Newsasia

• Asian stock markets mostly rose on Monday, September 21, driven by increased demand for microchip manufacturer shares. • South Korea’s technology-focused index gained 1.1% and the broad MSCI Asia-Pacific index excluding Japan increased by 0.3%. • Oil prices edged lower but remained above $100 per barrel, affecting energy costs for the region.

• Three people were killed and 15 others wounded in a shooting in Cotabato prior to the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections. • Local official Bongcayao stated the conflict involved rival political parties that originated from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. • The violence threatens the region's first parliamentary vote, which concludes a peace process in the southern Philippines that began in the late 1990s.