Philippine News

NEW YORK, November 5 ------ The dollar rose to a four-month high against the euro as divisions in the Federal Reserve raised doubt about the prospect of another rate cut this year, while a risk-off move sent investors seeking the U.S. currency for safety. Meanwhile, sterling fell after the UK finance minister pointed to "hard choices" in her upcoming budget. Overall market sentiment was noticeably darker, with stocks falling and government bonds drawing demand, while safe-hav

BRUSSELS, November 5 ------ The European Commission said that the EU could welcome new members as early as 2030 as it praised Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Moldova for their progress on reforms needed to join the bloc. The Commission also criticized Serbia for slowing down its reform process. It accused Georgia of "serious democratic backsliding" and said the former Soviet republic was now considered a candidate country "in name only." "Expanding the Union is in our best i

BERLIN, November 5 ------ Germany plans to increase its financial aid to Ukraine by about 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) next year, a spokesperson for the finance ministry said. Germany is Europe's largest contributor of military aid to Ukraine, having provided around 40 billion euros since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. In its 2026 budget, Germany had allocated 8.5 billion euros to Ukraine. "We will continue our support for as long as necessary to defend against Russi

MOSCOW/KYIV, November 5 ------ Russian and Ukrainian troops fought battles on Tuesday in the ruins of Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub in eastern Ukraine that Moscow has been trying to capture for over a year. Ukraine's military said fierce fighting was underway in a part of the city that was key for Kyiv's frontline logistics. It said additional special forces had arrived there, and more weapons and equipment were being sent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sai

November 4 ------ Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries and Western sanctions are helping major oil companies in the US and Europe. Profits from refining at ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and Total Energies jumped 61% in the third quarter compared with the previous quarter, boosting overall profits by 20%, Reuters reported. Drone attacks on Russian refineries and export terminals since July have cut daily petroleum product shipments by 500,000 barrels in September from this ye

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, November 4 ------ A strong earthquake killed at least 20 people in northern Afghanistan, authorities said just months after another deadly tremor that left the country reeling. The 6.3-magnitude quake struck overnight at a depth of 28 kilometers with the epicenter near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, according to the US Geological Survey. More than 20 people were killed and around 320 were injured in the provinces of Balkh and Samangan, health ministr

November 4 ------ The UK has resupplied Ukraine with an additional batch of Storm Shadow cruise missiles to support Kyiv’s strikes deep inside Russian territory, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. According to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the delivery was made to ensure Ukraine remains well-stocked for the coming winter months. London reportedly fears the Kremlin may intensify attacks on Ukrainian civilians as temperatures drop. T

BRUSSELS, November 4 ------ Ukraine is showing "remarkable commitment" to joining the EU, but must reverse recent negative trends in the fight against corruption and accelerate rule of law reforms, the European Commission said in a draft text seen by Reuters. Ukraine applied to join the EU days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. It has been pushing to make progress on its bid, despite the challenges of Russia’s war and EU member Hungary blocking K

SINGAPORE, November 3 ------ Oil prices climbed in early Asian trade on Monday after OPEC+ decided to hold off production hikes in the first quarter of next year, easing rising fears of a supply glut. Brent crude futures rose 47 cents, or 0.73%, to $65.24 a barrel by 2336 GMT after closing 7 cents higher on Friday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $61.43 a barrel, up 45 cents, or 0.74%, after settling up 41 cents in the previous session. The Organization of the Petro

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, November 3 ------ U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Southeast Asian nations to stand firm and strengthen their maritime forces to counter China's increasingly “destabilizing” actions in the South China Sea. Hours later, he struck a notably softer tone online, saying that U.S.–China ties have “never been better” and that both sides agreed to set up direct military communication channels. Speaking at a Saturday meeting in Malaysia with his counte

LONDON, November 3 ------ Russia has in recent months attacked Ukraine with a cruise missile whose secret development prompted Donald Trump to abandon a nuclear arms control pact with Moscow in his first term as U.S. president, Ukraine's foreign minister said. Andrii Sybiha's comments are the first confirmation that Russia has used the ground-launched 9M729 missile in combat - in Ukraine or elsewhere. Russia has fired the missiles at Ukraine 23 times since August, a second se

SEOUL, November 3 ------ Two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) held in Ukraine have pleaded to live in South Korea, a human rights organization told AFP. The prisoners made the request during an interview for a documentary film that the organization, Gyeore-eol Nation United, helped coordinate. Around 10,000 North Korean troops were sent in 2024 to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies. “The two (POWs) aske

ROME, November 2 ------ Pope Leo XIV urged Catholic teachers to focus less on pre-professional outcomes and more on educating students to have rich spiritual lives and use technology in ways that keep human dignity front and center. Leo issued a set of marching orders to Catholic educators during a special Holy Year celebration that has brought thousands of teachers, students, and administrators to Rome. The brief text, which Leo signed at a Mass for Jubilee pilgrims on Monda

LINUM, Germany, November 2 ------ In a spot outside Berlin that's usually a paradise for birdwatchers, volunteers have recovered nearly 2,000 dead cranes in recent days as bird flu has hit the migrating birds hard. Linum, a small village about an hour's travel from the German capital, is known in summer for its many nesting storks. In the fall and spring, it's a popular resting spot for thousands of cranes as they migrate between the Baltic and Nordic regions and southern Eur

SYDNEY, Australia, November 1 ------ Instagram owner Meta and other social media firms said on Tuesday they would comply with a ban on users younger than 16 years old, adding that they would start deactivating accounts once the law takes effect on Dec. 10. In parliament, Meta, TikTok owner ByteDance, and Snapchat owner Snap said they continued to believe the ban would not protect young people, but they would soon reach out to owners of more than a million underage accounts to

SINGAPORE, November 1 ------ The manufacturer of a popular Thai herbal inhaler has recalled a batch of the product after it failed health quality tests due to microbial contamination. Thailand’s food and drug administration (FDA) said on Tuesday (Oct 28) that a batch of Hong Thai Herbal’s Formula 2 brand of herbal inhaler failed to meet the required standards in microbial contamination tests, specifically microbial counts, combined yeasts and mold counts, and the presence of

NEW YORK, October 31 ------ The dollar gained after the US central bank lowered rates as expected, but Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell pushed back against market pricing for another rate cut at the December meeting. The rate cut drew dissents from two policymakers, with Governor Stephen Miran again calling for a deeper reduction in borrowing costs and Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid favoring no cut at all, given ongoing inflation. "The dissent from Schmid is hawk

TOKYO, October 31 ------ Japan's government saw that the economy in October was recovering moderately because of solid capital expenditures in a monthly report issued. The government report also reiterated its cautiously optimistic outlook that the economy, the world's fourth largest, is expected to recover gradually, led by improving employment conditions, but warned of downside risks from U.S. trade policies. "Although the impact of the U.S. trade policies is primarily affe

HAVANA, October 30 ------ Hurricane Melissa slammed into Cuba hours after causing devastation in neighboring Jamaica as the strongest-ever storm on record to hit that Caribbean island nation. Melissa hit the southern coast of eastern Cuba with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 kph), the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. Around 735,000 people were evacuated from their homes in eastern Cuba as the storm approached, authorities said. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Cane

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, October 30 ------ Pakistan said that negotiations for a lasting truce with Afghanistan had "failed to bring about a workable solution", warning it would take steps to protect its people. Pakistan and Afghanistan have been holding negotiations in Istanbul aimed at securing peace after the South Asian neighbors' deadliest border clashes in years. The violence, which killed more than 70 people and wounded hundreds, erupted following explosions in Kabul on Oc