{"id":869,"date":"2025-03-29T03:37:48","date_gmt":"2025-03-29T03:37:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=869"},"modified":"2025-03-29T03:37:48","modified_gmt":"2025-03-29T03:37:48","slug":"myanmar-reels-from-deadly-7-7-magnitude-earthquake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=869","title":{"rendered":"Myanmar Reels From Deadly 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at <strong>Myanmar<\/strong>\u2019s deadly earthquake, <strong>Israel<\/strong>\u2019s strikes on <strong>Beirut<\/strong>, and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth\u2019s trip to the<strong> Philippines. <\/strong><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Rising Death Toll in Myanmar <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/28\/world\/asia\/earthquake-myanmar-thailand-death-toll.html\">7.7 magnitude earthquake<\/a> struck central Myanmar on Friday, sending tremors through Southeast Asia that killed at least 150 people and damaged infrastructure. In Myanmar, the country\u2019s ruling military junta reported that at least 144 people were killed and more than 700 injured. In neighboring Thailand, the collapse of a skyscraper under construction in Bangkok killed at least seven people.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at <strong>Myanmar<\/strong>\u2019s deadly earthquake, <strong>Israel<\/strong>\u2019s strikes on <strong>Beirut<\/strong>, and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth\u2019s trip to the<strong> Philippines. <\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-fallback\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/world-brief\/\">Sign up<\/a>  to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday.            <\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-shortcode-newsletter=\"world_brief\" class=\"newsletter-unit-signup newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode email-capture--step-1 newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-world_brief\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-world_brief newsletter-shortcode-world_brief\">\n<div class=\"show-on-email-capture--signed-up hide-from-newsletter-subscriber newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode--container\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit newsletters-page newsletter-row\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-world_brief\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">Sign up to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday.<\/h2>\n<p>\n                        <button class=\"button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"grid--flex newsletter-world_brief newsletter-signup-container\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"World Brief sign up form\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"buttons\">\n<div class=\"hide-from-newsletter-subscriber privacy-policy-container\">\n<div class=\"privacy-policy-acknowledge\">\n<p><small>By submitting your email, you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/termsofuse\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Use<\/a> and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n    <label for=\"email-world_brief\">Enter your email<\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" class=\"hide-from-reg hide-from-sub\" id=\"email-world_brief\" aria-required=\"true\" required=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    <button class=\"button button--signup \" data-newsletter-id=\"world_brief\" data-sourceid=\"In-article unit\">Sign Up<\/button>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Rising Death Toll in Myanmar <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/28\/world\/asia\/earthquake-myanmar-thailand-death-toll.html\">7.7 magnitude earthquake<\/a> struck central Myanmar on Friday, sending tremors through Southeast Asia that killed at least 150 people and damaged infrastructure. In Myanmar, the country\u2019s ruling military junta reported that at least 144 people were killed and more than 700 injured. In neighboring Thailand, the collapse of a skyscraper under construction in Bangkok killed at least seven people.<\/p>\n<p>Friday\u2019s earthquake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar\u2019s second-largest city, at a little past midday local time. A second aftershock with a magnitude of 6.4 was felt approximately 12 minutes later. While the quake was categorized as \u201cmajor\u201d and the aftershock as \u201cstrong,\u201d according to the U.S. Geological Survey, the full extent of death and destruction remains unclear\u2014especially since Myanmar, which has been embroiled in a civil war since its 2021 coup, has severe internet restrictions that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/28\/world\/asia\/myanmar-earthquake-internet-censorship.html\">limit<\/a> information.<\/p>\n<p>In Mandalay, which has a population of roughly 1.5 million people, the earthquake <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/thailand-earthquake-bangkok-4fce87aced74b1fc0cf260fb5454d353\">reportedly<\/a> damaged multiple buildings, including a prominent monastery and the former royal palace, and resulted in a dam burst that caused water levels to rise in lowland areas. In the nearby city of Sagaing, the collapse of a 90-year-old bridge and the destruction of parts of a highway left residents devastated.<\/p>\n<p>The country\u2019s military junta has declared a state of emergency in six regions, including Mandalay and the capital city of Naypyidaw, and has made a rare request for international humanitarian aid. The United Nations <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/un-mobilizing-help-those-need-after-south-asia-quake-2025-03-28\/\">said<\/a> that it was mobilizing its resources in the region to support the people of Myanmar. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, writing in a post on social media, also <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/narendramodi\/status\/1905534514505678980?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet\">offered<\/a> \u201cpossible assistance\u201d to the governments of Myanmar and Thailand.<\/p>\n<p>The natural disaster has struck Myanmar at a time when it is already reeling from a humanitarian crisis. Since the onset of the civil war, more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eeas.europa.eu\/eeas\/myanmar-joint-statement-human-rights-and-humanitarian-situation_en#:~:text=The%20ongoing%20conflict%20has%20resulted,the%20delivery%20of%20medical%20assistance.\">3.5 million people<\/a> have fled the country, citing an escalation in violence, interethnic tensions, food insecurity, and the spread of disease.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>Today\u2019s Most Read<\/strong><\/h3>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>What We\u2019re Following<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Israel strikes Beirut. <\/strong>The Israeli Air Force <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/israel-intercepts-projectiles-launched-lebanon-2025-03-28\/\">launched<\/a> airstrikes on Friday against Beirut, Lebanon\u2019s capital, for the first time since a U.S.-brokered cease-fire deal ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in November. Following the strike, Israel\u2019s military said it had targeted a drone storage facility in Dahiyeh, a densely populated neighborhood in southern Beirut, which Israel said was being used by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.<\/p>\n<p>The attack came after early morning rockets were fired from southern Lebanon toward northern Israel. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/liveblog_entry\/no-peace-in-beirut-if-northern-israel-is-attacked-katz-warns-after-rocket-fire-from-lebanon\/\">said<\/a> that the Lebanese government bore \u201cdirect responsibility\u201d for the attacks and warned that without peace in Israel\u2019s north, \u201cthere will be no peace in Beirut either.\u201d Hezbollah has denied involvement in the attack and said that it was committed to the cease-fire.<\/p>\n<p>Friday\u2019s bombardment struck a residential and commercial area in Beirut, though it remains unclear if there were casualties. The recent resumption of fighting comes as Israel has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2025\/03\/24\/nx-s1-5337989\/israel-gaza-invasion-hamas\">renewed<\/a> its military offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/clyz4nnqgvdo\">50,000 Palestinians<\/a> since Israel launched its military campaign after Hamas\u2019s Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hegseth in Asia. <\/strong>The United States will boost its military alliance with the Philippines in a bid to counter <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2024\/06\/06\/south-china-sea-philippines-fishing-vessels-maritime-conflict-shoal\/\">Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region<\/a>, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Friday during his first trip to Asia as the head of the Pentagon. Speaking at a news conference in Manila, the Philippine capital, Hegseth reaffirmed the Trump administration\u2019s \u201cironclad commitment\u201d to the region and said that it would \u201ctruly prioritize a shift\u201d to the region in an \u201cunprecedented\u201d way.<\/p>\n<p>During his visit, Hegseth met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. to discuss how the two countries can reestablish deterrence in the South China Sea and accelerate their defense partnership. The United States <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/Releases\/Release\/Article\/4137869\/united-statesphilippines-joint-statement-on-secretary-hegseths-inaugural-visit\/\">agreed<\/a> to deploy additional advanced military capabilities to the Philippines, including a ground-based anti-ship missile launcher, and prioritize defense industrial cooperation.<\/p>\n<p>Manila has been on the forefront of China\u2019s increasingly aggressive posture in the South China Sea. According to satellite images obtained by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/satellite-images-show-fresh-chinese-bomber-deployment-south-china-sea-2025-03-28\/\">Reuters<\/a>, Beijing deployed two long-range H-6 bombers around the contested Scarborough Shoal this week. Hegseth, who is facing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/25\/us\/democrats-hegseth-waltz-resign-signal.html\">pushback<\/a> in Washington for discussing sensitive U.S. military attack plans over a Signal group chat, will also visit Japan as part of his trip.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thousands detained in Turkey.<\/strong> The Turkish government continues to crack down on demonstrators and journalists, detaining nearly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/turkey-detains-nearly-1900-people-protests-over-jailed-mayor-rejects-2025-03-27\/\">1,900 people<\/a> since nationwide protests began following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19.<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, Turkey deported BBC correspondent Mark Lowen after detaining him for 17 hours. Lowen had previously lived in the country for five years and was covering the recent wave of protests. Turkish authorities also briefly arrested Imamoglu\u2019s lawyer, who was released on Friday after an overnight detainment. International watchdogs such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/latest\/news\/2025\/03\/turkiye-unlawful-and-indiscriminate-attacks-on-peaceful-protesters-must-end-and-protest-bans-must-be-lifted-immediately\/\">Amnesty International<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2025\/03\/27\/turkiye-ensure-peaceful-assembly-free-speech-during-protests\">Human Rights Watch<\/a> have raised alarm over allegations of the use of force by police\u2014which has reportedly included pepper spray, tear gas, and water cannons\u2014against peaceful protesters as well as the use of internet restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>Imamoglu, who has been jailed on accusations of corruption, is seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan\u2019s main political rival. On the day of his arrest, Turkey\u2019s main opposition party, the center-left Republican People\u2019s Party, had endorsed him to run as its candidate in the 2028 presidential election.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is more than the slow erosion of democracy,\u201d Imamoglu <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/28\/opinion\/mayor-imamoglu-arrested-erdogan.html\">wrote<\/a> in a guest essay for the <em>New York Times<\/em> on Friday. \u201cIt is the deliberate dismantling of our republic\u2019s institutional foundations.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>What in the World?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>On Thursday, South Korea\u2019s military said North Korea had sent approximately how many additional troops to Russia in January and February?<\/p>\n<p>(A) 3,000<\/p>\n<p>(B) 5,000<\/p>\n<p>(C) 7,000<\/p>\n<p>(D) 9,000<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>Odds and Ends<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2025\/03\/27\/kristi-noem-rolex-controversy\/\">sparked<\/a> online controversy after visiting a high-security prison in El Salvador on Wednesday while wearing a $50,000 Rolex watch. The mega-prison, notorious for its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/mar\/27\/kristi-noem-el-salvador-prison-visit-trump-admin\">harsh treatment<\/a> of inmates, holds more than 200 Venezuelan immigrants who were deported from the United States earlier this month under the Alien Enemies Act. During her visit, Noem recorded a video warning undocumented immigrants against entering the United States. Her message\u2014and the luxury watch\u2014drew criticism from immigration advocates who pointed out the stark contrast between her accessory and the prison setting.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>And the Answer Is\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>(A). 3,000<\/p>\n<p>North Korea\u2019s continued contribution to Russia\u2019s war effort in Ukraine is further evidence of a brewing geopolitical storm\u2014one that the United States is unprepared to face, James Kitfield <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/03\/26\/america-listing-geopolitical-threats-military-commands\/\">argues<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>To take the rest of FP\u2019s weekly international news quiz, <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/03\/28\/foreign-policy-news-quiz-russia-ukraine-cease-fire-brazil-lula-trade-erdogan-turkey-protests\/\">click here<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/alerts\/\">sign up<\/a> to be alerted when a new one is published.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/03\/28\/earthquake-myanmar-thailand-military-junta-natural-disaster\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at Myanmar\u2019s deadly earthquake, Israel\u2019s strikes on Beirut, and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth\u2019s trip to the Philippines. \u00a0Rising Death Toll in Myanmar A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, sending tremors through Southeast Asia that killed at least 150 people and damaged infrastructure. In [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":870,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-869","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politcical-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=869"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}