Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Myanmar’s deadly earthquake, Israel’s strikes on Beirut, and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s trip to the Philippines.

 Rising Death Toll in Myanmar

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, sending tremors through Southeast Asia that killed at least 150 people and damaged infrastructure. In Myanmar, the country’s ruling military junta reported that at least 144 people were killed and more than 700 injured. In neighboring Thailand, the collapse of a skyscraper under construction in Bangkok killed at least seven people.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Myanmar’s deadly earthquake, Israel’s strikes on Beirut, and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s trip to the Philippines.

 Rising Death Toll in Myanmar

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, sending tremors through Southeast Asia that killed at least 150 people and damaged infrastructure. In Myanmar, the country’s ruling military junta reported that at least 144 people were killed and more than 700 injured. In neighboring Thailand, the collapse of a skyscraper under construction in Bangkok killed at least seven people.

Friday’s earthquake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, at a little past midday local time. A second aftershock with a magnitude of 6.4 was felt approximately 12 minutes later. While the quake was categorized as “major” and the aftershock as “strong,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey, the full extent of death and destruction remains unclear—especially since Myanmar, which has been embroiled in a civil war since its 2021 coup, has severe internet restrictions that limit information.

In Mandalay, which has a population of roughly 1.5 million people, the earthquake reportedly damaged multiple buildings, including a prominent monastery and the former royal palace, and resulted in a dam burst that caused water levels to rise in lowland areas. In the nearby city of Sagaing, the collapse of a 90-year-old bridge and the destruction of parts of a highway left residents devastated.

The country’s military junta has declared a state of emergency in six regions, including Mandalay and the capital city of Naypyidaw, and has made a rare request for international humanitarian aid. The United Nations said that it was mobilizing its resources in the region to support the people of Myanmar. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, writing in a post on social media, also offered “possible assistance” to the governments of Myanmar and Thailand.

The natural disaster has struck Myanmar at a time when it is already reeling from a humanitarian crisis. Since the onset of the civil war, more than 3.5 million people have fled the country, citing an escalation in violence, interethnic tensions, food insecurity, and the spread of disease.

Today’s Most Read

What We’re Following

Israel strikes Beirut. The Israeli Air Force launched airstrikes on Friday against Beirut, Lebanon’s capital, for the first time since a U.S.-brokered cease-fire deal ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in November. Following the strike, Israel’s military said it had targeted a drone storage facility in Dahiyeh, a densely populated neighborhood in southern Beirut, which Israel said was being used by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

The attack came after early morning rockets were fired from southern Lebanon toward northern Israel. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the Lebanese government bore “direct responsibility” for the attacks and warned that without peace in Israel’s north, “there will be no peace in Beirut either.” Hezbollah has denied involvement in the attack and said that it was committed to the cease-fire.

Friday’s bombardment struck a residential and commercial area in Beirut, though it remains unclear if there were casualties. The recent resumption of fighting comes as Israel has renewed its military offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians since Israel launched its military campaign after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

Hegseth in Asia. The United States will boost its military alliance with the Philippines in a bid to counter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Friday during his first trip to Asia as the head of the Pentagon. Speaking at a news conference in Manila, the Philippine capital, Hegseth reaffirmed the Trump administration’s “ironclad commitment” to the region and said that it would “truly prioritize a shift” to the region in an “unprecedented” way.

During his visit, Hegseth met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. to discuss how the two countries can reestablish deterrence in the South China Sea and accelerate their defense partnership. The United States agreed to deploy additional advanced military capabilities to the Philippines, including a ground-based anti-ship missile launcher, and prioritize defense industrial cooperation.

Manila has been on the forefront of China’s increasingly aggressive posture in the South China Sea. According to satellite images obtained by Reuters, Beijing deployed two long-range H-6 bombers around the contested Scarborough Shoal this week. Hegseth, who is facing pushback in Washington for discussing sensitive U.S. military attack plans over a Signal group chat, will also visit Japan as part of his trip.

Thousands detained in Turkey. The Turkish government continues to crack down on demonstrators and journalists, detaining nearly 1,900 people since nationwide protests began following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19.

On Thursday, Turkey deported BBC correspondent Mark Lowen after detaining him for 17 hours. Lowen had previously lived in the country for five years and was covering the recent wave of protests. Turkish authorities also briefly arrested Imamoglu’s lawyer, who was released on Friday after an overnight detainment. International watchdogs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have raised alarm over allegations of the use of force by police—which has reportedly included pepper spray, tear gas, and water cannons—against peaceful protesters as well as the use of internet restrictions.

Imamoglu, who has been jailed on accusations of corruption, is seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival. On the day of his arrest, Turkey’s main opposition party, the center-left Republican People’s Party, had endorsed him to run as its candidate in the 2028 presidential election.

“This is more than the slow erosion of democracy,” Imamoglu wrote in a guest essay for the New York Times on Friday. “It is the deliberate dismantling of our republic’s institutional foundations.”

What in the World?

On Thursday, South Korea’s military said North Korea had sent approximately how many additional troops to Russia in January and February?

(A) 3,000

(B) 5,000

(C) 7,000

(D) 9,000

Odds and Ends

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem sparked online controversy after visiting a high-security prison in El Salvador on Wednesday while wearing a $50,000 Rolex watch. The mega-prison, notorious for its harsh treatment of inmates, holds more than 200 Venezuelan immigrants who were deported from the United States earlier this month under the Alien Enemies Act. During her visit, Noem recorded a video warning undocumented immigrants against entering the United States. Her message—and the luxury watch—drew criticism from immigration advocates who pointed out the stark contrast between her accessory and the prison setting.

And the Answer Is…

(A). 3,000

North Korea’s continued contribution to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine is further evidence of a brewing geopolitical storm—one that the United States is unprepared to face, James Kitfield argues.

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