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Rescue efforts in Myanmar face critical equipment shortages as the death toll from Friday's devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake surpasses 1,700, while Australia's election campaign intensifies with healthcare and energy policies taking center stage.
Myanmar Earthquake: Rescue Efforts Hampered
The search for survivors beneath collapsed buildings in Myanmar continues as international rescue teams arrive, but local witnesses report dangerous delays due to inadequate equipment.
"People at the site could still hear screaming, but the rescue teams don't have enough equipment to lift the rubble, so the search is taking a long time," said a local teacher who requested anonymity due to concerns about speaking with international media.
The situation is particularly dire at the collapsed Sky Villa Condominium in Mandalay, where the lower four stories of the 11-story residential tower now lie underground. Hospital morgues are reportedly overwhelmed, with approximately 100 bodies awaiting identification.
International assistance has arrived from China, India, Russia, Singapore, and Thailand, though reports indicate a Taiwanese team was denied entry. Rescue operations face additional challenges as Myanmar's military government has reportedly restricted civilian efforts and documentation of the disaster.
Military Continues Airstrikes Despite Crisis
Despite the humanitarian emergency, Myanmar's military government appears to have conducted multiple air strikes since Friday's earthquake, dashing hopes that the natural disaster might pause hostilities between the junta and opposition forces.
Sources inside the country reported military helicopter strikes in the town of Pauk and further north in Kachin state on Sunday, with additional claims of aerial bombardment in Shan state hours after the earthquake.
Professor Rosa Freedman of the University of Reading noted: "It's almost as if the earthquake has given cover for the military to try to continue its fight against those groups. It would be a disaster for Myanmar in terms of finding some way forward politically."
Opposition groups have expressed concerns about whether international aid delivered to the ruling military will be distributed appropriately, with the Karen National Union calling for "parallel aid processes" where aid would flow directly through local community groups.
Australian Election: Leaders Clash on Healthcare and Energy
In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have presented starkly different visions for the country's future as the election campaign intensifies.
During a hospital funding announcement in Western Australia, Albanese emphasized his government's commitment to healthcare:
"We believe that Medicare is absolutely critical and that Australians should just need their Medicare card to get the health care they need rather than their credit card. And it's a big distinction between the government and the opposition at this election campaign," the Prime Minister stated.
The Labor government announced a $200 million funding package to renovate and extend St John of God Midland Public Hospital, delivering 60 new medical and surgical beds, additional critical care facilities, and two new operating theatres.
Opposition Targets Cost of Living
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, campaigning in the Hunter region, focused on energy costs and economic management:
"The Prime Minister promised before the last election on 97 occasions that power prices would go down by $275. Instead, they've gone up by $1,300," Dutton claimed. "What we're putting forward is a positive plan to get our country back on track. Next election really is about who do you trust to manage the economy."
The opposition has proposed a 25-cent per liter reduction in fuel prices and continues to promote nuclear power as a solution to Australia's energy challenges, particularly in regions transitioning away from coal.
National Security Concerns
Prime Minister Albanese also addressed questions about a Chinese research vessel currently operating within Australia's exclusive economic zone:
"It's been in New Zealand on a joint research operation, and this isn't the first time that a similar vessel has been around the Australian coast. It occurred in 2020, for example. Australia, as you would expect, is monitoring this," Albanese stated.
When pressed further on whether he had concerns about the vessel's activities, the Prime Minister added: "I would prefer that it wasn't there. But we live in circumstances where, just as Australia has vessels in the South China Sea and vessels in the Taiwan Strait and around a range of areas, this vessel is there."
Political Symbolism Emerges
The campaign has also highlighted differences in leadership style, with Albanese criticizing Dutton's comment that he would prefer to live in Sydney's Kirribilli House rather than The Lodge in Canberra if elected Prime Minister. Albanese described the remark as showing "a fair bit of hubris" and emphasized his belief that the Prime Minister should live in the national capital.
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