Other News

Price of WTI crude oil up 3% as Ukraine crisis intensifies

New York’s West Texas Intermediate crude contract rose more than three percent on Tuesday as Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to deploy in separatist areas of Ukraine. WTI Crude rose 3.14 percent to $93.93 per barrel in early Asian trade, while Europe’s benchmark Brent North Sea crude was up 1.98 percent at $95.39 per barrel. kaf/ssy © Agence France-Presse

US cautious on whether Russian troops to Donbass equals invasion

  The United States took a wait-and-see attitude Monday to President Vladimir Putin’s order for Russian troops to deploy in separatist areas of Ukraine, saying that talks remain possible “until the tanks roll.” President Joe Biden imposed sanctions on the two Russian-backed areas in eastern Ukraine’s Donbass region. But a senior US official declined to characterize whether Putin’s order for Russian armed forces to conduct “peacekeeping” there counts as an invasion, thereby triggering much wider […]

Iran hails nuclear talk ‘progress’ but Raisi insists US sanctions end

by Tim Witcher Agence France-Presse DOHA, Qatar (AFP) – Iran Monday signalled “significant progress” in talks on reviving a stalled accord on its nuclear programme but President Ebrahim Raisi, on his first visit to a Gulf state, again insisted that Washington must lift its crippling sanctions. Iran’s ultraconservative president, a personal target of the US sanctions, spoke out ahead of a summit of natural gas exporting nations in Qatar. The summit will take place against […]

US climate envoy Kerry in Egypt to discuss COP27 summit

CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) – The United States and Egypt on Monday launched a working group to prepare for the COP27 climate summit this year, with US envoy John Kerry urging more countries to come on board. The meeting will take place in November in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, seeking to build on gains made at the previous conference in Glasgow last year. “In Glasgow, we made significant progress… we now need […]

TotalEnergies finds new oil, gas reserves off Suriname

PARIS, France (AFP) – French giant TotalEnergies on Monday announced the discovery of significant reserves of oil and gas off the coast of Suriname and said it would begin exploration soon. The company has several exploration licences in the South American nation and made the announcement jointly with US firm APA. “TotalEnergies and APA Corporation have made a significant new oil and associated gas discovery at the Krabdagu-1 well, in the central area of Block […]

China denies making space junk set to crash into Moon

BEIJING, China (AFP) – China on Monday denied responsibility for a rocket set to slam into the Moon, after experts said the piece of space junk likely came from Beijing’s lunar exploration programme. Astronomers initially thought the wayward object was a chunk of a SpaceX rocket that blasted off seven years ago and was abandoned in space after completing its mission. But it is now believed to be the booster for the Chang’e 5-T1, launched […]

Ukrainian President seeks ‘clear support’ from West versus Russia

KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday demanded “clear support” from the West after Russia recognized two eastern separatist regions and then ordered in troops to back up their independence claims. In an address delivered after urgent consultations with world leaders, Zelensky said Ukraine was “not afraid of anything or anyone”, calling the Kremlin’s step “a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of the former Soviet state. © Agence France-Presse

Biden told Zelensky US committed to Ukraine’s ‘territorial integrity’: W.House

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart Voldymyr Zelensky on Monday that the United States stands by Ukraine’s territorial integrity after Russia said it was recognizing the independence of a swath of eastern Ukraine. In a phone call, Biden spoke “to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the White House said. Biden also “updated President Zelensky on the United States’ response, including our […]

Putin orders Russian military to ‘maintain peace’ in Ukraine rebel regions

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered Russia’s military to act as peacekeepers in two breakaway regions of Ukraine, just hours after he recognized them as independent. In two official decrees, Putin instructed the defense ministry to assume “the function of peacekeeping” in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. Moscow provided no details or date for any deployment, with the order saying only that it “comes into force from the day it was […]

Brazil storm toll rises to 176, search continues

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — The death toll from violent floods and landslides that hit the scenic Brazilian city of Petropolis last week rose to 176 Monday, including 29 children, officials said. Another 112 people remain missing, police said, raising fears the toll could rise further still as rescue workers continue digging through the mud and wreckage left by last Tuesday’s torrential rains. The new toll means the storm is now the deadliest in […]

Russian stocks slide over Ukraine crisis

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian stock indexes fell Monday as the Ukraine crisis rapidly deteriorated, with the Kremlin dampening hopes for a summit between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden. The dollar-denominated RTS index was down 8.5 percent at 1200 GMT, and has fallen nearly 19 percent since the start of the year. The Russian currency also slid, with the US dollar being exchanged for 78 rubles and the euro for almost […]

Iglesia Ni Cristo helps anew people in areas hard-hit by Odette

  From February 8 to 11, 2022, the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) again distributed relief items to residents affected by Typhoon Odette (Rai). Before the distribution, hundreds of volunteers in Butuan City, Cebu City, Puerto Princesa City, Tacloban City, and Valladolid repacked bags of rice and canned goods while strictly observing health and safety protocols against COVID-19. The relief items then were transported to worship building compounds in severely affected areas, including Butuan […]