Death toll from earthquake in Myanmar surpasses 1,000 (VIDEOS)
The death toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake which rocked Myanmar on Friday has reached 1,002, the state-run broadcaster MRTV has reported.
The updated figures are from
'all the earthquake-affected areas nationwide,'
the broadcaster said on Saturday.
According to an earlier report by Myanmar Now, at least 2,400 additional people have been injured across the Southeast Asian country.
The authorities said earlier that the number of victims is expected to keep climbing as rescue operations are continuing.
Earlier in the day, the country's prime minister, Min Aung Hlaing, arrived in the city of Mandalay, which was heavily damaged by the quake. During his meeting with local officials, he
'instructed them to carry out search and rescue operations as soon as possible and to take necessary measures'
to assist those affected, according to MRTV.
❗️Myanmar Earthquake Death Toll Reaches 1002, 2,376 Injured - Officials
#Earthquake
#Myanmar
#Bangkok
pic.twitter.com/Ee9T5J2pZE
— RT_India (@RT_India_news)
March 29, 2025
The broadcaster had said earlier that 1,591 homes, 670 monasteries and 60 schools had been damaged in and around Mandalay, which is located some 17 kilometers from the epicenter of the quake.
Myanmar in ruins! A 7.7M earthquake leaves many dead and injured — Hospital collapse causes mass casualties as rescue efforts continue
pic.twitter.com/AZpHavavNC
— RT (@RT_com)
March 28, 2025
Russia's Emergencies Ministry said on Saturday that it has dispatched two planes carrying some 120 rescuers to assist Myanmar in dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake.
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Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations
The tremors reached neighboring Thailand, where a skyscraper under construction collapsed in Bangkok. The city's authorities have said that at least 10 people were killed, 16 were injured and 101 remain missing as a result of the natural disaster.
The Chinese embassy in Myanmar announced that a team of 37 rescue workers had been flown to the country. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said on X that New Delhi has dispatched a plane loaded with emergency personnel, paramedics and humanitarian aid to Myanmar.
READ MORE:
Powerful earthquake hits Myanmar with tremors felt in Thailand (VIDEOS)
On Friday, President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to the country's leadership, saying that
'Russia shares the grief of the friendly people of Myanmar.'
He expressed his sympathy for those who have lost loved ones in the quake and wished a speedy recovery to all the injured, according to the Kremlin.
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Russia Today
03-05-2025
- Russia Today
Western colonialists ‘failed us'
The colonial powers 'failed' the African soldiers who fought for the Allies in World War II, Ghana's last surviving veteran, Joseph Ashitey Hammond, has told RT in an interview. Then a British colony known as the Gold Coast, Ghana provided both manpower and resources for Britain after London declared war on Nazi Germany in 1939. Some 65,000 Ghanaians served under British command in the Royal West African Frontier Force, fighting in campaigns across Italian Somaliland, Abyssinia and Burma. Hammond, who joined the army at 18, said many young Ghanaians volunteered based on promises made by the British government, including monetary compensation, pensions, employment opportunities and reintegration support, such as housing and healthcare. 'People like us, the young ones sitting here after our education, we ourselves willingly joined the army,' he said. His regiment was part of the forces deployed to Burma to fight the Japanese, eventually driving them back and preventing an invasion of India. 'If somebody knew what I've suffered, what I've gone through... he will be so shocked beyond description… War is a very bad thing, it's satanic. It's never good,' Hammond recalled. After sustaining an eye injury, Hammond returned home in 1945 along with fellow soldiers, only to find the British had not kept their promises. Many of the returning veterans received no compensation or employment and were driven to the brink of starvation. 'It was terrible, we were like master and his boy… They promised fervently… But they failed us,' he said. 'There was no work, our position was so deplorable… I'm not ashamed to say some of our soldiers went into the street to beg for something to eat.' In 1948, Hammond and other veterans organized a peaceful march to Christiansborg Castle, the seat of the British governor, to present a petition asking for their due. Instead, they were met with gunfire in what became known as the Crossroads Shooting. According to Hammond, the local colonial police chief, Colin Imray, gave the order to open fire. When Ghanaian officers hesitated, Imray took a rifle himself and started shooting. Three ex-soldiers were killed, and over 60 others were injured. The shooting sparked national outrage and is widely seen as a turning point in Ghana's struggle for independence, which it gained in 1957, becoming the first sub-Saharan nation to shake off colonial rule. Hammond celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this year.
Russia Today
29-04-2025
- Russia Today
Think China is a ‘nation that can't fight'? Think again
The internet is flooded with quotes attributed to Chinese philosophers. Who hasn't seen a meme with a 'Confucius' saying or heard of the so-called 'ancient Chinese curse' about living in interesting times? In reality, 99% of these quotations are fake, reflecting Western projections of Chinese wisdom rather than its reality. Yet one saying – 'good iron does not make nails; good men do not make soldiers' – is genuinely Chinese. Known since at least the Song Dynasty (late 10th – early 12th century), it remains in use today, much to the irritation of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) political officers. Globally, the proverb helped fuel a myth that China 'never liked to fight' and 'always lost wars.' Yet the absurdity of this view is clear if one simply looks at the world map today. Nevertheless, it persists – and now, as China becomes a true superpower, this misconception could have dangerous consequences for the world. To understand the proverb's origin, we must look at the structure of the Song Dynasty's military. Early Chinese empires such as the Han relied on conscription, but over time, mercenary armies became the norm. Chronic shortages of volunteers were addressed by drafting criminals and debtors – turning armies into collections of society's 'undesirables.' Officers, by contrast, came from privileged classes who passed imperial military exams. These exams, though less prestigious than their civilian counterparts, still conferred status. But it is crucial to remember that the civil bureaucracy was tiny, making its officials extraordinarily powerful, while rank-and-file soldiers remained socially degraded. This pattern closely resembled Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries: a privileged officer corps and low-status, often criminal, enlisted men. Wellington's remark in 1811 that 'only men of the worst character enter the regular service' could have been said about China too. Military service was a punishment; soldiers were feared more for their misbehavior than admired for their valor. In that context, the 'men and nails' proverb made perfect sense – and was hardly unique to China. The modern Western glorification of the soldier – tied to mass conscription, nationalism, and industrial militarism – only emerged in the 19th century. In China, where social and political backwardness lingered longer, this transformation began only in the 20th century with enormous difficulty. A regular, centrally commanded, professionally trained army – the PLA – was only created in the 1950s, after the Communist victory. Almost immediately, the PLA demonstrated its effectiveness by intervening in the Korean War, inflicting a series of defeats on UN forces and saving North Korea. The Soviet Union, by contrast, limited itself to sending small air and anti-aircraft units. In 1962, China launched a well-timed, surprise offensive against India, achieving a quick victory and territorial gains. Beijing struck while the world was distracted by the Cuban Missile Crisis. Throughout the 1960s, China also provided major military support to North Vietnam, at times deploying up to 170,000 troops – considerably more than the Soviet Union ever committed. In 1969, Beijing provoked and fought small border clashes with the USSR – a calculated show of strength aimed at achieving key foreign and domestic policy goals, including paving the way for rapprochement with the United States. The military component was minor; the political impact was enormous. Meanwhile, the PLA fought a prolonged counterinsurgency campaign in Tibet, defeating US- and Indian-backed guerrillas by the early 1970s. It also engaged in recurring military action against Taiwan, demonstrating clear superiority across the Taiwan Strait. In February 1979, China launched an invasion of Vietnam, a newly minted Soviet ally. This bold action risked conflict with a nuclear superpower. The campaign exposed PLA shortcomings but also demonstrated its resilience, willingness to absorb heavy casualties, and ability to carry out major offensives. While Vietnam held out thanks to Soviet military threats against China, Beijing's ability to act – and to compel both Moscow and Washington to recalibrate their policies – was a major achievement. The Sino-Vietnamese conflict evolved into a decade-long border war marked by artillery duels, naval clashes, and raids, culminating in China's decisive naval victory in the Spratly Islands in 1988. Comparing China's record from 1949-1989 to the Soviet Union's reveals a striking fact: China used military force more frequently, and arguably more effectively, than the USSR during the Cold War. After Mao's death, the PLA underwent profound modernization, both politically and socially. Military service gained prestige. During the Cultural Revolution, the army became a pillar of governance and society. Yet, China's foreign policy turned defensive from the 1990s onward – not from weakness, but from strategic calculation. After the Soviet collapse, China faced a unipolar world dominated by the United States. Survival and development required patience. Beijing avoided major military engagements for nearly 30 years, instead focusing on economic and technological breakthroughs. Shows of force were reserved for defending 'core interests,' such as during the 1995-1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis. By the late 2010s, the global environment had changed. American dominance weakened. The unipolar order eroded. China's rise, both economic and military, became undeniable. Beijing's gradual reassertion of military power has been cautious but unmistakable: expanding operational reach, forging military partnerships, and conducting exercises in potential conflict zones. The myth of Chinese military incompetence is not only historically false; it is potentially catastrophic. In the past, underestimating China's capabilities led adversaries to miscalculate – to their great cost. Today, as China carefully prepares for its first major combat operations in decades, its adversaries would do well to shed illusions and study history more carefully. Beijing will not rush into war. It will act only under conditions it judges favorable and under circumstances it has painstakingly prepared. But make no mistake: when it acts, China will not be the passive, incompetent power that outdated stereotypes article was first published by the magazine Profile and was translated and edited by the RT team.
Russia Today
22-04-2025
- Russia Today
Russian greatness, American grief, endless love: Honoring the legacy of Russia's most famous sculptor (PHOTOS)
Renowned sculptor and president of the Russian Academy of Arts, Zurab Tsereteli, passed away on the night of April 22 at the age of 91. Over the course of his prolific career, he created more than 5,000 works of art – paintings, graphic works, and monumental sculptures – many of which now stand in major cities around the world. His artistic legacy remains the subject of intense debate, with some of his most prominent works sparking admiration and controversy in equal measure. RT takes a closer look at the artist's journey and his most influential pieces. Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1934, Tsereteli grew up in a family of engineers, but it was his uncle, acclaimed Georgian painter Georgy Nizharadze, who introduced him to the world of art. From a young age, Zurab was surrounded by the vibrant creative circles of Georgia – he listened in awe as artists discussed their work and ideas, and it wasn't long before he knew he wanted to be one of them. Trips to his grandmother's village also left a lasting imprint. The lush colors and textures of rural Georgian life became a wellspring of inspiration, shaping his future artistic style. 'My mother's whole side of the family watched over me,' he once recalled. 'My grandmother was especially wise – so was my aunt. They were both educated in St. Petersburg. When I started drawing, they gave me complete freedom. I painted the floors, everything.' That freedom nurtured a creative spark that would define his career. Tsereteli graduated from the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts in 1958 and began his career at the Georgian Academy of Sciences' Institute of History, Archaeology, and Ethnography. He joined expeditions, worked in restoration, and later took a position as a senior designer at the Georgian Art Fund's production center, where he began experimenting with bronze, stone, glass, wood, and mosaic. He produced large-scale works for public buildings, blending materials and themes with bold ambition. By the 1960s and '70s, his signature mosaics had become iconic features in cities across the Soviet Union—from Georgia and Abkhazia to Russia. One of his landmark pieces from that era was Seabed, a stunning mosaic on a pool floor in Ulyanovsk, unveiled for Lenin's 100th birthday. The work earned him the USSR State Prize and was later recognized as a cultural heritage site. Tsereteli's mosaics won acclaim not just at home but abroad. His monumental installation for a children's resort in Adler drew high praise from Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros, who saw in Tsereteli a kindred spirit among monumentalists. 'On my own behalf and on behalf of the muralists of Mexico, I congratulate Zurab Tsereteli for the artistic merits of his works in the House of Political Education in Tbilisi and the resort complex in Adler. With great plastic power and creative imagination Zurab Tsereteli comprehends the complex technique of wall painting. I affirm that he has entered the vast expanses of the art of the future, the art that combines sculpture and painting. The work of Zurab Tsereteli has gone beyond the national framework and acquires international meaning,' Siqueiros said. Even earlier, in 1964, Tsereteli traveled to France and met with two giants of modern art – Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall. The experience left a profound impression. 'My teachers in Georgia spoke of Picasso and Matisse as titans,' he later said. 'We weren't allowed to see their work, but I had. When I found myself in Picasso's studio, I realized that an artist could be a sculptor, a painter, and a graphic artist all at once. Back home, they'd say: 'You're a painter – just paint. A sculptor? Stick to sculpture.' That was the mindset.' He also struck up a friendship with Chagall, who visited him in Moscow years later. 'I saw him for the last time just three months before he died,' Tsereteli recalled. Picasso, for his part, saw great promise in the young Georgian: 'This young artist Zurab has a wonderful beginning. He perfectly feels color, generalizes the form. I see him as a future great painter.' Tsereteli rose swiftly through the ranks of Soviet monumental art. By 1976, he was awarded the prestigious Lenin Prize, and just a few years later, he was named chief artist of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. That same year, he unveiled Man and the Sun, a colossal sculpture nearly 80 meters tall, towering over his hometown of Tbilisi. His first major public commission, however, was Friendship Forever – a monument unveiled in Moscow in 1983 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Georgia's incorporation into the Russian Empire. The sculpture interlaces the Russian and Georgian alphabets, with the words 'Unity' and 'Brotherhood' subtly woven into the design. At the base are scrolls etched with poetry by Pushkin, Lermontov, and Pasternak. Originally, the work was part of a dual installation. The second half – Bonds of Friendship – stood in Tbilisi. It featured two massive rings representing the intertwined histories of Georgia and Russia, bound together by a gilded metal knot. In 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Tbilisi counterpart was destroyed in an explosion. From 1985 to 2003, Tsereteli worked on what would become one of his most ambitious projects: The Chronicle of Georgia, located on a hill overlooking Tbilisi. Sixteen towering columns – each rising between 30 and 35 meters – are carved with images of Georgian kings, queens, and national heroes. Biblical scenes, including episodes from the life of Christ, are depicted on the lower sections. Locals nicknamed it the 'Georgian Stonehenge,' for its solemn grandeur and commanding scale. Years later, Tsereteli would reimagine the concept for his 'second homeland.' In 2017, he unveiled The Alley of Rulers in central Moscow, just off Petrovyerigsky Lane. The open-air installation features 33 bronze busts – Russian emperors, Soviet leaders, and even transitional figures like Prince Georgy Lvov and Alexander Kerensky of the Provisional Government. 'I think The Chronicle of Georgia and The Alley of Rulers are the most important works of my life,' he once said. 'I love Russia and Georgia equally. And so these two works, to me, carry the same weight.' Zurab Tsereteli's work was often met with fierce criticism – but that rarely stopped it from capturing global attention. Perhaps his most controversial creation is also his most famous: the towering 98-meter statue of Peter the Great on the Moskva River. Unveiled in 1997, the monument was immediately polarizing. Rumors circulated that it had originally been a sculpture of Christopher Columbus, repurposed after a failed bid to send it to the US – though no official confirmation ever surfaced. Residents of Moscow demanded that the massive statue be relocated or torn down altogether. Tsereteli, for his part, maintained that citizens had the right to decide whether or not a monument belonged in their city. Still, the sculpture stands to this day – an enduring symbol not only of Tsereteli's style, but of his ability to provoke and persist. In a way, the backlash only fueled its fame. Another piece that sparked public debate was Tragedy of Peoples, a Holocaust memorial in Moscow's Victory Park. Though widely considered Tsereteli's strongest work at that site, the eight-meter-high sculpture was so emotionally intense it unsettled many visitors. At one point, officials even decided to move it deeper into the park to spare passersby. What they hadn't accounted for, however, was the emotional gravity of Tsereteli's work – it resonated so deeply that no matter where it stood, it became part of the park's solemn symphony of remembrance. The larger Victory Park complex had opened a year earlier in 1995, with Tsereteli as its chief artist. His Monument to Victory dominates the site: a 141.8-meter obelisk – each 10 centimeters marking a day of the war. At its peak, a bronze statue of Nike, the goddess of victory, holds a laurel wreath, flanked by angels with trumpets. At the base, a sculpture of Saint George slaying a dragon symbolizes the defeat of fascism. Among his most debated international works was a statue of French President Charles de Gaulle, erected outside Moscow's Hotel Cosmos. Originally intended as a gift to France (who declined it), the sculpture found a home in Russia – but not without mockery. Locals said it resembled not de Gaulle, but the comic French actor Louis de Funès, best known for his role as Commissioner Juve in the Fantômas films. The nickname stuck: they called it 'Louis.' In addition to his large-scale public works, Zurab Tsereteli also created more personal sculptures – including several depictions of political figures. Among them was a bronze statue of Vladimir Putin in a judo uniform, sculpted in 2004 and titled 'A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body.' Inspired by the Russian president's well-publicized interest in martial arts, the piece was never displayed publicly and remained part of the artist's private collection. In 2011, Tsereteli produced a second statue of Putin in a similar pose, hands resting on his belt. Both works sparked mixed reactions and were ultimately not installed in any official public setting. Tsereteli's reach extended far beyond Russia and Georgia. His works can be found across the globe – in the US, France, Spain, Italy, and beyond. One of his best-known international sculptures is Good Defeats Evil, installed outside the United Nations headquarters in New York in 1990. Crafted from decommissioned Russian SS-20 and American Pershing missiles, the base supports a statue of Saint George slaying a dragon – a visual metaphor for the triumph of peace over the threat of global destruction. In 2006, he completed The Tear of Grief (also known as To the Struggle Against World Terrorism), a 30-meter monument erected in Bayonne, New Jersey, in memory of the victims of 9/11. Suspended within the monument is a 12-meter nickel-plated teardrop. Officially a gift from the Russian people to the United States, the sculpture was unveiled on September 16, 2005, at a ceremony attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Another of his international works, Break the Wall of Distrust, was installed in 1990 on Cannon Street in London. The four-meter-tall bronze figure appears to walk through a crumbling wall, leaving behind a cross-shaped silhouette. As Richard Luce, then UK Minister for the Arts, noted, the sculpture 'symbolized a new era of peace, trust, and closer cooperation between East and West.' In 1995, Birth of a New Man was unveiled in Seville, Spain – part of a larger project titled How Europe Discovered America. The 45-meter bronze, copper, and steel sculpture features Christopher Columbus standing with a map in hand inside a domed 'egg' of sails and masts. The sails are etched with Maltese crosses and the names of Columbus's three ships: Santa Maria, Pinta, and Niña. That project's second phase came in 2016, with the unveiling of Birth of the New World in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. At 126 meters, it's one of the tallest statues in the world. The stainless steel, bronze, and copper figure of Columbus stands at the helm of his ship, right arm raised in greeting, with sails and a flowing banner rising behind him. Tsereteli even found a place in the heart of French literature: his bronze tribute to The Three Musketeers was gifted to Gascony – the homeland of the fictional d'Artagnan – at the request of Count Emery de Montesquiou, a descendant of the real-life inspiration for the character. The sculpture was based on the Soviet film adaptation by Georgiy Yungvald-Khilkevich. Actors from the film, including Veniamin Smekhov and Valentin Smirnitsky, attended the unveiling and were inducted alongside Tsereteli into the international Musketeer Society, joining over 600 honorary members from around the world. Tsereteli never stopped. Even in his later years, he kept working from his countryside home, where he had a fully equipped studio. Every day began the same way: morning exercises, then straight into the studio. 'When I work, I sing,' he once said. 'I'm in another world – and it feels good to be there.'
