live Israel launches fresh strikes on Iran despite Trump's warning
Israel said it struck military targets in western and central Iran on Monday, even after U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly told Israeli Prime Min...
A powerful earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday (8 June), killing at least 15 people and triggering tsunami warnings across the region.
Philippine police said 129 people were injured in the magnitude 7.8 quake, which struck offshore near Mindanao.
Authorities also reported power outages, infrastructure damage and disruptions to communications in areas close to the epicentre.
Tsunami alerts were issued in the Philippines and parts of neighbouring Indonesia, with coastal communities urged to move to higher ground as a precaution.
However, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) later lifted its tsunami alert, saying that observed sea level disturbances were too small to cause damage.
In General Santos, about 15 kilometres from the epicentre, local media reported falling furniture and damage to televisions and other household appliances. Local disaster officials said assessments of damage and any casualties were continuing.
The General Santos disaster office said officials were assessing reports of damage and injuries while aftershocks were still being felt.
In Sarangani province, near the epicentre, power and telecommunications services were disrupted and schools suspended classes, according to local disaster chief Rene Punzalan.
Authorities said assessments were continuing, with no immediate reports of collapsed buildings.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said the government was moving quickly to coordinate its response.
"The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind," Marcos said in a statement.
In Maasim town, disaster chief Arlene Hollero said evacuations were underway in coastal villages.
Water briefly receded after the quake, raising concerns about possible tsunami activity, although sea conditions later appeared normal, she said.
A bridge suffered cracks and a shrine topped by a large cross collapsed.
"It's devastating," Hollero told Reuters.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned that tsunami waves exceeding one metre could affect coastal areas for several hours.
Indonesia's geophysics agency said waves measuring around 0.19 metres had been detected, while authorities there reported no immediate damage.
Witnesses in Indonesia's northern city of Manado and residents across southern Philippines said the earthquake was felt strongly.
Benjie Ancheta, police chief in the town of Alabel, said the local police station suffered cracks during the quake, which struck while officers were attending a flag-raising ceremony.
"This is the strongest earthquake we've experienced," Ancheta said.
The German Research Centre for Geosciences said the earthquake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres. It initially estimated the quake at magnitude 8.2 before revising it to 7.8.
The Philippines and Indonesia sit along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world's most active seismic zones, where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million people for the next few years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is hoping to fend off challenges from several pro-Russia candidates to secure a third term.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
The Prime Minister's party is in the lead as Armenian media are reporting that the country's Central Election Commission has completed the vote count in the parliamentary elections. An official announcement is still expected.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The results of Armenia’s parliamentary elections will determine the makeup of the National Assembly and shape the country's political direction for the foreseeable future. But in Armenia, the final result is not decided by vote percentages alone. Here's how it works.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday (8 June) for a rare summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, receiving a grand welcome as he described relations between the two countries as being at a "new historical starting point".
Football fans of all ages gathered in Miami Beach for a World Cup sticker trading event, exchanging duplicates and comparing Panini albums as they prepared for the tournament's opening match.
A city north of Tokyo has suspended classes at all 94 of its primary and middle schools after its first-ever reported bear sighting, amid growing concern over increasing encounters between bears and people across Japan.
A Turkish fishing vessel rescued migrants from a boat in distress in international waters off Malta on Sunday (7 June), after the overcrowded craft capsized in the central Mediterranean.
The leaders of Britain, France and Germany have backed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's proposal to hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as efforts to secure a ceasefire continue.
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