The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most significant energy chokepoint. It is a waterway that at its narrowest point is barely 33 km long. The U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran on 28th February 2026. Iran retaliated by effectively blockading the Strait in March. Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain rely almost exclusively on the Strait for their energy exports. Oil prices have risen nearly 60 percent in just over a month. European Central Bank has postponed planned rate cuts and raised its inflation forecast for the year from 1.9% to 2.6%.

Georgia's Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday over whether residents exposed to a toxic chemical plume can force BioLab to pay for long-term medical monitoring to detect the onset of health effects. The issue stems from a class action against BioLab, which produces chlorinating agents and other cleaning products for swimming pools and spas. On September 29, 2024, BioLab's plant in Conyers, Georgia, erupted in fire, sending a massive toxic plume across the surrounding area.

Lawrence Wong's toy factory in Vietnam has been put on hold because of the war in Iran and rising production costs. Many Chinese firms are rethinking their short-term strategies and adapting to mounting pressures stemming from rising costs and slowing growth across major economies.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection's tariff refund system went live Monday. Importers and brokers can upload a detailed list of each tariff paid under Trump's now illegal order to charge duties under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, or IEEPA. The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision earlier this year found Trump's steep global tariffs exceeded his presidential powers. The Liberty Justice Center has established the Tariff Equity Refund Resource for America.

Mongabay has published several articles about the emotional strain conservationists are under due to environmental degradation, job losses, moral injury, and a sense of isolation. Two conservation professionals co-founded Revive, a global working group of the Society for Conservation Biology, which aims to build an emotionally resilient conservation community.

Donald Trump has said the war in the Middle East is "close to over" and that a second round of talks with Iran could resume within days. The United States military is enforcing a naval blockade of Iranian ports, which has been condemned by Tehran and Beijing. The conflict has created the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market. Global LNG supply has been reduced by 20%. Oil, gas and fertiliser prices have surged.

"Normal" is an action comedy set in a small town in the American state of Minnesota. Depictions of violence are common in the cinema, but they are usually linked to the function of violence in societies. "Normal" turns out to be a paradigmatic film of the Trump era because it highlights how money and power have been separated in America.

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement reported the death of a detainee for the 17th time so far in 2026. On April 12, Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt, a 27-year-old Cuban man, died in what has been labeled a suicide. The death at a Miami detention facility is still under investigation. Earlier in April, a Mexican man died in California’s Adelanto ICE facility. Public Counsel is suing The GEO Group, which operates private prisons for agencies including ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service. The company made a reported $254 million profit from its dealings with the government.

GATC-1021 was found to be highly selective in attenuating fentanyl self-administration in male and female rats. It also increased the percentage of thin dendritic spines in the hippocampus and changes in gene expression pathways involved in neuroplasticity in the prefrontal cortex after fentanyl-induced alterations.

The US-Israeli war with Iran is creating the worst energy crisis the world has ever faced. Iran blocked maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a conduit for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows. Russia's war with Ukraine had already severed Russian gas supplies to Europe. European airlines are preparing for a challenging spring and summer, with jet fuel prices having risen to well over $100 a barrel since the Iran war began. The EU is preparing measures to curb the impact the war is having on jet fuel supply.

Pentagon is intensifying preparations for a potential military operation in Cuba, according to reports. US officials were given a "new directive" from the White House to intensify planning for possible military action against Cuba. Trump said Monday that the U.S. "may stop by Cuba" after the war with Iran.

This week was an important week for monopoly-themed news. Oligarchs started to lose, not on social questions, but where it pertains to cold hard cash and market power. Trump aligned himself with the oligarchs, using his regulatory authority to cut deals with dominant firms. The public got angry, looking at a world dominated by the Epstein class and seeing Trump as part of it. Hollywood actors, directors, and writers signed a letter in opposition to the Paramount-Warner merger.

Sri Lanka's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is 1.3, according to the latest census. This is lower than that of non-Hispanic whites in the United States. Demographers predict that low fertility numbers will be the norm as the world goes through the Second Demographic Transition. Births in Sri Lanka have collapsed following the 2022 economic crisis. There were only 220,761 live births in 2024.

Renewable energy has overtaken coal to become the world’s largest source of electricity in 2025, according to thinktank Ember. For the first time since 1919, the share of coal power was lower than that of renewables. Solar power generation grew by a record 636 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2025. Wind saw the second-largest increase in generation, growing 205TWh. Nuclear generation increased by 35 TWh to 2,812 TWh. The global electric vehicle fleet continued to grow, displacing 1.8m barrels per day (mbPD) of oil demand.

The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing is a 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. On Sunday, for the first time since the Iran war, Israeli reporters were allowed by the Israel Defense Forces to enter southern Lebanon, in an escorted visit to the newly established security zone. The IDF is on high alert and ready to return to fighting in both Iran and Lebanon if the fragile ceasefires collapse or expire.

Maine is the first state to pass a moratorium on the development of large data centers. About a dozen states are considering similar laws. There are concerns about the size and energy and water consumption of data centers and the rise of artificial intelligence fueled by them. The bill passed the House, 79-62, and the Senate, 21-13. It awaits a signature from Governor Janet Mills.

In a controlled NIH trial, participants eating ultraprocessed diets consumed 508 more calories per day than when eating unprocessed foods. Food texture directly influences intake. The physical transformation of whole food into a processed format is enough to create compulsive overconsumption, even when the ingredients are impeccable.