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P11-P13 minimum jeepney fare takes effect July 1 nationwide

PHILSTAR

MINIMUM fare will be P11 for traditional jeepneys and P13 for modern jeepneys starting July 1 nationwide, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced on Wednesday.

“The board is mindful of the present economic state of every Filipino brought about by the continuous rise in oil prices in the world market and the reeling effects of the pandemic,” the LTFRB said in its seven-page decision on the petition for jeepney fare increase.

Traditional public jeepneys nationwide are allowed to provisionally increase the minimum fare to P11 from P9 and P10, depending on the region.

Modern public jeepneys nationwide are authorized to increase fare to P13 from P12 currently for the first four kilometers.

Transport groups that petitioned for another fare increase have pointed out that while the transport regulator on June 8 granted a P1 provisional increase to the minimum fare for traditional jeepneys in three regions, increasing it to P10 from P9 for the first four kilometers, the cost of diesel was already P81.25 per liter.

The P1 increase took effect in the National Capital Region, Region III (Central Luzon), and IV (Calabarzon).

The petitioners include 1-United Transport Koalisyon, Pangkalahatang Sanggunian Manila and Suburds Drivers Association Nationwide, Inc., Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, and Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization.

They also questioned the implementation of the said increase in just three regions.

They said the increase is “grossly insufficient” and can “hardly be felt” by jeepney operators.

“The increase of P3.10 on June 21 in the price of diesel… will sum up the price to P88.65 per liter,” they said in their omnibus motion.

Oil companies on June 27 announced another round of hikes, P0.50 per liter for gasoline and P1.65 per liter for diesel. Since the start of 2022, per-liter prices of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene have gone up by P28.70, P41.15, and P37.95, respectively, as of June 14.

“There is great urgency for another provisional increase of the jeepney minimum fare to P1,” the petitioners said. The increase previously implemented in some regions and another fare adjustment to be granted by the LTFRB should also be “implemented in all other regions,” they added.

The LTFRB said in its decision that all jeepney operators and drivers should grant to qualified senior citizens their services a fare discount of not less than 12% of the approved fare upon the presentation of their senior citizen identification cards.

Students are entitled to a discount of not less than 20% of the approved fare. The same discount applies to disabled persons. — Arjay L. Balinbin

News company Rappler to appeal shutdown order

PHILSTAR

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has upheld an earlier decision ordering the closure of Rappler, Inc., which was founded by veteran journalist Maria A. Ressa.

In a statement on Wednesday, the regulatory agency confirmed that it issued an order on June 28 “affirming the revocation” of the certificates of incorporation of Rappler and its parent organization, Rappler Holdings Corp. (RHC), for supposedly violating the restrictions on foreign ownership in mass media.

Ms. Ressa first announced the closure order in a media conference in Hawaii.

The overseer of the Philippine corporate sector said the latest order “merely puts in effect its earlier decision and those of the Court of Appeals.”

“The contentions raised by Rappler and RHC have been squarely and adequately addressed by the SEC and the CA in their respective decisions, resolutions and orders, including the latest issuance from the Commission.”

The SEC first decided to revoke Rappler’s registration in January 2018. However, the news outfit has continued its operations despite the state move, which domestic and international groups consider as a form of harassment.

The newsroom’s parent firm “intentionally created an elaborate scheme” to cover an investment from foreign source Omidyar Network, the SEC alleged at the time. The organization is a “mass media entity that sold control to foreigners,” it as-serted.

The Philippine constitution does not allow foreign ownership in mass media and several attempts of pro-market liberal and conservative legislators to change the rule have failed.

In its latest decision, SEC asserted that Rappler violated the Constitution when it granted Omidyar, an investment vehicle created by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, control through Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs).

“We were notified by our lawyers of this ruling that effectively confirmed the shutdown of Rappler,” the media outfit said in a statement.

Rappler said it will appeal the decision, “especially since the proceedings were highly irregular.”

Its legal counsel Francis Lim expressed confidence that the media network will “prevail” in the legal arena.

Rappler stands firm that the issuance of PDRs, which are financial instruments used by foreign investors to invest passively in a Philippine firm, does not equate to ownership or equity interest in the news company and its parent organiza-tion, Mr. Lim told a virtual news conference.

“There is a very big difference between depositary receipts and shares of stocks. That’s one area of contention.”

Mr. Lim said Rappler has 15 days to file a petition for review before the appeals court.

SEC cannot implement the order against the outfit “while we appeal,” he added.

Media groups and members of Philippine civil society consider the order as an attack on the free press.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, the Philippines’ oldest media group, noted that the order to shut Rappler down “comes on the heels” of a move by the Philippine telecommunications regulator to block al-ternative news sites that have been critical of the government.

“It contributes more uncertainty to the media landscape in the Philippines,” it said in a statement.

The latest SEC order came after President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Monday night admitted in a public event that he had used presidential powers against ABS-CBN Corp., the country’s largest media network.

ABS-CBN, which survived the Martial Law regime of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, was forced off air in May 2020 after Mr. Duterte’s allies in Congress denied its franchise renewal bid.

The late dictator’s son Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., who is set to take oath as the 17th Philippine president on June 30, has said he would let Congress decide on the fate of ABS-CBN’s franchise.

Rappler, whose founder won a Nobel Peace Prize for supposedly defending press freedom under the Duterte administration, has published stories critical of the Marcoses.

Danilo A. Arao, a journalism professor at the University of the Philippines, said the SEC order would likely create a climate of self-censorship and would push outfits to toe the Marcos government’s line.

“Various news media organizations have toned down their reportage from time to time even if we should give credit to some brave journalists in the dominant media who still hold the line and sharpen the line,” he said in a Messenger chat.

“While we should constructively criticize many media owners and some journalists for compromising, we should also understand where they are coming from,” he added. “The fault lies directly with the powers that be for cre-ating an atmosphere that is inherently repressive.”

Mr. Arao said mainstream media outfits are inherently prone to internal and external pressures coming from owners, advertisers and other interest groups.

The academic hopes that mainstream outfits would still “defend press freedom” by observing the highest normative standards.”

Media freedom is being considered by investors in their investment decisions, according to economists who value international norms.

“Press freedom is an indicator of stability, lower asymmetric information, and democratic systems are functioning,” John Paolo R. Rivera, an economist at the Asian Institute of Management, said in a Viber message.

“It means that info is flowing well,” he said. “It can be a metric of a good working environment for people and investments in a country.”

Gov’t delivers cash aid in response to hike in oil prices, basic goods

Ed Gumban, PhilStar Life

Distribution of the first batch of cash aid intended for an initial 1.2 million Filipino households amid the rising costs of fuel and other commodities started Wednesday, the Department of Social Welfare (DSWD) announced.

The subsidy under the Targeted Cash Transfer (TCT) program amounts to P500 per month for six months.

It will cover a total of 12.4 million households.

DSWD said the first tranche was aimed at the bottom 50% of beneficiaries, with P1,000 released for each household.

It includes those with existing cash cards and in the list of the government’s conditional cash transfer program known as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). The first batch also includes some former recipients of the unconditional cash transfer program from 2018 to 2020.

There are also “2.4 million households in the database of Listahanan that fall within the first to fifth income decile, or other poverty data sources of the DSWD,” the Department of Finance (DoF) said.

The TCT program is anchored on Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1, series of 2022, signed by the DSWD, the DoF, Department of Budget and Management, and the National Economic and Development Authority.

State-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) is responsible for distributing the cash subsidy through various mediums, including cash cards, other banks, electronic money issuers, and remittance centers.

Inflation averaged 4.1% in the first five months of the year, exceeding the Philippine central bank’s 2%-4% target after quickening to a three-and-a-half-year high of 5.4% in May.

Pump prices of diesel, gasoline, and kerosene had gone up by P41.15, P28.70, and P37.95, respectively, from the start of the year to June 14. — Diego Gabriel C. Robles

Lawyers’ group urges Marcos gov’t to cooperate with drug war probe

FACEBOOK.COM/BONGBONGMARCOS

A lawyers’ group on Wednesday called on the incoming administration of President-elect Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) should it continue its probe into the Duterte government’s war on illegal drugs.

In a statement, Center for International Law Philippines (CenterLaw) said it supports ICC Prosecutor Karim Ahmed Khan’s request to reopen the investigation months after it was suspended upon the Philippine government’s request.

“The Filipino people deserve much more than empty words and false promises,” the group said. “As President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s term comes to a close, CenterLaw calls on the next administration to cooperate with the investigations of the Office of the Prosecutor and to put an end to the senseless drug war.”

It stressed the Philippine government has failed to investigate the thousands of lives claimed by Mr. Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

CenterLaw disagreed with Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra’s claim that the war on drugs was largely successful despite “excesses” committed by rogue cops.

“Contrary to the Duterte administration’s claims, the drug war is no success,” the group said. “Not only did it fail to deliver on Duterte’s false promise to eradicate the illegal drug trade; it claimed an estimated 12,000 and 30,000 lives along the way.”

Hansley A. Juliano, a former political science professor studying at Nagoya University’s Graduate School of International Development in Japan, said it remains to be seen “to what extent will the Marcos Jr. administration be well disposed to the ICC.”

“We do not expect it to be cordial in any way, especially since the presence of incoming Vice-President Sarah Z. Duterte-Carpio is presumably for that kind of continuity,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

Ms. Duterte is the outgoing president’s daughter.

Data from the Philippine government released in June 2021 showed that at least 6,117 suspected drug dealers had been killed in police operations as of April 2021. Human rights groups estimate that about 30,000 suspected drug personalities have been killed.

Incoming Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla earlier said he would look into the Justice department’s initial review of the anti-illegal drug campaign. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Sotto defends list of agri smugglers and protectors

source: senate.gov.ph

The outgoing Senate chief has defended the list of alleged smugglers of agricultural goods and their protectors provided under the chamber’s committee of the whole report, after the government’s intelligence arm said it did not match with their list.

“I will release it all. I didn’t want to but if they tell me that the list that reached me is different, that’s different,” he said in Filipino during an interview with DZBB Super Radyo on Wednesday.

“Just say you made a mistake, half of the names there are wrong, but don’t say that the list I submitted to the comrep is different,” he added.

This comes after the National Intelligence Coordination Agency (NICA) released a statement saying the list did not come from them.

“In fact, (if you will look at the) committee of the whole report, there was no mention that it came from NICA,” agency director Edsel T. Batalla said.

“We do have our own list, but it is different from the one that was published by the committee,” he added, citing one of the accused mayors.

The 63-page committee of the whole report, filed on June 1, named officials from the Agriculture department, Customs bureau, and local governments as well as private individuals.

The report indicated that around P667.5 million worth of agri-fishery products were “technically smuggled” into the country from 2019 to 2022.

Mr. Sotto said he had already sent the chamber’s full report to the Ombudsman for possible prosecution of those involved in the smuggling activities. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Heavy rainfall alert raised over western PHL but tropical depression not seen to intensify

Tropical Depression Caloy

Heavy rainfall warnings were raised in western parts of the country Wednesday as tropical depression Caloy enhanced the southwest monsoon, state weather bureau PAGASA reported.

Caloy, the third typhoon to enter the country this year, is not expected to intensify until it exits by Wednesday evening or Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in an advisory.

Fishermen, especially those using small boats, and other mariners were warned of rough seas over the seaboards of northern Luzon and the western seaboards of central and southern Luzon.

“The large overall circulation and disorganized structure of Caloy suggest a slow pace of intensification in the near term,” PAGASA said.

“It is forecast to remain a tropical depression in the next 48 hours, then slightly intensify and reach tropical storm category by Friday afternoon” as it moves towards southern China.

As of Wednesday 10 a.m., the center of tropical depression Caloy was located 375 kilometers (km) west of Iba, Zambales.

It was moving westward slowly or “almost stationary,” PAGASA said, with maximum sustained winds of 45 km per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 55 km/h.

Meanwhile, light to moderate rains are expected over Metro Manila on June 30, but a dry period is possible between 9 a.m. to 12 noon when President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos is scheduled to take his oath in the capital, according to PAGASA Weather Division head Juanito S. Galang.

“We see a window that the weather will be fair between 9 a.m. and 12 noon,” he said during a press briefing on Wednesday. — MSJ

Regional court clears gun charges vs rights worker

A regional court in Calamba City has dismissed the illegal gun possession charges against a human rights worker arrested during what has been dubbed as the “bloody Sunday” raids in March 2021 where nine activists were killed and four others detained.

In an 18-page resolution on Wednesday, the Calamba City Regional Trial Court Branch 37 granted Nimfa Lanzanas’ demurrer of evidence and acquitted her of illegal possession of firearms charges.

The court also ordered her immediate release.

“This court finds that the police officers conducting the search failed to observe the strict procedures laid down by the rules in the implementation of the search warrant,” according to the ruling penned by Presiding Judge Caesar C. Buenagua.

The court added that government prosecutors failed to prove that the supposed search warrant presented during the raid was seen by witnesses.

“Nonetheless given the circumstances, the unavailability and or the apparent reluctance of these witnesses to appear and testify damages the case sufficient to create reasonable doubt for the acquittal of the accused,” it said.

A demurrer to evidence asserts that the evidence submitted by the opposing party is insufficient to prove guilt.

Ms. Lanzanas was arrested along with three other activists during the raids conducted by law enforcers in the neighboring provinces of Laguna, Rizal, Batangas, and Cavite in March of last year.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), after a recommendation by a task force formed by the Justice department, filed murder charges against 17 policemen allegedly involved in the raids. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

VP Robredo takes a bow with highest audit rating

MEDIA BUREAU

Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo is ending her six-year term with a good governance record after her office again received an unqualified opinion from state auditors.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Ms. Robredo’s office has achieved the highest audit level given by the Commission on Audit (CoA) to a government agency.

The achievement is “a fitting exclamation point to our six years at the Office of the Vice President,” Ms. Robredo tweeted on Wednesday.

“We tried our hardest to make the OVP a model office,” she said separately in a news conference on the same day.

The rating means that her office’s financial statements comply with the public sector’s accounting standards.

Several departments under President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s administration were flagged by CoA due to irregularities.

Ms. Robredo ran for president in the May 9 election under a good governance platform. She lost to President-elect Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. by a wide margin.

Meanwhile, Ms. Robredo said in the news conference that many of her staff plan to serve at the civic group that she will lead after her vice-presidential term.

The group, which is aimed to become the largest network of Filipino volunteers, is set to be launched next month.

Ms. Robredo is also expected to return to her legal profession, which she has used to defend vulnerable and marginalized sectors. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

PHL, US firms ink deal for weapons assembly in Bataan

American firm Daycraft Systems Corporation has partnered with a local company for a weapons assembly plant in a freeport zone in the country’s north, which will supply customized equipment to the Philippine military and other uniformed officers.

The Philippine-based Asia Defense and Armament Corporation (ACAC) inked a joint venture agreement with the United States-based defense firm on May 21, ACAC told BusinessWorld in an email.

“The local production and delivery of these equipment is in line with the Self-Reliant Defense Posture program which seeks to allow local industry and labor to benefit from defense expenditure,” ACAC said.

Any excess in production of the local facility shall be exported for sale to members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Asian countries, it added.

ACAC has been involved in the manufacture and trade of defense and security-related products in the Philippines, including defense robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles, cybersecurity systems, and ammunition equipment.

Daycraft, on the other hand, is a manufacturer of defense products for safety and peacekeeping.

The partnership aims to have the facility fully operational not later than the fourth quarter of 2022. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

PSEi ends lower on profit taking, Wall Street’s drop

BW FILE PHOTO

Philippine shares ended lower on Wednesday due to profit taking and losses on Wall Street amid the release of a gloomy US consumer confidence index report.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) declined by 42.22 points or 0.66% to close at 6,303.19 on Wednesday, while the broader all shares index gave up 11.56 points or 0.34% to end at 3,389.12.

“Philippine shares gave up early-session gains following a disappointing US consumer confidence index reading,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said in a Viber message on Wednesday.

“The local bourse pulled back this Wednesday as investors took profits from its preceding three-day rally. Concerns over the decline in consumer confidence of major economies [also] weighed on market sentiment,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Senior Research Analyst Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco said in a Viber message.

First Metro Investment Corp. Head of Research Cristina S. Ulang added that the market is on a “sell on rally” as investors are quick to take profit on recent gains.

Wall Street closed sharply lower in a broad sell-off on Tuesday as dire consumer confidence data dampened investor optimism and fueled worries over recession and the looming earnings season, Reuters reported.

The S&P and the Nasdaq fell about 2% and 3% respectively, with Apple, Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com weighing the heaviest. The blue-chip Dow shed about 1.6%.

US consumer confidence dropped to a 16-month low in June as worries about high inflation left consumers to anticipate that the economy would slow significantly or even slide into recession in the second half of the year.

Back home, sectoral indices ended split on Wednesday. Property sank by 62.83 points or 2.14% to 2,867.64; financials dropped by 9.68 points or 0.65% to 1,473.43; and holding firms lost 24.04 points or 0.40% to end at 5,922.66.

Meanwhile, mining and oil went up by 98.16 points or 0.88% to 11,134.46; services rose by 4.50 points or 0.26% to 1,715.38; and industrials gained 5.34 points or 0.05% to close at 9,043.56.

Decliners narrowly beat advancers, 98 versus 97, while 45 names ended unchanged.

Value turnover fell to P4.91 billion on Wednesday with 532.42 million shares changing hands from the P7.46 billion with 847.09 million issues seen on Tuesday.

Net foreign selling grew to P645.8 million from the P157.91 million seen the previous trading day.

Regina Capital’s Mr. Limlingan said investors will be focused on semester-end window dressing and the inauguration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. to close trading for this month on Thursday. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson with Reuters

GBP, CANVAS partner to promote reading literacy

GBP scholars showing the books they’ve received, authored by CANVAS. This partnership forms part of the non-profit organization’s ‘One Million Books for One Million Filipino Children’ campaign.

Global Business Power Corporation (GBP), in collaboration with the Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development (CANVAS), distributed books to various public elementary and high school students in Iloilo, Aklan, Cebu and Rizal. Following the two organization’s successful business partnership during the height of the pandemic, a new endeavor was forged as GBP and CANVAS share the same passion and commitment in educating the youth, most especially in the far-flung areas. A total of 800 books on patriotism, art history and fighting fake news and disinformation, crafted by CANVAS, were distributed to GBP’s scholars in the said locations.

“Now more than ever, as we continue to navigate the pandemic, we see the value of education and providing alternative ways of learning to the youth so that they may be productive even while at home,” said GBP President Jaime T. Azurin. “Together with CANVAS, we are arming our supported GBP scholars in Iloilo, Aklan, Cebu and Rizal with educational materials that they can use to gain a new understanding of these timely and relevant topics and at the same time, foster creativity within themselves”, added Mr. Azurin.

GBP, a wholly owned subsidiary of MERALCO PowerGen (MGen), is a leading power generation company in Visayas and Mindanao that aims to provide adequate, reliable and sustainable energy. CANVAS, on the other hand, is a non-profit organization that works with the creative community to promote children’s literacy, explore national identity and deepen public appreciation for Philippine art, culture and the environment.

First to be given out were the books intended for the Grades 1 to 12 scholars of GBP in Iloilo and Aklan. Organized with a brief program, the book distribution was held at the GBP Institute for Energy for Iloilo and at the Panay Power Corporation plant site for Aklan. Different sets of books were provided to those in the elementary and high school levels, respectively. Meanwhile, in Cebu, the books were handed to the students along with provision of the annual benefits they receive as scholars of the Company to minimize exposure amidst the COVID-19 virus.

To supplement the Company’s efforts in assisting GBP’s host barangay in Baras, Rizal, the books were donated to Pinugay Elementary School. A storytelling session was held prior to the turnover of the educational materials to encourage the kids in making reading a habit. GBP, through its subsidiary PH Renewables, Inc. (PHRI), is set to finish the construction and start the commercial operations of its 75 MWac solar plant situated in Baras, Rizal by the latter part of the year.

As a member of the ONE MERALCO Group, GBP is one in powering the good life of the Filipino by initiating meaningful partnerships and collaborations with other organizations that share the same vision in empowering the community and in helping build the foundation of our nation.

 

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Dozens missing after strike on Ukraine mall; Russia strikes east

ALICE KOTLYARENKO-UNSPLASH

KREMENCHUK, Ukraine — Dozens of people were still missing on Wednesday after a Russian missile strike on a shopping mall in central Ukraine two days ago that killed at least 18, while a regional governor said the situation was “very difficult” in Lysychansk in the east.

Ukraine said Russia had killed civilians deliberately when it pounded the mall in Kremenchuk. Moscow said the mall was empty and it had struck a nearby arms depot.

“Russian missile hit this location precisely. De-li-be-ra-te-ly… It is clear that Russian killers received those exact coordinates,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an evening video address. “They wanted to kill as many people.”

Authorities said about 36 people were still missing.

Further east in Lysychansk in the Luhansk region, a key battleground in Russia’s assault on the industrial heartland of Donbas, the governor reported increased military action.

The situation in Lysychansk resembles that in its twin city Sievierodonetsk more than a month ago when the Russians started taking building after building, Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said on Wednesday. Sievierodonetsk fell to Russia on Saturday.

“The situation in Lysychansk is very difficult,” Mr. Gaidai said earlier on television.

“The Russians are using every weapon available to them… and without distinguishing whether targets are military or not — schools, kindergartens, cultural institutions,” he said.

“Everything is being destroyed. This is a scorched-earth policy.”

Russian forces are trying to surround Lysychansk, Ukraine’s armed forces general staff said on Wednesday.

The mayor of the southern city of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Senkevych, said a multi-storey residential building had been hit this morning and rescuers were working there.

Russia has denied targeting civilian areas during its four-month offensive against Ukraine. The UN says at least 4,700 civilians have been killed since Russia invaded on Feb. 24.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, towards Ukraine’s east, Governor Valentyn Reznychenko said the bodies of a man and a woman had been found buried under the rubble of a transportation company office that was hit by a Russian missile on Tuesday.

He earlier said Russia had fired six missiles on Tuesday in the region, three of which were shot down.

Reuters could not verify the account. The Russian Defence Ministry did not reply to an e-mailed request for comment.

Separately, Russia-installed officials said their security forces had detained Kherson city mayor Ihor Kolykhayev on Tuesday after he refused to follow Moscow’s orders. A local official said the mayor was abducted.

Kherson, a port city on the Black Sea, sits just northwest of the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula.

In the past few days, Ukrainians have also described attacks in the southern region of Odesa and Kharkiv in the northeast.

The Russian invasion, the biggest assault on a European state since World War II, has driven up prices of food and energy worldwide and fueled global security worries.

Finland and Sweden on Tuesday moved a step closer to joining the Western NATO military alliance, whose members have provided Ukraine with weapons, after Turkey dropped its opposition to their membership.

The development solidifies the alliance’s response to Russia — particularly in the Baltic Sea, where Finnish and Swedish membership would give NATO military superiority.

‘COLOSSAL MISTAKE’

The Kremenchuk attack drew a wave of global condemnation.

“We have run out of words to describe the senselessness, futility and cruelty of this war,” UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council.

While Kyiv said there was no military target in the area, Russia’s defense ministry said its missiles had struck a nearby arms depot storing Western weapons, which exploded, causing the blaze that spread to the nearby Kremenchuk mall.

Moscow’s assertion the mall was empty was contradicted by wounded survivors such as Ludmyla Mykhailets, 43, who said she had been shopping there with her husband when the blast threw her into the air “head first.”

Mr. Zelensky accused Russia of being a “terrorist state” at the United Nations, urging the Security Council to expel Moscow from the United Nations. Russia accused Mr. Zelensky of using the address as a “PR campaign” for weapons.

Western countries have imposed sanctions on Russia, but so far have failed to curtail Moscow’s main source of income: oil and gas export revenue, which has actually risen with the threat of supply disruption driving up global prices.

The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations have announced a new approach — leaving Russian oil on the market while imposing a cap on its price.

The United States also imposed sanctions on more than 100 new targets and banned new imports of Russian gold, acting on commitments made by the G7.

In a rare public questioning of Russia’s rationale for the war by one of its richest men, aluminium tycoon Oleg Deripaska told reporters in Moscow: “I think that destroying Ukraine would be a colossal mistake, including for us.” — Reuters

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