Philippine News

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

JAKARTA, October 16 ------ Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted shooting volcanic ash 10 km (6.2 miles) into the sky, the country's volcanology agency said, forcing authorities to raise the alert system to its highest level. Located in East Nusa Tenggara province, the volcano erupted on Wednesday at 1:35 a.m. (1835 GMT Tuesday) for around nine minutes, the country's Geological Agency said in a statement. It erupted again on Wednesday morning at 9:21 a.m. (0121 GMT), s

ISLAMABAD/KABUL, October 16 ------ Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a temporary ceasefire after airstrikes and ground fighting ramped up tensions between the South Asian neighbors, leaving more than a dozen civilians dead and 100 wounded. Wednesday's fighting along the volatile, contested frontier shattered a fragile peace after dozens were killed in weekend clashes, the worst between the two Islamic countries since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021. The recent fric

BRUSSELS, October 16 ------ NATO defense ministers will meet to try to drum up more military support for Ukraine amid a sharp drop in deliveries of weapons and ammunition to the war-ravaged country in recent months. The ministers will also debate a call from NATO’s commander to lift restrictions on the use of their aircraft and other equipment so they can be used to defend the alliance’s eastern border with Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine more effectively. A series of mysterious

WASHINGTON, October 16 ------ International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva intends to visit Ukraine at a time that has not yet been determined, an IMF spokesperson said. Ukrainian officials met with backer countries, the IMF and the World Bank on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington. Ukraine is in talks with the IMF about a new four-year lending program for the country that would replace the current four-year $15.5 billion pro

BEIJING/LOS ANGELES, October 15 ------ The U.S. and China began charging additional port fees on ocean shipping firms that move everything from holiday toys to crude oil, making the high seas a key front in the trade war between the world's two largest economies. A return to an all-out trade war appeared imminent last week, after China announced a major expansion of its rare earths export controls and President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to trip

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, October 15 ------ Around 6,000 students in Malaysia have been infected with influenza, and some schools have been closed for the safety of children and staff, an education ministry official said. “We already have extensive experience in dealing with infectious diseases from the COVID-19 pandemic,” director general Mohd Azam Ahmad said on Monday, October 13, according to a video of his remarks posted by a local news broadcaster. “We have reminded school

WASHINGTON, DC, October 15 ------ US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko to reaffirm Washington’s “unwavering support” for Kyiv as both sides sought to tighten the economic screws on Russia. The high-level talks in Washington, which come ahead of an upcoming visit by President Volodymyr Zelensky, focused on deepening economic cooperation, particularly the newly operational US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. The meeting a

October 15 ------ Local authorities in Ukraine ordered the evacuation of families from dozens of villages near the all-but-destroyed northeastern city of Kupiansk, citing the "worsening security situation", in a region that has faced heavy Russian attacks. Oleh Syniehubov, governor of the northeastern Kharkiv region, wrote on Telegram that a total of 409 families with 601 children were told to leave 27 localities. Another official in the affected area later told public broadc

SHARM EL SHEIKH, EGYPT, October 14 ------ US President Donald Trump hailed a "tremendous day for the Middle East" as he and regional leaders signed a declaration meant to cement a ceasefire in Gaza, hours after Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners. Trump made a lightning visit to Israel, where he lauded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an address to parliament, before flying to Egypt for a Gaza summit where he and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey signe

LONDON, October 14 ------ World oil supply is expected to closely match demand next year as the wider OPEC+ group increases production, an OPEC report showed, marking a change from last month's outlook, which projected a supply shortfall in 2026. OPEC+ is adding more crude to the market after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia, and other allies opted to unwind some output cuts more rapidly than previously planned. The additional supply has raised co

KYIV/WASHINGTON, October 14 ------ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he would meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday, where the two would discuss Ukraine's air defense and long-range strike capabilities. The two leaders spoke on both Saturday and Sunday amid intensifying discussions about the potential provision of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, and a Ukrainian delegation led by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is slated to visit Washing

KYIV, October 14 ------ A Ukrainian delegation led by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko will visit Washington for talks on strengthening Kyiv's defense and energy resilience, President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff said. Ukraine is seeking more U.S. support for its war effort against Russia, as Kremlin forces step up strikes on energy facilities across the country and press forward on the battlefield. Writing on X, Andriy Yermak said the two sides would also discuss stron

JERUSALEM, October 13 ------ Israel declared victory in its war with Hamas as the militant group prepared to release its surviving...

PARIS, France, October 13 ------ The world's tropical coral reefs have almost certainly crossed a point of no return as oceans warm...