Day: April 29, 2024

Paris: The Vietnamese Embassy in France and the French Communist Party (PCF)’s cell in Saint-Pierre-des-Corps city has held a commemoration of Raymonde Dien, a communist activist, a faithful friend of the Vietnamese people, and also a symbol of the fight against the French war in Vietnam.

The event took place on April 27 besides the train station of Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, where 74 years ago, Raymonde Dien, a 21-year-old PCF member then, lay on the railway track to block a train carrying weapons to Indochina.

The ceremony was among activities celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954 – 2024) and the opening of the Geneva conference on April 26, 1954 that led to the signing of an agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Vietnam.

In his remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang stressed that the act by Raymonde Dien became a historical symbol and a source of inspiration for a global movement objecting to war and advocating peace and independence for the Vietnamese pe
ople.

He expressed profound gratitude from the Vietnamese State and people to Dien as well as other French friends, who contributed to Vietnam’s peace efforts in the past and the maintenance of solidarity and peace at present.

Vietnam is aware that international solidarity, especially the relentless support from the French people, during the struggle for independence and peace, formed the solid foundation for the friendship and cooperation between the two countries nowadays, Thang said, expressing his hope that the two sides will sustain this tradition in the years to come.

Gilles Moindrot, Secretary of the PCF cell in Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, described the act by Dien as symbolic, brave and also a demonstration of the solidarity with Vietnam, support for the Vietnamese’s aspiration for independence, and support for peace for the entire Indochina.

At that time, Dien and other communist activists were convicted by the French government. But only four years later, when the Dien Bien Phu Campaign ended in 195
4, history proved them right and the Geneva Accords put an end to the war between the two countries, he noted.

On this occasion, the embassy also coordinated with historian Alain Ruscio, an expert on Vietnam, and the PCF cell in Saint-Pierre-des-Corps to hold a seminar on the Dien Bien Phu Victory and the Geneva Accords. The event attracted nearly 100 participants./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

CEBU CITY: The Federation of Modern Jeepney Operators’ Cooperatives in Metro Cebu assured there would be no disruption of mass transportation on Tuesday amid the continuation of the transport strike.

Ellen Maghanoy, chair of the Federation of Cebu Transport Cooperatives, on Monday said franchise owners consolidated under different coops will deploy more than 1,000 units of modern jeepneys until Wednesday.

Maghanoy said Cebu People’s Cooperative alone has 250 units.

Apart from the modern jeepneys, Maghanoy said consolidated traditional jeepneys in Central Visayas will augment modern units.

‘If transport groups which are against the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) will hold a strike, we, the owners of modern jeepneys, will surely benefit from it,’ Maghanoy told the Philippine News Agency.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7 Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. said Piston (Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide) did not hold any picket rally or transpo
rt strike in Cebu on Monday.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: An oil price rollback on Tuesday will snap the six straight weeks of increase in gasoline prices.

This as Caltex, Cleanfuel, Jetti, Petro Gazz, Seaoil and Shell announced Monday that they will cut gasoline prices by PHP0.25 per liter and another PHP0.45 per liter on diesel prices.

Caltex, Seaoil and Shell will also slash kerosene prices by PHP0.95 per liter.

The price rollbacks on petroleum prices on April 30 will start as early as 12:01 a.m.

Other companies are also expected to follow suit.

Data from the Department of Energy (DOE) showed that following the price adjustments last week, year-to-date prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene stood at a net increase of PHP10.25, PHP6.05 and PHP1.15 per liter, respectively.

Source: Philippines News Agency

ANKARA: Oil prices decreased on Monday amid ceasefire hopes in the Middle East and growing uncertainties over the timing of the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed) interest rate cuts.

International benchmark Brent crude traded at USD87.45 per barrel at 10.45 a.m. local time (0745 GMT), a 0.86 percent decrease from the closing price of USD88.21 per barrel in the previous trading session.

The American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded at USD83.11 per barrel at the same time, a 0.88 percent fall from the previous session that closed at USD83.85 per barrel.

The likelihood of a ceasefire in Gaza increased as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia to discuss this possibility on Monday, drawing prices down at the start of the week.

Blinken will discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that guarantees the release of hostages while acknowledging that Hamas is the stumbling block between the Palestinian people and the ceasefire, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller revealed in a s
tatement.

He is also anticipated to discuss the path toward an independent Palestinian state that secures Israel’s security, measures to bring about long-term peace and stability in the region by preventing the conflict from spreading, and an increase in humanitarian aid for Gaza.

The possibility of a ceasefire in the region, home to major oil trade routes, supported price falls.

Additionally, uncertainties over when the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will start interest rate cuts continue to influence oil prices.

Money markets are still waiting for the US Fed to implement its first interest rate cut in the fourth quarter of the year, despite data released last week indicating otherwise in the US.

The possibility of a rate cut further supported downward price movements, as generally high-interest rates boost the value of the US dollar, making oil more expensive for holders of other currencies.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: High temperatures will continue over parts of the country in May, with Northern Luzon forecast to reach up to 40.8°C.

During the inter-agency updates on the government’s El Niño response aired on PTV Monday, Department of Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said 31.5 to 40.8 degrees temperatures are forecast in Northern Luzon.

Lowlands of Luzon, he said, could experience 31.7 to 39.8 degrees temperatures, while mountainous Luzon’s temperatures could reach 26.3 to 29 degrees.

The temperatures in Metro Manila could reach 36.5 to 38.3 degrees.

Solidum said in lowland Visayas, temperatures could range from 32.5 to 37.5 degrees.

In lowland Mindanao, temperatures could range from 33.4 to 38.8 degrees, and from 34 to 36.3 degrees in mountainous Mindanao, he said.

“In terms of the meteorological impact of El Niño, we could see the extreme effects due to high temperatures, lesser rainfall,” Solidum said.

He, however, noted that the impacts of El Niño have been mitigated because of govern
ment preparations.

“The effects (of El Niño) on water supply, agriculture, electricity, and health, were reduced because of science forecasts and the early implementation of solutions by the government,” he said.

Solidum also urged the public to help the government by conserving water.

Meanwhile, Analiza Solis, weather bureau’s climate monitoring chief, said El Niño in 2023 to 2024 is “one of the worst”.

Solis said high temperatures were also recorded during El Niño in 2015 to 2016 and 1997 to 1998.

“The impact of El Niño was bigger in 1997 to 1998. It’s because (the country) is more prepared now and interventions are in place,” Solis said.

Solidum said temperatures will lower in June.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecast 10 to 13 tropical cyclones in the country from May to October.

“If La Niña occurs during the last quarter, then most of these (cyclones) will (hit the country) in the second half of the year,” Solidum said.

Source: Phili
ppines News Agency

MANILA: Bargain hunters supported the local bourse during the week’s opening, while the peso closed sideways.

Now on its sixth-day rally, the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose 140.89 points, or 2.12 percent, to 6,769.64, with All Shares also increasing by 1.45 percent to 3,543.28 level.

‘The positive cues from the US markets last Friday and the easing tensions in the Middle East contributed to the market’s gain,’ Philstocks Financial, Inc. assistant research manager Claire Alviar said.

Only the Mining and Oil counter closed in the negative territory, down by 0.81 percent, to 8,802.57 level.

Financials led gainers, with shares improving by 2.89 percent, followed by Services, Property, Industrial, and Holding Firms.

‘Foreign investors also helped lift the market, registering a net inflow of PHP1.18 billion. The net market value turnover stood at PHP4.68 billion,’ Alviar added.

Advancers led losers at 120 to 74, leaving 49 unchanged.

Meanwhile, the peso closed sideways at 57.68 to a US dollar fr
om a 57.71 finish the previous week.

It opened the day at 57.75 to a dollar before trading between a low of 57.60 and a high of 57.77 to a dollar.

The weighted average level for the day stood at 57.70 to the greenback.

Total trade volume on Monday declined to USD1.46 billion from USD1.69 billion the previous day.

Source: Philippines News Agency