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Politico
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Ukraine's big drone gamble
TALKING TURKEY — Russian and Ukrainian diplomats were sitting down today in Istanbul for American-brokered peace talks when the first explosions went off. Using drones launched from disguised cargo trucks, Kyiv's special forces struck military targets deep inside Russia, blowing up billions of dollars-worth of strategic warplanes at airbases as far away as Siberia. As much as a third of the nuclear-capable bomber fleet has been damaged. Now, with President Donald Trump pushing for negotiations to end the war, the daring move could swing momentum back in favor of Ukraine. 'The operation was very timely, there's no doubt about that,' Oleg Ustenko, who served as a top advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy until last year, told POLITICO Nightly. 'You could clearly see from the faces of the Russian delegation in Turkey that they are not so brave or so rude as they once were and it showed the White House and the new president what we can do.' 'Trump said we don't have the cards — this shows we do have the cards, and we can play them.' So far, the Russians have shown no sign of living up to the White House's assessment that the Kremlin is negotiating in good faith, pounding cities across Ukraine with missiles and killing dozens of civilians. Trump has himself voiced frustration at the lack of progress, writing that Russian leader Vladimir Putin 'has gone absolutely CRAZY' and the refusal to do a deal 'will lead to the downfall of Russia!' For the time being, that standstill looks unlikely to change. In a statement issued this evening, Moscow claimed it was ready to sign a ceasefire, but with the improbable condition that Ukraine hand over vast swathes of its territory, including major cities the Russian armed forces have never been able to occupy. The sudden hybrid counter-offensive has left Putin with few ways to respond, according to Oleg Ignatov from Crisis Group. 'The Kremlin's options for escalation beyond its current tactic of wearing down Ukraine are limited and risky,' he said. 'For now, all eyes are on negotiations, present and future — the true targets of both Russia's and Ukraine's military operations.' The head of the Ukrainian president's office, Andriy Yermak, said the brazen refusal to make concessions showed the Russian side is 'doing everything they can to avoid a ceasefire and continue the war.' Now, Trump might have to roll up his sleeves and get involved to try and save the process. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan today offered to hold three-way peace talks with Putin and Zelenskyy, while the White House has said Trump would be 'open' to an invitation. Meanwhile, pro-Ukrainian Republicans are trying to nudge the White House into taking a tougher line. The same day, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Berlin to build support for new sanctions on Russia, with the pair discussing how to put 'further pressure' on Putin, including by further tightening the noose around the Kremlin's oil and gas revenues. With the White House increasingly angry at Russia and Ukraine's allies circling the wagons, Moscow's plans to buy time seem to be leaving it more and more isolated — while the cost of its war rises and some of its most expensive military hardware burns in a Siberian field. 'If we secure a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting, we want to have our allies around the table,' said Ustenko. 'The Russians will go alone — we'll be trying to build a team.' Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@ Or contact tonight's author at ggavin@ What'd I Miss? — Trump blames immigration policy for Boulder attack: President Donald Trump blamed an attack in Boulder, Colorado, that injured at least eight people who were demonstrating in support of the release of Israeli hostages on lax U.S. immigration laws. In a post on Truth Social, Trump seized on the attack's implications for immigration policy after a Department of Homeland Security official wrote in a social media post this morning the suspect in the attack had overstayed his visa and was in the country illegally. The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of terror, with local authorities identifying the suspect as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman of Colorado Springs. Soliman, who was encountered on the scene, is in custody has been charged with a federal hate crime, according to an FBI affidavit. — Sean Gallagher named interim Capitol Police chief: The U.S. Capitol Police will be led by Assistant Chief Sean Gallagher on an acting basis while a search continues for a new permanent leader, the department confirmed today. Gallagher's appointment by the Capitol Police Board comes after Chief Thomas Manger retired last month after about four years on the job. Gallagher is seen by some in the department as a strong contender for the permanent position after having held a variety of roles within the department over the past two decades. Gallagher, who oversees uniformed operations as one of three assistant chiefs, has been with the department since 2001. — Pentagon to redraw command map to more closely align Greenland with the US: The Pentagon is poised to shift its oversight of Greenland by putting it under U.S. Northern Command, a symbolic gesture that would more closely align the island territory with the U.S. as President Donald Trump continues to show interest in taking control over the Arctic landmass. The shift in oversight, which could come as soon as this week, could also help the U.S. broaden its Golden Dome missile shield by providing more radars for coverage. Under the plan, Greenland would shift from European Command's jurisdiction to Northern Command, which is responsible for overseeing the security of North America, according to a DOD official and two people familiar with the planning. — Supreme Court to consider reviving case over counting ballots after Election Day: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a Republican lawmaker's challenge to an Illinois state law requiring election authorities to count mail-in ballots received up to two weeks after Election Day, as long as they are postmarked or certified by the voter as being cast by that date. The lawsuit brought by six-term Rep. Mike Bost is one of a series of cases President Donald Trump's allies have filed seeking to exclude votes received after Election Day from official results. AROUND THE WORLD PUT IT TO A VOTE — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk intends to call a parliamentary vote of confidence in his government following the victory of opposition-backed Karol Nawrocki in Sunday's presidential election, he said this evening. 'I want everyone to see, including our opponents at home and abroad, that we are ready for this situation, that we understand the gravity of the moment, but that we do not intend to take a single step back,' Tusk said. Nawrocki, a right-wing populist who counts U.S. President Donald Trump among his allies, will aim to use the presidency to block Tusk's domestic agenda. His election victory casts doubt on whether Tusk's government can make meaningful progress on social security reform, restoring the rule of law, or on hot-button issues like allowing same-sex partnerships or loosening Poland's strict abortion rules. COURT ORDERED — A Berlin court ruled today that the German government's push to turn away asylum-seekers at the country's borders is unlawful, upending a key feature of conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz's promised crackdown on migration. 'People who submit an asylum application during border controls on German territory may not be turned back,' the court said in a statement on its decision. The ruling came in response to a complaint by three Somali asylum-seekers who crossed into Germany from Poland in May, but were then returned by German police. The ruling poses a major challenge to Merz, who in the lead up to his conservatives' election victory earlier this year promised to implement an 'effective entry ban' on undocumented migrants and asylum-seekers from his first day in office. Merz made that promise under pressure from the rising far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which ran on an anti-immigration platform and is now the country's strongest opposition party. Nightly Number RADAR SWEEP DATA GOLD MINE — A pioneer in the digital space, Brazil champions a first-of-its-kind data monetization program allowing its citizens to sell their digital data in a skyrocketing, multibillion dollar global data market. The program, named 'dWallet' is the product of a public-private partnership that coincides with the deliberation of a 2023 federal bill designating data as personal property. Advocates acclaim the initiative's potential to empower individuals in the digital market, but critics argue it could target Brazil's most vulnerable rural populations into selling their private information. Gabriel Daros reports for Rest of World from São Paulo, Brazil. Parting Image Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.
The National
13-04-2025
- Business
- The National
US-Iran nuclear talks hit the sweet spot in Oman
"Welcome to the land of beauty and opportunity". These are the words that give passengers hurriedly pause when leaving their aircraft at Muscat's International Airport. More than just a phrase projected on a grey wall, the statement rang true on Saturday when a meeting between long-term foes turned into an opportunity for peace in the region. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led a delegation while US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff headed another. It could have been a recipe for grave disappointment. Still, the meeting presented room for hope after the two sides agreed, following indirect talks and an unexpected brief encounter, to continue negotiations on a new nuclear agreement. Both sides got what they wanted. Iran insisted that talks would be done indirectly with Oman as the mediator. This after US President Donald Trump, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sitting by his side, announced that the US would hold direct meetings with Iran. "So the Iranians got their indirect opening. The Americans got the direct engagement. And the scoping exercise appears to have given both just enough to return to capitals with a scheduled resumption," said Crisis Group's Iran Project Director Ali Vaez. Signs of openness, but also threats, have preceded the negotiations, the first between a Trump administration eager for a quick deal and an Iranian leadership determined to show the country is not yet at its weakest point, despite the heavy blows it and its proxies have endured in the past year and a half. With only a few months to go before Termination Day comes in October for the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that was agreed on by former US president Barack Obama, the pressure is on for Iran to comply with an agreement before more sanctions hit a struggling economy. This time, the faces were new, the atmosphere different, and the stakes for the region are higher than ever if de-escalation and containment are not made immediate priorities. The good news, experts say, is that in today's climate, the chances of reaching at least a preliminary agreement are higher than before. Amid this shifting atmosphere, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian struck a notably different tone on Wednesday, extending a welcome to US investors, marking a departure from the combative rhetoric typically directed at Tehran's chief adversaries. On the other side, US deputy special envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus told The National in an interview that the Trump administration is packed with officials focused on 'deliverables' and 'outcomes'. Before heading to Oman, Mr Witkoff told The Wall Street Journal there would be room for "compromise" even though the US's ultimate goal is for the complete dismantlement of Iran's nuclear programme. And in just under three hours - the atmosphere in Oman was already brighter. "I would like to thank my two colleagues for this engagement which took place in a friendly atmosphere conducive to bridging viewpoints and ultimately achieving regional and global peace, security and stability," Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi wrote in a statement on X, just after the talks concluded. The positive indications by both parties were seen even by observers like senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy Holly Dagres, who also noted that so far, it had been Iran who had been on top of the messaging. "Both sides appeared, at least via their rhetoric, interested in getting to a deal in recent weeks." Oman, known for its delicious delicacies and track record for being a place of choice for difficult conversations, may have hit the sweet spot for the US and Iran, giving both sides just enough to feel optimistic about a future agreement. It remains to be seen whether the talks, announced by Iran to resume a week later, will yield the same positive outcomes.
Telegraph
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Does the Myanmar earthquake spell the end for the junta?
A week after an earthquake flattened central Myanmar, the country's shunned dictator swapped his green army uniform for a neat black suit and headed to Bangkok. It was a diplomatic triumph for General Min Aung Hlaing. Since seizing power four years ago and plunging his country into a civil war he has been treated as pariah on the international stage, with overseas trips only to China and Russia, his key backers. But on Thursday he was welcomed into Thailand for the first time since 2021, where he rubbed shoulders with leaders from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal at a summit of countries from the Bay of Bengal. Disaster management was on the agenda. The trip exploits a window opened by the earthquake to ramp up diplomacy, and is a major moment for a man who has long desired legitimacy on the international stage. Yet at home, his position is weaker than ever. 'This is a time of jeopardy for him,' said Richard Horsey, a Myanmar researcher at the Crisis Group think tank. 'I'm sure he'll be relieved to leave the chaos and destruction behind and spend a day with other leaders, and imagine that he is gradually being accepted on the world stage… [but] the grim reality will reassert itself as soon as he returns.' He added: 'There is significant elite discontent that will only grow if the regime response remains chaotic and ineffective.' It is now a week since Myanmar was hit by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake, flattening thousands of buildings, toppling bridges and buckling roads. At least 3,100 people have been confirmed dead – a figure that is almost certain to rise as more bodies are pulled from mounds of rubble and mangled metal. The south-east Asian country, a former British colony, has largely been run by kleptocratic and corrupt military dictatorships since the 1960s. But the quake has compounded an existing humanitarian crisis: the civil war has killed thousands, displaced three million people, and left 20 million people in need of aid. Now, already stretched hospitals are overwhelmed with earthquake victims, with doctors forced to treat patients outside in 40C temperatures amid fears buildings could collapse. Clean water, food, medicines and shelter are in short supply, and rain forecast for the coming week will only make things worse. 'Our entire family has to sleep by the roadside,' May Thaw Lwin, who lives in the hard-hit city of Mandalay, told the Telegraph. 'There are constant aftershocks, and even if we wanted to stay at a friend's house, we're afraid it might collapse too. 'Sleeping outside means getting bitten by a lot of mosquitoes,' she added. 'We're also struggling with water and food shortages… and the smell of decomposition is getting stronger. Living in this country, it's not just about having bad luck anymore. It feels like we're the unluckiest people in the world.' Although as much as 60 per cent of Myanmar is now held by opposition groups, the disaster has disproportionately affected junta-held territory – including the capital Naypyidaw, their seat of power. But although Min Aung Hlaing has been photographed visiting hospitals and inspecting rescue efforts, most view the military's response as slow. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has also accused the junta of restricting aid supplies to areas where local communities do not back its rule. Mr Horsey said Min Aung Hlaing has failed to even arrange search and rescue or emergency shelter for civil servants in the capital. 'This disaster plays to all his weaknesses,' he said. 'He has been criticised within regime circles for being indecisive, micro-managing and unstrategic. Those traits have all been in evidence since the quake. His detractors… will have new ammunition.' Morgan Michaels, a research fellow for South East Asian security and defence at the Institute for Strategic Studies, said: 'The military is in a weaker position now. Their administrative capacity has been hit hard and its communications lines may have been severed by the earthquake. Min Aung Hlaing will be blamed – this is bad for him.' There is also mounting anger that the military has continued to drop bombs since the earthquake struck. While opposition groups – including the exiled National Unity Government, and the powerful Three Brotherhood Alliance – rapidly announced ceasefires, the junta held off. On April 2 they were pushed to do so, but the UN said it is investigating 16 reports of airstrikes since then. David Eubank, head of the Free Burma Rangers, which operates inside Myanmar, also sent The Telegraph unpublishable photographs of people and buildings hit in airstrikes in Shan and Karenni state since Wednesday. In one, a body is burned beyond recognition, another image appears to show a person decapitated. Commentators said the military's drive to maintain airstrikes is itself a sign of weakness, not power, especially as it comes after a stretch of time where the junta has struggled to recruit new soldiers and lost several key battles. 'The earthquake has shaken more than just buildings, it's rattled the junta's already fragile grip on power,' said Nang San Htwe, a 27-year-old in central Myanmar. 'As they seek legitimacy abroad, the crisis at home exposes their vulnerability. Natural disasters don't discriminate, but their impact does. With resources stretched and legitimacy crumbling, the earthquake may prove to be another fault line in the junta's rule. It's not just about survival, it's about control.' But it's not yet clear how the overall civil war will be affected by the earthquake. Mr Michaels said it would be a good time for opposition groups to strike a vulnerable junta, 'but the optics of that could be bad' and any new offensive may backfire. 'No straight path to a peaceful future' Mr Horsey added: 'As regards the conflict, there is no straight path from here to a more peaceful future. The regime and the resistance groups born after the coup are locked in an existential battle to eliminate the other.' Yet for those struggling to pick up their lives inside the deeply superstitious country, the earthquake – which followed the military's show of might at an armed forces day parade on Thursday – has been taken as an omen that Min Aung Hlaing's days are numbered. 'Traditional Myanmar culture has always seen natural disasters as cosmic commentary on the leaders of the day, [that] 'bad things happen when there are bad rulers',' said Mr Horsey. 'As a deeply superstitious person himself, he knows that many people around him, and across the country, will interpret this earthquake as a consequence of the coup and the subsequent violence his regime has unleashed.'
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Does the Myanmar earthquake spell the end for the junta?
A week after an earthquake flattened central Myanmar, the country's shunned dictator swapped his green army uniform for a neat black suit and headed to Bangkok. It was a diplomatic triumph for General Min Aung Hlaing. Since seizing power four years ago and plunging his country into a civil war he has been treated as pariah on the international stage, with overseas trips only to China and Russia, his key backers. But on Thursday he was welcomed into Thailand for the first time since 2021, where he rubbed shoulders with leaders from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal at a summit of countries from the Bay of Bengal. Disaster management was on the agenda. The trip exploits a window opened by the earthquake to ramp up diplomacy, and is a major moment for a man who has long desired legitimacy on the international stage. Yet at home, his position is weaker than ever. 'This is a time of jeopardy for him,' said Richard Horsey, a Myanmar researcher at the Crisis Group think tank. 'I'm sure he'll be relieved to leave the chaos and destruction behind and spend a day with other leaders, and imagine that he is gradually being accepted on the world stage… [but] the grim reality will reassert itself as soon as he returns.' He added: 'There is significant elite discontent that will only grow if the regime response remains chaotic and ineffective.' It is now a week since Myanmar was hit by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake, flattening thousands of buildings, toppling bridges and buckling roads. At least 3,100 people have been confirmed dead – a figure that is almost certain to rise as more bodies are pulled from mounds of rubble and mangled metal. The south-east Asian country, a former British colony, has largely been run by kleptocratic and corrupt military dictatorships since the 1960s. But the quake has compounded an existing humanitarian crisis: the civil war has killed thousands, displaced three million people, and left 20 million people in need of aid. Now, already stretched hospitals are overwhelmed with earthquake victims, with doctors forced to treat patients outside in 40C temperatures amid fears buildings could collapse. Clean water, food, medicines and shelter are in short supply, and rain forecast for the coming week will only make things worse. Credit: Myanmar Fire Services Department 'Our entire family has to sleep by the roadside,' May Thaw Lwin, who lives in the hard-hit city of Mandalay, told the Telegraph. 'There are constant aftershocks, and even if we wanted to stay at a friend's house, we're afraid it might collapse too. 'Sleeping outside means getting bitten by a lot of mosquitoes,' she added. 'We're also struggling with water and food shortages… and the smell of decomposition is getting stronger. Living in this country, it's not just about having bad luck anymore. It feels like we're the unluckiest people in the world.' Although as much as 60 per cent of Myanmar is now held by opposition groups, the disaster has disproportionately affected junta-held territory – including the capital Naypyidaw, their seat of power. But although Min Aung Hlaing has been photographed visiting hospitals and inspecting rescue efforts, most view the military's response as slow. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has also accused the junta of restricting aid supplies to areas where local communities do not back its rule. Mr Horsey said Min Aung Hlaing has failed to even arrange search and rescue or emergency shelter for civil servants in the capital. 'This disaster plays to all his weaknesses,' he said. 'He has been criticised within regime circles for being indecisive, micro-managing and unstrategic. Those traits have all been in evidence since the quake. His detractors… will have new ammunition.' Morgan Michaels, a research fellow for South East Asian security and defence at the Institute for Strategic Studies, said: 'The military is in a weaker position now. Their administrative capacity has been hit hard and its communications lines may have been severed by the earthquake. Min Aung Hlaing will be blamed – this is bad for him.' There is also mounting anger that the military has continued to drop bombs since the earthquake struck. While opposition groups – including the exiled National Unity Government, and the powerful Three Brotherhood Alliance – rapidly announced ceasefires, the junta held off. On April 2 they were pushed to do so, but the UN said it is investigating 16 reports of airstrikes since then. David Eubank, head of the Free Burma Rangers, which operates inside Myanmar, also sent The Telegraph unpublishable photographs of people and buildings hit in airstrikes in Shan and Karenni state since Wednesday. In one, a body is burned beyond recognition, another image appears to show a person decapitated. Commentators said the military's drive to maintain airstrikes is itself a sign of weakness, not power, especially as it comes after a stretch of time where the junta has struggled to recruit new soldiers and lost several key battles. 'The earthquake has shaken more than just buildings, it's rattled the junta's already fragile grip on power,' said Nang San Htwe, a 27-year-old in central Myanmar. 'As they seek legitimacy abroad, the crisis at home exposes their vulnerability. Natural disasters don't discriminate, but their impact does. With resources stretched and legitimacy crumbling, the earthquake may prove to be another fault line in the junta's rule. It's not just about survival, it's about control.' But it's not yet clear how the overall civil war will be affected by the earthquake. Mr Michaels said it would be a good time for opposition groups to strike a vulnerable junta, 'but the optics of that could be bad' and any new offensive may backfire. Mr Horsey added: 'As regards the conflict, there is no straight path from here to a more peaceful future. The regime and the resistance groups born after the coup are locked in an existential battle to eliminate the other.' Yet for those struggling to pick up their lives inside the deeply superstitious country, the earthquake – which followed the military's show of might at an armed forces day parade on Thursday – has been taken as an omen that Min Aung Hlaing's days are numbered. 'Traditional Myanmar culture has always seen natural disasters as cosmic commentary on the leaders of the day, [that] 'bad things happen when there are bad rulers',' said Mr Horsey. 'As a deeply superstitious person himself, he knows that many people around him, and across the country, will interpret this earthquake as a consequence of the coup and the subsequent violence his regime has unleashed.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Chicago Tribune
02-04-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Survivors still being found after Myanmar's earthquake but military attacks could harm relief effort
BANGKOK — Rescuers pulled two men alive from the ruins of a hotel in Myanmar's capital on Wednesday and a third from a guesthouse in another city, five days after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake. But most teams were finding only bodies, and concerns were growing that continued military attacks on resistance forces could jeopardize relief efforts. The quake hit midday Friday, toppling thousands of buildings, collapsing bridges and buckling roads. The death toll rose to 2,886 Wednesday, with another 4,639 injured, according to state television MRTV. Local reports suggest much higher figures. The earthquake came amid civil war in Myanmar, making a dire humanitarian crisis even worse. More than 3 million people had been displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million were in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations. Two of the major armed resistance forces fighting the military, which seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, have announced ceasefires to facilitate the humanitarian response to the earthquake, but the military hasn't relented in its attacks. 'Once again they are putting regime survival above the interests of people, even at a time of calamity,' said Richard Horsey, senior adviser for Myanmar with the Crisis Group. Dramatic rescue in Myanmar capital In the capital, Naypyitaw, a team of Turkish and local rescue workers used an endoscopic camera to locate Naing Lin Tun on a lower floor of the damaged hotel where he worked. They pulled him gingerly through a hole jackhammered through a floor and loaded him on to a gurney nearly 108 hours after he was first trapped. Shirtless and covered in dust, he appeared weak but conscious in a video released by the local fire department, as he was fitted with an IV drip and taken away. State-run MRTV reported later in the day that another man was saved from the same building, more than 121 hours after the quake struck. Both were age 26. Another man was rescued by a team of Malaysian and local crews from a collapsed guesthouse in the Sagaing township, near the epicenter of the earthquake close to Myanmar's second-largest city, Mandalay. The earthquake also rocked neighboring Thailand, causing the collapse of a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok. One body was removed from the rubble early Wednesday, raising the death total in Bangkok to 22 with 35 injured, primarily at the construction site. Military has rejected a ceasefire The Three Brotherhood Alliance, one of a powerful group of militias that has taken a large swath of the country from the military, announced a unilateral one-month ceasefire on Tuesday to facilitate the humanitarian response. The shadow opposition National Unity Government founded by lawmakers ousted in 2021 had already called a ceasefire for its forces. The announcements put pressure on the military government to follow suit, said Morgan Michaels, a Singapore-based analyst with the International Institute of Strategic Studies who runs its Myanmar Conflict Map project. Even if the military does, it's too early to say whether a pause in fighting could lead to something longer lasting, he said. The head of Myanmar's military government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, has rejected the idea of a ceasefire so far. Claims of an attack on a Chinese Red Cross convoy Most recently, an opposition militia belonging to the Brotherhood Alliance reported that the military fired on a relief convoy of nine Chinese Red Cross vehicles late Tuesday in the northern part of Shan state near Ohn Ma Tee village. The Ta'ang National Liberation Army said that the Chinese Red Cross was bringing supplies to Mandalay and had reported its route to the military. But Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, spokesman for the military government, said that the convoy hadn't notified authorities of its route ahead of time, MRTV reported. While not mentioning the Red Cross, he said that security forces had fired into the air to deter a convoy that refused to stop near Ohn Ma Tee village, the site of recent fighting with the TNLA. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun didn't comment on the attack. Neighboring China is economically important to Myanmar, and also one of the military's largest suppliers of weapons, along with Russia. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it was looking into the matter. More international aid heads to Myanmar Countries have pledged millions in assistance to help Myanmar and humanitarian aid organizations with the monumental task ahead. Australia on Wednesday said it was providing another $4.5 million, in addition to $1.25 million it had already committed, and had a rapid response team on the ground. India has flown in aid and sent two navy ships with supplies as well as providing around 200 rescue workers. Multiple other countries have sent teams, including 270 people from China, 212 from Russia and 122 from the United Arab Emirates. A three-person team from the U.S. Agency for International Development arrived Tuesday to determine how best to respond given limited U.S. resources due to the slashing of the foreign aid budget and dismantling of the agency as an independent operation. Washington has said it would provide $2 million in emergency assistance. Extent of devastation beyond major cities is still unclear Most of the details so far have come from Mandalay, which was near the epicenter of the earthquake, and Naypyitaw, about 270 kilometers (165 miles) north of Mandalay. Many areas are without power, telephone or cellphone connections, and difficult to reach by road, but more reports are beginning to trickle in. In Singu township, about 65 kilometers (40 miles) north of Mandalay, 27 gold miners were killed in a cave-in, the independent Democratic Voice of Burma reported. In the area of Inle Lake, northeast of the capital, many people died when homes built on wooden stilts in the water collapsed in the earthquake, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported without providing specific figures.
