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 nearly 1,650, but even as it appeals for humanitarian aid, it resumed air strikes against rebels in parts of the country. The UN called that “completely outrageous”.
Tens of thousands rallied in Istanbul as protests intensified over the arrest of Ekram Imamoglu, the city’s mayor and main opposition rival to Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish authorities have cracked down harshly on such demonstrations, arresting almost 2,000 people since Mr Imamoglu’s detention for alleged corruption on March 19th. Experts consider the charges baseless.
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 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.
Denmark snapped back against America’s vice-president, who had criticised its protection of Greenland. During a visit to the autonomous Danish territory on Friday, J.D. Vance claimed Denmark had failed to keep the vast island “safe” from Russia and China. Denmark’s foreign minister said the country did “not appreciate the tone” of the comments. Mr Vance’s boss, Donald Trump, has repeatedly called for America to take over the island.
Police in India said the country’s security services killed at least 16 people during an operation targeting Maoist insurgents in Chhattisgarh, a central state. The clash in the town of Sukma also injured two security officers, officials said. The government of Narendra Modi has promised to stamp out the hard-left insurgency, leading to an increase in such clashes in recent years.
A judge in Wisconsin allowed Mr 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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