Quad members Australia, India, Japan, and the United States on Friday collectively committed over $20 million in humanitarian assistance to support the relief efforts for the earthquake-devastated Myanmar.

With its funding and bilateral efforts, the Quad grouping is facilitating the delivery of relief supplies, deploying emergency medical teams and supporting humanitarian partners working in Myanmar to provide care for those affected by the earthquake.

In a joint statement issued by Quad partners on the Myanmar earthquake response, the governments of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States extended their deepest sympathies and condolences to the peoples of Myanmar and Thailand following the massive earthquake, which caused significant loss of life, injuries, and widespread destruction of infrastructure.

South Korean acting President Han Duck-soo vowed Friday to ensure stability in national security and diplomacy following the Constitutional Court's ruling that ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

"As acting president, I will ensure that there is no vacuum in national security or foreign affairs, and (the country) maintains a firm and unwavering security posture," Han said in a televised national address.

"I will also do everything in my authority to ensure that there are no disruptions in addressing pressing issues such as trade disputes, and firmly maintain public order so that our citizens feel safe and secure," he said.

The Constitutional Court unanimously upheld Yoon's impeachment, removing him from office over his short-lived imposition of martial law in December. South Korea is required to hold a snap presidential election within 60 days, news agency reported.

South Korea and India held a joint forum on growth strategy on Friday and discussed measures to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, Seoul's industry ministry said.

In the Seoul forum, the two sides discussed advancing collaboration in trade and investment, as well as future industries, such as advanced manufacturing and renewable energies, as special strategic partners, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, reports news agency.

The two countries upgraded their bilateral relations to a special strategic partnership in 2015 to boost their comprehensive cooperation in trade, defence and technology.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a major relief for domestic consumers of electricity, reducing per unit price by Rs 7.41 while promising more relief for the citizens in the coming days. The announcement has been welcomed as it brings the much-needed relief to consumers who have been suffering due to high inflation, inflated electricity bills and soaring fuel prices.

Sharif also announced a reduction in commodity prices of industrial units by Rs 7.59 during a special event attended by cabinet members and business community on Thursday.

The announcement comes a month after the government negotiated and convinced the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for reduction in electricity prices, which was later on approved by the country's National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA). The IMF allowed Pakistan to reduce utility rates by Rs 1 per kilowatt.

Myanmar's Nay Pyi Taw International Airport and Mandalay International Airport, damaged by a devastating earthquake, are set to resume local travel services.

The two airports had temporarily halted flights following the earthquake, news agency reported citing details from the Myanmar Radio and Television on Thursday.

According to the Department of Civil Aviation, Mandalay International Airport will reopen at 6 am local time on April 4, while Nay Pyi Taw International Airport will resume operations at 6 am local time on April 5, it added.

As of Thursday morning, Myanmar has experienced 66 aftershocks ranging from magnitudes 2.8 to 7.5, according to the country's Department of Meteorology and Hydrology.

These aftershocks followed a devastating 7.7-magnitude temblor that struck the country last Friday.

US President Donald Trump's announcement on "reciprocal" tariffs appears to have put South Korea deeper into a soul-searching mode over its growing reliance on the United States for trade, as the protectionist move further jeopardised the fate of a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA).

Trump announced a 10 percent "baseline" tariff on imports from all trading partners and "reciprocal" tariffs, including 26 percent duties for South Korea -- a culmination of his drive to curtail America's trade deficits, boost revenue, attract foreign investments and strengthen domestic manufacturing.

The baseline and reciprocal tariffs are set to go into effect Saturday and next Wednesday, respectively, as Trump has repeated his vow to rectify what he called "unfair" foreign trade practices that have "ripped off" America for too long, reports news agency.

For South Korea's export-reliant economy, new U.S. duties, including planned 25 percent tariffs on imported cars and parts, are raising the nettlesome questions about how to rebalance the trade relationship with the United States potentially under a new deal and avoid unforeseen consequences of economic interdependence.

An out-of-control bushfire burning in the suburbs of Perth, the capital city of Australia's state of Western Australia (WA), has prompted an emergency evacuation warning.

Residents of parts of the suburb of Ferndale, 10 km southeast of central Perth, were on Thursday morning advised to leave immediately due to the threat posed by a nearby fire, reports news agency.

"You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. There is a threat to lives and homes," a warning issued by the WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) shortly before 7 a.m. local time said.

"If the way is clear, leave now for a safer place. Do not wait and see; leaving at the last minute could put your life in danger."

Myanmar's government will allocate 500 billion kyats (about $238.09 million) for earthquake relief and rehabilitation efforts, State Administration Council (SAC) Chairman Min Aung Hlaing has said.

The Myanmar leader made the statement at a cash donation ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw on Tuesday, where well-wishers donated 104.44 billion kyats ($49.71 million) in cash and non-cash items worth 12.4 billion kyats ($5.9 million), news agency reported, quoting the state-owned daily The Global New Light of Myanmar.

The contributions were received by the Chairman of the National Disaster Management Committee, the SAC Vice Chairman, council members, and other relevant officials, it added.

Following deadly earthquake that struck Myanmar on Friday, Min Aung Hlaing called for international assistance. In response, rescue teams, medics and nurses from 16 countries and regions have arrived in Myanmar with humanitarian aid and medical supplies as of March 31, it said.

A 26-year-old hotel staff member was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed hotel building in Myanmar's Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday, five days after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the country, according to the State Administration Council's information team.

Two people were trapped under the debris, and rescue teams from the Myanmar Fire Services Department and Turkey successfully pulled one survivor to safety, the information team said.

The operation at the hotel began at around 3:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, and the man was rescued by approximately 00:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, it said.

Efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the remaining trapped individuals, news agency reported.

Myanmar on Tuesday observed a one-minute silence to honour the victims of the devastating earthquake that has claimed over 2,000 lives.

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake, followed by a 6.4 magnitude aftershock minutes later, struck Myanmar’s Mandalay region on Friday, causing massive casualties and damage.

Myanmar announced on Monday a week-long mourning period following the earthquake that struck Myanmar, which wrought widespread destruction,
News Agency reported.