​  ​

Oil prices rise after Trump claims Iranian ship seized56 Minutes agoPeter H. Hoskins and Nick Edser,Business reportersAFP via Getty ImagesGlobal crude oil prices have risen by more than 5% since US President Donald Trump Oil prices rise after Trump says Iranian ship seized56 minutes agoPeter HoskinsandNick Edser,Business reportersAFP via Getty ImagesGlobal oil prices have jumped by more than 5% since US President Donald Trump said the US Trump has announced that his representatives will be in Pakistan for negotiations on Monday. A White House official confirmed that Vice-President JDVance would lead the US delegaion. But Iran’s state media reported that Tehran had “no immediate plans to participate” in these talks, although Iranian officials still haven The BBC reported that “oil markets continue gyrate as a result of the fluctuating social media posts from the US and Iran rather than the realities on ground which remain difficult for oil flows to be resumed in a quick fashion”. Analyst “This is part of the negotiations, which are physically taking place in real time along the Strait of Hormuz. “Shanti Kelemen said that the market was “a little tired” due to the “chopping-and-changing” of the situation. “I think the market has stopped believing the words and will focus more on the actions,” she said to the BBC. The Strait of Hormuz was closed again on Sunday after the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps announced it would end a temporary re Stock markets were mixed on Sunday. Trump had said that the US naval blockade will continue until both countries agree on a deal. In Europe, the FTSE 100 index, which includes the largest companies listed in London, opened down 0.4%. Germany’s Dax, and France’s Cac 40, both fell more than 1%. However, Asian markets rose earlier, Futures contracts are agreements to buy or sell assets for a specific price at a future date. The Brent futures contract currently being quoted is for crude oil to be delivered in June. Brent futures contracts are currently quoted for crude oil that will be delivered in June.

​  ​

The BBC’s US news partner CBS reports that the children ranged in age from one to fourteen years. The shooting started around 05:00 (10:00 GMT), according to officers. Chris Bordelon, spokesperson for the Shreveport Police Department, said that the suspect shot ten people before fleeing on a stolen vehicle. The suspect was killed by police after they chased him. Two adult women, including mother of the children are in critical conditions. Police said that the suspect shot a woman in the street, then went to a nearby house where he killed eight children. “One of them was not his relative”, according to the police. One of the victims ran into a nearby house and called the authorities. They claimed that the gunman was acting alone. Bordelon reported that a ninth child had jumped off the roof of the house and was hospitalized. Troy Brown, Elkins’s brother in law, told the Washington Post he lived with Elkins, who was upset when his wife asked for a divorce. “After the first argument over the divorce, he acted as if he was losing it,” he told a newspaper. Crystal Brown, a relative of one of those injured women, told AP that the couple were due to appear in court Monday. “We have hurting people, hurting police officers and hurting coroners.” This affects the whole community, and we all mourn these families. According to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit organization that tracks US gun violence, the incident is the deadliest US mass shooting since January 2024 when eight victims died in Joliet. GVA defines mass shootings as incidents where four or more victims are shot, excluding the suspect. Bordelon told a Sunday morning news conference that officers had found the children in a home just before 6:00 am local time. Bordelon stated that all the victims in this case were juveniles. He said officers determined that the call was of a “domestic nature”. Police said that after the shooting, the suspected gunman attempted to escape by carjacking a vehicle. Police said they pursued the suspect gunman into a different neighbourhood, Bossier Parish. They then fired at him, who is now dead. Shreveport Police chief Wayne Smith expressed his sympathy to the entire community. Smith said, “I cannot imagine how this could have happened.” He added that the investigation is being conducted with assistance from the Louisiana State Police. “We will work diligently for however long it takes in order to get some answers as to what happened,” he said. Shreveport Councilman Grayson Boucher stated that more than 30% crimes and 30% murders in the City were “domestic related”, adding: “Now, this number has increased.” “We’ve more doubled our homicides in the city Shreveport due to one act of domestic abuse,” he said.Louisiana governor Jeff Landry said that he and his spouse were “heartbroken” over this horrific situation and prayed for everyone affected. Landry said, “We are deeply grateful to law enforcement officers and first-responders who worked tirelessly at the scene.” House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana’s Fourth District has also commented on this “heartbreaking” tragedy. “We are holding the victims and their loved ones close in our prayers, as well as our Shreveport Community,” he said. He also expressed gratitude for the prompt response of local police. ReutersUS gun violenceUnited States

​  ​

US seizes Iranian flagged cargo ship, Trump claims52 minutes agoKathryn A ArmstrongEPAThe US has intercepted a cargo ship with Iranian flag in the Gulf, as part of its Naval Blockade, Donald Trump said. The US president wrote on the Truth Social platform that Touska was seized after the US Navy failed to respond to an order to stop. Iran has yet to comment on the incident. The announcement came after White House confirmed US Vice President JD Vance will lead another delegation for the second round of talks about ending the war with Iran. Iranian state media reported that officials would not participate as long as the US blockade is in place. “Today, a cargo ship with Iranian flag, named TOUSKA, weighing nearly as much as a carrier aircraft, tried to get through our Naval Blockade and it didn’t go well for them,” Trump said. He said that the US had warned the vessel to stop but it was ignored. “Our Navy ship stopped them in their tracks by blowing out a hole in their engineroom.” “The TOUSKA has been placed under US Treasury Sanctions due to their previous history of illegal activities. We have full control of the ship and are examining what’s inside! US Central Command released footage that it claimed showed a navy vessel intercepting cargo ship. Trump says US navy seizes Iranian-flagged ship after first round of talks failed earlier this month. Trump announced the naval blocade following the failure of the first round of talks. Trump announced the naval blockade after a first round of negotiations earlier this month ended without an agreement. The ceasefire will expire on Tuesday. According to a White House official, Vance will be joined by Trump advisers Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Jared Witkoff, who were also present at previous talks. Iran’s official news agency IRNA has denied reports of a second round with the US. It added that the US blockade, along with “excessive” demands and threatening rhetoric from Washington, had “so far hindered the progress of the negotiations”.Nevertheless, preparations for further discussions have begun in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. US Central Command/XGuests were told to leave the hotel where talks between the US delegation and Iranian delegation took place last weekend, the BBC’s Pakistan reporter reported. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz sharif spoke with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian Sunday evening, according a statement issued by his office. The statement did not mention any further talks between Iran, and the US. The Strait of Hormuz remained shut on Sunday after the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps announced that it would end a temporary reopening to the US naval blockade. Iran said that it would remain closed until the US ended their naval blockade. The strait is used to transport about 20% of the world’s oil and LNG. Trump has said that Iran cannot “blackmail the US” with threats about the waterway. He threatened to knock down every bridge and power station in Iran if Tehran refused to agree to a peaceful deal. “If they don’t take the DEAL… it will be my honour to do what needs to be done,” Trump wrote on Sunday in another Truth Social posting. The US president also accused Iran of violating a ceasefire on Saturday by attacking ships in Strait of Hormuz. He said that a French ship as well as a UK freighter were among the targets. CMA CGM, a French shipping company, confirmed that one vessel was fired upon. They told AFP that the vessel “was the victim of warning shots”. According to the UK’s transport and defence ministries, there were no reports on Saturday of attacks on UK-linked vessels. However, two reports were made of a cargo ship and a tanker being attacked in strait. According to tracking site MarineTraffic, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was at a standstill Sunday. The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency reported that two tankers “sailing on the flags of Botswana, and Angola”, wanted to travel through Hormuz, but were “forced by the timely action of Iran’s armed forces to change course and withdraw”.

​  ​

A senior Iranian politician told BBC that Tehran would never cede the Strait of Hormuz. 12 hours ago, Lyse DoucetChief International Correspondent, TehranBBC “Never.” A senior Iranian legislator says that’s the time when they’ll be willing to give up control of the Strait of Hormuz. Ebrahim Azizi is a former commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. He told the BBC in Tehran that “it’s our inalienable rights.” “Iran will decide on the right of passage including permissions for ships to pass through Strait. “And he said that’s about become enshrined into law. Azizi, a member of a hardline-dominated parliament, is a key player. He described the strategic strait Iran weaponised during this conflict as one of its assets to face the enemies. Azizi reflects the thinking of some of the top decision-makers in the new order that has emerged from this war. The new order is militarised and dominated by hardliners. Most notably, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Mohammad Eslami explains that Iran’s first priority after the war was to restore deterrence. The Strait of Hormuz was one of Iran’s main strategic leverages. “Tehran will discuss how other nations could benefit from Iran’s framework for the Strait of Hormuz, but control is what matters most.” “But this is a future that some of Iran’s neighbors reject, who are already furious over its attacks against their countries during the five-week war. The war has now been put on hold in a fragile interim ceasefire. In a recent interview, Dr Anwar Gargash described it as “an act of hostile piratery”. He warned that if Iran did not relinquish control of these waters, it would set “a dangerous precedent” for other strategic waterways around the world. Azizi’s response was a reference to US military bases in the Middle East, which were regularly targeted by Iran’s missiles and drones. He added that the US was “the largest pirate in the entire world”. Azizi said that “we have always said that we need to work together in order to secure our region”. That vision has been shattered by most Gulf states except for Oman which is one of Iran’s closest friends and controls the southern coast. It was involved in discussions with Tehran this month to ensure smooth and safe passage of vessels. There have also been signs of disagreements – it’s unclear how deep – within Iran’s political and military elite. This was displayed in recent rare and strongly-worded criticism of Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi who posted a statement to social media on Friday stating that the Strait of Hormuz is “completely opened”. US President Donald Trump responded with a capitalised “THANK YOU” in The state-run Mehr news agency said the foreign minister’s post had “provided the best opportunity for Trump to go beyond reality, declare himself the winner of war and celebrate victory”. Another news agency, Tasnim, described it as a “bad and incomplete tweet that created misleading ambiguity about reopening of Strait”. Araghchi stressed that only ships authorised by IRGC navy were allowed through designated routes which required payment of tolls. Azizi dismissed any impressions regarding rifts within regime. The fate of this strait is decided by the highest levels of government. The Iranian government has not yet confirmed whether its own team led by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will return to Pakistan. Local media reports that Iran will not attend as long as the US blockade on Iranian ports is in place. Trump has repeatedly ordered Iran open this maritime route, including in a social media post with expletives on 5 April where he warned Iran it would “live in hell” if they didn’t comply. He’s now accused Tehran trying to “blackmail’ the US. Azizi mocks, “I don’t think I can expect much from someone who lies.” “We are defending our rights against American blackmail. “Like other high-level Iranians he mocks Trump on social media. The ban will be lifted when it is safe, but Azizi, who has a parliamentary portfolio that includes national security, refused to say when. He only said, “When it is safe and secure, we will lift the restriction so that the enemy won’t take advantage”. I also asked him about the recent arrests, and what Amnesty International and other human rights groups claim are dozens death sentences given to protesters arrested during the January nationwide protests. These protests were crushed with deadly force and killed thousands. Azizi reiterated the government’s claim claiming that the US and Israeli spy services (the CIA, Mossad) were involved in the unrest. He dismissed the rising concern among some Iranians about internal security tightening further. “Even in a ceasefire there are rules,” he said. The BBC’s chief foreign correspondent, Lyse Doucet, is reporting from Tehran under the condition that her material not be used on BBC’s Persian Service. These restrictions are applicable to all international media organizations operating in Iran. Iran: ‘No sign of peace deal but mediators are still communicating.’ Strait of Hormuz is closed again after ships attacked.

​  ​

Ontario Premier Doug Ford agrees with outcry to sell $21m Private Jet17 minutes agoAna FaguyGetty imagesThe Canadian province Ontario is now selling the jet it recently purchased for Premier Doug Ford. Ford’s office had stated that he would use the jet for official travel including to the US in order to advocate against Trump’s tariffs. Ford’s office confirmed the purchase on Friday. However, political opponents criticized him for buying a “gravy” plane and calling it “out of touch”. On Sunday, Ford announced that he would sell it “as soon as possible”. Ford said that despite his best intentions, he agreed with those who have said the time is not right to purchase a government aircraft. Ford said that the province worked with Bombardier, and other partners, on the sale. The plane is a Bombardier Challenger 650 Executive Jet, built in Canada in 2016 “I will continue to build relationships with business and government leaders in Canada and the United States to fight tariffs, create jobs and attract investments for Ontario workers,” said he. NurPhoto via Getty ImagesCritics were quick to call the purchase unnecessary. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is a taxpayers’ group that said Ford should “stick with flying commercial”. Marit Stiles, leader the left-leaning Ontario New Democratic Party claimed Ford changed his mind only after “the temperature [got] too high”. She said that Ford was turning the plane in mid-air to make an emergency landing after he was caught living like a “rockstar” on “your money”. Interim Ontario Liberal Leader John Fraser accused Ford for wanting to “live as a billionaire” using “your money”. Fraser said on Facebook that Ford’s attempt to purchase a private jet when families are struggling is a good indicator of his character. According to an Angus Reid poll from earlier this summer, Ford’s polling hovers at 31%. It is one of the lowest polling numbers in Canada for a premier who won his rare third consecutive majority government last year. Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticized for $21m in private jet purchaseThe blunt Canadian taking his fight against Trump to WashingtonCanada