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Cebu Earthquake Death Toll Climbs to 63, Province Declares State of Calamity
The death toll from Tuesday’s magnitude-6.9 earthquake that struck Bogo City, Cebu has risen to 63, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa announced Wednesday during Senate budget deliberations. The quake, which hit at 11.09°N, 124.13°E with a depth of 5 kilometers, was tectonic in origin and initially measured at magnitude-6.7 before being upgraded. Cebu province has been placed under a state of calamity as rescue and relief operations continue.
The Department of Health has deployed four emergency medical teams to the affected areas and will send mental health and psychosocial support teams to assist traumatized residents. Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will cover all hospital expenses for earthquake victims under a no-balance billing arrangement, allowing patients to receive treatment at private hospitals. The Department of Budget and Management confirmed the government has P8.008 billion in standby calamity funds available for emergency relief and rehabilitation programs, with agencies directed to activate their Quick Response Funds immediately under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s orders.
91 Still Missing as Rescue Teams Race to Save Students Trapped in Indonesia School Collapse
At least 91 people remain missing and three are dead after a century-old Islamic boarding school collapsed Monday during afternoon prayers in Sidoarjo, East Java, trapping scores of young students beneath the rubble. Rescue teams located six children alive in a pocket of debris and have established communication with them, running food, water and oxygen to the trapped group as the operation enters its third day. The Al Khoziny boarding school’s collapse injured 100 others, with most victims being boys aged 12 to 18 who were performing prayers when the building’s four floors stacked onto each other.
The rescue mission faces mounting challenges after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck the region Tuesday about 124 miles from the collapse site, potentially compacting debris tighter and reducing survival space. More than 300 rescue workers are manually digging through unstable rubble, avoiding heavy machinery that could trigger further collapse. Authorities are focusing on 15 locations, with six sites strongly suspected to contain survivors. An investigation has been launched after local authorities revealed the building’s fourth floor was under construction without a permit at the time of collapse, prompting Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar to call the incident “a wake-up call” about Islamic schools built without adequate technical supervision.
U.S. Government Shutdown Begins After Congress Fails to Reach Funding Agreement
The U.S. government entered a shutdown Wednesday after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to strike a funding deal by the midnight deadline, marking Trump’s third shutdown and the first since his return to the White House. Approximately 750,000 federal workers face furloughs, with the Republican administration warning of potential mass firings as part of efforts to shrink the federal government. The impasse centers on Democratic demands for health care subsidies expiring under the Affordable Care Act, which would spike insurance premiums for millions, while Republicans have refused negotiations and encouraged Trump to avoid talks.
The shutdown’s economic impact is expected to ripple nationwide, potentially disrupting Friday’s monthly jobs report and affecting Americans dependent on government services and benefit payments. House Republicans passed a temporary funding bill extending through mid-November, but it has repeatedly failed in the Senate, which requires 60 votes for approval. Senate Majority Leader John Thune stated Republicans are willing to discuss health care separately but not as part of government funding negotiations, while Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer leverages his party’s votes to demand concurrent health care funding discussions. With no clear exit strategy and agencies executing plans for both furloughs and firings, officials warn this shutdown differs from previous closures due to the absence of broader negotiations and the administration’s stated intent to make “irreversible” cuts to federal programs.
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Injured Brown Bear Chunk Wins Fat Bear Week 2025 After Overcoming Broken Jaw
Chunk, a brown bear weighing over 500 kilograms, has been crowned winner of Fat Bear Week 2025 despite suffering a broken jaw in June believed to have resulted from a fight during mating season. The resilient bear received the most votes in the annual competition at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve, where 12 brown bears compete based on their success in gaining weight before winter hibernation. Voters from more than 100 countries participated through live web streams of the park’s Brooks River, where bears feed on salmon throughout summer and autumn.
Park rangers praised Chunk’s ability to adapt his fishing technique following the injury, with ranger Naomi Boak noting he “reminded us how resilient bears are and how they have the ability to recover from injury and hardship.” Chunk defeated his rival, a bear known as 856, by more than 30,000 votes in the final round. Adult male brown bears at Katmai typically average 408 kilograms in mid-summer and gain approximately 25 percent of their bodyweight by autumn, with the largest males exceeding 540 kilograms. The competition, created by former ranger Mike Fitz in 2014 with approximately 1,700 votes, has evolved into a global educational phenomenon produced by explore.org in partnership with the National Park Service and Katmai Conservancy.
Canada Designates India’s Bishnoi Gang as Terrorist Entity, Citing Extortion and Murder
Canada has designated India’s Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity, granting enforcement agencies expanded powers to combat the transnational criminal organization’s activities targeting diaspora communities. Public Safety Canada announced the decision Tuesday, describing the gang as engaged in murder, shootings, arson, extortion and intimidation that creates “a climate of insecurity” in communities with significant South Asian populations. The designation allows authorities to freeze assets, seize property and file criminal charges against affiliates under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, while barring Canadians from providing financial or material support to the organization.
The gang, allegedly led by imprisoned founder Lawrence Bishnoi and his lieutenant Goldy Brar who fled to Canada in 2017, has been linked to high-profile crimes including the 2022 killing of Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moose Wala and death threats against Bollywood actor Salman Khan. India’s National Investigation Agency previously identified the Bishnoi organization as a major criminal syndicate with more than 700 members involved in drug trafficking, extortion and weapons smuggling. The decision follows mounting political pressure from opposition parties and provincial premiers in Alberta and British Columbia, and comes as Canada-India relations begin to thaw after tensions surrounding the 2024 assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly blamed on Indian government agents.