Offshore Earthquake Shakes Taiwan; No Danger of Tsunami

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes. (Reuters)
Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes. (Reuters)
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Offshore Earthquake Shakes Taiwan; No Danger of Tsunami

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes. (Reuters)
Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes. (Reuters)

A strong earthquake struck off the east coast of Taiwan on Monday, shaking buildings in the capital, Taipei. No serious damage or injuries were reported, and authorities said there was no danger of a tsunami.

The magnitude 6.1 quake was centered 27 kilometers (17 miles) deep and about 90 kilometers (56 miles) offshore from the city of Hualien, Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau said. The strongest shaking was in northeastern Taiwan, including Taipei, The Associated Press said.

The earthquake's location was about 70 kilometers (44 miles) southwest of the remote island of Yonaguni at the western end of the Japanese archipelago. The Japanese Meteorological Agency said the quake measured magnitude 6.6, while the US Geological Survey said 6.3.

Preliminary measurements often differ and may be revised after further analysis.

The Japanese Meteorological Agency said there may be small swellings of ocean waters but there was no danger of a tsunami.
Chinese media said the earthquake was also felt in parts of mainland China. Self-governing Taiwan is about 160 kilometers (100 miles) east of the Chinese coast.



ICC Takes Custody of Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

A Gulfstream G550 plane believed to carry former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is seen after landing at Rotterdam The Hague Airport on March 12, 2025. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP)
A Gulfstream G550 plane believed to carry former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is seen after landing at Rotterdam The Hague Airport on March 12, 2025. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP)
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ICC Takes Custody of Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

A Gulfstream G550 plane believed to carry former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is seen after landing at Rotterdam The Hague Airport on March 12, 2025. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP)
A Gulfstream G550 plane believed to carry former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is seen after landing at Rotterdam The Hague Airport on March 12, 2025. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP)

The International Criminal Court said Wednesday that former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been surrendered to its custody, to face allegations of crimes against humanity stemming from deadly anti-drug crackdowns during his time in office.

The court said in a statement that “as a precautionary measure medical assistance" was made available at the airport for Duterte, in line with standard procedures when a suspect arrives.

Rights groups and families of victims have hailed Duterte's arrest Tuesday in Manila on an ICC warrant, which was announced by current Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.

If his case goes to trial and he is convicted, the 79-year-old Duterte could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The ICC opened an inquiry in 2021 into mass killings linked to the so-called war on drugs overseen by Duterte when he served as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao and later as president.

Estimates of the death toll during Duterte’s presidential term vary, from the more than 6,000 that the national police have reported and up to 30,000 claimed by human rights groups.

ICC judges who looked at prosecution evidence supporting their request for his arrest found “reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Duterte is individually responsible for the crime against humanity of murder” as an “indirect co-perpetrator for having allegedly overseen the killings when he was mayor of Davao and later president of the Philippines," according to his warrant.