Rubio to take part in Israel-Lebanon talks – report
US secretary of state Marco Rubio will reportedly participate in the talks between Israel and Lebanon later today.
An Israeli delegation, led by ambassador Yechiel Leiter, and the Lebanese delegation led by ambassador Nada Hamadeh will hold talks at the US state department.
“This conversation will scope the ongoing dialogue about how to ensure the long-term security of Israel’s northern border and to support the government of Lebanon’s determination to reclaim full sovereignty over its territory and political life,” a state department official told CNN.
“Israel is at war with Hezbollah, not Lebanon, so there is no reason the two neighbours should not be talking,” the official added.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 April 2026 07:00
Bessent says Fed should ‘wait and see’ before lowering rates
The Federal Reserve should “wait and see” before deciding whether to lower interest rates amid the war in Iran, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Semafor.
Bessent said the US economy was “very strong” in January and February, and that the Fed is “doing the right thing by sitting and watching” how the conflict plays out.
“I would be shocked, for instance, if (the European Central Bank) hiked (rates),” he said.
“Although I will say that many European countries, (such as) the UK, and Asian countries, are subsidising demand, which we haven’t done in the US.”
Bessent said he is confident that recent price increases are not “going to get embedded into inflation expectations.”
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 April 2026 06:40
Trump’s Strait of Hormuz blockade threatens piracy and risks outright war against China
Trump’s threats to the Strait of Hormuz will make America a pirate nation and risk conflict with China, making Beijing seem like the grown-ups, explains world affairs editor Sam Kiley.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 April 2026 06:30
What is the ‘Gate of Tears’? Key shipping route that could be attacked by Houthis
Donald Trump’s threats to blockade the Strait of Hormuz have sparked fears Iran could counterattack by urging its Houthi allies in Yemen to halt sea traffic through another major shipping corridor in the Middle East.
The entry of the Houthis into the Iran war at the end of March sparked concerns that the group, known for its attacks on shipping, could block the vital Bab al-Mandab strait to oil tankers, causing further economic chaos.
Like the Strait of Hormuz, the strait, also known as the “Gate of Tears”, is a chokepoint in the region through which large volumes of petroleum and liquefied natural gas pass. Crucially, it’s a vital strategic link in the maritime trade route between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 April 2026 06:20
Israeli military says soldier killed in Lebanon
Israel’s military said a reserve soldier was killed and three others wounded in fighting in southern Lebanon.
The military said that the reservist killed was a firefighting vehicle driver.
The death brought the number of Israeli soldiers killed in the current war in Lebanon to 13.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 April 2026 06:00
Trump threatens to ‘eliminate’ Iranian warships approaching blockade
President Donald Trump has warned that any Iranian “fast-attack” ships that go near the US maritime blockade on Iran will be eliminated, saying the US would not allow Tehran to “extort the world”.
Trump said the US blockade on vessels entering and departing Iran had gone into effect yesterday.
Describing Iran’s navy as “completely obliterated” during the six-week-long war between the US and Iran, Trump had earlier posted on Truth Social: “What we have not hit are their small number of, what they call, ‘fast attack ships,’ because we did not consider them much of a threat.”
“Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea. It is quick and brutal,” Trump wrote.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 April 2026 05:45
Trump rants against ‘The Failing New York Times’ over Iran coverage
President Donald Trump has lashed out at The New York Times once again after the outlet’s chief White House correspondent called his mental health and stability into question.
“HAVE THEY NO SHAME? HAVE THEY NO SENSE OF DECENCY?” the president posted on Truth Social after NYT veteran political reporter Peter Baker cast doubt over his “erratic behavior and extreme comments.”
Trump, who once memorably branded himself a “Very Stable Genius”, didn’t respond directly to Baker’s article, instead taking aim at the paper’s coverage of his war in Iran.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 April 2026 05:35
Dozens detained in New York City 
Protesters are arrested by police during a demonstration and sit-in on Third Avenue in New York City on April 13, 2026 (AFP/Getty)
Protesters take part in a sit-in on Third Avenue in New York City (AFP/Getty)
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 April 2026 05:30
South Korean leader warns Gulf conflict to keep oil price high
South Korean president Lee Jae Myung said that rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz made it hard to be optimistic about the fallout from the Iran war, warning that high oil prices and supply-chain strains were likely to persist for some time.
Lee told a cabinet meeting this morning that the government should treat prolonged disruption in global energy and raw materials markets as a given and reinforce its emergency response system.
“For the time being, difficulties in global energy and raw materials supply chains and high oil prices will continue,” Lee said.
“I ask that we pursue the development of alternative supply chains, medium- to long-term industrial restructuring, and the transition to a post-plastic economy as top-priority national strategic projects.”
Lee also urged ministries to move quickly to deploy a supplementary budget passed in response to the war.
At the meeting, ministers outlined steps to contain the economic shock from the conflict, including support for crude imports, controls against hoarding of petrochemical feedstocks and medical supplies, and expanded financial assistance for affected companies.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 April 2026 05:30
US-sanctioned Chinese tanker first to pass through Strait during blockade
A Chinese tanker sanctioned by the US passed through the Strait of Hormuz this morning despite a US blockade on the chokepoint, shipping data showed.
The Rich Starry would be the first to make it through the strait and to exit the Gulf since the blockade began, data from LSEG, MarineTraffic and Kpler showed.
The tanker and its owner Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd were sanctioned by the US for dealing with Iran.
Rich Starry is a medium-range tanker that is carrying about 250,000 barrels of methanol on board, according to the data. It loaded the cargo at its last port of call, the UAE’s Hamriyah, the data showed.
The Chinese-owned tanker has Chinese crew on board, the data showed.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 April 2026 05:30