Myanmar Earthquake M 7.7 - 140 Death Toll

Powerful quake rocks Myanmar at least 144 people were killed and more than 730 injured after a 7.7-magnitude quake struck Myanmar near the city of Mandalay, according to the head of the country’s military government, who warned that casualties are likely to rise.

Buildings collapse in Bangkok. The quake triggered the collapse of buildings hundreds of miles away in Thailand. At least nine people have died in the nation’s capital, and authorities are racing to free 110 people believed to be trapped under the rubble of an under-construction high-rise, officials said.

Much of the devastation was in Myanmar's second largest city, Mandalay, which lies close to the epicentre of the 7.7 magnitude quake that struck at lunchtime and was followed by a powerful aftershock and several more moderate ones.

A rescue worker from Amarapura, an ancient city and now a township of Mandalay, said the bodies of 30 people had been recovered from collapsed multi-story apartment blocks.

"I have never experienced anything like this before - our town looks like a collapsed city," he said, estimating that about a fifth of the buildings had been destroyed.

"We received calls for help from people from the inside, but we cannot help because we do not have enough manpower and machines to remove the debris, but we will not stop working".

General Min Aung Hlaing, leader of Myanmar's military junta, said there would be more deaths and casualties and invited "any country" to provide help and donations.

Speaking at the White House later on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he had spoken with officials in Myanmar and that his administration would be providing some form of assistance. "We're going to be helping," he told reporters.

In the Thai capital Bangkok, an official said at least nine people had been killed. Rescuers were searching through the rubble of the tower block that collapsed.

Motorists ride past a damaged building in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 28. REUTERS/Stringer Purchase Licensing Rights

Mandalay, with a population of about 1.5 million, is Myanmar's ancient royal capital and the centre of its Buddhist heartland. Rescue workers were trying to reach dozens of monks trapped under rubble in the Phaya Taung Monastery, said the emergency worker in Amarapura. Buildings, bridges and roads were wrecked, residents and local media said.

State-run MRTV said at least 144 people had been killed in Myanmar and 732 injured.

The junta is locked in a struggle to put down insurgents fighting its rule, a situation that is likely to complicate the rescue and relief operation.

"We all ran out of the house as everything started shaking," a Mandalay resident told. "I witnessed a five-storey building collapse in front of my eyes. Everyone in my town is out on the road and no one dares to go back inside."

A rescue worker from the Moe Saydanar charity told Reuters it had retrieved at least 60 bodies from monasteries and buildings in Pyinmana, near the capital Naypyidaw, and more people were trapped. In the purpose-built capital itself, a 1,000-bed hospital sustained damage and roads were left with huge fissures, state media reported.

People ride motorcycles past a damaged building after a strong earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 28. REUTERS/Stringer Purchase Licensing Rights

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations was mobilising in Southeast Asia to help those in need.

Zin Mar Aung, the diplomatic spokesperson for the opposition National Unity Government, said fighters from the anti-junta militias known as the People's Defence Forces would provide humanitarian help.

About 11 minutes after the initial 7.7-magnitude earthquake, a strong, 6.4-magnitude aftershock struck the same area, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Quakes and aftershocks within 100 miles

An aftershock is usually a smaller earthquake that follows a larger one in the same general area. Aftershocks are typically minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake.

Aftershocks can occur days, weeks or even years after the first earthquake. These events can be of equal or larger magnitude to the initial earthquake, and they can continue to affect already damaged locations.

Bangkok woman describes fleeing from 33rd floor of her apartment building after quake

One woman who lives in Bangkok said she was on the 33rd floor of her apartment building when a powerful earthquake struck neighboring Myanmar.

Bella Pawita Sunthornpong appears on CNN on Friday. CNN

At first, Bella Pawita Sunthornpong thought it was a moment of lightheadedness “because I was seeing everything was swaying.

“But I was walking out to another room, and I start seeing the lamp from the ceiling was, like, really swaying together,” she told CNN, describing the moment she realized it was an earthquake.

She grabbed her phone and started running down from the 33rd floor, telling others around her to run too. She said as she was making her way out of the building, ceiling paint was falling and everything was still swaying.

“I was thinking, you know, whatever happened, I just need to keep running until I hit the ground,” Pawita Sunthornpong said.

Also in Bangkok, which is hundreds of miles from the epicenter of the earthquake, a building that was under construction in the city collapsed, killing several people. Pawita Sunthornpong said when she made it outside, there was a lot of fear and confusion, with people looking at her building wondering, “Is this going to crumble?”

Pawita Sunthornpong, who went to stay outside of the city, said many of her friends don’t feel safe going back to their apartments: “There’s a lot of cracks everywhere, so people are still in a little bit of fear tonight.”

What was the Russian gas pipeline facility ‘destroyed’ by Kiev

©Russian Defense Ministry

Ukraine has “destroyed” a key border energy facility in Kursk Region, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. The Sudzha gas metering station was part of a major pipeline, which for decades had delivered fuel to EU customers.

Here is what happened and the possible consequences of the attack.

Ukraine finishes off Sudzha station

According to the report by the Russian military, Ukrainian forces used US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems to strike the Sudzha gas pipeline facility on Friday, causing a blaze. The defense ministry in Moscow claimed that the metering station is no longer operational.

Last week, Moscow accused Kiev of sabotaging the same site using planted explosives. Ukrainian forces seized the station last August as part of their incursion into Kursk Region, but have been largely pushed out over recent weeks.

The Russian military said the Ukrainians had damaged the station during their retreat, as they could no longer use it for military logistics.

Ceasefire violation

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted a proposal from his US counterpart, Donald Trump, to suspend attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure; Kiev agreed to the mutual moratorium.

The Russian military has since reported multiple violations by Ukraine, which it said demonstrates Kiev’s duplicity. Moscow claims it is honoring its obligations under the deal as part of an effort to normalize relations with Washington.

However, commenting on the destruction of the Sudzha station on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow reserves the right to withdraw from the agreement, since “it would be illogical for us to observe it, when every night we face attempted strikes on our energy infrastructure.”

End of EU transit

The Sudzha station was part of an energy route connecting gas fields in Western Siberia with Uzhhorod, a city on the Ukrainian border with Hungary, feeding the fuel to gas pipelines in the EU.

Originally built by the USSR with German help in what the press dubbed “the deal of the century,” the pipeline provided Europe with access to cheap fuel for decades. Last year, over 15 billion cubic meters of Russian gas was delivered through Ukraine, despite the two nations engaging in an armed conflict. Kiev has received hundreds of millions of dollars in transit fees annually under the scheme.

Kiev, however, refused to renew the contract with Russia that expired at the end of 2024, claiming that it wanted to deny Moscow the opportunity to sell gas to the EU.

The decision caused a crisis in the EU, as Hungary and Slovakia called on Brussels to apply pressure on Ukraine and secure continued supplies. Friday’s attack will delay the restoration of gas flows to the continent if a peace agreement between Moscow and Kiev is reached.

Kiev’s move backfires

The end of transit backfired on Ukrainian forces in Kursk Region this month, as Russian troops infiltrated behind their defensive positions by traveling through the unused pipeline.

‘Operation Flow,’ as Moscow dubbed it, hastened the collapse of the Ukrainian incursion and led to the liberation of the town of Sudzha, which had previously served as the linchpin of Kiev’s attempts to seize Russian territory.

Putin’s move: Why Ukraine fears the ceasefire deal it helped shape

A month of intense diplomacy has paid off. Russia and Ukraine, with US mediation, have reached their first formal agreement – so far limited to reducing hostilities. The deal outlines a 30-day ceasefire in the Black Sea and a moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure. Superficially, this resembles the “fake” air and naval ceasefire once floated by France and Britain to box Russia into a strategic dilemma. But the result turned out very differently.

Notably, Western European players are absent. Discussions about a second phase involving peacekeepers from France and the UK have stalled. Despite the noise, there will be no EU personnel monitoring this ceasefire. Instead, Russia has used the talks to extract valuable concessions from the Trump administration – chief among them, help regaining access to global agricultural markets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin. ©Sputnik/Ramil Sitdikov

The US has now placed sanctions relief for Rosselkhozbank, Russian food and fertiliser exporters, and shipping access to international ports on the agenda. These were the very demands Moscow had raised during the original 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative, but at the time it received only vague UN assurances. Now, Russia has firm traction.

The energy truce also tilted in Moscow’s favour. Ukraine had wanted it to apply to all critical infrastructure, but the final version – negotiated by Russia and the US – is much narrower. It restricts attacks only on energy-related targets: oil refineries, power plants, hydroelectric stations, pipelines, and so forth. This specificity robs Kiev of opportunities to claim Russian ceasefire violations.

But there are caveats. The biggest: it remains unclear whether the ceasefire has actually come into force. All three parties have issued contradictory statements with conflicting terms.

On the Black Sea deal, for instance, the Kremlin says the ceasefire will not begin until sanctions are lifted. It also claims the agreement allows Russia to inspect all ships heading to Ukrainian ports for weapons.

However, the Ukrainian and US versions omit these conditions. Kiev even asserts that Russian naval vessels are barred from the western Black Sea and that the ceasefire started on 25 March.

Similarly, the timeline for the energy truce is disputed. Moscow insists it began on 18 March, the day of the Putin-Trump phone call. If so, Ukraine is already in breach: recent attacks on Russian infrastructure, such as the strike on the Sudzha gas station, occurred after that date. It’s no surprise then that Zelensky insists the ceasefire only began a week later.

In short, while a ceasefire has been announced, its fragility is obvious. There may not even be a unified written document. Its provisions are being interpreted differently by each party, and the sheer number of caveats allows any participant to declare the deal void at will. As a result, any real progress toward peace remains uncertain.

Now comes the most delicate phase: the battle for narrative dominance. The next few weeks will be filled with technical talks, diplomatic testing, and mutual accusations. Kiev’s aim is to portray Russia as violating the deal, hoping Trump will respond by tightening sanctions and increasing military aid. Moscow, by contrast, seeks to depict Ukraine as the spoiler, thereby strengthening its position in Washington and perhaps even reviving discussions about Zelensky’s future.

Who will succeed in this information war? Russia enters with a clear advantage: the deep mistrust that now exists between the White House and Bankova. Moreover, Trump has broader ambitions, including dismantling the Russia-China partnership. That aim may guide his approach to Moscow far more than anything Zelensky says.

The next big test is the long-delayed agreement on Ukraine’s subsoil resources – a key American interest that Zelensky sabotaged with his recent Washington visit. A revised 40-page draft is reportedly in the works, and insiders suggest it will be more demanding than the original.

Will Zelensky hold his ground? Or fold under pressure? The answer could reshape the peace process. If the Ukrainian leader concedes, Trump may move closer to Russia. If not, relations could once again stall.

Whatever happens, the US-Russia-Ukraine triangle is entering a new, unpredictable chapter. But for now, it is Russia that appears to have gained the most from this uneasy ceasefire – not least by turning a Western pressure tactic into a platform for negotiation on its own terms.

Israel’s war on Gaza ‘Humanity at its darkest hour’

Women and children are among 10 killed in predawn Israeli attacks on Gaza City and Khan Younis as the death toll continues to rise after Israel broke the Gaza ceasefire 10 days ago.

Israel threatens to “act forcefully against any threat” after saying two rockets were fired from southern Lebanon.

The UN’s World Food Programme warns thousands of Palestinians face severe hunger and malnutrition in Gaza as no aid has entered in more than three weeks.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says at least 50,208 Palestinians are confirmed dead and 113,910 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza. Gaza’s Government Media Office updated its death toll to more than 61,700, saying thousands of Palestinians missing under the rubble are presumed dead.

At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks and more than 200 taken captive.

No humanitarian aid has entered #Gaza for more than 3 weeks now. This is longest that Gaza has been without any supplies since the war began.

During the ceasefire, 500–600 trucks arrived daily. The sick are without medicine. Prices are soaring.

Hunger is increasing while the risk of diseases spreading is looming. Meanwhile, bombardment from the Israeli Forces continues.

Last week saw the single deadliest day in the past 1.5 years of war with more than 500 people reported killed including women and children.

Another eight UNRWA staff were killed only in the past week. People continue to search for safety.

Over 140,000 people were forced to flee due to the Israeli authorities evacuation orders.

• The siege must be lifted and crossings must re-open for a standard flow of humanitarian aid and commercial supplies.


• All hostages must be released.


• The bombardment must stop and the ceasefire renewed.

Israel bombs Beirut neighbourhood, kills 22 Palestinians in Gaza

Israel has bombed Beirut for the first time since a ceasefire was agreed in November to end the Israel-Hezbollah war, creating chaos as residents rushed to leave.

Women and children are among 22 people killed in predawn Israeli attacks on Gaza City and Khan Younis as the death toll continues to rise after Israel broke the Gaza ceasefire 10 days ago.

The United Nations World Food Programme has warned that thousands of Palestinians face severe hunger and malnutrition in Gaza as no aid has entered in more than three weeks.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health says at least 50,208 Palestinians have been confirmed dead and 113,910 have been wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza. Gaza’s Government Media Office also updated its death toll to more than 61,700, saying thousands of Palestinians missing under the rubble are presumed dead.

At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks and more than 200 were taken captive.

Israel violating international law with forced evacuations in Gaza, UN says

The United Nations Human Rights Office has accused Israel of violating international law by forcibly displacing Palestinians in Gaza under “mandatory evacuation orders”.

The Israeli army has issued what the UN described as 10 mandatory evacuation orders, covering large areas across Gaza, since it resumed its war against Hamas on March 18, ending a two-month-old ceasefire amid disputes over terms for extending it.

“These evacuations fail to comply with the requirements of international humanitarian law,” UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said in a statement on Friday.

“Israel is not taking any measures to provide accommodation for the evacuated population, nor [to] ensure that these evacuations are conducted in satisfactory conditions of hygiene, health, safety and nutrition,” Al-Kheetan’s statement added.

More than half of northern Gaza appeared to be under such orders, the UN said, while those who had been newly displaced from the south of the enclave in the Rafah area and forced to go to coastal al-Mawasi were not guaranteed safety there.

“We are deeply concerned about the shrinking space for civilians in Gaza who are being forcibly displaced by the Israeli army from large swaths of territory,” it added.

New film delves into US college protests over Gaza genocide - Video

A new documentary, 'The Encampments' is shedding new light on the US college protests against the Gaza genocide.

What exactly happened during the student protests at Columbia University last year and similar universities in the United States and worldwide? What were they fighting for? Was it as truly antisemitic as the Democratic Party, mainstream media, and now the MAGA-led Trump administration say it was?

All of this is explained and shown in such astonishing vivid detail with the documentary The Encampments which had its world premiere at CPH:DOX on March 25, 2025, and is scheduled to be released on March 28 by Watermelon Pictures. After viewing it, there is no doubt in my mind that The Encampments is an essential documentary for the ages, an incredible work of historical documentation that masterfully connects the past and the present, the college protest students and the Palestinian people they were advocating for.

Through exclusive footage and intimate interviews, THE ENCAMPMENTS provides an unprecedented look at one of the most significant student movements in modern history. The film captures the passion, resilience, and challenges faced by students who risked everything to demand justice. THE ENCAMPMENTS examines why universities responded with mass arrests and force rather than engagement and dialogue, and it sheds light on the institutions’ efforts to suppress student activism. In doing so, it offers a deeper understanding of both the power and the costs of grassroots movements.

Directed and produced by Michael T. Workman and Kei Pritsker, The Encampments mainly follow three college students and one alumna (Mahmoud Khalil, Sueda Polat, Grant Miner, and Naye Idriss) who were some of the key figures during the Columbia University Gaza encampment. Throughout the documentary, we are shown the events leading up to the encampment, the university’s response to it, and the brutal NYPD takedown allowed by the university administration. You as the audience viewer will get a keen understanding of the logistics it takes to plan for such a protest as well as experiencing the jubilant and rousing comradery that comes with being part of one.

But we are also shown why the students were willing to risk their tuition and reputations with the knowledge that whatever consequences they would face were insignificant compared to the apartheid and genocide suffered by the Palestinian people. We are shown that the fight was an effort done with a multi-ethnic, interfaith body of students and community members that spanned all races & religions and the spark they ignited in students from other universities worldwide to also get involved.

And finally, we are shown that the protests held last year at the university mirrors that of the 1968 Columbia University protests, an effort led by Black students against the U.S. government’s involvement in the Vietnam War. All of this is expertly combined together with a keen filmmaker’s eye on editing, music, and composition to create a documentary that was clearly made with love, passion, and a burning desire to make a change.

It’s impossible for me to speak all of this from a purely objective standpoint. From someone who first learned about the plight of the Palestinian people in college (all thanks to my random stumbling into my college’s Muslim student association) and learning so much about the colonization, apartheid, and genocide that were and still continue to be funded by U.S. tax dollars, I realized how I was beholden to so many Zionist thoughts and belief systems that were built inside of me. This, alongside the study of my own Asian American history and that of other global majority histories, only show that all struggle is interconnected. We are not free until all of us are free.

And so when I personally witnessed the college encampments here in LA, the feeling of rage I felt for the students when they were assaulted by the Zionist counter-protestors and the LAPD all came flooding back while watching this documentary. While The Encampments largely focuses on Columbia University, we also get a good look at what went down in UCLA which is aided by the interview of Palestinian activist Maya Abdallah.

The most damning accusation that the mainstream media and both the Biden and current Trump administration puts on the encampments was that the protests were violently antisemitic in nature. Nothing could be further from the truth and the documentary puts into undeniable detail that many Jewish students were part of the movement, particularly in the documentary’s highlight of Grant Miner, a Jewish graduate student studying Hebrew Medieval Literature at Columbia.

The documentary makes the case that many of the accusations of antisemitism filed were students simply yelling for the liberation of Palestine, blocking a pathway to a college campus building, or the sight of the encampments making some students feel uncomfortable. But how can one even remotely compare the feeling of discomfort of a few students with the genocide taking place overseas ripping apart so many Palestinian families?

The timing of this documentary’s release could not have come at a more perfect and unfortunate time with the ICE kidnapping and detainment of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian Columbia grad student who was chosen to negotiate directly with the university. While it’s very easy for many to point the blame at the Trump administration for this, it is absolutely important to remember that the Biden administration condoned the student protests to be brutally taken down as well as the U.S. government’s non-stop financial and military support for the Israeli government.

By the end of The Encampments, the documentary does something miraculous and that is to instill hope. That despite the almost impossible challenges faced by these students and that of everyone around the world who fights for Palestinian liberation, you cannot help but feel inspired by the courage and bravery these students have taken to fight for what is right. They have made it possible for the first step to be taken to make this goal an actual possibility. This documentary is an indelible part of that first step with many more sure to come after.

“THE ENCAMPMENTS is a testament to the courage of young people to not only imagine a better world but to fight for it in the face of violence and repression. This film challenges the dominant media narrative by revealing the true spirit of the encampments—what it felt like to be there, the emotions that fueled the students, and what motivated their drastic action. THE ENCAMPMENTS is an exploration of what drives a generation to stand up and fight for change.” — Kei Pritsker and Michael T. Workman

Five injured in Amsterdam knife attack – police

The incident happened near Dam Square, in the southern part of the Dutch capital, with local media reporting the area has been cordoned off. Five people have been wounded in a stabbing in central Amsterdam while one person has been arrested, according to police.

A section of the Dutch capital’s historic city centre was closed down on Thursday afternoon after the stabbing near Dam Square, reportedly outside a fabric store.

“We currently have no information about the cause or motive of the stabbing incident. This is part of our investigation,” police said in a statement.

Video from the scene of the crime shows officers cordoning off an area of the square where a helicopter was grounded.

Ambulances rijden af en aan, politie probeert mensen op afstand te houden terwijl de traumahelikopter nog steeds op De Dam staat pic.twitter.com/q2vYuZJyUN

— Marcel Vink (@marcelvink888) March 27, 2025

Other images from the city show injured people being put into ambulances.

At least five people have been stabbed at popular tourist hotspot Dam Square in central Amsterdam.

Police said a suspect has been arrested but said a motive for the stabbing remains unclear.

A large cordon has been set up on both Sint Nicolaasstraat and Dam Square, local media reported.

Dam Square is an area popular with tourists visiting the Dutch capital. It is in the historic centre of the city and includes landmarks such as the Royal Palace.

Footage shared on social media appeared to show a helicopter landing in the square, with emergency vehicles also at the scene.

The stabbing is reported to have taken place shortly before 3:30pm local time, with De Telegraaf newspaper reporting that at least fourteen police cars and an officer on a motorcycle had swarmed the scene within 15 minutes.

In a stabbing incident at the Sint Nicolaasstraat nearby the Dam square five people have been injured. One suspect has been arrested.

— Politie Eenheid Amsterdam (@POL_Amsterdam) March 27, 2025

Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf was told by one young woman that "that's happening everywhere now, just look at Germany," in reference to a recent spate of terrorist attacks across Europe.

Though police maintain that they have not yet established a motive, the stabbing does follow a number of high-profile incidents across the continent.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema, Chief Prosecutor Rene de Beukelaer and Police Chief Peter Holla have all attended an emergency briefing following the attacks, a spokesman for the mayor said.

Halsema had to be removed from a city council meeting in Amsterdam's town hall, which sits on Dam Square itself, shortly after the stabbings.

However, the Netherlands's Prime Minister Dick Schoof is not in the country, having travelled to Paris for talks with European leaders including British counterpart Sir Keir Starmer.