Thursday, April 2, 2026
More than 40 countries hold talks on ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
LONDON England
Britain accused Iran on Thursday of holding the world's economy hostage as diplomats from more than 40 countries held talks on ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route that has been choked off by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
The U.S. is not attending the virtual meeting, which comes after President Donald Trump made clear that he thinks securing the waterway, closed as a consequence of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, is not America’s job. Trump has also disparaged America's European allies for failing to support the war and renewed his threats to pull the U.S. out of NATO.
U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the talks, which focus on political and diplomatic rather than military means, showed “the strength of our international determination" to reopen the strait.
“We have seen Iran hijack an international shipping route to hold the global economy hostage,” she said at the start of the meeting. Cooper said “unsustainable” spikes in oil and food prices were “hitting households and businesses in every corner of the world.”
In the meantime, more than three dozen countries including the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and the United Arab Emirates have signed a statement demanding Iran stop its attempts to block the strait and pledging to “contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage” through the waterway.
Cooper said the 40-plus countries at the meeting — up from the 35 announced Wednesday — discussed “diplomatic and international planning measures” to ensure the strait can reopen safely, and action to guarantee the safety of 20,000 seafarers on 2,000 ships trapped by the conflict.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
UK gathers more than 30 countries to plot ways of reopening the Strait of Hormuz
By Jill Lawless, LONDON England
Almost three dozen countries will meet Thursday in an effort to exert diplomatic and political pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route that has been choked off by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the virtual meeting chaired by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper “will assess all viable diplomatic and political measures we can take to restore freedom of navigation, guarantee the safety of trapped ships and seafarers and to resume the movement of vital commodities.”
Iranian attacks on commercial ships, and the threat of more, have halted nearly all traffic in the waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the rest of the globe’s oceans, shutting a critical path for the world’s flow of oil and sending petroleum prices soaring.
The U.S. is not among the countries attending Thursday’s meeting. Trump has said securing the waterway is not America’s job, and told U.S. allies to “go get your own oil.”
No country appears willing to try and open the strait by force while fighting rages and Iran can target vessels with anti-ship missiles, drones, attack craft and mines. But Starmer said Wednesday that military planners from an unspecified number of countries will meet soon to work on how to ensure security for shipping “after the fighting has stopped.”
In the meantime, 35 countries including the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and the United Arab Emirates have signed a statement demanding Iran stop its attempts to block the strait and pledging to “contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage” through the waterway.
Thursday’s meeting is considered a first step, to be followed by “working-level meetings” of officials to hammer out details.
Starmer said resuming shipping “will not be easy,” and will require “a united front of military strength and diplomatic activity” alongside partnership with the maritime industry.
The international effort idea has echoes of the international “coalition of the willing” that has been assembled, led by the U.K. and France, to underpin Ukraine’s security after a future ceasefire in that war. The coalition is, in part, an attempt to demonstrate to the Trump administration that Europe is stepping up to do more for its own security.
The urgency of stronger continental defenses has been reinforced by Trump’s renewed suggestion that the U.S. could pull out of NATO.
Ten African nations to showcase football talent in expanded 2026 World Cup
By Osoro Nyawangah, MWANZA Tanzania
Africa will make history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with a record ten nations securing direct qualification for the expanded global tournament: a major milestone for the continent’s football growth.
The unprecedented representation comes as the tournament expands its format, allowing more teams from around the world to compete on football’s biggest stage.
Among those qualified are continental heavyweights Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria, alongside strong contenders such as Senegal, Ivory Coast and Ghana.
Emerging teams have also secured their places, including Cape Verde, South Africa and Democratic Republic of the Congo — the latter completing the historic lineup after a decisive win to claim Africa’s tenth slot.
The qualification of DR Congo is particularly significant, marking a return to the World Cup stage after more than 50 years and highlighting the growing competitiveness of African football.
Cape Verde have qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time! With a population of just 593,149, the island nation in the Atlantic becomes the second-smallest country to ever reach the tournament.
The expanded tournament offers African teams a greater opportunity to showcase their talent globally, building on recent successes such as Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals in 2022.
With ten representatives heading to the 2026 edition, expectations are high that African nations could make an even deeper impact — signaling a new era for the continent in world football.
Here is the FIFA World Cup groups, will African teams make it to semi-finals?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)