By CLAIRE ELLICOTT

Published: 18:44 EDT, 7 April 2026 | Updated: 21:22 EDT, 7 April 2026

Reform UK has vowed to resume drilling in the North Sea for oil and gas to help the UK produce its own energy if it wins the next election.

Nigel Farage’s party pledged to use Britain’s ‘energy treasure’ to create jobs, boost growth and cut bills by ending the ban on further exploration.

Analysts have predicted that energy bills could rise by nearly £300 a year from July when the energy price cap increases.

It comes as ministers clash over whether Labour should restart oil and gas extraction or stick with Ed Miliband’s Net Zero goals. 

The Energy Secretary – who is pro-renewables and against any further exploration – is at odds with Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who thinks drilling is good for growth.

He is said to be considering approving the Jackdaw gas field off Scotland but remains opposed to the Rosebank oil field, which is thought to contain up to 300million barrels. 

Nigel Farage’s party pledged to use Britain’s ‘energy treasure’ to create jobs, boost growth and cut bills by ending the ban on further exploration

Reform said on Tuesday it would approve both fields, saying the need to exploit homegrown oil and gas reserves had never been more urgent.

Energy spokesman Richard Tice said: ‘Opening up the North Sea to more licences and production is our vital, patriotic duty. 

‘Energy security and independence is essential and can only be secured by using our own oil and gas. 

‘We must scrap Net Zero and all the damaging expensive carbon taxes. The Tories and Labour have deliberately made us poorer with their Net Zero obsession.’

The party said it aimed to increase UK oil and gas production by at least half.

Donald Trump announced Tuesday night that Iran has agreed to a two-week ceasefire and will re-open the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran submitted a 10-point peace plan to end the war. 

Trump posted on Truth Social, ‘I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,’ after earlier sparking doomsday fears when he threatened to wipe out its ‘entire civilization’ if they did not reopen the strait.

Iran accepted the Pakistan-brokered deal after a last-minute Chinese intervention urging Tehran to show flexibility over the war’s economic fallout, three Iranian officials told the New York Times. 

The officials said that the ceasefire was approved by the new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, despite intelligence reports which say he is in a coma.

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed the truce and that ‘safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible’ during the two-week period.

Israel also agreed to halt attacks on Iran for two weeks, a senior White House official told Axios, with the ceasefire taking effect once the Strait of Hormuz is re-opened. 

US crude oil prices plunged after Trump’s ceasefire announcement, with West Texas Intermediate contracts falling by more than 15 percent to $95 per barrel after hitting $116 earlier Tuesday. 

Trump said that after talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif he had been assured that Iran will agree ‘to the complete, immediate, and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz.’

President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for Iran and the US to negotiate an end to the war after threatening to annihilate the country

Smoke rises from the site of a US-Israeli strike on the Iranian capital Tehran on April 7, 2026

A US-AF F-35 Lightning II stealth multirole fighter jet takes off from RAF Lakenheath in England on April 7

‘This will be a double sided ceasefire,’ Trump added. ‘The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive agreement concerning long-term peace with Iran.’

He noted that a 10-point proposal from Iran ‘is a workable basis on which to negotiate,’ despite saying on Monday that the deal was not ‘good enough.’

Vice President JD Vance, along with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff have been leading US negotiations to end the war which was launched on February 28 – dubbed Operation Epic Fury.

The deal came after Pakistani PM Sharif posted on X that major breakthroughs had been made between US and Iranian negotiators. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: ‘There are discussions about face-to-face meetings between the United States and Iran, but nothing is final until it is announced by the President or the White House.’ 

Trump had warned Tuesday morning that ‘a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again’ if no deal was reached by his 8pm ET deadline. 

Shortly after the ceasefire deal was announced, early alerts for incoming missile fire went out in Tel Aviv, Fox News reported.

It is the fourth extension Trump has offered the Islamic Republic since he first threatened to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s power plants on March 21. 

Trump looks at Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaking following the official signing of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, during a world leaders’ summit on ending the Gaza war, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, October 13, 2025

Video on Tuesday showed women and children waving flags as chanting blared on a loudspeaker at a power plant after Trump threatened to bomb infrustructure

The US hit dozens of military targets on Kharg Island, a crucial Iranian oil export hub Monday night

Even before the deadline expired, airstrikes had already hit two bridges and a train station. American forces also struck military infrastructure on Kharg Island for the second time, a key hub for Iranian oil production 

An explosion erupts following strikes near Azadi Tower close to Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran on March 7 

Trump has been fixated on forcing Iran to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway off the country’s coast through which a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. 

Iran has bombed multiple vessels that have made the dangerous decision to transit the strait. As a result, oil prices have skyrocketed and global markets have churned.

The average price for a gallon of regular gas has shot up from $2.98 to $4.14, a 39 percent increase.

The US negotiators have demanded that Iran give up its nuclear enrichment capabilities, cut back its drone and ballistic missile programs, cease its support for proxies across the region and immediately re-open the Strait of Hormuz. 

The President has stressed repeatedly that the objectives of the war are to ensure Iran cannot create a nuclear weapon, its proxies cannot meddle with Middle Eastern countries, and Iran’s Navy, drone and ballistic missile capabilities are destroyed.

Iran proposed a 10-point counter-proposal to US negotiators via Pakistani officials on Monday after the US gave Islamabad a 15-point proposal to begin a ceasefire. 

The President refused to comment on the 10-point plan earlier on Tuesday, telling Fox News: ‘I can’t comment, because right now we’re in heated negotiations.’ 

Trump said on Monday at a White House press conference that the plan was a ‘significant step,’ but he added that it is ‘not good enough.’ 

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, reportedly signed off on the ceasefire deal, according to the New York Times

US Navy fighter jets take off from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during Operation Epic Fury

Sharif had called on both Trump and the Iranian regime to accept the two-week ceasefire before the President finally relented. 

‘To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks. Pakistan, in all sincerity, requests the Iranian brothers to open Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture,’ Sharif said on Tuesday afternoon. 

‘We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region.’

Even before the deadline expired, airstrikes had already hit two bridges and a train station. American forces also struck military infrastructure on Kharg Island for the second time, a key hub for Iranian oil production.

Israel’s military warned of an increased risk of inbound attacks as Trump’s deadline approached.

Before the announcement, blasts were heard in the Qatari capital Doha, while the UAE said its air defenses were responding to missile threats. 

As the clock ticks toward President Trump’s 8 p.m. Eastern deadline for Iran to come to the negotiating table, panic has gripped the nation.

Facing the threat of devastating military strikes, terrified civilians tell the Daily Mail they are frantically evacuating major cities and saying goodbye to loved ones – even as defiant government leaders deploy a chilling tactic: ordering their own citizens onto the streets as human shields.

The call to gather at infrastructure sites came directly from an Iranian official, captured in an Associated Press video clip. 

Speaking in Farsi, he urged ‘youth, athletes, artists, students and professors’ to assemble at power plants the following day at 2 p.m. local time, arguing that their presence would expose any American strike as a war crime.

Trump himself has left no room for ambiguity about what non-compliance to his demands means. He’s demanding the Islamic Republic completely open up the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, lifting a blockade that has triggered a cascade of disruptions on energy supplies.  

‘A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,’ he wrote on Truth Social.

With the President openly pledging a ‘Power Plant Day’ and ‘Bridge Day’ to dismantle Iran’s infrastructure, sources in Tehran and Isfahan describe scenes of chaos – road blockages, mass evacuations, and state television brazenly instructing citizens to gather around key sites with their children.

‘They are announcing on national TV – come to the streets and bring your children,’ one source with family inside Iran tells the Daily Mail. ‘It’s their thing to use people as human shields. Same pattern as in Palestine. They do this instead of surrendering or making a deal.’

‘In Iran, they are gathering in groups and sheltering around infrastructures, just because they know Trump said we will bomb these facilities. They are announcing this on national TV in Iran – to come to the streets and bring your children. It’s their thing to use people as human shields. Same pattern in Palestine. They do this instead of surrendering or making a deal,’ a source who communicated with family inside Iran tells the Daily Mail

Trump said he would target power plants and civilian bridges 

Iranians gathered at infrastructure sites including bridges and power plants as they taunted Trump’s message of annihilation 

Video showed women and children waving flags as chanting blared on a loudspeaker at a power plant

He added: ‘Government supporters will go. They are barbaric. They believe even if they die – even if their children die for the sake of Islam – they will end up in Heaven. My mom says every night they come onto the streets, chanting death to America, death to Israel. Even until midnight.’

Despite the terror, some anti–regime citizens see a glimmer of hope that the new Ayatollah’s grip on the country might finally be loosened, if not shattered.

‘At the end of Trump’s message, you can clearly see he mentioned that 47 years of death and corruption will end – so that means no more Islamic tyranny,’ the source added.

But Trump’s ultimatum appears to be explicitly about Iran’s blockade and nuclear program, not regime change. His public messaging has framed a successful deal in terms of denuclearization, not necessarily toppling the entire Islamic Republic.

Trump’s rhetoric has left many Iranians conflicted. One points to the tension at the heart of his message: ‘It’s paradoxical – he says a whole civilization will die tonight, but also blesses the great people of Iran.’

Across the country, citizens are bracing for the worst. Supermarket shelves are being stripped bare as people stockpile ahead of threatened rolling blackouts and severed supply chains. One Iranian says he and his family have already stocked up on water and supplies – but fear cuts both ways.

‘They are very stressed,’ the source says, ‘but at the same time, if this war ends now, it would literally be a living hell – because the government would retaliate.’

For many, the regime is as frightening a prospect as American airstrikes. The government’s crackdown on communications has prompted a wave of digital self-erasure: two Iranians – one in Tehran, one in Isfahan – are already saying their goodbyes and frantically deleting message threads with contacts abroad.

Women and children are forming human shields at Iranian infrastructure sites 

The regime’s paranoia has led to severe crackdowns on communications, prompting many to sever ties with the outside world. Two Iranians, one in Tehran and one in Isfahan, are already saying goodbye to their friends and family and frantically deleting messages

US Navy fighter jets take off from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during Operation Epic Fury

Global oil markets have spun out of control as Trump’s deadline nears and Iran refuses to reopen the strait

The US hit dozens of military targets on Kharg Island, a crucial Iranian oil export hub, overnight

‘My internet connection keeps cutting out for long periods. If our chat stays on Instagram, it could put me in serious danger – the regime randomly connects people’s phones to the internet in the streets and checks their apps. I have to delete our chat. Wishing you a path full of success.’

That was Bahareh’s last message. She asked that her surname not be published.

For those with the means, leaving the city is the only option. Major roads are jammed with families fleeing to remote areas, far from the power grids and military installations likely to be in the crosshairs. 

One Iranian says his entire family has relocated to his uncle’s villa in the countryside. ‘They are safer there, it is a pretty calm and peaceful place,’ he said, declining to say where.

With hours left until the 8 p.m. deadline, the world is watching to see whether last-minute diplomacy can pull back from the brink – or whether Iran goes dark tonight.

Green Shirt Day is back, and Canadians are being encouraged once more to register as organ donors.

The day is a national campaign rooted in the legacy of an Alberta-born junior hockey player killed eight years ago in the Humboldt Broncos crash in Saskatchewan.

2:04
Organ and tissue donation campaign kicks off leading up to Green Shirt Day

Twenty-one-year-old defenceman Logan Boulet died from his injuries on April 7, 2018, and his parents said it had been his wish to donate.

Green Shirt Day organizers have said that decision helped save six lives.

In the weeks that followed, about 150,000 people registered to become organ donors, launching what became known as the “Logan Boulet Effect” and Green Shirt Day.

The crash killed 15 others and injured 13, after a truck driver went through a stop sign at a remote intersection in Saskatchewan and into the path of the team’s bus.

The Saskatchewan government has said that the province continues to see organ transplant donation registration rates go up.

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The registry, which started in September 2020, has seen more than 30,000 residents register their intent to donate organs and/or tissues.

“On Green Shirt Day, we honour Logan Boulet and the powerful legacy of organ and tissue donation,” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said Tuesday on social media.

“Across Saskatchewan, families are choosing to give the gift of life and are bringing hope to others.”

Nicole de Guia, manager of organ donation and transplantation with the Canadian Institute for Health Information, said data from 2024 shows that 3,203 transplants were performed in Canada. Data from 2025 is not yet available.

“We still have quite a bit of demand for these vital surgeries, and there’s still much more of an unmet need,” de Guia said in an interview.

There were 4,044 Canadians on a waiting list for an organ as of Dec. 31, 2024, while 691 people died or were withdrawn from the list.

She said, nationally, there has been an increase in transplant surgeries in the last 10 years.

But data from 2024 shows the first decrease in deceased donors in five years — about six per cent compared to the year before. Living donations saw a smaller decrease in 2024 with 1.7 per cent.

“For the most part, a living donor can only provide a kidney or a part of a liver, so we really rely on deceased donors to be able to supply these vital life-saving surgeries,” she said.

De Guia added that it’s still too soon to tell if the decrease is a trend that will continue or just a fluctuation.

The institute — an independent not-for-profit organization that collects, analyzes and shares data on Canada’s health systems — started a project in 2023 funded by Health Canada for a new data system called CanODT. It’s aimed to modernize organ donation and transplantation reporting across Canada.

De Guia said there’s still a lot of manual data entry in the transplant process and the new system is designed to better support interprovincial organ transfers.

“This is a precious resource and it needs to be very timely to share data about organs that are available and to match them up with those who need them the most,” she said.

The institute does not have data specifically about Green Shirt Day, but de Guia said these kinds of campaigns are important for starting conversations within families about donation.

“It really starts with an individual and their family’s consent to be able to donate an organ,” she said.

“So with campaigns such as Green Shirt Day and others, no doubt it’s making a difference in a number of people’s lives.”

2:04
Logan Boulet effect remains strong after 7 years

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

By MARK NICOL, DEFENCE EDITOR and DAN WOODLAND, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 12:08 EDT, 7 April 2026 | Updated: 13:54 EDT, 7 April 2026

The only Royal Navy warship deployed in the conflict with Iran has ported due to maintenance issues, the Daily Mail can reveal.

In the latest saga involving HMS Dragon, the Type 45 destroyer that was sent to the warzone weeks after the fighting began is having to pull out.

The Daily Mail learned late last week that the warship was suffering issues with its water supplies affecting provisions to its sailors. The Ministry of Defence denied the claims but today admitted that HMS has sailed to a safe berth to undergo repairs.

The stop will include attending to what officials described as ‘a minor technical issue with onboard water systems’.

Defence sources insisted the crew have had access to water and catering and that a logistics stop at ‘approximately this point in her deployment’ had been planned in advance.

HMS Dragon had been despatched to protect Britain’s air bases in Cyprus, including RAF Akrotiri which was hit by a drone thought to be launched by Iranian proxy group Hezbollah in Lebanon on March 2.

A day after the attack, Keir Starmer announced the deployment of HMS Dragon – but it was a further week until the vessel left Portsmouth after a scramble to get it ready. 

Sir Keir has faced significant backlash for the country’s lack of preparedness for war amid the escalating conflict with  US President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth having repeatedly mocked the Royal Navy. 

President Trump has described the UK’s aircraft carriers as ‘toys’ while Hegseth talked about the failure of the ‘Big Bad Royal Navy’ to enter the Strait of Hormuz.

The HMS Dragon (pictured on March 4) which is currently deployed in the conflict with Iran has ported due to maintenance issues

Keir Starmer (pictured) has faced repeated jibes from US President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over the state of the country’s Royal Navy 

While in port HMS Dragon’s weapons and other systems will be ‘further optimised’ allowing for what officials described as ‘greater flexibility for future deployments in the region’.

The precise location of HMS Dragon has not been disclosed for security reasons.

Today the Ministry of Defence said: ‘HMS Dragon is undertaking a routine logistics stop and a short maintenance period in the Eastern Mediterranean allowing the ship to take onboard provisions, optimise systems and conduct maintenance.

‘HMS Dragon will remain at a very high level of readiness during the period, able to sail at short notice if required.

‘The UK continues to maintain a robust and layered defensive presence in the Eastern Mediterranean working in coordination with allies. This includes Typhoon and F-35 jets, Wildcat and Merlin helicopters and advanced counter-drone and air defence systems.’

The Government faced backlash for its delay in getting HMS Dragon to set sail to the Gulf amid the escalating conflict as it did not have a single major warship in the region when the Iran war broke out on February 28.

It was further criticised when vessels from other European countries – including France and Greece – arrived in the Mediterranean within days of Iran launching retaliatory attacks across the Gulf. 

Donald Trump has given Tehran until 1am on Wednesday UK time to end its blockade of the strait or face obliteration

Elsewhere, the UK has urged Trump to step back from his threat to wipe out ‘a whole civilisation’ as his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz drew closer. 

The US President has given Tehran until 1am on Wednesday UK time to end its blockade of the strait or face obliteration.

Downing Street again said the UK’s focus was on ‘de-escalation’ and a ‘negotiated settlement’ for the region, but Trump ratcheted up his rhetoric and the US-Israeli bombing campaign continued.

Writing on his Truth Social platform he said: ‘A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.’

But Trump, who has previously extended his deadline for action, said the ‘complete and total regime change’ in Iran had resulted in a situation where ‘different, smarter, and less radicalised minds prevail’.

He said: ‘Maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World.’

Trump has said the US will destroy Iran’s bridges and power stations, saying he was ‘not at all’ concerned that attacks on civilian infrastructure could constitute a war crime.

Asked whether the UK believed such attacks would breach international law, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘I’m not going to comment on give a running commentary on our allies’ operations.’

US stocks tumble following Trump’s renewed threat against Iran

People living on a new estate say they’ve been charged £33,000 for trees that keep dying.

Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey has had two unsuccessful attempts at planting a nature reserve behind its site at Langley Park, in Kent.

But trees have quickly withered away or been destroyed by vandals and the process is now being started for the third time.

Homeowners have been told they have to cover the cost at a charge of £70 each, which has sparked an angry backlash as the trees were a stipulation Taylor Wimpey had to adhere to when given planning permission in 2013.

Victoria Barnard said that she and her neighbours did not object to the amount but the principle.

‘Why are we paying for something that was part of the developer’s planning obligation?’ she said.

‘This is now the third time the trees will be planted. What’s to say they won’t die again, and we’ll be asked to pay again?

‘The parish council reported the (dying tree) situation to Maidstone council last year, and planning officers came out and issued an enforcement notice because the developer had failed to adhere to planning conditions.’

Although Taylor Wimpey agreed to replace the tress at its own cost, there was more trouble ahead.

Victoria said: ‘They replanted them in April, which was the wrong time of year. That’s why they also died.

‘The maintenance team we had at the time were shockingly bad, and the majority of the trees died because they weren’t looked after properly.’

Homeowners were made aware they were being forced to pay for replacement trees in January when they received their annual estate management charge from the private company HML.

The statement included a £70 tree fee, totalling £33,000 for the whole estate.

Victoria already pays the firm more than £250 a year for upkeep around the 600-home estate near Maidstone, while the entire estate pays just under £200,000 in total.

Dean Newell, who has lived in Langley Park since 2016, said: ‘We just need transparency. We want to know what we are paying for and why.

‘We knew when we bought our houses we would have to pay maintenance, but there’s something not right, and it just doesn’t sit well.’

Peoplecontacted Taylor Wimpey and HML for answers and asked to see the results of an arborist’s investigation into the matter.

Victoria said: ‘We were told we are not allowed to see the report. The arborist also said he couldn’t talk to us.

‘When we then started questioning it further and mentioned getting our own specialist, people came and removed the dead trees.’

MP Helen Whately, Conservative MP for Faversham and Mid Kent, has now become involved in the situation and has called a meeting to try and resolve it.

She has described the Langley Park situation as an example of ‘fleecehold’, where new-build estate residents are hit with unfair charges.

Taylor Wimpey was asked to explain why residents were being charged for something it had been ordered to do.

In a statement the company said its involvement had largely ended after it planted around 300 trees in 2021, later replanting 103 trees following an enforcement notice last year.

A spokesperson said: ‘We understand some residents have concerns, and we are sorry for any worry this has caused.

‘The reserve was planted during the final stage of the multi-phase development, completed in 2022.

‘As can happen with new planting, some trees did not thrive and we replanted a significant number during the 2024/25 planting season, with a number subsequently replaced due to vandalism.

‘As a responsible developer, we take our environmental and planning obligations seriously.

‘We have fully funded the tree replacement works to date and continue to work closely with Maidstone council and the site’s management company to ensure the nature reserve meets planning requirements.’

HML was contacted for comment on five separate occasions but did not respond.

A Maidstone council spokesperson said: ‘Our planning enforcement team is currently reviewing the matter.

‘As this relates to an active case, we are unable to comment further at this time.’

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Donald Trump said Iran’s entire ‘civilization will die tonight’ after the Islamic regime rejected his peace demands as the clock ticks down toward the President’s deadline to unleash ‘hell’ on the country. 

Trump told his followers on Truth Social: ‘A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.’ The President’s deadline is set expire at by 8 PM ET on Tuesday.

‘However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?’

Trump added, ‘We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!’ 

The US hit approximately 50 military targets on Kharg Island overnight, a crucial Iranian oil export hub, as fears grow over a potential ground invasion to seize it. 

Bunkers, a radar station, and ammunition storage were hit by US airstrikes, according to senior administration officials. Footage emerged on social media showing the aftermath of the destruction on the island. 

The escalating military action comes after senior Iranian officials rejected a proposal conveyed by intermediaries for a temporary ceasefire with the US, according to Reuters. 

The Islamic regime showed no sign of agreeing to Trump’s demand to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The passageway is a critical chokepoint through which roughly 20 to 25 percent of the world’s seaborne oil passes.

The US hit dozens of military targets on Kharg Island overnight, a crucial Iranian oil export hub, as fears grow over a potential ground invasion to seize it

Trump noted during a White House press conference on Monday that ‘very little is off limits’ from attacks if Iran did not agree to his demands by 8 PM ET on Tuesday

The escalating military action comes after senior Iranian officials rejected a proposal conveyed by intermediaries for a temporary ceasefire with the US

The Islamic regime showed no sign of agreeing to Trump’s demand to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which roughly 20 to 25 percent of the world’s seaborne oil passes

The President said Iran had until the end of Tuesday to restore access to the passageway or face strikes on civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, in what would mark the biggest escalation of the war so far. 

Trump noted during a White House press conference on Monday that ‘very little is off limits’ from attacks if Iran did not agree to his demands, adding that ‘every power plant will be destroyed, every bridge.’

Global oil markets have spun out of control as Trump’s deadline nears and Iran refuses to reopen the strait. The war has sparked the world’s biggest ever disruption to energy supplies, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned.

Gas prices in the US have skyrocketed to $4.14 on average nationwide, an increase by over a dollar since the war begun.

Trump has previously set multiple deadlines for Iran but failed to follow through on threats to send the country back to the ‘stone age’ after it refused his demands.

Global markets remain largely frozen, as investors are hesitant to bet on whether Trump will actually follow through on his threats or call them off at the last minute.

After rejecting Trump’s offer, Iran threatened to retaliate against strikes to their energy supply by bombing the water supply for US allies in the region. Gulf nations remain reliant on desalination plants because their cities are surrounded by a desert. 

Iran’s United Nations envoy said Trump’s deadline was a ‘direct incitement to terrorism and provide clear evidence of intent to commit war crimes under international law.’ The regime’s military command noted the President was ‘delusional.’

During a press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, JD Vance claimed ‘very shortly, this war will conclude’. The Vice President added that the US has ‘largely accomplished it’s military objectives.’

Vance also reporters that more negotiations are expected before Trump’s deadline 12 hours from now: ‘I’m hopeful that it gets to a good resolution.’

At least one gunman has been shot and killed after an incident outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.

A firefight reportedly broke out outside the diplomatic mission in Turkey’s largest city today.

Three men are thought to have tried to approach the consulate on Yapi Kredi Plaza, when police officers told them to stop as they approached the building.

Reports are saying that two of the attackers may have been shot and killed, while the third assailant was seriously injured. Some Turkish media reports that three people have died.

Footage shows police officers pulling out guns and taking cover as shots were fired for at least 10 minutes.

One person is seen lying on the ground, unmoving and covered in blood, after gunfire.

Turkish interior minister, Mustafa Ciftci, said: ‘Three individuals who engaged in an armed clash with our police officers on duty in front of the Yapı Kredi Plaza Blocks in Istanbul have been neutralised.

‘In the clash, two of our heroic police officers sustained minor injuries.’

He labelled the suspects as ‘terrorists,’ saying they have been identified, the Middle East Eye reports.

One of the suspects allegedly has ‘ties to an organisation that exploits religion,’ the minister said.

Two of the men are brothers, he added.

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Michal Szubarczyk, 15, makes snooker history after becoming the youngest winner of a World Snooker Championship match; this year’s ​tournament begins on April 18 and runs until ⁠May 4 at The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield

Michal Szubarczyk of Poland made history in World Snooker Championship qualifying

Michal Szubarczyk became the youngest winner of a World Snooker Championship match in the first qualifying round.

Aged just 15 years, two months, and 25 days, the Polish prodigy beat the previous record that was set by Liam Davies in 2022 as he defeated Hong Kong star Ng On Yee 10-7 on day one of the World Championship qualifiers at the English Institute of Sport.

Three-time women’s world snooker champion, Ng, came into the match on a high after claiming wins on the women’s tour in February and March.

“I feel very proud,” Szubarczyk told the World Snooker Tour.

“I’m very excited to play the next match, and maybe this year or next year, I can become the youngest Crucible player.

“For me, it’s the first goal of every player in professional snooker [to play in the World Championship]. I’m enjoying the pressure. It doesn’t work in a bad way for me.

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“I even like it, and I think that’s good. For the last six years, I have been dreaming about playing at the Crucible.

“I love representing Poland. Without the Polish events I wouldn’t be here, because I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to play at European or World Championships.”

Szubarczyk has to win three more matches to become the youngest qualifier for the Crucible Theatre.

If he does, he will surpass the record held by Luca Brecel, who made his Crucible debut in 2012 aged 17 years and 45 days.

Jimmy White has not played at the World Championship since 2006

Six-time World Snooker Championship finalist Jimmy White bowed out in the first qualifying round to Gao Yang in agonising fashion.

The snooker legend, who turns 64 next month, established an early 5-1, but the 21 year-old from China battled back with the match decided in a final-frame thriller, won by Gao.

It means White’s 20-year wait to return to the Crucible continues – despite attempting to qualify every year.