Category: Latest News

  • Russia’s supreme court to review lifting Taliban ban

    Russia’s supreme court to review lifting Taliban ban



    Judge Nikolai Romanenkov (L) of the Supreme Court attends a hearing on an appeal by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny against a decision to bar him from taking part in the 2018 presidential election in Moscow, Russia December 30, 2017. — Reuters
    Judge Nikolai Romanenkov (L) of the Supreme Court attends a hearing on an appeal by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny against a decision to bar him from taking part in the 2018 presidential election in Moscow, Russia December 30, 2017. — Reuters

    Russia’s Supreme Court is set to decide next month on removing the Taliban from its list of banned “terrorist” organisations, Russian news agencies reported Monday.

    Moscow has strengthened ties with the Taliban authorities since they took control of Afghanistan following the United States’ chaotic withdrawal in 2021.

    The Supreme Court is set to hold a hearing on the Taliban’s status on April 17, the TASS news agency reported, citing the court’s press service.

    The hearing behind closed doors is expected to lift the ban after the Prosecutor General’s Office issued a legal request to do so.

    President Vladimir Putin, in December signed a law approved by parliament that made it legally possible to remove the Taliban from the list.

    Under the law, a court can make such a decision based on a request from the Prosecutor General stating that the group has ceased “terrorist” activity. Russia’s FSB security service can then remove the group.

    The expected move would not amount to a formal recognition of the Taliban government and what it calls the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”, a step no country has yet taken.

    Moscow has warmed relations with Afghanistan — with which it has a complicated history after the Soviet invasion in the 1980s — since the US exit from the country.

    Taliban members visited Russia on the Kremlin’s invitation for talks on Afghanistan even before then, despite the ban, which was issued in 2003.

    Putin said last summer that the Taliban were Moscow’s “allies” in fighting terrorism because they were in control of Afghanistan and had an interest in its stability.

    The Taliban government has been fighting against the rival Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) jihadist group in Afghanistan for years.

    In 2024, IS-K claimed responsibility for an assault on a Moscow concert hall that killed more than 140 people, the deadliest terror attack in Russia for almost two decades.

  • Vance accuses Denmark of neglecting Greenland’s security against Russia, China

    Vance accuses Denmark of neglecting Greenland’s security against Russia, China



    US Vice President JD Vance speaks at the US militarys Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on March 28, 2025. — Reuters
    US Vice President JD Vance speaks at the US military’s Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on March 28, 2025. — Reuters

    NUUK: US Vice President JD Vance has accused Denmark of neglecting Greenland’s security, warning that the Arctic territory faces growing threats from Russia and China while calling on people for closer cooperation with the United States.

    The VP pledged respect for Greenland’s sovereignty while urging its people to partner with his country.

    Vance said the United States does not have immediate plans to expand its military presence on the ground in Greenland but will invest in resources, including additional naval ships.

    “Denmark has not kept pace and devoted the resources necessary to keep this base, to keep our troops, and in my view, to keep the people of Greenland safe from a lot of very aggressive incursions from Russia, from China, and other nations,” Vance said. However, he did not provide details of the alleged incursions.

    The US vice president stated that Russia, China, and other nations are taking an “extraordinary interest” in Arctic passageways, naval routes, and minerals in the region. The US will invest more resources, including naval ships and military icebreakers, to establish a stronger presence in the country.

    Greenland’s new prime minister said the US visit signalled a “lack of respect” and called for unity in the face of “pressure from outside”.

    Denmark’s king issued a statement of support on social media. “We live in an altered reality. There should be no doubt that my love for Greenland and my connectedness to the people of Greenland are intact,” King Frederik said.

    Vance delivered his remarks during a visit to the US military base at Pituffik in northern Greenland. His visit came just hours after a new broad government coalition was presented in Nuuk, aiming to maintain ties with Denmark for the time being.

    Upon arrival, Vance greeted US military personnel at the remote base, thanking them for their service. The outside temperature at Pituffik was minus 3 degrees Fahrenheit (-19°C).

    Vance also pledged that Greenland’s people would have “self-determination” and that the US would respect its sovereignty.

    “We hope that they choose to partner with the United States, because we’re the only nation on earth that will respect their sovereignty and respect their security, because their security is very much our security,” Vance said.

    As Vance’s visit was underway, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that the United States needs Greenland to ensure “peace for the entire world.”

    “We need Greenland, very importantly, for international security. We have to have Greenland. It’s not a question of, ‘Do you think we can do without it?’ We can’t,” Trump said.

    Trump claimed that Greenland’s waterways had “Chinese and Russian ships all over the place” and insisted that the United States would not rely on Denmark or any other country to manage the situation.

    Denmark and the European Union understand Greenland’s importance for global peace, “and if they don’t, we’re going to have to explain it to them,” Trump added.

    The US delegation included Vance’s wife, Usha, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

    The original plan for the trip included Vance’s wife attending a dog-sled race on the island with Waltz, despite not being officially invited by Greenlandic or Danish authorities. However, public protests and backlash from officials in both Greenland and Denmark led the US delegation to limit its visit to the military base, avoiding public meetings.

    Under a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wishes, provided it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen. Pituffik is located along the shortest route between Europe and North America and is vital for the US ballistic missile warning system.

    Greenland, whose capital is closer to New York than to Copenhagen, holds significant reserves of minerals, oil, and natural gas. However, development has been slow, and the mining sector has received little US investment. Most mining companies operating in Greenland are Australian, Canadian, or British.

    A White House official has stated that Greenland has a vast supply of rare earth minerals that could power the next generation of the US economy.

    New government

    Greenland’s new Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, on Friday urged political unity.

    “At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together,” Nielsen told a press conference.

    His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the largest party in the 11 March election.

    Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who previously called the initial US visit plans “unacceptable”, congratulated Greenland’s new government in an Instagram post: “I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time.”

    Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute, said the question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island.

    “It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means,” he told Reuters.

    “But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments,” he added.

    ‘Not for sale’

    By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on key issues: the US presence in Greenland, military capabilities, and Arctic security, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defence and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank.

    “A change of course was needed,” Sendak told Reuters.

    However, some residents in Nuuk remain angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance’s visit.

    “I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale,” said Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, speaking to Reuters.

    Polls show that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing “Make America Go Away” caps and holding “Yankees Go Home” banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.

    On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow alongside a cardboard sign in English reading: “Our Land. Our Future.”

  • Aid pours in Myanmar amid rising death toll after deadly quake

    Aid pours in Myanmar amid rising death toll after deadly quake



    A view shows debris next to a damaged building after a strong earthquake struck central Myanmar in Mandalay, Myanmar, on March 29, 2025. — Reuters
    A view shows debris next to a damaged building after a strong earthquake struck central Myanmar in Mandalay, Myanmar, on March 29, 2025. — Reuters

    Myanmar’s neighbours sent warships and aircraft laden with relief materials and rescue personnel on Sunday, as international aid gained steam after a massive earthquake ravaged much of the poor Southeast Asian nation.

    At least 1,600 people have been killed and 3,400 injured by Friday’s 7.7-magnitude quake, one of Myanmar’s strongest in a century, its military government said.

    “All military and civilian hospitals, as well as healthcare workers, must work together in a coordinated and efficient manner to ensure effective medical response,” said the junta chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, according to Myanmar media.

    The United States Geological Service’s predictive modelling estimated that Myanmar’s death toll could top 10,000 and losses could exceed the country’s annual economic output.

    The quake jolted parts of neighbouring Thailand, bringing down an under-construction skyscraper and killing 17 people across the capital, according to Thai authorities. At least 78 people remained trapped under the debris of the collapsed building.

    The deadliest natural disaster to hit Myanmar in years damaged critical infrastructure, including an airport, highways and bridges, slowing humanitarian operations, according to the United Nations.

    Delayed rescue

    The quake hit a nation already in chaos with a civil war that has escalated since the 2021 military coup, which ousted the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and sparked a nationwide armed uprising.

    The fighting has battered the largely agrarian economy of Myanmar, formerly called Burma, displaced over 3.5 million people and left essential services, such as healthcare, in tatters.

    The opposition National Unity Government, which includes remnants of the previous administration, said anti-junta militias would pause all offensive military actions for two weeks from Sunday.

    “The NUG, together with resistance forces, allied organisations and civil society groups, will carry out rescue operations,” it said in a statement.

    In some of the country’s hardest hit areas, residents told Reuters that government assistance was scarce, leaving people to fend for themselves.

    The entire town of Sagaing near the quake’s epicentre was devastated, said resident Han Zin.

    “What we are seeing here is widespread destruction — many buildings have collapsed into the ground,” he said by phone, adding that much of the town had been without electricity since the disaster hit and drinking water was running out.

    “We have received no aid, and there are no rescue workers in sight.”

    Across the Irrawaddy river in Mandalay, a rescue worker said most operations in the country’s second-largest city were being conducted by small, self-organised resident groups that lack the required equipment.

    “We have been approaching collapsed buildings, but some structures remain unstable while we work,” he said, asking not to be named because of security concerns.

    Aid pours in

    Scores of people were feared trapped under collapsed buildings across Mandalay, but most could not be reached or pulled out without heavy machinery, another humanitarian worker and two residents said.

    “People are still stuck in the buildings; they can’t take people out,” said a resident who asked not to be named.

    Hospitals in parts of central and northwestern Myanmar, including Mandalay and Sagaing, were struggling to cope with the influx of injured people, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

    India, China and Thailand are among the neighbours that have sent relief materials and teams, along with aid and personnel from Malaysia, Singapore and Russia.

    Indian military aircraft made multiple sorties into Myanmar on Saturday, including ferrying supplies and search-and-rescue crews to Naypyitaw, the purpose-made capital, parts of which have been wrecked by the earthquake.

    The Indian army will help set up a field hospital in Mandalay, and two navy ships carrying supplies are heading to Myanmar’s commercial capital of Yangon, said Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

    Multiple teams of Chinese rescue personnel have arrived, including one that crossed in overland from its southwestern province of Yunnan, China’s embassy in Myanmar said on social media.

    A 78-member team from Singapore, accompanied by rescue dogs, was operating in Mandalay on Sunday, Myanmar media said.

  • Rescuers free woman from Myanmar earthquake debris after 60 hours

    Rescuers free woman from Myanmar earthquake debris after 60 hours



    Rescue personnel work at the site of a building that collapsed, following a strong earthquake, in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 31, 2025. — Reuters
    Rescue personnel work at the site of a building that collapsed, following a strong earthquake, in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 31, 2025. — Reuters

    Three days after a devastating earthquake that killed around 2,000 people, authorities in Myanmar and Thailand on Monday said that rescuers had recovered a woman from the debris of a hotel in Myanmar, offering some hope as searchers rushed to discover additional survivors.

    Following a 5-hour effort by Chinese, Russian, and local personnel, the woman was rescued from the debris after 60 hours trapped beneath the Great Wall Hotel in Mandalay, as per a Facebook post from the Chinese consulate. Early on Monday, it stated that her status was stable.

    Mandalay is near the epicentre of the 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Friday that wreaked mass devastation in Myanmar and damage in neighbouring Thailand.

    In Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, emergency crews using cranes and dog sniffers on Monday continued a desperate search for 76 people believed buried under the rubble of an under-construction skyscraper that collapsed.

    Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said rescuers are not giving up despite the conventional-wisdom window for finding people alive fast approaching.

    “The search will continue even after 72 hours because in Turkey, people who have been trapped for a week have survived. The search has not been cancelled,” Chadchart said.

    He said machine scans of the rubble indicated there may still be people alive underneath, and dog sniffers are being dispatched to try to pinpoint their locations.

    “We’ve detected weak life signs and there are many spots,” he said.

    Thailand’s official death toll was at 18 on Sunday, but could shoot up without more rescues at the collapsed building site.

    In Myanmar, state media said at least 1,700 people have been confirmed dead. The Wall Street Journal, citing the ruling military junta, reported the death toll had reached 2,028 in Myanmar. Reuters could not immediately confirm the new death toll. The United Nations said it was rushing relief supplies to estimated 23,000 quake-hit survivors in central Myanmar.

    “Our teams in Mandalay are joining efforts to scale up the humanitarian response despite going through the trauma themselves,” said Noriko Takagi, the UN refugee agency’s representative in Myanmar. “Time is of the essence as Myanmar needs global solidarity and support through this immense devastation.”

    India, China and Thailand are among Myanmar’s neighbours that have sent relief materials and teams, along with aid and personnel from Malaysia, Singapore and Russia.

    The United States pledged $2 million in aid “through Myanmar-based humanitarian assistance organisations”. It said in a statement that an emergency response team from USAID, which is undergoing massive cuts under the Trump administration, is deploying to Myanmar.

    The quake devastation has piled more misery on Myanmar, already in chaos from a civil war that grew out of a nationwide uprising after a 2021 military coup ousted the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

    One rebel group said Myanmar’s ruling military was still conducting airstrikes on villages in the aftermath of the quake, and Singapore’s foreign minister called for an immediate ceasefire to help relief efforts.

    Critical infrastructure — including bridges, highways, airports and railways — across the country of 55 million lie damaged, slowing humanitarian efforts while the conflict that has battered the economy, displaced over 3.5 million people and debilitated the health system rages on.

  • Bangladesh opposition warns of instability if polls delayed

    Bangladesh opposition warns of instability if polls delayed



    Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan addressing a public gathering. — Facebook/ @abdulmoyeenkhan.officiall/ File
    Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan addressing a public gathering. — Facebook/ @abdulmoyeenkhan.officiall/ File

    NEW DELHI: Following the country’s de facto prime minister’s statement that the poll could be postponed until 2026, Bangladesh’s biggest opposition party has threatened turmoil and “strong resentment within the people” if polls are not held by December.

    The South Asian country of 173 million has been ruled by an unelected interim government headed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus since August, when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a long-time ally of India, was forced to escape to New Delhi due to deadly student-led demonstrations.

    The country’s two biggest parties, Hasina’s Awami League and rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party, had both wanted elections to be held last year, but Yunus said in a speech on Tuesday that a vote could be held between December 2025 and June 2026.

    That would give time for reforms to conduct “the most free, fair and credible elections in Bangladesh”, Yunus said. The opposition and some Western countries alleged widespread rigging in the previous elections by Hasina, which she denied.

    Earlier this month, a former ministerial colleague of Yunus, student leader Nahid Islam, said elections this year would be difficult as policing and law and order have not yet been fully restored.

    But the opposition BNP wants a return to democracy this year, said Abdul Moyeen Khan, a member of the party’s highest decision-making body and a former minister of science and information technology.

    “We will try to convince them that the best way for them is to call an election as soon as possible and go for an honourable exit,” Khan told Reuters in an interview on Saturday, referring to the interim government.

    “December is a generally agreed-upon schedule. Beyond December would make things more complicated,” said Khan, speaking from Washington D.C. where he is seeking meetings with US officials to discuss Bangladesh.

    “There will be strong resentment within the people of Bangladesh. That means some instability maybe… Time will decide.”

    Khan is the first senior BNP figure to warn of consequences if elections are not held this year.

    BNP to ‘win’ 

    Hasina’s Awami League has largely disintegrated with the prime minister and other senior leaders out of the country or on the run.

    BNP’s main rivals in the next election are likely to be Islam’s newly launched students outfit, Jatiya Nagorik Party or the National Citizen Party. Student leaders have said Bangladeshis are tired of the two established parties and want change.

    But Khan said internal BNP surveys show the party would win an easy majority in any election held within the next year and that acting party chief Tarique Rahman would return to Dhaka from his self-imposed exile in London when elections are announced.

    Several court orders against him and his mother, former prime minister Khaleda Zia, have been overturned in recent months, potentially allowing him to return.

    BNP chairperson Zia, who suffers from liver cirrhosis and heart problems and has been recovering in London since January, is “far better now than how she was in Bangladesh”, but unlikely to return to active politics, Khan said after a recent meeting with her.

    Khan said the BNP had no plans yet to contest the election as part of any coalition, but once elected it would be open to working with other parties, including the students’ Jatiya Nagorik Party.

    “After the election, we’d be happy to form a government with everyone who is in favour of democracy,” he said.

  • Eid ul Fitr prayers across Saudi Arabia, UAE, and beyond as Muslims mark festival

    Eid ul Fitr prayers across Saudi Arabia, UAE, and beyond as Muslims mark festival



    People Eid ul Fitr prayer marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Education City Stadium, in Al Rayyan, Qatar, March 30, 2025
    People Eid ul Fitr prayer marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Education City Stadium, in Al Rayyan, Qatar, March 30, 2025

    Eid ul Fitr prayers were held in various countries across the world on Sunday (today) as Muslims celebrate the festival in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other nations with religious fervour.

    Apart from the aforesaid two countries, Eid ul Fitr is being celebrated in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Turkiye, Iran, Sudan, Lebanon, Yemen and Palestine following Shawwal moon’ sighting on Saturday.

    Muslims celebrate Eid ul Fitr as the completion of the fasting month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. The timing of Eid ul Fitr is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, in accordance with the Muslim lunar calendar.

    Meanwhile, people following the Islamic calendar in the United States and Canada are also celebrating Eid ul Fitr today, whereas mosques following moon sighting will announce Eid after its sighting.

    Bohra community celebrates Eid in Pakistan

    With, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee set to convene this evening to determine moon sighting with regards to possible Eid ul Fitr in Pakistan tomorrow (Monday), the Bohra community in the country are celebrating Eid with congregational prayers held in Karachi’s Saddar, Soldier Bazaar, Baloch Colony, North Nazimabad and other areas.

    Furthermore, apart from Eid prayers held in mosques in Bajaur district amid strict security, Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan are also celebrating Eid ul Fitr today.

    Number of countries officially announced that Eid ul Fitr will fall on Monday, March 31, 2025, as the Shawwal crescent moon was not sighted on Saturday evening.

    Authorities in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Australia confirmed the date based on astronomical data and local moon sighting efforts.

    In Bangladesh, the National Moon Sighting Committee stated that the crescent moon was not sighted, making Sunday the 30th day of Ramadan.

    Iraq will also celebrate Eid on Monday, however, Eid ul Fitr prayers were held across the country by various groups on Sunday (today) as well.

    Indonesia also declared Monday as the first day of Eid after failing to observe the Shawwal crescent.

    India, where today marks the 28th of Ramadan, expects the moon to be visible on Sunday, thereby celebrating Eid on Monday.

    Malaysia’s International Astronomy Centre (IAC) confirmed that the crescent will be visible to the naked eye on Sunday, placing Eid on March 31.

    Brunei followed suit, with the IAC also confirming that the moon will be visible there on Sunday.

    The Australian Fatwa Council declared Eid Al-Fitr on March 31 as well, noting that the Shawwal moon will be born after sunset on Saturday in both eastern and western parts of the country. 

  • Trump hints at third term bid, says “I’m not joking”

    Trump hints at third term bid, says “I’m not joking”



    Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump speaks as he campaigns in Charlotte, North Carolina, US July 24, 2024. — Reuters
    Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump speaks as he campaigns in Charlotte, North Carolina, US July 24, 2024. — Reuters

    US President Donald Trump has suggested he may seek a third term in office, despite constitutional limits. In an exclusive NBC News interview, Trump stated there were ways to do so and made clear that he was “not joking.”

    During a Sunday morning phone call, Trump claimed, “A lot of people want me to do it,” referring to his allies. “But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.”

    Asked if he wanted another term, Trump replied, “I like working.” He reiterated, “I’m not joking,” while adding that it was “far too early to think about it.”

    When pressed on whether plans had been discussed to allow him a third term, Trump said, “There are methods which you could do it.” He acknowledged that one option would be for Vice President JD Vance to run and later transfer power to him. “That’s one,” Trump said, before adding, “But there are others too.” When asked to elaborate, he simply said, “No.”

    Amending the Constitution to remove the two-term limit would be an enormous challenge, requiring a two-thirds majority in Congress or agreement from two-thirds of US states to call a constitutional convention, followed by ratification from three-quarters of the states.

    Despite these hurdles, Trump cited his strong poll numbers, stating that “a lot of people would like me to” remain in office beyond two terms.

    Meanwhile, Republican Representative Andy Ogles has put forward a resolution seeking to extend presidential term limits, and Trump ally Steve Bannon has suggested that Trump will “run and win again in 2028.”

    Further stoking controversy, the White House posted an image of Trump wearing a crown, quoting his social media post: “LONG LIVE THE KING!”

  • Trump warns of tariffs on Russian oil over Ukraine stalemate

    Trump warns of tariffs on Russian oil over Ukraine stalemate



    Oil tanker SCF Primorye, owned by Russian state shipping company Sovcomflot, transits the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, April 29, 2024. — Reuters
    Oil tanker SCF Primorye, owned by Russian state shipping company Sovcomflot, transits the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, April 29, 2024. — Reuters

    US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Russia, threatening new tariffs on its oil exports if he believes Moscow is hindering efforts to end the war in Ukraine. In an interview with NBC News on Sunday, Trump stated he was “pissed off” at Russian President Vladimir Putin and growing impatient over the lack of progress towards a ceasefire.

    “If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault … I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia,” Trump declared. He explained that this would mean, “if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States,” adding that tariffs would range between 25% and 50%.

    Trump said he could enforce these measures within a month. There was no immediate response from Moscow, though Russian officials have consistently argued that Western sanctions are “illegal” and primarily serve to advance economic competition.

    Trump, who spent the weekend in Florida, confirmed he intends to speak with Putin in the coming days. The Kremlin has acknowledged two recent public calls between the leaders but suggested that private discussions may have occurred as well. 

    The White House has not confirmed when the call will take place or whether Trump will also speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

    Since taking office in January, Trump has sought to broker an end to what he calls a “ridiculous” war, but he has seen little progress. Putin recently proposed placing Ukraine under temporary administration to facilitate new elections, an idea Trump has previously entertained.

    Trump acknowledged his frustration but maintained, “I have a very good relationship with [Putin],” adding that his anger “dissipates quickly … if he does the right thing.”

    His latest tariff threats come amid a broader crackdown on trade. Last week, he imposed a 25% secondary tariff on US imports from countries buying Venezuelan oil. His remarks suggest he could extend similar measures to countries purchasing Russian crude—a move that could severely impact India and China, the largest buyers of Russian oil.

    Additionally, Trump signalled that he might introduce secondary sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil unless Tehran agrees to a deal to halt its nuclear weapons programme.

  • Trump says ‘very angry, pissed off’ with Putin

    Trump says ‘very angry, pissed off’ with Putin



    US President Donald Trump and Russias President Vladimir Putin are seen during the G20 leaders summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 30, 2018. — Reuters
    US President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin are seen during the G20 leaders summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 30, 2018. — Reuters

    WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he was “very angry, pissed off” with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, NBC reported, marking a sharp change of tone as Washington seeks to end the war in Ukraine.

    NBC’s Kristen Welker said Trump had called her to express his anger over Putin questioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky´s future as a leader — something that Trump himself has done.

    Welker, on her NBC show “Meet The Press” on Sunday, quoted directly from an early-morning telephone conversation with the president.

    Trump said that “if Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault” then he would impose “secondary tariffs on all oil coming out of Russia.”

    Welker said Trump told her “I was very angry, pissed off” when Putin started making comments about Zelensky’s credibility and talking about new leadership in Ukraine.

    Trump has been pushing for a speedy end to the more than three-year war since taking office, but his administration has failed to reach a breakthrough despite talks with both sides.

    Putin rejected a joint US-Ukrainian plan for a 30-day ceasefire, and on Friday suggested Zelensky be removed from office as part of the peace process, further toughening Moscow’s negotiating position

  • At least 1,700 killed in Myanmar as aftershocks rattle Mandalay

    At least 1,700 killed in Myanmar as aftershocks rattle Mandalay



    Rescuers work at the site of a collapsed building, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 30, 2025. — Reuters
    Rescuers work at the site of a collapsed building, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 30, 2025. — Reuters

    MANDALAY: Residents scoured collapsed buildings on Sunday searching for survivors as aftershocks rattled the devastated city of Mandalay, two days after a massive earthquake killed at least 1,700 people in Myanmar and at least 18 in neighbouring Thailand.

    The initial 7.7-magnitude quake struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock.

    The tremors collapsed buildings, downed bridges and buckled roads, with mass destruction seen in the city of more than 1.7 million people.

    Tea shop owner Win Lwin picked his way through the remains of a collapsed restaurant on a main road in his neighbourhood early on Sunday, tossing bricks aside one by one.

    Rescuers work at the site of a building that collapsed, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 30, 2025. — Reuters
    Rescuers work at the site of a building that collapsed, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 30, 2025. — Reuters

    “About seven people died here” when the quake struck, he told AFP.

    “I’m looking for more bodies but I know there cannot be any survivors.”

    About an hour later, a small aftershock struck, sending people scurrying out of a hotel for safety, following a similar tremor felt late Saturday evening.

    And around 2:00 pm (0730 GMT), another aftershock — of 5.1-magnitude according to the US Geological Survey — sent people into the streets in alarm once again, temporarily halting rescue work.

    The night before, rescuers had pulled a woman out alive from the wreckage of a collapsed apartment building, with applause ringing out as she was carried by stretcher to an ambulance.

    Commuters drive past a building that collapsed, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 30, 2025. — Reuters
    Commuters drive past a building that collapsed, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 30, 2025. — Reuters

    Myanmar’s ruling junta said in a statement Sunday afternoon that about 1,700 people were confirmed dead so far, about 3,400 injured and around 300 more missing.

    But the true scale of the disaster remains unclear in the isolated military-ruled state, and the toll is expected to rise significantly.

    At a destroyed Buddhist examination hall in Mandalay, Myanmar and Chinese responders worked to find buried victims on Sunday.

    So far, 21 people have been rescued while 13 bodies have been recovered, but at least two more people were still believed alive in the rubble, rescuers said.

    San Nwe Aye, sister of a 46-year-old monk missing in the collapsed hall, appeared in deep distress, and told AFP she has heard no news about his status.

    Rescuers work at the site of a building that collapsed, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 30, 2025. — Reuters
    Rescuers work at the site of a building that collapsed, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 30, 2025. — Reuters

    “I want to hear the sound of him preaching,” she said. “The whole village looked up to him.”

    Myriad challenges

    Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing issued an exceptionally rare appeal for international aid on Friday, indicating the severity of the calamity.

    Previous military governments have shunned foreign assistance, even after major natural disasters.

    Myanmar has already been ravaged by four years of civil war sparked by a military coup in 2021.

    Reports have emerged of sporadic fighting even after the quake, with one rebel group telling AFP on Sunday that seven of its fighters were killed in an aerial attack soon after the tremors hit.

    Rescuers work at the site of a building that collapsed, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 30, 2025. — Reuters
    Rescuers work at the site of a building that collapsed, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 30, 2025. — Reuters

    Anti-junta fighters in the country have declared a two-week partial ceasefire in quake-affected regions starting Sunday, the shadow “National Unity Government” said in a statement.

    The UN said overnight that a severe lack of medical equipment is hindering Myanmar’s response to the quake, while aid agencies have warned that the country is unprepared to deal with a disaster of this magnitude.

    The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on Sunday launched an emergency appeal for more than $100 million to help victims.

    Some 3.5 million people were displaced by the raging civil war, many at risk of hunger, even before the quake struck.

    Rescue teams and aid have been arriving from donor countries around the world, with Thailand on Sunday dispatching 55 military personnel and six rescue dogs, along with equipment including cranes and diggers.

    Bangkok building collapse

    Heavy machinery operate at the site of a building that collapsed, following a strong earthquake, in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30, 2025. — Reuters
    Heavy machinery operate at the site of a building that collapsed, following a strong earthquake, in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30, 2025. — Reuters

    Across the border in Thailand, rescuers in Bangkok worked on Sunday to pluck out survivors trapped when a 30-storey skyscraper under construction collapsed after the Friday earthquake.

    At least 18 people have been killed in the Thai capital, city authorities said late Sunday afternoon, with 33 injured and 78 still missing.

    Most of the deaths were workers killed in the tower collapse, while most of the missing are believed to be trapped under the immense pile of debris where the skyscraper once stood.

    The shock of the moment made 22-year-old survivor, Burmese worker Kyaw Lin Htet, feel like he “lost consciousness”.

    Rescue personnel work at the site of a building that collapsed, following a strong earthquake, in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30, 2025. — Reuters
    Rescue personnel work at the site of a building that collapsed, following a strong earthquake, in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30, 2025. — Reuters

    “I never expected this would happen to me as we only see this on TV,” he told AFP at the site on Sunday.

    Sniffer dogs and thermal imaging drones have also been deployed to seek signs of life in the collapsed building, close to the Chatuchak weekend market popular among tourists.

    Authorities said engineers would be assessing and repairing the 165 damaged buildings around the city on Sunday.