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Metro Manila, Philippines – Malacañang has dismissed online rumors claiming a so-called energy lockdown. “Fake news,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said in a Viber message to reporters on Friday, April 3. The alert in question, which falsely carried the Department of Energy logo, urged the public to prepare power banks, solar equipment, flashlights, food, and other essentials. Castro had already clarified during a March 27 press briefing that no energy lockdown was being planned, as the government continues to secure additional fuel supplies. On Thursday, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported that the Iranian government has granted safe passage for Philippine-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a move expected to ensure steady delivery of oil and fertilizer supplies to the country. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has placed the Philippines under a state of national energy emergency through Executive Order No. 110, amid rising prices and supply risks due…

Metro Manila, Philippines – The Iranian government has assured the “safe, unhindered, and expeditious passage” of Philippine-flagged vessels, energy resources, and Filipino seafarers through the Strait of Hormuz, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. In a statement, the agency said Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro secured assurance from Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, during a phone conversation on Thursday, April 2. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global trade, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. Lazaro said the development was vital for the Philippines’ energy security, given the country’s heavy reliance on imported oil.  “These assurances from Iran will greatly facilitate the steady delivery of critical oil and fertilizer supplies to the Philippines,” the DFA said. The agency added that Manila and Tehran reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining excellent bilateral relations and “lasting peace through continued dialogue and diplomacy.”…

Washington, U.S/Cairo, Egypt – Hopes for a swift end to the Middle East war faded on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed more aggressive strikes on Iran, disappointing investors hoping for clearer signals of a way out of the month-long conflict. Stocks slid, oil prices surged and the dollar gained after Trump said military operations would be intensified in the next two to three weeks, offering no concrete timeline for ending hostilities that have sparked global energy supply chaos and threatened to send the world economy into a tailspin.  “I can say tonight that we are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly,” Trump said in a Wednesday evening primetime speech. “We’re going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong.” Trump also suggested the war could escalate if Iranian leaders…

Washington, U.S. –  U.S. President Donald Trump told the nation in a televised speech on Wednesday night that the U.S. military had nearly completed the goals it had set out to accomplish in its war with Iran and that the conflict would soon be ending. Trump, facing a war-wary American public and sliding approval ratings, said the U.S. had destroyed Iran’s navy and air force, and crippled its ballistic missile and nuclear programs. He added that the U.S. would continue to hit targets in the Islamic Republic over the next two to three weeks.”Tonight, I’m pleased to say these core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” he said. “We are going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast. We’re getting very close.” Trump and his advisers have offered shifting explanations and timelines for the conflict, now in its fifth week. Some allies are pushing the president to assuage growing concerns among Americans, most of whom oppose…

The impact of the oil crisis may be a factor in discussions at the regional wage boards, a labor official said Wednesday, April 1.