![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dccfaea8-ce7f-49ce-88a0-417e870461af.jpg\")
Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has contributed to The New York Times, PBS and Al Jazeera EnglishTristan Fewings\/Getty Images for Doha Film Festival<\/p>\n\t\t\t12.05am
\n\t\t\tApril 15<\/p>\n
\t\tTrump is looking for a \u2018grand bargain\u2019 with Iran\n <\/p>\n
JD Vance said President Trump is looking to make a \u201cgrand bargain\u201d with Iran.<\/p>\n
He explained that the president \u201cdoesn\u2019t want to make, like, a small deal. He wants to make the grand bargain\u201d.<\/p>\n
Vance claimed that Trump is telling Iran: \u201cIf you guys commit to not having a nuclear weapon, we are going to make Iran thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said of the Islamic republic: \u201cWe\u2019re going to make it economically prosperous, and we\u2019re going to invite the Iranian people into the world economy in a way they haven\u2019t been in my entire life.\u201d<\/p>\n
The vice-president also acknowledged that some young voters \u201cdon\u2019t love\u201d the Trump administration\u2019s Middle East policy, but urged them not to \u201cdisengage\u201d with politics entirely as a result.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not saying you have to agree with me on every issue,\u201d he told the crowd in Georgia. \u201cWhat I\u2019m saying is, don\u2019t get disengaged because you disagree with the administration on one issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t11.40pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tJD Vance: There\u2019s a lot of mistrust\n <\/p>\n
JD Vance, the vice-president, said on Tuesday that Iranian negotiators want to make a deal despite mistrust on both sides.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a lot of, of course, mistrust between Iran and \u2060the United States of America. You are not going to solve that problem overnight,\u201d Vance said during a Turning Point USA event.<\/p>\n
Adding that Iran hopes to reach a deal, he said: \u201cI feel very good about where we are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vance\u2019s remarks come days after he returned from Islamabad after 21 hours of talks that ended without an agreement.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Tuesday, President Trump told the New York Post that another round of peace talks \u201ccould be happening over next two days\u201d.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t11.05pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tUS economy remains resilient despite war\n <\/p>\n
Two US banks said the economy remained resilient despite the war in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
Jamie Dimon, the CEO and chairman of JPMorgan Chase, said that while businesses were still healthy, an \u201cincreasingly complex set of risks\u201d, such as volatility in energy prices, could threaten that status.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile we cannot predict how these risks and uncertainties will ultimately play out, they are significant,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Michael Santomassimo, the chief financial officer of Wells Fargo, said that consumers were probably spending between 25 and 30 per cent more on petrol than they did before the war. <\/p>\n
However, he added: \u201cOverall spend continues to be quite resilient and quite strong. We\u2019re not seeing the overall spend level trends change really with any significance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t10.44pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tAre ships passing through the Strait?\n <\/p>\n
There\u2019s some confusion over how many ships, if any, have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the US blockade began on Monday.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the US Central Command boasted that \u201cno ships [had] made it past\u201d. However, two US officials told The Wall Street Journal that more than 20 commercial ships had moved through the waterway in the past 24 hours.<\/p>\n
Rich Starry, a US-sanctioned tanker, also passed through the strait, Reuters reported. <\/p>\n
The vessel, owned by a Chinese company, is believed to be carrying 250,000 barrels of methanol. Rich Starry was sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2023 for helping Tehran to evade sanctions.<\/p>\n
China has criticised the US blockade as a \u201cdangerous and irresponsible act\u201d.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t10.24pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\t\u2018More than 20 ships pass through Strait of Hormuz\u2019\n <\/p>\n
More than 20 commercial ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the last 24 hours, according to The Wall Street Journal.<\/p>\n
The US Central Command, which oversees America\u2019s military action, said no ships have made it past the US blockade.<\/p>\n
It said six merchant ships followed orders to turn back.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t10.09pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tHezbollah targets northern Israel with rockets\n <\/p>\n
Hezbollah said it had fired rockets at 13 towns in northern Israel shortly after the start of Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Israel had said before the preliminary talks that the meeting would involve no discussion of a ceasefire with Hezbollah, the militant group based in Lebanon, but rather focus on diplomatic negotiations with its northern neighbour.<\/p>\n
Both Israel and Lebanon described the meeting as productive.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t10.00pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tJournalist detained in Kuwait since March 2\n <\/p>\n
Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has contributed to The New York Times, PBS and Al Jazeera EnglishTristan Fewings\/Getty Images for Doha Film Festival<\/p>\n
An American-Kuwaiti journalist has been detained for weeks and charged in Kuwait, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has not posted online or been seen in Kuwait since March 2, the press freedom watchdog said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is understood that authorities have charged him with spreading false information, harming national security, and misusing his mobile phone \u2014 vague and overly broad accusations that are routinely used to silence independent journalists,\u201d it said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of people have been arrested across the Gulf as states seek to limit the spread of footage showing the effects of Iran\u2019s attacks, including any damage or interceptions.<\/p>\n
Shihab-Eldin posted last month a video showing a US fighter jet crash near a US air base in Kuwait, according to the CPJ. He has also commented on videos and images related to the war.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The CPJ said it emailed the Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington but received no immediate comment.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe call on Kuwait to release Ahmed Shihab-Eldin and drop all charges against him,\u201d said the CPJ\u2019s regional director Sara Qudah.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t9.55pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tTalks with US and Israel were productive, says Lebanese ambassador\n <\/p>\n
Lebanon\u2019s ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, described talks with the US and Israel on Tuesday as \u201cproductive\u201d.<\/p>\n
She said Lebanon\u2019s \u201cfull sovereignty over all Lebanese lands\u201d had been emphasised during the meeting and called for action to alleviate the human suffering caused by ongoing fighting.<\/p>\n
Lebanon also called for a ceasefire and for the return of displaced civilians to their homes.<\/p>\n
Israel also said the talks were constructive. A date for further talks is yet to be announced.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t9.53pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tIranian Kurdish group hit by drone, 1 killed\n <\/p>\n
A drone struck an Iranian-Kurdish group on Tuesday, killing a woman in Iraq\u2019s northern Kurdistan region, an official from the group told AFP.<\/p>\n
It was the first such attack against Iranian Kurds in Iraqi Kurdistan since a fragile ceasefire in the US-Israeli war against Iran took effect in the region last week.<\/p>\n
The party blamed the drone attack on Iran. During the war, Iran has repeatedly struck positions belonging to exiled Iranian Kurdish groups in Iraq\u2019s autonomous Kurdistan region.<\/p>\n
\u201cThree Iranian Kurdish refugees were wounded, including a woman who is in a critical condition,\u201d Mohammed Hakimi, commander of the exiled Komala party, said.<\/p>\n
He later told AFP that the woman, who was a fighter with the party, had succumbed to her wounds.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t9.35pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tWhy China could be pulled into war\n <\/p>\n
President Trump\u2019s capacity for brinkmanship is, all at once, exhausting, terrifying and baffling. It is easy to see how his attempt to block the blockaders of the Strait of Hormuz could be described to him by Oval Office flatterers as an act of strategic genius (Roger Boyes writes).<\/p>\n
But it has transformed a reasoned, if bloody, attempt to de-fang the destabilising Iranian regime into a possible precursor to a wider power conflict between the United States and China. It\u2019s almost as if he has given up entirely on the Nobel peace prize committee and Pope Leo XIV in one fell swoop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The conventional wisdom that Trump is confronting has two ingredients. Firstly, that Iran has the resilience to sit out the war with America and will end up ahead. Secondly, that countries historically blessed with control over maritime chokepoints are destined to be geopolitical masters.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t9.08pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tLess than a quarter of Americans think Iran war \u2018worth the cost\u2019\n <\/p>\n
Only 24 per cent of the American public think the Iran war has been worth the costs and benefits as it approaches its second month.<\/p>\n
The recent poll by Reuters and Ipsos also found that just 35 per cent of Americans approved of the military strikes against Iran.<\/p>\n
This number has remained steady across Americans \u2014 including both Republicans and Democrats \u2014 surveyed in the last month.<\/p>\n
The conflict began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t9.02pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tHow the war is affecting the UK economy\n <\/p>\n
The IMF earlier issued a gloomy outlook which found that Britain had suffered the sharpest cut to growth forecasts of the largest global economies.<\/p>\n
It said the spike in energy prices caused by the war would help push UK inflation towards 4 per cent \u2014 double the Bank of England\u2019s inflation target \u2014 and contribute to higher costs for households.<\/p>\n
The conflict hit oil and gas supplies as Iran tightened its grip on the strategic Strait of Hormuz, giving rise to a US blockade of the country\u2019s ports amid a fragile ceasefire.<\/p>\n
As Sir Keir Starmer leads an effort to ensure free navigation of the critical Gulf waterway, President Trump described the UK as \u201cabsolutely crazy\u201d for not boosting oil extraction in the North Sea and urged the country to \u201cdrill, baby, drill\u201d.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t8.27pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tUS blockade to receive 3,500 more sailors and marines\n <\/p>\n
The US Central Command, responsible for overseeing American military operations, shared a glimpse into what the US blockade on the Strait of Hormuz involved on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
It posted on X a photograph of an F-35B stealth fighter jet preparing to join the USS Tripoli warship in the Arabian Sea.<\/p>\n
About 3,500 sailors and marines will join the mission to \u201cblockade ships entering and departing Iranian ports\u201d, Central Command said.<\/p>\n
It added that the blockade was being enforced \u201cimpartially\u201d against vessels from all nations.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ec471208-e864-4551-a6a7-5cf2b89889a4.jpg\")
USS Tripoli conducted night flight operations while sailing in the Arabian SeaNot known, clear with picture desk<\/p>\n
\t\t\t8.20pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tUS Treasury \u2018will not renew easing of sanctions on Iranian oil\u2019\n <\/p>\n
The US Treasury Department said on Tuesday that it does not plan to renew a temporary easing of sanctions on some Iranian oil, set to expire in a matter of days.<\/p>\n
In a statement posted to X the department said: \u201cThe short-term authorization permitting the sale of Iranian oil already stranded at sea is set to expire in a few days and will not be renewed.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinancial institutions should be on notice that the department is leveraging the full range of available tools and authorities and is prepared to deploy secondary sanctions against foreign financial institutions that continue to support Iran\u2019s activities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t8.16pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tEurope plans to free up shipping in Strait of Hormuz\n <\/p>\n
European countries are working on a plan to free up shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Wall Street Journal.<\/p>\n
The coalition of nations have begun drafting a framework which could involve sending mine-clearing and military vessels into the vital waterway.<\/p>\n
Such a plan would only come after the Iran conflict has ended and could exclude the United States.<\/p>\n
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said on Tuesday that the plan was for a defensive mission which doesn\u2019t involve \u201cbelligerent\u201d parties, such as the US, Israel and Iran.<\/p>\n
Diplomats who were familiar with the plan said European vessels would not be under American command.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t8.08pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tWar has caused major supply shock, says Bank of England head\n <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bbc6fd29-82d2-4551-bf4b-ae4f45e89c61.jpg\")
Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England Omar Havana\/Bloomber\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
War in the Middle East has caused \u201ca major supply shock\u201d, the governor of the Bank of England has said, but he remained tight-lipped on what it could mean for interest rates.<\/p>\n
Although Andrew Bailey acknowledged the Iran conflict had caused a \u201clarge\u201d jolt to the global economy, he said the UK was much better placed to deal with it because of its resilient banking system formed after the 2007-09 financial crisis.<\/p>\n
Speaking before the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund, Bailey said: \u201cIt\u2019s a major supply shock \u2026 there\u2019s no question that the best way to deal with supply shocks is at the source of the shock.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe source of the shock is not monetary policy. It\u2019s obviously what\u2019s going on in the Gulf and in the Strait of Hormuz.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the effect on the world\u2019s economy had implications for policy and financial stability, including inflation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\t\t7.52pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tTalks \u2018represent crushing victory over Hezbollah\u2019\n <\/p>\n
The meeting between Israel and Lebanon on Wednesday represented \u201ca crushing victory over Hezbollah\u201d, the Israeli ambassador to Washington said, but did not confirm a Lebanese request for a ceasefire in the country.<\/p>\n
Yechiel Leiter added: \u201cWe talked about possibilities, a long-term vision, about how Lebanon can prosper and what the border could look like when crossed in a swimsuit to vacation on the beaches of both countries.\u201d However the neighbours have no formal diplomatic relations due to decades of conflict.<\/p>\n
He added that a joint statement would be coming out and they were working on a \u201ccomplete\u201d peace treaty.<\/p>\n
Lebanon\u2019s government had previously called for a ceasefire in Israel\u2019s war against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group but Israel has yet to commit to this.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t7.46pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tIsraeli ambassador: We are on same side of equation as Lebanon\n <\/p>\n
Israel and Lebanon are \u201con the same side of the equation\u201d, the Israeli ambassador to the US has said.<\/p>\n
After talks between the countries in Washington today, Yechiel Leiter said: \u201cWe discovered today that we\u2019re on the same side of the equation, and that\u2019s the most positive thing we could have come away with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leiter told Sky News that the parties at the talks discussed a \u201cclearly delineated border\u201d between Israel and Lebanon.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe made it very clear that the security of our civilians is not up for negotiation. That is understood by the government of [Lebanon\u2019s President] Joseph Aoun,\u201d Leiter said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was a victory for sanity, for responsibility and for peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t7.22pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tExplainer: Why is Trump blocking the Strait of Hormuz?\n <\/p>\n
President Trump has started a high-stakes blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to attack the Iranian navy.<\/p>\n
At least 16 American warships led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham \u00adLincoln are in the region to enforce the blockade on Iranian ports inside and outside the strait, on vessels carrying Iranian exports and on any shipping that has paid fees to Iran to transit.<\/p>\n
A US defence official told the Associated Press that no US warships are in the Gulf \u2014 the body of water that forms most of Iran\u2019s coastline.<\/p>\n
So, if Iran has already shut the strait, why does Trump want to blockade it?<\/p>\n
\t\t\t6.53pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tStarmer: UK and Netherlands face war on two fronts\n <\/p>\n
Sir Keir Starmer has said there is a \u201cwar on two fronts\u201d as he met British and Dutch business leaders with the Dutch prime minister, Rob Jetten.<\/p>\n
Discussing the situation in the Middle East, Starmer said it was \u201ca moment to make the strategic relationship count\u201d between the UK and the Netherlands as they faced \u201ca war on two fronts\u201d in Iran and Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Starmer said it was \u201cvital\u201d that the Strait of Hormuz was reopened, adding: \u201cShipping, energy, insurance and finance have made it clear, very clear to me that they are not going to be putting their vessels through the strait until it is safe to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n
Businesses attending the meeting included SSE, Octopus Energy, Rolls-Royce, Energy UK, VPI Power, Gasunie and Royal Vopak.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t6.41pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tIsrael-Lebanon talks end\n <\/p>\n
The meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to Washington have ended after roughly two hours at the State Department.<\/p>\n
The US brokered the direct talks between Israeli ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanese ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh Moawad.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t6.30pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tHezbollah militants questioned by IDF\n <\/p>\n
The Israeli military said on Tuesday that three Hezbollah militants were brought to Israel for questioning after surrendering during close-quarters combat in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday, IDF soldiers engaged in close-range combat with a Hezbollah terrorist cell in Bint Jbeil,\u201d the military said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the combat, three terrorists laid down their weapons and surrendered to the soldiers. Later the terrorists were transferred for questioning by the IDF,\u201d it added, confirming to AFP that they had been brought to Israel.<\/p>\n
According to the military, Israeli troops have now fully surrounded the town of Bint Jbeil, a notable advance in their ground offensive in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t6.18pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tNavy not enforcing full blockade, says US official\n <\/p>\n
American officials have been briefing journalists in an apparent attempt to clarify how the US Navy was enacting its blockade.<\/p>\n
A US official told CNN that the Navy was not enforcing a full blockade of the Strait of Hormuz \u2014 only a blockade of ships entering and exiting Iranian ports along the entire Iranian coastline.<\/p>\n
American warships were not escorting ships through the strait, but were said to be communicating to merchant vessels that had not entered or exited Iranian ports that it was safe to pass and encouraging them to do so.<\/p>\n
The official added that the US also sent destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz last weekend to demonstrate that a safe path through the waterway exists.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t6.05pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tUN: Iran-US negotiations highly probable to resume soon\n <\/p>\n
Ant\u00f3nio Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, has said it is \u201chighly probable\u201d that Iran and the US will resume negotiations soon.<\/p>\n
He told reporters in New York: \u201cThere is no military solution to this crisis. Peace agreements require persistent engagement and political will.<\/p>\n
\u201cSerious negotiations must resume. The ceasefire must be preserved and extended as necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that \u201cinternational navigational rights and freedoms \u2014 including in the Strait of Hormuz \u2014 must be respected by all parties.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking as Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors met in Washington, Guterres added: \u201cI believe nobody expects the Israel-Lebanon talks today will solve all the problems, but it is very important if these talks create conditions for change in the way these actors have been developing their activities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Hezbollah and Israel had \u201cworked to destablise the government in Lebanon\u201d through their conflicts with each other, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is time for Lebanon and Israel to work together instead of Lebanon being the victim of the negative conjugation of Hezbollah and Israel,\u201d Gutteres added.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t6.02pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tLebanese president hopes for \u2018beginning of the end\u2019 of suffering\n <\/p>\n
President Aoun of Lebanon\u00a0said he hoped the talks marked the \u201cbeginning of the end\u201d of the suffering of the Lebanese people, and those in the south of the country \u201cin particular\u201d.<\/p>\n
In a statement Aoun, who has not travelled to the US, said: \u201cThe only solution lies in the Lebanese Army re-deploying up to the internationally recognised border, and so being solely responsible for the security of the area and the safety of its residents.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t5.54pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tFamilies of British embassy staff evacuated from Tel Aviv\n <\/p>\n
The families of British staff working for the foreign office in Tel Aviv have been evacuated \u201cas a precautionary measure\u201d, the government has announced.<\/p>\n
The FCDO\u2019s official travel advice page for Israel said: \u201cWe have taken the precautionary measure temporarily to withdraw dependants of UK staff from Tel Aviv. Our Embassy continues to operate as normal.\u201d<\/p>\n
The government currently advises against all travel to Israel and says British citizens there should register their presence to receive updates.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe situation could escalate quickly and poses significant risks. Regional tensions may cause international borders [air and land] to close,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a risk of rocket and drone attacks throughout Israel. There is a risk of shrapnel from intercepted missiles falling across Israel and Palestine, and possible disruption at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t5.04pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tUS to seize ships linked to Iran\n <\/p>\n
Ships linked to Iran will be seized by the US military as part of its blockade of Iranian ports, according to reports by the Wall Street Journal, who cited two US officials. The ships will then be taken to a holding area in the Arabian sea or Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t4.48pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tRubio: Israel-Lebanon talks are historic opportunity\n <\/p>\n
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, has said talks between Israel and Lebanon taking place in Washington were a \u201chistoric opportunity\u201d, and while every complexity would not be resolved in coming hours, he hoped the parties would begin to move forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was speaking before the talks began in the US State Department.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t4.46pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tUS and Iran may talk in Pakistan again, says Trump\n <\/p>\n
President Trump has said fresh talks between the US and Iran could take place in Pakistan later this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething could be happening over the next two days, and we\u2019re more inclined to go there,\u201d he told the New York Daily Post. \u201cIt\u2019s more likely, you know why? Because the field marshal is doing a great job\u201d, in an apparent reference to army chief of Pakistan, Asim Munir.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s fantastic, and therefore it\u2019s more likely that we go back there,\u201d Trump added. \u201cWhy should we go to some country that has nothing to do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t4.23pm
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\t\tNo ships have passed blockade of Iran, says US military\n <\/p>\n
US Central Command said no ships had made it past the American blockade of Iranian ports in the first 24 hours.<\/p>\n
In a post on X it said that six merchant vessels were forced to turn round and re-enter port.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore than 10,000 U.S. Sailors, Marines, and Airmen along with over a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft are executing the mission to blockade ships entering and departing Iranian ports,\u201d the post from Central Command said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the U.S. blockade and 6 merchant vessels complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman.\u201d <\/p>\n
However, at least two ships using Iranian ports passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday despite the blockade, according to data from the maritime tracking firm Kpler.<\/p>\n
More than 10,000 U.S. Sailors, Marines, and Airmen along with over a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft are executing the mission to blockade ships entering and departing Iranian ports. During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the U.S. blockade and 6 merchant vessels\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/dpWAAknzQp<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t4.15pm \t\tIsrael-Lebanon talks begin\n <\/p>\n Talks between Israel and Lebanon at the US State Department have started. <\/p>\n The talks are being hosted by the US secretary of state Marco Rubio. He lined up with the delegates from both countries for a photo opportunity before the talks began.<\/p>\n \t\t\t4.14pm \t\tUK must prepare for war, says ex-head of Royal Navy\n <\/p>\n Military and defence industries should be put on a war footing, the former head of the Royal Navy has said after a defence minister told the House of Lords that society needed to be prepared for war.<\/p>\n The crossbench peer Lord West of Spithead, who served as security minister in Gordon Brown\u2019s government, told peers the UK had more work to do to be equipped to deal with threats.<\/p>\n West said: \u201cI\u2019m delighted the minister has highlighted what is being done now, but I have this feeling we have a long way to catch up. We\u2019re nowhere near that position, and we are, I believe in a state where we perhaps ought to put our military and certainly our defence on some sort of war footing, to be able to catch up and be able to do the things we need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.58pm \t\tEric Trump to join president on China trip\n <\/p>\n President Trump\u2019s son, Eric, and his wife, Lara, will accompany the president on his May trip to China.<\/p>\n \u201cEric and Lara Trump are proud to accompany the president on his state visit,\u201d said a spokeswoman for the 42-year-old son of the American leader, reported Reuters. \u201cEric is deeply proud of his father and the accomplishments of this term, and is attending in a personal capacity as a supportive son.<\/p>\n \u201cHe does not have business ventures in China nor plans on doing business in China. He will not be participating in private meetings, but will instead stand alongside the president to mark this historic occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.45pm \t\tTrump tells UK to \u2018drill, baby drill\u2019 in North Sea\n <\/p>\n The US president has again attacked Britain over its energy policies.<\/p>\n In a fresh post on Truth Social he called on the UK to \u201cdrill, baby drill\u201d in the North Sea because of the energy crisis, triggered by the US war in Iran.<\/p>\n He wrote: \u201cEurope is desperate for Energy, and yet the United Kingdom refuses to open North Sea Oil, one of the greatest fields in the World. Tragic!!!<\/p>\n \u201cAberdeen should be booming. Norway sells its North Sea Oil to the UK at double the price. They are making a fortune.<\/p>\n \u201cUK which is better situated on the North Sea for purposes of energy than Norway, should, DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!! It is absolutely crazy that they don\u2019t\u2026 AND, NO MORE WINDMILLS!\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.42pm \t\tPope Leo: Democracies risk majoritarian tyranny\n <\/p>\n Pope Leo has warned of the risk of democracies sliding into \u201cmajoritarian tyranny\u201d, in a letter issued by the Vatican after President Trump attacked the pontiff on social media.<\/p>\n Writing to participants of a Vatican meeting about the use of power in democratic societies, the pope said democracies remained healthy only when they were rooted in moral values.<\/p>\n \u201cLacking this foundation, [democracy] risks becoming either a majoritarian tyranny or a mask for the dominance of economic and technological elites,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n He did not directly mention any countries. Trump criticised Leo as \u201cterrible\u201d earlier this week.<\/p>\n The pope also wrote the Catholic Church taught that power could not be seen as an end in itself \u201cbut as a means ordered toward the common good\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThis implies that the legitimacy of authority depends not on the accumulation of economic or technological strength, but on the wisdom and virtue with which it is exercised,\u201d said Leo.<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.18pm \t\tIsrael: Security unaffected by Italy defence suspension\n <\/p>\n Israel has said Italy\u2019s decision to suspend a defence agreement between the two countries would not have any impact on its security.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have no security agreement with Italy. We have a memorandum of understanding from many years ago that has never contained any substantive content. This will not affect Israel\u2019s security,\u201d the foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein told AFP.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Israeli leader of the opposition Yair Lapid said Rome\u2019s decision was an \u201cembarrassing failure\u201d for Netanyahu\u2019s government.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cMeloni is not a left-wing-progressive European leader, she is in the right-wing-conservative camp and understands the need to fight terrorism,\u201d Lapid said. \u201cThe government has failed to advance Israel\u2019s interests even with people who are supposed to be our friends and natural allies.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.02pm \t\tUK to be hardest hit in G7 by war, says IMF\n <\/p>\n Growth in the UK economy is set to be most affected by the Middle East war among the group of seven rich nations as the economy faces stagflation, new forecasts from the International Monetary Fund show.<\/p>\n The surge in energy prices, caused by the conflict, will also propel inflation to double the Bank of England\u2019s target, the fund said in its economic outlook on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Britain relies heavily on imported gas to heat its homes and fuel its businesses, the price of which has surged since the outbreak of the war.\u00a0The IMF expects spending to slide in response to higher energy costs, causing the UK economy to suffer a sharper downturn relative to its peers.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.56pm \t\tGlobal growth drifts towards \u2018adverse scenario\u2019\n <\/p>\n The world may be already drifting towards the International Monetary Fund\u2019s \u201cadverse scenario\u201d forecast of weaker 2.5 per cent global growth in 2026 even though on Tuesday it released a more benign reference forecast of 3.1 per cent growth, the IMF\u2019s chief economist said.<\/p>\n Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas told a news conference that every day that passes with more disruption in energy supplies and prices means that the more adverse scenario becomes more likely. He added that the world was now likely \u201cin-between\u201d the reference forecast and the adverse scenario.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.54pm \t\tTrump described Meloni as a friend last month\n <\/p>\n Previously President Trump and Giorgia Meloni were thought to have a close relationship, one of the best between a European leader and the White House.<\/p>\n Last month he told the same newspaper, the Corriere della Sera, that the Italian prime minister was \u201ca great leader\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI love Italy, I think she is a great leader,\u201d Trump said in a telephone interview, describing Meloni as a friend who \u201calways tries to help\u201d.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.52pm \t\tNato \u2018destroying itself from within\u2019, says Trump\n <\/p>\n President Trump again attacked fellow countries in Nato and said Europe was \u201cdestroying itself from within\u201d because of immigration and energy policies.<\/p>\n \u201cThey pay the highest energy costs in the world and aren\u2019t even prepared to fight for the Strait of Hormuz, where they get it. They\u2019re depending on Donald Trump to keep it open,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Asked about any offers to use Italian minesweepers, Trump said: \u201cI asked them to send whatever they want, but they don\u2019t want to because Nato is a paper tiger.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.44pm \t\tTrump criticises the Pope \u2014 again\n <\/p>\n Trump also attacked Pope Leo again for his stance on the Iran war.<\/p>\n He told the Italian newspaper that the Pope does not understand that Iran poses a nuclear threat. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t understand and shouldn\u2019t be talking about war, because he has no idea what\u2019s going on,\u201d he said. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t understand that 42,000 protesters were killed in Iran last month.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.44pm \t\t\u2018I\u2019m shocked by her\u2019 \u2014 Trump hits out at Meloni\n <\/p>\n President Trump has lashed out at Giorgia Meloni for Italy\u2019s refusal to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. <\/p>\n In an interview with the Corriere della Sera newspaper, the US president said: \u201cI\u2019m shocked by her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump said Italy and Europe did not want to get involved in the war. \u201cShe\u2019s no longer the same person,\u201d said Trump. \u201cItaly will never be the same country again. Immigration is killing Italy and all of Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.31pm \t\tRed Cross delivers first aid shipment to Iran since war began\n <\/p>\n The international Red Cross movement said that a shipment of life-saving medical supplies and other aid has crossed the border into Iran, its first since the start of the war.<\/p>\n The shipment of medical supplies and other aid entered the country on Sunday, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said.<\/p>\n The truck convoy, which set off from the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Friday, marked \u201cone of the first cross-border shipments of medical supplies\u201d by any organisation since the conflict began with a barrage of Israeli and US strikes on Iran on February 28, the IFRC spokesman Tommaso Della Longa told reporters in Geneva.<\/p>\n He said the IFRC had sent trauma kits \u201cdesigned to provide immediate, life-saving care\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe operation is critical as humanitarian supply chains into Iran have been severely disrupted in recent weeks due to the conflict, making it increasingly difficult and more costly for essential medical and relief items to reach those in need,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Della Longa said the IFRC aimed to bring in more trauma kits \u201cin the next three weeks\u201d.<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.48pm \t\tMacron calls for US and Iran to resume talks\n <\/p>\n President Macron has urged President Trump and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, to resume stalled talks towards ending the Iran war.<\/p>\n \u201cI urged the resumption of the negotiations suspended in Islamabad, the clearing up of misunderstandings, and the avoidance of any further escalation,\u201d Macron wrote on X. \u201cIt is essential, in particular, that the ceasefire be strictly respected by all parties and that it include Lebanon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is equally important that the Strait of Hormuz be reopened unconditionally, without restrictions or tolls, as soon as possible,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.45pm \t\tLebanon-Israel meeting \u2018may last just 10 minutes\u2019\n <\/p>\n Lebanon\u2019s ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, is set to meet the Israeli ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, in Washington today for talks on ending the conflict in Lebanon. <\/p>\n The meeting may last \u201cno more than ten minutes\u201d and is seen as a prelude to further talks that could be held in Cyprus, according to reports. <\/p>\n President Aoun of Lebanon has given the country\u2019s ambassador \u201cclear instructions\u201d to demand a ceasefire, according to a source cited by the Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq al-Awshat.<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.42pm \t\tAnalysis: Vessels cross Hormuz amid grey areas in US blockade\n <\/p>\n For the vessels that have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz today, the differing definitions of the US blockade leaves holes and grey areas (Richard Spencer writes). <\/p>\n The Elpis, the first vessel known to have transited the strait since Monday afternoon, sailed from an Iranian port with oil presumably to be sold ultimately to Chinese refineries. However, it left port before the blockade began.<\/p>\n The Rich Starry, a Chinese-owned vessel, sailed through the strait early on Tuesday into the Gulf of Oman. But it had picked up a cargo of methanol from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and was heading in the first instance to Oman.<\/p>\n Other vessels have now transited but most seem to be sailing to or from other Gulf ports including the UAE and Oman: Murlikishan, an oil tanker, headed into the Gulf to a port in Iraq; Manali, a bulk carrier, sailed out from Sharjah in the UAE; Peace Gulf, an oil tanker, was headed from Fujairah, in the UAE but outside the strait, to Sharjah. The Christianna, a bulk carrier, also sailed through the strait from an Iranian port, the Imam Khomeini, but had been at sea for several days before the start of the blockade.<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.39pm \t\tAnalysis: Ambiguities over Trump\u2019s \u2018blockade\u2019\n <\/p>\n The fact that several ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz today might seem to flout the idea of America\u2019s \u201cblockade\u201d (Richard Spencer writes). But \u2014 as so often \u2014 President Trump\u2019s grandiose description of the blockade is somewhat different from the practicalities on the ground. <\/p>\n In announcing it on Sunday, he declared: \u201cEffective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that the blockade would particularly apply to any vessel that had paid a fee for transit to Iran. \u201cNo one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n But the social media post in which he made the threat has since been deleted and US Central Command, the military command centre for Middle East operations, gave more limited terms. It said that as of 10am ET it would \u201cbegin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports\u201d. It added: \u201cCentcom forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.30pm \t\tShips cross Hormuz \u2018after using Iranian ports\u2019\n <\/p>\n At least two ships using Iranian ports passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday despite the blockade, according to data from the maritime tracking firm Kpler.<\/p>\n The Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Christianna transited the strategic strait after unloading corn at the Iranian port of Bandar Imam Khomeini, passing Iran\u2019s Larak Island at about 4pm GMT on Monday, Kpler said. The US blockade came into effect two hours earlier.<\/p>\n A second ship, the Comoros-flagged tanker Elpis, was near Larak Island at about 11am GMT and cleared the strait about 4pm GMT, the data showed.<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.24pm \t\tIran \u2018considers pausing shipments through Hormuz\u2019\n <\/p>\n Iran is considering a short-term pause to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz that would breach a US blockade to avoid inflaming tensions and scuppering a fresh round of peace talks, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg<\/a>.<\/p>\n A pause would underscore the tightrope Tehran is walking as it seeks to project resolve without provoking confrontation that may foreclose a diplomatic opening. For now, restraint is the preferred course, the sources said.<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.49pm \t\tIsrael seeks \u2018peace and normalisation\u2019 with Lebanon\n <\/p>\n Israeli and Lebanese envoys will meet in Washington as Israel continues its war on Hezbollah, a diplomatic milestone overshadowed by conflicting agendas.<\/p>\n Israel has ruled out a ceasefire and demanded that Lebanon disarm the Iran-backed group.<\/p>\n The Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa\u2019ar, said his country was seeking \u201cpeace and normalisation\u201d with Lebanon. \u201cIsrael and Lebanon don\u2019t have any major disputes between them. The problem is Hezbollah,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.15pm \t\tWarning over future jet fuel shortage in the EU\n <\/p>\n There is no shortage of jet fuel in the European Union at the moment, but supply problems could occur and the situation remains a top concern, the European Commission said.<\/p>\n European airlines have urged the EU to step in with emergency measures to tackle repercussions from the Iran war, including widespread airspace closures and mounting concerns over jet fuel shortages, a document seen by Reuters showed.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no evidence for fuel shortage in the European Union at present, but supply issues could occur in the near future,\u201d a spokesperson for the commission told reporters in Brussels.<\/p>\n \u201cCrude oil supplies to the European refineries remain stable, with no need for additional stock releases at the present. However, that remains our primary concern.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.00pm \t\tWhy does Trump want to blockade the Strait of Hormuz?\n <\/p>\n The US navy has begun a blockade of Iran-linked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz after the failure of US-Iran peace talks at the weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n At least 16 American warships led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham \u00adLincoln are in the region to enforce the blockade on Iranian ports inside and outside the strait, on vessels carrying Iranian exports and on any shipping that has paid fees to Iran to transit. A US defence official told the Associated Press that no US warships are in the Persian Gulf \u2014 the body of water that forms most of Iran\u2019s coastline.\u00a0<\/p>\n Here we answer some of the key questions regarding the blockade, from how it will be enforced to how Iran might react.<\/p>\n \t\t\t11.22am \t\tStarmer and Macron to host summit on Hormuz\n <\/p>\n President Macron and Sir Keir Starmer will jointly host a video conference on Friday to be attended by leaders of \u201cnon-belligerent nations\u201d willing to take part in securing the Strait of Hormuz after hostilities end, the \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace has announced.<\/p>\n The video summit, whose other participants have not yet been announced, follows the initiative by London and Paris to lead a multinational mission to restore freedom of navigation through the strait.<\/p>\n The international operation would be \u201cpurely defensive\u201d and would be \u201caimed at restoring freedom of navigation \u2026 when conditions of security permit\u201d, the French presidency said.<\/p>\n About 30 countries have indicated readiness to take part in what Macron and Starmer say will be an operation independent of the warring parties. Britain and France have incurred President Trump\u2019s anger with their failure to support his offensive against Iran or join his naval blockade of Iranian ports.<\/p>\n The Franco-British naval mission would mainly clear mines and send warships to provide defensive escort for tankers and container ships sailing through the Strait.<\/p>\n A Downing Street spokesman said: \u201cThe summit will advance work towards a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping once the conflict ends.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t11.17am \t\tGlobal oil demand to fall in 2026, says IEA\n <\/p>\n The International Energy Agency (IEA) has made sharp downward revisions to its forecast for global oil demand and supply due to disruption caused by the Middle East conflict.<\/p>\n The agency now expects global oil demand to contract by 80,000 barrels a day in 2026, according to its April oil report, which is 730,000 barrels a day less than in last month\u2019s report.<\/p>\n It also expects global oil supply to fall by 1.5 million barrels a day this year, compared with an increase of 1.1 million projected last month \u2014 the sharpest decrease since Covid-19 slashed fuel consumption.<\/p>\n The IEA said the disruption had already hit consumption in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, especially for naphtha, liquefied petroleum gas and jet fuel, and warned that weaker demand could spread further if high prices and shortages persist.<\/p>\n \t\t\t11.11am \t\tItaly suspends defence agreement with Israel\n <\/p>\n The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said she was suspending Italy\u2019s defence agreement with Israel, which involves the exchange of military equipment and technology research, news agencies reported.<\/p>\n \u201cIn view of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel,\u201d Meloni said on the sidelines of an event in Verona, according to the Italian news agency Ansa.<\/p>\n Approved by Israel in 2006, the agreement is reviewed every five years. It calls for co-operation across defence industries, education and training of military personnel, research and development and information technology, among others.<\/p>\n Tensions between the two countries have risen over the past week after the Italian government accused Israeli forces of firing warning shots at a convoy of Italian UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.<\/p>\n Italy summoned Israel\u2019s ambassador in protest against the incident, which damaged at least one vehicle but caused no injuries.<\/p>\n On Monday, Israel summoned Italy\u2019s ambassador after comments by the Italian foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, condemning \u201cunacceptable attacks\u201d on Lebanese civilians by Israeli forces.<\/p>\n \t\t\t11.09am \t\tSpanish PM accuses Israel of violating international law\n <\/p>\n The Spanish prime minister has said that international law is being violated \u201cfundamentally by one country: the government of Israel\u201d.<\/p>\n Speaking on an official trip to China, Pedro S\u00e1nchez said his country wanted to avoid impunity for those who commit crimes in places such as Gaza, where he says a \u201cgenocide\u201d has been committed.<\/p>\n \u201cInternational law is being violated today, fundamentally by one country: the government of Israel,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is also an absolutely illegal response from the Iranian regime regarding a war that we have described from the very beginning as a mistake and an illegality.<\/p>\n \u201cThose of us who raise our voice against governments violating international law are being threatened.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t11.04am \t\tRussia refuses to comment on Trump\u2019s AI \u2018Jesus\u2019 post\n <\/p>\n The Kremlin declined to comment on Tuesday about President Trump\u2019s social media post of an AI-generated image of himself as a Jesus-like figure.<\/p>\n In the image, Trump holds a glowing orb in one hand and uses his other hand to touch a sick man on the forehead. The Statue of Liberty, fireworks, a fighter jet and eagles are in the background.<\/p>\n \u201cI really would prefer not to comment on this at all, so I will leave this without comment,\u201d the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters.<\/p>\n \t\t\t10.49am \t\tRubio to chair Lebanon-Israel talks\n <\/p>\n The Washington talks between Lebanon and Israel later today will be chaired by the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio.<\/p>\n They will be the first direct talks between the two countries since 1993. The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States will attend.<\/p>\n Expectations of any significant advances are low, however, with Hezbollah\u2019s leader, Naim Qassem, calling for the talks to be scrapped before they even begin, describing them as \u201cfutile\u201d.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s government ruled out discussing any ceasefire with Hezbollah, insisting instead on the disarmament of the group that it accuses of keeping up rocket fire against civilians in the north of the country.<\/p>\n President Aoun of Lebanon has said that he hopes a truce deal can be agreed and full-blown negotiations launched between the two countries, which have technically been at war for decades.<\/p>\n \t\t\t10.42am \t\tMeloni \u2018expresses solidarity\u2019 with Pope Leo\n <\/p>\n The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, offered support to Pope Leo on Tuesday, after the pontiff was sharply criticised by President Trump.<\/p>\n \u201cI express my solidarity with Pope Leo, frankly I would not feel very comfortable in a society where religious leaders do what political leaders say,\u201d Meloni said.<\/p>\n The Italian leader, who is seen as close to Trump, was speaking to reporters in Verona on the sidelines of a wine industry conference.<\/p>\n \t\t\t10.40am \t\tTrump \u2018showed a complete misunderstanding of Christianity\u2019\n <\/p>\n President Trump posting an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus<\/a> was \u201cbizarre\u201d, an English cardinal has said.<\/p>\n Timothy Radcliffe, who was part of the conclave that elected Pope Leo, said he did not think the image was blasphemous as that would \u201cimply an attack on Christianity, which President Trump I don\u2019t think intended\u201d, but told the BBC\u2019s Newsnight that it did \u201cshow a complete misunderstanding of what Christianity is about\u201d.<\/p>\n “It’s an extraordinary statement”<\/p>\n Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, who was among the conclave that elected Pope Leo, rejects Donald Trump’s claim the American pontiff was chosen as “the best way to deal” with the US president.#Newsnight<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/8WRReVrerg<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) April 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThat anybody could think that they have the right to claim to be Jesus now, in that way, to take his place, is quite frankly absurd,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n After Trump claimed the image actually showed him as a doctor, Radcliffe said: \u201cI find it very strange. I\u2019ve met many doctors in my life and none of them have glowed quite like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Radcliffe said the Pope had \u201ca duty to speak out against anybody who promotes war in this way\u201d.<\/p>\n \t\t\t10.37am \t\tReeves to urge co-ordinated action at IMF meetings\n <\/p>\n Rachel Reeves said families and businesses across Britain were bearing the cost of instability \u201cthey did not cause\u201d as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.<\/p>\n The chancellor made the comments before the International Monetary Fund\u2019s spring meetings in Washington, where she is set to urge co-ordinated action to tackle the global economic shock caused by the war.<\/p>\n The IMF is due to publish its world economic outlook later, with updated growth and inflation forecasts around the globe.<\/p>\n Reeves said: \u201cFamilies and businesses across Britain are bearing the cost of instability they did not cause. These are not costs I wanted, but they are costs we will have to respond to. The Iran conflict must be a line in the sand on how we deal with global crisis and instability. I will go to America with a clear message: global leaders must take co-ordinated economic action and supercharge the path to energy security to protect ourselves in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t10.18am \t\tPM sets up new committee to respond to Iran fallout\n <\/p>\n Sir Keir Starmer will lead a new cabinet committee to deal with the fallout from the Iran conflict.<\/p>\n The group, the Middle East response committee, has its first meeting today focused on efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping route vital for global oil and gas supplies.<\/p>\n The prime minister established the committee to deal with the domestic and international impacts of the war, which has driven up energy prices, caused stock market turmoil and exposed deep divisions between the US and its traditional European allies.<\/p>\n \t\tSteven Swinford: Committee suggests the government believes the Strait of Hormuz won\u2019t open any time soon\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t10.00am \t\tIndia rocked by protests as rising costs bite\n <\/p>\n India\u2019s northern state of Uttar Pradesh has raised the minimum wage after days of protests in an industrial hub, government sources said, becoming the second state to do so in less than a week amid rising costs fanned by the Iran war.<\/p>\n Protesters in Noida \u2014 a suburb of Delhi that houses industrial units including that of the South Korean technology giant Samsung \u2014 torched vehicles and threw stones on Monday as they demanded higher pay. About 40,000 workers were part of the protest, according to police.<\/p>\n The wage rise ordered this week will be applicable retrospectively from April 1, and will increase the pay of unskilled workers in Noida to roughly $147 (\u00a3108) a month from the present salary of about $121 (\u00a390), government sources said.<\/p>\n \t\t\t9.56am \t\tUK national security is in peril, warns ex-Nato chief\n <\/p>\n Sir Keir Starmer has been accused by the author of Britain\u2019s strategic defence review of displaying a \u201ccorrosive complacency\u201d towards military spending that is putting the country in \u201cperil\u201d.<\/p>\n Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, a former Nato secretary-general and defence secretary under Tony Blair, said that there was a gap between the prime minister\u2019s rhetoric and action on defence, adding that Starmer was \u201cnot willing to make the necessary investment\u201d.<\/p>\n He will also use a speech on Tuesday evening to accuse \u201cnon-military experts in the Treasury\u201d of \u201cvandalism\u201d, saying: \u201cWe cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t9.54am \t\tWatch: Will the Iran war be Trump\u2019s political downfall?\n <\/p>\n \t\t\t9.46am \t\tBP predicts \u2018exceptional\u2019 quarter for oil trading\n <\/p>\n BP expects first-quarter oil trading to be \u201cexceptional\u201d after the surge in crude prices due to the Middle East conflict and Iran\u2019s closure of the key Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n The FTSE 100 oil company said in a first-quarter trading update that it expected net debt to increase to between $25 billion and $27 billion, primarily driven by a significant rise in working capital due to market volatility.<\/p>\n Brent crude soared close to $120 a barrel after US-Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February. BP said that Brent crude averaged $81.13 a barrel during the first three months of the year, up from $63.73 a barrel in the fourth quarter of 2025.<\/p>\n \t\t\t9.27am \t\tWatch: 100 arrested at New York protest over arms sales to Israel\n <\/p>\n \t\t\t9.24am \t\tRussia cashes in on energy crisis\n <\/p>\n Russia nearly doubled its earnings from oil exports in March as Moscow was granted sanctions relief by the US in an attempt to offset soaring energy prices during the war in the Middle East, the International Energy Agency has said.<\/p>\n The country earned $19 billion last month as crude and oil product exports soared to 7.1 million barrels per day, from just 320 thousand barrels a day in February.<\/p>\n The United States eased some restrictions on sales of Russian crude imposed over its war against Ukraine, allowing countries to purchase oil that was already at sea until April 11.<\/p>\n \t\t\t9.07am \t\tSouth Korean president in row with Israel\n <\/p>\n Few countries are more vulnerable to the disruption of international oil supplies than South Korea, which gets 70 per cent of its crude oil and 30 per cent of its natural gas from the Middle East and has 26 tankers stuck by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n The frustration and anxiety has boiled over in an unexpected outburst by the South Korean president, Lee Jae-myung, who posted on X notorious footage from 2024 of an Israeli soldier kicking the corpse of a Palestinian fighter off a rooftop.<\/p>\n Lee wrote that the act was \u201cno different\u201d from \u201cforced comfort women\u201d, the Koreans sexually enslaved by Japan in the Second World War and \u201cJewish massacres\u201d. <\/p>\n After an indignant response from Israel, Lee wrote that it is \u201cdisappointing that you don\u2019t even once reflect on the criticisms from people around the world who are suffering and struggling due to relentless anti-human rights and actions in violation of international law\u201d.<\/p>\n \t\t\t8.54am \t\tUS blockade dangerous and irresponsible, says China\n <\/p>\n China has said that the US blockade around Iranian ports is \u201cdangerous and irresponsible\u201d, after President Trump threatened to sink any boats that sought to leave or dock there.<\/p>\n \u201cThe US increased military operations and took a targeted blockade action, which will only exacerbate tensions and undermine the already fragile ceasefire agreement and further jeopardise safety of passage through the Strait,\u201d the China foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference. \u201cThis is dangerous and irresponsible behaviour,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \t\t\t8.47am \t\tWFH to help with fuel shortages, says former BP boss\n <\/p>\n Britons should work from home to buffer the effects of fuel shortages from the Iran war, said Nick Butler, a former adviser to Gordon Brown and the former vice-president for strategy and policy at BP.<\/p>\n Butler told Time Radio he believes \u201cthe real crisis will arrive in late April and early May,\u201d and said countries would need to discourage travel by plane and car in response.<\/p>\n \u201cSome countries, I think in particularly in Asia where the crisis has hit earliest, are being encouraged to work at home. And I think you have to test now whether there\u2019s a willingness,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n When asked whether the government should encourage people to work from home, Butler said \u201cthat would be a perfectly sensible measure\u201d.<\/p>\n \t\t\t8.28am \t\tUS-Iran talks \u2018could resume in Pakistan this week\u2019\n <\/p>\n Reuters is reporting that negotiating teams from the US and Iran could return to Islamabad this week, after the highest-level talks between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution ended in the Pakistani capital without a breakthrough.<\/p>\n It said four sources had confirmed that fresh talks in Pakistan could go ahead. There were no further details. The talks over the weekend included high-level representatives from both countries, including the American vice-president, JD Vance, and the Iranian parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.<\/p>\n A two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran still holds, and is set to expire on April 22.<\/p>\n \t\t\t8.16am \t\tOil prices fall on hopes of further peace talks\n <\/p>\n Stock markets rose and the oil price fell as hopes of further talks to end the Middle East war outweighed supply fears, despite the start of the US naval blockade of Iran\u2019s port.<\/p>\n President Trump said Iran had called and wanted \u201cto work a deal\u201d in a sign of continued diplomatic efforts to revive US-Iran talks that collapsed over the weekend.<\/p>\n Brent crude slid 1.2 per cent to $98.18 a barrel, and markets in Asia were higher with Japan\u2019s Nikkei gaining 2.3 per cent, South Korea\u2019s Kospi up 2.7 per cent and China\u2019s SSE Composite edging up 0.2 per cent. The FTSE 100 is forecast to open flat.<\/p>\n \t\t\t8.07am \t\tChinese-linked tanker \u2018following vessel challenging US blockade\u2019\n <\/p>\n A Chinese-linked tanker appeared to be following the Elpis, the first vessel to challenge the US blockade, on Tuesday. The Rich Starry announced it had a Chinese owner and crew, setting up a major dilemma for President Trump as he tries to enforce the blockade.<\/p>\n He will not want to anger President Xi directly: he is due to visit Beijing next-month for a high-profile and delayed summit.<\/p>\n The Rich Starry was most recently at anchor in the United Arab Emirates and was listed as heading to Sohar in Oman. Its owner, Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd, is also under US sanctions.<\/p>\n \t\t\t8.05am \t\tOil tanker challenges US blockade\n <\/p>\n A Comoros-flagged oil tanker named the Elpis sailing out of Iran has become the first vessel to challenge the new US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n The Elpis sailed through the strait on Monday evening after leaving the Iranian port of Bushehr. It then apparently stopped in the Gulf of Oman.<\/p>\n According to shipping tracker websites, it was at least partially loaded with oil, though its final destination was as yet unknown.<\/p>\n The Elpis is part of a so-called grey fleet of tankers that carries oil under threat of sanctions in as low-profile a way as possible. It is owned by a firm called Chartchemical, but is operated by a Malaysian company, IMS, which was sanctioned by the US government last year for allegedly carrying Iranian oil.<\/p>\n Malaysian firms have operated as key middlemen in the trade between Iran and China, arranging transhipments of oil in international waters to Chinese vessels which take it to smaller refineries known as \u201cteapots\u201d. The main state refineries use non-sanctioned oil to escape secondary US sanctions.<\/p>\n \t\t\t7.57am \t\tHow far can Trump push Iran \u2014 and global trade?\n <\/p>\n As the deadline for President Trump\u2019s trade blockade of some traffic through the Strait of Hormuz passed on Monday afternoon, there was debate about whether the policy was now in place and, if so, what it meant for global trade \u2014 and whether the severity of the crisis was being reflected in global markets.<\/p>\n The US military\u2019s Central Command said the\u00a0blockade\u00a0would be \u201cenforced impartially against vessels of all nations\u201d entering or leaving Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.<\/p>\n \u201cThe\u00a0blockade\u00a0will not impede neutral transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations,\u201d Central Command said in a note to seafarers on Monday that was first reported by Reuters, the news agency.<\/p>\n \t\t\t7.41am \t\tBeirut on edge as Israel and Lebanon set for talks in US\n <\/p>\n In Beirut, the atmosphere is tense before planned direct talks in Washington between Israel and Lebanon today.<\/p>\n Government soldiers have set up makeshift checkpoints between Christian and Muslim areas of the city as they seek to guard against the possibility of sectarian violence. <\/p>\n The leader of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, criticised the talks last night: \u201cThese negotiations are futile and require Lebanese consensus\u201d.<\/p>\n Aside from a direct confrontation with the militant group, which would mean civil war, the levers that the Lebanese state can pull to disarm Hezbollah are limited.<\/p>\n \t\t\t6.39am \t\tIran offers five-year pause on nuclear activity \u2014 US wants 20\n <\/p>\n During the negotiations in Pakistan, the US and Iran traded proposals for a suspension of the Iranian nuclear programme, according to The New York Times.<\/p>\n Iranian and US officials are reported to be split on the length of a deal, with Tehran offering to suspend uranium enrichment for up to five years and the Trump administration insisting on 20 years, two senior Iranian officials and one US official told the paper.<\/p>\n JD Vance left Islamabad early on Sunday, describing the two countries as worlds apart, especially on the assurances that Iran could never build a nuclear weapon. <\/p>\n \u201cThe simple question is, do we see a fundamental commitment of will for the Iranians not to develop a nuclear weapon \u2014 not just now, not just two years from now, but for the long term?\u201d Vance said. \u201cWe haven\u2019t seen that yet. We hope that we will.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t6.31am \t\tHezbollah leader calls for Lebanon to cancel Israel talks\n <\/p>\n The leader of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, urged Lebanon to cancel a planned meeting with Israel in Washington later today.<\/p>\n \u201cWe reject negotiations with the usurping Israeli entity,\u201d said Qassem, whose group has been at war with Israel since March 2, in a televised address yesterday. \u201cWe call for a historic and heroic stance by cancelling this negotiating meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,000 people in Lebanon and its ground forces have displaced more than a million since Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel.<\/p>\n The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the US are scheduled to meet in Washington today.<\/p>\n Lebanon has stressed that it wants to secure a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war but Israel has dismissed the prospect.<\/p>\n \t\t\t5.43am \t\tIsraeli bombardment damages hospital in southern Lebanon\n <\/p>\n Video shared online shows Israeli attacks seemingly causing extensive damage to southern Lebanon\u2019s Tebnin Governmental Hospital.<\/p>\n Broken glass, debris and overturned equipment can be seen inside the hospital. Damage to vehicles can also be seen outside.<\/p>\n Lebanon\u2019s National News Agency reported that the attack on the hospital resulted in casualties.<\/p>\n As of Monday, Lebanon\u2019s health ministry said the death toll since March 2 was 2,089, with 6,762 others injured.<\/p>\n \t\t\t4.59am \t\tIsraeli soldier killed in Lebanon\n <\/p>\n Israel\u2019s military said one of its soldiers had been killed in Lebanon.<\/p>\n This is the first Israeli combatant killed since a US-Iran temporary truce came into force, which Israel insisted did not include Lebanon, where it is fighting Hezbollah forces.<\/p>\n \u201cSergeant Major (Res.) Ayal Uriel Bianco, aged 30, from Katzrin, a firefighting vehicle driver in the 188th Brigade, fell during combat in southern Lebanon,\u201d the Israeli military said in a statement on Tuesday.<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.55am \t\tMarco Rubio joining talks on Tuesday\n <\/p>\n Israel and Lebanon will meet in Washington for peace talks on Tuesday, with the secretary of state Marco Rubio taking part, the state department confirmed.<\/p>\n Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the US, and Nada Hamadeh, the Lebanese ambassador to the US, will also be in attendance.<\/p>\n Israel said earlier on Monday that discussions of a ceasefire with Hezbollah, the militant group based in Lebanon, would not be on the table.<\/p>\n Naim Qassem, the leader of Hezbollah, said the group \u201cabsolutely rejects\u201d the meeting, describing them as \u201csubmission, surrender, and stripping Lebanon of its strength\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.22am \t\tPakistan offers to host more talks\n <\/p>\n Pakistan has offered to host a second round of talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad in the next few days, two Pakistani officials told the Associated Press.<\/p>\n The proposal comes before the ceasefire is set to expire on April 22. JD Vance, the vice-president, engaged in 21-hour peace negotiations over the weekend, which ended without a deal.<\/p>\n Earlier on Monday, Trump said that \u201cwe\u2019ve been called by the other side\u201d, but the White House has not confirmed that the US has agreed to future talks.<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.10am \t\tAlmost a third of Britons cutting back on food and heating\n <\/p>\n The conflict in the Middle East has prompted prices to rise across the globe and UK mortgage rates to increase, putting pressure on households\u2019 costs.<\/p>\n Two-thirds (66 per cent) of people are concerned about their finances over the coming months and three in ten (31 per cent) have been cutting back on essentials such as food and heating, a survey has found.<\/p>\n A quarter (25 per cent) of people have used savings to cover everyday costs and one in six (16 per cent) have borrowed from family or friends.<\/p>\n Censuswide surveyed 2,000 people across the UK in April.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.59am \t\tOil prices at more than $100 a barrel\n <\/p>\n Oil prices have soared to more than $100 a barrel after peace talks between the US and Iran collapsed.<\/p>\n Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, dropped from $102 to $98 on Monday, while US-traded fell by 2.2 per cent to $96.94 per barrel.<\/p>\n On Monday, President Trump suggested that Iran still wanted to reach an agreement.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been called by the other side and they would like to make a deal very badly,\u201d Trump told reporters. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been called this morning by the right people, the appropriate people, and they want to work a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.29am \t\tWar sending food and energy costs soaring, global agencies warn\n <\/p>\n The leaders of the International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group issued a joint statement warning of the global ripple effects of the Iran-US war \u2014 particularly on food, jobs and energy.<\/p>\n \u201cThe impact of the war is substantial, global, and highly asymmetric, disproportionately affecting energy importers, in particular low-income countries. <\/p>\n \u201cThe shock has led to higher oil, gas and fertiliser prices, triggering concerns about food security and job losses as well. Some oil and gas producers in the Middle East have also seen a dramatic loss of export revenue,\u201d the agencies wrote.<\/p>\n They also predicted fuel and fertiliser prices would remain high for a \u201cprolonged period\u201d due to damage to key infrastructure as well as reduced traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.03am \t\tAnalysis: Trump\u2019s Jesus post hurts him\n <\/p>\n President Trump\u2019s post of an AI image depicting himself as Jesus coincided with polling showing that Catholic voters are souring on him.<\/p>\n Trump said on Monday that he had posted the image online because he thought it showed him as a doctor healing people, but much damage had already been done.<\/p>\n Even on the president\u2019s own Truth Social site where his posts are usually boosted by fervent supporters, there were clear signs of dissent, including angry comments from some users.<\/p>\n \u201cMr President, with all due respect. TAKE THIS DOWN. You are not Jesus,\u201d replied one user describing themselves as \u201cBible-believing, God-fearing, Jesus-following, country-loving, American patriot, ultra-Maga\u201d. The writer added: \u201cIf it\u2019s a staffer, fire them and offer an apology to Christians for this mockery.\u201d<\/p>\n Read in full: Trump\u2019s row with Pope Leo could cost him dearly among Catholic voters<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t1.50am \t\t\u2018US-Iran talks being considered\u2019\n <\/p>\n Tehran and Washington are considering a second round of in-person negotiations, two US officials and a person familiar with the developments told the Associated Press.<\/p>\n Earlier on Monday, Trump told reporters that \u201cwe\u2019ve been called by the other side\u201d and \u201cthey want to work a deal\u201d.<\/p>\n When pressed on whether future talks were in the works, the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told AP: \u201cPresident Trump, vice-president Vance and the negotiating team have made the US red lines very clear.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Iranians\u2019 desperation for a deal will only increase with President Trump\u2019s highly effective naval blockade now in effect.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.25am \t\tMore than 100 detained at New York protest\n <\/p>\n Police detained about 100 people taking part in a rally on Monday by a Jewish organization that promotes Palestinian rights, an AFP correspondent saw, with Chelsea Manning among those held.<\/p>\n Gathering under the banner of the group Jewish Voice for Peace, the detainees were part of a group of about 200 protesters who blocked a major avenue in Manhattan for just under an hour to protest US military support for Israel.<\/p>\n They had gathered near the offices of the Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and his colleague Kirsten Gillibrand, whom they accuse of voting against a measure aimed at blocking US arms sales to Israel.<\/p>\n Manning is the army intelligence analyst who leaked documents to WikiLeaks, and had her 35-year sentence commuted by President Barack Obama in 2017. She now campaigns for pro-Palestinian causes.<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.50am \t\tVance: We made our red lines clear\n <\/p>\n The vice-president said Washington had made its red lines clear in talks with Iran and that the \u201cball is in the Iranian court\u201d to push through peace negotiations.<\/p>\n \u201cWe actually made very clear what our red lines were,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are two things in particular where the president of the United States really said we have no flexibility,\u201d Vance added. They were US control of Iran\u2019s enriched uranium, and checks in place to ensure it does not develop a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.29am \t\tWill the Iran war be Trump\u2019s political downfall?\n <\/p>\n Throughout President Trump\u2019s election campaign, he suggested to his \u201cAmerica-first\u201d base that he would avoid engaging in unpopular\u00a0foreign wars<\/a>. In his inaugural address, he said he would measure success \u201cnot only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end \u2014 and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into\u201d.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2bd182dc-bccd-4be9-bcde-ec61db98cb5b.jpg\")
President Trump and Giorgia Meloni met at the White House last AprilWin McNamee\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n![\"Collage](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9cb50634-7ba6-4b3f-ab6b-36f5d9d78a71.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/b65029e3-fc18-446b-986c-437a57bb58ca.jpg\")
Pedro S\u00e1nchez during a press conference in Beijing on TuesdayNDRES MARTINEZ CASARES\/EPA<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bdf845dc-6175-4bab-86b8-69c1823b1b6e.jpg\")
truth social<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/73740ddd-34bc-448e-9460-f3ac6b88f274.jpg\")
Pope Leo XIV and Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of ItalyVatican Media\/Francesco Sforza\/Reuters<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/cd346a19-4cce-4b86-9b8a-ecb1f7478b8a.jpg\")
Police officers patrolled a workers\u2019 protest in Noida for higher wages as living costs soaredAnushree Fadnavis\/Reuters<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n![\"Soldiers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/55c9eba7-da99-4367-a5bc-938b80ab90b7.jpg\")
Soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade training in Wiltshire last monthFinnbarr Webster\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/b7d5dbd2-19fa-4e02-9c2b-ced6dd5f480f.jpg\")
President Lee of South KoreaChung Sung-Jun\/EPA<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ec683117-1f38-4d85-a0e0-8c6e6a64a5be.jpg\")
The Rich Starry\u2019s journey, according to tracking from Marine TrafficMarine Traffic<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/947a73c8-32ea-411c-828b-c3cd043aa249.jpg\")
The Elpis, a \u201cgrey fleet\u201d oil tanker<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n![\"General](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/cd310e43-eb97-46c0-b4e6-0c59b1ab0f8f.jpg\")
Iran\u2019s Kharg Island oil terminalFATEMEH BAHRAMI\/ANADOLU AGENCY\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tApril 14<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/26ad9a93-4562-4255-a7e9-d818f3ba14f7.gif\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/f7aa8348-ef2b-4d3a-bd0a-6c3b3ae7e5fe.jpg\")
President Trump outside the Oval Office on MondayBrendan Smialowski\/AFP<\/p>\n