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Philippine shares advanced on Thursday following a rally in Wall Street overnight after the US Federal Reserve announced a less aggressive interest rate hike to combat surging inflation. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) also jumped nearly 100 points after Converge ICT Solutions said profits doubled last year while large banks pushed higher. The PSEi rose 1.37 percent, or 96 points, to 7,122.45 while the broader all-shares index was up 1.25 percent, or 46.28 points, to 3,759.96. US markets and regional bourses were higher after the US raised its benchmark interest rates by 0.25 percent. The first such increase since December 2018, the decision was expected giv...

Keep on reading: PSEi stomps past 7,100 following Fed rate hike

After doubling its net income last year, Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions Inc. is ramping up investments in capacity this year to keep the momentum as it anticipates heightened demand from the residential segment and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Converge president and co-founder Grace Uy said in a briefing on Thursday that the internet service provider has earmarked P26 billion to P28 billion in capital expenditures this year to expand its network and deploy additional fiber ports. This is higher compared to P25.2 billion spent last year. She said the allotted spending can lead to 50-percent revenue growth, 55-percent earnings before interest, ta...

Keep on reading: Converge allots P28B this year to grow network capacity

BERLIN --- Germany will lift most restrictions to contain the coronavirus despite infections hitting a record in the country on Thursday, March 17. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said after talks with leaders of Germany's 16 states that a record of almost 300,000 infections in one day was not good news, but the easing of restrictions was justified given intensive care units were not overwhelmed. As of March 20, requirements to wear a mask will be dropped in indoor places like schools and supermarkets but will remain mandatory in medical clinics and care homes. Germany's 16 states will have the power to impose restrictions if they identify hotspots where both infections and hospitali...

Keep on reading: Germany to lift most COVID-19 restrictions

A 13-year-old boy drove the pickup truck involved in a fiery head-on collision in Texas that killed nine people, including six University of the Southwest golfers and their coach, a National Transportation Safety Board official said Thursday.

Chicago businessman Willie Wilson donates $200,000 worth of free gas across the city as people face soaring gas prices.

LIMA --- Peru's top constitutional court ruled on Thursday that former President Alberto Fujimori can be freed from prison, where he had been sentenced to serve until 2032 for human rights violations, a judge said. Fujimori, 83, had previously been pardoned on Christmas Eve in 2017. But the constitutional court overturned that controversial decision. The new decision puts the pardon back in place, following the appointment of judges who were seen as more sympathetic to the former president. Judge Eloy Espinosa-Saldana confirmed the 4-3 ruling in remarks broadcast on local channel Canal N. It was unclear when Fujimori could leave prison or if new legal challenges could halt the ...

Keep on reading: Peru court rules ex President Fujimori can leave prison

The sprawling billion-dollar palace that sits on a hilltop overlooking the Black Sea is seen by some Kremlin critics as the ultimate emblem of Russian President Vladimir Putin's legacy of corruption.

Editor's note: Sergey Makarov, 34, a photographer from the city of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine, told CNN about his experience surviving the Russian siege and his eventual evacuation.

WASHINGTON --- U.S. President Joe Biden will hold a call on Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as Washington warned China was considering military support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a step that would dramatically widen the gulf between Beijing and Western governments. The call, first announced by the White House on Thursday, comes at a pivotal moment in U.S.-China relations and in Ukraine, where heavily outnumbered local forces have prevented Moscow from capturing any of the country's biggest cities so far. The Biden administration has issued public and private warnings that Beijing would face dire consequences if it provides material support to Russian President Vla...

Keep on reading: Biden, Xi to speak as US warns about China military aid for Ukraine war

Retired US Air Force Col. Cedric Leighton says Russia may use ships stationed at Vladivostok and move them through the Pacific Ocean to try and replenish their military force fighting in Ukraine.

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur --- Presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday promised to find solutions to Zamboanga City's electricity problems. "Alam ko rin na isa sa mga hamon na kinakaharap ninyo ay 'yung madalas na power interruptions. Ang akin pong pangako, ako mismo ang tututok para masolusyunan ito," Robredo told Zamboangueos during the grand rally organized for her and her slate at the Climaco Freedom Park. Local leaders said the event was attended by around 27,000 people. (I know too that one of the biggest challenges you are facing is the frequent power interruption. My promise is that if I get elected president, I myself would focus on this is...

Keep on reading: Leni Robredo vows to fix Zamboanga City’s electricity woes

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur --- Despite issues and problems hurled their way -- including road closures, trip cancellations, mural paint-over, Vice President Leni Robredo is remaining steadfast in pursuing her presidential campaign until the end. "Meron ba sa inyong kinakabahan? Meron ba sa inyong natataranta? Alam kong hindi kayo 'yun," Robredo told a grand rally organized for her and her slate, including rinningmate Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, in Zamboanga City on Thursday night. Local government officials said the event gathered around 27,000 people. (Is there anyone among you who is terrified? Is there anyone among you who is feeling paranoid over the elections?...

Keep on reading: Leni Robredo: Road closure, canceled trips, mural removal not enough to stop us

Western leaders and security agencies are spending huge amounts of resources on getting into Russian President Vladimir Putin's head. It's a futile exercise -- at times when the West has thought Russia's war in Ukraine might be losing steam, Putin has doubled down, sending his forces to bomb maternity hospitals and shelters harboring children.

President Joe Biden on Thursday called Vladimir Putin a "pure thug" and "murderous dictator," his latest pointed attack against the Russian President as the war in Ukraine rages on.

It is not just with military might that Russia impacts the world, the country has vast oil and gas reserves. With much of Europe relying on Russian gas, Putin's pipeline diplomacy now has its sights on China.

Rapper Kanye West used a racial slur on Instagram to attack "The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah after Noah accused West of harassing Kim Kardashian.