Earthquake strikes Papua New Guinea

SYDNEY: Papua New Guinea sent troops and rescue workers after a powerful earthquake struck the Pacific nation's mountainous interior yesterday and damaged a gas plant and other buildings, reports AFP.

Authorities warned of aftershocks and landslides. There was no official information on fatalities or injuries in the rugged region but one unconfirmed report of deaths.

Assessment teams were heading to affected areas near the 7.5-magnitude quake's epicentre, which the US Geological Survey said was some 90 kilometres (55 miles) south of Porgera in Enga province.

Resignation of

UN rights chief

demanded

GENEVA: Hungary yesterday demanded that the UN's top human rights official step down over his "unacceptable" and "inappropriate" criticism of Prime Minister Victor Orban's anti-migration rhetoric.

"It is obvious that Zeid (Ra'ad) Al Hussein must step down. He is unworthy to his position," Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, slamming the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' criticism earlier Monday of Orban as "very inappropriate".

Ex-journalist becomes deputy PM

LONDON: A former regional newspaper editor, Michael McCormack, has been chosen as Australia's new deputy prime minister, reports BBC.

He replaces Barnaby Joyce as leader of the Nationals, the governing coalition's junior partner.

Mr Joyce resigned on Friday over his affair with a former staffer, after holding the post for two years.