<p><strong>The U.S. and Iran agreed in principle to extend their ceasefire for 60 days and reopen shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,</strong> though Trump has not yet approved it and Iran says the deal remains unfinished.</p>

<p><strong>U.S. personal consumption expenditure rose 3.8% in April,</strong> its fastest pace in three years, fueled by war-driven energy costs and reinforcing expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates steady well into next year.</p>

<p><strong>The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) fell to a one‑month low on Thursday,</strong> as U.S.-Iran strikes reignited inflation fears and drove oil prices higher, with all sectoral indices closing in the red. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>The Philippine peso slipped to ₱61.595 per dollar on Thursday,</strong> as renewed U.S.-Iran tensions pushed oil prices higher and traders weighed mixed signals from peace talks and hawkish U.S. Federal Reserve comments.</p>

<p><strong>Japanese companies pledged about ₱260 billion in new investments to the Philippines during President Marcos Jr.’s Tokyo visit,</strong> targeting manufacturing, renewable energy, shipbuilding, and digital infrastructure, with projects expected to create over 10,000 jobs and deepen supply-chain integration.</p>