Oil prices continue rapid climbTHE price of oil surged higher and showed no signs of halting its rapid climb a week after the US and Israel launched major attacks on Iran that escalated into a war in the Middle East. The shipping disruption and damage to key Middle East oil and gas facilities have interrupted supplies from some of the world's largest oil producers. Asean, China ‘heavily invested’ in Code of Conduct in South China SeaTHE Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and China are "heavily invested" in the finalization of the 2026 Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea (SCS), which has dragged on for the past 17 years because of some contentious issues. The negotiation for a COC stemmed from the need to address mounting tension in the 1990s amid the overlapping claims in the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Aquino analyzes the effect on oil prices during the Lenten season, while Tatad asks if Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been killed.

Source: Manila Times March 09, 2026 01:20 UTC