CAIRO (AP) – Iran says no port in Persian Gulf or Gulf of Oman will be safe if its own ports are threatened as U.S. declares blockade. U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that the American military had begun a blockade of Iranian ports.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The world economy is experiencing a disorienting flashback to the 1970s. Oil prices are once again surging in the wake of war in the Middle East, driving up the cost of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel and threatening a return to stagflation – the toxic mix of higher prices and slower growth.

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” enjoyed otherworldly success at the box office in its second weekend in theaters. The Universal and Illumination sequel added $69 million from 4,284 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday.

BANGKOK (AP) – China said Sunday it would resume some ties it had suspended with Taiwan such as direct flights and imports of Taiwanese aquaculture products following a visit by the Beijing-friendly opposition leader of the self-ruled island.

More American workers are experimenting with artificial intelligence in their jobs, but skepticism is still widespread. New Gallup polling finds that while more employees are using AI frequently in their work, there’s been an uptick in alarm that new technologies will replace their jobs. Many workers who are not using AI say they prefer to work without it, have ethical oppositions to the technology or worry about data privacy.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The largest monthly jump in gas prices in six decades caused a sharp spike in inflation last month, creating major challenges for the inflation-fighters at the Federal Reserve and heightening already substantial political hurdles for the White House.

HONG KONG (AP) – China’s exports of passenger cars accelerated in March, an industry association said Friday, as Chinese automakers stepped up their push to grow overseas markets.