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British Airways announced that, when it resumes operations in July, its Middle East timetable will be significantly scaled back, with a portion of the freed‑up fleet redirected to launch additional direct services to India and Kenya. The carrier has suspended all flights to the region following the outbreak of the Iran‑related war. It plans to restart flights to Riyadh in mid‑May and to reopen routes to Dubai, Doha and Tel Aviv on 1 July. However, the airline will reduce Dubai flights from three to one per day and cut the frequency to Doha, Tel Aviv and Riyadh from two daily services to a single flight each. In a permanent move, BA will drop Jeddah as a destination from 24 April. Service to Bahrain and Amman will remain on hold until 25 October, while flights to Larnaca, Cyprus are slated to return on 22 May. Speaking on the adjustments, BA said, “Given the ongoing situation in the Middle East, we have revised our schedule to give customers clearer options. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are in direct contact with affected passengers to provide alternatives.” Since the conflict began, the airline has facilitated the repatriation of thousands of travelers, operated humanitarian relief flights, and increased capacity on key long‑haul sectors. Looking ahead, BA will deploy larger aircraft on its Delhi route from 1 June and similarly upscale the Hyderabad service. The summer schedule will also see additional daily flights to Bengaluru and Nairobi through late October. Further expansion includes new flights to Delhi and Mumbai, a development first reported by the Financial Times, underscoring BA’s strategy to offset reduced Middle East capacity with growth in high‑demand Asian and African markets.

The UK government has pledged £380 million to accelerate the build‑out of a new battery factory in Somerset that will supply Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) with cells for its forthcoming electric Range Rover and Jaguar models. The plant, operated by Tata’s battery subsidiary Agratas, was highlighted during a site visit by Business Secretary Peter Kyle, who emphasized the grant’s role in safeguarding jobs and driving economic growth. When fully operational, the gigafactory is projected to employ 4,200 workers and deliver up to 40 GWh of battery capacity annually—enough for hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles. It will become the UK’s second high‑volume battery facility after the Chinese‑owned AESC plant in Sunderland. Construction remains in its early stages, with only a steel frame erected so far. Although the original timetable targeted production start‑up in 2026, delays have pushed the expected commencement to the end of 2027. Agratas has reduced the footprint of the first building but claims the change reflects more efficient process design rather than a cut‑back in output. JLR, the nation’s largest automotive employer, had planned to launch its electric Range Rover in 2025, but the debut has slipped to 2026 and the vehicle is still not on sale. The postponement follows a broader trend of EV manufacturers worldwide scaling back or postponing battery projects after over‑optimistic forecasts of rapid consumer migration from petrol. Recent spikes in petrol prices—spurred by geopolitical tensions linked to Donald Trump’s war in Iran—could make electric cars more appealing, potentially justifying the sizeable capital commitments required for a transition to EV production. Until the Somerset facility becomes operational, JLR will continue to source batteries from AESC. That arrangement was confirmed last year by investment bank Société Générale, though references to JLR have since been removed from public statements. In addition to the battery grant, Tata previously secured a £500 million pledge to modernise its Welsh steelworks with electric arc furnaces, underscoring the government’s broader push for greener industrial capacity. Peter Kyle said the investment, alongside other automotive research initiatives announced on the same day, would “boost economic growth, secure jobs and put more money in people’s pockets.” He added that the UK’s “modern industrial strategy” provides the stability needed for long‑term planning. Earl Wiggins, Agratas’s vice‑president for UK manufacturing, welcomed the funding, noting it will enable the company to “deliver net‑zero goals and strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in battery manufacturing.” He projected that over 2,200 staff would be on‑site within the next year, with further growth thereafter.

Argentina's congress has approved a bill promoted by President Javier Milei that authorizes mining in ecologically sensitive areas of glaciers and permafrost, sparking widespread environmental protests. The bill, which was already approved by the senate in February, will make it easier to mine for metals such as copper, lithium, and silver in frozen parts of the Andes mountains.The chamber of deputies approved the amendment with 137 votes in favor, 111 against, and three abstentions after nearly 12 hours of debate. Environmentalists argue that the legislative changes will weaken protections for crucial water sources, with thousands protesting outside parliament, holding banners with slogans such as “Water is more precious than gold!” and “A glacier destroyed cannot be restored!”Seven Greenpeace activists were arrested earlier in the day after scaling a statue outside parliament and unfurling a banner urging lawmakers “not to betray the Argentine people”. The passage of the amendment is a new coup for Milei, who pushed through looser labor laws in February despite repeated street protests.Environmental activists, such as Flavia Broffoni, argue that there is no possibility of creating a 'sustainable mine' in a periglacial environment. Argentina has nearly 17,000 glaciers or rock glaciers, with glacial reserves in the north-west shrinking by 17% in the last decade due to climate change.Milei, a free-market radical who does not believe in human-made climate change, says the bill is necessary to attract large-scale mining projects. The Central Bank of Argentina estimates that the country could triple its mining exports by 2030. Supporters argue that the bill will provide legal certainty and clear definitions, while critics, such as Enrique Viale, warn that it threatens the water supply for 70% of Argentinians.

The UK government announced legislation that will protect disabled claimants from an automatic reassessment of benefits when they begin paid employment or volunteering. The measure, dubbed the “right to try”, is slated to take effect at the end of April and aims to remove the fear of losing financial support that many say discourages job‑seeking. Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms framed the policy as a reassurance for people “stranded in the benefits system”. He emphasized that the change also extends to volunteering, which he described as a vital stepping‑stone toward sustainable employment. The new rules will apply to recipients of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the health element of Universal Credit. Under the current system, taking up work can trigger a reassessment that often leads to reduced or withdrawn support, a risk that has deterred many disabled individuals from seeking employment. Disability advocates welcomed the development but cautioned that it does not tackle the deeper obstacles faced by disabled job‑seekers. James Taylor, a director at the charity Scope, called the policy “a step in the right direction” but warned that “the odds are stacked against disabled people when it comes to finding suitable work”. He urged the government to fund personalised employment support and to halt further benefit cuts. Research from the flexible‑working nonprofit Timewise underscores the challenge: only 2.5% of long‑term sick or disabled individuals who are economically inactive manage to return to work each year, and more than half of those jobs last fewer than four months. Mikey Erhardt of Disability Rights UK highlighted that a secure “right to try” is essential to ensure that anyone who tries work can retain the same level of support if the venture fails. Critics also noted that the announcement coincides with a controversial reduction to the health element of Universal Credit, which will be halved for new claimants and frozen unless stricter eligibility criteria are met. Timms acknowledged the pressure this creates, saying the previous system forced people to prove they were “too unwell to work”. Campaigners fear the simultaneous cuts will exacerbate financial strain for disabled claimants already navigating an uncertain labour market. Erhardt warned that “hundreds of thousands of disabled people will experience yet another cut in living standards”, arguing that successive governments have treated social security more as a coercive tool than a safety net.

At least 50 new accounts on Polymarket, a prediction market platform, made substantial bets on a US-Iran ceasefire on Tuesday, resulting in profits of hundreds of thousands of dollars. These bets were placed despite escalating rhetoric from Donald Trump and few signals of an imminent deal.An analysis of blockchain data shows that one wallet, created on Tuesday at 10am ET, placed roughly $72,000 in bets at an average price of 8.8¢ and cashed out for a profit of $200,000. Another wallet, which joined the platform on April 6, won $125,500.The trading pattern of newly created accounts placing strategic, well-timed bets has raised questions about insider trading and the need for regulation in prediction markets. Bipartisan groups of senators and representatives have introduced legislation to broaden the definition of insider trading to include prediction markets.“This is why these markets need regulation,” said Todd Phillips, a professor at Georgia State University. “We can’t have people trading with inside information and expect other traders are going to be OK being in these markets.”Polymarket and other industry players, including Kalshi, have acknowledged the need to broaden the definition of insider trading on their platforms.

The recent ceasefire between the United States and Iran may provide temporary relief, but the oil crisis triggered by their conflict is far from over. After 40 days of fighting, the two nations agreed to a two-week ceasefire, with negotiations set to begin in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.One of the key points in Iran's 10-point proposal is allowing shipping to resume through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which 20 percent of the world's oil and gas is shipped during peacetime. The strait has been effectively closed since the start of the war, causing global oil and gas prices to soar.Following the announcement, oil prices dropped to $92 on Wednesday, down from over $110 for much of the war. However, delays in restarting production and transport mean the energy crisis is far from over. For ships to continue operating, they need certainty about security during the next two weeks of the ceasefire.Even with the waterway reopened, it will take weeks for large oil tankers – now scattered thousands of miles away – to return to the Gulf to collect the millions of barrels sitting in large reservoirs. With very few tankers able to load or unload and their onshore storage full, producers began shutting wells, causing regional oil output to plummet despite efforts to reroute limited volumes via overland pipelines.Economists warn that the true impact on grocery bills will likely persist throughout 2026 and into 2027. Additionally, it will take years for the Gulf energy industry to repair facilities damaged or destroyed during the war.Shipping data shows that combined exports from Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates fell from 469 million barrels in February to 263 million barrels in March – a decline of 206 million barrels, or 44 percent. Iraq's crude exports have been hit the hardest, falling 82 percent from 94m barrels in February to 17m in March.The 206 million barrels of Gulf oil lost since the start of the war would fill approximately 103 Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), the workhorse supertankers of the global energy trade. A single VLCC stretches nearly 330 metres (1,080 feet) in length, nearly the same height as the Eiffel Tower in Paris.To put that in more practical terms, if you drove a pick-up truck that averages 24 miles per gallon (or 10 litres per 100km), one barrel of crude oil would carry you about 730km or 450 miles. That is about the distance from New York City to Cleveland, Ohio.For much of the war, oil has traded above $100 per barrel, hitting a peak of nearly $128 on April 2. The value of 206 million lost export barrels at various oil prices is significant, with Brent crude being the global benchmark.

Iran and the United States each declared a triumph after agreeing to a two‑week ceasefire that was announced just before President Donald Trump’s deadline to force Tehran’s surrender. The conflict, which began on 28 February, has already claimed 2,076 lives in U.S.–Israel strikes on Iran and has caused thousands more deaths across the region. The fighting has also shocked global energy markets, stranding oil tankers and pushing prices to unprecedented levels. Trump announced on Truth Social that the United States would halt bombing Iran after receiving a “workable” 10‑point ceasefire proposal, adding that “almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to.” Iran, for its part, said it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic, even as some citizens denounced the government’s perceived capitulation. Both parties are set to resume Pakistan‑mediated talks in Islamabad on Friday, though analysts warn that earlier red lines may resurface. Key terms of the Tuesday agreement: the United States will suspend air strikes for two weeks, citing that it has already achieved its military objectives and is close to a “definitive agreement concerning long‑term peace.” Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, pledged to halt “defensive operations” and to allow safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while also indicating willingness to fund reconstruction from fees collected on transiting ships. Domestic reaction in Iran remains volatile. University of Tehran professor Foad Izadi noted that the public’s pessimism stems from two prior escalations—June’s 12‑day war and the February 28 strikes—both of which occurred amid ongoing negotiations. Earlier demands: The United States had presented a 15‑point plan on 25 March, calling for a 30‑day ceasefire, immediate reopening of the Strait, Iran’s de‑commissioning of its nuclear facilities, a total ban on uranium enrichment, handover of nuclear stockpiles to the IAEA, cessation of support to regional proxies, strict limits on ballistic missiles, and a full lift of sanctions, among other items. Iran responded with a 10‑point proposal that emphasized a non‑aggression commitment from the United States, controlled passage through the Strait, acceptance of its enrichment programme, comprehensive sanctions relief, withdrawal of U.S. combat forces, compensation for war damages via shipping fees, and a binding UN Security Council resolution. Both sides have already made concessions. Iran moved from demanding a permanent ceasefire to accepting a two‑week pause, and it shifted from insisting on reparations to proposing reconstruction funding from Strait fees. The United States, meanwhile, has softened its demand for an “unconditional” Iranian surrender and has not reiterated its earlier insistence on dismantling Iran’s missile capabilities. One of the most contentious issues remains the status of Lebanon. While Pakistan’s prime minister said the ceasefire would extend to Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied any such inclusion, and Israel launched a major bombing campaign in Beirut shortly thereafter, killing hundreds. Looking ahead, analysts highlight that the United States is unlikely to concede on the complete withdrawal of its roughly 50,000 troops stationed across 19 Middle Eastern sites—a demand Tehran has placed on the table. The outcome of the upcoming talks will hinge on whether Washington can accommodate Tehran’s broader political and economic requests without compromising its strategic objectives.

The Middle East conflict is having a profound impact on maritime workers, port staff, and shipping crews. The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest maritime routes, remains affected despite a temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran.Maritime traffic through the narrow channel linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman continues to face delays, diversions, and heightened security risks as the situation evolves. Ports and shipping companies are operating amid uncertainty, while cruise ships carrying thousands of tourists have faced disruption across the region.The Guardian is inviting maritime workers, port staff, and shipping crews to share their experiences of how the conflict is affecting their work. The outlet is providing a confidential form and messaging channels for those who wish to contribute their stories anonymously.Key concerns for maritime workers include:Delays and diversions due to the conflictHeightened security risks for vessels and crewsImpact on livelihoods and work operationsThe Guardian's initiative aims to shed light on the human impact of the conflict on those working in the maritime industry.

The recent escalation between the US and Iran has brought the world to the edge of a potentially devastating conflict. US President Donald Trump's threat to attack Iran if it didn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz sparked a global outcry and raised concerns of a wider conflict.Trump's public threat to commit genocide sent shockwaves through the United States, with over 70 Democratic members of Congress calling for his removal from office. The Iranian government and people were also shocked, with thousands forming human chains around bridges and power stations that Trump might strike.Faced with the prospect of a catastrophic war, Trump chose to back away from his threat and instead claimed that he had granted Pakistan's request for a two-week ceasefire. However, the Iranian foreign minister tweeted that Trump had agreed to accept Tehran's 10-point plan as a general framework for negotiations.The chasm between the two sides remains vast, with major differences on issues such as sanctions relief and Iran's ballistic missile stocks. A mega-deal remains the only path to averting a return to full-scale war, but it will require compromises and adept diplomacy from both sides.If there's no firm deal, the conflict will almost certainly reignite. The US and Iran have agreed to a temporary ceasefire, but Iran still controls the Strait of Hormuz and retains the military muscle to spark a worldwide recession.