<p><strong>A drone strike ignited a fire at a UAE nuclear power plant.</strong> Emirati officials called it a terrorist escalation, and US President Trump warned Iran to act quickly amid stalled war‑ending efforts.</p>

<p><strong>Germany’s economy ministry said there would likely be a sharper slowdown in the second quarter following the modest 0.3% growth in the first quarter,</strong> rising prices, supply chain disruptions, and uncertainty.</p>

<p><strong>The Philippine banking sector’s nonperforming loan ratio eased to 3.29% in March from 3.33% in February,</strong> reflecting resilient borrower repayments despite external shocks.</p>

<p><strong>The Department of Agriculture (DA) is considering extending the PHP 50-per-kilo price cap on imported rice beyond its initial 30-day period,</strong> possibly up to two months, to stabilize retail prices amid lingering global market disruptions.</p>

<p><strong>In the 2026 Chandler Good Government Index,</strong> the Philippines recorded a modest score increase from 0.523 to 0.533, reflecting progress in leadership foresight and policy implementation, though its overall ranking slipped to 59th.</p>