Philippine News

March 16 ------ Ukraine is prepared to cooperate with any future Hungarian leadership willing to maintain constructive relations and avoid aligning with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, criticizing the current government in Budapest for what he described as anti-Ukrainian policies. Speaking to journalists, Zelensky argued that Hungary’s current leadership has fostered hostility toward Ukraine, a development he said harms relations between neighboring countries. Hung

March 16 ------ Russia faces a projected $100 billion budget deficit in 2026, but the shortfall could be covered if sanctions on Russian oil are weakened, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Speaking to journalists, Zelensky said Moscow has already generated significant revenue from oil exports in recent weeks, highlighting how quickly the deficit could shrink if restrictions on energy sales are loosened. Oil revenue could offset deficit According to Ukrinform, Zelensky stated

LONDON, United Kingdom, March 15 ------ Britain’s media and privacy regulators demanded that major social media platforms do more to keep children off their services, warning that companies were failing to enforce their own minimum age rules. Britain has been weighing tougher curbs on children’s access to social media, with the government considering barring under-16s from such platforms — mirroring a move by Australia. Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office said the

March 15 ------ US tap water is generally safe and of high quality. But that doesn’t mean every glass tastes the same, or that every building’s plumbing delivers identical water to the faucet. That uncertainty has fueled a booming market for water filters, from simple pitcher models to multi-thousand-dollar reverse osmosis systems. Yet experts say most American households don’t need extensive treatment. The challenge is knowing how to decide whether you need a filter. Under t

TOKYO, March 14 ------ Japan will release its oil reserves as early as Monday amid soaring crude oil prices, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said. "As oil tankers continue to be virtually unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, oil imports into our country are expected to decrease significantly from later this month," the prime minister told reporters. She noted that Japan will not wait for an official international decision on a joint release of oil reserves. The Japanese

NEW YORK, USA, March 14 ------ Anthropic filed a lawsuit to block the Pentagon from placing it on a national security blacklist, escalating the artificial intelligence lab’s high-stakes battle with the US military over usage restrictions on its technology. Anthropic said in its lawsuit that the designation was unlawful and violated its free speech and due process rights. The filing in federal court in California asked a judge to undo the designation and block federal agencies

March 13 ------ Saudi forces intercepted more than two dozen drones after Iran vowed to attack oil resources in the Middle East and said it would maintain a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz that has sent crude prices soaring. Israel also came under attack early Friday from missiles launched by Iran, with the Israeli military saying its air defenses were working to intercept them. The International Energy Agency has warned that the Middle East war could lead to "the largest s

BAKU, March 13 ------ The United Nations has warned of significant risks to global trade and development, including higher food prices and cost-of-living, if the Strait of Hormuz is closed amid the West Asia conflict, according to The Economic Times. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report that the ongoing military escalation in the region due to the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, and retaliation by Tehran has disrupted shipping flows through the Str

March 13 ------ Ukraine’s battlefield experience in drone warfare is now being sought by countries confronting Iran’s increasingly capable drone attacks. According to a report by The Guardian, Ukraine has “dispatched interceptor drones and operators to protect US bases in Jordan”, one of several countries that have requested Kyiv’s assistance in countering Iranian drone threats. The move comes as the United States and Gulf states search for more effective ways to intercept Ir

KYIV, March 13 ------ Ukraine is opening access to its battlefield data for its allies to train drone AI software, the defense ​minister said as Kyiv seeks to harness the experience it has ‌garnered fending off Russia's four-year, full-scale invasion. The move comes as militaries across the globe start to use automated systems which can guide drones to their targets without a pilot, or quickly analyze vast pools of ​data. Foreign allies and companies have sought access to Ukr

March 12 ------ Oil prices fell further on Wednesday, as reports of the International Energy Agency proposing the largest release of oil reserves in its history due to potential supply disruptions from the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran dragged on sentiment. Brent futures traded down 88 cents, or 1 per cent, at $86.92 a barrel by 0451 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded 35 cents lower, or 0.4 per cent, at $83.1 a barrel. U.S. crude prices leapt 5 per cent at the

NEW YORK, March 12 ------ The dollar strengthened against the euro and the yen as investors remain on edge over further escalation in the Middle East conflict that has driven up energy prices worldwide, as Iran struck tankers and energy storage facilities in fresh attacks. The dollar has risen about 2 per cent against the euro since February-end on a flight to safe-havens - was 0.4 per cent higher against the euro on Wednesday. Those gains eased earlier in the week on brief

March 12 ------ President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian anti-drone experts have begun work on defending Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates from Iranian attacks. Ukraine – which has now been under attack from Iranian-made Shahed drones and the Russian-made drones modeled on them for over four years – has responded by offering material assistance to the countries bearing the brunt of Iran’s response. “Three of our teams have gone – strong teams of

March 12 ------ Ukrainian forces struck a major Russian microelectronics factory in Bryansk with Storm Shadow cruise missile air-launched missiles, damaging a facility that produces critical components for Russia’s missile systems, Ukraine’s military said. Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the strike on the Kremniy El Group plant, describing it as part of a broader campaign to reduce Russia’s military-industrial capacity. “Kremniy El is a crit

March 11 ------ Some airlines in Asia and Europe raised fares, added fuel surcharges, or adjusted schedules as the Middle East conflict drove jet fuel costs sharply higher and disrupted key air routes. Australia's Qantas Airways QAN.AX, Scandinavia's SAS, and Air New Zealand AIR.NZ was among the carriers that announced price increases, while others warned the crisis could threaten fuel supplies or force further schedule changes. Jet fuel prices, which were around $85 to $90 p

March 11 ------ Abu Dhabi state oil giant ADNOC has shut its Ruwais refinery in response to a fire at a facility within the complex following a drone strike, a source with knowledge of the situation said, marking the latest energy infrastructure disruption due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The complex is the site of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) facilities that can refine up to 922,000 barrels of oil a day and serves as the central hub for the emirate's downstream

KYIV, Ukraine, March 11 ------ Ukraine hit a "key" military factory in a missile strike on Russia's western city of Bryansk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said after Moscow gave a toll of six dead in the attack. "Our soldiers struck one of the key Russian military factories in Bryansk. This factory produced electronics and components for Russian missiles. The very ones that are striking our cities," Zelensky said in a daily address. He called the strike "a completely

KYIV, Ukraine, March 11 ------ Russian and Ukrainian officials made rival claims of battlefield successes in their 4-year-old war, with Ukraine saying it pushed Moscow’s forces back across places on the front line and the Kremlin insisting Russia’s invasion of its neighbor is making progress. At the same time, Russia’s almost daily attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas continued, killing several people, as Washington postponed its sponsored talks between the two sides due to th

FRANKFURT, Germany, March 10 ------ The Iran war has put at risk some of the world’s most critical oil and gas infrastructure — the pipelines, refineries, and shipping terminals that keep energy flowing from the countries around the Persian Gulf to the global economy. Strikes by Iranian drones have disrupted operations, while the risk of Iranian strikes has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for some 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. Oil fiel

TOKYO, March 10 ------ Japan is preparing to deploy its first batch of domestically developed long-range missiles, with their launchers arriving at an army camp as the country accelerates its offensive capability in response to rising challenges in the region. The upgraded Type-12 land-to-ship missiles will be deployed at Camp Kengun in Japan’s southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto by the end of March, completing the process of deployment, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara