The Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Monday that more than 400 gasoline stations across the Philippines had stopped operation due to rising fuel prices.

The PNP spokesperson Randulf Tuano told a news conference that the number of closed stations in the Philippines has increased to 403 from 273 recorded on March 18.

He added that PNP has monitored a total of 14,313 gas stations nationwide, and that the country’s existing fuel supply is expected to last until mid-April.

The PNP has already filed cases related to illegal fuel selling, hoarding, and profiteering in several areas.

The agency said it was working closely with the Department of Energy to investigate the allegations.

It said it had intensified the monitoring of gasoline stations that have ceased operations amid suspicions that some closures may be linked to price manipulation.

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) on Monday warned that the conflict in the Middle East has increased instability in global financial markets.

SACCI also warned that it could weigh on economic recovery prospects in South Africa and beyond.

Alan Mukoki, the chief executive officer of SACCI, said in a statement that disruptions to major supply routes and supply chains are likely to negatively affect the business cycle and lead to a clear deterioration in inflation, interest rates, economic growth, exchange rates, and commodity prices.

“This does not bode well for any prospect of recovery that we would have anticipated as South Africa,” said Muloki.

There are multilateral institutions that have been built over the years to resolve conflicts, he said, urging parties to the conflict to exercise restraint and have an immediate ceasefire.

Muloki also called on the South African government to take a diplomatic initiative and lobby international partners to have a ceasefire, warning that the destruction of civil infrastructure in energy and water has a devastating effect globally.

The United States and Israel launched massive attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, disrupting global shipping, sending oil prices soaring, and negatively affecting the global economy.

China Urges U.S, Israel to Stop Military Action in Middle East

China has urged all parties involved in the Middle East conflict, particularly the U.S. and Israel, to cease military operations, warning of a “vicious cycle.’’

“The one who tied the bell must be the one to untie it,” said Chinese special envoy to the Middle East Zhai Jun at a briefing after his shuttle-diplomacy trip that included stops ⁠in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.

China will maintain close communication with all parties concerned and make unremitting efforts to ease tensions and promote regional peace and stability, he said.

In a separate briefing, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian cautioned that the use of force would only lead to a “vicious cycle” and that the war should not have been started.

“Should the hostilities continue to spread and intensify, the entire region will be plunged into chaos,” he said.

Trump on Saturday imposed a 48-hour deadline on Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping, threatening to destroy Iranian power plants otherwise.

Iranian attacks have effectively closed the key waterway, which carries a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas, ‌causing the ⁠worst oil crisis since the 1970s.

Analysts have said that if the war is prolonged, it could undermine global growth and weaken demand for Chinese exports.

While Beijing did not detail its concerns, a prolonged conflict could weigh on China’s export outlook.

Emerging markets, key drivers of Chinese export growth, are particularly vulnerable due to limited oil reserves and sensitivity to rising energy costs.

Goldman Sachs’s Hui Shan ⁠said in a report about the current near-term risks to China’s economy that “weakening growth in China’s emerging market trading partners will likely weigh on Chinese exports to these countries in the coming quarters.’’

China is better positioned to absorb higher oil prices, with coal accounting for about 60 per cent of its energy mix, ample oil stockpiles, and imports via the Strait of Hormuz, which represent only around ⁠5 per cent of total energy consumption.

Still, rising oil and gas prices could lift inflation and end producer price deflation, according to the chief China economist.

The bank has cut its forecast for China’s second-quarter growth and raised its 2026 inflation outlook.

Asked whether ⁠China had pressed Iran to ensure safe passage for Chinese vessels and oil shipments through the strait, Lin said Beijing remains in communication with all parties and is committed to easing tensions.

The ruling party candidate in Benin Republic’s upcoming presidential election has vowed ‌to create municipal police forces in northern border towns to defend against persistent attacks from jihadist groups.

Romuald Wadagni, who has been the finance minister under President Patrice Talon since 2016, also said Benin had “no choice” but to work with neighbouring countries to address security challenges.

Wadagni said cooperation with neighbouring countries is a must as insurgents active in the Sahel have rapidly increased their attacks ⁠on the borderlands between Niger, Benin and Nigeria.

Wadagni described the plan for police forces in border towns while unveiling his political platform ahead of the April 12 election, in which he is the strong favourite.

Benin’s national Republican Police force already has a presence in the north alongside soldiers.

Wadagni did not specify a target number of municipal police officers for the area, nor did he state the programme’s cost.

“The goal will be to ensure that young people, in their own environment, ‌are ⁠trained, equipped, and allowed to defend their homes, their families, their siblings, and their surroundings,” he said.

Attacks expand in the north. Security issues in the north will be one of Wadagni’s top challenges if he takes over for Talon, who has pursued sweeping economic reforms while ⁠trying to boost Benin’s appeal to tourists.

Benin rarely comments on jihadist violence in the north, though it said last April that an attack by al Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al‑Islam wal‑Muslimin had killed 54 ⁠soldiers.

An attack earlier this month killed 15 soldiers and wounded five more at a military camp in the north.

Disgruntled soldiers attempted to oust Talon in a military ⁠coup in December, citing the deteriorating security situation in northern Benin, “coupled with the disregard and neglect of our fallen brothers-in-arms”.

The plot was foiled with help from neighbouring countries, including Nigeria.