Myanmar’s junta continued air strikes on rebel groups across the country, even as the UN and neighbouring countries called for a ceasefire to allow the passage of humanitarian aid following Friday’s 7.7-magnitude earthquake. The junta said the death toll from the disaster had reached around 1,700 and appealed for international help. At least 18 people also died in neighbouring Thailand.
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.
Donald Trump said he would impose tariffs of 25-50% on countries that buy Russian oil if the Kremlin does not co-operate with his attempts to end the war in Ukraine. America’s president added he was “pissed off” at Vladimir Putin for suggesting on Friday that a “transitional administration” be established in Ukraine. Mr Trump has generally struck a friendlier tone towards Russia since returning to office.
Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, vowed to maintain his country’s offensive against Hamas, claiming that “cracks” were appearing in the militant group’s negotiating position. He called on Hamas to disarm and said Israel would implement Mr Trump’s “voluntary migration plan”, which would essentially evict Palestinians from Gaza. On Saturday Hamas said it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal brought by Egyptian mediators.
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.
Figure of the day: 18%, the decline in the budget for America’s Bureau of Labour Statistics in real terms over the past 15 years. Read the full story.
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