Philippine News

MOSCOW, April 8 ------ Ukrainian drones attacked the Caspian Pipeline Consortium's marine terminal in southern Russia, damaging a mooring point and setting four oil tanks ablaze, the Russian defense ministry said. The CPC pipeline handles around 1 per cent of the world's oil supplies, as well as around 80 per cent of Kazakhstan's oil exports. The Ukrainian army said it had attacked a different terminal in the port of Novorossiysk, without mentioning the Caspian Pipeline Conso

April 8 ------ The Ukrainian Naval Forces employed a salvo of advanced Swedish high-tech anti-ship missiles to blow up a Black Sea drilling rig held by Russian forces recently, an official Kyiv military statement said. Video made public by the Ukraine Naval Forces late on Monday evening showed images of at least two missile-shaped objects striking and detonating against the Sivash platform, a self-elevating jack-up some 60–80 km northwest of the Crimean coast. Russian forces

DUBAI/WASHINGTON, April 7 ------ Iran said it wanted a lasting end to the war with the US and Israel, and pushed back against pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while US President Donald Trump warned the country could be "taken out" if it did not meet his Tuesday night deadline to reach a deal. Responding to a US proposal through mediator Pakistan, Tehran rejected a ceasefire and said a permanent end to the war was necessary, the official IRNA news agency reported. The I

DUBAI, April 7 ------ UAE official Anwar Gargash said any settlement of the US-Iran war must guarantee access through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that a deal that fails to rein in Iran’s nuclear program and its missiles and drones would pave the way for “a more dangerous, more volatile Middle East." Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, told a weekend briefing that the Strait of Hormuz—the world’s most critical oil artery—cannot be weaponized, stressing that

KYIV, April 7 ------ Ukraine has relayed its proposal for a mutual ceasefire on striking energy targets to Russia via US mediators, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "If Russia is ready to stop striking our energy sector, we will be ready to respond in kind," Zelensky said in his evening address. "And this proposal of ours -- conveyed through the Americans -- has been communicated to the Russian side," he added. Source: manilatimes.net

KYIV, April 7 ------ Ukraine has regained control of 480 sq. km (185 sq. miles) of territory in the southeastern and eastern parts of the front since late January, its army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said, adding that Russia was continuing its spring offensive. After visiting the frontline, Syrskyi said that Ukraine had returned control over eight settlements in the Dnipropetrovsk region in the east and four settlements in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region. Despite Ukraine's

TOKYO, April 6 ------ Oil prices opened higher on Monday after the Easter holiday weekend as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran continues to disrupt global oil supply. Brent crude futures rose $2.4, or 2.2 per cent, to $111.43 a barrel by 2215 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained $3, or 2.7 per cent, to trade at $114.57 per barrel. U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday ratcheted up pressure on Iran, threatening in an expletive-laden Easter Sunday social medi

VATICAN CITY, Holy See, April 6 ------ Pope Leo XIV is set to mark Easter Sunday for the first time as pontiff, with the Middle East war casting a pall over the most important date in the Christian calendar. The US-born pope, who has emerged as a leading voice against the war, will hold mass in St Peter's Square from 0830 GMT in front of thousands of faithful. The leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics will then pronounce a traditional blessing at 1000 GMT that will be

April 6 ------ Ukraine and Syria pledged greater security cooperation in talks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said as Kyiv seeks to promote its military expertise across the region following the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Zelensky, continuing his tour of Middle East countries, met with his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus. “We agreed to work together to provide more security and opportunities for development for our societies,” Zelensky wrote on

April 6 ------ Ukraine desperately needs more U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems to help it counter Russia's daily barrages, Zelensky said, speaking to The Associated Press in an exclusive interview in Istanbul. Russia's relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago has killed thousands of civilians. It has also targeted Ukraine's energy supply to disrupt industrial production of Ukraine's n

WASHINGTON, United States, April 5 ------ US President Donald Trump said that the war with Iran may be over in two or three weeks, and it will be up to other countries to secure the vital Strait of Hormuz oil shipping channel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said meanwhile that the joint campaign against what he called Iran's "terror regime" had "changed the face of the Middle East." The US and Israeli leaders' comments came after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian

TOKYO, April 5 ------ A few dozen tourists hopped onto a small cruise boat in Tokyo to admire the cherry blossoms lining the Meguro River - a seasonal attraction that could soon become costlier for passengers and operators alike. The pink and white flowers that blossom in spring on cherry trees across Japan are a major draw for locals and tourists - and big business for companies such as cruise operator Tokyo Waterways. The "flower viewing" or "hanami" is the peak season of t

TOKYO, April 4 ------ Japan's first long-range missile was deployed at a southwestern army camp, officials said, as the country pushes to bolster its offensive capabilities. The upgraded Type-12 land-to-ship missiles, developed and produced by Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, became operational at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto prefecture. “As Japan faces the most severe and complex security environment in the postwar era ... it is an extremely important capability to strengthen

SAN FRANCISCO, April 4 ------ Instagram is testing a pay tier that offers features including letting subscribers discreetly view story posts that normally vanish after 24 hours, Meta told AFP, confirming a report by news website TechCrunch. Paying users will also get more control over which accounts are permitted to see photos or videos they share in Story posts on the popular social network. The new tier is being tested in "a few countries worldwide", a spokesperson said, wi

BANGKOK, April 3 ------ Asian nations are increasingly competing for Russian crude oil as an energy crisis mounts amid the month-old war by the United States and Israel against Iran, which has choked off roughly a-fifth of the world’s oil supply. Much of the oil from the mostly shut Strait of Hormuz was headed for Asia, hit hardest by recent energy shocks. Over the weekend, Iran-backed Houthi rebels entered the conflict, further threatening shipping. To shore up global crude

SYDNEY, April 3 ------ A host of tech giants, including Facebook and YouTube, are under investigation for potentially breaching Australia's world-leading social media ban for under-16s, the nation's online watchdog said. Australia in December banned users under 16 from the world's largest social media platforms, citing the need to protect them from "predatory algorithms" and online bullying. There were "significant concerns" that Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and You

TOKYO, April 2 ------ Japan's Coast Guard said it had confirmed a Chinese marine research vessel was operating in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) west-northwest of Uotsuri Island, and it had demanded the activity be halted. The Chinese oceanographic survey ship Xiang Yang Hong 22 was spotted around 1:30 p.m. (0430 GMT), about 37 nautical miles (69 km) from Uotsuri Island, and was seen extending pipe-like equipment from both sides of the ship and wire-like equipment from its

TEHRAN, Iran, April 2 ------ Iranian state media reported that a parliamentary commission had approved plans to impose tolls on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway vital to oil and gas shipments that has been effectively closed due to the Middle East war. Citing a member of the parliament's security commission, state TV said the plan involved, among other things, "financial arrangements and rial toll systems" and "implementing the sovereign role of Iran", as w

TOKYO, April 1 ------ Asian stocks fell sharply in early trade and oil prices rose as the Middle East crisis further escalated with US President Donald Trump threatening to destroy Iran's main export terminal. South Korea's benchmark Kospi index was down more than four percent around 0030 GMT, while Japan's Nikkei index dropped 2.24 percent, before both recovered slightly. The price of the main US benchmark for oil, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), was up 3.30 percent at $106.2

SINGAPORE, April 1 ------ Twelve new measles cases have been reported in Singapore, including four who are part of a known cluster. This brings the total number of cases so far this year to 23. There were 27 cases in 2025. The 12 new measles cases were reported between Feb 1 and Mar 24, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said. All were living in Singapore, with six having recently travelled overseas. Among the 12 cases, 11 were not fully vaccinated, including two infants