<p><span data-teams="true"><strong>The US seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade as Iran rejected a second round of peace talks,</strong> escalating regional tensions despite previous hints of diplomatic progress.</span></p>

<p><span data-teams="true"><strong>The US Department of Energy warned that gasoline prices are likely to remain above USD 3 per gallon until 2027,</strong> citing ongoing global supply chain constraints and volatile energy markets.</span></p>

<p><strong>A BusinessWorld poll shows that a slight majority of analysts expect the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to raise interest rates in its April</strong> meeting to combat persistent inflation.</p>

<ul><li data-list-item-id="e1fc555305ebcff2e38fb178b8af86687"><strong>The IMF projects that the Philippine economy will fully recover by early 2027 </strong>if global oil price shocks remain short-lived and domestic and external demand continue to strengthen.</li></ul>

<ul><li data-list-item-id="e0e2d98af6c94bd72e269690eccdc8b9d"><span data-teams="true"><strong>The Philippine national government’s debt service payments surged in February,</strong> driven by higher interest costs and principal repayments on both domestic and foreign loans as borrowing costs continue to rise.</span></li></ul>