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Philippine president declares energy emergency as impact of Iran war felt

Philippine president declares energy emergency as impact of Iran war felt

Transport unions say the emergency declaration is a ‘superficial band-aid’ that does not address the root cause of the fuel crisis. Published On 25 Mar 202625 Mar 2026 Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has declared a national energy emergency in response to the US-Israel war on Iran ⁠and what he called the “imminent danger” posed to the country’s energy supply. The emergency declaration on Tuesday came as Philippine transport workers, commuters and consumer groups plan to hold ‌a two-day strike from Thursday to protest the increase in fuel prices and what they say is the Marcos administration’s failure to swiftly respond. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “The declaration of a state of national energy emergency will enable the government… to implement ‌responsive and coordinated measures under existing laws to address the risks posed by disruptions in the global energy supply and the domestic economy,” Marcos Jr said. As part of the emergency response, a committee has been formed to ensure the orderly movement, supply, distribution and availability of fuel, food, medicine, agricultural products and ⁠other essential goods, he said. The emergency declaration, which will remain in force for one year, authorises the government to procure fuel and petroleum products to ensure timely and sufficient supply and, if necessary, pay part of the contract amount in advance. Authorities are also empowered to take action against the hoarding, profiteering and manipulation of petroleum product supplies. Earlier on Tuesday, Secretary of Energy Sharon Garin told a news briefing that the country still had ⁠about 45 days of fuel supply, based on current consumption levels. Garin said ⁠the government was working to procure 1 million barrels of oil from countries within and outside Southeast Asia to build its buffer stock, but there will likely be uncertainties in reaching this level. Advertisement Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez told the Reuters news agency that Manila was working with Washington to secure exemptions that would allow for the purchase of oil from countries under US sanctions. “All options are being considered,” the ambassador said in response to whether Iranian and Venezuelan oil was part of the talks with the US. But transport unions and Philippine senators have criticised the government’s response to the crisis, accusing the Marcos administration of lacking a unified and coordinated action to mitigate the fallout from the surge in oil prices. Piston, a federation of public transport associations, described the declaration of a national energy emergency as a “superficial band-aid that deliberately ignores the structural roots of the fuel crisis”. “If the government genuinely intends to protect transport workers and commuters from this geopolitical crisis, it would immediately suspend the Excise Tax and Value-Added Tax on petroleum products to drastically lower prices overnight,” Piston said in a statement on Tuesday. “Furthermore, tasking the Department of Energy to merely monitor ‘profiteering’ is a toothless gesture as long as multinational oil cartels remain legally empowered to dictate extortionate pump prices at will.” Renato Reyes Jr, of the progressive civil society coalition Bayan, said the declaration “does not address the basic problem of runaway oil prices and [their] effects on the mass transport system and other sectors in the country”. “It does not mention removing or suspending oil taxes, which are at the core of the people’s demands,” Reyes Jr told Al Jazeera. “Where are the needed price controls?” As part of the government’s mitigation measures, students and workers in some cities are being given free access to bus rides, and the government has started to provide a 5,000 peso ($83) subsidy to motorcycle taxi drivers and other public transport workers nationwide to help them cope with soaring gasoline and diesel prices. With reporting from Manila by Michael Beltran. Adblock test (Why?)

Drone attack ignites fuel tank at Kuwait airport

Drone attack ignites fuel tank at Kuwait airport

NewsFeed A drone has sparked a fire at a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport as Iran continues its retaliatory attacks on Gulf Arab nations almost a month into the US-Israeli war. Al Jazeera’s Malik Traina reports from Kuwait City. Published On 25 Mar 202625 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)

Iran says ‘non-hostile’ ships can pass safely through Strait of Hormuz

Iran says ‘non-hostile’ ships can pass safely through Strait of Hormuz

Tehran’s statement on opening of key waterway comes as US President Donald Trump says talks are taking place to end the war. Published On 25 Mar 202625 Mar 2026 Iran has said that “non-hostile” ships may transit the Strait of Hormuz amid a collapse of maritime traffic through the waterway that has prompted the biggest global energy crisis in decades. In a statement on Tuesday, Iran’s mission to the United Nations said vessels may avail of “safe passage” through the waterway, “provided that they neither participate in nor support acts of aggression against Iran and fully comply with the declared safety and security regulations.” Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Ships will be allowed to transit the strait “in coordination with the competent Iranian authorities”, the statement posted on social media said. Iran earlier shared a similar statement about the status of the strait with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN body responsible for the safety and security of international shipping. Tehran did not elaborate in the statements on what regulations vessels need to follow to safely navigate the strait, through which about one-fifth of global supplies of oil and liquified natural gas usually transit. Iran’s remarks came as United States President Donald Trump said negotiations were under way to end the US-Israel war on Iran, despite Tehran’s previous denials that the sides were in talks. While a small number of ships are passing through the strait each day, traffic remains at a fraction of the levels seen before the US and Israel launched their war on Iran on February 28. Five vessels were tracked transiting the waterway via their automatic identification systems on Monday, down from an average of 120 daily transits before the conflict, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward. Advertisement While Iran warned in the initial days of the conflict that any ship attempting passage would face attack, officials in Tehran have in recent weeks insisted that the waterway remains open, except to “enemies”. The collapse of shipping in the strait has prompted a surge in global energy prices, with some analysts predicting oil could rise to $150 or even $200 a barrel if the waterway stays effectively closed. After hovering above $100 per barrel for much of March, Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, fell more than 9 percent on Wednesday after The New York Times, the Reuters news agency, and Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the Trump administration had sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war. Asia’s major stock indexes opened higher on Wednesday amid hopes for an end to the conflict. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was up about 2.3 percent as of 02:30 GMT, while South Korea’s KOSPI was 2.6 percent higher. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index was up 0.7 percent. Adblock test (Why?)

Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate calls for sweeping federal limits on Muslim immigration

Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate calls for sweeping federal limits on Muslim immigration

A Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate is pushing a “permanent” federal ban on Muslim immigration, arguing Islam is incompatible with American law and values. Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, who launched his gubernatorial bid in the Sunshine State last summer, said Tuesday he would propose and promote a federal ban on Muslim immigration that is “permanent and comprehensive.” “We have to be realistic and be honest that the long-term compatibility of Islam in this country does not exist,” he said. “We cannot have long-term compatibility with the American Constitution and with the American way of life.” Renner added that anyone with terrorist ties, who has defrauded taxpayers or who has been convicted of a serious crime should be denaturalized and deported. MAGA HARDLINER PUSHES BAN ON IMMIGRATION FROM ISLAMIC COUNTRIES, US ADVERSARIES IN WAKE OF TEXAS SHOOTING Renner made the comments during a news conference while speaking in front of a “No Sharia Law” sign. Sharia law is a religious legal framework derived from Islamic texts that governs aspects of life for some Muslims. The gubernatorial candidate pointed to the passage of a bill in the Florida Legislature prohibiting the use of certain foreign laws, including Sharia law, in state courts. Renner asserted that “only American law can be used in American courts and that should go without saying.” GOP GOVERNOR LAYS OUT PLAN TO ‘PURGE’ TERRORISTS AND TERROR SUPPORTERS FROM STATE He added that he would also end all funding for schools that promote what he described as Sharia law concepts. Renner said he would pursue legislation designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis previously issued an executive order last December designating the groups as FTOs, but a federal judge issued a temporary injunction citing First Amendment concerns, according to The Floridian. In his announcement, Renner cited a “recurring pattern of conflict and violence” in the years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, including a recent shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia that left one person dead and two others injured. The suspected shooter, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, was a former Army National Guard soldier convicted of supporting ISIS, according to the DOJ. “The simple fact is while there may be people in this country that will live peaceably with us, as a system there will continue to be increased division, increased conflict, and increased violence, which we have seen over the decades since 9/11, and we have to be realistic about that and put a stop to it so that we protect Americans,” Renner said. “That is the first order of business for any governor or any elected official and that is what I will do as governor.” DeSantis, who is serving his second consecutive term, is not permitted to run again in 2026. President Donald Trump has previously backed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds for the job.

NJ Gov. Sherrill attends mosque led by Imam once accused of Hamas ties in deportation case

NJ Gov. Sherrill attends mosque led by Imam once accused of Hamas ties in deportation case

New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill attended a Ramadan event at a Paterson mosque led by an Imam who fought deportation for years over alleged ties to Hamas. Sherrill posted photos of her visit to the Islamic Center of Passaic County on social media, wearing a hijab and taking selfies. In one image, she is seen speaking with the mosque’s longtime leader, Imam Mohammad Qatanani. “Thank you to the Islamic Center of Passaic County for welcoming me to join their celebration as the holy month of Ramadan comes to a close,” she wrote. “I wish our Muslim neighbors a safe, joyous, and peaceful Eid al-Fitr.” Qatanani, a Palestinian-born cleric, has been at the center of a decades-long immigration battle after federal authorities sought to deport him, citing alleged ties to Hamas and claims he failed to disclose a prior detention in Israel. He has denied those allegations, saying he was detained but never convicted. MAMDANI TELLS TRUMP ADMIN ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST SHOULD ‘REMAIN IN NEW YORK CITY’ AMID DEPORTATION CASE As Fox News previously reported, the federal government moved to remove Qatanani from the U.S. beginning in the mid-2000s, arguing he made misrepresentations on his green card application and raising national security concerns tied to Israeli records. An immigration judge ruled in Qatanani’s favor in 2008, finding the government’s evidence unreliable and giving little weight to Israeli court documents used to support the allegations, according to court records . The judge also found the government had not proven Qatanani engaged in terrorist activity. TOP DEMS BRUSH OFF TIES TO IMAM WHO HELD MEMORIAL FOR IRANIAN LEADER WHO VOWED ‘DEATH TO AMERICA’ Court records further raised concerns about the reliability of statements attributed to Qatanani, including whether they may have been obtained under coercive conditions. Subsequent rulings over the years continued to favor him. A federal appeals court ultimately blocked his deportation in 2025, ruling immigration officials acted improperly in attempting to reverse his legal status. MUSLIM CLERIC IS IN US COURT FIGHTING AGAINST DEPORTATION The [Board of Immigration Appeals] exceeded its authority when it attempted to undo Qatanani’s adjustment to LPR status by using an agency regulation in a manner inconsistent with the procedures set out by Congress,” the court wrote. The decision focused on legal process rather than resolving the underlying allegations, finding federal authorities failed to follow required procedures after missing deadlines to challenge a key ruling granting him permanent residency. It is unclear whether Sherrill was aware of Qatanani’s legal history at the time of her visit. Fox News Digital has reached out to the governor’s office for comment.