IRAN - Iran and United States 'far' from deal as ships in Strait of Hormuz warned they will be targeted if they attempt to cross. Iran's top negotiator said recent talks with the US had made progress but gaps remained over nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz, while President Donald Trump cited 'very good conversations' with Tehran despite warning against 'blackmail' over the key shipping channel. Neither side offered any specifics about the state of negotiations on Saturday, days before a fragile ceasefire in the US-Israeli war against Iran is set to expire. The war, now in its eighth week, has killed thousands, spread to Israeli attacks in Lebanon and sent oil prices surging because of the de facto closure of the strait, which before the war carried one-fifth of the world's oil shipments. An Israeli soldier was killed in combat in southern Lebanon and nine were wounded, including one seriously injured, the Israeli military said early on Sunday.

IRAN - Shipping chaos continues in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz after Iranian gunboats opened fire on merchant vessels yesterday. Iranian authorities shut down traffic just hours after briefly reopening the narrow waterway, as tensions escalated and Tehran demanded the US lift its naval blockade on key ports. The disruption has left fleets stranded across the Middle East Gulf, with Lloyd’s List reporting that most shipowners are now retreating to previous positions amid growing fears for safety. Movement through the strait remains at a standstill after radio warnings declared the route back under “strict management and control by the Iranian armed forces.”

UK - It is true that the International Monetary Fund’s annual gathering of finance ministers and bankers often seems to be held during a state of crisis. But this year, the anxiety is palpable. As President Donald Trump offers his manic, daily social media commentary on the stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz, the mood of the financiers, bankers and economists is as desperate as I have ever seen. The blockade of the strait and resultant mayhem in oil and gas markets are casting a black cloud of doom over an American capital sweltering in a spring heatwave. Today’s energy catastrophe is being described to me by economic analysts here as the worst since the Yom Kippur War of the 1970s, when surging oil prices triggered explosive inflation and a global recession. In Britain, the pound crashed and Jim Callaghan’s Labour government was forced to accept a humiliating bailout from the Americans and the IMF. And yet, if things continue as they are, the current situation could deteriorate very much further.

UK - Brits are being braced for a summer of shortages with warnings that chicken and pork are among a swathe of products at risk from the Iran war. A 'reasonable worst case' scenario drawn up by the Government suggested that disruption to carbon dioxide supplies from the Middle East could have major impacts. Ministers have been war-gaming prioritising the gas for healthcare - where it is crucial for kit such as MRI machines - and civil nuclear power. But that could affect slaughterhouses, with most pigs and chickens killed using the gas. Breweries and soft drinks manufacturing could also be hit. The possibility will add to fears about looming issues with diesel, jet fuel and fertiliser as the turmoil continues from Donald Trump's war on Iran.

EUROPE - European officials are pushing to form a "European NATO" in case the United States decides to stop participating in the alliance, with the main focus on replacing American assets on the continent, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. According to the report, the objective is to have European officers in command-and-control positions who could take over if the Americans decided to leave the alliance. While the idea had strong opposition from the main members of NATO until now, the report notes that it gained traction after Germany began supporting it in recent months. This plan also doesn't aim to rival NATO, but rather to give Europe the tools to preserve nuclear deterrence and military cohesion against Russia in case the US decides to leave the alliance. NATO's Secretary General, Mark Rutte, said recently that the alliance aimed to reduce its dependence on American officers and instead become more "European-led."

EUROPE - Europe has 'maybe six weeks' of jet fuel left, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Thursday in a sobering prediction, warning of possible flight cancellations 'soon' if oil supplies remain blocked by the Iran war. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol painted a damning picture of the global repercussions of what he called 'the largest energy crisis we have ever faced' in an interview with AP, stemming from the pinch-off of oil, gas and other vital supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. "In the past there was a group called 'Dire Straits.' It's a dire strait now, and it is going to have major implications for the global economy. And the longer it goes, the worse it will be for the economic growth and inflation around the world," he said.

USA - The White House is looking into claims that the deaths or disappearances of a growing list of scientists over the past three years may be connected. There is no evidence to suggest that their deaths and disappearances are linked, but conspiracy theories have circulated online to suggest this may be the case. During a White House briefing on Wednesday, a Fox News reporter asked Karoline Leavitt, President Trump’s press secretary, about ten scientists who had disappeared or died since mid-2024 and “reportedly had access to classified nuclear or aerospace material”.

USA - Donald Trump has been briefed on the mysterious string of missing and dead scientists, a growing list that has now reached ten cases. The President addressed the alarming situation after landing at the White House on Thursday, where he was met by reporters and questioned by FOX News about whether the disappearances and deaths were random or potentially connected. 'Well, I hope it is random, but we are going to know in the next week and a half,' said Trump. 'I just left a meeting on that subject, so pretty serious stuff. Hopefully, coincidence... but some of them were very important people, and we are going to look at it.' These scientists, who had ties to NASA, nuclear research, aerospace programs and classified projects, have raised alarms since 2023.

USA - A scientist experimenting with anti-gravity tech was found dead at 34 after warning that her life could be in danger, marking another mysterious case of deaths and disappearances in recent years. Amy Eskridge was just 34 years old when she allegedly died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head in Huntsville, Alabama on June 11, 2022. However, neither the police nor the medical examiners have publicly released any details of an investigation ever taking place. Before her death, she was openly researching and trying to develop anti-gravity technology, a way to control or cancel out gravity, which could revolutionize space travel and energy production. Anti-gravity propulsion has also been widely discussed by UFO researchers, who have claimed this advanced technology is what allows alien spacecraft to achieve impossible speeds.

GERMANY - Germany’s handling of anti-Israel protests was “disproportionate,” and the government’s use of hate-speech laws to counter the demonstrations unfairly restricted freedom of expression, a report by the EU’s human rights commissioner has found. Compiled by the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights, Michael O’Flaherty, and published on Wednesday, the report called on the German government to “ensure that the fight against all forms of hatred fully respects the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression for all members of society.”