World

The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar has risen to 2,056, with over 3,900 people injured and 270 still missing. The junta has declared a week of national mourning, and flags will fly at half-mast until April 6. In Mandalay, the worst-hit city, many residents have been forced to sleep on the streets due to destroyed homes and ongoing aftershocks. The earthquake also affected neighboring countries, including China and Thailand, where at least 19 people died in Bangkok. The full scale of the disaster is still unfolding, with the death toll expected to rise further.

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday, sending tremors across Southeast Asia, including Thailand, where the capital, Bangkok, was heavily impacted. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as buildings shook and a 30-story under-construction tower collapsed. Tourists and locals alike ran in panic, with reports of people trapped in debris and many injured. "I heard people calling for help," said Worapat Sukthai, deputy police chief of Bangkok's Bang Sue district. While the full extent of the damage and casualties is still being assessed, authorities fear significant loss of life.

India is set to surpass Japan and become the world’s fourth-largest economy by the third quarter of the financial year 2024-25, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). With its GDP rising from $2.1 trillion in 2015 to an estimated $4.3 trillion by 2025, India has outpaced several major global economies, including China, the US, and Germany. If the current growth trajectory continues, India may also surpass Germany by 2027. India’s rapid economic expansion highlights its growing influence on the global stage, positioning it for a potential $10 trillion economy by 2032.

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has returned to Earth after an extraordinary 286 days in space, during which she completed 4,577 orbits around the planet and traveled over 195.2 million kilometers. Initially part of an eight-day mission, Williams was forced to stay in space for an extended period due to technical issues with the Starliner spacecraft. Her mission, part of NASA's Crew-9, ended with a successful splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean after a challenging re-entry. Despite her safe return, Williams faces a long recovery process to adjust to Earth's gravity, rebuild muscle strength, and overcome the physiological effects of months in space.

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have spent over nine months aboard the International Space Station, began their journey back to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on Tuesday. Originally planned for an eight-day stay, their mission was extended due to a propulsion issue with their return spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner. The astronauts, along with two other crew members, undocked from the ISS and are expected to splash down off the Florida coast after a 17-hour journey. Their extended stay highlighted NASA’s increasing reliance on SpaceX for human spaceflight missions.