‘Sandy’ Case: Awaiting Europol to Clarify the Picture
The results from Europol’s forensic laboratory are expected to shed light on the police investigation and confirm or otherwise the claims made by Sandy that she herself fabricated the messages and other files. In her most recent statement, she insisted on her original claim.
Ceasefire Under Pressure After US–Iran Exchanges of Fire in the Strait of Hormuz
The ceasefire between the United States and Iran is now under serious strain, after exchanges of fire on Monday in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and the resumption of Iranian attacks against one of its Gulf neighbours, the United Arab Emirates. The sharp escalation, which further tests the ceasefire in force since 8 April, followed an announcement by US President Donald Trump that an American military operation would be conducted to restore traffic through the Strait, which Iran has effectively shut down. According to Fox News, President Trump warned that Iranians would be pulverised and “wiped off the face of the Earth” if they target US warships. Strait of Hormuz and Market Shock Since the outbreak of the war involving the United States and Israel against Iran, which has cost the lives of thousands of people, most of them in the Islamic Republic and Lebanon, Tehran has imposed tight controls over the Strait of Hormuz. In peacetime, about one fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the strait. Around 20,000 sailors are currently stranded in the area, according to a senior official of the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency. The attacks, the first on civilian installations in a Gulf country in over a month, rattled markets, sending oil prices sharply higher. An oil facility in Fujairah, one of the few accessible in the region without passing through the strait, was hit by a drone that caused a fire. Three Indian nationals were injured, though not seriously, according to local authorities. The UAE also reported being targeted by four cruise missiles launched from Iran, three of which were intercepted while one fell into the sea, according to the defence ministry. A crude oil tanker belonging to national oil company ADNOC was also targeted by two Iranian drones. The country condemned the “dangerous escalation” and said it reserves the right to retaliate. ‘No Military Solution’ Iran’s state television said the Islamic Republic “had no plan to target the Emirates,” citing an unnamed senior officer, who condemned the consequences of what he described as “US military adventurism.” He was referring to the operation aimed at freeing commercial vessels trapped in the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned what she called a “clear violation of [UAE] sovereignty and international law” by Iran and expressed solidarity with “the people of the Emirates.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also condemned the attack and called for de‑escalation, while Saudi Arabia warned against further 'military escalation' and urged continued diplomatic efforts. In Oman, two people were injured in an attack on a property in Bukha in the Strait of Hormuz, according to state media. "Events in the Strait of Hormuz make it clear that there is no military solution to a political crisis,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X. He called on the United States to pursue diplomacy and not be drawn into “another dead end.” Conflicting Claims and Oil Prices Major differences remain between the two governments, and efforts to restart negotiations have so far failed following an initial, unsuccessful meeting in Islamabad on 11 April. Tehran said on Sunday it had received a response to its latest proposal on ending the war, though no details have been made public. Iran, which has imposed de facto transit fees in the strait, warned the United States against any intervention. If US forces approach or attempt to enter, they will be targeted, Iran’s chief of staff, General Ali Abdollahi, said. President Trump again reiterated that Iran would not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, an ambition Tehran has denied for decades. Two US‑flagged commercial ships passed through the Strait 'successfully,’ according to US Central Command. Its commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, said US forces destroyed six Iranian vessels and intercepted missiles and drones launched from Iran against US warships and commercial shipping. Tehran denied that commercial vessels passed through the strait or that US forces destroyed Iranian boats. South Korea also reported an “explosion” and fire aboard a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude oil closed on Monday at $114.44 a barrel, up 5.8 per cent. Eurasia Group analysts warned that if the disruption to shipping persists, prices are likely to rise further. Source: CNA
The Fight Against Mosquitoes Continues This Year as Invasive Species Spread
Weather conditions affect mosquito populations, however the human factor remains decisive, as small pockets of stagnant water can favour the development of invasive Aedes species, which are internationally linked to diseases.
US Seeks International Coalition to Reopen Strait of Hormuz as Oil Hits Four-Year High
The United States is pushing to form an international coalition to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters, as oil prices surged to their highest level in more than four years on fears of prolonged disruption to global energy supplies. The proposed coalition Two months after US and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered the conflict, the vital waterway remains effectively closed, cutting off roughly 20% of the world's oil and gas supplies. Brent crude topped $125 a barrel on Thursday, more than doubling since the start of the year, driving inflation and pushing pump prices to politically painful levels across the world. The proposed coalition, which Washington has dubbed the "Maritime Freedom Construct", would share intelligence, coordinate diplomatically and help enforce sanctions. France, Britain and other countries have held talks on contributing but have said they are only willing to participate after hostilities cease. With diplomacy at an impasse, President Donald Trump is due to receive a briefing on Thursday on plans for a fresh series of military strikes against Iran in hopes of pushing Tehran back to the negotiating table, according to a report by Axios. Trump held talks earlier this week with oil executives, discussing steps to sustain the current blockade of Iran-linked vessels for months while minimising the impact on American consumers, a White House official said. On social media, Trump posted a mock-up image of himself wielding a machine-gun, captioned "No more Mr. Nice Guy", alongside the message: "They don't know how to sign a non-nuclear deal. They'd better get smart soon!" Tehran has shown no sign of yielding. Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Trump was attempting to divide Iranians and force the country into submission through the blockade, calling for national unity as "the bane of all the enemy's conspiracies." Iran's latest proposal, conveyed through Pakistani mediators, would set aside the nuclear issue entirely until the conflict is formally ended and shipping disputes resolved, a sequencing that Washington has flatly rejected, insisting the nuclear question must be addressed from the outset. Pakistan said Iran had requested until the end of the week to respond to US observations on the proposal. The human and economic toll The country's currency fell to a record low on Wednesday, with annual inflation running at 65.8% as of 20 April, according to the Iranian central bank. The UN human rights chief Volker Türk said at least 21 people have been executed since the start of the war and more than 4,000 arrested on national security charges. Power inside Tehran has shifted since the opening strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures, with hardline commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps now effectively driving strategy, according to Iranian officials and analysts. The war is also taking a domestic toll on Trump. His approval rating has fallen to the lowest point of his current term, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed, as Americans grapple with surging fuel costs and a conflict for which the administration has offered shifting rationales. The US military has spent $25 billion on the war so far, a senior Pentagon official told Congress this week in the first official cost estimate, equivalent to the entire annual budget of NASA.