Philippine News

December 7 ------ As the global artificial intelligence race heats up, the technology could deepen existing inequalities between countries if left unmanaged, according to a new report released by the United Nations’ lead agency on international development. Such a divide will be most visible in Asia, where nations differ widely in income levels, digital capacity, and governance, noted the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The agency is tasked with supporting countrie

SYDNEY, December 7 ------ Google's YouTube shared a "disappointing update" to millions of Australian users and content creators, saying it will comply with a world-first teen social media ban by locking out users aged under 16 from their accounts within days. The decision ends a stand-off between the internet giant and the Australian government, which initially exempted YouTube from the age restriction, citing its use for educational purposes. Google had said it was getting l

NEW DELHI, December 6 ------ India’s telecoms ministry has directed smartphone manufacturers to pre-install a government-run cybersecurity app on all new devices, according to a government order, raising concerns of data privacy and user consent in one of the largest handset markets in the world. The Ministry of Communications' order issued Monday asked smartphone makers to pre-install the government’s “Sanchar Saathi” app on all new devices within 90 days and to prevent user

SANTIAGO, Chile, December 6 ------ Chile's parliament approved a law banning the use of smartphones by pupils on school premises, the latest country to restrict such access over concerns for children's mental and physical health. Singapore to toughen ban on smartphones, smartwatches in schools The law was approved by a large majority in Chile's Chamber of Deputies and is expected to be enacted soon by President Gabriel Boric, who had supported the initiative. It will come int

December 5 ------ EU lawmakers and European member states have agreed on a deal to ban all imports of Russian gas into the European Union by autumn 2027, they announced. The accord marks a compromise between the member states and the European Parliament, which wanted the ban to apply sooner. The ban on long-term contracts will apply on November 1, 2027, at the latest. The Council presidency and the European Parliament’s representatives reached a provisional agreement on the r

SEOUL, December 5 ------ South Koreans are expected to take to the streets or a rally marking the first anniversary of ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law that plunged the deeply divided country into political turmoil. On Dec. 3, 2024, Yoon suspended civilian rule for the first time in more than four decades, prompting massive protests and a showdown in parliament. A year on, the country remains riven by political polarization as it faces a slowing eco

December 5 ------ US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says talks with Ukraine over a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war were productive, but there's "more work to be done". The talks, held in Florida, were attended by a Ukrainian delegation led by national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's new chief negotiator. Also at the meeting were President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Witkoff is expected to travel to Moscow on

December 5 ------ Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) published a detailed breakdown of the industrial network behind Russia’s Iskander-M ballistic missiles, identifying nearly 50 companies involved in producing the 9M723 missile, including more than a dozen that are not under Western sanctions. The report, released through the War & Sanctions portal, includes a full schematic of the missile’s construction as well as an interactive database of components and manufacturers.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, December 4 ------ Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks in decades under the auspices of a year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism, though Lebanon's premier cautioned the new diplomatic contact did not amount to broader peace discussions. The two sides met at the UN peacekeeping force's headquarters in Lebanon's Naqura near the border with Israel, where the guarantors of the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezb

TOKYO, December 4 ------ A Chinese cruise operator has canceled its tours to Japan scheduled from late December to late January next year, apparently due to rising tensions between the two East Asian countries. An agent in Japan was notified of the cancellations in November, a source familiar with the situation said Tuesday. Japan-China relations are deteriorating, as evidenced by the Chinese government's call for the country's citizens to refrain from travel to Japan. China'

BEIJING, December 4 ------ French President Emmanuel Macron is due in Beijing, where he is expected to put pressure on his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to help secure a ceasefire in Ukraine and discuss trade relations. Macron, on his fourth state visit to China since taking office in 2017, will meet Xi and Premier Li Qiang at the capital’s Great Hall of the People before heading to Chengdu, where two giant pandas loaned to France have recently been returned. Efforts to br

December 4 ------ High-stakes US-Russia talks on ending the war in Ukraine failed to yield a breakthrough, as the Kremlin said "no compromise" had been found yet on the key question of territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin met US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff in the Kremlin, after earlier signaling that his forces were ready to fight on to achieve Russia's initial war goals. The meeting is a crucial moment for Ukraine

December 3 ------ Oil prices held firm as traders weighed up risks from Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian energy sites, mounting U.S.-Venezuela tension, and mixed expectations for U.S. fuel inventories. Brent crude futures rose 7 cents, or 0.1 per cent, to $63.24 a barrel by 0657 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 13 cents, or 0.2 per cent, to stand at $59.45 a barrel. Both benchmarks advanced more than 1 per cent on Monday, while WTI was near a two-week high. "O

KINSHASA, Congo, December 3 ------ Congo announced the end of an Ebola outbreak that killed 43 people in one of the country's southern provinces, with authorities saying no new confirmed cases had been reported in the past 45 days. Health Minister Roger Kamba said the 43 deaths were among 53 confirmed cases in the outbreak, which was first announced in September in the Kasai province town of Bulape. He said more than 27,000 people were vaccinated, including 4,000 front-line w

PARIS, December 3 ------ Ukraine’s president spoke optimistically about the progress of revising the Trump administration’s peace plan, saying “it looks better” and the work will continue during talks on how to end Russia’s nearly four-year war. President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke after meeting with France’s president, the latest in discussions aimed at brokering the terms for a potential ceasefire in the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II. Meanwhile, Kremlin

WASHINGTON, DC, December 3 ------ US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to discuss ongoing efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the State Department said. The call comes amid growing tensions in transatlantic discussions over how to balance pressure on Kyiv with the urgency of ending Russia’s war of aggression. According to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, Rubio emphasized that Washington’s goal remains a swift conclusio

NEW YORK, December 2 ------ The dollar slipped against the Japanese yen following Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda's strongest indication to date that a December interest rate increase could be under consideration, providing support to the embattled yen. Meanwhile, mounting expectations for a December interest rate reduction by the Federal Reserve exerted downward pressure on the dollar. Ueda said on Monday the BOJ would consider the pros and cons of raising interest rates a

PADANG, Indonesia, December 2 ------ The toll in deadly flooding and landslides across parts of Asia climbed past 1,000 as the hardest-hit Sri Lanka and Indonesia deployed military personnel to help survivors. Separate weather systems brought torrential, extended rainfall to the entire island of Sri Lanka and large parts of Indonesia’s Sumatra, southern Thailand, and northern Malaysia last week. The relentless rains left residents clinging to rooftops awaiting rescue by boat

PARIS, December 2 ------ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris, seeking to shore up European support as US President Donald Trump expressed optimism of a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. US and Ukrainian negotiators held hours of what both sides called “productive” talks in Florida on Sunday on a plan Washington wants to form the basis of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. The diplomatic flurry after nearly four yea

December 2 ------ The EU has unveiled a series of new defense initiatives in Brussels as Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal called for the rapid integration of Ukraine’s defense industry and urged allies to adopt a financing mechanism grounded in frozen Russian assets. According to statements published by Shmyhal on X, the Ukrainian delegation participated in a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council with defense ministers from all 27 member states on Monday. The disc