Route

Petition to king, who remains Jamaica’s head of state, is formally lodged in landmark visit to UK by officialsA palpable surge of emotion swept through Brixton’s New Park Road Baptist church as the packed congregation rose to sing Bob Marley’s Redemption Song.The service on Sunday marked the anniversary of the 1781 Zong massacre, when more than 100 enslaved Africans were thrown overboard so the ship’s owners could claim insurance for “lost cargo”. Continue reading...

Rampant Yemeni rebels take control of island in narrow point of Bab al-Mandab strait, which Saudi is relying on for oil exportsViolence in Yemen: why it matters and how it is linked to the US-Iran warYemen’s rampant Houthi forces have captured a strategic island in the Bab al-Mandab strait, expanding their control of the narrow waterway, one of the ​world’s vital shipping routes.The Iran-aligned Houthis took control of the volcanic island after forces allied to the UN-backed, Aden-based government left in the latest of a dramatic series of reverses along Yemen’s west coast in recent days, including the loss of the port city of Mocha on Thursday. Continue reading...

Passenger recalls seeing cabin lights flicker and ‘a lot of screaming’ after suspected engine issueGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLiza-Jayne Loch was returning home from a business trip to New Zealand when her Qantas flight ran into trouble.The plane was climbing above the scenic South Island’s mountain ranges on Saturday afternoon, bound for Sydney, when a bang shook the cabin. Continue reading...

Deal agreed between Avanti West Coast and Aslef is first to be approved by Burnham governmentTrain drivers have secured a significant pay rise after the threat of strike action was floated on busy routes across the UK, including those on the busy London-Manchester line.The deal, which was agreed on Saturday between Avanti West Coast and the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (Aslef) union, is the first to be approved by Andy Burnham in his premiership. Continue reading...

• The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is proposing a shake-up of the UK's medicines approval process to accelerate the development of treatments for rare diseases. • With approximately 10,000 rare diseases existing, the vast majority currently lack effective therapies, creating significant gaps in patient care. • The economic impact is severe, with the MHRA estimating that delayed diagnoses cost £340 million annually and health-related disability costs reach £4.7 billion.

Rapid emergency response under way after Southern rail service comes off tracks in Lewes areaA passenger train has derailed in East Sussex, prompting a rapid emergency response in the area.Several rail routes were closed after a Southern service came off the tracks near Lewes just before 4pm. Continue reading...

Joint statement is being finalised, but Tehran says deal alone would not guarantee waterway’s securityMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesIran and Oman have reached an understanding on ⁠the geographic coordinates for a shipping route through the strait of Hormuz, and ⁠a joint announcement ⁠is ​being finalised, provided certain third parties did not interfere, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil ⁠Baghaei said on Wednesday.Baghaei added that any such agreement between Iran and Oman would not, by ⁠itself, guarantee security in the strategic waterway. Continue reading...

• President Trump has threatened "decapitation" strikes against Iran, stating the country is on its "very last chance" to reach a deal. • In response to a Houthi-declared blockade, six Saudi-operated tankers have been diverted around Africa to ensure safe passage. • Iran's Foreign Ministry is currently in negotiations with Oman to establish a temporary safe route for maritime vessels.

Iran discussing creation of temporary route through strait of Hormuz with its neighbour, says spokespersonMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesIran has been in discussion with Oman about the creation of a new temporary route through the strait of Hormuz that would allow commercial shipping to resume, but is not yet reviving talks with the US, Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.Esmail Baghaei was responding to claims by Donald Trump that talks between the two sides covering all the major disputes between them could restart as early as Monday. Trump claimed he held off from launching the biggest strike on any country “since world war two” over the weekend after Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, rang him to urge diplomacy. Trump said the cancellation was conditional on Iran reaching a deal quickly. Continue reading...

• Singapore has been drawn into Group A of the inaugural Fifa Asean Cup 2026, where they will face hosts Indonesia, Malaysia, and India. • The tournament features 14 teams split across two divisions, with the Premier Division taking place in Jakarta and the Challenge Division in Hong Kong. • FAS general secretary Badri Ghent stated that the competition is intended to enhance Singaporean football culture and inspire future generations.

Christopher Street Day event cancelled after incident that left several people injuredA major incident has been declared in Berlin after reports that a car has crashed into a crowd of people, with several injuries.The city’s Christopher Street Day Pride parade was called off by the organiser after the incident in the city’s Tiergarten park near the route of the parade on Saturday night. Continue reading...

• Ramp has launched "Ramp Router," a public early-access tool that routes AI requests across OpenAI, Gemini, and open-source models like Kimi to optimize costs. • The tool was developed from Ramp's internal systems, which the $44 billion spend-management company claims reduced its LLM expenses by approximately 30%. • Simultaneously, reports indicate Meta's AAI Labs is developing "Switchboard," a router designed to score request difficulty and assign simpler tasks to cheaper models to lower AI agent costs.

• The UN has warned that escalating Middle East tensions are threatening vital regional trade routes, specifically the Strait of Hormuz. • The situation is exacerbated by ongoing American airstrikes on Iran and a diplomatic stalemate regarding the closure of the crucial energy waterway. • These developments pose a significant risk to global energy security and international trade stability.

Revolutionary Guard claims attack on oil tanker and two other ships; Houthis in Yemen say they are imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red SeaFull report: Almost 100 troops injured in recent weeks, Pentagon admits, as Iran launches reprisals on US alliesWelcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East crisis.Iran attacked a tanker in the strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announced they were imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.The latest US strikes came hours after Donald Trump said Iran would pay “many times over” for killing US soldiers after multiple service members ‌were killed ​in ⁠action ​over the ​weekend.A tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the Hormuz strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack as well as two other attacks on ships in the waterway on Monday.The US military’s Central Command said its latest airstrikes were to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait and included hitting military command centres and missile and drone launch sites.Iranian media reported strikes in parts of the country including Bandar Abbas, Tabriz and Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power.Iran’s launched attacks in response against Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, which all host US forces.Oil prices softened after hitting their highest levels in more than a month in the previous session. Brent crude futures eased 0.4% to $88.87 ⁠a barrel by 0052 GMT on Tuesday while US West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.47 a barrel.Democrats have seized on the deaths of three US troops killed in Iranian strikes to urge Trump to urgently reverse his resumption of the war with Iran amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties.The Lebanese army began taking charge of security in three southern villages, the US said, as a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah faced its first test on the ground. Continue reading...

• Stock futures are indicating a sharp decline for Friday's market open, driven largely by a continued sell-off in semiconductor stocks. • Oil prices have increased following U.S. military strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure and supply routes. • These simultaneous shifts highlight growing volatility in the tech sector and rising geopolitical tensions affecting global energy markets.

• Asian equities experienced a severe sell-off, highlighted by South Korea's KOSPI index plummeting as much as 7% intraday and triggering circuit breaker concerns. • Memory-related stocks were the hardest hit, though ChipMOS surged nearly 8% as investors sought a safe haven amidst the volatility. • Despite bullish AI-driven outlooks from Barclays and Nanya Technology President Lee Pei-Ing, analysts warn that low trading volume makes a V-shaped recovery unlikely for the Taiwan market.

• Myanmar is launching a strategic tourism recovery plan targeting visitors from China, Thailand, India, Japan, and South Korea to stimulate economic growth. • The strategy focuses on promoting spiritual tourism circuits, including the ancient temples of Bagan, Yangon's heritage sites, and Inle Lake. • To achieve an ambitious goal of 1.8 million visitors by 2026, the government is implementing visa reforms and improving regional connectivity.

Home secretary speeds up major part of bill governing asylum and refugees as new prime minister set to take overShabana Mahmood will seek to shore up support for her controversial immigration bill on the progressive left of Labour, as she sets out plans to speed up the opening of new safe and legal routes that will permit thousands of refugees to come to the UK.The home secretary, who is the leading contender to stay in her job if Andy Burnham becomes prime minister, will next week introduce the legislation, which will also set new limits on immigration claims on human rights grounds and under modern slavery law.Removing modern slavery protections for any foreign national who has committed a crime and received a sentence, scrapping the previous 12-month threshold.Rejecting last-minute modern slavery claims where an objection could have been raised earlier or where there is evidence of false documentation.Allowing immigration claims to be brought under the right to a family life only if the family member is a parent, spouse or child under 18 except in exceptional circumstances.A new test to make clear that deporting foreign national offenders is in the public interest and should only be blocked in the most exceptional circumstances. Applications for family reunion under the right to a family life will in future have to be brought by a UK-based sponsor, not the overseas family member.Giving every trafficked and exploited child a dedicated independent guardian to support their safeguarding and recovery. Continue reading...

• Iran's Revolutionary Guards attacked a Singapore-flagged commercial vessel using a drone in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. • The strike occurred as international efforts were underway to reopen and secure the critical oil shipping route. • This escalation threatens regional stability and disrupts global energy transit, highlighting the ongoing tensions between Tehran and the U.S.

• Tensions have escalated in the Strait of Hormuz as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continues to insist on designated transit routes. • This dispute persists despite ongoing ceasefire discussions between the United States and Iran aimed at stabilizing the region. • Foreign policy expert Col. Rajeev Agarwal notes that Oman has historically acted as a peacemaker, with the Omani Foreign Minister mediating right up until U.S. attacks began.

• ESPN analyzed the potential paths for Thomas Tuchel's England squad toward the 2026 World Cup final, emphasizing the importance of topping Group L. • Topping the group would likely avoid early clashes with powerhouses like Brazil, who are expected to dominate Group C and advance through the round-of-32 and round-of-16. • The analysis suggests that England's difficulty increases significantly if they fail to win their group, potentially facing top seeds from Groups E, F, and I, such as Germany, the Netherlands, or France.

• Data from the API routing platform OpenRouter reveals that Chinese-developed language models now account for approximately 61% of token consumption among the top 10 models. • This shift indicates that thousands of American AI startups are quietly migrating their traffic away from US-based models in favor of Chinese alternatives. • The trend is significant as it suggests Chinese LLMs are becoming more competitive in performance or cost, potentially challenging the dominance of Silicon Valley AI firms.

• A massive sell-off in Asia's technology sector has triggered what is being described as the first "macro shock" of the AI era. • The volatility is centered on critical semiconductor hubs, specifically impacting the market capitalization of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in South Korea and TSMC in Taiwan. • This event highlights a dangerous global market dependency, where the financial stability of entire national indices is now disproportionately tied to a small number of AI-linked companies.

• Mid-sized UK institutional investors are shifting their focus from identifying opportunities in European markets to optimizing the execution of those investments. • The move is driven by a desire for better portfolio diversification, access to specialized investment strategies, and proximity to a wider range of asset classes. • This trend is expected to accelerate as financial markets undergo further digitization, specifically through the tokenization of securities.

• Chinese AI models, specifically DeepSeek, are currently leading in traffic on OpenRouter, a popular platform used by global developers to access various LLMs. • The trend highlights a shift where open-weight models from China are performing competitively, though they introduce significant data privacy and security risks. • Several nations, including the U.S., South Korea, Italy, Australia, and Taiwan, have already implemented regulatory bans on using DeepSeek on government devices.

• Singapore Airlines has announced plans to explore opportunities to increase flight frequencies on the Singapore-Amsterdam route starting after October 2026. • The airline aims to expand its capacity and connectivity between these two major hubs to meet travel demand. • This move signals a strategic effort to strengthen its European network and enhance operational efficiency in the long term.

Train operator says passenger demand will still be met as it trims summer timetable at government’s behestAvanti West Coast is to cut about one in seven trains on its busiest intercity routes this summer to reduce costs.The train operator said it was reducing its timetable between London Euston and Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester in response to a government request to lower spending. Continue reading...

NSW transport minister says contracts signed for 24-metre, battery electric ferry to be trialled for 12 months from 2028Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSpluttering journeys across Sydney Harbour could soon be a thing of the past after a trial of the city’s first Australian-made and designed electric ferry.The New South Wales government says contracts have been signed for the new 24-metre, battery electric ferry to be trialled for 12 months from 2028 – two years later than originally planned. It is hoped it will operate on a new Sydney fish market route when it enters passenger service in 2029. Continue reading...