A series of strong earthquakes struck multiple regions across the globe within 12 hours, with the strongest a magnitude 6.5 earthquake off the coast of the southern Philippines.

The USGS recorded 11 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or higher during the period, affecting countries across Asia, Oceania, Central America and the Caribbean. The events ranged from magnitude 4.6 to 6.5, highlighting the concentration of seismic activity along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where tectonic plates frequently interact.

The largest event was a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that struck 34 kilometres west-southwest of Sarangani, Philippines , at a depth of 42 kilometres.

The quake occurred in a region that is among the world's most seismically active due to the interaction of the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The USGS assigned the event a Green PAGER alert, indicating that widespread fatalities or major economic losses were unlikely.

The tremor came less than three weeks after a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Mindanao on June 8, underscoring the region's continued seismic activity.

Japan recorded two earthquakes exceeding magnitude 5 during the same period.

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck near Yokoshiba at a depth of 43 kilometres, followed later by a magnitude 5.7 event near Oshino at 50.9 kilometres depth, according to the USGS.

Japan sits atop the convergence of four major tectonic plates and experiences thousands of earthquakes each year, making it one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.

Elsewhere, the USGS recorded:

Most of these earthquakes occurred along active plate boundaries, particularly around the Pacific Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped belt that accounts for roughly 90% of the world's earthquakes and about 75% of active volcanoes, according to the USGS.

Why earthquakes cluster along the Ring of Fire

The Ring of Fire stretches around the Pacific Ocean through the Americas, East Asia and Oceania. Continuous movement of tectonic plates causes frequent earthquakes as plates collide, separate or slide past one another.

Countries such as Japan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand routinely experience significant seismic activity because they lie directly on these plate boundaries.

Virginia remains the birthplace of more U.S. presidents than any other state, producing eight commanders-in-chief, according to historical records from the National Archives, the White House Historical Association, and Encyclopaedia Britannica.

The state's unmatched contribution includes four of the nation's first five presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe, earning Virginia the nickname "Mother of Presidents." Also born in Virginia were William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor and Woodrow Wilson.

Virginia's prominence reflects its central role in the nation's founding. During the colonial period, it was the largest and most influential British colony in North America, producing many of the leaders who shaped the American Revolution and drafted the U.S. Constitution.

Washington, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe each served during the republic's formative decades, helping establish the presidency, expand the nation's territory through the Louisiana Purchase, and define key constitutional principles.

Historians note that Virginia's political influence gradually declined after the early 19th century as population and economic power shifted westward.

Ohio ranks second with seven presidents, including Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft and Warren G. Harding.

Ohio's rise reflected the country's westward expansion during the 19th century. By the late 1800s, it had become one of America's largest states by population and an industrial powerhouse, making it a crucial battleground in national politics .

The state's influence earned it the nickname "Mother of Presidents" during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it produced five presidents within just 28 years.

New York has produced five presidents: Martin Van Buren, Millard Fillmore, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Donald Trump.

Massachusetts follows with four: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John F. Kennedy and George H. W. Bush, who was born in Milton before later establishing his political career in Texas.

Four other states have produced two presidents each: North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Vermont.

While birthplace is a notable historical distinction, historians emphasise that many presidents built their political careers elsewhere. Abraham Lincoln, for example, was born in Kentucky but became politically identified with Illinois, while Ronald Reagan was born in Illinois and rose to national prominence in California .

England generated more transfer revenue than any other football association between 2014 and 2023, earning €13.8 billion from player transfers, according to the latest CIES Football Observatory report, highlighting the Premier League's central role in the global transfer market.

The CIES Football Observatory's analysis of international transfer activity shows England comfortably leading the rankings ahead of Italy (€9.8 billion), France (€8.0 billion), Spain (€7.7 billion) and Germany (€7.0 billion).

The figures cover transfer revenues earned by clubs affiliated with each national football association over the ten years, reflecting both domestic and international player trading.

Although England recorded the highest overall transfer revenue, only 36.6% of its earnings came from international transfers, the lowest proportion among the top ten associations.

The data reflects the Premier League's enormous domestic transfer market, where clubs frequently buy and sell players within England for substantial fees. Financial regulations, broadcasting income and commercial revenues have enabled English clubs to spend more than their European counterparts, creating a highly active internal market.

According to Deloitte's Annual Review of Football Finance , Premier League clubs consistently generate the highest revenues of any football league worldwide, supporting record-breaking transfer activity.

By contrast, several football associations depend far more on exporting players abroad.

Portugal recorded €3.9 billion in transfer revenue, with 91.3% generated from international transfers, the highest share among the top ten. Portuguese clubs have long developed young talent before selling players to wealthier European leagues, particularly England, Spain, France and Germany.

The Netherlands (90.0%), Belgium (86.7%), Brazil (85.8%), and Argentina (82.6%) also earned the vast majority of their transfer income through overseas deals.

France generated €8.0 billion, with 73.4% coming from international transfers, reflecting Ligue 1's reputation as one of Europe's leading talent-producing leagues. French academies continue supplying players to elite clubs across Europe, particularly the Premier League.

Outside Europe, Brazil (€2.9 billion) ranked seventh, while Argentina (€1.8 billion) completed the top ten. Both South American nations remain among the world's most important exporters of football talent despite comparatively smaller domestic broadcasting revenues.

Lionel Messi is the leading scorer among active players in FIFA World Cup history with 18 goals, but Kylian Mbappé has narrowed the gap to just two goals, setting up a potential changing of the guard at football's biggest tournament.

According to FIFA World Cup records , Messi tops the list with 18 goals after extending his tally during the 2026 tournament. The Argentine captain surpassed former records during his World Cup career, which included lifting the trophy in Qatar in 2022.

France forward Mbappé sits second among active players with 16 World Cup goals. Still only in his twenties, the French star has already established himself as one of the tournament's most prolific scorers, having played key roles in France's 2018 World Cup triumph and 2022 runner-up finish.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo remains third with 10 World Cup goals. While the five-time Ballon d'Or winner continues to add to his legendary career, he faces a significant gap to the two players ahead of him.

The numbers highlight a shift between generations. Messi and Ronaldo have dominated global football for nearly two decades, collecting multiple Ballon d'Or awards, league titles and international honours. However, Mbappé's rapid rise has positioned him as the most likely player to challenge Messi's World Cup scoring mark in the years ahead.

FIFA records show that World Cup goals remain among the sport's most valued achievements due to the tournament's four-year cycle and limited opportunities to score on football's biggest stage.

With the 2026 World Cup still unfolding, attention remains focused on whether Messi can further extend his lead, whether Mbappé can overtake him, or whether Ronaldo can produce another memorable chapter in one of football's greatest rivalries.

For now, Messi remains on top, but the race for World Cup scoring supremacy is far from over.

Living in a tent in Deir al-Balah after being displaced from Beit Hanoun, the young Palestinian has turned part of her temporary shelter into an artist's studio and exhibition space filled with paintings inspired by her experiences during the conflict.

Many of her works focus on moments she says remain difficult to forget.

“I am currently drawing the story of my first displacement. This story is the most expressive for me. Whenever I draw a painting, I go back and recall the memories, and I cry," she said.

Nasser explained that she only began drawing during the war, using art as a response to the hardship around her.

“What taught me to draw were the situations I went through during the war. I started drawing during the war, especially during the famine period. Those days were very difficult; everything around me was filled with fear, destruction, and hunger, and the psychological pressure was immense," she said.

As a final-year high school student, she said uncertainty about education added to the pressure.

"Since I was in my final year of high school, we didn’t know whether we should study or not, and it was extremely hard. The first time I started drawing was in my math notebook, and I used to draw over the writing," she explained.

Today, her tent walls are covered with paintings that reflect both painful memories and hopes for the future.

“I try to offer people a glimpse of hope—that there are those who have lived through so much and witnessed many forms of destruction and other hardships. I created this space filled with colours to be a place that gives us a sense of hope and optimism, encouraging us to continue living," she added.

Nasser said painting has also helped her manage the emotional strain of displacement.

"When I sit and reflect on what is around me, I recall painful and sad memories, and seeing the reality we live in increases the feeling of depression. Therefore, drawing has helped me a lot in releasing all this energy and negative emotions, and it has had a significant impact in easing what I feel," she went on.

Despite limited resources and difficult living conditions , she continues to create new work.

“The tent I live in, I have turned part of it into a painting exhibition to give me a sense of hope and optimism,” she said. "A tent is not a place meant for living at all, and even when I sit to draw inside it, I cannot bear the intense heat, especially in summer."

Nasser also noted a severe shortage of art supplies, making it harder to continue her work.