The latest reports from the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) suggest that insured costs from flooding in Australia’s Queensland and New South Wales areas have continued to creep higher, with industry losses now estimated at $1.89 billion. According to ICA data, the number of insurance claims linked to the floods rose by 7.2% overnight to…
Don’t fall for it. Inflation hit a 40-year high in February, with the Consumer Price Index rising nearly 8 percent over last year. The White House reacted by pointing out that “Americans’ budgets are being stretched by price increases and families are starting to feel the impacts of Putin’s price hike.” Setting aside the fact…
A pair of North Korean launches detected in recent weeks were tests of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system, a senior U.S. official said Thursday. “After a careful analysis the US government has conclude[d] that the DPRK’s two ballistic missile tests on February 26 and March 4 of this year involved a relatively new…
WASHINGTON, March 1 (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund and World Bank on Tuesday said they were racing to provide billions of dollars of additional funding to Ukraine in coming weeks and months, adding the war there is creating “significant spillovers” to other countries. IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank President David Malpass said…
Indonesia’s Mount Merapi volcano has spewed out hot clouds in eruptions that forced about 250 residents to flee to temporary shelters and left ash blanketing nearby villages and towns. The volcano on the densely populated island of Java unleashed clouds of hot ash at least seven times just before and after midnight and fast-moving pyroclastic…
Greetings from Tyler, Nobody dared ask the question on everyone’s lips. Both Anthony Blinken and John Kirby held press conferences this week where they took questions. They didn’t have to answer this one. How come all the devastating sanctions don’t apply to Russian oil, which the U. S. is consuming at the reported rate…
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday approved a nonbinding resolution condemning Russia for invading Ukraine and demanding that it withdraw its military forces. The vote came after a series of speeches during which the majority of countries called on Russia to end the violence in Ukraine, which has continued for nearly one week. Sergiy…
Germany will start rolling back most of its coronavirus restrictions in three stages as falling infection rates suggest the Omicron-fuelled wave has peaked, Chancellor Olaf Scholz says. Media-dubbed “freedom day” is slated for March 20. The country will ease COVID-19 restrictions, as a wave of infections from the Omicron coronavirus variant seems to have passed…
Howdy from Texas, My Dad is feeling a little under the weather today and asked that I write the Update in his stead. With everything that’s going on in the world right now I’m not sure if it will be easier or harder than usual. The inescapable news is that Russia has invaded Ukraine. Any…