MANDALAY (AFP) – Myanmar held a minute’s silence yesterday in tribute to victims of a catastrophic earthquake that has killed more than 2,000 people, buckling roads and flattening buildings as far away as Bangkok.
Four days after the shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck, many people in Myanmar are still sleeping outdoors, either unable to return to ruined homes or afraid of further aftershocks.
Sirens rang out at 12:51:02 – the precise time the quake struck on Friday – bringing the country to a standstill to remember those lost.
Mandalay, the country’s second-biggest city with 1.7 million inhabitants, suffered some of the worst destruction.
Outside the Sky Villa apartment complex, one of the city’s worst-hit disaster sites, rescue workers stopped and lined up with hands clasped behind their backs to pay their respects.
People carry their belongings as they leave their homes, damaged by earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. PHOTO: AP
Officials and attendants stood behind a cordon, watching relatives further back, as the sirens wailed and a Myanmar flag flew at half-mast from a bamboo pole tied to a rescue tent.
The moment of remembrance is part of a week of national mourning declared by the ruling junta, with flags to fly at half-mast on official buildings until April 6 “in sympathy for the loss of life and damages”.
The junta said that 2,056 people have been confirmed dead, with more than 3,900 injured and 270 missing. At least 20 people died in neighbouring Thailand.
But the toll is expected to rise significantly as rescuers reach towns and villages where communications have been cut off by the quake.
More than 1,000 foreign rescuers have flown in to help and state media reported that 650 people have been pulled alive from ruined buildings around the country.
ANN/THE STAR – A 51-year-old man was arrested for falsely claiming his pregnant wife was trapped under the State Audit Office wreckage in Chatuchak district.
Among those waiting for the rescue of victims trapped inside the building, which collapsed due to the earthquake on Friday, was Somnit Duangnet. He claimed that his wife, who was four months pregnant, was trapped inside.
He said his wife had contacted him, mentioning that the building was shaking, and that he had lost contact with her since then. He added that he had been desperately searching for her despite a lack of sleep, insisting that he still had hope.
However, a Facebook page called “Big Kren” exposed the story, revealing that Somnit’s daughter was searching for him after she saw the news. The page claimed that the daughter had not seen Somnit for eight years, stating that he had caused significant trouble until her mother filed for divorce.
The police arrested Somnit and took him to Bang Sue police station for questioning.
Meanwhile, a 25-year-old woman who was falsely implicated in Somnit’s fabricated story filed a complaint against him, stating that his lies had caused panic among her family.
Kornwipa Sonbuppa lodged the complaint at Bang Sue police station after seeing her former employee ID card appear in the news.
She told the press that she had worked as a part-time employee at a shop in a department store in the Rama IX area in 2019. She explained that she had resigned and returned her employee card to the shop.
“I am currently working for a company that manufactures and distributes golf clothing,” she said.
Kornwipa claimed that Somnit’s fabricated story had defamed her, even though she had no connection to him. She also stated that her mother was left in shock after receiving a call from the Local Administrative Organisation, informing her that Kornwipa had died.
Rescue workers stand on the top of the rubble at the site of an under-construction building collapse in Bangkok. PHOTO: AFP
CAIRO (AP) – Muslims around the world bade farewell to the holy month of Ramadhan and started celebrating the holiday of Aidilftiri (Eid). Aidilfitri is typically greeted with joy and excitement and is marked with congregational prayers and festivities that usually include family visits, gatherings, outings and new clothes.
For some Muslims, this year’s Aidilftiri comes amid significant changes in their communities.
In Gaza, this is the second Eid since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza by launching a surprise wave of strikes that killed hundreds of people. Earlier this month, Israel halted deliveries of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza.
The resumption of war changed the fortunes of Palestinians in Gaza who had started observing Ramadhan under a fragile ceasefire. Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Elsewhere in the Middle East, Syrians celebrate their first Eid since the end of more than half a century of the Assad family’s iron-fisted rule. The country’s first Ramadhan since the ouster of Bashar Assad, who was the president, saw many Syrians relieved, but has also witnessed a bloody and worrisome bout of violence amid a complex transition.
ABOVE & BELOW: Photos show a woman shopping for clothes for Aidilfitri at the Shorjah market in central Baghdad, Iraq. PHOTO: APPHOTO: APPeople wait for the bus that will bring them to their home towns during the mass exodus out of the capital city ahead of Aidilfitri in Jakarta, Indonesia. PHOTO: APWomen perform Aidilfitri prayer at National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. PHOTO: AP
WHAT IS AIDILFITRI?
It’s an Islamic holiday marking the end of Ramadhan, the month when devout Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset. Ramadhan is a time for increased worship, charity, and good deeds. It also typically sees festive gatherings to break the fast.
Aidilfitri means the feast, or festival, of breaking the fast.
WHEN IS AIDILFITRI?
Islam follows a lunar calendar and so Ramadhan and Eid cycle through the seasons. The exact date may vary among countries and Muslim communities.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS?
In Indonesia, many people embark on an exodus to their hometowns to celebrate the holiday with loved ones in a homecoming tradition known locally as mudik.
In recent celebrations, Indonesians have packed airports or crammed into trains, ferries, buses and onto motorcycles as they poured out of major cities amid severe traffic congestion to return to their villages to celebrate the holiday with families.
Before the holiday, popular markets teem with shoppers buying clothes, shoes, cookies and sweets.
In Malaysia, Muslims also have a homecoming tradition for Aidilfitri. The first day usually begins with a morning prayer in the mosque, seeking forgiveness from family and friends, and visiting loved ones’ graves.
There’s an “open house” spirit that sees friends and families trading visits to celebrate Aidilftiri and enjoy traditional delicacies such as ketupat, rice cooked in a palm leaf pouch, and rendang, a meat dish stewed in spices and braised in coconut milk.
Older Muslims give money in green packets to children and guests who visit their homes.
In Egypt, families partake in Aidilfitri prayers amid a festive atmosphere. Many visit relatives, friends or neighbours and some travel to vacation spots. Children, usually wearing new outfits, receive traditional cash gifts known as eidiya. Making or buying cookies dusted with powdered sugar is another fixture of marking the holiday in the country.
At 28, most people are still figuring out where they want to be. For Md Nazri bin Hassan, the journey has been anything but conventional – from oil and gas sites in the Middle East to the intricate stitching of abayas in Brunei.
As the founder and designer of a modest fashion brand, Md Nazri is proof that the road less travelled often leads to the most rewarding destinations.
“I worked in Dubai, United Arab Emirates as an engineer for almost five years,” he shared. “I was with a company called Petrofac through a graduate development programme, alongside three other Bruneians. The experience was intense but eye-opening.”
During his time abroad, Md Nazri was stationed in multiple sites – from Bahrain, where he lived for almost a year, to another location in the Emirates for another half-year stretch. It was here that his exposure widened – not just in the engineering field, but culturally as well.
“These are the types of experiences you can gain from working outside while also being exposed to different cultures, nationalities and so on,” he explained. But it was in Dubai’s vibrant souqs that a different kind of spark ignited.
Md Nazri bin Hassan. PHOTO: IZAH AZAHARI AND MD NAZRIABOVE & BELOW: Founder and designer Md Nazri; and ‘abayas’ on display. PHOTO: IZAH AZAHARI AND MD NAZRIPHOTO: IZAH AZAHARI AND MD NAZRI
Md Nazri began to notice the abundance of textiles, fabrics, and – most importantly – the elegance of abayas that defined modest fashion in the Middle East.
“I was just trying to see if there was something that I could bring in from Dubai,” he said. “And of course, that was fabrics and textiles. Abayas was one of them, and that’s why I was keen on bringing them in.”
The idea of blending his newfound fascination with abayas and his background in design gradually took form. Upon returning to Brunei, he chose to focus entirely on this budding passion.
“We designed half of the collection on our own and brought in the other half directly from Dubai Souq. I personally sketch the designs and then have them tailored,” he said, adding that his own creations are distinctively finished with embroidery.
What began as small-scale orders soon blossomed into a growing brand. The business was founded three years ago, right after the pandemic.
“We began with just a modest selection of two to three designs per collection,” he recalled.
“It was a humble start, but the response steadily grew.” What began as a small passion project has since evolved, fuelled by increasing demand and a noticeable shift in local fashion preferences – especially in the lead-up to Hari Raya Aidilfitri. “Starting from last year, there’s been a real surge in interest. More and more people are turning to abayas for their Raya attire,” Md Nazri observed.
“If you look at women in Middle Eastern countries, abayas are part of everyday wear. I think Bruneians are beginning to embrace that same elegance – not just for the style, but for the modesty, comfort, and how effortlessly stylish they are to wear.”
His customers’ feedback has become a guiding light for his design direction, especially during festive seasons.
“A lot of my design inspiration comes from Pinterest and established abaya designers in Malaysia,” Md Nazri shared.
“But beyond that, I really listen to my customers – especially when it comes to colours they want for Hari Raya. This year, rich browns and golden tones have been especially popular.”
For Md Nazri, the road to entrepreneurship wasn’t a direct one.
“Back when I was working overseas, the world of business wasn’t really on my radar,” he admitted. “What began as a casual interest – the same way some guys are into cars or video games – gradually turned into something more.
For me, it was all about sketching and designing. I started dabbling in it around the age of 25, and it slowly grew into a real passion.” He’s the first to admit that the journey required a financial backbone.
“When you want to start a business, of course you need the model for it – and not everyone is privileged to have parents who can give you that model,” he said. “To kickstart a business, I knew I needed a solid foundation – and for me, that meant starting with a regular office job to build up the capital,” he said.
“Looking back, I have no regrets. If I hadn’t taken that path, I wouldn’t have had the resources or structure to launch the business. In the end, it turned out to be a win-win.”
Curiously, his journey into fashion wasn’t born out of instant talent or deep-seated passion.
“Funnily enough, I didn’t really have the interest in designing abayas. I was really bad at it,” he laughed. “But with practice and repetition, I managed to improve myself and grow that interest deeper.”
Today, as his label continues to grow its footprint in Brunei’s fashion scene, Md Nazri encourages young people to consider stepping outside their comfort zones.
“Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone – there’s a whole world of opportunity beyond Brunei,” he said. “I’m one of those people who took the leap, applied for jobs abroad, and gained experience outside the Sultanate. While there are opportunities here, they can be quite limited.
“Spending just two or three years working overseas can give you invaluable insight and growth that you simply can’t get at home.” Perhaps the most rewarding part of his entrepreneurial pursuit is the sense of ownership.
“I would say that it’s more fun to be your own boss. I was just constantly drained from working for someone. It felt like the effort just wasn’t worth it. As for my business, whatever effort I put into it is what I get in return. It’s what makes me proud of my business.”
From the rigour of engineering sites to the delicate artistry of abaya embroidery, Md Nazri’s journey is a reminder that success doesn’t always follow a straight line.
Sometimes, it takes a detour through foreign lands to discover the design of one’s own destiny. – Izah Azahari
NEW DELHI (AFP) – India can expect hotter-than-usual temperatures this summer with more heatwave days taking a toll on lives and livelihoods, the weather office warned.
The country is no stranger to scorching summers but years of scientific research has found climate change is causing heatwaves to become longer, more frequent and more intense.
Summer in India lasts from April to June, when temperatures often soar past 45 degrees Celsius at the season’s peak.
This year, the hot weather season will see “above-normal” maximum temperatures over most parts of the country, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a forecast.
The number of heatwave days, when abnormally high temperatures several degrees above the long-term average are recorded, will also increase.
Muslims offer prayers during Aidilfitri at Jama Masjid in the old quarters of New Delhi. PHOTO: AFP
“Up to 10 heatwave days or even more can be expected, especially over east India,” leading to heat stress, weather bureau boss Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told reporters.
India usually experiences four to seven heatwave days between April and June.
Infants, the elderly, people with health problems and outdoor workers are particularly vulnerable to hotter temperatures. The resulting heat stress can cause symptoms ranging from dizziness and headaches to organ failure and death.
City dwellers surrounded by concrete, brick and other heat-absorbing surfaces also face an elevated risk.
Prolonged periods of extreme heat can also strain infrastructure such as power grids and transportation systems.
The IMD said heat action plans must be devised to address those challenges.
“This includes providing access to cooling centres, issuing heat advisories, and implementing strategies to alleviate urban heat island effects in affected areas,” it said.
India sweltered through its longest-ever heatwave last year, with temperatures regularly passing 45 degrees Celsius.
The World Health Organization has calculated that heat kills a minimum of half a million people every year.
SYDNEY (AFP) – Whole herds of cattle have drowned in vast inland floods sweeping across the Australian outback, officials said yesterday, as the muddy tide drenched an area the size of France.
Swollen rivers burst their banks after unusually heavy downpours last week over outback Queensland, an arid region home to some of the country’s largest cattle ranches. Officials said more than 100,000 livestock – cattle, sheep, goats and horses – had been swept away, were missing, or had drowned.
“These are only early indications of the magnitude of this disaster and while these preliminary numbers are shocking, we are expecting them to continue to climb as flood waters recede,” said State Agriculture Minister Tony Perrett.
“It’s heartbreaking to consider what western Queenslanders will be going through over the weeks and months as they discover the full extent of losses and damage – and start the long slog to start again.”
Researchers have repeatedly warned that climate change amplifies the risk of natural disasters such as bushfires, floods and cyclones.
Flood waters stretched some 500,000 square kilometres across sparsely populated western Queensland, Perrett said, a landmass roughly equivalent to France.
Industry body AgForce told local media some cattle ranches may have lost almost 100 per cent of their herd.
The government Bureau of Meteorology said some towns had recorded as much as 500 millimetres of rain in the space of a week – their typical yearly total.
“Unfortunately, more rainfall is on the way,” forecaster Dean Narramore said.
SYDNEY (AFP) – Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull drew chuckles yesterday as he impersonated Donald Trump, urging the nation’s political leaders contesting a general election next month to “stand up” to the United States (US) president.
Turnbull, who was Australian prime minister when Trump first took office in 2017, briefly adopted a nasal American accent as he mimicked the US commander-in-chief during a speech. Political hopefuls contesting Australia’s May 3 general election should not be scared of angering Trump, Turnbull said.
“That’s the challenge for our leaders – they’ve got to be able to stand up,” he began.
“If that means they get a brickbat or a Truth Social post saying ‘You’re weak and ineffectual. You don’t know anything about China’,” Turnbull added, aping Trump’s characteristic cadence.
“If you’re spooked by that you shouldn’t be in the job,” Turnbull finished while drawing laughs from the crowd.
BISHOP (AP) – Firefighters stopped the forward spread of a wildfire tearing through a remote area of eastern California, but evacuation orders for residents of hundreds of homes remained in place, officials said.
The Silver Fire erupted on Sunday afternoon along Route 6 in Inyo County, about eight kilometres northeast of Bishop in the Owens Valley, near the Nevada border.
The cause was under investigation. It had churned through about 6.5 square kilometres of grass and brush, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said in a post on the social platform X. It was 47 per cent contained.
Residents of about 800 homes near the tiny communities of Laws, Chalfant and White Mountain Estates had been ordered evacuated after the fire broke out. Officials didn’t provide an update on how many people were still under those orders.
Crews were expected to stay overnight to keep an eye on hotspots and work on containment. The potential 104 kph gusts had limited flights by water-dropping helicopters and kept air tankers grounded, Cal Fire spokesperson Chloe Castillo said.
“The winds are very erratic,” she said. “One minute they’re pushing north, the next they’re going east.”
Cal Fire said the blaze was threatening land belonging to the Bishop Paiute Tribe as well as habitats for endangered species including the Owens pupfish and desert bighorn sheep.
Inyo County has received very little recent precipitation and is abnormally dry, with some areas experiencing extreme drought. Similarly, most of Southern California is in moderate to extreme drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor.
The Silver Fire burning in a field in Inyo County. PHOTO: AP
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) – A fire that damaged the entryway to the New Mexico Republican Party headquarters in Albuquerque is being investigated as arson, a fire official said.
No suspect has been named in the Sunday morning blaze that’s under investigation by local authorities, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Incendiary materials were found on the scene, according to an ATF spokesperson. Spray paint on the side of the building read “ICE=KKK,” said lieutenant Jason Fejer with Albuquerque Fire Rescue. Fejer said federal officials were taking over the arson
investigation.
During a Monday press conference in front of the burned entryway – which was covered with plywood and had two burned doors propped against it – Republican leaders described the fire as a deliberate attack.
They sought to link the blaze to an “ongoing crime crisis” in New Mexico, including a shooting earlier this month in Las Cruces that left three people dead. Republican lawmakers have recently urged Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to exercise her authority to bring the legislators back to the Capitol to seek solutions to the violence.
Damage to the group’s headquarters building from a fire in Albuquerque. PHOTO: AP
“I urge the governor and Democratic colleagues to come to the table with meaningful solutions,” said state Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer. “Let’s turn the temperature down and work together.”
The building, which authorities said was unoccupied at the time of the fire, had extensive damage from smoke and water used by firefighters, leaving the GOP offices uninhabitable for now.
Surveillance video from the inside the building captured images of the fire, said party spokeswoman Ash Soular. She declined to give further details and said law enforcement asked the party not to release the video or discuss its contents in detail.
The weekend fire followed vandalism across the United States (US) in recent weeks targeting dealerships for Tesla, the electric car company owned by Elon Musk, who is leading Republican President Donald Trump’s efforts to slash the federal workforce. Trump has also sought to ramp up deportation efforts against people living in the country illegally, led by agents at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
Democrats, including Governor Lujan Grisham and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, denounced the fire and said politically motivated crimes are unacceptable.
“There is no excuse for political violence or vandalism of any kind, and I strongly condemn Sunday’s attack on the New Mexico Republican Party headquarters,” Lujan Grisham said in a Monday social media post.
KALAMAZOO (AP) – A tree fell on a van in Michigan, killing three children, during a fierce weekend storm that swept the region and contributed to the death of an 84-year-old man in an Amish buggy in Indiana, authorities said.
Meanwhile, more potentially dangerous weather rolled across parts of the South-eastern United States.
Trees and power lines were no match for freezing rain and extreme winds over the weekend, and utilities were gradually restoring power in Michigan, although 276,000 outages remained by Monday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us. Indiana and Wisconsin had trimmed their outages to roughly 80,000.
The victims of the fallen tree in Kalamazoo County were a two-year-old girl, her four-year-old brother and an 11-year-old girl who was their cousin. Three other people in the van were injured on Sunday about 209 kilometres west of Detroit.
“The family could not have avoided this,” Sheriff Richard Fuller told reporters, adding that the tree struck the passenger area where the children were sitting.
A tree lies fallen between two vehicles at a residence near the intersection of Beech Street and Division Street after severe thunderstorms and high winds in East Lansing. PHOTO: AP
The area had been under a severe thunderstorm warning at the time, one of several on Sunday in southern Michigan.
At roughly the same time, an Amish buggy in Middlebury, Indiana, flipped because of intense winds, killing Lonnie Yoder, police said.
Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula remained a mess, with thousands of trees down because of freezing rain that struck on Saturday. Police urged people to stay off roads. The Alpena News said it couldn’t publish a newspaper because it had no power, like the rest of Alpena County.
The Mackinac Bridge, an eight-kilometre span connecting Michigan’s two peninsulas, was shut down because of the danger of thick ice falling on cars from the bridge’s towers and cables.
In Valparaiso, Indiana, investigators believe severe crosswinds blew over a tractor-trailer on Sunday afternoon, killing the driver at the property of Pratt Industries, the Porter County sheriff’s office said. Jagbir Singh, 34, of Ontario, Canada, was found outside the passenger compartment.
A warehouse in Elkhart, Indiana, was destroyed, though no injuries were reported, WSBT-TV said.
Winds in southwest Ohio toppled a steeple, damaged homes and flipped campers on Sunday night, authorities said. No injuries were reported. At least four tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service. Kentucky also saw at least three tornadoes on Sunday, the weather service confirmed on the social platform X. One hit Spencer County in north-central Kentucky, tearing the roof off at least one barn.
Storm damage was reported in several counties in Tennessee, including Maury and Humphreys, WSMV-TV reported. Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis reported damage across the county, including a roof torn off a house. The homeowners were trapped inside but not injured. The National Weather Service confirmed on Facebook at least four tornadoes in middle Tennessee.
Clusters of thunderstorms accompanied by strong to severe wind gusts and a few tornadoes spread across much of the Southeast on Monday, the National Weather Service said. In Dothan, Alabama, five students suffered minor injuries when a storm caused part of their school’s gymnasium roof to collapse, news outlets reported.
Flood watches have been issued for today in 11 states, from northeast Texas through Arkansas and stretching to the western edge of West Virginia. The weather service warned that up to 30.5 centimetres of rain in some areas “is not out of the question. This is expected to be a high end event with life-threatening flooding.”
