About 30 people have been taken hostage by a gunman at a mall in the Philippine capital Manila.
Armed police and negotiators are on the scene, trying to end the standoff peacefully.
The gunman, a former security guard at the V-Mall in Manila's San Juan City, is demanding to speak to his former colleagues by video call.
A SWAT team has entered the V-Mall in San Juan's Greenhills commercial district after shoppers were safely evacuated.
Quakes rock Venezuela, killing at least 32 and injuring hundreds
Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday, killing at least 32 people and injuring 700 more as buildings collapsed in and around the capital Caracas, interim President Delcy Rodriguez said.
Trump asks Congress for more funds to fight Iran, defying rebuke on war powers
President Donald Trump's administration has asked the US Congress on Wednesday for $87.6 billion in additional funding, most of it related to the Iran war, setting the stage for another fight with lawmakers already frustrated with the conflict.
Magnitude 6.9 quake strikes Japan's northeast, no tsunami warning
An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 has struck Japan's northeast coast on Thursday, but no tsunami warning was issued, no injuries were immediately reported and no irregularities were found at nuclear facilities, the authorities said.
US, Iran at odds on nuclear inspections, frozen assets in deal to end war
US President Donald Trump has stated on Tuesday that Iran had agreed to nuclear inspections into "infinity," while Tehran said it had made no such concession in negotiations, raising questions about the viability of their fragile peace deal.
Oman establishes temporary shipping corridor through Strait of Hormuz
Oman has coordinated with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to establish a temporary maritime corridor for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to its local news agency.
