Philippine News

TOKYO, October 22 ------ Sanae Takaichi, a staunch conservative who admires the United Kingdom’s late premier Margaret Thatcher, became Japan’s first female prime minister on Tuesday, but analysts say her rise does not necessarily signal a feminist victory. Instead, the 64-year-old, who won the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership earlier this month, has positioned herself as a hardliner focused on defense and economic security. After forging a last-minute coaliti

JERUSALEM, October 22 ------ United States President Donald Trump warned Hamas it would be wiped out if it breaches the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as Vice President JD Vance traveled to Israel to shore up the fragile truce. Vance was due to land and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were already in the western Israeli city of Tel Aviv, where they were meeting hostages released by Hamas after two years of captivity in Gaza. The vice president w

October 22 ------ European nations are working with Ukraine on a 12-point proposal to end Russia's war along current battle lines, Bloomberg News reported. A peace board chaired by US President Donald Trump would oversee the implementation of the proposed plan, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. European leaders called on Washington on Tuesday to hold firm in demanding an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, with present battle lines to serve as the basis for

October 22 ------ Ukraine's military said late that it struck a chemical plant in southern Russia's Bryansk region that it described as vital to Moscow's war effort, in an attack that included Franco-British Storm Shadow air-launched missiles. "A massive combined missile-and-air strike was carried out, including with air-launched Storm Shadow missiles that penetrated Russia's air defense system," the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in a statement on the Telegram

HOUSTON, October 21 ------ Oil prices settled at their lowest since early May as investors weighed a potential global glut, with U.S.-China trade tensions adding to concerns about an economic slowdown and weaker energy demand. Brent crude futures settled down 28 cents, or 0.46%, at $61.01 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures settled down 2 cents, or 0.03%, to $57.52. Both benchmarks fell more than $1 earlier in the session, and both closed at their weakest levels si

SAN FRANCISCO, United States, October 21 ------ Popular internet services ranging from streaming platforms to messaging services to banking were offline for hours due to an outage in Amazon's crucial cloud network, illustrating the extent to which internet life depends on the tech titan. The disruption affected streaming platforms, including Amazon's Prime Video service and Disney+, as well as Perplexity AI, the Fortnite game, Airbnb, Snapchat and Duolingo. Mobile telephone s

KYIV, October 21 ------ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he would be ready to join Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Donald Trump at their summit in Hungary if he is invited. Trump and Putin said they would meet in the Hungarian capital, possibly in a matter of weeks, as the US leader continues to try to broker a peace deal to end the three-and-a-half-year war, triggered by Russia's 2022 invasion. "If I am invited to Budapest -- if it is an in

KYIV, Ukraine, October 21 ------ Ukrainians shared their disappointment that the U.S. may not provide Kyiv with long-range Tomahawk missiles, while work to repair the damaged power supply to the country's Zaporizhzhia power plant soothed other concerns surrounding Europe's largest nuclear plant. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, after the U.S. leader signaled that Washington could provide Ukraine with the long

SYDNEY, October 20 ------ Asian share markets pushed higher on Monday amid optimism on earnings as reporting season gets into full swing, while a reading on U.S. inflation is expected to be no more than a speed bump on the way to further rate cuts.   Data on the Chinese economy are forecast to show growth slowed to 4.8 per cent in the third quarter, while retail sales and industrial output should underline the need for stimulus as policymakers convene to discuss the latest Fi

JERUSALEM/CAIRO, October 20 ------ The Israeli military said that a ceasefire in Gaza had resumed after an attack that killed two of its soldiers and prompted a wave of airstrikes that killed 26 people, in the most serious test yet of this month's US-brokered truce.   Aid into the enclave was set to resume on Monday following US pressure, an Israeli security source said, shortly after Israel announced a halt in supplies in response to what it said was a "blatant" violation by

WASHINGTON, October 20 ------ President Donald Trump called on Kyiv and Moscow to “stop where they are” and end their brutal war following a lengthy White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.   Trump's frustration with the conflict has surfaced repeatedly in the nine months since he returned to office, but with his latest comments he edged back in the direction of pressing Ukraine to give up on retaking land it has lost to Russia. “Enough blood has been

October 20 ------ Russian forces attacked a coal mine in southeastern Ukraine and an unidentified energy site in the north near the Russian border, the operators of the sites said, adding to a series of recent assaults on Ukraine's energy network.   Private Ukrainian energy firm DTEK said Russian forces launched an attack on a colliery in Dnipropetrovsk region. The company said 192 miners were safely brought to the surface, with no injuries.   The company said it was the four

ROME, October 19 ------ A trip to Gaza is in Pope Leo XIV's heart, the Prefect of the Eastern Churches, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, told journalists when asked whether a papal visit to the Strip is possible. Speaking to journalists during the Silvestrini Prize event, Gugerotti said a papal visit to the war-torn territory is “certainly possible,” but logistical and safety issues must first be addressed. "I believe Pope Leo XIV deeply desires to visit Gaza, but we must also tak

BEIJING, China, October 19 ------ Rare earths are minerals used to make magnets crucial to the auto, electronic, and defense industries, as well as in renewable energy. The US Treasury Secretary slammed export curbs imposed by Beijing last week on technologies used for rare-earth mining, smelting, and other processing steps. Scott Bessent said it was "China versus the world". Here are some key things to know: Are they rare? Not really. With names like dysprosium, neodymium, a

SINGAPORE, October 18 ------ The United States has fallen out of the world’s top 10 most powerful passports for the first time in 20 years, marking a continued decline in the strength of the American passport. According to the latest Henley Passport Index, released, the US passport now ranks 12th globally, tying with Malaysia and offering visa-free access to 180 out of 227 destinations. Singapore, with access to 193 destinations visa-free, occupies the top spot, while South K

NEW YORK, October 18 ------ Carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in Earth’s atmosphere climbed to their highest point on record in 2024, increasing by an unprecedented margin and further locking the planet into long-term warming, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin attributed the surge to continued emissions from human activities, intensifying wildfires, and a weakening of natural “carbon sinks” such as forests an

NEW YORK, October 17 ------ The U.S. dollar fell on track for a third consecutive session of losses against major currencies, including the euro, yen, and Swiss franc, amid U.S.-China tensions and as markets assess remarks from Federal Reserve officials. China accused the U.S. of stoking panic over its rare earth controls, rejecting a White House call to roll back the curbs. "The dominant storyline is still U.S.-China trade tensions," said Matt Weller, head of market resear

CAIRO/TEL AVIV, October 17 ------ Israel said it was preparing for the reopening of Gaza's Rafah crossing with Egypt to let Palestinians in and out but set no date as it traded blame with Hamas over violations of a U.S.-mediated ceasefire. A dispute over the return of hostages' bodies held by Hamas threatens to derail the truce and other unresolved elements of the plan, including disarmament of militants and Gaza’s future governance. Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedr

October 17 ------ A Ukrainian delegation has met with representatives from US arms makers Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. While the agenda of the meeting is unclear, Head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office Andriy Yermak hinted at deepening defense cooperation between Kyiv and Washington. Yermak, in his Telegram update, also noted the significance of US weapons in defending Ukraine. “Their technologies save lives: F-16s and modern air defense systems protect Ukrainian skies, and t

October 17 ------ A drone struck an oil refinery in the Russian city of Ufa, more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the Ukrainian border, according to reports on Telegram by independent Russian news. The strike apparently targeted an industrial zone that includes the Ufaorgsintez refinery, operated by the Bashneft oil company. Residents reported seeing smoke near Birsky Tract, a road that runs through the industrial area. Mobile internet disruptions were also reported by