Magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the Philippines: at least 15 dead and hundreds injured

Today’s healines: Israel and Iran resume war after the bombing of Beirut despite U.S. opposition. Xi Jinping has arrived in North Korea. In Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has declared victory in the elections. In Malaysia, a petition calls for the expulsion of the Rohingya. In Japan, schools are closed after a bear sighting. In Afghanistan, 21 women have been arrested by the morality police.

PHILIPPINES

At least 15 people have died and more than 200 have been injured in the Philippines so far after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the southern regions of the country. Most of the victims have been reported in Soccsksargen, a region spanning four provinces and one city: South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City, in Mindanao. The earthquake coincided with the reopening of schools. A tsunami alert remains in effect.

MIDDLE EAST

Israel and Iran resumed hostilities last night after the early-April ceasefire: Israel first targeted southern neighborhoods of Beirut, despite U.S. opposition, prompting Tehran to respond with an initial wave of missiles. Tel Aviv then struck the Iranian capital, as well as Tabriz and Isfahan. Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, had traveled to Iran over the weekend to deliver a “special letter” to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

MALAYSIA

Hostility toward Rohingya refugees is increasing: in Malaysia, a petition to expel the community from the country has gone viral on social media, reaching nearly half a million signatures in just a few weeks. The petition urges the Malaysian government to consider resettling the Rohingya in another country or providing “enhanced support in their regions of origin” in Myanmar, where a violent civil war has been ongoing for over five years. Kuala Lumpur has never signed the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.

ARMENIA

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has declared electoral victory despite the vote count still being incomplete. With nearly 25% of ballots counted, Pashinyan’s Civil Contract Party leads with 52.5%, while the Strong Armenia alliance of Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan trails with 23.2%.

RUSSIA - UKRAINE

The writer Mikhail Bulgakov's memorial, the Maestro and Margherita monument, the state monument and the writer's museum in Andrejvskjy Descent and Kiev, on the basis of the decision of the 18th of the month of 2025, the order of a total of 15 personal memorial signs. culture, including those of the poetess Anna Akhmatova and the composer Mikhail Glinka, defined as "symbols of Russian imperialist politics" must be removed from public space in Ukraine.

CHINA – NORTH KOREA

Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in North Korea this morning for a meeting with his counterpart Kim Jong Un, marking his first official visit to the country since 2019. This follows meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. As early as April, Pyongyang had expressed a desire to strengthen ties with Beijing. In the first two months of 2026, trade between the two countries increased by 22% compared to the same period last year.

JAPAN

The city of Utsunomiya, 100 km north of Tokyo, has suspended lessons in all 94 elementary and middle schools in the area following a bear sighting. The animal was first spotted on Saturday evening in a residential area near a park. In Japan, bear attacks—including in urban areas—are increasing, prompting the government to establish a task force this year to reduce casualties. 

AFGHANISTAN

The Taliban morality police in Herat have arrested 21 women for not properly wearing the hijab. Recently, the Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice issued a directive asking male family members to prevent women from appearing in public with uncovered faces, tight clothing, or makeup. Among those arrested is a nurse working for Doctors Without Borders, detained at night despite being accompanied by her husband.