Philippine News

December 19 ------ German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Ukraine could receive security guarantees comparable to NATO’s Article 5 following a ceasefire with Russia, describing recent diplomatic talks in Berlin as a major step forward while stressing that key decisions remain unresolved. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF on Tuesday evening, Merz noted discussions with European partners and the US had advanced significantly on how Ukraine could be protected aft

December 19 ------ Oleksandr Syrsky, the commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) said that Russia has concentrated 710,000 troops inside Ukrainian territory for its ongoing winter offensive. Russian attacks continue in the northeastern and eastern sectors, despite heavy losses, with AFU units along the more than 1,000-km (621-mile) front holding their positions, Syrsky said on Telegram. Syrsky’s remarks video conference of senior Ukrainian officials with allies at the

Dubai, November 18 ------ Oil prices climbed sharply after US President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of oil tankers heading to and departing from Venezuela that are deemed to be in breach of US sanctions. Both Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose by more than 2% in early trading, before giving up some of those gains later in the session, as investors assessed the broader geopolitical implications for global supply.   “The big news is the oil-price rally after

BANGKOK, November 18 ------ Thailand said that Cambodia must be first to announce a truce to halt fighting between them after more than a week of deadly clashes in a reignited border conflict. “As the aggressor onto Thai territory, Cambodia must announce the ceasefire first,” Thai foreign ministry spokesman Maratee Nalita Andamo told reporters in the capital Bangkok, adding that Cambodia must also cooperate in de-mining efforts at the border “sincerely.”   Renewed fighting be

December 18 ------ EU leaders are under pressure to hammer out how to keep financing Ukraine at a summit starting Thursday – with key player Belgium resisting a push to use frozen Russian assets.      Here is what’s at stake during a crucial week for the 27-nation bloc: Keeping Ukraine afloat The European Union is scrambling for ways to keep funding flowing to Ukraine as the war-wracked country faces yawning shortfalls four years into Russia’s invasion. While the United State

December 18 ------ The Kremlin rejected a proposal by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for a Christmas truce in Ukraine, saying it would only give Kyiv a pause to prepare for continuing the war. “We want peace. We do not want a truce just to give Ukraine a breather and prepare for continuing the war,” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told Interfax.   Peskov said Moscow’s position is “consistent, transparent, and well known both in the US and in

BANGKOK, December 17 ------ Thailand is working out how to repatriate up to 6,000 citizens unable to return home through a major border crossing in Cambodia that was closed as fighting along the contested border extended into a second week, authorities said on Tuesday. The militaries of the Southeast Asian neighbors are clashing at several locations on their 817-kilometer (508-mile) land border, both have said, with no signs of abatement, despite international efforts to nego

DENVER, December 17 ------ Oil futures settled at their lowest level since February 2021 amid ongoing jitters surrounding oversupply and as the prospect of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal appeared to strengthen, raising expectations that sanctions could be eased. Brent crude futures settled down $1.64 a barrel, off roughly 2.71%, to $58.92 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude closed at $55.27, down $1.55, or 2.73%. "Brent has dropped this morning to below $60 per ba

BERLIN, December 17 ------ The U.S. has agreed to provide unspecified security guarantees to Ukraine as part of a peace deal to end Russia's nearly four-year war, and more talks are likely this weekend, U.S. officials said following the latest discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin. The officials said talks with President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, led to narrowing differences on security guarantees that Kyiv said must be provided

THE HAGUE, December 17 ------ Europe launched an International Claims Commission for Ukraine in an effort to ensure Kyiv is compensated for hundreds of billions of dollars in damage from Russian attacks and alleged war crimes. The gathering in The Hague of dozens of leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, coincided with a US-orchestrated diplomatic push to end the war in Ukraine that was triggered by Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. "Every Rus

BRUSSELS, December 16 ------ The European Union adopted fresh sanctions against Russian oil interests, targeting traders Murtaza Lakhani and Etibar Eyyub for helping Moscow to circumvent Western sanctions on crude exports that help to fund Russia’s war in Ukraine. The EU has imposed 19 packages of sanctions so far, but Moscow has managed to adapt to most measures and is still selling millions of barrels of oil to India and China, albeit at discounts to global prices. Much of

December 16 ------ Australians are hailing a "hero" whose daring struggle with a gunman led to the disarming of an attacker during the country's worst mass shooting in years. He even earned a shout-out from US President Donald Trump, who said the man's brave actions "saved a lot of lives" during a shocking assault on a Jewish gathering to celebrate Hanukkah. Following the deadly shooting on Sydney's Bondi Beach, footage emerged on social media of a man risking his own life by

BERLIN, December 16 ------ European leaders are expected to cement support for Ukraine as it faces Washington’s pressure to swiftly accept a US-brokered peace deal. After Sunday’s talks in Berlin between US envoys and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian and European officials are set to continue a series of meetings in an effort to secure the continent’s peace and security in the face of an increasingly assertive Russia. Zelensky sat down Sunday with US Presiden

December 16 ------ More than half of Ukrainians believe national elections should be held only after a final peace agreement is signed and the war with Russia has fully ended, according to a new survey. The poll was conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) between Nov. 26 and Dec. 13. According to the findings, just 9% of respondents support holding elections before a ceasefire – down from 11% in September. Another 25% favor elections only if hostilit

BANTEAY MEANCHEY, Cambodia, December 15 ------ Renewed border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand entered a second week after Bangkok denied US President Donald Trump’s claim that a truce had been agreed to halt the deadly fighting. The conflict, rooted in a colonial-era demarcation dispute along their 800-kilometer border, has displaced around 800,000 people, officials said. “I have been here for six days, and I feel sad that the fighting continues,” 63-year-old Sean Leap

December 15 ------ A mass shooting at a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach in the Australian city of Sydney has killed at least 15 people in what was a grisly, rare occurrence for the country. Authorities said the “terrorist” incident was “designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah” as hundreds of people gathered for an event called Chanukah by the Sea. Countries around the world condemned the deadly attack. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese The Austr

BERLIN/KYIV, December 15 ------ Ukraine has relinquished its aim to join the NATO military alliance in exchange for Western security guarantees as a compromise to end the war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said as peace talks got underway in Berlin. Zelensky aired the concession as he flew to the German capital, where he began meetings with US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in efforts to end Europe's bloodiest conflict sin

KYIV, December 15 ------ Ukraine's navy accused Russia of deliberately attacking a civilian Turkish vessel carrying sunflower oil to Egypt with a drone, a day after Moscow hit two Ukrainian ports. In a statement on Telegram, the navy said the vessel, called the Viva, had 11 Turkish citizens on board. It added that nobody was hurt and the vessel was continuing its journey to Egypt. "The strike was carried out in the open sea in Ukraine's exclusive economic zone, outside the ra

NEW YORK, December 14 ------ Time magazine named the "Architects of AI" as its Person of the Year, highlighting the tech titans whose work on the cutting-edge technology is transforming humanity. Nvidia's Jensen Huang, OpenAi's Sam Altman and xAI's Elon Musk are among the entrepreneurs who have "grabbed the wheel of history, developing technology and making decisions that are reshaping the information landscape, the climate, and our livelihoods," the magazine said. "They reor

SAN FRANCISCO, California, December 14 ------ Instagram unveiled a new artificial intelligence-powered feature that lets users view and adjust the algorithm shaping their Reels feed, calling it a pioneering move toward greater user control. The Meta-owned app is introducing “Your Algorithm,” accessible through an icon in the upper right corner of Reels — a user’s video feed — which displays the topics Instagram believes users are interested in based on their viewing history.