Rebels in Myanmar seize control of a crucial town near Chinese border

Following weeks of intense fighting with junta troops, a rebel alliance in Myanmar has taken control of a strategic town near the country's unstable northern border with China, both the alliance and the junta announced. The group, known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance, declared on Friday that it had taken control of Laukkai town following the capitulation of the military's regional headquarters. The rebels have been winning battles since October, and with the fall of Laukkai, they have mounted the biggest challenge to the military government in Myanmar since it was overthrown in a coup in 2021. The rebels declared…