MANILA -- An explosion occurred inside a gym of Mindanao State University in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur province in the southern Philippines on Sunday morning, killing at least four and injuring 50 others, local military and police said.

The blast occurred past 7 a.m. local time when students and teachers gathered for a Catholic mass inside the gym, according to local police.

Major General Gabriel Viray, the commander of the Army's 1st Infantry Division, said the deaths include three females and a male. (Philippines-Explosion-Marawi)

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MANILA -- A 7.4-magnitude offshore earthquake that hit southern Philippines late Saturday night has killed at least one and injured two others, local authorities reported Sunday.

The local disaster reduction office reported that a woman from Tagum City in Davao del Norte province was killed when a wall of her house collapsed. Her husband and child were injured. (Philippines-Earthquake-Death)

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KEP, Cambodia -- Cambodia recorded 4.4 million international tourist arrivals in the first 10 months of 2023, a sharp increase of around 180 percent from 1.57 million over the same period last year, Tourism Minister Sok Soken said here on Sunday.

"Based on this figure, Cambodia is expected to receive approximately 5.4 million foreign visitors in 2023," he said in a speech during the closing ceremony of the 10th annual Sea Festival held in the southern province of Kep. (Cambodia-Tourism)

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TOKYO -- Japan has confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a poultry farm in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima, local media reported on Sunday.

Work to cull some 23,000 egg-laying chickens at the chicken farm in the city of Izumi started on Sunday morning, Jiji Press reported, citing the Kagoshima prefectural government. (Japan-Bird Flu)

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CANBERRA -- The Australian government has announced additional funding to support victims of modern-day slavery, according to a government release on Sunday.

Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth, Assistant Minister Justine Elliot, and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus on Sunday committed 14.3 million Australian dollars (9.5 million U.S. dollars) for programs to support people in forced marriages. (Australia-Slavery-Forced Marriage)

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PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia and Vietnam on Sunday launched bilateral cross-border QR code payments, enabling the people of both countries to scan QR to make payments using their local currencies.

National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) governor Chea Serey and State Bank of Vietnam's governor Nguyen Thi Hong presided over the launching event held in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province, according to an NBC news release.

"This project will promote digital payment, the usage of national currency, and boost economic growth, tourism and cross-border trade between Cambodia and Vietnam," the news release said. (Cambodia-Digital Payment) Enditem

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