International news brief: 7.1 magnitude earthquake hits Philippines; Trump hints at 2024 presidential bid

Washington, July 27: A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the northern Philippines Wednesday, shattering windows of buildings at the epicentre and shaking high-rise towers more than 300 kilometres (185 miles) away in the capital Manila. While former US President Donald Trump gave a strong hint he might run for president again in a speech on Tuesday.

7.1 magnitude earthquake strikes north Philippines

An earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck the northern Philippines early Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said. The quake hit the mountainous province of Abra on the main island of Luzon at 8:43am (0043 GMT), shaking high-rise towers more than 300 kilometres away in the capital Manila.

Trump hints at 2024 presidential bid

Former US President Donald Trump gave a strong hint he might run for president again in a speech on Tuesday. The 76-year-old businessman returned to Washington this week for the first time since he left the White House.

There, he spoke at the America First Policy Institute - a right-wing organization set up in 2017 after Trump's inauguration.

"I always say I ran the first time and I won, then I ran a second time and I did much better," Trump said. Trump garnered 10 million more votes in 2020 than he did four years before, but lost out to Joe Biden due to a higher turnout.

Biden slams Trump

President Joe Biden slammed his predecessor Donald Trump Monday for watching his supporters riot for hours on January 6 while police at the US Capitol suffered through a "medieval hell."

"Brave law enforcement officers were subject to the medieval hell for three hours, dripping in blood, surrounded by carnage, face to face with the crazed mob that believed the lies of the defeated president," Biden told the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Conference.

15 killed, 50 injured in anti-UN protests in Congo's east

At least 15 people have been killed and dozens of others injured during two days of demonstrations in Congo's east against the United Nations mission in the country, officials said Tuesday. The United Nations confirmed that one peacekeeper and two international policemen serving with the U.N. peacekeeping force were killed and another injured at the UN base in Butembo in North Kivu province in the east when "violent attackers snatched weapons from Congolese police" and fired on the UN personnel.

UK Conservative debate halted by ''medical issue'' in studio

A televised British Conservative leadership debate was pulled off air on Tuesday after a medical incident in the studio. Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, who are running to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson, were debating on the Talk TV channel when a crashing sound was heard. The camera was on Truss, who flinched and said "Oh my God" before the transmission was cut. Talk TV host Ian Collins came on air to say there had been "a medical issue in the studio" and it was hoped the debate could resume.