ISTANBUL

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Saturday, including Myanmar’s death toll rising to 694 from earthquakes; a US federal judge halting the deportation of Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk and South Korea redeploying choppers after wildfires reignite.

TOP STORIES

-Death toll rises to 694 in quake-hit Myanmar; 68 missing

At least 694 victims have been killed, 1,670 injured and 68 are missing from two deadly earthquakes in Myanmar, according to Chinese state media on Saturday, citing the junta State Administration Council in Myanmar.

International aid and rescue efforts continue to ramp up as Myanmar and Thailand recover from the devastating earthquakes that hit Friday.​​​​​​​

A strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Friday with its epicenter in Myanmar's Sagaing region.

-US federal judge halts deportation of Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk

A federal judge in the US state of Massachusetts blocked the deportation Friday from the US of a Turkish-born Tufts University doctoral student until further notice, pending a ruling on her habeas corpus petition.

US District Judge Denise Casper stopped the removal of Rumeysa Ozturk, ruling that the court can pause any deportation to maintain the status quo while determining if it has jurisdiction. She based her decision on existing federal precedents.

Ozturk’s deportation, therefore, has been postponed until the court proposed a deadline of 5 p.m. local time (2200GMT) on April 1 to resolve the dispute.

-South Korea redeploys choppers after wildfires reignite​​​​​​​

Wildfires ravaging South Korea reignited in the southeastern area of the country overnight, fire authorities said Saturday, adding that firefighting helicopters were dispatched, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

An official with the Gyeongbuk Fire Service Headquarters said reports of smoke in Andong, 190 kilometers (118 miles) southeast of Seoul in North Gyeongsang Province, started coming in at around 10 p.m. Friday (1300GMT Saturday). Forestry officials believe the fire reignited around 3 a.m. Saturday,

The Korea Forest Service announced earlier that wildfires in North Gyeongsang had been fully brought under control as of Friday after killing or injuring dozens of victims and forcing thousands to flee.

NEWS IN BRIEF

-Harvard University has dismissed faculty leaders at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES), according to recently surfaced reports.

-Columbia University announced that interim President Katrina Armstrong will be stepping down one week after the school announced sweeping policy changes.

-Zambia applauded Türkiye's support for its education sector through the opening of schools in the southern African country.

-Former Guinean President Moussa Dadis Camara was pardoned by current President Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya, according to a presidential decree.

-The Yemeni Houthi group said the US carried out 69 raids across Yemen -- the highest in a single day since Washington initiated attacks on Houthi-controlled areas in mid-March.

-Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the army has dismantled several Palestinian camps affiliated with Hezbollah or Iran, in addition to conducting more than 250 weapons confiscation operations on arms caches in tunnels south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon.

-Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan said it is a “necessity for all of us to implement slow and sustainable fashion,” at an International Zero Waste Day event at the UN General Assembly.

-Syrian security forces announced the arrest of a war crimes suspect from the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime in the Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria.

-Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country is accelerating efforts to localize the production of air defense systems and missiles, calling it one of the country’s top priorities in its war with Russia.

-Mass rallies were organized in different cities in Morocco, Mauritania and Yemen to voice solidarity with the Palestinian people and demand an end to the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

-IMF approves $400M disbursement to Ukraine under war-time program

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the seventh review of its Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program with Ukraine, unlocking a new tranche of approximately $400 million, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced Friday.

“With this tranche, the IMF’s support to Ukraine’s state budget during the war under this programme will amount to more than $10 billion,” Shmyhal said on X, thanking the IMF for its continued backing. “This support will help strengthen our economic resilience.”

The disbursement comes as part of the EFF program designed to assist Ukraine’s macroeconomic stability amid its conflict with Russia.

-xAI acquires social media platform X

Elon Musk announced that xAI has bought X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.

“@xAI has acquired @X in an all-stock transaction. The combination values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion ($45B less $12B debt),” Musk wrote on X.

xAI was founded by Musk in March 2023 and is known for developing the AI chatbot Grok which is integrated into X.

-Trump signals softening to deal on tariffs

US President Donald Trump said he is open to making a deal on auto tariffs and reciprocal tariffs if Washington can get something in return.

Trump made statements to the media on Air Force One, in response to a question about a call with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. “I always loved Canada. We had a very good conversation," he said.

He noted that there is an election in Canada and he will meet Carney after the election.

SPORTS

-Fenerbahce Beko claim top spot in EuroLeague after 82-77 win against Baskonia

Fenerbahce Beko moved to the top of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings after defeating Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 82-77 at Ulker Sports Arena in Round 32.

Despite holding the same 22-10 record as Olympiacos Piraeus, the Yellow Canaries claimed the top spot by defeating the Greek side in two games during the regular season.

With two games remaining in the regular season, the Istanbul side also secured home-court advantage in the playoffs by guaranteeing a top-four finish.