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.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
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
¿Por qué una planta eligió un solo aroma para sobrevivir? El sorprendente caso del Smilax insularis
Entre la diversidad de estrategias de comunicación vegetal, Smilax insularis, una planta trepadora nativa de las islas del sur de Japón, destaca por utilizar una sola molécula volátil como base para su polinización, diferenciándose claramente de la mayoría de las plantas, que recurren a mezclas complejas de compuestos.
Este mecanismo ha sido objeto de análisis detallado por parte de investigadores de la Universidad de Kobe, referente en botánica. Tanto el equipo de Kenji Suetsugu, en su investigación publicada en Current Biology, como el medio Muy Interesante, han documentado con precisión este sistema, explicando que la singularidad del proceso radica en la utilización de dihydroedulan I: un solo compuesto químico para atraer polinizadores, a diferencia de la estrategia multifactorial habitual en otras especies.
El mecanismo central consiste en la producción de dihydroedulan I, un compuesto que funciona como señal química y permite atraer únicamente a la cecidomia Dasineura heterosmilacicola. Esta diminuta mosca pertenece a la familia Cecidomyiidae y su ciclo vital depende directamente de la planta: las hembras depositan los huevos en los órganos reproductores de la flor y las larvas se alimentan de los tejidos vegetales.
En este proceso, el insecto efectúa la polinización, posibilitando la reproducción y el mantenimiento poblacional de ambas especies. Sin la intervención de otros estímulos olfativos o visuales, la emisión de dihydroedulan I desencadena la visita del polinizador.
Función y especificidad de dihydroedulan I
El compuesto I asume el rol de mensajero químico entre la planta y el insecto. De acuerdo con la investigación, esta molécula es la única responsable de atraer a Dasineura heterosmilacicola hacia las flores de la planta.
Mientras la mayor parte de las flores liberan una combinación de sustancias volátiles para captar la atención de distintos grupos de insectos, en este caso la señal es tan restringida que ningún otro polinizador reacciona ante ella. Así, se reduce la competencia por la polinización.
La especificidad de este mecanismo fue comprobada en experimentos de campo realizados por el equipo de Suetsugu de la Universidad de Kobe: únicamente la presencia de dihydroedulan I suscitó la llegada de la cecidomia. Otros insectos presentes en el área no mostraron reacción alguna ante este estímulo químico, lo que refuerza el alto grado de especialización entre las dos especies.
Sincronización y supervivencia
La interacción entre Smilax insularis y su polinizador está condicionada por una sincronización temporal precisa. La planta libera el compuesto volátil justo cuando las flores están en condiciones de ser polinizadas. A la vez, el ciclo de vida de Dasineura heterosmilacicola se ajusta para que las hembras adultas emerjan y busquen flores activamente al coincidir con la emisión de dihydroedulan I por parte de la planta.
Este ajuste temporal permite el encuentro óptimo entre planta e insecto. Como resultado, se reduce el uso de recursos de forma innecesaria y se evita la exposición de la flor a visitantes que no participan en la polinización.
La relación entre ambas especies se describe como un mutualismo, en el que la mosca poliniza la flor a la vez que utiliza los tejidos reproductivos de la planta para depositar huevos. Las larvas se alimentan de los tejidos vegetales durante su desarrollo.
A pesar del beneficio recibido por el insecto, la planta controla el impacto larval mediante mecanismos de regulación en el desarrollo floral. Esto mantiene un equilibrio en la interacción, permitiendo la estabilidad de la relación a lo largo del tiempo.
Singularidad y consecuencias evolutivas del sistema de señalización
El uso de un solo compuesto químico en la comunicación planta-insecto constituye una rareza evolutiva dentro del reino vegetal. La investigación de Suetsugu y sus colegas subraya que este método de señalización ha demostrado ser estable en el caso de Smilax insularis y su polinizador. La especificidad extrema de la señal disminuye la posibilidad de interferencia de otros insectos o plantas, reduciendo los errores en la comunicación química.
La estabilidad del sistema responde, en parte, a la sincronía entre los ciclos ecológicos y la dependencia entre la planta y el insecto, que han evolucionado de manera conjunta y mantienen la eficacia del mecanismo, incluso frente a cambios ambientales.
El descubrimiento de un modelo de señalización floral sustentado en un único compuesto permite profundizar en el estudio de las comunicaciones químicas vegetales.
Comprender el modo en que se logra tal especificidad podría facilitar el desarrollo de estrategias agrícolas enfocadas en atraer polinizadores concretos o en el manejo de plagas selectivas, sin afectar a otras especies. Además, la documentación de este caso aporta datos al debate sobre la evolución de las señales en sistemas mutualistas y apoya la conservación de la biodiversidad.
Cecidomyiinae,Smilax insularis
INTERNACIONAL
Iran releases 2 French citizens after ‘three and a half years of detention,’ Macron says
Iran using war to cover up executions of political dissidents, activist claims
Iranian activist Sheyda Rahbari details the surge in executions of political dissidents by the terrorist Islamic regime. She notes the regime’s increasing pressure on its people, openly threatening them with arrest and execution. Rahbari cites the execution of an 18-year-old protestor, Amir Hussein Hamedi, as a heartbreaking example of the regime’s brutality.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
French nationals Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris were released by Iran on Tuesday after «three and a half years of detention,» President Emmanuel Macron announced.
The pair, who were arrested in May 2022 while visiting Iran, were accused by Iranian state television of being spies who sought to stir up unrest, according to Reuters. France previously denounced their detention as unjustified and unfounded.
«Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris are free and on their way to French territory, after three and a half years of detention in Iran. This is a relief for all of us and obviously for their families,» Macron wrote on X.
«Thank you to the Omani authorities for their mediation efforts, to the State services, and to the citizens who mobilized tirelessly and thus contributed to their return,» he added.
SON OF BRITISH COUPLE DETAINED IN IRAN ‘LET DOWN’ BY STARMER’S LEADERSHIP ON PARENT’S IMPRISONMENT AMID WAR
A woman walks past posters of Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, two French citizens held in Iran, during support rallies outside the National Assembly in Paris on May 7, 2025, marking their three-year detention and demanding their release. (Abdul Saboor/Reuters)
The nonprofit United Against Nuclear Iran described Kohler as the head of a federation of teachers unions in France, with Paris being her partner.
France’s foreign ministry said last May that Kohler and Paris were being detained as «state hostages by the Islamic Republic of Iran.»
AFGHANISTAN FREES US CITIZEN DENNIS COYLE OVER A YEAR AFTER TALIBAN ARREST
French President Emmanuel Macron holds a press conference on July 10, 2025, in London, England. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
«They are being held in shameful conditions and have been able to receive only four consular visits, under very restrictive conditions,» the ministry said at the time.
Iranian authorities freed the pair from prison in November but didn’t let them leave the country, according to The Associated Press.
Noemie Kohler, sister of Cecile Kohler, and Anne-Laure Paris, daughter of Jacques Paris, attend a press conference in Paris, France, on June 27, 2025. Both are relatives of French citizens held in Iran. (Benoit Tessier/Reuters)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
French officials said they were then being kept safe at the French Embassy in Tehran, until their departure from Iran on Tuesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
france, emmanuel macron, iran, foreign affairs, personal freedoms
INTERNACIONAL
Trump-backed Republican pads GOP’s fragile House majority by winning showdown for MTG’s former seat
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
RINGGOLD, GA — Republican congressional candidate Clay Fuller just gave House Speaker Mike Johnson a little bit of breathing room as the GOP clings to a razor-thin majority in Congress.
Fuller, who was backed by President Donald Trump, on Tuesday defeated Democrat Shawn Harris in a special election to fill the empty U.S. House seat in Georgia’s solidly red 14th Congressional District, the Associated Press reported.
«He was the difference maker,» Fuller told Fox News Digital following his victory. He was the key factor in us winning….Our results prove that President Trump means a ton to Georgia-14.»
The seat was left vacant when MAGA firebrand Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene stepped down at the beginning of January. Greene quit Congress with a year left in her term, after a bitter falling out with Trump.
The special election came as Republicans cling to a razor-thin 218–214 majority in the House. The GOP was under the gun to make sure the Democrats didn’t pull off an upset in the special election, in a district in northwest Georgia that Trump carried by a whopping 37 points in his 2024 presidential victory.
PRIMARY PAUSE, POLITICAL FIRESTORM: HIGH-STAKES ELECTIONS THIS MONTH TAKE CENTER STAGE
Republican congressional candidate Clay Fuller, left, speaks next to President Donald Trump, during a visit to the Coosa Steel Corporation in Rome, Georgia, Feb. 19, 2026. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
«It’s extremely crucial, and we need the reinforcements,» Fuller told Fox News Digital on the eve of the runoff election.
Fuller, a local district attorney and a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard who’s served in the Air Force since 2009, added, «I think the voters in Georgia 14 understand that, and they’re looking forward to sending a MAGA America first fighter up on Capitol Hill to support that agenda.»
TRUMP HITS CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN KEY BATTLEGROUND AS RACE TO REPLACE MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE HEATS UP
Asked if he was concerned that MAGA supporters would sit out what was expected to be a low turnout election since the president is not on the ballot, Fuller said Trump voters «would crawl through glass to make sure they have a representative up there that fight for them and fight for President Trump.»
Harris, a cattle farmer who spent four decades in the military and retired as an Army brigadier general, needed the support of crossover Republicans in order to pull off an upset.
«I am a Democrat, but I’m not tied to the party,» Harris highlighted as he spoke with Fox News Digital on Monday. And Harris argued, «My opponent, Clay, cannot say that. He actually sold his soul to President Trump.»
Harris narrowly edged Fuller amid a field of 17 candidates, including 12 Republicans, in the first round of voting in early March. Since no candidate topped 50%, Harris and Fuller advanced to Tuesday’s runoff.
HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
The congressional seat — which stretches from Atlanta’s outer suburbs to the state’s northwest borders with Alabama and Tennessee — was left vacant when Greene quit Congress with a year left in her term, after a very public falling out with Trump mostly over her push to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., speaks during a news conference with 10 of the alleged victims of disgraced financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein outside the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
While Greene remains popular among Republicans in the district, Fuller said the voters he talked with on the campaign trail were «focused on the fights of the future, not anything that had happened in the past.»
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Asked if he spoke with Greene, Fuller said he «reached out to Rep. Greene, had conversations with her and got advice on the district, and I’ll keep those conversations confidential.»
Harris, who as a first-time candidate lost to Greene by nearly 29 points in her 2024 re-election, emphasized that he wasn’t «running against Marjorie Taylor Greene anymore,» and that his name «carries more weight than any other name in this district.»
donald trump, democrats, republicans, democrats elections, midterm elections, georgia, campaigning
Diputados kirchneristas presentaron un proyecto para declarar la neutralidad de la Argentina en la guerra contra Irán
Bolsas chinas y de Hong Kong suben hasta un 2,51 % al abrir ante el alto el fuego en Irán Por EFE
El Gobierno acordó con Santa Fe y Corrientes los pagos de las importantes deudas que ANSES tiene con ambas provincias
La formación de River Plate vs. Blooming, por la fecha 1 del Grupo H de la Copa Sudamericana
La Justicia investiga a exfuncionarios del PAMI y empresarios de la salud por montar una red para facturar prestaciones inexistentes
¿Por qué una planta eligió un solo aroma para sobrevivir? El sorprendente caso del Smilax insularis
La nueva advertencia de Donald Trump a Irán: «El tiempo se acaba, quedan 48 horas antes del infierno»
Círculo rojo: intrigas en el gabinete, desgaste por el caso Adorni y movimientos inquietantes en el Poder Judicial
Caputo habló sobre los créditos del Banco Nación que tomaron sus funcionarios: “No hay nada ilegal ni inmoral”
Créditos del Banco Nación: el Gobierno reveló que Pettovello echó a Massaccesi porque “mintió”
POLITICA3 días agoCírculo rojo: intrigas en el gabinete, desgaste por el caso Adorni y movimientos inquietantes en el Poder Judicial
- ECONOMIA2 días ago
Caputo habló sobre los créditos del Banco Nación que tomaron sus funcionarios: “No hay nada ilegal ni inmoral”
- POLITICA1 día ago
Adorni recibió US$100 mil de otras dos mujeres por la hipoteca de un departamento anterior en Caballito
