Weekly News Digest 03.28.2025

Weekly News Digest for March 28th, 2025

Compiled by Lydia Wong, Trinity De Lima, Nila Karunakaran, Layla Jeeth, Mary WahnEdited by John Gooden, Lydia Wong, Joey Quinn, Ryan Simmons, Sara Anis Ali

Asia and the Pacific

From War to Ruin: Devastating Earthquake Deepens Nation’s Crisis

Early Friday afternoon, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar, rocking the country’s second-most-populous city, Mandalay, and shaking buildings more than 600 miles south in the Thai capital of Bangkok. Several powerful aftershocks followed, prompting Myanmar and Thailand to declare states of emergency in their capitals and surrounding regions. The full extent of casualties and damage remains unclear due to restricted media access in Southeast Asia. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, however, reported the tragedy has killed at least three people, buried dozens, and trapped over 80 construction workers when a high-rise building under construction collapsed in the city. As for Myanmar, a rescuer in Mandalay described the damage as “enormous” and expected the death toll to be “at least in the hundreds”.

This incident only further adds to Myanmar’s struggles. Since the 2021 military coup, the nation has been embroiled in a brutal civil war that plunged the country into chaos, with more than three million people internally displaced from armed conflict. The military imposed a yearlong state of emergency after seizing power, extended it for six-month intervals multiple times as it brutally crushed peaceful pro-democracy protests, ethnic armed groups, and anti-military fighters that emerged in response to the acting regime. The junta’s most recent biannual extension was declared in late January–a day before the four-year anniversary– as the military struggles to maintain its fragile grip on power. Since late 2023, Myanmar’s military power has been steadily declining, suffering from a string of damaging defeats in both the north and west that the United States Institute of Peace has labeled a crisis of “unprecedented scale”. The military, faced with growing internal and external pressure, is expected to hold the long-delayed national elections in late 2025.

Amnesty International’s Myanmar Researcher, Joe Freeman agrees that Myanmar will have a very difficult road to recovery ahead, saying “this earthquake could not come at a worse time for Myanmar” given the already extensive existing need for relief aid. Myanmar has begun investigations into the damage and pledged to conduct rescue operations as soon as possible. Local authorities are already pushing for unimpeded access to international support. Despite the quick deployment of a Red Cross response team to Mandalay, humanitarian organizations are still concerned about Myanmar's military long standing practice of denying aid to areas where groups who resist it are active. Unfortunately, the military’s resistance to foreign support is only part of the problem, as Myanmar is also feeling the impacts of US humanitarian aid cuts that are only just starting to bite. 

Central America and the Caribbean

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem Visits El Salvador Prisons

On Wednesday, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem visited El Salvador’s largest mega prison on her three day trip that also includes visits to Colombia and Mexico. The current El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele created the mega prison to round up gang members and called it CECOT or Terrorism Confinement Center. This visit comes after the  Trump Administration’s deal with President Bukele to imprison Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua members. 

During Noem’s visit to El Salvador she toured the CECOT facility and released a video on X of her standing in front of prisoners and stated, “I also want everybody to know, if you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you can face”. Know that this facility is one of the tools in our toolkit that we will use if you commit crimes against the American people.” The video received backlash from various human rights organizations such as Amnesty International claiming that Bukele’s CECOT has inhumane conditions such as overcrowding and inadequate access to healthcare. 

The day after Noem's visit, a Salvadoran rights organization carried out a protest that opposed the government's “arbitrary detentions”. In a similar manner, many people expressed their concerns through X comments under Noem’s video stating comments such as, “Prefer you spending more time on facilitating actual outcomes; as compared to 20 social media propaganda posts every week.” The virality of the post put a lot more attention on to the process and conditions of the mega prison that faces the concerns of false imprisonment and human rights abuses. 

Middle East and North Africa

Six Dead After Tourist Submarine Sinks Off Egypt’s Red Sea Coast

A tourist submarine trip in Egypt’s Red Sea turned deadly on Thursday when the vessel sank near Hurghada, killing six Russian nationals. Rescue teams pulled 39 survivors from the wreck, including tourists from Russia, India, Norway, and Sweden. Nine people suffered injuries, with four in critical condition.

The Sindbad, operated by Sindbad Submarines, carried 45 tourists and 5 Egyptian crew members when it crashed less than a mile from shore around 10:00 a.m. local time. Officials are still investigating the cause, but early reports suggest the submarine hit a reef, causing it to lose pressure at a depth of 20 meters.

Russia’s embassy in Cairo confirmed that at least four Russians were among the dead, while conflicting reports suggest two of the victims were children. Authorities also identified two of the deceased as married doctors, whose daughters remain hospitalized. The Russian Consulate in Hurghada reported that 14 survivors were taken to hospitals, while 24 returned to their accommodations. The fate of eight others remains unclear.

Sindbad Submarines has operated tours in the Red Sea for years, offering passengers a chance to explore coral reefs and marine life. A passenger who took the same trip in February described the submarine as “well-maintained” with “attentive and professional staff,” but noted that life jackets were not issued.

This tragedy is the latest in a string of deadly maritime accidents in the Red Sea. In November, a dive boat capsized near Marsa Alam, leaving 11 people missing and presumed dead. The Egyptian government has launched an investigation into the sinking of the Sindbad to determine future mitigation strategies.

North America

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Announces Snap Election Amid Trump Tariff Dispute 

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a snap election on April 28th. Carney stated he would need the momentum and authority from the election to address the U.S. imposed economic tariffs. Carney will run on a platform focused on Canadian sovereignty in light of recent tensions with the U.S. In conjunction with assertions that Canada would become the U.S.’s 51st state, President Trump recently announced a 25% tariff on all foreign-made cars entering the U.S.. Prime Minister Carney called the tariff a “direct attack” on Canada. 

In the snap election, voters will choose between Carney, the current leader of the Liberal Party, and Pierre Poilievre, leader of Canada’s Conservative Party. Before Trump’s comments on Canada, there was diminished public sentiment for the Liberal Party, which suggested that the party would lose the general election near October 20th. However, a recent influx of Canadian nationalism fueled the Liberal Party’s newfound support from Canadian voters. 

Still, Jagmeet Singh’s New Democratic Party (NDP) might draw voters away from the Liberal Party after he pulled support from the Liberal Party in September of last year. Under Trudeau’s leadership, the Liberal Party agreed to support the New Democratic Party during parliamentary votes in exchange for the NDP’s support on critical issues like national dental and healthcare programs. However, the NDP pulled support from the Liberal Party following Trudeau’s involvement in halting Canadian unions' work stoppage protest. 

Poilievre’s rise to leadership in the Conservative Party in 2022 is also mired in controversy. Although allegations are yet to be confirmed, reports indicate potential fundraising and campaigning through Indian nationals to rally the South Asian community in Canada. The alleged ties to Indian nationals are especially controversial, considering the murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada by men with ties to the Indian government. The Indian government denied these allegations of involvement, but the event still put a strain on Canadian-Indian diplomatic ties. More recently, Liberal Party candidate Candra Arya is also alleged to have ties to India, leading to his removal from the party. 

South America

Tensions Between Guyana and Venezuela Arise: Guyana Receives American Support 

On Thursday, the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Guyana on a tour of Latin America to engage other countries in mitigating illegal immigration to the U.S. While Rubio stayed in the capital, he vowed that the United States will respond forcefully if Venezuela attacks Guyana. He stated, “it would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they were to attack Guyana or attack ExxonMobil”. Guyana and Venezuela have been in a territorial dispute since Exxon-Mobil made its major oil discovery in Guyana in 2015. Venezuela is trying to annex the remote Essequibo region which makes up around ⅔ of Guyana’s territory. The government under Nicolas Maduro claims that Guyana’s development of these oil fields is illegal. Earlier this month the tensions rose further when a Venezuela coast guard patrol entered Guyana’s waters and approached an output vessel in an offshore oil block operated by Exxon. Venezuela refuted this claim since the maritime zone delineation is still pending due to the conflict. 

The United States offered support to Guyana through executive powers granted to Marco Rubio such as 25% tariffs on Venezuelan oil and the signing of a security agreement with the Guyanese foreign minister. The agreement is geared towards enhancing intelligence sharing and military cooperation. On Thursday, Guyana’s government announced the start of joint naval exercises with the U.S. which will start this week and will “safeguard Guyana’s maritime sovereignty and enhance regional security through collaborative training”. 

The Trump Administration is dedicated to these policies because, according to Rubio, Guyana is seen as a strategic location to expand U.S. business ties and rely less on China’s loan heavy foreign development programs. Additionally, the 25% tariff was put into place to box out foreign companies and preserve space for U.S. companies to operate in Venezuela’s oil sector. In turn, China is making it clear that Venezuela is its strategic partner and is not afraid of the threat of tariffs. The purpose behind these actions from the Trump Administration is to force Venezuela into making concessions on immigration or democratization. 

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sudan’s Capital Reclaimed by Sudanese Military from Insurgents 

Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) recaptured the capital city of Khartoum from the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The group controlled most of Khartoum from the beginning of the war in April of 2023, forcing the military-led Sudanese government to move out of Khartoum’s presidential palace and into Port Sudan by the Red Sea. Although the recapture marks a significant power shift between the SAF and RSF, the conflict is far from over. RSF fighters continue to flee to and will likely regroup and establish a parallel government in Sudan’s western region of Darfur.

Prior to last fall, SAF struggled to reclaim much territory from RSF. However, secret shipments of drones and missiles from Turkey bolstered the abilities of the military and prompted a shift in power dynamics. The UAE and Iran are also reported to be providing similar support to the RSF in the form of munitions and drones. The involvement of international actors in Sudan highlights the use of the conflict as a proxy battle between foreign actors who seek to expand their influence across Africa.

The conflict began nearly two years ago after former allies General Al-Burhan and RSF General Mohamed Hamdan fell out over attempts to integrate the RSF into the Sudanese military. In 2021, the two generals worked together to seize power from Sudan’s civilian prime minister through a military coup. International agencies and actors call the conflict in Sudan the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with around 12.9 million civilians displaced, 24.6 million facing acute hunger, and 30.4 million civilians in need of assistance. To fully assist the people of Sudan, aid agencies would need billions, resulting in a lackluster response from the international community.