694 killed, 1,670 injured, 68 missing in Myanmar's earthquake

14.04.2025, 10:53 5481

Death toll from Bangkok building that collapsed in quake climbs to 36, with 59 still missing

The death toll from the collapse of a government building in Bangkok in a powerful earthquake last month has risen to 36, with 59 people still missing, Thai authorities said Sunday, Anadolu Agency reports.

Rescue workers continue to struggle to access parts of the debris from the State Audit Office building, including an area where a cellphone light was detected two days ago, Thai PBS reported.

The most recent body recovered late Saturday was sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Police General Hospital for identification.

Efforts have been slowed by heavy concrete and twisted steel, but authorities said the plan remains unchanged, combining manual searches with heavy machinery.

The building collapsed during the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck neighboring Myanmar on March 28.

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11.04.2025, 15:22 37151

China raises additional tariffs to 125 pct on imported U.S. products

China will raise the additional tariffs on products imported from the United States to 125 percent, effective from Saturday, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced Friday, Xinhua reports.

The announcement follows the U.S. move to raise the "reciprocal tariffs" on Chinese imports to 125 percent. The commission said the U.S. imposition of excessively high tariffs on China seriously violates international economic and trade rules, goes against basic economic laws and common sense, and is nothing but unilateral bullying and coercion.

Even if the U.S. imposes even higher tariffs, it would no longer make economic sense and ultimately go down as a joke in world economic history, according to the commission.

Given that it's already impossible for the Chinese market to accept U.S. imports at the current tariff level, if the United States imposes further tariffs on Chinese products, China will ignore it," it said.

However, should the U.S. persist in substantially undermining China's interests, China will take firm countermeasures and fight to the end, the commission added.

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11.04.2025, 14:20 37371

Tunnel construction site in S. Korea's Gwangmyeong collapses; 2 workers unreachable

A tunnel construction site in Gwangmyeong, just south of Seoul, collapsed Friday, leaving two workers unreachable, authorities said, Yonhap reports.

The site had been evacuated earlier in the day after authorities were alerted to the risk of collapse following the discovery of cracks in multiple pillars used in the construction of the underground tunnels.

The collapse occurred at 3:17 p.m., causing a section of the road above ground to cave in and damaging several nearby buildings.

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11.04.2025, 09:49 49131

First IT hub opens in Kyrgyzstan

Images | kabar.kg

On Thursday, the opening ceremony of the country's first IT hub at the technopark was held in Bishkek, with the participation of President Sadyr Zhaparov, Kabar reports.

The event was also attended by Minister of Digital Development and Innovative Technologies Azamat Zhamangulov, Mayor of Bishkek Aibek Zhunushaliev, representatives of IT companies, the business community and residents of the new technopark.

In his speech, President Sadyr Zhaparov noted that the opening IT hub is not just an office center, but a space for the development of advanced technologies and innovations.

Today we are launching the IT hub, which will become an important foundation for the further development of our country. Once upon a time, there was a factory on this site that made a significant contribution to the economy of the republic. Years have passed, times have changed, and now, thanks to the initiative of entrepreneurs and the support of the state, a modern platform for IT business is opening here. Let the new IT hub become a symbol of progress and prosperity for all of us. I congratulate you on this significant event," the head of state emphasized.

The first stage of the launch of the IT hub was implemented back in 2023. Currently, the technology park provides over 3 thousand jobs. There are 250 resident companies operating here, 115 separate offices and 344 open space workspaces are provided. The opening of the IT hub opens up new prospects for the development of the digital economy of Kyrgyzstan and creates favorable conditions for the growth of innovative projects and startups.

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10.04.2025, 21:52 48866

Kyrgyzstan ranks second in CIS in terms of resort and health resort potential

The Soviet Union left Kyrgyzstan a rich resort heritage, supported by a solid scientific base of the Research Institute of Balneology. Thanks to this and its unique geographical location, the republic ranks second in the post-Soviet space in terms of health resort potential, Kabar reports.

This data was announced at the scientific and practical conference "Modern sanatoriums and resorts of Kyrgyzstan - a new view and development prospects", which opened today in the state residence.

To date, more than 500 mineral water sources of almost all known types have been discovered in Kyrgyzstan. In this indicator, the country is second only to the Caucasus region. The republic also has more than 10 million cubic meters of therapeutic mud (silt and silt-peat).

Considering such potential of the country, the President of Kyrgyzstan by his decree created the Directorate for the Management of Activities of Health Resorts, Health and Tourism Facilities under the Administrative Department of the President. The task was set to revive the health resort industry and provide access to it for citizens of the country. I hope that this conference will allow our resorts and sanatoriums not only to establish contacts with colleagues from Russia, but also to carefully study their experience for organizing the work of their institutions," said Deputy Head of the Presidential Administrative Department Elmira Usenova in her welcoming speech.

The conference participants from Russia emphasized that Kyrgyzstan has every chance to turn the health resort industry into one of the leading ones.

Russian tourists are increasingly choosing Kyrgyzstan as a vacation spot. This is evidenced by the statistics of recent years. Today, it is difficult to imagine sanatoriums and resorts without modern innovative equipment. But it is not enough to provide people with medical services - it is necessary to create comfortable conditions, and also make resorts a place of contact with the culture of Kyrgyzstan," President of the Association for the Development of Resorts of the Sverdlovsk Region "Sankur - Evolution" Sergey Dmitriev said.

The conference participants were told about the work on the rehabilitation and modernization of resorts and sanatoriums of Kyrgyzstan that have been carried out over the past two years. In particular, an Olympic-standard swimming pool has been built at the Jalal-Abad resort. Active construction of additional buildings is underway at the Goluboi Issyk-Kul sanatorium. It is also planned to build a hemodialysis center there with the support of investors.

The conference will continue on April 11 - 12 on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, where forum participants are able to familiarize themselves with the changes achieved in the sanatoriums and resorts of Kyrgyzstan.

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10.04.2025, 11:41 49581

India becomes world’s third-largest producer of wind and solar power

India has emerged as the world’s third-largest generator of electricity from wind and solar sources, TV BRICS reports.

According to News9, the report highlights India’s growing leadership in the clean energy transition, with wind and solar together contributing 10 per cent of the country’s total electricity generation last year.

Globally, wind and solar accounted for 15 per cent of electricity generation in 2024. Low-carbon sources, including renewables and nuclear, collectively supplied 40.9 per cent of global electricity - surpassing the 40 per cent threshold for the first time since the 1940s.

India added 24 gigawatts of solar capacity in 2024, more than double the additions in the previous year.

The source also noted that global solar generation doubled within just three years, reaching 6.9 per cent of the electricity mix. For the third consecutive year, solar was the world’s largest source of new electricity, adding a record 474 TWh and remaining the fastest-growing energy source for the 20th year in a row.

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10.04.2025, 09:35 49791

Dominican Republic nightclub collapse: Death toll rises to 184

The death toll from the roof collapse at a nightclub in Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic, has risen to 184, Dominican authorities confirmed late Wednesday, as rescue efforts continue with no new survivors found since Tuesday afternoon, Xinhua reported.

Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Emergency Operations Center, said no additional survivors have been rescued since 3:00 p.m. local time (1900 GMT) on April 8.

Nelsy Milagros Cruz, governor of Monte Cristi province, is among those killed, according to local authorities.

Dominican President Luis Abinader has declared three days of national mourning starting April 8 to honor the victims.

Emergency services have set up a hotline to help families obtain information about the injured and the missing. Investigation is under way to determine the cause of the collapse.

The collapse occurred during a party at the Jet Set nightclub in the capital in the early hours Tuesday. Jet Set is a well-known nightclub in Santo Domingo and often hosts live performances. Local media reported that the roof fell after a sudden power outage.

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09.04.2025, 09:42 69456

At least 66 killed in Dominican Republic nightclub roof collapse

A catastrophic roof collapse at an iconic nightclub in the Dominican Republic’s capital, Santo Domingo, has left at least 66 people dead including a provincial governor and former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Octavio Dotel, Al Jazeera reports.

At least 160 other people were injured and some 400 emergency crews were still working to pull survivors from the rubble as families of the victims gathered at the site searching for their loved ones, authorities said on Tuesday.

Juan Manuel Mendez, head of the Dominican Republic’s emergency operations centre, said that efforts to rescue those trapped under the debris were continuing, though the exact number of people inside the Jet Set nightclub at the time of the collapse remained unclear.

Local media reported there were between 500 and 1,000 people in the club when disaster struck in the early hours of Tuesday.

The roof collapse happened during a concert attended by politicians, athletes and other prominent figures.

At least 27 people have now been confirmed dead from a roof collapse at a popular Dominican Republic nightclub. pic.twitter.com/l6ZNLWcTWR
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 8, 2025

Among the victims was Nelsy Cruz, governor of the northern Monte Cristi province, President Luis Abinader said. Cruz is the sister of former baseball player Nelson Cruz, a seven-time MLB All-Star.

Former MLB pitcher Dotel died en route to a local hospital after being pulled from the debris, a spokesman for the nation’s Ministry of Sports said.

The Dominican Republic’s Professional Baseball League expressed "its sorrow over the death of former pitcher Octavio Dotel" and concluded: "Peace to his soul".

Dotel, 51, debuted for the New York Mets in 1999 and played until 2013 for more than a dozen teams including the Houston Astros, Oakland A’s, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers.

Thinking about our people in the Dominican Republic," Carlos Mendoza, manager of the Mets, said in a press conference. "We have a lot of the Dominican community in the baseball world."

Nearly 150 people have been taken to local hospitals for treatment, according to the government.

The cause of the roof collapse remains under investigation.

Earlier, it was reported that at least 27 people were dead after the nightclub roof collapse.

‘Save lives’

Iris Pena, a woman who had attended the concert, told the Dominican channel SIN how she escaped with her son.

At one point, dirt started falling like dust into the drink on the table. I asked the security officers … whether the ground had shaken," she said.

A stone fell and cracked the table where we were, and we got out," Pena recounted. "The impact was so strong, as if it had been a tsunami or an earthquake."

Dozens of family members flocked to hospitals for news.

We are desperate," Regina del Rosa, whose sister was at the concert, told SIN. "They are not giving us news; they are not telling us anything."

At the scene, meanwhile, helicopter images revealed a large hole where the club’s roof once was. A construction crane was helping to lift some of the heavier rubble as men in hard hats dug through the debris.

All emergency agencies have responded and are working tirelessly on the rescue efforts. Our prayers are with the affected families," he said.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation.

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694 killed, 1,670 injured, 68 missing in Myanmar's earthquake

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