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- Champions League — Wednesday’s 8th Apr fixtures
- US military begins blockade of Iranian ports amid Strait of Hormuz tensions
- Holocaust survivors mark remembrance at Auschwitz amid rising antisemitism
- Turkey reports shooting at vocational high school, 16 injured as gunman dies
- Crete becomes primary gateway for asylum seekers from eastern Libya
- Trump claims Aberdeen ‘ought to thrive’ urging UK to ‘drill, baby, drill’ for North Sea oil
- Israel and Lebanon set for historic diplomatic talks in Washington amid war
- Fuel Shortage – EU’s Plan – sit at home and do nothing
LIVE German 2025 Election Results as they come in and analysi on who will be the next German Chancellor.
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Champions League — Wednesday’s 8th Apr fixtures
1:00 am
Today’s fixtures feature exciting matches from the Champions League, League One, Saudi Arabian Premier League, and CONMEBOL Libertadores.
Champions League |
League One |
Saudi Arabian Premier League |
CONMEBOL Libertadores
Champions League
Quarter-final
Arsenal 20:00 Sporting CP
FC Bayern Munich 20:00 Real Madrid
League One
Matchday 16
AFC Wimbledon 19:45 Stockport County
Matchday 43
Luton Town 19:45 Northampton Town
Saudi Arabian Premier League
Matchday 29
Al Nassr 19:00 Al Ettifaq
CONMEBOL Libertadores
Matchday 2
Boca Juniors 10 Barcelona SC
Bolívar 0 Deportivo La Guaira
LDU de Quito 3 Mirassol
Universitario 0 Coquimbo Unido
Cruzeiro 2 Universidad Católica
Libertad 2 Rosario Central
US military begins blockade of Iranian ports amid Strait of Hormuz tensions
10:00 pm
Get you up to speed: US military begins blockade of Iranian ports amid Strait of Hormuz tensions
Donald Trump announced that the American military has initiated a blockade of Iranian ports to compel Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and accept a deal. The US military’s Central Command stated that the blockade would be enforced against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas.
Donald Trump announced that the American military has initiated a blockade of Iranian ports to pressure Iran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz, effective from 10 am Washington, D.C. time. In response, Iran has issued threats targeting all ports within the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, particularly against US-allied nations.
The US military’s Central Command has announced that the blockade will be enforced “against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas.” Meanwhile, US-Iran negotiations in Pakistan are ongoing, but both nations seem to have differing interpretations of the ceasefire conditions regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is underway – but is it open or closed? | News World
Donald Trump said the American military has begun a blockade of Iranian ports to force Iran to open up the Strait of Hormuz and accept a deal.
Iran responded with threats on all ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, aiming at US-allied countries.
Yesterday evening, the President said the blockade began yesterday at 10 am Washington, D.C. time.
But Iran and the US appear to be at odds as to whether the Strait of Hormuz is actually open again under the ceasefire agreement.
Minutes before the scheduled start of the blockade, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency issued a notice to mariners that said the restrictions included ‘the entirety of the Iranian coastline, including ports and energy infrastructure’.
It added that transit through the strait ‘to or from non-Iranian destinations is not reported to be impeded by these measures’, but added that ships ‘may encounter military presence’ in the strait.
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Iran’s effective closure of the strait, through which 20% of traded oil passes in peacetime, has sent oil prices skyrocketing, pushing up the cost of petrol, food and other basic goods far beyond the Middle East.
Some analysts are doubtful that the US can restore normal shipping through force alone, and it is not clear how a blockade would work or what the dangers might be to US forces.
The US military’s Central Command announced that the blockade would be enforced ‘against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas’.
Is the Strait of Hormuz open?
Two vessels passed safely before the Strait was apparently shut again (Picture: Getty)
It depends on who you ask.
Dr Bamo Nouri, senior lecturer in International Relations at the University of West London, told WTX that what’s happening with the Strait is contradictory, but both things are true at once.
‘It is technically ‘open’ but not freely operating. The US presents it as open to reassure markets, while Iran is effectively controlling access – allowing passage, but under conditions, monitoring, and implicit threats against non-compliant vessels,’ he explained.
‘That means shipping can move, but with heightened risk, reduced traffic, and rising costs. In practice, Iran doesn’t need to fully close the strait to exert leverage.
‘By making it uncertain, conditional, and potentially expensive, it can still disrupt global energy flows and signal its strategic power, which is why markets remain tense despite the ceasefire.’
How does Iran control the Strait of Hormuz?
A few factors go into how Iran controls the vital waterway, where tankers must sail through Hormuz, a 60-mile-wide part of the Persian Gulf, which has been at the heart of regional tensions for decades.
At its narrowest point, the Strait is just 24 miles across, making it easy for Iran to target vessels passing by without firing from a ship. Instead, they can fire anti-ship missiles from their coastline.
Along with the geography allowing Iran to exert control on the waterway, they also use unique methods of weaponry.
They’ve also laced the water with mines and use cheap drones to attack vessels that pass without permission.
The UN allows countries to exercise control of their territorial seas up to 13.8 miles from their coastlines.
Some portions of the Strait lie entirely in Iran and Oman’s territorial waters, meaning they are allowed to ‘defend’ their countries if needed.
What happened to the ceasefire agreement?
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Pete Hegseth told reporters yesterday that the Strait was reopened (Picture: AFP)
As of now, US-Iran negotiations in Pakistan are still ongoing, so the ceasefire is still technically on, but Iran and the US appear to have differing definitions of what this means.
When Iran, Israel and the United States agreed on a two-week ceasefire, one of the conditions all of them agreed on was the opening of the Strait of Hormuz for maritime traffic.
The blockade has now called all of this into question.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released the coordinates of where it indicates it has planted underwater explosives in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran claims the map provides a safe corridor for oil tankers using the passage, where normally around 20% of the world’s oil passes every day.
Trump declared the passage was officially open last week, but it was closed again after just two tankers made it through.
Though the ceasefire requires the free reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, reports have suggested Iran wanted to put a toll of up to $1 million on each ship.
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Holocaust survivors mark remembrance at Auschwitz amid rising antisemitism
9:00 pm
Holocaust survivors mark remembrance at Auschwitz amid rising antisemitism
March of Living
Holocaust survivors participated in the March of the Living at Auschwitz, commemorating the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany during World War II.
Holocaust survivors participated in the March of the Living at Auschwitz, commemorating the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany during World War II.
Surge in Antisemitism
Since 7 October, antisemitism has surged globally, with a significant increase in incidents, marking a concerning trend that echoes historical persecutions.
Since 7 October, antisemitism has surged globally, with a significant increase in incidents, marking a concerning trend that echoes historical persecutions.
Surging antisemitism
“Since 7 October, antisemitism has surged and is spreading everywhere,” warned Revital Yakin Krakovsky, deputy chief executive of the International March of the Living organisation.
“Since 7 October, antisemitism has surged and is spreading everywhere,” warned Revital Yakin Krakovsky, deputy chief executive of the International March of the Living organisation.
Key developments
Thousands joined the March of the Living at Auschwitz, with participants including 50 Holocaust survivors, some arriving from Israel despite logistical challenges due to the Iran war.
Revital Yakin Krakovsky, deputy chief executive of the International March of the Living, highlighted a significant rise in antisemitism since 7 October, linking it to historical patterns of hatred.
This year’s march coincided with Holocaust Remembrance Day in the Jewish calendar, amid a fragile ceasefire with Iran following a recent conflict that erupted in February.
Thousands gather in Poland for annual ‘March of the Living’ to remember Holocaust victims
Published on •Updated
Holocaust survivors from around the world joined thousands of people in the March of the Living on Tuesday, an annual event held at the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland in memory of the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany during World War II.
Of the 50 survivors taking part, some had travelled from Israel, organisers said, despite logistical difficulties caused by airspace restrictions associated with the Iran war.
Revital Yakin Krakovsky, deputy chief executive of the International March of the Living organisation, warned that antisemitism is alive today despite the lessons of the Holocaust.
“Since 7 October, antisemitism has surged and is spreading everywhere,” she said. “The scale and normalisation of this hatred echoes the dark times we have seen before and, today of all days, we know how it ended.”
The march in Poland took place on what is Holocaust Remembrance Day in the Jewish calendar.
It began at Auschwitz and ended 3 kilometres away at Birkenau, where Jews from across Europe were transported by train and murdered in gas chambers.
Among the guests were survivors of recent antisemitic attacks, including the mass shooting in December in which 15 people were killed during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
Hannah Abesidon, the daughter of 78-year-old Holocaust survivor Tibor Weitzen, one of the 15 people killed in the Bondi Beach massacre, recounted her experience of the attack in which her father was killed.
“My father didn’t make it because he was a Jew,” Abesidon said. “It starts with the Jews but it doesn’t end with the Jews.”
The annual march, now in its 38th year, usually draws thousands of participants, including Holocaust survivors and Jewish students, leaders and politicians.
Tributes in Israel
Israel came to a standstill on Tuesday as sirens sounded across the country in tribute to the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
At 10:00 am local time (0800 CET), Israel observed a two-minute silence, with traffic coming to a halt and the rhythm of everyday life suspended in a symbolic act of remembrance for those who perished.
The commemoration, held each year in April or May in accordance with the Hebrew calendar, is separate from International Holocaust Remembrance Day which is marked on 27 January.
This year’s commemoration comes amid a fragile two-week ceasefire with Iran after a war that began on 28 February, when a joint US-Israeli air attack killed Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Video editor • Amandine Hess
Additional sources • AP
Turkey reports shooting at vocational high school, 16 injured as gunman dies
7:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Turkey reports shooting at vocational high school, 16 injured as gunman dies
An 18-year-old gunman, recently expelled, opened fire with a shotgun at a vocational high school in Siverek, Turkey, wounding at least 16 people. After being cornered by police, he killed himself with the same weapon, according to governor Hasan Sildak.
Governor Hasan Sildak stated that a comprehensive investigation into the shooting at a vocational high school in Siverek will be conducted. Reports indicated that the assailant had threatened an attack on the school via social media prior to the incident.
A comprehensive investigation into the shooting will be carried out, as stated by governor Hasan Sildak. Meanwhile, five of the wounded teachers and students were transferred to a hospital in the provincial capital due to their more serious conditions.
Moment pupil returns to high school to shoot 16 people before killing himself | News World
Teenagers run in fear after their former classmate burst into school armed with a shotgun and began firing randomly.
The 18-year-old gunman, who was recently expelled, wounded at least 16 people before killing himself in Turkey.
Armed with a shotgun, he opened fire on anyone he could see at a vocational high school in Siverek in the province of Sanliurfa, before hiding inside the building.
CCTV captures the moment his victims were shot, others are forced to flee right past him as others slam doors to get away.
He later killed himself with the same shotgun after being ‘cornered by police’, governor Hasan Sildak said.
Victims are carried out of the high school in Turkey (Picture: DHA)
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The attack left 10 students, four teachers, a canteen employee and a police officer wounded, Mr Sildak said.
While most of them were being treated in Siverek, five of the wounded teachers and students were transferred to a hospital in the provincial capital because their conditions were more serious, the governor said.
The motive remains unclear. School shootings are rare in Turkey.
The attacker did not have a criminal record, Mr Sildak said. The school had been declared safe and no permanent police officer was assigned to protect it, he added, calling the shooting an ‘isolated incident’.
The shooter in a white jumper opens fire on unsuspecting pupils
NTV television and other media reports said the assailant had threatened an attack on the school on social media prior to the shooting.
One student told the state-run Anadolu Agency that he and a friend jumped out of their classroom window to flee the attacker.
‘He suddenly entered the classroom and fired. He fired four or five times. Two people were hit. He then went into the next classroom,’ Anadolu quoted the student as saying. ‘We first threw ourselves to the ground and then two of us jumped out of the window.’
The student added: ‘He didn’t say anything, he entered and started to shoot directly.’
Earlier, media reports said all students were evacuated and police special operations units were deployed after the assailant refused to surrender.
‘The individual was cornered inside the building through police intervention and died after shooting himself,’ Mr Sildak told reporters, adding that a ‘comprehensive’ investigation into the shooting would be carried out.
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Crete becomes primary gateway for asylum seekers from eastern Libya
6:00 pm
Crete becomes primary gateway for asylum seekers from eastern Libya
Asylum gateway
Crete has become the main gateway for asylum seekers arriving mainly from Tobruk in eastern Libya, a perilous crossing.
Crete has become the main gateway for asylum seekers arriving mainly from Tobruk in eastern Libya, a perilous crossing.
Main Gateway
Crete serves as the primary entry point for asylum seekers, notably from Tobruk, indicating a significant trend in migration routes.
Crete serves as the primary entry point for asylum seekers, notably from Tobruk, indicating a significant trend in migration routes.
Asylum Gateway
“Crete has become the main gateway for asylum seekers arriving mainly from Tobruk in eastern Libya,” stated a humanitarian organisation.
“Crete has become the main gateway for asylum seekers arriving mainly from Tobruk in eastern Libya,” stated a humanitarian organisation.
Key developments
Crete is now the primary entry point for asylum seekers, predominantly arriving from Tobruk in eastern Libya. This route involves a hazardous maritime journey.
Authorities have highlighted the increase in arrivals, which has prompted discussions on enhanced border monitoring and potential humanitarian assistance initiatives for those displaced.
More than 300 migrants rescued in last 48 hours off Crete, Greek officials say
Crete has become the main gateway for asylum seekers arriving mainly from Tobruk in eastern Libya, a perilous crossing.
Trump claims Aberdeen ‘ought to thrive’ urging UK to ‘drill, baby, drill’ for North Sea oil
4:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Trump claims Aberdeen ‘ought to thrive’ urging UK to ‘drill, baby, drill’ for North Sea oil
ENERGY POLICY CRISIS
Donald Trump criticised the United Kingdom’s refusal to drill for North Sea oil amidst rising energy prices linked to the Iran war.
Donald Trump criticised the United Kingdom’s refusal to drill for North Sea oil amidst rising energy prices linked to the Iran war.
ENERGY POLICY DEBATE
Chancellor Rachel Reeves condemned the ‘folly of America’s actions in the Middle East’ while US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasised the temporary nature of rising energy prices.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves condemned the ‘folly of America’s actions in the Middle East’ while US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasised the temporary nature of rising energy prices.
ENERGY POLICY DEBATE
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband maintains that opening new oil and gas fields in the North Sea will not reduce UK energy bills, contradicting calls from Conservative Party leaders.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband maintains that opening new oil and gas fields in the North Sea will not reduce UK energy bills, contradicting calls from Conservative Party leaders.
What we know so far
Amid soaring oil prices due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump is advocating for the UK to increase its oil production in the North Sea. Trump condemned the UK’s reluctance to drill and suggested that it should capitalise on its oil reserves to address energy demands, stating, “Tragic!!! Aberdeen should be booming.”
Trump’s comments follow his criticism of the UK government’s energy strategy, where he pointed out that Norway is currently selling its North Sea oil back to Britain at significantly higher prices. He urged, “UK, which is better situated on the North Sea for purposes of energy…should, DRILL, BABY, DRILL!”
The call for increased drilling comes as key voices in the UK, including Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage, support the idea of exploiting the North Sea’s resources. However, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband warned that opening new oil and gas fields would not affect UK energy bills, which are influenced primarily by international markets. The government maintains that focusing on renewable and nuclear energy is the more sustainable path forward.
As discussions around the UK’s energy policy continue, critics have labelled Trump’s suggestions as misguided. Tessa Khan from the pressure group Uplift accused Trump of being “unsurprisingly ill-informed” about UK energy dynamics, highlighting the pressing need for a transition to renewable sources in light of the ongoing crisis.
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Trump says Aberdeen ‘should be booming’ in call for UK to ‘drill, baby, drill’ for North Sea oil | News UK
With oil prices skyrocketing after the Strait of Hormuz blockade, Donald Trump is grasping at the ‘special relationship’ for a solution.
The US President, fresh from comparing himself to Jesus, took to social media to mock the United Kingdom for refusing to drill in the North Sea and preferring renewable sources of energy.
Trump posted on Truth Social: ‘Europe is desperate for Energy, and yet the United Kingdom refuses to open North Sea Oil, one of the greatest fields in the World. Tragic!!! Aberdeen should be booming.’
The former Apprentice host claimed instead Norway is selling its North Sea oil back to Britain ‘at double the price’.
He added: ‘They are making a fortune. UK, which is better situated on the North Sea for purposes of energy than Norway, should, DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!!
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Drilling in the North Sea is notoriously difficult with high winds, huge waves and uneven seabeds sometimes 500m deep.
You need expensive specialised rigs, whereas drilling in the Middle East is on land and has been, before the Iran war, far easier.
Despite this, Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch have already called for the black gold below us to be exploited.
Trade body Offshore Energies UK has said similar, arguing that failing to take advantage of the North Sea leaves us ‘more exposed to global volatility and higher emissions’.
There’s an untapped gas field 150 miles east of Aberdeen, called Jackdaw. If that untapped field was to be tapped, we’d get enough gas to heat 1.6 million homes.
But Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has maintained cracking open the new oil and gas fields wouldn’t take a penny off UK energy bills, as the price is set on international markets.
The government says the shift to renewable and nuclear energy additionally makes sense because the North Sea is maturing and has been in decline for more than 20 years, so Britain should get well-prepared for a future where we can’t rely on what’s beneath it.
‘Sort out his own mess’
Tessa Khan, Executive Director of Uplift, a pressure group focussing on the transition to green energy, said Trump is ‘unsurprisingly ill-informed’ on UK energy policy.
She told WTX: ‘The Iran crisis does not change the fact that the UK has burned most of its gas and most of what is left in the North Sea is oil, the majority of which is exported.
‘We should see Trump as the cheerleader-in-chief for an oil industry that is set to make obscene profits while the rest of us are once again facing unaffordable energy bills, and which is fuelling the rapid changes we’re seeing to our climate.
‘And like the oil giants, he is opposed to the genuine solutions that will get us off gas and protect us from energy shocks – namely renewable energy and upgrading homes with solar power, batteries and heat pumps.
‘It also makes no sense to take Trump’s advice when we’re facing high energy bills and financial hardships because of a conflict he helped start, to say nothing of the war’s broader consequences. Trump should stop trying to play god in the politics of other countries and focus on sorting out the mess he created.’
In the face of a spike in energy prices caused by the Iran war hitting the UK and wider global economy, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said ‘a small bit of economic pain for a few weeks is worth taking off the incalculable tail risk of either a nuclear Iran or a nuclear Iran that uses that weapon’.
As Chancellor Rachel Reeves hit out at the ‘folly of America’s actions in the Middle East and its impact on families, Mr Bessent insisted ‘there is nothing more transient than what we are seeing now’.
He said: ‘So the conflict will end, prices will come down, and then headline inflation will come down, and with that, gasoline prices will come down.’
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