
Julia, a speech language pathologist, from West Palm Beach, Florida, said: “I always wanted a thrifted wedding dress.
“I zipped it up and it fit like a glove.
“It was completely meant to be.
“Everyone had the same reaction – their jaws were on the floor.”
Julia has always been passionate about thrifting and grew up hunting through second-hand stores with her mum, Ellen Stern, 53, and sisters Samantha, 23, and Sophia, 21.
After getting engaged in May 2023, Julia tried on wedding dresses in a boutique store first.
She said: “Nothing really felt right.”
After heading to boutique stores, Julia, her sisters, her mum, and her mother-in-law, Julie, 52, decided to give thrifting a go.
She said: “My biggest regret was not thrifting my prom dress.”
They went to their favourite store – Hospice of Palm Beach County Foundation Resale Shop – in December 2023 and Julia immediately spotted the dress.
She said: “It was the first one we went to.
Oxfam has four permanent shops with bridal departments stocked with good quality fashionable bridal wear and accessories, new and pre-loved.
Oxfam Shop Chippenham
5 The Bridge, Chippenham, SN15 1HA
Oxfam Shop Darlington
24 Skinnergate, Darlington, DL3 7NW
Oxfam Shop Shirley
76-78 High Street, Shirley, Southampton, SO15 3NE
Oxfam Shop York
7 Goodramgate, York, YO1 7LJ
“Life can be so serendipitous.
“It was exactly what I was looking for.
“I’d wanted something more form fitting at the top.
“I wanted something simple and elegant.
“I loved the beading.”
The stunning white dress featured a sweetheart neckline and drop waist which flowed into a full skirt.
The dress was priced up as $50 but was half off that day so Julia took it away for just £20 ($25.)
Julia said: “It had a brand new tag on it.”
She said she can’t find the Casablanca dress new online but estimates she would have saved $2,975 on the average $3,000 wedding dress.
Julia spent just $40 to have the straps on the dress shortened and $75 to have it professionally cleaned.
Julia said Michael and the guests loved the dress on the day.
She said: “I was so excited – I knew Michael was going to love it. We have very similar tastes and style.
“He cried.
“At the wedding I started telling people the cost and the live reaction of disbelief was amazing.”
Julia shared her thrifted wedding dress on her socials and hopes it has inspired others to go hunting for second-hand pieces.
She said: “People’s eyes opened to the world of thrifting.”
Julia is planning to keep her veil – which was made by her grandmother and out of the lace of her mum’s one – but is passing her dress on.
She plans to give it a bride who can’t afford a dress.
Julia said: “I love that I have this story about my wedding dress – it adds to the fairy tale.”
CHINA has given the green light to plans for the world’s largest hydropower dam, despite protests from neighbouring countries.
Millions could be without water as Tibet is set to become home to the world’s most ambitious individual infrastructure project
The dam in the lower area of the Yarlung Zangbo River could generate three times more electricity than the current largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam in central China.
According to a 2020 estimate by Power Construction Corp of China, it could produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
The Asian country’s latest project comes with a hefty price tag as the government has allocated £114 billion to the entire project.
The Three Gorges Dam cost £29 billion in 2008 as it resettled 1.4 million people.
Despite officials claiming the project will not significantly affect the environment or water supplies, it remains unclear how many people will lose their homes.
The stakes are also high for India and Bangladesh who are concerned about how the dam will alter the downstream water supply.
India fears the project could trigger flash floods or create water droughts for the country.
The Yarlung Zangbo becomes India‘s Arunachal Pradesh and Assam river before flowing into Bangladesh.
In July, a ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member, Ninong Ering, told parliament that China could not be trusted.
He said: “We cannot trust our ‘neighbour’. You never know what they can do.
“They can either divert the entire river flow, drying up our Siang or release water at once, causing unprecedented floods and havoc downstream.”
China is planning more hydropower projects upstream of the Yarlung Zangbo to continue its hydropower generation.
The new dam aims to be completed by 2060 to help China achieve its net zero emissions.
Xinhua news agency reports that the newly approved construction project will create jobs in the area and help China meet its carbon peaking and neutrality goals.
The project site is on a tectonic plate boundary, making it a hotspot for potential earthquakes.
Tibet recently suffered from a 7.1 earthquake that saw at least 126 dead and injured 188 in the city.
The recent earthquakes also sent shockwaves of havoc in parts of Nepal and India.
The Chinese Air Force used specialist drones to look for survivors amongst the rubble around 50 miles from the quake’s epicentre.
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