INTERNACIONAL
Death toll in Burma, Thailand earthquake rises to more than 1,600 victims
The death toll from the devastating earthquake that rocked Burma and Thailand on Friday has risen sharply to more than 1,650 victims.
The earthquake’s epicenter was in central Burma, where 1,644 have been confirmed dead with nearly 140 people still missing, the nation’s ruling military said Saturday.
The 7.7 magnitude quake knocked down scores of buildings as well as destroyed bridges and highways in what was the deadliest natural disaster to hit the impoverished, war-torn country in years. Burma is also known as Myanmar.
Survivors in Mandalay, Burma’s second-biggest city, dug with their bare hands on Friday in desperate attempts to save those still trapped, lacking heavy machinery and with authorities absent. Burma’s military rulers let in hundreds of foreign rescue personnel on Saturday.
Rescue personnel work at the site of a building that collapsed, following a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Burma on March 29, 2025. (REUTERS/Stringer)
AMERICA’S MOST EXPENSIVE NATURAL DISASTERS IN RECENT DECADES
The quake struck during Friday prayers across the country, causing the collapse of at least 50 mosques across the country, killing nearly 300 people, the Yangon Khit Thit News Agency reported.
An initial assessment by Burma’s opposition National Unity Government said at least 2,900 buildings, 30 roads and seven bridges had been damaged by the quake.
The quake comes amid a raging civil war that has wrecked the economy and displaced millions. It makes movement around the country both difficult and dangerous, complicating relief efforts and raising fears that the death toll could still rise precipitously.
People drive on a motorbike past a collapsed building in Mandalay on March 28, 2025, after an earthquake in central Burma. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)
Airports too have been damaged, further hindering rescue efforts. For instance, satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC show the earthquake toppled the air traffic control tower at Naypyitaw International Airport as if sheered from its base, according to The Associated Press.
The country sits on the Sagaing Fault, a major north-south fault that separates the India plate and the Sunda plate.
WATCH: First responders clear leveled apartment building in Thailand after powerful earthquake
IS THE EAST COAST ON THE BRINK OF A MAJOR EARTHQUAKE — AND ARE WE PREPARED?
President Donald Trump said the earthquake was «terrible» on Friday and assured that the United States would assist in relief efforts.
«It’s a real bad one, and we will be helping. We’ve already spoken with the country,» Trump said.
In neighboring Thailand, where the quake shook buildings and brought down a skyscraper under construction in the capital Bangkok, at least ten people were killed.
Dramatic footage captured in Bangkok midday Friday showed a 33-story apartment building that was under construction falling down, scattering dust and debris throughout the city’s streets. Bangkok city authorities said earlier Friday that 10 people were killed, 16 were injured.
Water from a separate high-rise building with rooftop pools in Bangkok spilled over the side as they shook and debris fell from many buildings.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said the country has now «returned to normalcy.»
Aftershocks were reportedly felt in India and China.
WATCH: Skyscraper in Bangkok collapses after 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocks Burma, Thailand
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Photos and video from Burma showed two hard-hit cities with extensive damage.
In Mandalay, Burma’s second-largest city and close to the epicenter, the earthquake damaged part of the former royal palace and buildings, according to videos and photos released on Facebook social media.
In the Sagaing region just southwest of Mandalay, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed, and some sections of the highway connecting Mandalay and the city of Yangon were also damaged.
In the capital Naypyitaw, the quake damaged religious shrines, sending parts toppling to the ground and some homes.
Christina Shaw, Greg Norman, Bradford Betz Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
INTERNACIONAL
La guerra desde adentro de Irán: «Es un alivio que, por fin, alguien va a venir a eliminar a nuestros verdugos»
Qué signifca la guerra para los iraníes
Desde el interior de irán
La gente ha estado cantando, bailando, abrazándose y felicitándose por la eliminación de la cabeza de la máquina de matar que hemos tenido gobernándonos
La guerra de Israel y Trump
Aquí y ahora no hay ninguna posibilidad de que el pueblo iraní pueda derrocar un sistema tan opresor con las manos vacías
En estos momentos se ha dado la casualidad de que los intereses políticos de Estados Unidos e Israel coinciden con los intereses del pueblo iraní en cuanto al derrocamiento de la inquisición islamista
No hay comida ni medicamentos
La miseria es lo que nos ha traído este gobierno. Ha utilizado todos nuestros recursos para enriquecimiento propio y el lujo repugnante en el que viven casi mil familias en la teocracia islamista
Lo que para mí como activista de derechos humanos sería muy grato es que por una vez antepongamos las vidas humanas a nuestras ideologías políticas y luchemos por poder establecer un mínimo de armonía en un mundo desquiciado
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FIRST ON FOX: As U.S. and Israeli military pressure on Iran intensifies, and President Donald Trump signals support for Kurdish forces, Kurdish opposition groups along the country’s western frontier tell Fox News Digital they are watching closely for an opportunity to strike back against the Islamic Republic, which they have fought for decades.
Kako Aliyar, a member of the leadership committee of the Kurdish opposition party Komala, told Fox News Digital from an undisclosed location in Iraq that the Kurdish movements are ready to act if conditions allow.
«Kurds have been waiting for a moment to do something,» Aliyar said. «We believe that those moments are not far from us.»
But Aliyar said Kurdish forces cannot yet move against the regime because Iran still retains the ability to launch missile and drone attacks, which opposition fighters would struggle to defend against.
Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq Feb. 12, 2026. (Thaier Al-Sudani/ Reuters)
Aliyar said Iranian forces continue to target Kurdish opposition bases across the border in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
Trump signaled support for Kurdish fighters launching an offensive against Iran, saying in a telephone interview with Reuters Thursday that he would back such a move.
«I think it’s wonderful that they want to do that — I’d be all for it,» Trump said.
Asked whether the United States would provide air cover for a Kurdish offensive, Trump declined to elaborate.
«I can’t tell you that,» he said.
Aliyar said Kurdish groups remain under pressure from Iran and continue to face attacks on their bases across the border in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
«Our camps, the Kurdish political parties, are still under attack by the Iranian regime, and we can’t go into detail,» he said.
Still, he indicated that if the opportunity arises, Kurdish fighters would attempt to return to Iranian territory.
«If we get an opportunity to go back to our own country, we will use it,» he said.
Kurdish opposition signals unity
The comments come as Iranian Kurdish opposition groups attempt to present a united front against Iran.
In February, several factions formed the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan, bringing together parties including Komala, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), PJAK and the Kurdistan Freedom Party.
Aliyar said the coalition is still organizing itself but carries an important political message.
«Politically, it’s a huge message for the Kurdish people inside the country and the international community that Kurds are united,» he said. «We are working together, and we are trying to reach our goals together.»
Kurdish groups have long fought the Iranian government. Armed clashes between Kurdish militants and Iranian forces date back to the years following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when Kurdish factions sought autonomy and were violently suppressed by Tehran.
Today, many Kurdish opposition groups operate from neighboring Iraqi Kurdistan, where they maintain political offices and limited military forces.
NETANYAHU INSISTS US AND ISRAEL’S STRIKES ON IRAN WON’T LEAD TO ‘ENDLESS WAR’
A general view of Tehran, Iran, with smoke visible in the distance after explosions were reported in the city, March 2, 2026. (Contributor/Getty Images)
Waiting for Iran’s military capabilities to weaken
Aliyar suggested Kurdish forces would only be able to move if Iran’s military capabilities are significantly degraded.
«I believe those missile and drone abilities have to be more weakened or totally removed because we are not able to defend ourselves against them,» he said.
Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones remains one of the regime’s strongest deterrents against internal or external challengers.
«They can still launch missiles and they can still kill people,» Aliyar said.
If those capabilities were reduced, he believes Kurdish forces could attempt to exploit the moment.
«I think everyone has the capacity to do so because Kurdish political parties have huge legitimacy among the people,» he said. «People support them, people support us.»
However, Aliyar cautioned that no one can predict how events will unfold.
«When a war starts, you are trying to find a way to use it in your best way, but you cannot predict what happens tomorrow,» he said.
Kurdish resistance rooted in decades of struggle
Kurds in Iran represent one of the country’s largest ethnic minorities and have historically maintained organized opposition movements.
Kurdish parties developed armed wings and political networks decades ago, giving them a level of organizational structure that many other Iranian opposition movements lack.
Jino Victoria Doabi, an international political analyst focused on Iran and Kurdistan, told Fox News Digital, «Kurds inside Iran have their own history and tradition of struggle and resistance with political parties and armed forces.»
Doabi said Kurdish forces are unlikely to move without clear backing from Washington.
TRUMP TELLS IRANIANS THE ‘HOUR OF YOUR FREEDOM IS AT HAND’ AS US-ISRAEL LAUNCH STRIKES AGAINST
IRAN
Bombing occurs in Iran on Feb. 28, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Getty Images)
«For that to happen, they need assurance from America, both politically but also security-wise,» Doabi said.
«Kurds have learned that they cannot just do it for the good cause anymore, because that’s going to cause civilians a lot of pain and destruction and killings.»
Discussions about the idea of Kurdish involvement may have been underway long before the recent escalation, according to Doabi.
«I don’t think this has happened overnight,» she said. «I think this has been discussed for a long time.»
Regional complications
Despite the growing attention on Kurdish groups, Aliyar emphasized that Iraqi Kurdish authorities are not directly involved in any potential campaign.
«Iraqi Kurds are not part of it,» he said. «I am not Iraqi, so I cannot comment on that.»
Analysts say Kurdish insurgents alone are unlikely to topple the Iranian regime. But if internal unrest spreads and Kurdish forces coordinate with broader opposition movements, Iran’s western frontier could become a serious pressure point for Iran.
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A person holds an image of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Iranian demonstrators protest against the U.S.-Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Feb. 28, 2026. (Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via Reuters)
For Aliyar and other Kurdish leaders, however, the goal remains clear after decades of opposition to the Islamic Republic.
«We have had this desire for 47 years,» he said. «If we get an opportunity, we will use it.»
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war with iran,iraq,donald trump,iran
INTERNACIONAL
Operation Epic Fury destroys Iran’s navy and cuts missile attacks by 90% in ongoing campaign
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Thursday that U.S. forces have delivered devastating blows to Iran’s military in the opening days of Operation Epic Fury, crippling key naval and missile capabilities while signaling that a larger and more sustained campaign is underway.
Speaking alongside U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper at CENTCOM headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, Hegseth described a fast-moving operation that has significantly degraded Iran’s ability to threaten U.S. forces and regional partners as officials shift toward preventing Tehran from rebuilding its military strength.
«In just days of Operation Epic Fury, you and your team have delivered nothing short of devastating, precise strikes taking out the better part of Iran’s navy, making it combat ineffective, neutralizing missile sites and launchers and establishing total dominance over the skies,» Hegseth told Cooper.
«Our forces are executing with unmatched skill, and the mission is advancing decisively.»
Cooper detailed the expanding maritime campaign, saying U.S. forces have intensified strikes against Iranian vessels in recent hours, surpassing previously disclosed totals and further weakening Tehran’s ability to project power at sea.
U.S. officials say Operation Epic Fury has sunk more than 30 Iranian ships, slashed missile launches and shifted toward dismantling Tehran’s missile production. (Fox News)
«You may have heard the president say just a little while ago that we have sunk or destroyed 24 ships. That was true. At the moment, we’re now up over 30 ships,» Cooper said. «In just the last few hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier. And, as we speak, it’s on fire.»
Beyond naval losses, sustained air operations have sharply reduced Iran’s ability to launch retaliatory attacks. U.S. bombers have targeted launchers, command infrastructure and air defenses deep inside the country in an effort to limit both immediate threats and future strike capacity.
«Ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90% since day one. Drone attacks have decreased by 83% since day one,» Cooper said.
RED CROSS SHARES AUDIO OF IRANIAN CIVILIAN EXPLAINING SITUATION ON THE GROUND IN TEHRAN: ‘NO RESPITE’
A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters in the Indian Ocean, War Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Wednesday. (@DeptofWar/X)
The sharp decline in launches, officials indicated, reflects both the destruction of key systems and the disruption of Iran’s command-and-control networks, forcing Tehran onto the defensive as U.S. aircraft continue operating over the country.
Hegseth made clear the operation is not slowing down, warning that significantly more firepower is moving into the region as additional forces and assets come online.
«We have only just begun to fight and fight decisively,» Hegseth said. «The amount of combat power that’s still flowing, that’s still coming, that we’ll be able to project over Iran is multiples of what it currently is right now.»
PENTAGON POLICY CHIEF GRILLED AS DEM CLAIMS TRUMP BROKE PROMISE ABOUT GOING TO WAR WITH IRAN
President Donald Trump confirmed the launch of U.S. strikes on Iran Saturday. (Contributor/Getty Images)
He also sought to counter any suggestion that the U.S. could face supply constraints as the campaign continues, emphasizing both capacity and staying power.
«Our capabilities are overwhelming and gathering still, as are those of our Israeli partners,» Hegseth said. «Our munitions are full up and our will is ironclad, which means our timeline is ours and ours alone to control as long as it takes to ensure the United States of America achieves these objectives.»
Cooper confirmed the mission is entering a new phase aimed at Iran’s long-term missile production capacity, shifting from degrading existing stockpiles to preventing their regeneration.
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«We’re not just hitting what they have. We’re destroying their ability to rebuild,» Cooper said. «As we transition to the next phase of this operation, we will systemically dismantle Iran’s missile production capability for the future.»
Together, the remarks underscored both the scale of the battlefield damage already inflicted and the administration’s message that the campaign — bolstered by additional forces and sustained munitions capacity — is positioned to intensify in the days ahead.
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war with iran,pete hegseth,military,pentagon,florida,politics,defense
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