Philippine News

VATICAN CITY, March 8 ------ Pope Leo released a video praying that God would help world leaders renounce war as a means of resolving conflicts in an unusual appeal as the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran pressed on for the sixth day. "Lord, enlighten the leaders of the nations, so they may have the courage to abandon projects of death," the pontiff said in the video message. "Today we lift up our prayer for peace in the world, asking that nations renounce weapons a

GENEVA, March 8 ------ The Middle East war has forced the World Health Organization (WHO) to suspend operations at its global emergency logistics hub in Dubai, the agency's chief said. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus voiced alarm at the conflict, which erupted Saturday with US-Israeli attacks on Iran, and warned that the "impact goes beyond the immediately affected countries". "Operations at WHO's logistics hub for global health emergencies in Dubai are currently on hold due to in

TOKYO, March 7 ------ The U.S. dollar held broadly steady in early Asian trade and was poised for its steepest weekly gain in more than a year as the escalating conflict in the Middle East drove demand for safe-haven assets. The euro and yen remained on the back foot as the crisis drove oil prices ever higher, spurring inflation risks in economies dependent on energy imports and upending expectations for policy by the Federal Reserve and other central banks. Earlier hopes of

BEIJING, China, March 7 ------ China’s new five-year policy blueprint laid out its ambitions to aggressively adopt artificial intelligence throughout the world’s second-biggest economy and dominate emerging technologies such as quantum computing and humanoid robots. The country will “seize the commanding heights of science and technological development” and seek “decisive breakthroughs in key core technologies”, according to the plan released on Thursday, March 5, to coincide

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 6 ------ Iran launched a new wave of attacks at Israeli and American bases and threatened that the United States would “bitterly regret” torpedoing an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, and a religious leader called for “Trump's blood,” while Israel said it had begun a “large-scale” attack on Tehran. Israel announced multiple incoming missile attacks, and air sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Iranian state television said additiona

PARIS, March 6 ------ Fewer commercial flights were cancelled in the Middle East despite continued military strikes, with more than 100 flights taking off from the United Arab Emirates, according to a specialist data firm. The United States and Israel launched a campaign of air strikes against Iran on Saturday, killing its supreme leader and sparking retaliatory attacks by Tehran across the Gulf, with airports also targeted. Airports in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are

March 6 ------ Ukraine and Russia began a major prisoner-of-war exchange, with 200 Ukrainian servicemen returning home as part of a planned 500-for-500 swap between the two sides. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the return of the Ukrainian prisoners in a social media post, saying their release brought relief to hundreds of families. “Today, 200 Ukrainian families received the message they had been waiting for most: their loved ones are returning home,” Zelensky wrote.

KYIV, March 6 ------ A new round of United States-brokered talks between Moscow and Kyiv planned for this week has been postponed because of escalating war in the Middle East, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said. This comes as the United States and its allies in the Middle East seek Kyiv’s expertise in countering Iran’s Shahed drones, of which Zelensky said, Russia has fired tens of thousands at Ukraine since Moscow’s invasion began in February 2022. Tehran has respon

TEHRAN, March 5 ------ Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had total control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global energy transit, as Israel launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran. Governments scrambled to evacuate citizens stranded by the war in the Middle East, with Iran expanding a missile and drone barrage on countries around the region on the fifth day of a war that sent global shares sinking. With energy prices already spiking, President Donald Trump h

NEW YORK, March 5 ------ The US stock market is rebounding from two days of punishing swings after oil prices stopped spiking and reports gave encouraging updates on the economy. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% in afternoon trading and is on track to claw back most of its loss since the war with Iran began. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 256 points, or 0.5%, as of 1:18 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.4% higher. The strength followed a scary start to Wednesday

March 5 ------ US President Donald Trump said that settling Russia’s war against Ukraine remains “very high” on his list of priorities, even as he launched a fresh attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over US military aid and weapons stockpiles. Trump made the remarks during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House, where he was asked about the status of efforts to end the war. “Regarding Russia and Ukraine – where is it on my priority li

March 5 ------ President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Ukrainian defense, intelligence, and military officials to discuss the fallout of ongoing US-Israeli military action in the Middle East. In a social media post, Zelensky said that the meeting’s agenda included “the challenges for Ukraine and our partners, as well as our capacity to help protect lives, prevent the war from expanding, and stabilize global markets.” Iran’s neighbors have borne the brunt of its response to the

NEW YORK, March 4 ------ Global oil and gas prices jumped on as the United States-Israeli war on Iran halted energy exports from the Middle East, with Tehran attacking ships and energy facilities, closing navigation in the Gulf, and forcing production stoppages from Qatar to Iraq. The benchmark Brent crude oil settled up US$3.66, or up 4.7 per cent, at US$81.40 a barrel, its highest settlement since January 2025. European gas prices soared as much as 40 per cent before paring

ISTANBUL, March 4 ------ The widening conflict between Israel, the United States, and Iran has led to sweeping airspace closures across the Gulf, disrupting global air traffic through some of the world’s busiest transit hubs. Over the past two decades, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha have developed into central transfer points linking Europe and the Americas with Asia, Africa, and Oceania. The current airspace restrictions are disrupting that role, triggering ripple effects across

March 4 ------ President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to share its air defense expertise with Middle Eastern countries but will not transfer weapons that remain in short supply domestically. Speaking March 3, after a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), Zelensky said he remains in constant contact with representatives of Middle Eastern states interested in Ukraine’s experience countering missile and drone attacks. According to Zelensky, Kyi

March 4 ------ EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will discuss “energy security” with Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky, Brussels said, as Hungary is locked in a row with Kyiv over a blocked oil pipeline. Hungary and Slovakia have accused Ukraine of deliberately dragging its feet on reopening the Druzhba pipeline, which Kyiv says was damaged by Russian strikes in January. Orban, one of the few leaders in the European Union who is close to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, has b

TOKYO, March 3 ------ The yen and euro were broadly lower as the widening Middle East conflict focused attention on countries dependent on energy imports and how central banks may respond to inflation pressures. The dollar benefited from safe-haven demand as the U.S. and Israeli air war against Iran spilled out into neighboring countries. The euro steadied after sliding more than 1 per cent as doubts swirled about when oil shipments from the region would be restored. Japanese

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 3 ------ The war in the Middle East spiraled further as Israel and the U.S. pounded Iran. Tehran and its allies hit back against Israel, neighboring Gulf states, and targets critical to the world’s production of oil and natural gas. The intensity of the attacks, the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the lack of any apparent exit plan set the stage for a prolonged conflict with far-reaching consequences. Safe haven

March 3 ------ The United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund (URIF) concluded its first two months of operations, receiving 138 investment applications through its portal. Following a review by the Project Sourcing Committee on the website of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, 22 projects have been selected for further processing, and 8 reached a high level of readiness. The fund, established under the minerals deal signed in April 2024 between t

March 3 ------ The National Assembly of Quebec unanimously adopted a Motion in support of Ukraine proposed by the Premier of Quebec, François Legault, and representatives of all political parties on the occasion of the 4th anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This Motion provides: “THAT the National Assembly of Quebec recalls that, for four years, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had terrible human and material consequences; THAT it reaffirms its full solid