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Iran’s attempt to impose tolls on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz has been labeled illegal by Arsenio Domínguez, the head of the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO). In an interview with Al Jazeera, Domínguez stressed that such charges would set a dangerous precedent for global shipping. Tehran has asserted its right to levy fees even after the conflict ends, while U.S. President Donald Trump floated the idea of a joint U.S.-Iran venture to collect the payments. Both proposals clash with established maritime conventions. "Countries do not have the right to introduce tools or payments or charges on these straits," Domínguez said, adding that any toll system would be contrary to international law and could cripple the free flow of trade. The remarks came as marathon cease‑fire negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials in Pakistan concluded without an agreement. U.S. Vice President JD Vance noted that Tehran rejected Washington’s terms, which included a commitment to forgo nuclear weapons development, prompting the American delegation to depart Islamabad after presenting its "final and best offer." Iran’s state‑run Press TV blamed the stalemate on what it called the United States' "excessive demands," citing the toll issue and the nuclear programme as major points of contention. Despite a two‑week cease‑fire announced earlier in the week, maritime traffic remains severely limited. Only 22 vessels with active AIS signals exited the strait between the truce’s start and Friday, a stark drop from the pre‑conflict average of about 135 daily transits, according to S&P Global. The bottleneck is throttling oil and natural‑gas exports from the Gulf. The U.S. military reported that two warships had navigated the waterway to clear Iranian mines, a move Iran denied. President Trump later insisted the strait would reopen "fairly soon," with or without Tehran’s cooperation. Domínguez emphasized that ending the hostilities is the fundamental solution to restoring safe passage. He warned that any resumption of traffic must be accompanied by thorough de‑mining and safety checks to protect both vessels and crews. He also dismissed calls for new legal frameworks, noting that the 1968 traffic‑separation agreement between Iran and Oman—which splits the strait into north‑ and south‑bound lanes—had functioned effectively before the war and does not require revision. Humanitarian concerns feature prominently in Domínguez’s statements. He highlighted that roughly 20,000 seafarers are stranded in the Gulf due to the blockade, warning that prolonged isolation would not only harm these workers but also have a negative ripple effect on the global economy.

US President Donald Trump has announced that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen 'fairly soon' with or without Iran's assistance, as the US and Iran prepare for peace talks in Pakistan. The strait, a critical maritime chokepoint, has been effectively blocked by Iran, disrupting approximately one-fifth of global oil and natural gas flows.Speaking to reporters, Trump said the US would 'open up the Gulf' and that other countries were ready to 'help out'. He emphasized that ensuring Iran does not possess nuclear weapons is the priority in any agreement, and the strait would open 'automatically' if a deal is reached.Despite a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, shipping in the strait remains at an effective standstill. Only two vessels passed through the strait on Friday, down from five the previous day. More than 600 vessels, including 325 tankers, are still stranded in the Gulf due to the blockage.US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf are set to lead negotiations in Islamabad aimed at securing a permanent end to the war. The US and Iran have offered conflicting messages on the agreed-upon terms for the negotiations, including the contents of a 10-point plan put forward by Tehran.

Shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains effectively halted even after Washington and Tehran announced a two‑week ceasefire on Tuesday, dampening expectations of a swift end to one of the most severe energy disruptions in recent memory. According to ship‑tracking data from market‑intelligence firm Kpler, only five vessels crossed the waterway on Wednesday, down from eleven the day before, and seven managed the passage on Thursday. The figure is a stark contrast to the pre‑conflict norm of 120‑140 daily transits that the strait typically handled before the February 28 attacks by the United States and Israel. More than 600 vessels, including 325 tankers, are still stranded in the Gulf, as reported by Lloyd’s List Intelligence. Ana Subasic, Kpler’s trade‑risk analyst, warned that even if the ceasefire holds, safe‑passage capacity is likely to stay limited to 10–15 ships per day, reflecting shipowners’ caution and the absence of any toll‑free guarantee. The strait channels roughly one‑fifth of the world’s oil and LNG supplies. Its continued blockage therefore sustains pressure on global energy markets. After a brief dip, Brent crude rose to $96.39 a barrel at 02:00 GMT on Friday, having slipped below $95 the previous day. U.S. President Donald Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire’s “safe passage” clause, labeling Tehran’s performance “very poor” in a Truth Social post. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, countered that the United States had not honored its commitments, urging Washington to choose between a genuine ceasefire and “continued war” linked to Israel’s actions in Lebanon. Maritime veteran C Uday Bhaskar described the atmosphere in the strait as one of “uncertainty and anxiety,” noting that shipping firms remain fearful, especially after Iranian statements about newly laid mines. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of the UAE’s state‑run oil giant ADNOC, echoed the sentiment, asserting that Iran’s conditional permissions amount to “coercion, not freedom of navigation.” Asian equity markets responded positively to the tentative easing of oil price pressure. Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 1.8 %, South Korea’s KOSPI rose about 2 %, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained roughly 1 % in early Friday trading. While the ceasefire offers a diplomatic window, the reality on the water remains stark: the Strait of Hormuz is far from open, and the global energy system continues to feel the strain of constrained maritime traffic.

The latest offering from writer Theo Jamieson and director Adam Lenson is a boldly conceived musical that thrusts a turbulent romance into a sci‑fi framework. The story follows a young astronaut, Daniel, who vanishes from his shuttle with barely enough fuel, prompting a quest to uncover the motives behind his reckless flight.Stuart Thompson (as Daniel) and Poppy Gilbert (as Emily) anchor the piece with performances that are both visceral and nuanced. Their chemistry captures the push‑pull of a relationship scarred by childhood bullying, parental betrayal, and a shared history of trauma, delivering songs that soar and hit hard.Visually, the production leans heavily on interstellar projections that transform the stage into a shifting cosmos, while the score oscillates between Sondheim‑style wit and full‑blown symphonic passages. This combination creates an epic sense of strangeness that distinguishes Flyby from more conventional West End fare.However, the narrative’s fragmented structure hampers its emotional payoff. The non‑chronological storytelling leaves critical gaps, and the metaphor of being "stranded in space" feels over‑extended—especially with the protagonist’s surname, Defoe, a thin nod to Robinson Crusoe. The three narrators, played by Simbi Akande, Gina Beck, and Rupert Young, often drift into digressive asides that dilute the central arc.Despite these flaws, moments of brilliance emerge, particularly in the musical’s treatment of mental‑health themes. The show hints at the potential to join the ranks of modern theatre successes like Next to Normal and Dear Evan Hansen, should its structural rough edges be smoothed.The production is currently staged at Southwark Playhouse, Borough, London and will run through 16 May. Audiences seeking a daring blend of emotional intensity and cosmic spectacle will find Flyby a compelling, if imperfect, experience.

The conflict in Gaza has resulted in a significant number of amputations, with over 6,000 adults and children undergoing amputations since October 2023, according to the WHO and Palestinian Ministry of Health. Ola Jamal, 36, is one of the many Palestinians who have been forced to flee Gaza due to the conflict. She was breastfeeding her two-month-old son, Zain, when a missile struck al-Nasr hospital in Gaza, causing her to lose her arm. Jamal and her family were forced to separate, with her children being cared for by another family. This traumatic experience has had a lasting impact on Jamal and her children, with her son Zain still experiencing nightmares and trauma two years after the event. Shadi Sharif Ayesh al-Sous, a father of two, lost his leg in a missile strike while collecting firewood. He had his leg amputated above the knee and now waits to return home to Gaza. However, many Palestinians in Egypt face significant challenges, including restricted access to healthcare and prosthetic care due to their uncertain legal status. Yousef El Deeb, a certified prosthetist at Orthomedics in Cairo, says his clinic has treated about 300 Palestinian patients since October 2023, mostly through the support of NGOs. However, the lack of documentation and uncertain legal status of Palestinians in Egypt makes it difficult for them to access long-term prosthetic care without the support of NGOs. The situation for Palestinians in Egypt is further complicated by their lack of formal residency or refugee status. Without valid residency permits, survivors are often restricted to hostels or share a flat with other families, unable to work and living under the constant pressure of temporary status. This lack of documentation makes accessing hi-tech, long-term prosthetic care almost impossible without the support of NGOs.

The UK government announced legislation that will protect disabled claimants from an automatic reassessment of benefits when they begin paid employment or volunteering. The measure, dubbed the “right to try”, is slated to take effect at the end of April and aims to remove the fear of losing financial support that many say discourages job‑seeking. Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms framed the policy as a reassurance for people “stranded in the benefits system”. He emphasized that the change also extends to volunteering, which he described as a vital stepping‑stone toward sustainable employment. The new rules will apply to recipients of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the health element of Universal Credit. Under the current system, taking up work can trigger a reassessment that often leads to reduced or withdrawn support, a risk that has deterred many disabled individuals from seeking employment. Disability advocates welcomed the development but cautioned that it does not tackle the deeper obstacles faced by disabled job‑seekers. James Taylor, a director at the charity Scope, called the policy “a step in the right direction” but warned that “the odds are stacked against disabled people when it comes to finding suitable work”. He urged the government to fund personalised employment support and to halt further benefit cuts. Research from the flexible‑working nonprofit Timewise underscores the challenge: only 2.5% of long‑term sick or disabled individuals who are economically inactive manage to return to work each year, and more than half of those jobs last fewer than four months. Mikey Erhardt of Disability Rights UK highlighted that a secure “right to try” is essential to ensure that anyone who tries work can retain the same level of support if the venture fails. Critics also noted that the announcement coincides with a controversial reduction to the health element of Universal Credit, which will be halved for new claimants and frozen unless stricter eligibility criteria are met. Timms acknowledged the pressure this creates, saying the previous system forced people to prove they were “too unwell to work”. Campaigners fear the simultaneous cuts will exacerbate financial strain for disabled claimants already navigating an uncertain labour market. Erhardt warned that “hundreds of thousands of disabled people will experience yet another cut in living standards”, arguing that successive governments have treated social security more as a coercive tool than a safety net.

The recent ceasefire between the US and Iran offers a glimmer of hope for the energy crisis that has been exacerbated by the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. However, the deal's stability is already being questioned, with Iran claiming that Israel's attacks on Lebanon breach the agreement. Even if the ceasefire holds and hundreds of tankers stranded in the Gulf start to transit once more, analysts fear that it will not be enough to return the flow of oil, gas, chemicals, and other vital items to pre-crisis levels. An estimated 2,000 vessels with about 20,000 seafarers onboard have been trapped in the Gulf since the outbreak of the conflict. Shipping analysts and owners have cautioned that even a temporary ceasefire does not provide a sufficient guarantee that it is safe to make the passage, particularly because Iran's foreign minister has stated that transit will be under Iranian military management. Many questions remain for shipowners and their captains over whether it is safe to navigate through the strait. The disruption has been compounded by the forced shutdown of oil and gas production across the Gulf as storage facilities reached capacity. In addition, many key energy production sites have been damaged by drone attacks. Experts have said it could take months or years to fully restore the Gulf's energy production. Energy markets have fallen sharply on the hope that millions of barrels of crude oil and gas trapped in the Gulf could soon help to relieve a crisis that the International Energy Agency has said is more serious than the energy flashpoints in 1973, 1979, and 2022 combined. However, traders are also expected to price in a continuing 'geopolitical risk premium' to reflect uncertainty over whether the ceasefire will hold.

The conflict in Iran has underscored how fragile a world built on fossil fuels truly is, with disruptions to oil, gas and fertilizer shipments adding millions of tonnes of greenhouse‑gas emissions to an already critical climate system.While Saudi Arabia and other petrostates blocked any mention of a fossil‑fuel phase‑out at the UN COP30 summit last November, a new diplomatic effort is gathering momentum outside the UN framework.On 28‑29 April, Colombia will host the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels. Unlike UN negotiations, the summit will be decided by majority vote, preventing a handful of countries from derailing progress.The event is co‑sponsored by Colombia – the world’s fifth‑largest coal exporter – and the Netherlands, home to Royal Dutch Shell. Organisers have invited nations that supported the COP30 roadmap, as well as sub‑national leaders such as California Governor Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 U.S. presidential contender.Delegates, described as a “coalition of the willing”, will share concrete plans to shift their economies away from fossil fuels while safeguarding workers and communities. Climate activists, Indigenous representatives and trade‑union leaders will also contribute ideas for turning the abstract goal of decarbonisation into actionable policy.One focal point will be the reduction of the $7 trillion per year in global fossil‑fuel subsidies, a figure that the International Energy Agency warns could be trimmed without harming the livelihoods that depend on these funds. UN Secretary‑General António Guterres has urged the International Energy Agency to create a platform that aligns the decline of fossil‑fuel investment with rapid clean‑energy expansion.The real leverage of this coalition lies in its economic weight. The 85 countries that backed the COP30 roadmap together account for a gross national product of $33.3 trillion—surpassing the United States’ $30.6 trillion and far exceeding China’s $19.4 trillion.If the Just Transition conference produces a credible, market‑oriented plan, it could send a clear signal to investors and policymakers that the era of oil, gas and coal is ending, prompting a reallocation of capital away from stranded‑asset risks.Adding California’s $4.1 trillion GDP to the coalition’s total would create an economic bloc of roughly $37.4 trillion, approaching the combined $50 trillion output of the United States and China.Newsom has repeatedly positioned California as a climate leader, noting that two‑thirds of the state’s electricity now comes from non‑carbon sources and that its economy has risen from the world’s sixth to fourth largest. He pledged that California will fill the void left by the United States’ retreat from the Paris Agreement by competing in global green‑technology markets.Public opinion supports such a shift: between 80 % and 89 % of the world’s population wants stronger climate action. The upcoming conference therefore represents a pivotal chance to translate widespread demand into a coordinated, economically powerful push for a fossil‑fuel‑free future.

Oman and Iran convened deputy foreign minister‑level talks on Saturday to discuss measures that could guarantee the smooth passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement from the Omani Foreign Ministry.The meeting, described as an "undersecretary‑level" dialogue, was attended by specialists from both ministries, underscoring the technical nature of the discussions.Officials said the parties examined possible options to ensure safe transit amid the volatile regional environment, with a series of proposals now slated for further study.Tracking data from the shipping journal Lloyd’s List showed that, on Sunday, three Omani vessels – two large oil supertankers and an LNG carrier – navigated the strait outside Iran’s "approved corridor" near Larak Island, sailing unusually close to the Omani coast.Earlier in the week, an Iranian official announced a draft protocol with Oman aimed at monitoring traffic through the strait, which carries roughly one‑fifth of global oil supplies and has been heavily restricted as retaliation for the ongoing US‑Israeli war on Iran.Since the conflict erupted on February 28, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has permitted limited transits for vessels from Pakistan, France and Turkey, while an estimated about 3,000 ships remain stranded in the region.The Strait of Hormuz is a critical energy chokepoint; any disruption fuels market volatility and compels oil‑importing nations to scramble for alternative supplies.U.S. President Donald Trump took to social media over the weekend, warning that he would unleash “all Hell” if the waterway is not reopened by Monday, highlighting the geopolitical pressure surrounding the passage.Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, held separate calls with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and regional counterparts, including Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, to explore de‑escalation proposals.Professor Amin Saikal, an emeritus scholar at the Australian National University, cautioned that an expansion of the war would be “hell for the whole region” and stressed the urgent need for a negotiated settlement, though he noted that diplomatic avenues appear increasingly narrow.