daily news with update

  Trump launches tariffs, saying global trade has 'looted, pillaged, raped, plundered' U.S. economy U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced far-reaching new tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners — a 34% tax on imports from China and 20% on the European Union, among others — that threaten to dismantle much of the architecture of the global economy and trigger broader trade wars. Trump, in a Rose Garden announcement, said he was placing elevated tariff rates on dozens of nations that run meaningful trade surpluses with the United States, while imposing a 10% baseline tax on imports from all countries in response to what he called an economic emergency. The president, who said the tariffs were designed to boost domestic manufacturing, used aggressive rhetoric to describe a global trade system that the United States helped to build after World War II, saying “our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered” by other nations. The action am...

  Myanmar earthquake death toll rises to 3,085 as more bodies found The death toll from the massive earthquake that hit Myanmar nearly a week ago rose Thursday to 3,085 as search and rescue teams found more bodies, the military-led government said, and humanitarian aid groups scrambled to provide survivors medical care and shelter. In a short statement, the military said another 4,715 people have been injured and 341 are missing. The epicenter of Friday's 7.7 magnitude earthquake was near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city. It brought down thousands of buildings, buckled roads and destroyed bridges in multiple regions. Local media reports of casualties have been much higher than the official figures and with telecommunications widely out and many places difficult to reach, it's thought the numbers could rise sharply as more details come in. The World Health Organization said that according to its initial assessment, four hospitals and one health center had been complet...

  Post-earthquake ceasefires in Myanmar offer rare opportunity for disaster diplomacy Temporary ceasefires announced by warring groups in Myanmar in the wake of last week’s devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake represent a rare de-escalation of a conflict that since 2021 has taken thousands of lives and uprooted more than 3 million people. Experts suggest that if the ceasefires -- announced first by the opponents of military rule and then matched by the army -- can hold, they could provide an opportunity to work toward peacemaking. A report released Wednesday by the Institute for Strategy and Policy – Myanmar said that the disaster could act as "a catalyst to foster cooperation among adversaries, reduce conflict, and lay the groundwork for peace.” “At the very least, if there’s agreement to tactically de-escalate the conflict and cease hostilities, it could be regarded as a positive precedent," said the Thailand-based think tank. But already on Thursday there were reports of f...

  Trump fired several national security officials deemed insufficiently loyal, AP sources say President Donald Trump has fired several White House National Security Council officials after he was urged by far-right activist Laura Loomer to purge staffers she deemed insufficiently loyal to his “Make America Great Again” agenda, several people familiar with the matter said Thursday. Loomer made her case for the firings to Trump in an Oval Office meeting on Wednesday, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters. Vice President JD Vance, chief of staff Susie Wiles, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Sergio Gor, director of the Presidential Personnel Office, took part in the meeting, the people said. The move by Trump to push out staff comes at a tumultuous moment for Waltz, as he fights calls for his ouster after using the publicly available encrypted Signal app to discuss planning for the sensitive March 15 military operation target...

  Sweeping Trump tariffs shock global economy, drawing threats and calls for talks U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping new tariffs on American imports shocked governments and investors around the world, swiftly spurring both threats of retaliation and calls for negotiation as industries scrambled and global stocks tumbled. China accused the U.S. of “bullying” and the European Union said it was ready to mount “robust” countermeasures, with French officials suggesting taxes to hit U.S. tech giants. Yet others, like the United Kingdom and Japan, expressed hope for a deal with Trump and refrained from talk of retaliation against the world's biggest economy, fearing that slapping their own tariffs on American goods will only make things worse. Trump said Wednesday that the import taxes, ranging from 10% to 49%, would do to U.S. trading partners what they have long done to the U.S. He maintains the tariffs will draw factories and jobs back home. “Taxpayers have been ripped o...

  South Korean President Yoon ousted as court upholds impeachment South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted on Friday by the Constitutional Court, which upheld parliament's impeachment over his imposition of martial law last year that sparked the country's worst political crisis in decades. The unanimous ruling caps months of political turmoil that have overshadowed efforts to deal with the new administration of U.S. President Donald Trump at a time of slowing growth in Asia's fourth-largest economy. A presidential election is now required to take place within 60 days, according to the constitution, with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to continue serving as acting president until the new president is inaugurated. "The Constitutional Court’s unanimous ruling has removed a major source of uncertainty," said Professor Leif-Eric Easley of Ewha University in Seoul. "And not a moment too soon, given how the next administration in Seoul must navigate North Korea’...

  Taliban leader says there is no need for Western laws in Afghanistan The Taliban leader said Sunday there was no need for Western laws in Afghanistan and that democracy was dead as long as sharia laws are in effect. Hibatullah Akhundzada made the comments in a sermon marking the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Fitr, in the southern city of Kandahar's Eidgah Mosque. The 50-minute audio of his message was published on X by the Taliban government’s chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. “There is no need for laws that originate from the West. We will create our own laws,” Akhundzada said, speaking in Pashto, while emphasizing the importance of Islamic laws. The Taliban’s interpretation of sharia has led to bans on Afghan women and girls, who have been excluded them from education, many jobs and most public spaces. Such measures have isolated the Taliban on the world stage, although they have established diplomatic ties with countries including China and the United Arab Emirates. Akhundzada h...