The death toll from a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar jumped to over 1,000 on Saturday as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of the scores of buildings that collapsed when it struck near the country’s second-largest city.

The country’s military-led government said in a statement that 1,002 people have now been found dead and another 2,376 injured, with 30 others missing. The statement suggested the numbers could still rise, saying “detailed figures are still being collected.”

Myanmar is in the throes of a prolonged and bloody civil war, which is already responsible for a massive humanitarian crisis. It makes movement around the country both difficult and dangerous, complicating relief efforts and raising fears that the death toll could still rise precipitously.

The earthquake struck midday Friday with an epicenter not far from Mandalay, followed by several aftershocks including one measuring a strong 6.4 magnitude. It sent buildings in many areas toppling to the ground, buckled roads, caused bridges to collapse and burst a dam.

In neighboring Thailand, the quake rocked the greater Bangkok area, home to some 17 million people — many of whom live in high-rise buildings — and other parts of the country.

Bangkok city authorities said so far six people have been found dead, 26 injured and 47 are still missing, most from a construction site near the capital’s popular Chatuchak market.

When the quake hit, the 33-story high-rise being built by a Chinese firm for the Thai government wobbled, then came crashing to the ground in a massive plume of dust that sent people screaming and fleeing from the scene.

On Saturday, more heavy equipment was brought in to move the tons of rubble, but hope was fading among friends and family members of the missing that they would be found alive.

Myanmar’s government said blood was in high demand in the hardest-hit areas. In a country where prior governments sometimes have been slow to accept foreign aid, Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmar was ready to accept assistance.

A 37-member team from the Chinese province of Yunnan reached the city of Yangon early Saturday with earthquake detectors, drones and other supplies, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Russia’s emergencies ministry dispatched two planes carrying 120 rescuers and supplies, according to a report from the Russian state news agency Tass.

India sent a search and rescue team and a medical team as well as provisions, while Malaysia’s foreign ministry said the country will send 50 people on Sunday to help identify and provide aid to the worst-hit areas.

The United Nations allocated $5 million to start relief efforts. President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. was going to help with the response, but some experts were concerned about this effort given his administration’s deep cuts in foreign assistance.

The Trump administration’s cuts to the United States Agency for International Development have already forced the United Nations and non-governmental organization to cut many programs in Myanmar. (AP)

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Bill Gates has predicted that advancements in artificial intelligence will significantly reduce humanity’s role in many traditional tasks such as medicine and education — and the seismic shift could happen in less than 10 years.

During a recent interview with comedian Jimmy Fallon on NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” the Microsoft co-founder described a future where humans are no longer necessary “for most things” because AI technology will readily perform tasks that currently require specialized human skills.

Today, expertise in fields such as medicine and education remains “rare,” Gates said, adding that those areas depend on “a great doctor” or “a great teacher.”

But over the next decade, “great medical advice [and] great tutoring” will become free and commonplace, Gates said.

Gates further elaborated on this vision of a new era he terms “free intelligence” in a conversation last month with Arthur Brooks, a Harvard professor known for his research on happiness.

AI technology will increasingly permeate daily life, revolutionizing areas from healthcare and diagnosis to education — with AI tutors becoming broadly available, the mogul predicted.

“It’s very profound and even a little bit scary — because it’s happening very quickly, and there is no upper bound,” Gates told Brooks. (Sky News)

Read the full report

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Magnitude 7.7 and 6.4 earthquakes have struck Myanmar, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), with reports of strong tremors felt in Thailand and elsewhere in the region.

The first tremor hit 16 kilometres (10 miles) northwest of the city of Sagaing at a depth of 10 kilometres at about 12:50 pm local time (06:20 GMT) on Friday, USGS said.

Meanwhile, the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) said the jolt measured magnitude 7.9, according to the Xinhua news agency, with a social media post by CENC saying “tremors were felt in Yunnan”.

The AFP news agency reported from Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw the,at roads were buckled by the force of the tremors and chunks of ceilings fell from buildings.

In neighbouring Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, startled residents poured out of high-rise buildings. Witnesses there said the tremors were forceful enough to send water sloshing out of pools.

There are reports of people being stuck under the rubble of a collapsed building under construction in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok.

Some metro and light rail services were suspended in Bangkok.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Friday she had interrupted an official visit to the southern island of Phuket to hold an “urgent meeting” after a powerful earthquake, according to a post on X. (Al Jazeera)

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Papua New Guinea’s government has shut down social media platform Facebook, in what it describes as a “test” to mitigate hate speech, misinformation, pornography and “other detrimental content”.

The test, conducted under the country’s anti-terrorism laws, began on Monday morning and has extended into Tuesday.

Facebook users in the country have been unable to log-in to the platform and it is unclear how long the ban will go on for.

The government’s move was not flagged ahead of the “test” on Monday — a move opposition MPs and media leaders have described as “tyranny” and an “abuse of human rights”.

In a statement, PNG’s Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili said the initiative was to ensure “responsible usage” of social media platforms like Facebook while keeping “harmful content” out of public discourse.

“However, the unchecked proliferation of fake news, hate speech, pornography, child exploitation, and incitement to violence on platforms such as Facebook is unacceptable.

“These challenges increasingly threaten the safety, dignity, and well-being of our populace.”

Facebook is by far the most popular social media platform in the country, with an estimated 1.3 million users, or about half of the country’s estimated 2.6 million internet users.

In comparison, Instagram has about 106,000 users.

The platform is a critical tool for public discourse in the country, with many highly active forums used to discuss PNG politics and social issues.

Yet, the government has been highly critical of Facebook with the platform often blamed for helping spread misinformation, particularly in light of a recent spate of tribal killings in the country.

It has long threatened a move against Facebook, after announcing a parliamentary inquiry into “media disinformation” in 2023.

Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has been contacted for comment. (ABC)

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Much has been written about so-called ‘untranslatable words’—words and phrases in one language that cannot be translated into another. Of course, no word is entirely untranslatable, especially in the hands of a skilled translator, who can use various strategies to express something from a source language that has no direct equivalent in the target language. Often, when we talk about untranslatable words, what we are actually talking about are words that have been lexicalized in one language but not in others, which is what makes them particularly intriguing. After all, wouldn’t it be useful for English speakers to have a specific word for sunlight dappling through leaves, just like speakers of Japanese do? Or a particular word for the action of sitting outside enjoying a beer, like the one Norwegians have?

For people who speak English alongside other languages, there is an easy way to fill such a lexical gap—simply borrowing the untranslatable word from another language. Sometimes, they do this with enough frequency that the borrowed word eventually becomes part of the vocabulary of their variety of English. A few examples of such loan words are featured in this quarter’s OED update, which includes new additions from Southeast Asia, South Africa, and Ireland.

• Gigil! New words from the Philippines

A word that appears regularly on lists of untranslatable words is gigil. Originally from Tagalog but now also used in Philippine English (dating back to 1990 according to OED evidence), gigil is a feeling we get when we see someone or something cute, a feeling so intense that it gives us the irresistible urge to tightly clench our hands, grit our teeth, and pinch or squeeze whomever or whatever it is we find so adorable, whether it be a chubby-cheeked baby or a fluffy little kitten. Gigil is a pithy name for such a strange, paradoxical emotion, and apart from its use as a noun, it can also be employed as an adjective to describe the person experiencing it. So, if a Filipino says they’re gigil, they’re just dealing with overwhelming feelings (usually positive).

A much earlier borrowing from Tagalog among this set of new Philippine English words is salakot (first attested 1841), a type of lightweight Filipino hat that is typically domed or conical in shape, with a wide brim, and often has a spiked or ornamental finial at the tip of the crown. Commonly worn by farmers as protection against the weather, the hat has become an important symbol of Filipino culture and is now also worn as part of traditional Filipino attire during festivals and other celebrations. The salakot’s iconic shape is mirrored by the kababayan (2002), a small, sweet, typically yellow cake similar to a muffin, which can be found in most Filipino neighbourhood bakeries. Kababayan (1915)is also a word that Filipinos use to call their fellow Filipinos, or people who come from the same Philippine region or town as them. The word combines the Tagalog prefix ka-, expressing companionship, with –babayan, a variant with reduplicated first syllable of the noun bayan, meaning ‘town’ or ‘country’.

Lumpia (1924)is another English word borrowed from Tagalog, but also from Malay, from Indonesian, and perhaps even Dutch. It is the name of any of various types of East and Southeast Asian spring rolls, typically consisting of a very thin pancake filled with minced meat, seafood, or vegetables, rolled into a cylinder, sometimes deep-fried, and served with a dipping sauce. The Southeast Asian word comes from the Hokkien word lun-pian, from lun ‘smooth, moist’ and pian ‘flat round cake’. In its variant form loempia, it could have been borrowed into English via Dutch loempia, or it could just be reflecting a form of the Malay word with Dutch-based spelling.

A staple of Filipino parties at home and abroad is singing. Filipinos are known the world over for their vocal prowess, but even those who have not been blessed with the national talent are welcome to participate in the national pastime of videoke (1990), the Filipino version of karaoke. During sweltering summers in the Philippines, they can do so more comfortably while wearing a sando (1943), a sleeveless garment worn under or instead of a shirt.

Other Philippine English entries in this update are not loan words, but idiosyncratic uses of existing English words. In the Philippines, load (2003) is credit purchased for a pay-as-you-go mobile phone; CR (1987), short for comfort room, is a toilet; and a terror (1967)teacher is one who is strict, harsh, or demanding.

The last new entry in this update is of significance to the history of Philippine English. A Thomasite (1908) was an American teacher in the Philippines during the period of American occupation from 1899 to 1946. The first group of over 500 schoolteachers arrived in Manila on 21 August 1901 on the U.S. Army Transport Thomas, hence the name they were later collectively given. The Thomasites were tasked with establishing a new public school system, teaching basic education, and training Filipino teachers using English as the primary language of instruction, thereby, for good or ill, helping transform the Philippines into the Anglophone country it is today.

• Alamak! New words from Malaysia and Singapore

A category of words that often defy direct translation are exclamations that express different emotions. An example of such an interjection is alamak (earliest seen 1952), one of the new words from Malaysia and Singapore included in this update. Borrowed from Malay, this colloquial exclamation is used to convey surprise, shock, dismay, or outrage. The word’s ultimate origin is uncertain; it could have come from ala ‘highest, exalted’, from the Arabic a?la ‘higher, highest’ or Allah ‘god’, from Arabic allah, combined with mak ‘mother’, perhaps originally after the Portuguese expression Mae de Deus, literally ‘Mother of God’, Santa Mae, literally ‘Holy Mother’, or another similar utterance. A comparable interjection, alamah, is used in Kristang, a Malay-Portuguese creole language.

The names of local dishes also tend to be borrowed into English rather than given an Anglicized name. A few examples of Malay food terms are included in this quarterly update. Ketupat (1886) is a small rice cake boiled in a pouch of woven palm leaves, originating in Indonesia but also popular in Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore. Ketupat made with rice is wrapped in a diamond shape with woven coconut palm leaves, while a version made with glutinous rice is wrapped in a triangle shape with woven fan palm leaves. It is usually eaten with satay or other dishes and is traditionally served at festive occasions.

Otak-otak (1929) is a Southeast Asian dish consisting of ground fish or other seafood mixed with spices and coconut milk, wrapped in banana or palm leaves, and cooked by steaming or grilling over an open charcoal fire. It is usually served as an accompaniment to nasi lemak (1935), a Malay dish of rice cooked in coconut milk and flavoured with pandan leaf, served with various garnishes such as cucumber slices, fried fish, roasted peanuts, cooked egg, and sambal. It is usually eaten for breakfast, just like kaya toast (1989), a sandwich consisting of two slices of toasted bread spread with butter and kaya, a jam made from coconut milk, eggs, and sugar, usually flavoured with pandan leaf. Kaya toast is also a popular afternoon snack, typically served in Malaysian and Singaporean kopitiams, accompanied by a half-boiled egg (1931), an egg which has been cooked briefly in freshly boiled water such that the yolk and the white remain runny, then cracked open and served in a bowl, seasoned with dark soy sauce and white pepper.

Two examples of Malay dishes that did get Anglicized names are fish head curry (1972) and steamboat (1960). Fish head curry is a dish influenced by Chinese and South Indian cuisine, consisting of a large fish head, usually of a sea bream or snapper, cooked in a tangy tamarind-based curry gravy with vegetables such as aubergine and okra. Steamboat is a dish consisting of thinly sliced meat, vegetables, etc., dipped in boiling stock by the diner at the table. The word was first used to indicate a metal pot, often with a central flue, placed over a heat source at the table, used for cooking and serving the dish.

All this talk of food might inspire one to get a takeaway, or to tapau (1997), as they say in Malaysian English and Singapore English. Tapau comes from the Malay word and its Cantonese etymon da baau ‘to pack, to pack up food to take away’, which is from da ‘to beat, to tie or do up’, combined with baau ‘to wrap, to package’.

In Malaysia, a mat rempit (2004) is a (typically young) man who participates in illegal motorcycle street racing and often performs dangerous stunts. They can be described as terror—as in Philippine English, in Malaysian English terror can also be used as an adjective. In Singapore and Malaysia, terror can mean ‘terrible’ or ‘awful’ (1977), but it can also be a general term of approval meaning ‘admirable, excellent’ (1997). Terror is frequently preceded by wah and followed by lah, as in this approving 2020 social media post quoted in the OED entry: ‘Wah! So terror lah.’

• Yoh! New words from South Africa

Some of South Africa’s many languages have contributed various loan words to this quarterly update. The interjection yoh, which the OED was able to trace to 1855, comes from two of them: it is an imitative utterance that is probably after the Afrikaans jo and the Xhosa yho or yo. Yoh in South African English is a cry or exclamation used to express various emotions or reactions, such as surprise, wonder, admiration, shock, or distress.

Also from Afrikaans are two expressions that relate to feelings of frustration and anger. The adjective gatvol (first attested 1980) is a South African slang term describing a person who has had enough; one who is extremely annoyed, unhappy, or bored, especially with a state of affairs that has persisted for a long time. The hell-in (1966) is a colloquial phrase that is used predicatively to talk about someone who is furious or fed up. It is modelled after the Afrikaans phrase die hel in, which literally translates to ‘in the hell’—in Afrikaans, it is grammatical for the preposition in to be in final position, so that syntactic characteristic was borrowed into English along with the meaning.

Tjoekie (1977) is a similarly colloquial term for prison or jail. It was introduced into South Africa by English-speaking immigrants from India, but it made its way into South African English via Afrikaans. It is related to an earlier slang term for word jail, chokey, a variant of chowki, which traces its roots back to Hindi, and ultimately, Sanskrit.

Seshweshwe (1956) and shweshwe (1973) are borrowings from Southern Sotho referring to a type of printed cotton fabric, originally dyed with indigo but now available in various colours, featuring intricate, usually geometric, patterns and typically used for traditional Southern African clothes or accessories.

A makarapa (1999) was originally a hard hat worn by a miner or construction worker, but it is now more known for its use by sports fans, especially football fans, who paint and elaborately decorate these hats with flags, horns, and badges and wear them at games to show support for their favourite teams. The word comes from a Bantu language of South Africa, although the exact donor language has not been identified. Similar words meaning ‘hard hat’ or ‘helmet’ exist in Tswana (makarapa, plural of lekarapa) and Fanagalo (makalapa, apparently singular). Other comparable words include Tswana lekarapa ‘miner’ and Northern Sotho lekarapa ‘(returned) migrant worker, especially a miner’, both with the plural form makarapa.

Of unknown origin is zol, the South African colloquial term for marijuana, which can be used to refer to the intoxicating and hallucinogenic drug prepared from the marijuana plant (recorded earliest in 1946), as well as to a hand-rolled cigarette containing marijuana (1949). Another informal South African word whose origin is uncertain is the adjective moggy (1984), applied to a person who is extremely irrational or out of touch with reality; to go moggy is to lose control of one’s emotions or behaviour.

Finally, sharp-sharp is a casual way to say hello or goodbye in South African English (1991), and also a way to compliment someone’s style or just to comment on how generally excellent or fantastic they are (2018).

• Class! New words from Ireland

Irish is another language from which English has borrowed a wealth of new words, with one of them being added to the OED in this update. Ludraman, from Irish liudraman or ludraman, is a colloquial and derogatory term for a lazy, unproductive, or stupid person. The earliest evidence of this word’s use in English is in James Joyce’s seminal 1922 novel Ulysses, in which the author spells it loodheramaun, one of the eleven different spellings for the word recorded in the OED.

Also included in this batch of new Irish English words is blaa (earliest seen 1960), the name of a soft white bread roll dusted with flour that is particularly associated with Waterford, Ireland. This type of bread roll is usually thought to have been introduced to Waterford by Huguenot immigrants in the 17th century, though its exact history is difficult to determine. Possible origins could be the French words blanc ‘white’ and ble ‘wheat’, but neither of these suggestions can be substantiated.

Class is how main character Erin describes her hometown of Derry, Northern Ireland in an episode of the first season of the popular sitcom Derry Girls. Creator Lisa McGee’s 2018 script is quoted in the OED’s entry for the Irish and northern English usage of class as a general term of approval, which the dictionary dates back to 1981. Another usage that Irish English shares with other varieties of English is the use of mineral to mean a carbonated soft drink (1893). While still current in Irish English and West African English, this sense of mineral is now apparently unusual in British English, except as a commercial designation for soft drinks of this type.

The debs (1980), short for debs’ ball, is a formal social event held for students in their final year of secondary school, usually towards the end of the school year. The debs is an important rite of passage for Irish teenagers, who are careful not to act the maggot (1946)—behave foolishly—lest they end up feeling morto (1991)—extremely embarrassed.

These days, any good night out in Ireland is best concluded by going to a Chinese food outlet or fish and chip shop to get a spice bag. This is a takeaway meal typically consisting of chips, shredded deep-fried chicken, fried onions, red and green peppers, chilli peppers, and jalapeno peppers, tossed together in a bag with various spices and often served with curry sauce for dipping. The spice bag was invented in a Chinese takeaway restaurant in Dublin called Sunflower around 2006, and indeed the OED’s first quotation for this entry is a social media post from 2012 of someone contemplating a trip to Sunflower to grab one.

An Irish creation inspired by Chinese cuisine, with Mexican and Indian elements that all somehow work together to form a delicious whole, the spice bag is not unlike the World Englishes whose diverse vocabulary we discuss in these quarterly updates to the OED—absorbing novel expressions from various languages and cultures, introducing new connotations and usage patterns to the lexicon, ensuring that English speakers have just the right words to say what they want to say.

Special thanks to the OED’sconsultants for lending their expertise to the dictionary’s World English coverage this quarter: Dr Lisa Lim for Singapore English, Prof Raymond Hickey for Irish English, and Prof Stefanie Pillai for Malaysian English.

• Full list of World English additions in the OED March 2025 update

Irish English

blaa, n.

class, adj.

debs, n.

ludraman, n.

mineral, n.

morto, adj.

spice bag, n.

to act the maggot, phrase in maggot, n./1

Malaysian English and Singapore English

alamak, int.

fish head curry, n.

half-boiled egg, n.

kaya, n.2

kaya toast, n.

ketupat, n.

mat rempit, n.

nasi lemak, n.

otak-otak, n.

steamboat, n.

tapau, v.

terror, adj.

Philippine English

CR, n.

gigil, n. and adj.

kababayan, n.

load, n.

lumpia, n.

Pinoy, adj. (adjective sense added to existing noun sense)

salakot, n.

sando, n.1

terror, adj.

Thomasite, n.2

videoke, n.

South African English

gatvol, adj.

makarapa, n.

moggy, adj.

seshweshwe, n.

sharp-sharp, int. and adj.

shweshwe, n.

skabenga, n.

the hell-in, phrase in hell, n. and int.

tjoekie, n.

yoh, int.

zol, n.

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THIS past week, we celebrated International Women’s Day in South Africa and the world. As we reflect on the historical day, we are also obligated to revisit our commitment as South Africans to the emancipation of women in our country, particularly rural women.

Rural women in South Africa continue to bear the brunt of triple oppression due to their race, class, and gender; hence, it is not a coincidence that in their majority they have not managed to achieve economic freedom.

This situation is no different from the realities of many women in the Global South, and one country in particular that is also confronted with this circumstance is India. The patriarchal norms in India have hindered women’s progress in the country, but a lot is seemingly being done by the Indian government to effect change.

One such programme is “The Drone Didi Initiative” for rural women, which can be used as a yardstick in South Africa to resolve the challenge of gender-based inequality in rural communities, solve food security challenges, alleviate poverty, and create jobs.

The India program to provide women with agricultural drones, launched in 2019, provides women with practical, technology-driven skills with the intention of creating immediate income-generating opportunities and resolving other imminent socioeconomic challenges.

According to reports, the initial number of rural women who were trained to deploy the drones was 500, with 200 drones deployed. Today: “Over 5 000 women are part of the program, with 1 500 drones in operation.”

In rural provinces across South Africa, rural women are often the backbone of agricultural activities but remain under-represented. Adopting a similar initiative could empower these women, enabling them to contribute more effectively to the development of their own lives, families, communities, and the country.

Currently, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Food Program (UNFP) affirm that technology and innovation are key enablers to save and change lives around the world. To that end, drones enable precision agriculture, improving crop health and yields.

In India, the Drone Didi initiative has led to a 25% increase in crop yields and a 30% reduction in pesticide use. In South Africa, smallholder farmers still struggle to compete. By equipping rural women with drones, South Africa could be a game changer.

For example, rural areas in South Africa, such as KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, pose significant logistical challenges due to their difficult terrain. Drones can be particularly useful in these areas, enabling farmers to monitor and manage their crops more efficiently and safely.

Equally, drones can facilitate the transportation of harvested crops from remote areas to local markets, reducing costs and increasing accessibility.

To that end, the India Drone Didi initiative demonstrates how technology can create economic opportunities in underserviced regions. In India, women are earning significant incomes, with an average increase of 50% in their household income.

According to a recent report by McKinsey Global Institute titled, ‘Dependency and depopulation? Confronting the consequences of a new demographic reality’, India, which has the largest population in the world, has the potential to become the second largest economy per purchasing power parity by 2050 if the country aggressively pushes women to participate in the mainstream economy.

As BRICS members, India and South Africa can collaborate on agricultural innovation. India’s success with drone Didi can serve as a case study, offering insights into implementation and scaling up.

Furthermore, local institutions such as the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Innovation Hub, and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) can play a crucial role in shaping rural women farm worker cooperatives using drone technology and scaling operations.

Moreover, this initiative can foster social change by challenging patriarchal norms, promoting gender equality, and also uplifting households. As more women get empowered, the entire family stands to benefit.

Drones can also be beneficial for pregnant women and new mothers in rural areas as they reduce the need for physical labour. Drones can help these women maintain their farms while ensuring their health and well-being are being taken care of.

For South Africa, this initiative represents a unique opportunity to transform rural communities, empower women, and modernise agriculture. By embracing this initiative and leveraging local expertise, South Africa can unlock a brighter future for its rural women and communities. (The Guardian)

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India is the top producer of milk in the world and has set a target of producing 300 million metric tons (MMT) of milk in the next five years from the present 239 MMT, Union Minister of Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh said in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Singh also said that ever since the Modi government has launched the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) in 2014, the milk production in the country has increased by 63.5 per cent and the government is hopeful of further increasing it by 15 per cent in next three years.

“India is now the top milk producing country in the world. We have now set a target of producing 300 MMT of milk in next five years from the present 239 MMT,” he said. (PTI)

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India and Singapore on Tuesday (March 25, 2025) signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) on Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC) collaboration at the ongoing Singapore Maritime Week (SMW). India and Netherlands also discussed the possibility of utilizing Dutch global expertise to enable cargo movement in low draft rivers of Brahmaputra and Barak.

“Under the LOI, both sides will collaborate on maritime digitalisation and decarbonisation projects, including identifying relevant stakeholders who could contribute to the effort, and work towards formalising the partnership through a memorandum of understanding on a Singapore-India GDSC,” the Ministry said in a statement.

The Singapore-India GDSC, when established, will enhance collaboration from both countries and help accelerate the development and uptake of zero or near-zero GHG emission technologies and the adoption of digital solutions, the Ministry said.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister, of Ports, Shipping and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said the Corridor will drive innovation, accelerate the adoption of low-emission technologies, and strengthen digital integration in the sector. “With India’s strength in Information Technology and green fuel production, along with Singapore’s role as a global maritime hub, this partnership will set new benchmarks in sustainability and efficiency in the maritime sector. We look forward to work closely to build a resilient, future-ready maritime ecosystem that benefits both nations and the global maritime industry.”

During the day, Mr. Sonowal also visited Singapore Cruise Centre to understand the infrastructure and facilities that has helped Singapore to become a thriving cruise tourism destination, the Ministry said India aims to replicate such terminals in key locations like Goa, Mumbai, and Chennai to provide a fillip to the cruise tourism. He also met with key officials of Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA) as well as top industry captains from maritime sector of the Netherlands. (The Hindu)

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Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum, has raised concerns about the trajectory of Bangladesh under the interim leadership of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus.

Rubin, in his recent article for 19FortyFive, suggested that Yunus, renowned for his pioneering work in microfinance, is now overseeing actions that suppress journalistic freedom and enable hardline Islamist groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami to exert influence over the nation’s socio-political landscape.

Rubin drew parallels between Yunus’s current actions and those of other Nobel laureates who, after receiving the prize, have been criticized for policies or actions that contradict the principles of peace and human rights.

He cited Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s involvement in the Tigray conflict and Aung San Suu Kyi’s response to the Rohingya crisis as examples.

The article highlighted the persecution of journalists under Yunus’s interim government. Freelancers Farzana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed have reportedly been imprisoned on baseless charges, with limited contact with their minor daughter.

Over 1,000 journalists “deemed too secular” have allegedly been dismissed, and prominent journalist Julfikar Ali Manik has become a target due to his focus on Islamist movements, he added.

Rubin also expressed concern over the treatment of Fazle Karim Chowdhury, a respected leader and advocate for human rights and minority protection.

Chowdhury’s constituency, Raozan, has been a haven for Bangladesh’s Hindu community, and his persecution raises alarms about the safety of minority groups under the current administration.

In light of these developments, Rubin called on the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to consider imposing Global Magnitsky Act sanctions on Muhammad Yunus, emphasizing that the Nobel Peace Prize should not serve as a shield for actions that undermine human rights and press freedom.

These observations are based on Michael Rubin’s article in 19FortyFive. For a comprehensive understanding of the situation, readers are encouraged to consult multiple sources and perspectives. (ANI)

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The Indian Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has submitted its closure report in the Actor Sushant Singh Rajput case, stating that no evidence was found to suggest external involvement in his death.

With this, Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty and her family have been officially cleared of all allegations.

Reacting to the report, Rhea’s lawyer, Satish Maneshinde, criticized the misinformation spread on social media. “After nearly four years, the CBI has thoroughly investigated all aspects of the case. The false narratives propagated during the pandemic led to innocent people being unfairly targeted. I hope such incidents do not recur,” he stated.

He further urged media introspection, highlighting Rhea’s ordeal, including her 27-day custody. “Justice Sarang V. Kotwal granted her bail, yet she and her family endured inhumane treatment. Despite threats, we remained committed to seeking justice,” he added, emphasizing his pride in defending a military family pro bono.

Sushant Singh Rajput, 34, was found dead in his Bandra residence on June 14, 2020. His postmortem at Cooper Hospital confirmed asphyxia as the cause of death. (Gulf News)

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Pope Francis will be discharged from Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Hospital on Sunday and he will return to his residence in the Vatican to continue his convalescence.

Pope Francis, 88, was hospitalized on February 14 with double pneumonia from a severe respiratory infection.

Speaking to journalists on Saturday evening, Doctor Sergio Alfieri, head of the Gemelli Hospital medical team that has been treating the Pope for an acute respiratory tract infection and bilateral pneumonia said “The good news the world and everyone is waiting for is that tomorrow the Holy Father will be discharged. Tomorrow he will return to Santa Marta.”

Doctor Alfieri, flanked by the Pope’s personal physician, Doctor Sergio Carbone, explained that the decision to discharge the Pope follows steady and rapid medical improvements in his clinical condition and the lifting of the prognosis.

He noted that the past week has seen significant improvements. He confirmed that when the Pope was admitted to hospital on 14 February, he was suffering an acute respiratory insufficiency due to a polymicrobial infection that resulted in bilateral pneumonia. This, he explained, necessitated a combined pharmacological treatment.

Answering questions put to him by reporters, Alfieri reiterated that the bilateral pneumonia has been successfully treated, but time is needed for a complete recovery.

Thus, the Pope has been prescribed at least two months of convalescence, during which he will be receiving medical care and will be taking an adequate period of rest.

Alfieri noted that the Holy Father’s health is improving steadily, and the hope is he will soon be able to resume a work schedule. This however, he pointed out, does not mean he will immediately be able to start meeting with people and groups as he did before.

Pointing out that throughout his time in the hospital, the doctor said Pope Francis has always stayed in touch with current events, both church-related and political, and – as we have seen – has continued to dedicate himself to work activities.

He is happy to be discharged, he reiterated, and as all doctors agree, “the best way to recover is to do so at home.” (Vatican News)

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Britain’s Heathrow Airport has completely shutdown and will be closed all day on Friday following a large fire at a nearby electrical substation knocked out power to one of the world’s busiest airports.

“To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March,” Heathrow Airport said in a post on X, adding that “passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information.”

Scores of flights were already being diverted to land at other airports.

According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, at the time of the airport’s closure, “120 aircraft were in the air that will be diverting to alternate airports or returning to their origins.”

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Elon Musk‘s social network X filed a lawsuit against the Indian government, arguing that the country’s IT Ministry has unlawfully expanded its censorship powers to allow the easier removal of online content.

In the court filing dated March 5 but only reported by media on Thursday, the social network alleged that the Indian IT Ministry has asked other departments to use a government-run website to issuecontent-blockingg orders.

Why is Musk’s X suing the Indian government?

X argued the website, launched by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs last year, was not subject to the stringent Indian legal safeguards that previously only allowed content removal orders to be issued by top officials and in cases deemed to threaten public order or state sovereignty.

The website creates “an impermissible parallel mechanism” that causes “unrestrained censorship of information in India,” the social network claimed.

The Indian government is yet to comment.

The case was briefly heard earlier this week in the High Court of India’s southern Karnataka state but no final decision was reached. It will now be heard on March 27.

Musk wants to roll out Starlink and Tesla in India

The lawsuit marks an escalation in an ongoing legal dispute between X and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s government over how the country polices online content. It also comes as Musk prepares to launch Starlink and Tesla in India.

Musk has reached agreements with two of India’s largest telecommunications providers Jio and Bharti Airtel, to role out Starlink broadband across the country but the company still requires government authorization.

The dispute also coincides with threats by US President Donald Trump, to whom Musk acts as a senior adviser, to impose tariffs on Indian goods.

“I believe they’re going to probably be lowering those tariffs substantially. But on April 2, we will be charging them the same tariffs they charge us,” Trump told the American far-right Breitbart news network, calling India “one of the highest tariffing nations in the world.”

Back in 2021, X, then known as Twitter, was at loggerheads with the Indian government after refusing to comply with legal orders to block certain posts related to farmers’ protests. (DW)

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US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an order aimed at shutting down the Department of Education, a decades-old goal of the American right, which wants individual states to run schools free from the influence of federal government.

Surrounded by schoolchildren sitting at desks set up in the East Room of the White House, Trump smiled as held up the order after signing it.

Trump said the order would “begin eliminating the federal Department of Education once and for all.”

“We’re going to shut it down and shut it down as quickly as possible. It’s doing us no good,” Trump said. “We’re going to return education back to the states where it belongs.”

The Education Department, created in 1979, cannot be shuttered without the approval of Congress — but Trump’s order will likely have the power to starve it of funds and staff.

The move is one of the most drastic steps yet in the brutal overhaul of the government that Trump is carrying out with the help of tech tycoon Elon Musk and his Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Democrats and educators have slammed the move.

The top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, called it a “tyrannical power grab” and “one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken.”

Republican leaders, including governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas, were in the audience for the signing ceremony.

Trump has cast the move as necessary to save money and improve educational standards in the United States, saying they are lagging behind those in Europe and China. (Fox)

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Tesla is recalling nearly all of its futuristic-style Cybertrucks after it found that an exterior trim panel was falling off and creating hazardous driving conditions, the company said on Thursday. This is the eighth recall for the model.

The recall of about 46,000 vehicles includes all models that were manufactured from Nov. 13, 2023, when the Cybertruck was first produced, to Feb. 27. In a report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday, Tesla said that only about 1 percent of the electric vehicles from this model were defective but that it would recall all the vehicles as a precaution.

As of March 14, Tesla had identified 151 warranty claims that might be related to the trim panel issue, according to the report, but the company said it was “not aware of any collisions, fatalities or injuries that are or may be related to the condition.”

The announcement marks one of the largest recalls for Cybertrucks in the model’s short and at times flawed history on the road. Other issues with the vaunted model have included losing drive power, its front-windshield wiper malfunctioning and an accelerator pedal getting stuck. Cybertrucks sell for about $80,000 to $100,000, depending on customization. (NewYork Times)

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NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore recently made their way back to Earth onboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on March 18, 2025, after a lengthy nine-month stay on the International Space Station (ISS).

Their initial mission, which was scheduled to last roughly eight days using Boeing’s Starliner Spacecraft was launched in June 2024 but due to technical issues with the Starliner, including issues with the propulsion system and helium leaks, their safe return was prevented causing a prolonged stay on the ISS for the astronauts.

They were originally part of Boeing’s Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission. The goal of this mission was to test and certify Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for future crewed missions to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

However, with the issues in the spacecraft, William and Wilmore were forced to remain on the ISS for nine whole months while NASA and Boeing assessed possible solutions.

Hence, instead of returning on Starliner, NASA arranged SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule for them to come back home safely. Their SpaceX capsule successfully disembarked the station early this Tuesday for the 17-hour journey and splashed down off the coast of Florida at approximately 2.57 P.M. in Pacific Time and 3.30 P.M. in Sri Lankan Time.

Their homecoming has now captured the world’s attention as well as hearts. (Newswire)

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At least 326 Palestinians have been killed as Israel launched a massive assault on Gaza, shattering the fragile two-month-old ceasefire with Hamas.

Tuesday’s attack took place across Gaza, including in Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza, Gaza City in the north, and central areas like Deir el-Balah.

Many of those killed in the attacks were children, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said.

Palestinian Health Ministry said that “326 martyrs arrived at Gaza Strip hospitals so far”, adding that “a number of victims are still under the rubble”.

Hamas, which governs Gaza, said it viewed Israel’s attacks as a unilateral cancellation of the ceasefire that began on January 19.

“Netanyahu and his extremist government are making a decision to overturn the ceasefire agreement, exposing prisoners in Gaza to an unknown fate,” Hamas said in a statement. It called on people in Arab and Islamic nations, along with the “free people of the world”, to take to the streets to protest the assault.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) armed group accused Israel of “deliberately sabotaging all efforts to reach a ceasefire”. (AlJazeera)

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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has admitted that her old phone and email were hacked, as reported by Reuters on Monday.

In a press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, Sheinbaum claimed she didn’t know who told the hacker about her phone and email.

The New York Times, in its report on Sunday, stated that the president’s phone was hacked after Sheinbaum’s government took a bold step by extraditing 29 drug dealers to the United States on February 27.

Sheinbaum stated that Apple has communicated with Mexico’s digital transformation department, which is aware of the hacking, and measures have been taken to restore the hacked phone and email.

The president revealed that the phone was a gift from a former senator and Campeche Governor, Layda Sansores. Sheinbaum also said her phone number was circulated during the campaign as an expression of affection.

The Mexican president added that the hacked phone and email address are no longer used for personal communication and correspondence.

Sheinbaum used the phone as the Tlalpan environmental delegate in Mexico City long before she became a presidential candidate or head of the capital government.

The phone was widely circulated by the people of Mexico City and was published in local media last year, before the general election in June 2024. She said they are investigating the hacked phone.

A New York Times article explained in detail the call between Sheinbaum and U.S. President Donald Trump, where they mediated a deal that saved Mexican goods from a 25 percent tariff for another month.

Trump reportedly praised Sheinbaum while admonishing Justin Trudeau, then the prime minister of Canada, for publicly opposing Trump’s tariff threats against his neighbor.

Sheinbaum affirmed that she doesn’t know who leaked the phone call with President Trump. She said the hacker was untraceable, which led to the press conference at the National Palace. (NYT)

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In the past decade, India has rapidly emerged as one of the world’s largest and most dynamic hubs for mobile manufacturing. Once a consumer-dependent market, the Indian mobile industry has undergone a transformation, now playing a critical role in the global supply chains. This remarkable shift has been driven by government initiatives, foreign investments, and a growing domestic market, positioning India as a powerhouse in mobile manufacturing.

Domestic demand fuel mobile manufacturing growth

India’s journey into mobile manufacturing started with the rapid rise in domestic demand for mobile phones. The early 2000s saw an internet revolution and a telecommunications boom, leading to an explosion in mobile phone usage. However, at that time, India relied heavily on imports, mainly from countries like China and South Korea, to meet its needs. This reliance on foreign imports spurred the Indian government to rethink its strategy and formulate policies aimed at transforming India into a self-sustaining manufacturing hub for electronics, including mobile phones.

The make in India initiative

The turning point for India’s mobile manufacturing came with the launch of the “Make in India” initiative in 2014, spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The initiative aimed to promote domestic manufacturing, create jobs, and increase exports, with a strong focus on electronics.

The Make in India initiative provided critical incentives such as tax exemptions, subsidies, and efforts to streamline bureaucratic processes, making India an attractive proposition for both domestic and international companies. As a result, mobile manufacturing in India expanded exponentially. In 2014, there were only two mobile manufacturing units in the country; today, that number has grown to over 300, marking a significant expansion in this vital sector.

Mobile manufacturing moves from imports to independence

India’s progress is evident in the dramatic shift from reliance on imports to local production. In 2014-15, just 26% of the mobile phones sold in India were made domestically, with the rest being imported. By 2024, that number had surged to an impressive 99.2%, with mobile phone manufacturing in India reaching a value of INR4,22,000 crore (Approx USD 50 billion). Exports of mobile phones also grew exponentially, surpassing INR1,29,000 crore (approx. USD 15 billion) in 2024.

Today, India manufactures around 325–330 million mobile phones annually, increased from 58 million in 2014-25 to 330 million in 2023-24, with over a billion mobile phones in use in the country. This shift in production capacity has positioned India as the world’s second-largest mobile manufacturer. The country has become a key player not only in satisfying domestic demand but also in tapping into global markets, particularly in regions such as the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

Mobile manufacturing enhance skill development and employment opportunities

The rise of mobile manufacturing in India has had a profound impact on job creation. The mobile manufacturing boom has also led to substantial employment opportunities in India. More than 20 million people are directly or indirectly employed in mobile manufacturing-related activities, including assembly, logistics, and the supply chain. This surge in employment has contributed to the socio-economic upliftment of many communities across the country, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas. These job opportunities have not only contributed to economic growth but also transformed the Indian workforce.

To meet the demands of an evolving industry, there has been a significant emphasis on skill development. Partnerships between the government, industry leaders, and educational institutions have led to the creation of specialized training programs. These initiatives have improved the skillset of the workforce, making India a more attractive destination for global manufacturers seeking to set up operations.

The semiconductor push enhances value chain

As India continues to expand its mobile manufacturing capacity, the focus is shifting toward deeper integration into the value chain. The country is now working on the development of semiconductor chips and finer components, areas that have historically been dominated by China and Taiwan. This push is in line with India’s broader strategy of enhancing self-reliance and becoming a leader in the global electronics market.

The establishment of a domestic semiconductor manufacturing base has been a long-standing goal. In recent years, the Indian government has made strides toward this goal through the India Semiconductor Mission, which supports the creation of a local semiconductor industry.

The PLI push to mobile manufacturing

While the Make in India initiative laid the foundation, the government further accelerated India’s rise as a mobile manufacturing hub by introducing the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme in 2020. The PLI scheme offers financial incentives to manufacturers based on the volume of production achieved, thus incentivizing companies to ramp up domestic manufacturing.

The PLI scheme has been a game-changer for the mobile manufacturing sector. It has attracted numerous global companies to either set up new manufacturing units or expand existing ones in India. This, in turn, has bolstered India’s efforts to reduce dependence on imports, especially from China, its largest supplier of mobile phones.

India’s mobile manufacturing success is not limited to the domestic market. The country has increasingly become an exporter of mobile phones and components, and this trend is expected to grow. The PLI scheme has played a critical role in boosting India’s export potential by incentivizing manufacturers to ramp up production for international markets.

Strengthened supply chain reduce dependence on imports

The rapid growth of India’s mobile manufacturing has also been supported by the development of a robust local supply chain. Initially, the country’s mobile manufacturing industry was limited to phone assembly, with most components being imported. However, thanks to increased foreign direct investment (FDI) and government initiatives, many companies have set up local manufacturing plants for key components, including displays, batteries, and camera modules, significantly lowering production costs. This reduction in import dependency has made mobile phones more affordable for Indian consumers, further driving demand.

In conclusions, India’s leap into mobile manufacturing is a remarkable success story that has transformed the country from a net importer of mobile phones to one of the world’s largest mobile manufacturing hubs. With proactive government policies, substantial foreign investment, a growing supply chain, and a rising domestic demand, India is well-positioned to maintain its growth in this sector

As India continues to invest in infrastructure, skill development, and production capabilities, its mobile manufacturing industry is poised for even greater success. The country’s journey from a consumer-driven market to a global manufacturing powerhouse is a testament to its resilience and strategic vision, and its role in the global mobile supply chain will only continue to expand in the years ahead. (Vietnam Times)

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