INTERNACIONAL
Survivors still being found from Burma earthquake, but hopes begin to fade as deaths exceed 2,700
- A 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Burma on Friday, killing more than 2,700 people, compounding a humanitarian crisis caused by a civil war.
- The death toll is expected to rise, but the earthquake hit a wide swath of the country, leaving many areas without power, telephone or cell connections and damaging roads and bridges, leaving the full extent of the devastation hard to assess.
- The World Health Organization said more than 10,000 buildings are known to have collapsed or been severely damaged in Burma. The earthquake also hit neighboring Thailand, causing a high-rise building under construction to collapse and burying many workers.
Rescue workers saved a 63-year-old woman from the rubble of a building in Burma’s capital on Tuesday, but hope was fading of finding many more survivors of the violent earthquake that killed more than 2,700 people, compounding a humanitarian crisis caused by a civil war.
The fire department in Naypyitaw said the woman was successfully pulled from the rubble 91 hours after being buried when the building collapsed in the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit midday Friday. Experts say the likelihood of finding survivors drops dramatically after 72 hours.
Death toll numbers forecast to increase
The head of Burma’s military government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, told a forum in Naypyitaw, that 2,719 people have now been found dead, with 4,521 others injured and 441 missing, Myanmar’s Western News online portal reported.
BURMA-THAILAND EARTHQUAKE: PATRICK SCHWARZENEGGER, ‘WHITE LOTUS’ CAST SEND PRAYERS AS DEATH TOLL PASSES 1,000
Those figures are widely expected to rise, but the earthquake hit a wide swath of the country, leaving many areas without power, telephone or cell connections and damaging roads and bridges, leaving the full extent of the devastation hard to assess.
Most of the reports so far have come from Mandalay, Burma’s second-largest city, which was near the epicenter of the earthquake, and Naypyitaw.
«The needs are massive, and they are rising by the hour,» said Julia Rees, UNICEF’s deputy representative for Burma.
Burma’s rescuers work through rubble of a collapsed building following Friday’s earthquake in Naypyitaw, Burma, on April 1, 2025. (AP Photo)
«The window for lifesaving response is closing. Across the affected areas, families are facing acute shortages of clean water, food, and medical supplies.»
Burma’s fire department said that 403 people have been rescued in Mandalay and 259 bodies have been found so far. In one incident alone, 50 Buddhist monks who were taking a religious exam in a monastery were killed when the building collapsed and 150 more are thought to be buried in the rubble.
Structural damage is extensive
The World Health Organization said that more than 10,000 buildings overall are known to have collapsed or been severely damaged in central and northwest Burma.
The earthquake also rocked neighboring Thailand, causing a high-rise building under construction to collapse and burying many workers.
Two bodies were pulled from the rubble on Monday and another was recovered Tuesday, but dozens were still missing. Overall, there were 21 people killed and 34 injured in Bangkok, primarily at the construction site.
In Burma, search and rescue efforts across the affected area paused briefly at midday on Tuesday as people stood for a minute in silent tribute to the dead.
MASSIVE 7.7 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE ROCKS THAILAND, BURMA, COLLAPSING BUILDINGS AND KILLING MORE THAN 1,000
Relief efforts moving at a sluggish pace
Foreign aid workers have been arriving slowly to help in the rescue efforts, but progress was still slow with a lack of heavy machinery in many places.
In one site in Naypyitaw on Tuesday, workers formed a human chain, passing chunks of brick and concrete out hand-by-hand from the ruins of a collapsed building.
The Burma military government’s official Global New Light of Burma reported Tuesday that a team of Chinese rescuers saved four people the day before from the ruins of the Sky Villa, a large apartment complex that collapsed during the quake. They included a 5-year-old and a pregnant woman who had been trapped for more than 60 hours.
The same publication also reported two teenagers were able to crawl out of the rubble of the same building to where rescue crews were working, using their cellphone flashlights to help guide them. The rescue workers were then able to use details from what they told them to locate their grandmother and sibling.
International rescue teams from several countries are on the scene, including from Russia, China, India, the United Arab Emirates and several Southeast Asian countries. The U.S. Embassy said an American team had been sent but hadn’t yet arrived.
Aid pledges pouring in as officials warn of disease outbreak risk
Meantime, multiple countries have pledged millions in aid to assist Burma and humanitarian aid organizations with the monumental task ahead.
Even before the earthquake, more than 3 million people had been displaced from their homes by Burma’s brutal civil war, and nearly 20 million were in need, according to the U.N.
Many were already lacking in basic medical care and standard vaccinations, and the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure by the earthquake raises the risk of disease outbreaks, warned the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
«The displacement of thousands into overcrowded shelters, coupled with the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure, has significantly heightened the risk of communicable disease outbreaks,» OCHA said in its latest report.
«Vulnerability to respiratory infections, skin diseases, vector-borne illnesses such as dengue fever, and vaccine-preventable diseases like measles is escalating,» it added.
The onset of monsoon season also a worry
Shelter is also a major problem, especially with the monsoon season looming.
Since the earthquake, many people have been sleeping outside, either because homes were destroyed or out of fear of aftershocks.
Civil war complicates disaster relief
Burma’s military seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has turned into significant armed resistance and a brutal civil war.
Government forces have lost control of much of Burma, and many places were dangerous or impossible for aid groups to reach even before the quake.
Military attacks and those from some anti-military groups have not stopped in the aftermath of the earthquake, though the shadow opposition National Unity Government has called a unilateral ceasefire for its forces.
BURMESE GOVERNMENT DENIES CLAIMS IT KILLED 76 VILLAGERS
The NUG, established by elected lawmakers who were ousted in 2021, called for the international community to ensure humanitarian aid is delivered directly to the earthquake victims, urging «vigilance against any attempts by the military junta to divert or obstruct humanitarian assistance.»
«We are in a race against time to save lives,» the NUG said in a statement.
«Any obstruction to these efforts will have devastating consequences, not only due to the impact of the earthquake but also because of the junta’s continued brutality, which actively hinders the delivery of lifesaving assistance.»
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the military has been impeding humanitarian aid. In the past, it initially refused to allow in foreign rescue teams or many emergency supplies after Cyclone Nargis in 2008, which resulted in well more than 100,000 deaths. Even once it did allow foreign assistance, it was with severe restrictions.
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In this case, however, Min Aung Hlaing, pointedly said on the day of the earthquake that the country would accept outside help.
Tom Andrews, a monitor on rights in Burma commissioned by the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council, said on X that to facilitate aid, military attacks must stop.
«The focus in Burma must be on saving lives, not taking them,» he said.
INTERNACIONAL
El Gobierno de Bolivia reemplazó al presidente de YPFB y anunció medidas ante la crisis por combustible de baja calidad
El Gobierno del presidente boliviano, Rodrigo Paz, resolvió este lunes relevar al presidente de la estatal Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB), Yussef Akly, y designar en su lugar a Claudia Cronenbold, en medio de una creciente crisis por la calidad del combustible que se comercializa en el país y tras protestas de transportistas en las principales ciudades.
El mandatario tomó juramento a Cronenbold en un acto en La Paz, poco después de que el ministro de Hidrocarburos y Energías, Mauricio Medinaceli, comunicó el cambio en la conducción de la empresa estatal junto con un paquete de medidas orientadas a garantizar el abastecimiento de carburantes y responder a los reclamos de usuarios afectados. Paz agradeció a Akly por su labor en esta “primera etapa” desde el cambio de Gobierno en noviembre pasado y destacó la trayectoria de su sucesora. “Por apostar por el país como siempre lo ha hecho en su carrera profesional”, expresó al dirigirse a la nueva titular de la compañía.
El jefe de Estado afirmó que la designación marca el inicio de “un segundo tiempo para YPFB” con nuevos objetivos estratégicos. Entre ellos, mencionó la aspiración de que Bolivia produzca su propia gasolina y que la empresa recupere su papel como una compañía “pujante”. En ese marco, remarcó la necesidad de enfrentar irregularidades dentro de la estatal. “Estaremos firmes para respaldar toda la lucha que sabemos va a ser muy dura contra la corrupción que hay en la estatal, para recuperar una empresa estatal para los bolivianos y que deje de ser una empresa de unos cuantos grupos de poder”, sostuvo.
Por su parte, Cronenbold expresó su compromiso al asumir el cargo y subrayó la relevancia de la empresa dentro del esquema energético del país. “Total compromiso y dedicación” para hacer “un buen papel en una empresa estratégica y muy importante”, declaró. La funcionaria se convierte en la segunda mujer en liderar YPFB, después de la designación de Katya Diederich en octubre de 2020 durante el Gobierno interino de Jeanine Áñez.
Antes del acto, el ministro Medinaceli destacó ante la prensa la experiencia de más de dos décadas de Cronenbold en el sector y la definió como un “ejemplo de liderazgo femenino en una industria estratégica”. Además del cambio en la conducción, el funcionario anunció una serie de decisiones orientadas a resolver la crisis por la calidad del combustible.
Entre las principales medidas, Medinaceli informó que el Gobierno firmará nuevos contratos “y con más variados proveedores de gasolina de mayor octanaje sin modificar el precio”. También indicó que la Agencia Nacional de Hidrocarburos (ANH) organizará un cronograma de limpieza de tanques en todas las estaciones de servicio del país, con el objetivo de garantizar el abastecimiento continuo. Según explicó, el plan se ejecutará mediante un calendario “que garantice el abastecimiento sin suspenderlo en ninguna zona del país”.
El ministro agregó que se “acelerará” el resarcimiento estatal a los propietarios de vehículos que denunciaron daños en sus motores por el uso de combustible contaminado. Asimismo, anunció que se impulsará la instalación de equipos de conversión a gas natural vehicular (GNV) tanto en el transporte público como en el privado, con el fin de reducir la dependencia de combustibles líquidos.
El paquete incluye además la aprobación de un decreto que habilita la importación de vehículos que funcionan con diésel “de menos de 4.000 de cilindrada”, así como la creación de un “equipo de supervisión permanente de hidrocarburos” para reforzar los controles sobre la cadena de suministro.
Las decisiones del Ejecutivo se producen tras meses de denuncias de usuarios que reportaron fallas mecánicas vinculadas a la calidad de la gasolina. De acuerdo con la propia YPFB, el combustible presentó niveles elevados de goma y manganeso. La situación generó protestas en distintos puntos del país.
La semana pasada, sindicatos de transportistas de La Paz y El Alto realizaron un paro con bloqueos durante dos días, en reclamo por la calidad del carburante y para exigir una compensación más ágil por los daños sufridos. Las manifestaciones intensificaron la presión sobre el Gobierno para adoptar medidas inmediatas.
Según datos oficiales, Bolivia depende en gran medida de las importaciones para abastecer su mercado interno, con casi el 100 % del diésel y alrededor del 60 % de la gasolina provenientes de países como Argentina, Chile, Perú, Paraguay y Estados Unidos. En ese contexto, el Gobierno busca estabilizar el suministro y recuperar la confianza de los consumidores tras la crisis.
(Con información de EFE)
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MANCHESTER, N.H. — Rahm Emanuel is shrugging off the Democratic Party’s identity debate and emphasizing that the showdown for the Democrats’ 2028 presidential nomination should be about ideas and not gender.
The former Chicago mayor and White House chief of staff to President Barack Obama is mulling a White House run of his own in 2028 in the race to succeed term-limited Republican President Donald Trump. But in a party that has made diversity one of its core tenets, Emanuel will have to face the question: will the Democratic Party elect a straight White male to represent it?
Emanuel told Fox News Digital on Monday that Democrats should be asking potential presidential contenders different questions entirely, such as: «Do you have the ideas of how to make sure the American Dream is alive and well, accessible and affordable to another generation?»
POTENTIAL 2028 DEMOCRATIC CONTENDER PROPOSES 75-YEAR-OLD MANDATORY RETIREMENT FOR POLITICIANS
Former First Lady Michelle Obama lamented in a podcast late last year that the U.S. is not ready for a female president. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty)
In the wake of former Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat to Trump in the 2024 election, former First Lady Michelle Obama made headlines late last year when she emphasized in a conversation posted on YouTube that the U.S. has «a lot of growing up to do» and that the nation is «not ready for a woman» as president.
And former President Joe Biden, in an interview last year on «The View,» argued that Harris lost to Trump because of sexism and racism.
Harris was the second female Democratic presidential nominee to come up short to Trump, following Hillary Clinton’s defeat in the 2016 election.
That’s got some in the Democratic Party suggesting that in order to recapture the White House in 2028, it might be better for the party to nominate a White male as their standard-bearer.
WHITE HOUSE RACE UNDERWAY: WITH 2026 LOOMING, BOTH PARTIES ARE ALREADY PLAYING FOR 2028
While Democrats take pride in their party’s diversity, an Axios article this past weekend, headlined «Some Dems’ 2028 strategy: a straight, White, Christian man,» included quotes from party operatives and strategists suggesting that parts of the American electorate are too biased to back a female or other diverse presidential candidate.
Emanuel disagrees.
«More important is the voters’ take. They’ll make a decision. And so to me, that’s the wrong thing. The question is, do you have the ideas that address the challenges that are facing America, regardless of who’s speaking it,» he said.
Former U.S. ambassador Rahm Emanuel, a former Chicago mayor who previous served as White House chief of staff in then-President Barack Obama’s administration and a former U.S. House member, speaks at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, on March 30, 2026, in Manchester, N.H. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News )
Emanuel spoke with Fox News and other news organizations after headlining «Politics and Eggs,» a speaking series at Saint Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics that’s a must stop for White House hopefuls visiting the which for a century has held the first presidential primary in the White House race. And hours earlier, on Sunday evening, he was the main attraction at the latest «Stand Up New Hampshire» town hall hosted by top Democratic activists.
Emanuel has been crisscrossing the country in recent months, as he considers a presidential bid, including stops in two other crucial early primary states, Nevada and South Carolina, where he heads later this week.
On whether he’d become a presidential candidate, Emanuel said «if I think I have what it takes to answer what I think is ailing this great country, then I will jump into the deep end without my water wings.»
Emanuel, who hails from the more moderate center-left wing of the party, emphasized that in order to win in 2028, Democrats need to «centralize and ground ourselves in middle class values, tough enforcement at the border, put more police on the beat, and get kids, guns and gangs off the street, and invest in education opportunities.»
«Get to the core of what they expect from us and don’t get caught up in some cultural cul-de-sac that leads nowhere,» he added.
Potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender Rahm Emanuel greets audience members at ‘Politics and Eggs,’ a speaking series at Saint Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics, on March 30, 2026, in Manchester. N.H. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
As Democrats look for a fighter in 2028 to win back the White House, Emanuel is showing off his scrappy side.
«These are tough times that require a tough leader that knows how to do tough things and get them done on behalf of the American people. That’s the measure,» he told Fox News Digital.
And Emanuel also repeatedly took aim at Trump and his administration for their handling of the president’s efforts to acquire Greenland and the month-long strikes against Iran.
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«It’s a war of choice, and it’s a bad choice,» Emanuel said of Trump. «He could have gotten everything he wanted without going to war.»
And taking another shot, he said, «If they ever run a sequel to ‘Dumb and Dumber,’ I have recommendations for the lead roles, and there’s lots of competition in this administration.»
democratic party, democrats elections, kamala harris, michelle obama, presidential primaries, new hampshire
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