World Briefing: April 1, 2025
Aid groups arriving in the worst-hit areas of Myanmar said there was an urgent need for shelter, food and water after last week's devastating quake, while in Bangkok, rescuers pressed on searching for life under the rubble of a collapsed skyscraper. More than 2,000 people died in the 7.7 magnitude quake, which hit around lunchtime on Friday (Mar 28), and as aid teams made it into areas near the epicentre, it became clear to them that a massive humanitarian effort was required for those who survived. In Mandalay, a resident told Reuters that people were desperately trying to organise their own efforts to dig bodies out of rubble as there was not enough equipment or rescue teams, and locals were wary of aftershocks. "People went back inside the building in the daytime but still not dare to sleep at night," the resident said "People are still sleeping outside and started getting sick ... as the ground has been hit by sun the whole day and so it's hot." - Channel News Asia
China sent its army, navy, air and rocket forces to surround Taiwan for drills Beijing said were aimed at practising a blockade of the self-ruled island. China insists democratic Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control. Beijing has increased the deployment of fighter jets and naval vessels around Taiwan in recent years to press its claim of sovereignty, which Taipei rejects. Taiwan's defence ministry said Beijing had deployed its Shandong aircraft carrier group as part of 19 warships around the island. The exercises are aimed at sending a "stern warning and forceful deterrence" to alleged separatists in Taiwan, Beijing said. This week's drills are the biggest since February, when Taipei said that China staged a "live-fire" combat drill with aircraft and warships in an area about 40 nautical miles (74 kilometres) off the island's south. Taiwan's military responded by sending forces to "monitor, alert and respond appropriately” - France 24
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Monday slammed a "political decision" and insisted she had not abandoned hope of standing in presidential elections in 2027 after a court handed her a five-year ban on running for office in a political earthquake for France. The verdict – part of a conviction for creating fake jobs at the EU parliament on behalf of her National Rally (RN) party – stunned Le Pen as the judge ordered that the ban come into force with immediate effect. If it stands, this would mean she would be unable to launch a fourth campaign to capture the Élysée, where analysts believe she had her best ever chance of becoming president. In a febrile international climate, the verdict was condemned by the Kremlin, billionaire tycoon Elon Musk and hard-right European politicians ranging from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Geert Wilders of the Netherlands. Le Pen was also given a four-year prison term by the Paris court but will not go to jail, with two years of the term suspended and the other two to be served outside jail with an electronic tag. She was convicted over a scheme to take advantage of European Parliament expenses to employ assistants who were actually working for her far-right party in France. The court found that Le Pen had siphoned millions of euros in public funds while serving in the European Parliament, paying party staff with money intended for EU assistants - France 24
As the trade wars launched by U.S. President Donald Trump continue to escalate, all eyes are on Wednesday. Trump has repeatedly called April 2 “Liberation Day,” with promises to roll out a set of tariffs, or taxes on imports from other countries, that he says will free the U.S. from a reliance on foreign goods. To do this, Trump has said he’ll impose “reciprocal” tariffs to match the duties that other countries charge on U.S. products. But a lot remains unknown about how these levies will actually be implemented. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump would unveil his plans to place reciprocal tariffs on nearly all American trading partners on Wednesday, but maintained that the details are up to the president to announce. Since taking office just months ago, Trump has proven to be aggressive with tariff threats, all while creating a sense of whiplash through on-again, off-again trade actions. And it’s possible that we’ll see more delays or confusion this week. Trump has argued that tariffs protect U.S. industries from unfair foreign competition, raise money for the federal government and provide leverage to demand concessions from other countries. But economists stress that broad tariffs at the rates suggested by Trump could backfire.
The Israeli military said early Tuesday that it had conducted a strike on the southern outskirts of Beirut, the second attack near Lebanon’s capital in less than a week. Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a cease-fire in November, raising hopes that Lebanon’s deadliest war in decades could be over. But the recent strikes have prompted fears that the truce could unravel. The Israeli military said the latest strike, in the Dahiya area in Beirut’s southern suburbs, had targeted a Hezbollah operative who had directed and assisted Hamas in planning a “significant and imminent” attack against Israel. Israel acted to eliminate the operative because he posed an “immediate threat,” the military said on social media. It added that the Dahiya area was a key stronghold for Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group and political party backed by Iran - NYT
Canadians' desire to visit the U.S. is absolutely tanking. Advance bookings for Canada-U.S. flights between April and September are down over 70% compared to this time last year, according to aviation data firm OAG. Airlines are reducing transborder capacity — a strong signal that they, too, are seeing (or at least predicting) less demand. A mere 10% drop in Canadian visitors could cost U.S. businesses as much as $2.1 billion in revenue, according to travel news site The Points Guy. Reluctance to visit the U.S. this summer may not be a strictly Canadian phenomenon. Travel message boards and chat groups have lit up recently with worries about being detained upon entering the U.S. - Axios
