The news can get overwhelming. There are always many different stories hitting your screens all the time. To make things easier for you, here are three big stories from around the world you should know about!

Spoiler alert: A devastating earthquake in Myanmar has left thousands dead and entire communities in ruins, with rescue efforts still underway. In Turkey, the arrest of a mayor has triggered protests. Meanwhile, in the United States, President Donald Trump is set to announce a new wave of tariffs on what he calls “liberation day”.

What’s going on?

🔹 Trump announces new tariffs on ‘worst offenders’ globally

Tariff. The “most beautiful word in the dictionary”, according to US President Donald Trump. And he wants to impose more of them.

Yesterday, at 4 pm ET (10 pm SAST), Trump announced his latest round of these border taxes on what he is calling “liberation day”, arguing that tariffs will help raise money and boost local manufacturing. According to him, the US has been “looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike.”And this is his solution to getting things back on track.

What did he announce exactly? A Universal 10% tariff on all imports into the US from 5 April. Around 60 countries will also be hit with steeper tariffs from 9 April; including 34% on China, 20% on the European Union, 46% on Vietnam and 32% on Taiwan.

For South Africa specifically, we are one of these sixty “nations that treat [the US] badly”, according to Trump. As such, we will have at least a 30% tariff on all imports into the US.

“They have got some bad things going on in South Africa. You know, we are paying them billions of dollars, and we cut the funding because a lot of bad things are happening in South Africa. The fake news ought to be looking at it, they don’t want to report it,” he said in his announcement yesterday.

Since the US is South Africa’s second-largest export market, with almost a tenth of total exports leaving the country, Ramaphosa is concerned. “The tariffs affirm the urgency to negotiate a new bilateral and mutually beneficial trade agreement with the US, as an essential step to secure long-term trade certainty,” the SA Presidency said in a statement issued this morning.

The idea of tariffs is to make imported goods more expensive, encouraging people to buy local products instead. But it’s not always that simple. The problem? Tariffs often lead to trade wars. If one country slaps tariffs on imports, others might hit back with their own. Before you know it, the situation spirals into a global economic showdown. Could this now be on the horizon?

🔹 Tremendous earthquake hit Myanmar

A massive earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday, killing over 2,700 people and leaving thousands injured. Six days later, buildings are still collapsing, making it even more dangerous for rescuers trying to save those trapped under the rubble.

The disaster has affected not only Myanmar but also neighbouring Thailand and China, countries that aren’t at high risk for earthquakes. And it was powerful enough to bring down an unfinished high-rise building in Bangkok, more than 1,000km away.

What caused this? Well, the earth’s surface is made up of huge moving plates called tectonic plates. These plates constantly move—sometimes, they slide past each other, crash together, or move underneath each other. This movement is what causes earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Myanmar sits right on top of the convergence of four major tectonic plates, making it one of the most active earthquake zones in the world. The same plate movements that formed the Himalayas and triggered the 2004 tsunami were at play in this disaster.

At the heart of it all is the Sagaing Fault, stretching over 1,200km from north to south across Myanmar. Scientists believe the earthquake was caused by a “strike-slip” movement along this fault. 

Following the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, neighbouring countries and organisations have provided relief aid. China pledged 100 million yuan in assistance, supplying tents, blankets, medical kits, food, and drinking water, while its rescue teams actively participated in ground operations. India dispatched an 80-member search and rescue team along with 15 tonnes of relief materials, including medical supplies, shelter, and hygiene kits. Meanwhile, the European Union launched a Humanitarian Air Bridge to deliver essential supplies to affected communities.

Despite all the destruction, there have been moments of hope. Yesterday, Myanmar’s Fire Services Department shared a video of rescuers in Naypyidaw pulling a man from the rubble more than 100 hours after the quake. 

🔹 A mayor’s arrest in Turkey sparks massive protests

Turkey has been experiencing political drama. On 19 March 2025, Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and the main rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested on corruption charges. Four days later, the government removed him from office and jailed him pending trial.

The timing raised suspicions, as it occurred just before Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party, or C.H.P., officially named him their presidential candidate. Millions of people across Turkey showed their support in favour of him.

Imamoglu has called the charges politically motivated and vowed to fight them. But his legal troubles don’t end there—his university annulled his diploma, which could block his presidential run, and he faces multiple other court cases that might ban him from politics altogether.

His arrest has triggered Turkey’s biggest protests in over a decade, with many accusing the government of using the courts to silence opposition. Protesters are demanding his immediate release, calling it a threat to democracy.

As Myanmar recovers from the deadly earthquake, Turkey faces growing unrest over its governance, and global markets now know what they are working with regarding Trump’s new tariff rates but are not looking forward to its impacts.

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