Author: Fernando Santos

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States on Saturday called on China to stop harassing Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, pledging to stand with the Philippines at a time of simmering geopolitical tension. “We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement. The Philippines on Friday accused China’s coast guard of “aggressive tactics” following an incident during a Philippine coast guard patrol close to the Philippines-held Second Thomas Shoal, a flashpoint for previous altercations located 105 nautical miles (195 km) off its coast. The Second Thomas Shoal is…

SYDNEY, April 28 (Reuters) – Australia’s defence minister said on Friday the government was being “upfront and transparent” about the cost of its AUKUS nuclear submarine programme, after an analysis showed the forecast A$368 billion cost included a 50% contingency fund. The Greens party, which commissioned the analysis by the Parliamentary Budget Office, said it showed the “huge” uncertainty over the project. U.S. President Joe Biden, Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveiled details in March of a plan to provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines, a major step to counter China’s ambitions in the…

Police in the United States are on the hunt for a man suspected of shooting dead five neighbours, including an 8-year-old boy, after some of them had asked him to stop shooting a semiautomatic rifle in his front yard in Cleveland, Texas, because it was keeping their baby awake. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers told reporters on Saturday that the search area for the suspect, 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza, could now be as large as “10 or 20 miles” (16 to 32 km) as the gunman remained at large more than 15 hours after shooting his neighbours on Friday night. The…

A breakdown in communication between the United States and China is raising the risk of an unintended crisis or conflict between the two superpowers, current and former U.S. and Western officials say. Diplomatic channels between China and the U.S. have mostly dried up as relations between the superpowers have steadily deteriorated over two successive administrations, with Beijing so far unwilling to say when top U.S. officials from the Biden administration will be welcome for high-level meetings. Even if the two sides are able to arrange another phone call soon between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping or a Cabinet-level meeting to discuss trade as White House…

Economic inequality is a pervasive issue that has plagued societies across the world for centuries. The gap between the rich and the poor has widened over the years, leading to numerous social and economic challenges. The impact of economic inequality on sustainable development cannot be ignored, as it poses a threat to social stability, economic growth, and the environment. International cooperation is crucial in addressing economic inequality and promoting sustainable development across the globe. It refers to the unequal distribution of wealth, income, and resources among individuals and communities. Economic inequality can lead to poverty, poor health outcomes, limited access…

FoodTech startup OneThird wants to tackle our globally inefficient and wasteful food supply system. The Dutch team has just secured €2.75 million to scale. One-third of all food produced is lost due to spoilage, and it comes at both a human and economic cost. It’s estimated that this level of food waste comes at a cost of $1 trillion and about 40% of the food wasted is fresh, edible produce. While this wastage is happening, there are millions around the world suffering from a lack of food security, and facing famine. Spurred on by the challenge to tackle this global issue is…

The Horizon programme aims to modernise and upgrade the AFP’s capabilities to respond to emerging security threats and challenges. The Philippines’ Horizon defence modernisation programme is moving to the next developmental phase, where it will focus on acquiring advanced weapon systems such as fighter jets, to improve the country’s maritime and air defence capabilities. The AFP Modernization Program started in 2013, intending to modernise the country’s defence capabilities through a 15-year phased approach. Horizon 1 was completed in 2017, with the Philippines completing Horizon 2 by the end of 2022. Under Horizon 2, the Philippine Air Force received five more S-70i…

A 28-year-old Canadian volunteering as a medic during the Russian invasion of Ukraine has died, according to his father. Grygorii Tsekhmistrenko was from Ukraine, but was a Canadian citizen. He lived in Kinistino, Sask., for years with his parents before moving to Port Alice, B.C., on Vancouver Island, his father, Vitalii Tsekhmistrenko, told CBC News from Kyiv. “He wanted to build a house on the water after the war,” his father said. Tsekhmistrenko, known as Greg to friends, died some time between the night of Jan. 14 and the early hours of Jan. 15 in Bakhmut, according to a volunteer…

TOKYOJapanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Sunday his government and the central bank must discuss their relationship in guiding economic policy after he names a new Bank of Japan (BOJ) governor in April. The remark heightens the chance the government may revise its a decade-long blueprint with the central bank that focuses on beating deflation, a move that would lay the groundwork for an exit from the BOJ’s ultra-loose monetary policy. Asked what kind of person he would choose as BOJ governor, Kishida said it will be someone “best suited for the job” when Haruhiko Kuroda’s term ends in…

Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s surprise visit to Washington – the Ukrainian president’s first overseas trip since the Russian invasion 300 days ago – started with a secretive train ride to Poland late on Tuesday. The next morning he arrived in the southern Polish city of Przemysl, where he was spotted at the train station, according to footage from private broadcaster TVN, along with the US ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, who accompanied him. Zelenskiy’s visit had been planned for days and organised in secret because of concerns about his safety, but details were tweeted on Tuesday by a reporter from US-based newsletter Punchbowl News. In…