Son Dictator Marcos To Win Philippines Poll, Surveys Say
Voters in the Philippines went to the polls Monday in a presidential election that put the son and namesake of the late dictator against a human rights lawyer.
Trade
Robust imports push U.S. trade deficit to record high in March
The U.S. trade deficit surged to a record high in March, confirming that trade weighed on the economy in the first quarter and could remain a drag for a while as businesses replenish inventories with imported goods.
Pope Francis Seeks Talks With Russia’s Putin On Ukraine War
Pope Francis said Tuesday he wants to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to help end Europe’s worst conflict since World War Two. “I am not going to [Ukraine’s capital] Kyiv for now. I feel that I must not go,” the leader of the Catholic Church told Italy’s daily newspaper Corriere della Sera.
Russia Warns West Over Arming Ukraine
Russia has warned the West against arming Ukraine, saying it could threaten European security. The comments came as the United Nations chief visited the Ukrainian capital Kyiv where he expressed shock about the impact of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Bankrupt Sri Lanka Asks Expats For Help
Sri Lanka has urged its citizens overseas to send home money after announcing a default on its $51 billion foreign debt amid anti-government protests.
U.S. Navy says new task force to patrol Red Sea amid Yemen war
The U.S. Navy said Wednesday it will begin a new task force with allied countries to patrol the Red Sea after a series of attacks attributed to Yemen‘s Houthi rebels in a waterway that’s essential to global trade.
US, Iran trade blame over impasse holding up signing of nuclear deal
The United States and Iran blamed each other Monday for a weeks-long impasse that has held up a return to the 2015 deal that sought to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
‘Historic’: Israel, UAE conclude free trade agreement
Economy and Industry Minister Maj.-Gen. (Ret.) Orna Barbivay and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi announced the conclusion of negotiations on a comprehensive bilateral free trade agreement.
India and Russia working to launch a rupee-ruble trade agreement that circumvents Western sanctions and weakens the dollar’s global standing
The government of India is expected to announce an agreement with its counterparts in Russia that will allow the countries to continue trading with one another while circumventing Western sanctions on Russia.
Singapore to open embassy in Israel for the first time
Singapore announced Monday it plans to open an official embassy in Israel for the first since the two nations established diplomatic relations in 1965, i24 News reports. While Israel opened an embassy in Singapore in 1968, the Singaporeans set up an honorary consulate in Tel Aviv instead.
IMF: Ukraine War Undermines Global Economy
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that the war in Ukraine will undermine the global economy as it leads to record prices of food and energy and surging inflation.
Ukraine’s President Cites Pearl Habor As He Asks US Congress For Help
With much of his nation facing an expanding Russian invasion, war-time Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to the U.S. Congress for help in a history-making speech.
Russia says it received US guarantees on Iran nuclear deal
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that Moscow had received guarantees from the US on its ability to trade with Tehran as part of ongoing talks to salvage the Iran nuclear deal.
More Sanctions As Ukraine Faces Heavy Russian Attacks
Fearing a world war, U.S. President Joe Biden said Friday his country would not intervene militarily against Russia in Ukraine, as Russian forces stepped up their bombardment across Ukraine.
US Trade Deficit Hit A Record High In January
The U.S. trade deficit continued to grow in January as the import-export gap widened to a record high, The Wall Street Journal reported.
White House is pressed on potential oil deals with Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Iran
The White House on Monday pushed back on concerns about the Biden administration’s willingness to cut deals with countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela as it looks for ways to blunt skyrocketing fuel prices in the United States.
Russia switches to China’s card system after Visa, Mastercard suspends operations
After Visa and Mastercard announced that their operations in Russia would be suspended, many Russian banks announced on Sunday that they would soon begin issuing cards using the Chinese UnionPay card operator’s system combined with Russia’s own Mir network. Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, as well as Alfa Bank and Tinkoff, all announced the transfer to UnionPay on Sunday.
U.S. crude oil tops $130 a barrel, a 13-year high on possible Western ban of Russian oil
U.S. crude oil surged more than 8% in early trading on Sunday evening as the market continued to react to supply disruptions stemming from Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the possibility of a ban on Russian oil and natural gas.
Whistleblowers: ‘Biden Okays Dangerous Nuclear Deal With Iran’ (Worthy News Investigation)
High-ranking whistleblowers warn that the United States is to finalize an earth-shattering deal with Iran that will fuel the Islamic state’s race to build a nuclear weapon and finance terrorism.
Wheat Prices Rise to 14-Year High After Invasion of Ukraine
Wheat prices have soared past $10 per barrel, the highest price since 2008 for the staple grain, as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.