Earthquake deepens crisis in Myanmar as aid effort steps up

International efforts to get aid into Myanmar intensified on Sunday, days after a devastating earthquake that has deepened the crisis in the conflict-stricken country. Rescue and medical teams from China, Russia, India, Thailand and Singapore arrived in the isolated south-east Asian country. Other regional partners including Vietnam and Malaysia have pledged to send support. Myanmar’s…

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Autocrats behaving badly: Trump emboldens global strongmen

As President Donald Trump tests US democratic norms and weakens Washington’s commitment to long-standing allies, would-be autocrats the world over have taken heart. Whether it is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s more aggressive offensive in Gaza, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s judicial kneecapping of his main rival, or Indonesia’s president and retired army general Prabowo Subianto…

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Russia’s war economy fuels rustbelt revival

Russian retailers are rushing to set up shop in the country’s rustbelt, tapping into new wealth flowing from soldiers’ bonuses and rampant military production. Shops, restaurants and gym chains have opened up in Russia’s most deprived regions, which serve as recruiting pools for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The country’s war economy has also created…

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The deep eccentricity of Donald Trump

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world The strength of feeling that Donald Trump engenders, along with the hyperpolarisation of the current era of US politics, make objective analysis of his character and psychology hard to come by. “Trump Derangement…

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