Rescue teams in Myanmar continued to search for survivors following Friday’s 7.7-magnitude earthquake. The United Nations said efforts were being hampered by a severe lack of medical supplies. The country’s junta said the death toll had reached around 1, 700. But even as it appealed for humanitarian aid, the junta resumed air strikes against rebels in parts of the country. The UN called that “completely outrageous”.
A transitional government in Syria was sworn in, with President Ahmed al-Sharaa appointing 23 people to his cabinet. The appointees, while loyal to the former al-Qaeda leader turned statesman, included those from different religious sects, ethnic groups and a woman. Mr al-Sharaa became the country’s de facto ruler in January, following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s long-time dictator.
America’s defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, said the country’s armed forces would develop a “war-fighting” command base in Japan to bolster deterrence against China in the Indo-Pacific. During a visit to Tokyo, Mr Hegseth emphasised the importance of America’s alliance with Japan and said that Donald Trump’s America First policy would not undermine military support for allies in the region.
Meanwhile Japan, South Korea and China agreed to “closely co-operate” and pursue “high-level” trade talks during a meeting between their trade ministers in Seoul. In a joint statement the ministers said trilateral economic collaboration was necessary “to effectively address emerging challenges”, a probable reference to Mr Trump’s tariffs. It was the first such economic meeting in five years.
The head of the Rapid Support Forces, a Sudanese rebel group, vowed to continue its war against Sudan’s national army, which began in 2023, despite losing control of Khartoum, the capital. Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, admitted his forces had withdrawn from the city in recent days but said they would return “more powerful”. The national army also suggested it would keep fighting.
Hamas reportedly agreed to a ceasefire proposal brought by Egyptian mediators, including hostage releases. Israel said it submitted a counter-offer. Earlier the Israel Defence Forces began ground operations in a neighbourhood in Rafah “to expand the security zone” in southern Gaza. Palestinians in the enclave will observe the first day of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, on Sunday.
A judge in Wisconsin allowed Elon Musk to proceed with his plan to give $1m to two people who sign his petition opposing “activist” judges. Wisconsin’s attorney-general had sued to block the prize ahead of the state’s supreme-court election on Tuesday. He has appealed the ruling. The race for the judicial seat, currently held by a liberal, has broken spending records.
Word of the week: Hatarakanai ojisan, a Japanese term meaning “older men who don’t work”, used by younger employees to describe senior colleagues who contribute little. Read the full story.
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