In spite of the president’s choice to partially retaliate by dissolving the government, hundreds of young protesters in Madagascar’s capital took to the streets again with the help of tear gas.
Late on Monday, Andry Rajoelina, president of the state, made a statement on state television that he wanted to start a dialogue with young people who want access to clean water and power lines, as well as offer assistance for looting-stricken businesses.
Some of the protest movement’s organizers wrote a message on the Facebook page of the protest movement demanding an apology from him, the now-dismissed prime minister, and the dismissal of Antananarivo, the capital’s administrator.
Others went even further, waving placards with the words “Rojoelina out, we need water, we need electricity.”
The protests, which started last week and are now in their fourth day, resulted in at least 22 deaths and more than 100 injuries, according to the UN.
The UN’s reported casualty figures have been refuted by the ministry of foreign affairs, claiming that they were based on rumors or misinformation and did not originate from competent national authorities.
Protesters marched on Tuesday in the capital, Antananarivo, according to footage captured on the privately owned channel Real TV Madagasikara.
In Fenoarivo, a small town 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the capital, protesters also staged a demonstration.
According to local media, racial tensions were reported in Diego Suarez and Mahajanga, which are both located 510 kilometers (315 miles) northwest of Antananarivo.
The four days of demonstrations are the largest the Indian Ocean island has seen in years, and they are the most significant challenge Rajoelina has faced since winning re-election in 2023. They were inspired by the Gen Z protests in Kenya and Nepal.
Local authorities in the German city have announced that Oktoberfest, Munich’s renowned beer festival, will be closed for the majority of Wednesday following a security concern related to a deadly explosion elsewhere in the city.
As a result of an investigation into whether an explosion at a residential building in northern Munich was connected to Oktoberfest, the festival grounds will remain closed until at least 5pm (15:00 GMT).
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According to Germany’s Bild newspaper, a man planted explosives in his parents’ home in Munich’s Lerchenau district. One victim was killed at the scene, and another is still unaccounted for. According to the police, special forces were used to extricate booby traps discovered inside the building.
“We are currently looking into every possibility,” he said. Possible connections to other Munich locations, including the Theresienwiese [the Oktoberfest venue], are being looked into, according to a Munich police statement that was cited by the Reuters news agency. The festival grounds’ opening has been postponed because of this.
The festival grounds are still being searched, according to city officials, who confirmed this on their official X account and gave instructions to visitors to leave.
Oktoberfest also stated on its website that a “bomb threat” will prevent it from happening until 5 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, and that a decision will be made regarding how to proceed.
The Oktoberfest this year started on September 20 and ends on October 5. Up to six million people usually attend the largest beer festival in the world.
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit the central Philippines late on Tuesday night, killing at least 69 people and injuring more than 140, according to local authorities.
Here is more about what happened and why the country is vulnerable to earthquakes.
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Where did the earthquake hit and how bad is it?
At 9:59pm local time on Tuesday (13:59 GMT) a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck 12 miles northeast of Bogo City in Cebu province in the country’s central Visayas region.
Earthquake monitoring agencies say the depth of the earthquake was about 10km (6.2 miles), making it a shallow quake.
Earthquakes that are considered “shallow” usually cause more damage because the epicentre is close to the Earth’s surface – at a depth of between 0 and 70 km, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The USGS said it has recorded four aftershocks of magnitude 5 or higher since the first quake in the Philippines on Tuesday. People in the Visayan Islands, which include Cebu, Biliran and Leyte, felt the impact.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) issued a tsunami alert for the regions of Leyte, Biliran and Cebu province, but said on Wednesday morning that it has now lifted the alert, citing no unusual wave activity.
(Al Jazeera)
How bad is the damage?
Local authorities placed parts of Cebu province in a “state of calamity” after the powerful earthquake brought down buildings and also cut power across Cebu and nearby islands, according to the country’s national grid.
Bogo city in Cebu, which has about 90,000 residents, was the worst hit with more than 20 confirmed deaths including four children. Several residential properties and commercial buildings were badly damaged.
Casualties have also been reported in the nearby towns of Medellin and Tabuelan and in the municipality of San Remigio, a 16-minute drive from Bogo City.
According to local media outlet SunStar Cebu, seven people including personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection and three from the coastguard were killed at the San Remigio Sports Complex and evacuation centre, when parts of the roof collapsed during a basketball game.
The earthquake has also brought down historical churches and buildings in the Cebu province.
Local media videos circulating on social media showed how the ancient Saints Peter and Paul Parish on Bantayan Island in Cebu trembled and then collapsed when the earthquake struck.
WATCH: Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Bantayan Island in Cebu also collapsed following the earthquake late Tuesday, September 30, 2025. (📹: Bonal Robel) | via @feanneperez pic.twitter.com/Big1MMmm17
Radyo Pilipinas, a radio station owned by the Presidential Broadcast Service, also showed images of how the earthquake had reduced a 139-year old church in Daanbantayan, north of Bogo, to debris.
“The current situation in Daanbantayan highlights the severe impact of the earthquake on heritage structures, which form part of Cebu’s rich cultural and spiritual identity,” Cebu Governor Pam Baricuatro said in a post on Facebook.
UPDATE | Ito ang kalagayan ng 139-taong gulang na Daanbantayan Church o ang Archdiocesan Shrine of Sta. Rosa de Lima kasunod ng 6.9-magnitude na lindol na tumama sa Bogo City, Cebu noong Martes ng gabi (Setyembre 30, 2025).
Itinayo ang simbahan noong 1886 at idineklara itong… pic.twitter.com/k1Q6VqMMbK
What rescue efforts are under way?
According to local media reports, Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr has offered his condolences to the families of the earthquake victims and said the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Philippine National Police are assisting in rescue and recovery efforts, while the Department of Energy is working to restore power to affected regions.
Hospitals have been overwhelmed in Bogo City and some patients have also been evacuated as a result of the aftershocks which have shaken hospitals.
“Bogo City has already reached its maximum capacity but patients are still pouring in,” a representative of Senator Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Philippines’ Senate committee on health, which is overseeing relief operations, told Al Jazeera.
The senator’s staff said they visited the provincial hospital in Bogo City where local medic Dr Yurangco said the hospital had not incurred any major damage, but hospital staff had been overwhelmed by an influx of patients.
The senator’s staff also told Al Jazeera that they are currently focusing on delivering two trucks of water to the hospital because of the need for drinking water in the vicinity.
The Philippine Red Cross told CNN that it has been helping with medical treatment and has treated at least 60 people for injuries in three provinces.
Hours after the earthquake, local authorities in Cebu province appealed to the wider country as well as national and international aid organisations for water and equipment to assist search and rescue efforts.
“It is raining heavily and there is no electricity, so we really need help, especially in the northern part, because there’s a scarcity of water after supply lines were damaged by the earthquake,” Alfie Reynes, the vice mayor of San Remigio town, told DZMM radio.
Meanwhile, in case of further aftershocks, Cebu governor Baricuatro who has been visiting areas hit by the earthquake, has urged residents to “stay calm and move to open areas”.
In a Facebook post, she told people to “keep away from walls or structures that may collapse and stay alert for aftershocks”. She added that the provincial government was assessing the situation and reaching out to municipal officials.
A woman takes a photo of a damaged McDonald’s store in the aftermath of a magnitude 6.9 quake in Bogo City, Cebu, the Philippines, on October 1, 2025 [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters]
Why is the Philippines prone to earthquakes and is the country prepared?
The Philippines lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a tectonic belt of volcanic arcs and oceanic trenches in the Pacific Ocean.
The country experiences mild earthquakes and volcanic activity almost daily because the Ring of Fire is sensitive to the regular movement of the Earth’s tectonic plates colliding or sliding past each other.
Indonesia, New Zealand, Japan, the United States, Canada, Russia, Guatemala, Peru and Chile are also countries located within the Ring of Fire.
Phivolcs has been developing guides to alert residents about earthquakes and make them resilient to natural disasters. An alert about the latest earthquake was sent out on the country’s civil defence Facebook group as well as on other weather alert groups.
The United Nations, through its Anticipatory Action Pilot Programme, has also been working with the government to empower local communities to respond to earthquakes and other natural disasters.
By beating American teenager Learner Tien 6-2, 6-2 in the China Open final, Jannik Sinner has won the 21st title of his career.
The Italian, who made his 2023 tournament debut on Wednesday, is aiming to make history as the world no. 1 in Beijing. He previously won the trophy for the second time on Beijing’s hard courts.
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The 24-year-old only lost to top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, who won the final of the year’s final in three thrilling sets, on Beijing’s center Diamond Court.
The winner, a four-time Grand Slam champion and this week’s top seed, declared, “A very, very special place for me.”
Alcaraz won the Japan Open in Tokyo on Tuesday despite not defending his title in the Chinese capital.
Sinner outclassed Tien, who was in his first ATP final, immediately in the first set.
Jannik thanked Jannik for a fantastic week, another title, and an honor to play for you today, he told the world number two.
The world number 52 had a rare chance to break in the second set, but Sinner quickly regained control and won the 1h, 12min final with 10 aces.
Sinner and Learner Tien in action at the China Open final [Tingshu Wang/Reuters]
Sinner anticipates the top spot in the polls.
Tien would have won the tournament in history with Beijing’s lowest-ranked player.
Tien would have won the second-youngest American Tour title since Andy Roddick in 2002, aged 19 and nine months.
Despite some indications of his high potential, he was never truly in it.
In the mean time, Sinner said, “You are showing your talent throughout the entire season.”
After winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon, Sinner’s triumph was his third title of the season.
After Alcaraz pulled out of the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday with an injury, Sinner may now have a chance to reclaim the top spot before the season is over.
When Sinner defeated the Italian in the US Open final on September 7, the Spaniard won the world title.
The Shanghai matchup, which started this week, will feature Sinner as the top seed.
After winning the China Open final, Sinner, left, and Tien shake hands.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar, asserts that the Palestinian ceasefire plan, which was unveiled by US President Donald Trump, has the main objectives set by mediators, including halting Palestinian killings and displacements, and urges all parties to seize the opportunity to end Israel’s conflict.
Sheikh Mohammed addressed Hamas’negotiating team about the plan’s broad terms in an interview with Al Jazeera that was broadcast on Wednesday.
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He acknowledged that the plan poses “practical and implementation challenges,” but that it addresses the most pressing issue, which is bringing down the Gaza Strip’s bloodshed and opening the door to “opportunities.”
“Everyone agreed to stop the conflict, stop displacement, and allow the Israeli army to completely leave.” He claimed that these three issues are crucial. The Palestinian people themselves are in direct charge of running Gaza, according to the statement.
Sheikh Mohammed emphasized that “the main concern is how to safeguard the people in Gaza.”
Netanyahu apologized to Qatar on Monday for the killing of a Qatari national last month during an unprecedented Israeli attack on Hamas leaders, which attracted international condemnation.
During their White House meeting on Monday, Trump and Netanyahu jointly called Sheikh Mohammed and offered an apology.
There are difficulties, I say.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Turkiye, and Indonesia are all supported by the 20-point plan, which has received support from a number of other Arab and Muslim nations. Once agreed, the attacks in Gaza will end right away, and “full aid” will be permitted into the Strip.
In addition to the diplomatic movement, Turkiye representatives are meeting with the Gaza mediation team in Doha. According to Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, “Turkiye now belongs to the US initiative” and is working closely with it.
The plan specifies that Israel’s release of nearly 2, 000 Palestinian prisoners would prompt their release within 72 hours of their acceptance. Hamas, on the other hand, would resign from power and demilitarise, with members receiving amnesty.
A technocratic committee of Palestinians would take over the reins of Palestinian government while an international force would be deployed to temporarily monitor security and train local police forces.
Details on some of the issues, including the withdrawal process for Israel and the composition of a new Palestinian administration, will need to be clarified and negotiated, according to Sheikh Mohammed.
Israel’s withdrawal is not scheduled or clearly defined in the plan, and it is vaguely authorized to hold onto a “security perimeter” until the territory is “properly secured.”
There must be a crystal clear and legal framework for this matter, which will of course be at the UN Security Council, according to Sheikh Mohammed, who stated that the work of fleshing out these issues “is primarily the work of the Palestinian side with the Israeli side, but also as a broader supporting international community.”
Hamas has not yet provided an official response, despite Doha’s claim that it has promised to “responsibly examine” the proposal. Trump warned that if the group didn’t sign on, they would “pay in hell” on Tuesday, saying the group had three to four days to respond.
Trump made it abundantly clear that this plan is not an offer. According to Washington, DC-based Mike Hanna of Al Jazeera, it’s an ultimatum.
No “garanties”
Some analysts expressed concern that the plan doesn’t offer enough security guarantees or a path to autonomous government for Palestinians.
There are no guarantees made by the Palestinians, according to Palestinian lawyer and analyst Diana Buttu, who explains the agreement itself. The Israelis are given “every assurance,” he said.
“There is every chance Israel will decide to go back to the war,” according to Phyllis Bennis, program director at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC.
Israel launches a devastating offensive into Gaza City, which it claims is one of Hamas’s last strongholds, just two days into the conflict.
A powerful earthquake that struck Cebu, in the central Philippines, claimed the lives of at least 69 people.
An unnamed number of residents were trapped in collapsed houses, nightclubs, and other businesses in Bogo City and nearby rural Cebu on Tuesday, according to officials, who were notified by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck at around 10 p.m. (14:00 GMT).
On Wednesday, rescuers searched for survivors in vain. Backhoe diggers and sniffer dogs assisted civilian volunteers, police, and army troops in conducting house-to-house searches for survivors.
About 19 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Bogo, a coastal city of about 90, 000 people in Cebu province, where about half of the deaths were reported, was the epicentre of the earthquake, which was caused by movement along an undersea fault line at a dangerously shallow depth of 5 kilometers (3 miles).
According to officials, the death toll in Bogo was likely going to rise as a result of persistent rain and deteriorated bridges and roads.
According to Office of Civil Defence deputy administrator Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, “We’re still at the peak of our search and rescue.” “Many people have been pinned or struck by debris,” according to reports.
Three coastguard personnel, a firefighter, and a child were killed separately by collapsing walls and falling debris while attempting to flee from a basketball game in a nearby town of Medellin and San Remigio, according to town officials.
One of the strongest earthquakes to strike the central region in more than ten years was the earthquake.
At least 27 people were killed on Friday when Typhoon Bualoi, which had impacted the central region due to drownings and falling trees, knocked out power in entire cities and towns, and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. Cebu and other provinces were still recovering from the storm.
While building safety was evaluated, schools and government buildings were shut down in the affected cities and towns. Since Tuesday night’s earthquake, more than 600 aftershocks have been found, according to Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
He warned that landslides and mudslides following a major earthquake were more common in mountainsides that were soaked in rain.
“People were really traumatized by this,” They have experienced a storm- and earthquake-induced quake before being shattered. “I don’t want to go through what they’ve been through,” they say.
