Philippine News

KYIV, June 5 ------ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin in an open letter to the Russian leader saying he was also ready for a "full ceasefire". The letter marks one of the few times Zelensky has appealed directly to Putin since Russia's 2022 invasion. Talks between Russia and Ukraine have been stalled for months, as US-led negotiations remain effectively frozen due to the Iran war. Previous rounds of negotiation be

PARIS, June 5 ------ European countries have funneled billions of dollars of military aid to Ukraine since United States funding ended, with 2026 contributions helping boost its booming drone sector, Germany's Kiel Institute said. In the first four months of the year, 12 per cent of European military aid to Ukraine was allocated to drone production, according to the Kiel Institute, which has tracked military, financial, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine since the Russian inva

June 4 ------ Gulf hostilities flared anew with the US military saying Iranian missile attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, and other regional targets were either thwarted or failed, as diplomacy between Washington and Tehran showed little progress. Two Iranian missiles shot at Kuwait fell short or broke apart in flight, while several ballistic missiles aimed at regional targets failed and three missiles heading for Bahrain were intercepted, US Central Command said. Since the confli

June 4 ------ The United Nations General Assembly elected Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe to the 15-member UN Security Council for two-year terms starting on January 1, 2027. Germany, which had lobbied hard for a seat, came third for the two places contested by the Western European and Others Group, with 104 votes, against 134 for Portugal and 131 for Austria. The contest between the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan for the seat for the Asia-Pacif

June 4 ------ Ukrainian cities, critical infrastructure and the country’s defense industry are among Russia’s primary targets in an escalating campaign of missile and drone strikes that President Volodymyr Zelensky now calls the Kremlin’s “final argument” in its war on Ukraine. In an earlier Telegram post on Wednesday, Zelensky argued that sustained Western backing could help force Moscow towards diplomacy. “Ballistics are Russia’s final argument in this war, and we need to

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia, June 4 ------ Ukrainian drones hit energy and military sites in Saint Petersburg as officials gathered for a flagship economic forum in the city, Russian and Ukrainian authorities said. Some 20,000 guests from 130 countries are set to attend the three-day annual Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (Spief) — an event once dubbed "Russia's Davos" — which was to begin on Wednesday. The strikes come a day after a barrage of Russian missiles a

TOKYO, June 3 ------ A severe tropical storm battered southwestern Japan on Tuesday, injuring 15 people and prompting calls to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people due to flooding and landslide risks. Storm Jangmi - which was downgraded from a typhoon - also knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes and grounded hundreds of flights. But the storm was heading northeast toward Tokyo, where authorities warned of possible transport disruptions and school closures for

GENEVA, Switzerland, June 3 ------ The World Health Organization (WHO) said there are 116 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola and 321 confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo. There have been 41 deaths and six people have recovered, while in Uganda, there have been nine confirmed cases and one associated death, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva. The Africa ​Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced the outbre

June 3 ------ Ukrainian missile producers are now among Russia’s top targets for future strikes, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned, pledging a response. Zelensky said Russia’s focus will include military, political, and propaganda attacks on companies making progress in missile development – including efforts to build domestic ballistic systems and localize anti-ballistic defense production. “Russia defines this as a strategic threat to itself,” he said. Zelensky reporte

June 3 ------ Poland is backing changes to the European Union’s temporary protection system for Ukrainian refugees, arguing that military-age Ukrainian men should no longer automatically qualify for the special status granted after Russia’s full-scale invasion. The idea is being discussed as part of broader talks on the future of the program, which allows Ukrainians to live and work across the EU without going through national asylum procedures, Euractiv reported on Monday,

SINGAPORE, June 2 ------ Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the recent revisions to the country's three principles on defense equipment transfers and their implementation guidelines, which have basically made its arms exports possible, are designed to "tangibly strengthen deterrence and response capabilities of the region." In an address at the Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore, Koizumi rebutted China's criticism that Japan

KINSHASA, June 2 ------ The head of the World Health Organization was due to meet with Democratic Republic of Congo's president to discuss the country's Ebola outbreak, which an aid agency warned was likely much larger than official figures reflect. The outbreak, already the third largest on record, persisted for weeks undetected, say health officials, who are now behind the curve and struggling to bring it under control. Arriving in Congo last week, WHO Director-General Tedr

MANILA, Philippines, June 2 ------ Ukraine is pushing to lift its bilateral trade volume with the Philippines, which remains modest when compared to its other Southeast Asian trading partners, while also pushing to connect more businesses between Manila and Kyiv. In a media roundtable, Ukrainian Ambassador to the Philippines Yuliia Fediv said bilateral trade stood at just over $60 million at the end of 2025, a level she described as “not that high” compared with other Southea

June 2 ------ Drivers in Russian-controlled Crimea were grappling with gasoline rationing after Ukrainian drone attacks constricted road supplies across south-eastern Ukraine, Reuter witnesses and officials said. More than four years since ​the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia is facing almost daily Ukrainian attacks on its oil infrastructure while Western sanctions have made crude exports more costly. Moscow-backed Crimea governor, Sergei Aksyonov, said limits had been impos

SINGAPORE, Singapore, June 1 ------ Japan's defense minister took a veiled swipe at China, pledging to keep strengthening the military despite Beijing's criticism of Tokyo's increasingly muscular security stance. Under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Japan has quickened its pivot towards a more proactive defense policy, further shaking off -- with US encouragement -- a pacifist outlook in place since the end of World War II. The change has drawn frequent rebukes from Beijing,

June 1 ------ The death toll from a chemical tank rupture in the US state of Washington climbed to 11 as crews recovered the bodies of all nine missing people, authorities said. Two fatalities had been confirmed after the tank containing "white liquor"—a chemical solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used in making paper pulp—imploded at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility. The search for the missing carried on through the week as recovery crews worked through debr

June 1 ------ The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it has been informed by the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine that a drone struck a turbine building at the site, reportedly causing a hole in its wall. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi expressed serious concern about the reported incident and said "Attacking nuclear sites is like playing with fire." The IAEA’s team at the Russian-held power plant has requested access to examine the affected turbi

June 1 ------ The window for effective peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow will remain open until winter 2026, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with CBS News. By regaining the initiative on the battlefield in December 2025, Ukraine was better positioned to negotiate with Russia, Zelensky told CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan. This window will last until the next winter, when Moscow is again expected to hammer Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure. The pres

WASHINGTON, May 31 ------ The Trump administration announced that most foreigners seeking a Green Card granting permanent US residency must apply from their home countries. "From now on, an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances," US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesman Zach Kahler said in a statement. "Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers, or peop

LIMASSOL, Cyprus, May 31 ------ The European Union’s foreign policy chief said securing freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz after the Iran war ends will require more ships, including more vessels from Europe, and the expansion of a current EU naval mission. The EU mission in the Red Sea — dubbed Aspides, from the Greek for “shield” — is comprised of three vessels that protect shipping from attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Strait of Hormuz, through which r