N. Korea seeks to cement permanent border as Seoul vows firm response

Inquirer.net - Oct 20, 2026

North Korea’s latest threats may be a ploy to undermine South Korea’s border security operations and cement the division of the Korean Peninsula into two permanently separate states, experts said Tuesday, as Seoul’s top military officer warned of a firm response to any further provocations by Pyongyang. Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister,

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LOOK: Robin Padilla chats with ‘gentleman’ Chinese ambassador

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Dutch PM Rob Jetten, partner expecting baby via surrogate mother

THE HAGUE — Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and his Argentine partner Nicolas Keenan announced on Monday that they were expecting a baby with the help of an egg donor and a surrogate mother. “A very special person is on the way. See you in 2027, little one,” the couple posted on Instagram, next to

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Thailand warns citizens to avoid protest areas in Greece and Italy

Thai embassies in Greece and Italy have advised Thai residents and tourists to exercise caution, avoid protest areas and closely follow local developments amid demonstrations in both countries. The Royal Thai Embassy in Athens said on Monday (October 19) that Greek media had reported plans by student groups to hold demonstrations against the government at

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Thai police arrest 8 South Korean and 2 Chinese scam suspects

Thailand’s Immigration Bureau and South Korean police arrested 10 suspects in Bangkok on Monday (October 19, 2026) in raids targeting an alleged scam network that preyed on South Koreans. Police put the losses at hundreds of millions of baht. The Immigration Bureau said eight South Koreans and two Chinese nationals were arrested. Officers seized more

Oct 20, 2026

Marcos, Japan PM Takaichi hold phone talks ahead of Asean Summit

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held a telephone conversation on Tuesday ahead of the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit and Related Summits to reaffirm their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and advancing regional cooperation. In a press release, the Presidential Communications Office said the two leaders discussed preparations for the summits in November, which will bring together Asean leaders and dialogue partners. Marcos and Takaichi also discussed the 4th Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Leaders’ Meeting, which the Philippines and Japan are scheduled to co-chair next month. READ: PH, Japan relations elevated to ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ AZEC is a Japan-led initiative aimed at promoting clean energy, reducing carbon emissions, and supporting sustainable economic growth while strengthening energy security across the region. During the AZEC Plus One Online Summit on April 15, Japan announced its US$10-billion Partnership on

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Kim Jong Un photos released on October 20 amid death rumors

North Korean state media published photographs of leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday (October 20, 2026), reporting that he had visited a clothing and footwear exhibition in Pyongyang on October 19 as unverified claims about his death circulated online. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) showed Kim Jong Un accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol

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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

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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

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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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PARIS — France's central government asked some local authorities to impose curfews as it faced pressure over security failings on Monday after a weekend of riots and looting stemming from nationwide anti-government protests. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ruled out a blanket curfew in Paris but not a state of emergency. But he said it was more appropriate for now to apply partial and localised curfews, without providing details. "My determination to restore order is absolute," he told reporters. Ariel Weil, the Socialist mayor of central Paris, said on BFM TV he favoured a curfew. Marseille banned gatherings and demonstrations. French unions meanwhile called for a new round of strikes and rallies on November 5. The weekend of looting and violence between some protesters and police followed weeks of student demonstrations, rocking France six months ahead of its next presidential election and highlighting pressures from a weak economy and surging debt. Minister blames far left Lecornu blamed far-left groups for some of France's worst unrest in years. "There is, after all, a far-left move

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