Magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes off Vanuatu – USGS

Inquirer.net - Oct 20, 2026

SYDNEY — A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck off the coast of South Pacific nation Vanuatu on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said. The tremor’s epicenter was about 200 kilometers (120 miles) northwest of the village of Port Olry. There was “no tsunami threat“, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. READ: Earthquakes are common in

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Oct 20, 2026

Deepfakes, bots and distrust: How AI is shaping Israel’s election

In a 19-second clip posted to X, Gadi Eisenkot, a candidate for prime minister, stands with his arms outstretched and a huge smile on his face. In slow motion, he runs through a meadow toward a person who resembles his son, wearing a shirt with the words “Israeli Unity.” But Eisenkot sails past him and instead

Oct 20, 2026

Remulla flags Laos drug financier’s absence from Duterte-era watchlist

MANILA, Philippines—Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla questioned why Sultan Edrieza Hadji Nasser Rimbang, described as the alleged “financier of the entire operation” behind a Laos drug shipment, was not included on the drug war watchlist under former President Rodrigo Duterte. “Ang pinagtataka ko lang kung bakit noong drug war, hindi kasama si Rimbang sa watchlist kung

Oct 20, 2026

House lawmakers urge Marcos: Reconsider evicting China’s envoy

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should reconsider his decision not to expel China’s envoy to the Philippines, several House lawmakers said Tuesday, renewing their call for the ambassador’s removal, saying he had “overstayed his welcome” after making a remark that suggested China could use force against the Philippines. The Philippines should “no longer

Oct 20, 2026

99 OFWs repatriated from Riyadh – OWWA

Updated at 2:23 P.M MANILA, Philippines — A total of 99 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been repatriated from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, following missile attacks claimed by Yemeni Houthi rebels, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) announced on Tuesday. In its latest repatriation efforts, 50 OFWs arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on

Oct 20, 2026

Atong Ang has left the Philippines – Remulla

MANILA, Philippines — Gambling tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang has already left the country through the “backdoor,” Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed on Tuesday. “He used the backdoor,” Remulla said in a chance interview on the sidelines of the 20th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime in Makati City on Tuesday. Remulla declined to provide

Oct 20, 2026

Humanitarian corridor pushed for stranded Filipinos in Saudi Arabia

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to consider establishing a safe route through Bahrain for Filipinos stranded in Saudi Arabia which was recently rocked by drone and missile strikes. Cayetano said that a humanitarian corridor must be

Oct 20, 2026

Rare photos of Suu Kyi getting letters from British king released

Myanmar’s military-backed government on Monday released rare photos of the country’s detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest, receiving letters and books from Britain’s King Charles. Observers believe the move is meant to signal that the treatment of the 81-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate has improved as the pro-military government

Oct 20, 2026

India’s Russian oil in focus as Rubio visits major Reliance refinery

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio kicks off a three-day visit to India on Monday in the finance hub of Mumbai, before heading to Jamnagar, home to a major oil refinery owned by industrial titan Reliance Industries. Rubio’s business-oriented visit comes as trade talks remain stalled amid continued ambiguity on punitive measures from the US over

Oct 20, 2026

Milan luxury shops close for fear of further unrest, gov't prepares new crackdown

MILAN — Shops in central Milan closed early and boarded up their windows on Monday, fearing a new wave of unrest after two days of protests that saw demonstrators clash with police, loot stores and vandalise property. Most stores in Milan's Via Montenapoleone luxury shopping district, home to brands including Chanel, Tiffany and Dior, had removed merchandise from their windows as a precaution, while police patrolled the street and a handful of tourists looked on. Several hundred hooded protesters, many believed to be minors, set bins ablaze and looted shops in the city centre over the weekend after an initially peaceful demonstration on Saturday over poor public services and rising costs. Among the stores ransacked were sports retailers Decathlon and Arc'teryx and mobile phone operator Vodafone, television footage showed. Stores such as clothing brands Levi's and Under Armour, as well as Decathlon, covered their shop windows with cardboard and wooden panels. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who faces a national election next year, condemned the violence and chaired a meeting with

Oct 20, 2026

What's behind Egypt's move towards possible military involvement in Saudi-Yemen conflict?

CAIRO — Egypt's parliament is expected to vote next week on whether to authorise the armed forces to help defend Saudi Arabia against attacks by Yemen's Houthis if Riyadh requests its support. The move would bring the Arab world's most populous country closer to direct military involvement in the widening conflicts unleashed by the U.S.-Israeli air assault on Iran in February. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi requested the approval in a speech on Saturday, saying Egypt would "never, never forget our brothers in the Gulf" and telling Saudi Arabia's leaders that Cairo would "take any measure to protect you". Like the Gulf states that have come under attack from Tehran in the Iran war, Egypt is a longstanding partner in the U.S.-led security order that is being tested by the conflict. What is Egypt's stance on the Iran war? Sisi's comments marked a clear escalation from the more measured tone authorities have tended to adopt since the Iran war started. Though Egypt has repeatedly voiced strong support for its Gulf allies, Cairo has stopped short of publicly committing itself to a direct comb

Oct 20, 2026

Kenyan starvation cult leader convicted in deaths of nearly 200 children

MOMBASA, Kenya — A Kenyan court on Monday found starvation cult leader Paul Mackenzie and about 30 others guilty of murder over the deaths of 190 children and one adult in one of the world's worst cult-related disasters in recent history. Mackenzie and his co-accused will be given their sentence on November 6. He was arrested in 2023 after police received a tip-off, and weeks later authorities began uncovering bodies in shallow graves in the Shakahola Forest near the coast in southeastern Kenya. Prosecutors say Mackenzie and his Good News International Church organised a Christian doomsday sect in which they ordered followers to starve themselves and their children to death to go to heaven before the world ended. Mackenzie denied murder charges, saying he did not force the victims to starve, but the court rejected that argument. In total, more than 400 bodies have been recovered from the Shakahola Forest. Many were severely decomposed, with only 26 bodies able to be identified. Monday's judgment covered 191 deaths while investigations into the other deaths are ongoing. Families in court t

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