This Week in Explainers: What made the Myanmar earthquake so deadly?

Have you found yourself in a chat group you had no idea about? That’s exactly what happened to The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg. The only difference was that the other names in the Signal group were those of America’s most powerful people – Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Vice President JD Vance, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, among others.

At first, Goldberg, who was accidentally added, doubted the authenticity of the group. Then he found himself on a chain called the “Houthi PC small group”, where top-secret plans to strike the Houthis in Yemen were discussed. It’s a big security breach, one that Trump and his White House officials have been downplaying.

For the President, who dismissed the Signal leak as the “only glitch in two months”, it has been business as usual – imposing more tariffs and threatening Greenland. Ahead of the April 2 deadline, he announced 25 per cent levies on cars important to the US.

On Friday (March 28), JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance visited Greenland – a trip scaled down after protests from the island – even as Trump reiterated, “We have to have that land”. He seems to have found a supporter in Vladimir Putin.

From the US, we turn our attention to Turkey. It has been gripped by massive protests after the arrest of Ekrem Imamoğlu, Istanbul mayor and rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. There is an intensified crackdown on protesters and media coverage, with nearly 1,900 detained.

Two natural disasters rocked Asia. South Korea was grappling with its “largest on record” wildfires, which killed 27 and destroyed ancient temples. Myanmar witnessed a massive 7.7 earthquake, which caused widespread death and damage. Tremors were felt in neighbouring  Thailand, China and India.

In our weekly roundup, we deep-dive into the big headlines from around the world.

1. Let’s start with Signal-gate. Shocking as it might sound, The Atlantic’s Jeffery Goldberg was inadvertently added to a Signal chat group with White House officials. They discussed Europe and, most importantly, a secret plan to attack the Houthis. But how did a journalist get an invite to this group? What is Signal, and was the information discussed classified? Our explainers answer these questions.

2. After controversy, follows conspiracy. The Signal group scandal is no different. As the Trump administration is trying to do some damage control, far-right influencer Laura Loomer has a new theory: She suggests a possible ‘China link’ to the leaked chats involving Alex Wong, US deputy national security adviser, and his wife, Candice Chiu. Here’s what it is about.

3. Donald Trump’s tariff war continues. On Thursday (March 27), he announced a new import tax of 25 per cent on cars and car parts. The tariffs have put automakers in a conundrum, as shares of big car giants in Japan, Germany, and the UK slipped. Which car companies will be worst hit by America’s latest taxes? And will Elon Musk’s Tesla benefit?

4. It’s been more than 10 days now. Turkey has been gripped by protests, the largest in the country. The demonstrations began last week after the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He has been jailed pending trial on corruption charges. The Erdogan government is cracking down on dissent, arresting protesters and imposing media curbs. A BBC journalist was also deported. Why is anti-government anger surging?

5. A 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar on Friday, with tremors felt across Thailand. Both countries witnessed large-scale devastation; videos of collapsing buildings and bridges went viral in hours. More than 1,600 people have been killed in Myanmar, and thousands more injured. Why is the region prone to quakes? And why was the temblor so deadly? 

6. The US administration is going after pro-Palestine students. It started with Mahmoud Khalil, a student activist at Columbia University, and the list of arrests is growing. The detention of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish student from Tufts University, has put the spotlight on a shadowy website, Canary Mission. It has a blacklist of pro-Palestinian students on US campuses. What is this collective? Is it helping the US administration? We explain.

7. Our weekly list of recommendations would be incomplete without a mention of Netflix’s Adolescence. The limited series has everyone’s attention, including the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. It’s the story of 13-year-old boy Jamie Miller, played by Owen Cooper, who kills his classmate, Katie. Is it a true story? It’s not, but it is inspired by a series of crimes committed by teenage boys in the UK.

Amid the rave reviews, Adolescence is receiving backlash for “race swapping” with far-right influencers peddling misinformation that the main character was written as a white boy instead of Black. While there is no truth to this, we look at the real-life crimes in the UK, where teen boys have stabbed girls to death.

That’s all from us this week. If you like the way we explain the news, you can find more such stories here.