INTERNACIONAL
Massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocks Thailand, Burma, collapsing buildings and killing more than 1,000
A massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattled Thailand and Burma on Friday, causing buildings to collapse and leaving more than 1,000 dead across both countries.
The country’s military-led government said in a statement that 1,002 people have now been found dead and another 2,376 injured, with 30 others missing. The statement suggested the numbers could still rise, saying «detailed figures are still being collected.»
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 and 101 are missing from three construction sites, including the high-rise.
The earthquake’s epicenter was in central Burma and aftershocks were reportedly felt in India and China. Photos and video from Burma showed two hard-hit cities with extensive damage.
One aftershock was reported to have been 6.4 magnitude, according to the United States Geological Survey. People in Bangkok that were evacuated from their buildings were cautioned to stay outside in case there were more.
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Rescuers work at the site of a collapsed apartment building under construction in Bangkok, Thailand. (Reuters/Ann Wang)
The head of Burma’s military government said in a televised speech Friday evening that at least 144 people were killed and 730 others were injured.
«The death toll and injuries are expected to rise,» Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said, according to the Associated Press.
In Bangkok, Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said 90 people were missing in the wake of the building collapse.
Near Bangkok’s popular Chatuchak market, the 33-story building under construction, with a crane on top, crumpled into a cloud of dust, and onlookers could be seen screaming and running in other videos posted to social media.
Officials there declared the city a disaster area to facilitate interagency aid and emergency help. The greater Bangkok area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments.
April Kanichawanakul, who works in an office building in Bangkok’s city center, at first didn’t even realize it was an earthquake, the first she’d ever experienced. «I just thought I was dizzy,» she told the AP.
«All of a sudden the whole building began to move. Immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic,» added Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland, who was in one of Bangkok’s many malls shopping for camera equipment.
Patients are evacuated outdoors at a hospital after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, March 28. (Tadchakorn Kitchaiphon)
«I just started walking calmly at first but then the building started really moving, yeah, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, people running the wrong way down the escalators, lots of banging and crashing inside the mall.»
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The U.S. Geological Survey and Germany’s GFZ center for geosciences said the earthquake was a shallow 6.2 miles, with an epicenter in central Burma, according to preliminary reports.
Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, March 28. (AP/Sakchai Lalit)
Water from high-rise rooftop pools in Bangkok sloshed over the side as they shook, and debris fell from many buildings.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra called an emergency meeting to assess the impact of the quake, which Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention said was felt in almost all regions of the country.
The location of Friday’s earthquake that rocked Burma and Thailand. (Fox News)
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.
Damaged pagodas are seen after an earthquake, on Friday, March 28, in Naypyitaw, Burma. (AP/Aung Shine Oo)
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There are reportedly 188 people injured so far in Tibet on the Chinese side of the border, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
INTERNACIONAL
El jefe de la OTAN respaldó la capacidad de respuesta del bloque frente a las incursiones de drones rusos en territorio aliado
El secretario general de la OTAN, Mark Rutte, destacó este jueves la rápida respuesta aérea del bloque frente a las recientes incursiones de drones y aviones rusos en el espacio aéreo de la Alianza.
Durante su visita al Mando Conjunto Aliado de la Fuerza de Brunssum, en los Países Bajos, Rutte subrayó que la organización está plenamente preparada para reaccionar ante cualquier amenaza en el norte y el este de Europa.
También remarcó la importancia estratégica de ese centro como pieza clave en la coordinación de las operaciones defensivas de la OTAN, en un contexto de creciente actividad militar rusa orientada a poner a prueba los límites de las defensas occidentales.
Rutte describió el flanco norte y oriental de Europa como escenarios donde Moscú evalúa la determinación de la Alianza y busca detectar debilidades en la coordinación defensiva.
“Estas son zonas donde Rusia intenta constantemente poner a prueba nuestra determinación y nuestras respuestas”, señaló el ex primer ministro neerlandés.
“La OTAN ha respondido de manera rápida y decisiva a las violaciones del espacio aéreo por parte de Rusia, y cada día nuestra sólida presencia sobre el terreno demuestra nuestra determinación”, agregó Rutte tras una reciente oleada de incidentes en territorio aliado.
El dirigente de la OTAN manifestó que la labor de Brunssum, uno de los tres mandos estratégicos en Europa, resulta fundamental para sostener la credibilidad disuasiva del bloque atlántico. Rutte argumentó que el despliegue de fuerzas multinacionales en ocho países del flanco oriental funciona como mensaje inequívoco hacia Rusia y otros adversarios.
“Las fuerzas en el flanco oriental, con los batallones multinacionales en ocho países aliados, envían una señal clara a cualquier adversario de que la OTAN se toma en serio su misión de protegerse mutuamente”, afirmó.
En incidentes anteriores, la OTAN optó por escoltar o interceptar aeronaves rusas y evitar acciones que pudieran convertirse en una escalada, aunque Rutte subrayó que la Alianza cuenta con todos los recursos y la voluntad política para defender su territorio y el aire aliado en caso de una agresión intencionada.
“Si Rusia intenta algo intencionalmente contra la OTAN, tenemos todas las herramientas para defender nuestro territorio y espacio aéreo”, puntualizó.
El secretario general defendió el compromiso asumido por los aliados para reforzar el gasto en defensa, camino al objetivo de destinar un 5% del PIB para 2035.
El acuerdo alcanzado meses atrás en la cumbre de La Haya refleja la evolución que el entorno internacional exige a la organización. Para la OTAN, el fortalecimiento defensivo no solo responde a la amenaza rusa sino también a la transformación acelerada de la guerra, impulsada por nuevas tecnologías y el aumento de ataques híbridos.
Rutte también aplaudió el avance de la coalición gubernamental sobre la reforma del servicio militar de Alemania.
Berlín adoptó una nueva fórmula que exigirá a partir del próximo año a jóvenes de 18 años —hombres obligatoriamente y mujeres de manera voluntaria— que informen su aptitud para el ejército, una medida calibrada para responder al déficit de personal en las fuerzas armadas.
Si el reclutamiento voluntario resulta insuficiente, la ley contempla la reintroducción de la obligatoriedad. El Ministerio de Defensa de Alemania proyecta incrementar su plantilla a 270.000 efectivos antes de 2035, frente a los cerca de 183.000 actuales.
Para el secretario general de la Alianza, la decisión alemana refuerza la capacidad colectiva de defensa.
“Cada país decide por sí mismo cómo encontrar suficientes hombres y mujeres para el ejército. Estoy muy feliz de escuchar que la coalición en Alemania ha acordado avanzar. Es muy importante”, evaluó Rutte.
El líder de la OTAN sostuvo que cualquier medida que implique mayor participación nacional en el esfuerzo militar constituye una contribución directa a la solidez conjunta de la Alianza, en tiempos de renovada rivalidad estratégica.
La agenda del bloque contempla, además, la entrega coordinada de materiales y equipamiento avanzado a Ucrania, en el marco de la invasión rusa y con financiación compartida entre Estados Unidos, la Unión Europea y el conjunto de los aliados.
(Con información de Europa Press y EFE)
International,Relations,Diplomacy / Foreign Policy,Europe
INTERNACIONAL
Progressive Democrats turn on party leadership after government shutdown ends without healthcare guarantees
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Several Democrats broke ranks with their party to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history in a move that has triggered backlash from rising progressive stars, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who questioned whether the 43-day standoff had been worth it.
The intraparty revolt has exposed a widening rift between Democratic leadership and its left flank, as progressive candidates accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of surrendering leverage to Republicans and President Donald Trump in exchange for a funding deal that left key healthcare priorities unresolved.
«We have federal workers across the country that have been missing paychecks. We have SNAP recipients, millions of SNAP recipients across the country whose access to food stability was imperiled, and we have to figure out what that was for,» Ocasio-Cortez said, before adding, «We cannot enable this kind of cruelty with our cowardice.»
Back on the campaign trail, several Democrats running in next year’s midterm elections blasted colleagues who voted to reopen the government without extending the pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies — the key provision they’ve pushed for since the shutdown began on Oct. 1.
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN 101: WE’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, HERE’S WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., talks with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol about members security after the murder of Charlie Kirk on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Aftyn Behn, the Democratic nominee to represent Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District who has been described as the «AOC of TN,» said the shutdown ending proved «we need a new generation of leadership in Washington» and criticized the «career politicians» who caved without a guarantee to vote on ACA subsidies from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
SCHUMER PUSHES SHUTDOWN INTO RECORD BOOKS AFTER REJECTING GOP BILL A 14TH TIME
Saikat Chakrabarti, Ocasio-Cortez’s former chief of staff who is running to replace House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi in her congressional district in San Francisco, agreed those Democrats who «caved» to Trump to reopen the government proved «we need a new generation of leaders in Congress.»
Tennessee state Rep. Aftyn Behn speaks to members of the audience before the start of a Democratic Party forum for candidates running for the 7th Congressional District special election at the Fairview Recreation Center in Fairview on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (Alan Poizner-For The Tennessean/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
«After 40 days of holding firm, with public opinion and momentum on our side, establishment Democrats decided to cave to Trump. Schumer and the entire democratic leadership need to step down — and if they run for re-election, we need to primary them,» Chakrabarti said.
THE 5 LONGEST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS IN HISTORY: WHAT HAPPENED, HOW THEY ENDED
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, one of several progressive candidates vying for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat next year, who «literally wrote the book on Medicare for All,» according to his campaign website,» said the healthcare fight shouldn’t end with ACA subsidies.
«It HAS TO BE bigger. Too many Americans are suffering over medical debt and spiraling costs. It should be nothing short of Medicare for All,» he said.
El-Sayed said Americans should be «spitting mad about a few Senate Dems capitulating as health insurance premiums skyrocket for 25M people.»
As word circulated Sunday night that Congress was approaching a deal to reopen the government, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani called on Democrats to reject the bill.
«This ‘deal’ dramatically hikes healthcare premiums and only exacerbates the affordability crisis,» Mamdani said. «It should be rejected, as should any politics willing to compromise on the basic needs of working people.»
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., speaks at a campaign event for Zohran Mamdani in New York City on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. New York voters are turning out early in high numbers for a mayoral race that’s captured the country’s attention. (Christian Monterrosa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
And Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who traveled to Queens, New York City, to campaign for Mamdani last month, has said this week that reopening the government without healthcare guarantees proved Schumer is «no longer effective and should be replaced.»
«If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?» Khanna said.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on Thursday shifted the blame to Republicans, charging Trump and Republicans of adopting a «my way or the highway» approach in Congress.
«Unless they change course, we’re going to have challenges governmentally for the balance of the first two years of Donald Trump’s time in office,» Jeffries said on MSNBC’s «Way Too Early.»
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) expired on Nov. 1, jeopardizing food access for millions of low-income Americans who rely on the benefit.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at the «No Kings» Rally in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 18, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Emma Woodhead)
While Ocasio-Cortez questioned what the shutdown was for, if not to preserve the healthcare subsidies, Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., argued Wednesday that healthcare in Alabama is more than just a «talking point,» citing Alabama’s low life expectancy rates and limited hospitals.
«Protecting health care for us is a requisite,» he said. «It’s a requirement. It’s something we have to do. And if you ask us if the shutdown was worth it, I say, hell yes, it was worth it. Because fighting to maintain healthcare for American people, there’s nothing more pure than that. There’s no more important role that we have here as members of Congress.»
Meanwhile, «Squad» member Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., called the Senate’s deal a «betrayal of working people and a sham.»
«The public rightly recognizes that Trump and Congressional Republicans are to blame for the longest government shutdown in history,» Omar said in a statement on behalf of the progressive caucus.
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And Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a longtime supporter of Medicare for All and universal healthcare, also criticized Trump on Wednesday for being «willing to see children go hungry to make a political point.»
«I think what is so important for folks to understand is that this problem is bigger than one person, and it actually is bigger than the minority leader in the Senate,» Ocasio-Cortez said Wednesday, calling this failure of Democrats to hold the line on the government shutdown a «reflection of the party.»
Fox News’ Tyler Olson and Ryan Schmelz contributed to this report.
democratic party,the squad,socialism,elections,midterm elections,government shutdown
INTERNACIONAL
Top Ukrainian officials in Zelenskyy government submit resignations amid $100 million corruption scandal
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Two senior Ukrainian officials submitted their resignations Wednesday amid the fallout over an alleged $100 million kickback corruption scheme linked to the state-owned nuclear power company Energoatom.
Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said on X that Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk submitted their resignations, and the government suspended several senior officials at Energoatom amid the corruption probe.
Svyrydenko added that the cabinet also submitted proposals to apply personal sanctions against Timur Mindich, a former business partner of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and businessman Alexander Tsukerman.
Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk submitted their resignations on Nov. 12, 2025. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images; Andrii Nesterenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Ukraine’s independent anti-corruption agencies, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) said they led a 15-month investigation code-named «Midas» that uncovered a «large-scale corruption scheme to influence strategic state-owned enterprises.»
WITKOFF MEETS UKRAINE OFFICIALS IN NEW YORK AHEAD OF EMERGENCY UN SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING: ‘VERY PRODUCTIVE’
It involved a «high level criminal [organization]» that systematically received «illicit benefits from Energoatom’s contractors in the amount of 10% to 15% of the contract value,» NABU said.
«In particular, Energoatom’s contractors were forced to pay kickbacks to avoid having payments for their services/products blocked or losing their supplier status,» the agencies announced.
The offices of NABU, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, on Oct. 1, 2019, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Sean Gallup/Getty)
The anti-corruption agencies stated that the alleged criminal organization ran a Kyiv-based «laundry» office whose premises belonged to the family of former Ukrainian lawmaker and current Russian senator Andrii Derkach.
ZELENSKYY: UKRAINE ‘CONFIDENTLY MOVING TOWARD’ EU MEMBERSHIP AFTER EUROPEAN COMMISSION PROGRESS REPORT
The office kept «black accounting» records and laundered approximately $100 million through non-resident companies, according to NABU and SAPO.
Five people were detained and another seven were placed under suspicion, including a former advisor to the Minister of Energy.
The scandal comes amid Russia’s escalating attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure that have led to power outages across the country.
A seller waits for customers in a shop during a partial blackout in Lviv on Nov. 28, 2024, following Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Yuriy Dyachyshyn/AFP via Getty Images)
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«Internally this scandal will be used to undermine unity and stability within the country. Externally, our enemies will use it as an argument to stop aid to Ukraine,» said Oleksandr Merezhko, a lawmaker with Zelenskyy’s party, according to The Associated Press.
«It looks really bad in the eyes of our European and American partners,» Merezhko said. «While Russians destroy our power grid and people have to endure blackouts, someone at the top was stealing money during the war.»
Zelenskyy said in a post on X that he supports the investigations carried out by Ukraine’s law enforcement and anti-corruption officials.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy participates in a briefing at the Office of the President following a staff meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Nov. 7, 2025.
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«Right now it is extremely difficult for everyone in Ukraine – enduring power outages, Russian strikes, and losses. It is absolutely unacceptable that, amid all this, there are also some schemes in the energy sector,» he wrote. «I will sign a decree to impose sanctions on two individuals implicated in the NABU case concerning Energoatom. Right now we all must protect Ukraine. Undermining the state means you will be held accountable. Breaking the law means you will be held accountable.»
ukraine,corruption,world,energy
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