FRANKFURT, Germany (AFP) – German Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Tuesday issued an “urgent appeal” to OPEC oil producers to ramp up output following a spike in prices and supply fears due to the Ukraine crisis. Habeck called on top oil producing nations to “increase production in order to create relief on the market”. “That would be a contribution” to easing the stress on firms and households, he said at a Berlin press conference, adding […]
Other News
US intel paints Putin as aggrieved, angry over Ukraine war
by Michael Mathes US intelligence chiefs on Tuesday branded Russia’s Vladimir Putin an “angry,” isolated leader craving global clout, frustrated about how his Ukraine invasion has not gone to plan, and lobbing provocative nuclear threats at the West. The long-standing president in Moscow has been “stewing in a combustible combination of grievance and ambition for many years,” CIA Director William Burns told US lawmakers. He called the invasion of Ukraine a matter of “deep personal […]
US is ‘concerned’ that Russia wants to seize Ukraine bio-research
WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – The United States said Tuesday it was working with Ukraine to prevent invading Russian forces from seizing biological research material amid concern governments or unscrupulous actors might try to use such items to create bioweapons. “Ukraine has biological research facilities, which in fact we are now quite concerned Russian troops, Russian forces, may be seeking to gain control of,” senior State Department official Victoria Nuland told US lawmakers at […]
US bans Russian oil imports over Ukraine invasion: Biden
President Joe Biden announced a ban on US imports of Russian oil on Tuesday, in the administration’s most far-reaching action yet to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine. “We’re banning all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy. That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable at US ports and the American people will deal another powerful blow to (President Vladimir) Putin,” Biden said in an address from the White House, adding that […]
Why people rush for iodine tablets over nuclear, cancer risk
by Par Isabelle CORTES et Isabelle TOURNE European countries have seen stocks of iodine fly off the shelves due to fears it may be needed to counter the risks of thyroid cancer if Russia’s invasion of Ukraine causes a nuclear incident. France said it would send 2.5 million doses of the chemical compound to Ukraine after Russian forces there seized the defunct Chernobyl nuclear site and damaged Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest atomic plant. Here are some […]
Three killed, three children wounded by anti-personnel mine north of Kyiv: official
Three adults were killed and three children wounded when an anti-personnel mine exploded under their car on a road in the Chernigiv region north of Kyiv, Ukraine’s ombudsman said Tuesday. The adults died on the spot while the children were taken to nearby hospitals with injuries of varying severity. It is believed to be the first time during the current fighting that civilians have been killed by a mine, ombudsman Lyudmyla Denisova told AFP. She […]
EU plans two-thirds cut in Russian gas imports this year
The EU wants to vastly reduce Russian gas imports this year, a top official said Tuesday, as political pressure mounts to sever Russia’s main economic lifeline over its invasion of Ukraine. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, announced the goal as the United States was expected to impose an oil import ban on Russia in a step considered too far for the Europeans, who fear that the economic consequences would be too severe. […]
Comelec suspends MOA with Rappler
By Ferdinand Patinio Philippine News Agency MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday suspended its memorandum of agreement (MOA) with online news website Rappler a day after the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) filed a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) seeking to nullify the deal.In a one-page memorandum signed by Comelec acting chair Socorro Inting, all activities in connection with the fact-checking MOA are ordered on hold. “Given the allegations against […]
DFA: 21 seafarers evacuated from Ukraine now in PHL
(Eagle News) — The 21 seafarers who were evacuated from the vessel MV S-Breeze in Ukraine have arrived in the Philippines. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, with their arrival, the total number of Filipinos repatriated from Ukraine was now 63. Meanwhile, 136 have been evacuated. The department said another group of seven seafarers from MV Joseph Schulte are also scheduled to arrive in Manila later today. Seafarers of MV Star Helena, MV Global Aglaia, […]
Shell to stop Russian oil purchases
Energy giant Shell said Tuesday it would withdraw from its involvement in Russian gas and oil, including an immediate stop to purchases of crude from the country. The UK-based company also issued an apology for buying a cargo of Russian crude oil last week and said it would shut its service stations, aviation fuels and lubricants operations in the country. Shell said it would withdraw from its involvement in all Russian hydrocarbons “in a […]
Over six million people have died from Covid: AFP count
PARIS, France (AFP) — Over six million people have died worldwide from Covid-19 since the pandemic began, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP on Tuesday. A total of 6,001,585 people have succumbed to the virus, AFP counted at 0900 GMT. The milestone comes as the number of infections and deaths continues to plummet in most regions of the world, except in Asia, where Hong Kong is suffering its worst-ever outbreak, […]
Ukraine refugees to top 2 million ‘today’ or ‘tomorrow’: UN
OSLO, Norway (AFP) — The number of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine is expected to top two million in the next two days, the head of the UN refugee agency said Tuesday. “I do think that we will pass the two million mark today or maybe at the latest tomorrow. So, it doesn’t stop,” Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, told reporters in Oslo. On Monday, the UNHCR put the number of […]





