House Republicans Delay Vote on Iran War Powers Resolution Amid Growing Congressional Debate 
U.S. Sanctions Tanzanian Police Official Over Human Rights Violations 
Trump Signals Tough Stance on Iran Uranium Stockpile as Nuclear Talks Show Limited Progress 
First Trump, now Putin – all roads lead to Xi Jinping 
Gaza Ceasefire Failure Risks Permanent Division, U.N. Warns 
Israel Faces Global Backlash Over Gaza Flotilla Activists’ Treatment 
Trump-China Summit Yields Limited Progress on Trade and Tech Cooperation 
Marco Rubio Visits India to Rebuild U.S.-India Ties Amid Trade and Geopolitical Tensions 
DHS Threatens to Halt International Airport Processing in Sanctuary Cities 
Greenland Protesters Rally Against Expanded U.S. Consulate Amid Trump Arctic Ambitions 
Mexico-EU Free Trade Deal Signals Strategic Shift Away From U.S. Dependence 
Sheinbaum Warns Morena Officials to Resign Over Corruption Allegations Amid U.S. Pressure 
Pentagon Expands AI Model Testing as It Seeks Alternatives to Anthropic’s Claude 
US Approves $108 Million Hawk Missile System Support Package for Ukraine 
World Bank Emergency Funding Demand Surges as 27 Countries Seek Crisis Support Amid Iran Conflict 
Trump Sends 5,000 Additional U.S. Troops to Poland Ahead of NATO Talks on Iran War 
Taiwan Says No Notice of U.S. Arms Sales Pause Amid Iran Conflict Concerns 
The Supreme Court of the Philippines this week ruled to strike down an old energy deal the country has with China and Vietnam in the highly contested South China Sea. The court ruled that the deal was unconstitutional due to the foreign entities that are also part of the deal.
The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled to strike down a 2005 energy exploration deal with Chinese and Vietnamese companies in the South China Sea. The deal, which expired in 2008, was ruled illegal as the Philippine constitution does not allow foreign entities to exploit natural resources. The court said the majority of businesses involved must be Philippine-owned and that the Philippine state must control and supervise activities.
The decision may challenge efforts by China to revive the oil and gas exploration talks with Manila in areas of the South China Sea that are not being disputed. The court did not explain why the ruling was issued 14 years after the petition was filed.
China claims most of the South China Sea as its territory, angering the surrounding countries, including the Philippines, who have overlapping claims to parts of the body of water. A 2016 tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines, citing that China’s so-called historical territorial claims in the South China Sea have no basis in international law. Beijing has rejected the ruling and has continued to assert its claims over parts of the waters.
Efforts to find a legally plausible way by the Philippines and China have been met with challenges. The previous administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte abandoned the latest effort in June last year due to constitutional constraints and sovereignty issues.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said his country must find a way to exploit its untapped energy reserves in the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone, even without China’s input.
The Philippine presidential office said on Monday that Marcos Jr. appointed former military chief Carlito Galvez to become the new defense minister, replacing Jose Faustino. Galvez previously led the COVID-19 task force in the country. During his time as a regional army commander in 2017, Galvez was known for overseeing the defeat of militants loyal to the Islamic State group that took over and occupied a town for five months.
