Four killed, 60 hurt in Philippines earthquake

Manila: A 7-magnitude earthquake that rattled the main Luzon island in the Philippines on Wednesday morning killed at least four people and injured some 60 others, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos said. In a report to Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Abalos said two of the deaths were from Benguet, one from Abra and one from the Mountain Province. He said many of the injured were from Abra province. He said the earthquake triggered nearly 60 landslides and made highways and roads impossible in the northern Philippine region. ani

Philippines govt scraps Russian chopper deal

Manila: The Philippine government has scrapped a deal to purchase 16 Russian military transport helicopters due to fears of possible US sanctions, officials said. Former Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday night said he cancelled the 12.7-billion-peso ($227 million) deal to acquire the Mi-17 helicopters in a decision last month that was approved by then-President Rodrigo Duterte before their terms in office ended on June 30. “We could face sanctions,” Lorenzana said, describing ways Washington could express its displeasure if the Philippines proceeded with the deal due to America’s worsening conflict with Russia. ap

Four die as anti-UN protests spread in Congo

Kinshasa: The Democratic Republic of the Congo said at least 15 persons, including one peacekeeper and two United Nations police officers, were killed and 50 others injured during protests targeting the UN peacekeeping mission since Monday in the northeastern province of North Kivu. During a joint press briefing late on Tuesday, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya, alongside Khassim Diagne, the acting head of the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the country (MONUSCO), said authorities have arrested several protesters. An investigation is underway. IANS

Sanaullah warns of governor’s rule in Punjab

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah warned of imposing governor’s rule in Punjab if his entry into the province was restricted, a day after the Supreme Court declared former premier Imran Khan-backed candidate Chaudhry Pervez Elahi as the CM of the region. His remarks came after divisive political and judicial wrangling, Elahi was sworn in as the CM of the largest province on Wednesday by President Arif Alvi.