A Lahore court has ruled in favour of Pakistani singer Ali Zafar in his defamation case against fellow singer Meesha Shafi. On Tuesday, the court ordered Shafi to pay Zafar 5 million rupees ($17,900) in damages.
Zafar sued Shafi for defamation in 2018 after she accused him of sexual harassment in Pakistan’s highest-profile #MeToo case.
What has the court ruled?
The court’s ruling, which has not been released to the public but has been seen by several Pakistani media outlets, states that a 2018 social media post by Shafi and an interview she gave to a lifestyle magazine contained “false, defamatory and injurious imputations” against the plaintiff, Zafar.
The court found that her allegations of sexual harassment of a physical nature had not been proved to be true or shown to be made for the public good, and therefore constituted actionable defamation, according to Pakistan’s leading daily newspaper, Dawn.
The court added that Shafi was to be “permanently restrained from repeating, publishing, or causing to be published, directly or indirectly, the aforesaid defamatory allegations of sexual harassment of a physical nature against the plaintiff, in any form of media”.
This order will be appealed to the High Court, Nighat Dad, the lawyer who represented Shafi in court, told Al Jazeera.
As well as a member of Shafi’s legal team, Dad is the executive director of a nongovernmental, research-based advocacy organisation, the Digital Rights Foundation.
She said: “The appeal is likely to challenge the judgement on several grounds: that the trial court misread and selectively interpreted the evidence, failed to properly consider material evidence presented by Meesha, and overlooked the legal context, particularly that her sexual harassment complaint against Ali Zafar is still pending before the Supreme Court.”
What was the #MeToo case involving Shafi and Zafar?
In April 2018, Shafi, now 44, posted a statement through a series of posts on X, then called Twitter, accusing Zafar of sexually harassing her on multiple occasions.
Shafi wrote: “I have been subjected, on more than one occasion, to sexual harassment of a physical nature at the hands of a colleague from my industry: Ali Zafar.”
Shafi added that she was speaking up as an “empowered, accomplished woman who is known for speaking her mind!”
In her posts, Shafi referred to the global “#MeToo” movement by women and girls against sexual harassment and assault.
The hashtag gained worldwide prominence in 2017 when women in Hollywood and beyond began speaking out in the wake of allegations against the former American film producer and now convicted sex offender, Harvey Weinstein.
Within hours of Shafi’s post, Zafar, now 45, responded on X: “I categorically deny any and all claims of harassment lodged against me by Ms Shafi.”
He added that he intended to take the allegation to “the courts of law” and to address them legally rather than “contesting personal vendettas on social media and in turn disrespecting the movement”.
Shafi and Zafar were once known to be friends and are both prominent figures in Pakistan’s entertainment industry. Both have also made appearances in films outside Pakistan. Shafi even performed a small cameo role in 2003 in a music video for Zafar’s first album.
In April 2018, Shafi spoke about her allegations against Zafar during an interview with fashion and lifestyle magazine Instep Pakistan.
She told the magazine that she had not publicly spoken about the harassment at the time it happened because “I’m a public figure and so is he (Ali Zafar). My thought process was who I am and who he is and what that’s going to lead to. Being ready to talk was far off because it had just happened. I buried it.”
Have other women accused Zafar of inappropriate behaviour?
Yes. Several Pakistani celebrities and public figures posted in support of Shafi online after her 2018 X posts.
Additionally, other women came forward to accuse Zafar of sexual harassment.
They included makeup artist and painter Leena Ghani, who wrote in a statement on X in April 2018 that Zafar had on “several occasions” crossed the boundaries of what is considered appropriate behaviour between friends.
“Inappropriate contact, groping, sexual comments should not fall in the grey area between humour and indecency,” Ghani said.
Maham Javaid, a journalist who now works for The Washington Post, alleged in April 2018 that Zafar had tried to kiss her cousin and pull her inside a restroom in a now-deleted X post.
How has the dispute between Shafi and Zafar unfolded?
The pair have filed a slew of complaints against each other.
In June 2018, Zafar filed his one‑billion‑rupee defamation suit against Shafi. At the time, that was equivalent to more than $8m. It is now equivalent to $3.5m, due to the devaluation of the Pakistani rupee.
Shafi then filed a complaint about the alleged harassment before the Ombudsperson Punjab for Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace, later in 2018.
Her complaint was rejected on the technical grounds that she and Zafar did not have an employer-employee relationship. An appeal is pending in the Supreme Court.
Zafar also filed a separate cybercrime complaint with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in November 2018, alleging that Shafi and others were running a coordinated smear campaign against him on social media.
Based on this report, the FIA filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Shafi and eight others in September 2020 under Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
Those named in the complaint included Ghani, Javaid, comedian Ali Gul Pir and actor Iffat Omar, who had publicly supported Shafi and posted critical comments about Zafar online. The PECA offences they were charged under – criminal defamation provisions covering “offences against dignity” – carried a maximum penalty of three years in prison.
It is not known publicly whether the FIA cybercrime case has reached a verdict.
In September 2019, Shafi filed her own two-billion-rupee civil defamation suit against Zafar in a Lahore court, accusing him of making false allegations about her in the media. Two billion rupees was worth roughly $13m when Shafi filed the suit in 2019; due to the rupee’s steep depreciation, the same amount is now worth about $7m. That case is ongoing.
What has been the response to this week’s defamation ruling?
Actor and television host Iffat Omar, who was also named in the FIA cybercrime case and was also a witness for Shafi in Zafar’s defamation case against her, criticised the court ruling in an X post on Tuesday.
Omar wrote: “People were silenced, pressured, bought, and scared. The entire support system was broken. On top of that, we were accused of running a foreign agenda, of being paid huge amounts in dollars. I said it then, and I say it again – prove it in court. I am ready to open all my bank accounts, everything.”
Last week, Saqib Jilani, another of Shafi’s lawyers, asked the Lahore court to dismiss the defamation lawsuit, arguing that Zafar had not produced any concrete evidence to support his defamation claims.
Also last week, Shafi’s mother, the Pakistani actor Saba Hameed, who has been attending court proceedings in Pakistan while her daughter lives in Canada, told reporters: “We have been fighting this for eight years, and we are not accepting defeat in this matter.”
What happens next?
Shafi’s legal team intends to appeal the defamation ruling in favour of Zafar to the High Court. “This is far from the end of the road,” Dad told Al Jazeera.
She added that other legal actions relating to this are ongoing.
“Meesha Shafi’s original complaint of sexual harassment against Ali Zafar has been pending before the Supreme Court for several years now,” Dad explained, referring to the 2018 complaint dismissed on technical grounds by the Office of the Ombudsperson Punjab for Protection Against Harassment of Women, but which Shafi has appealed.
“Separately, Ali Zafar initiated a criminal case alleging cyber-defamation against Meesha and her witnesses, which also reached the Supreme Court and is currently stayed.”
Dad said that Shafi’s civil defamation suit against Zafar is also still pending.
Why is this significant?
“This ruling risks setting a deeply troubling precedent,” Dad said.
Currently, she said, survivors of sexual harassment face major legal, social and reputational barriers. Decisions like the Lahore court’s recent order are likely to discourage victims of sexual harassment “from speaking out at all”.
“If defamation law is interpreted in a way that punishes speech before underlying harassment claims are even adjudicated, it shifts the burden unfairly onto survivors and reinforces silence over accountability,” Dad added.
Covered marquees. Downed statues. Painted-over murals. A canceled holiday.
California has effectively exorcised César Chávez from the public sphere just weeks after a New York Times investigation found two women who said the legendary labor leader sexually assaulted them when they were teenage girls in the 1970s. Just as explosive was the revelation by his longtime lieutenant, Dolores Huerta, that he raped her in the 1960s.
You’re reading the Essential California newsletter
L.A. Times reporters guide you through the most important news, features and recommendations of the morning.
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads.
My prediction for the next place we’ll see a Chávez purge: books about him, which number into the dozens and span from academic treatises to children’s tales. But before critics relegate those texts to the banned section, folks should read some of them to see how writers helped establish the Chávez myth and propagated it for decades.
The books that created the Chávez legend
The tendency to elevate him above other activists was there from the start. In 1967, John Gregory Dunne published “Delano: The Story of the California Grape Strike,” which saw the author (and husband to Joan Didion) capture the essence of el movimiento in its earliest days through on-the-ground reporting and interviews with Chávez, whom Dunne described in the introduction as “the right man at the right place at what was, sadly, both the right and the wrong time.”
Famed writer Peter Matthiessen cemented Chávez’s image as a humble hero fighting a lone, brave battle against philistine farmers with a two-part New Yorker profile that became the basis for 1969s “Sal Si Puedes: Cesar Chavez and the New American Revolution.” That narrative continued with Jacques Levy’s 1975 release “Cesar Chavez: Autobiography of La Causa.” Talk about getting too close to the subject: The author’s archived papers disclosed he served as Chávez’s literal notetaker during the 1970 negotiations that ended the grape strike and led to the UFW’s first union contracts.
Chávez came under strong scrutiny
Rose-tinted biographies tellingly stopped around the time Chávez created a commune in what’s now currently the César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene and began to target perceived enemies within the UFW. Critics instead appeared in the media — one of the first was a 1979 Reason article that alleged he was misusing federal funds and contained the prescient line, “Many people will be reluctant to believe anything that could cast a shadow over this man.”
Other critical dispatches included pieces in the L.A. Times, Village Voice and one in the Sacramento Bee so damning in its indictment of how Chávez had, on his own, sabotaged the movement so many associated with him that its author, Marcos Breton, recently wrote how Chávez was left “hostile and angry” by his simple questions.
In the wake of Chávez’s decline and eventual death in 1993, authors created a new genre: Saint César. Titles like “Cesar Chavez and the Common Sense of Nonviolence,” “Conquering Goliath: Cesar Chavez at the Beginning” (by his mentor, Fred Ross Sr., the most important California organizer you’ve never heard of) and “The Rhetorical Career of César Chávez” pushed forth the gospel of their subject as a plainspoken prophet out of the Good Book.
Chávez inspired millions — but those books will now forever read as hollow and sadly myopic.
Rethinking the Chávez myth
True reappraisals of Chávez and his work wouldn’t start until after former Times editor and reporter Miriam Pawel published a 2006 series for this paper that showed the ugly, domineering side of Chávez and the UFW’s decline. Six years later, longtime activist Frank Bardacke simultaneously praised and damned Chávez in his “Trampling Out the Vintage: Cesar Chavez and the Two Souls of the United Farm Workers.” Though a good read, it pales in importance and poignant lyricism to two double whammies that dropped in 2014: “From the Jaws of Victory The Triumph and Tragedy of Cesar Chavez and the Farm Worker Movement” by Dartmouth College professor (and my distant cousin!) Matthew Garcia and Pawel’s own “The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: A Biography.”
Garcia and Pawel are now making media appearances and writing essays to opine on where they think Chávez went wrong. Expect updates to all of these books and so many others in the months and years to come — if they’re ever published again.
Today’s top stories
Red diamond rattlesnakes are among species in the Golden State. One reptile expert who relocates snakes says her phone has been “ringing off the hook.”
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Weird rattlesnake season
Unseasonably warm March weather triggered an unusually active rattlesnake season in California, with experts fielding record calls about sightings statewide.
Two fatal bites in Southern California in March and 77 Poison Control calls in three months far exceed typical annual patterns.
Those former Californians said the move saved them almost $700 in monthly housing costs, and they became 48% more likely to own a home in their new state.
Minimal snow in California mountains
More big stories
Commentary and opinions
This morning’s must read
Other great reads
For your downtime
(Stella Kalinina / For The Times; Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times; Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times; Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
Going out
Staying in
A question for you: How are you celebrating Easter this year?
Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers during the second inning of a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night.
(Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Ronaldo Bolaños at Tuesday night’s Dodgers’ game. Shohei Ohtani battled through the rain to throw a one-hit gem in the Dodgers’ 4-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter Hugo Martín, assistant editor Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor Andrew Campa, weekend reporter Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Wednesday became the first sitting president to attend oral arguments at the Supreme Court, inserting himself directly into a high-stakes legal battle over one of the most consequential orders of his administration.
Trump arrived at the court Wednesday morning by limousine for arguments over whether the president has the authority to effectively rewrite the Constitution by ending birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to parents who are in the country unlawfully or temporarily.
In the run-up to Wednesday’s arguments, Trump suggested that Supreme Court justices appointed by Republicans who have ruled against his agenda are “so stupid.”
“Some people would call it stupidity; some people will call it disloyal,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
“Dumb Judges and Justices will not a great Country make!” the president wrote on Truth Social on Monday.
The unprecedented appearance highlights how high Trump believes the stakes are, according to Adam Winkler, a constitutional law professor at UCLA.
“It’s not clear why Trump is attending,” Winkler said. “Maybe he is just interested in the unusual drama of a Supreme Court argument. Or perhaps he is trying to intimidate the justices, like the scene in ‘The Godfather Part II’ where the mob boss shows up at a hearing to scare the witness into recanting his testimony.”
Regardless, Trump’s presence probably won’t change any minds on the bench, Winkler said.
The justices prize their independence, including many who share Trump’s judicial philosophy. Still, it will likely change the mood, Winkler said — most hearings are quiet and academic.
The birthright citizenship order, which Trump signed on the first day of his second term, is a keystone of his administration’s broad immigration crackdown.
Trump has framed the policy as a necessary step to curb what he describes as abuse of the immigration system.
“Birthright Citizenship is not about rich people from China, and the rest of the World, who want their children, and hundreds of thousands more, FOR PAY, to ridiculously become citizens of the United States of America. It is about the BABIES OF SLAVES!”
Every lower court that has considered the issue has found the order illegal and prevented it from taking effect. A definitive ruling by the nation’s highest court is expected by early summer.
The Suppan name is well known in West Hills. Jeff Suppan was a superstar at Westhills Pony Baseball before moving on to Crespi and having a 17-year career in MLB. His sister, Karen, was once the girls’ volleyball coach at Chaminade. Brother Mike has been a longtime teacher at Chaminade. Jeff still helps at Westhills Pony Baseball.
Now there’s a new Suppan making a name for herself. Jeff’s daughter, Finley, is the star pitcher as a sophomore for Chaminade (10-2-1).
Asked about her father’s contributions, Finley said, “He’s helped me a lot. We’ve had many car rides together. He told me a lot about the mental side of softball. Also how important it is to just focus one pitch at a time as a pitcher and to control the controllable.”
Dad is learning it’s much harder to watch his daughter pitch than pitch himself.
“I have to admit I don’t know how my parents and my family watched me pitch for all those years,” Jeff said. “I guess that’s why my mom always kept score and now I do to.”
Finley’s complete interview will be on Thursday’s edition of Friday Night Live at 5 p.m. via X at LATSondheimer.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
This article investigates the mysterious historical origins and global spread of April Fools’ Day traditions. One theory suggests the holiday evolved from ancient pagan spring festivals and celebrations of the vernal equinox. Alternatively, many historians believe the custom arose in 16th-century France following the calendar shift that moved the New Year to January. Individuals who continued to observe the April date were mocked as “April fish” and became the targets of community pranks. Over time, these playful rituals expanded through England and Scotlandbefore eventually reaching the American colonies.
A QUAINT English village that feels “like stepping into a postcard” has been named among the most beautiful in the world.
With no new houses since the 1600s, Castle Combe at the southern edge of the Cotswolds is already one of the most stunning in the UK.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
Castle Combe has been named one of the most beautiful small towns in the world, by Conde Nast TravellerCredit: GettyThe small village is on the southern edge of the Cotswolds and features honey-coloured stone buildingsCredit: Getty
And now the southwest Wiltshire village has been named by Conde Nast Traveller as one of the most beautiful small towns in the world, and out of 53 destinations on the list, was the only UK spot to feature.
Conde Nast Traveller stated: “[T]he town is a well-preserved stretch of Cotswold stone cottages and old pubs and churches.”
The village has even played a star role as a set in some films, including Stardust, Steven Spielberg‘s War Horse and the original Dr Doolittle film.
One of the best ways to experience the village is to set off on a walk.
Key points to stop by include Water Lane, where you can see a good example of the local architecture using Cotswolds stone.
One recent visitor even said it was “like stepping into a postcard”.
In the centre of the town, drop by The Market Cross – a four-column stone structure that used to act as the focal point for the village’s weekly wool markets.
Perhaps the most popular spot in town with tourists is the historic stone bridge that crosses the River Bybrook.
The bridge is Grade II listed and can be found in the lower village.
If you fancy something sweet but don’t want to sit inside, then visit Ellen’s Cottage where you will find a small cake stand in front of a charming brown cottage door.
Visitors can help themselves to cake from the stand and pop payment through the letterbox.
There’s usually a bucket full of cold drinks as well, though if you want a hot drink you can knock the door and ask for one, with a cappuccino costing £2 and a latte costing £2.50.
If you want somewhere where you can sit inside and drink your coffee, then head to The Old Stables Coffee Shop which serves a variety of cakes for £4 a slice.
The best walk to explore the village is by walking, and on the way you can grab a cake from Ellen’s CottageCredit: Google mapsThere are also a couple of pubs where you can grab a tipple, such as The White HartCredit: Getty
If you are more in the mood for an alcoholic beverage with a side of pub grub, then you can head to The White Hart or The Castle Inn – both of which are just a few steps from the Market Cross.
You can also stay at The Castle Inn if you want to spend a night in the idyllic village.
Rooms cost from £145 a night and you can expect period features in each room, such as original beams.
For another option of where to stay, Conde Nast Traveller recommends booking into The Manor House.
Dating back to the 14th century, The Manor House boasts quiet gardens, a Michelin restaurant and an 18-hole golf course.
Rooms in The Manor House feature dark, wood panelling and ornate wallpaper and a one-night stay in April costs from £276.
If you want to enjoy a night in the village you can by staying at The Castle Inn from £145 per nightCredit: Alamy
Our favourite UK hotels
*If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue.
Margate House, Kent
This stylish boutique hotel is in a seaside townhouse, a short walk from Margate’s coolest bars and restaurants. Decked out with plush velvet sofas, candles flickering and striking independent art, inside feels like a warm welcome home. Rooms are stunning, especially the ones that give you a glimpse of the sea.
The Alan looks extremely grand, being built into a beautiful Grade II listed building. Spread across six floors, with 137 rooms, each one looks like a fancy design magazine. From the concrete coffee tables to the pink plastered walls, the industrial-inspired designs perfectly replicate the history of the city.
This historic hotel has welcomed the likes of Charles Dickens and Lillie Langtry through its doors. Rooms have richly-patterned carpets with super soft bed linen and premium toiletries in the bathroom. Go for a superior room for extra goodies including bathrobes and snack boxes.
This Cambridge hotel is in the ideal spot, within walking distance to bars, shops and hotspots like the university colleges and Parker’s Piece. The inside couldn’t be prettier, with huge stained glass windows, grand chandeliers, and rooms with enormous clawfoot bath tubs.
There are a number of things you can do in the surrounding area as well.
For example, you could use the village as a base for a Cotswolds walk, through Bybrook Valley and the North Wiltshire hills.
Just four minutes down the road, you will find Castle Combe Racing Circuit where you can watch karting races for as little as £10 per person.
Like adrenaline? Well, the race circuit also offers a number of experiences where you can drive a car of your choice from movie cars, classics and supercars from £84.
The market town of Chippenham is a 14-minute drive away as well, where you can browse independent shops, have a walk through Monkton Park next to the River Avon and learn about the town’s history at Chippenham Museum.
To include a city in your trip, you could head to Bath, just half-an-hour away.
Alternatively, you could stay at The Manor House from £276 per nightCredit: Alamy
The UNESCO World Heritage city is famous for its Roman baths and honey-coloured architecture, using the same stone found in Castle Combe.
Chippenham is just over an hour on the train from London, with a single ticket usually costing £25 per person.
To then get to Castle Combe, you can either jump in a taxi for 20 minutes or hop on one of the regular local Faresaver buses that take about 24 minutes to reach the village and cost a maximum of £3 per way.
Or if you want to keep exploring the Cotswolds, there is a tiny village with a popular garden centre and ‘dinosaur’ tree that welcomed a very famous A-lister this week.
Castle Combe is around 30 minutes from Bath or around an hour and a half on the train, then bus, from LondonCredit: Getty
Higher crude prices due to the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz have helped Russia earn more from energy exports.
One nation that’s hoping to gain from the United States-Israel war on Iran is Russia, the world’s third largest oil producer. Higher crude prices due to the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz have allowed Russia to earn more from its oil and gas exports. A sanctions waiver announced by the US is also helping Moscow. But its revised budget plans are at risk after repeated Ukrainian attacks on its ports and oil refineries. Russia has banned petrol exports to protect against domestic fuel shortages. So can Russia help fill the global energy gap, or is its capacity already under threat?
The Irish drama has already been compared to Line of Duty
All episodes are now on BBC iPlayer
The BBC have added new episodes of ‘television’s most stressful thriller ‘ to their iPlayer service as it prepares to return to our screens this weekend.
All episodes of Hidden Assets are now available to stream at no extra cost on the platform. This includes its recently released third season, which was previously only available via Acorn TV late last year.
Those who are caught up to the most recent chapter of Hidden Assets can settle down to the latest episodes as they air each Saturday on BBC Four at 9pm. Otherwise, the complete collection is already available to stream on iPlayer right now.
The series is actually a joint Irish-Belgian-Canadian production. It is developed and written by Peter McKenna who previously penned other hit crime dramas including Kin and Gangs of London.
Each season contains six episodes, meaning those who have yet to watch any of it have plenty to catch up on. However, it should be a quick binge watch with fans and critics claiming it does not take long for viewers to be hooked.
For those that have yet to see any of the series, the first season is set in present day Shannon, County Clare, Ireland, its Free Zone and airport, and the port of Antwerp, Belgium. The plot focuses on the Irish Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and the Belgian Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU).
The second is also set between Antwerp and County Clare (Limerick, specifically). Meanwhile, the third series is set in Dublin and Bilbao where CAB joins forces with Ertzaintza detectives.
According to the synopsis, the narrative begins when evidence from a raid links a small-time drug dealer to a series of bombings in Belgium. This leads to Irish detective Emer Berry heading to Antwerp, where she’s confronted by Christian de Jong of the anti-terrorism squad. Together, they begin to untangle an international conspiracy involving drugs, terrorism, and corrupt business and political leaders.
While it hasn’t received enough professional reviews to warrant a score on Rotten Tomatoes, plenty sing its praises. The Guardian simply labelled it as ‘television’s most stressful thriller’ upon its return while one reviewer called it “a first-rate Irish crime drama series with Scandi-noir twists.”
Fans have been just as vocal for the series and recommending it to others. One posted online: “Brilliant Irish police thriller so much better than the BBC’s Northern Irish attempt, ‘Blue Lights’.”
Another added: “Compelling drama. Well written , directed and acted. Could not wait to see next episode and good ending. Definitely recommend. As good as Line of Duty.”
While someone else claimed: “Ever since Love/Hate we’ve been waiting for a gripping Irish Crime series to come along and here it is.” And another commented: “Right away you get sucked into the storyline and get caught up in the action. The acting is first class from all. I’m already looking forward to the next episode.”
Hidden Assets airs Saturday at 9pm on BBC Four and is streaming on BBC iPlayer.
You could find huge savings on your next flight by following three tips from a former flight attendant – including booking your trip on a certain day of the week
Booking at certain times could get you a better deal on your flight (stock photo)(Image: mihailomilovanovic via Getty Images)
The day you choose to book your flights can influence the price you pay. Holidays can become costly rapidly if you’re unaware of how to hunt for the best bargains, including your destination, accommodation, and which flight to select. Securing the finest deals can be challenging, and it can hinge on seemingly arbitrary factors, such as when you browse.
According to a former flight attendant, there are some straightforward steps you can take to cut costs on your next plane ticket. Bianca, who has been sharing travel tips online since departing her flight attendant role three years ago, posted a video on social media in which she encouraged travellers to capitalise on several flight hacks, including booking flights on particular days of the week, and even which time of day is optimal.
She said: “Do not book another flight until you do these things.”
1. Book flights on particular days
Bianca explained it doesn’t matter which day of the week you actually fly, but you should purchase your tickets on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday. She maintained airlines frequently offer superior deals or more affordable seats on those days, irrespective of which day you’re actually intending to travel.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
She said: “Book your flights only on a Tuesday, a Wednesday, or a Saturday. I mean book your flights on those days. Which means you’re going to sit down on one of those days and you’re going to book your flight. The flight can be on any day, but you’re going to book it on those days. They’re cheaper [and have] better deals.”
2. Always use incognito mode
The former flight attendant implored everyone to utilise incognito mode on their web browser, or to employ a virtual private network (VPN) to keep their browsing data concealed from the website they’re using to arrange their flights. This could help secure a more economical deal on your flights – though that’s not always guaranteed.
She said: “You’re going to use a VPN or incognito mode, depending on what device you have and depending how well it works on your device. If incognito mode does not do enough, then get a VPN.
“You generally just don’t want your demographic to show where you are when you’re going to buy a flight. Because they [websites] will literally rack up the prices of flights based on where you live. I know it’s crazy, but they do it.”
3. Book flights in the morning
If you’re after the best bargains on flights, you’ll need to rise early – or stay up late. Bianca maintains that, alongside booking flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, you should also attempt to purchase your tickets between 3am and 4am.
She explained: “Three or four in the morning, if you’re a night owl, this is all for you. This is the best time to book your flights. [There are] cheaper deals [because] flights drop in the middle of the night. I’m telling you, it’s the best time.”
Commenters on Bianca’s post expressed gratitude for her tips, with many stating they’d be implementing them to obtain a more affordable flight for their forthcoming summer holidays.
One person said: “Okay, I’m going to travel.”
Another commented: “Thank you, sis! This is good.”
A third endorsed the advice, stating: “Yup, I bought my flight to LA in the middle of the night and paid $150 (£112) round trip.”
As you begin to book seats on flights for the trips ahead of you this summer, there’s something you may want to consider when it comes to the most fuss-free flight
If you end up with one of these seats you might want to reconsider (Image: Getty Images)
Ahead of your big holidays this year you may be starting to look at your flights, or maybe you’re checking in and choosing your seats last minute; either way, you might want to hear this.
Most planes have a handful of seats that tend be located in the same place. Some with extra leg room, others with less, some in between windows, and some even on their own. Those boarding these flights and helping to keep everything streamlined know no more about those inside of those planes than anyone else.
That’s why it would be smart to consider this key piece of seat advice from Andrea Platania, operations manager at the airport transfer platform Transfeero. According to the firm’s onboard knowledge, there are a handful of seats that passengers continuously regret going for, and it may not be the ones that have even crossed your mind.
Seat 30F is a clear seat to avoid booking on a standard aircraft, along with 30E, as these tend to be located close to the toilets. In turn, the area tends to see a lot more disruption as people queue in the aisle or pass the seat to go in and out of the toilet.
He explained: “It’s not just about proximity, it’s about the constant movement around you.” He further claimed that these areas can quickly become gathering points during flights.
The expert shared: “The toilet doors opening and closing, people chatting as they wait, and general foot traffic all add up. If you’re hoping for a quiet, relaxed journey, these seats make that much harder.”
While these are notoriously standout bad seats, the specifics don’t quite stop there, especially in the 30 zone. Typically, seats 30A and 30F can’t be reclined as much as others.
This is worth noting for those particularly long journeys of yours, such as longer-haul flights. Andra suggested: “If you’re on a flight where you’re hoping to rest or even just sit comfortably, not being able to recline makes a big difference.” You end up feeling much more tired by the time you land.”
Adding to the already growing list of reasons as to why you might want to avoid these seats is time. If you’re a quick traveller, you have a short transfer time, you’ve got another flight to catch, or you just like to be efficient, you will not be cutting time by sitting in these seats.
These seats typically are some of the very last to leave the aircraft, according to the expert. Passengers in these rows often are left waiting longer as they have to allow time for almost everyone to disembark.
“It might not sound like a big deal, but when you’re eager to get off or have a connection to catch, it can feel like a long delay,” Andra said.
LONDON — President Trump has said he is strongly considering pulling the U.S. out of NATO, ratcheting up his criticism of European allies and exposing a wider rift in the transatlantic alliance — this time over America’s war alongside Israel against Iran.
While Trump’s talk of a possible NATO pullout dates back years, the comments to Britain’s Telegraph newspaper, published Wednesday, were among the clearest and most disparaging yet — suggesting the fracture has deepened perhaps to a point of no return.
Asked whether he would reconsider U.S. membership in the alliance after the war on Iran ends, Trump replied: “Oh yes, I would say (it’s) beyond reconsideration.”
Contacted by The Associated Press, NATO did not provide an immediate comment.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, asked about the comment, said Britain was “fully committed to NATO” and called it “the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen.”
Many European leaders have felt political pressure over the war, which faces opposition in their countries and has sent petroleum prices soaring as Iran has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.
“Whatever the pressure on me and others, whatever the noise, I am going to act in the British national interest in all the decisions I make,” Starmer said Wednesday.
Long-simmering tensions within the alliance have bubbled up again over the war. As energy prices have spiked, Trump has been desperate to get countries to send their ships to the Strait. He’s called his NATO allies “cowards,” pulling at any rhetorical lever he can to get help with the fallout of a war that no ally was consulted on or asked to take part in.
For years, Trump has berated America’s European allies, urging them to assume greater responsibility for their own security and spend more on defense. He has argued that the U.S. has done more for them than the other way around.
A U.S. pullout would essentially spell the end of NATO, which flourished for decades under American leadership.
On Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump lashed out at countries “like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran,” and suggested they buy U.S. oil or go to the Strait of Hormuz themselves “and just take it.”
He also wants allies to help fix damage from the war that they had no part in starting.
The U.K. is working on plans that could help assuage Trump.
On Thursday, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will host a virtual meeting of 35 countries that have signed up to help ensure security for shipping in the Strait after the war. Starmer said military planners will also work on a postwar security plan for the strait.
The backdrop: NATO not on board to join U.S. in war
NATO is built on Article 5 of its founding treaty, which pledges that an attack on any one member will be met with a response from them all.
As the Iran war has spread, missiles and drones have been fired toward NATO member Turkey and a British military base on Cyprus, fueling speculation about what might prompt NATO to trigger its collective security guarantee and come to their rescue.
The alliance has not intervened or signaled any plan to. Secretary-General Mark Rutte — who has voiced support for Trump and America’s role in the alliance — has been focusing mostly on Russia’s war against Ukraine, which borders four NATO countries.
NATO operates uniquely by consensus. All 32 countries must agree for it to take decisions, so political priorities play a role. Even invoking Article 5 requires agreement among the allies. Turkey or the U.K. cannot trigger it alone.
In the Mideast war, Trump has bristled at the across-the-board rejection from European and other allies, and even rival China, to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Many European Union and NATO member country leaders have fumed since the war’s outset on Feb. 28 because they weren’t informed ahead of time, seen as a break with precedent.
Trump insisted he needed the element of surprise, and he spoke out about possible military action and visibly built up U.S. forces in the region in the run-up to the war.
Rising voices, and tougher action, from Europe over the Mideast war
European leaders have called for the war to stop and want the United States and Iran to return to negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program, which America and Israel see as a threat.
The vocal opposition in Europe to Trump’s war against Iran has started to turn into action.
Spain — the most vocal critic in Europe — on Monday said it closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran war.
Early last month, France agreed to let the U.S. Air Force use a base in southern France after receiving a “full guarantee” from the United States that planes not involved in carrying out strikes against Iran would land there.
Other countries have spoken out against it: Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s largely ceremonial president, last week called the aggression against Iran a “dangerous mistake” in violation of international law.
U.S. relations with Europe had already soured in recent months over Trump’s call for Greenland — a semiautonomous territory of stalwart NATO ally Denmark — to become part of the United States, prompting many EU countries to rally behind Copenhagen.
Lawless and Keaten write for the Associated Press. Keaten reported from Geneva. AP writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.
Wiffen said he is expecting “to swim the best ever so I don’t have to make a decision” across the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m events he will be competing in, despite his recent lack of competitive action.
He outlined his goals as swimming the 400m around 4.33 seconds, the 800m below 7.42 seconds and the 1500m under 14.40 to assess whether his time spent in California has been successful.
The County Armagh man also cited Dublin as a potential future base if he does decide to move, but emphasised that doing so would be heavily dependant on his performances in Bangor.
“If I’m around those times, under or around PB, then that’s great. That obviously means the training is working, and if it doesn’t work then I [have to figure out] what I’m going do after,” he added.
“I’m thinking of coming back to Dublin if it doesn’t go well, but, we have to see. If I swim lights out in Bangor, then my decisions obviously can’t have been made.”
Wiffen also explained the main differences he has encounter between training in England and in the US, where they use yardage instead of metres.
“The training is just quite different and, even though I don’t swim a lot of yards, I just think being in America is fun. There’s quite a lot of distractions, and it’s a good lifestyle but, it’s not the same as what Loughborough was like,” he said.
“[It was] all about grind, very similar weather to Ireland and I love swimming in the rain and when the weather is dull. When you’re in the sun everything becomes a lot harder and the motivation becomes a lot harder.
“When I’m swimming in California, my motivation is I’m with a really good training group and everybody’s pushing each other, where as in Loughborough, I feel like it was more self-motivation, I was getting there because I wanted to win.
“I wanted to do all these things where I feel like another group is kind of pushing me to swim fast, which I like, but I think I want a bit of the self-motivation back, so we’ll have to see how the next week goes.”
ONE of Britain’s biggest airports is set to get new overnight trains that’ll provide transport for thousands of passengers a year.
The new service will connect late night arrivals and early morning departures from the airport to stations across the line, meaning more passengers can travel sustainably.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
Great Western Railway is trialling new night services to Gatwick AirportCredit: Alamy
Great Western Railway (GWR) has announced it will be trialling overnight train services between Reading and Gatwick Airport.
Currently, over 20% of Gatwick passengers can’t use rail services from the Thames Valley due to the earliest and latest trains excluding many flight times.
But the trial will enable thousands of passengers to use rail transport on their journey to the airport.
Current services only run between 4:30am and 11:30pm, leaving a big gap for commuters and holidaymakers trying to get to the airport.
GWR said: “We’re very pleased to announce that through partnering with Gatwick Airport, this summer we will trial overnight services between Reading and the airport along the North Downs Line.
“The trial will involve GWR running overnight services on Friday and Sunday nights from 5 June to 11 September 2026.
“Services will run approximately every 2 hours and will call at Reading, Wokingham, Guildford, Dorking Deepdene, Reigate, Redhill and Gatwick Airport.”
The trial means the rail company can measure passenger numbers and work out whether overnight services work operationally and commercially.
If it is successful, the new service hours will mean late night and early morning flight passengers across the network can travel by rail whilst making it easier for shift workers to commute.
Currently over 20% of Gatwick passengers can’t use rail services from the Thames ValleyCredit: Alamy Stock Photo
MEXICO CITY — Environmentalist groups accused Mexico’s government of lying about the source of a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, something authorities promptly denied.
The spill of off the coast of the southern state of Veracruz has spread more than 373 miles and into seven nature reserves. Turtles and other marine life have been found on sea shores coated in oil, and fishermen have been unable to work in waters they have fished for decades.
Mexico’s government reported that 800 tons of hydrocarbon-laden waste have spilled into the ocean. The government said the spill started in March and the sources were a ship anchored off the coastal state of Veracruz and two sites from which oil naturally flows.
On Monday, a group of 17 organizations — including Greenpeace Mexico, the Mexican Alliance Against Fracking and the Mexican Center for Environmental Rights, or CEMDA — contradicted that claim and said that satellite images they captured show the root of the spill was actually a pipeline from Mexico’s state-run oil company, Pemex, and that a large oil slick appeared in early February.
“All this lack of information is causing massive economic and environmental damage. So far no one has been held accountable,” Margarita Campuzano, spokesperson for CEMDA, said Tuesday.
Images from February circulated by the activists match images obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday through Copernicus, the European climate agency. The photos show a boat floating over a sea clouded with what the groups say is oil, which appears to be streaming out of a platform.
The groups said that the boat in the images is Árbol Grande, which specializes in pipeline repair — implying that the government knew about the spill before it had reported it and “hid it.”
Pemex called the information and images circulated by the groups “inaccurate” and said the Árbol Grande boat traverses the Gulf of Mexico continually, “carrying out preventive inspections of platforms and specialized spill response operations.”
Campuzano called for greater transparency and more aggressive investigations by authorities.
“They’re trying to dilute their responsibility when technology makes it very easy to know where this occurred and who is responsible,” she said.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday denied the accusations during her morning press briefing and said that up until now, “no leak has been reported” in state oil infrastructure and that such natural seeps in the Gulf have happened in the past.
She said the government was investigating with scientists whether the spill was “due to these natural seeps in the area, which have been reported on many occasions and are well-documented in scientific literature, or a leak from one of the facilities.”
Sheinbaum said that it was more probable that the spill came from the natural seeps, and added that teams were hard at work cleaning up the spill and mitigating the effects.
While government officials recognized the impacts on turtles, birds and fish, and the spread to protected ecosystems, they also insisted that it had not caused “severe environmental damage.”
The accusations come as environmental groups in the United States have also raised alarm after the Trump administration exempted oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act, saying environmentalists’ lawsuits threatened to hobble domestic energy supplies during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Critics said the move could harm marine life and also doom a rare whale species.
Janetsky writes for the Associated Press. Associated Press writer Teresa de Miguel in Mexico City contributed to this report.
1. The Night We Met (Indie Exclusive Edition) by Abby Jimenez (Hachette Book Group: $30) Friendship, missed connections and life-altering split-second decisions converge after one fateful night.
2. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (Crown: $28) A lifelong letter writer reckons with a painful past.
3. Kin by Tayari Jones (Knopf: $32) The bond between two lifelong friends in the South is tested as they take different paths in life.
4. Heart the Lover by Lily King (Grove Press: $28) A woman reflects on a youthful love triangle and its consequences.
5. Vigil by George Saunders (Random House: $28) A spirit guide must shepherd the soul of a dying, unrepentant oil tycoon into the afterlife as he confronts his legacy of corporate greed all while supernatural visitors demand a reckoning.
6. Brawler by Lauren Groff (Riverhead Books: $29) A collection of short stories tackling the relentless battle between humanity’s dark and light angels.
7. Judge Stone by James Patterson and Viola Davis (Little, Brown & Co.: $32) The bestselling author and Oscar-winning actor team up for a small-town legal thriller.
8. Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy (Ballantine Books: $30) A teenager embarks on a secret relationship with her teacher.
9. Once and Again by Rebecca Serle (Atria Books: $27) A family of women have an astonishing gift: the ability to redo one moment in their lives.
10. Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict (St. Martin’s Press: $29) A young woman in the 1920s unearths the truth about a forgotten pharaoh, rewriting both of their legacies forever.
…
Hardcover nonfiction
1. A World Appears by Michael Pollan (Penguin Press: $32) An exploration of consciousness and a meditation on the essence of our humanity.
2. Strangers by Belle Burden (The Dial Press: $30) A woman explores her marriage, its end and the man she thought she knew.
3. The Best Dog in the World by Alice Hoffman (editor) Fourteen authors celebrate the life-changing bond with their canine companions in a collection of essays. (Scribner: $22)
4. Young Man in a Hurry by Gavin Newsom (Penguin Press: $30) The California governor tells his origin story.
5. You with the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate (Little, Brown & Co.: $32) The actor opens up about her tumultuous childhood, her five-decade-long career and the MS diagnosis that upended it all.
6. Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! by Liza Minnelli (Grand Central Publishing: $36) The entertainment legend shares her story.
7. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (Knopf: $28) Reckoning with what it means to live in a West that betrays its values.
8. Lessons From Cats for Surviving Fascism by Stewart Reynolds (Grand Central Publishing: $13) A guide to channeling feline wisdom in the face of authoritarian nonsense.
9. History Matters by David McCullough (Simon & Schuster: $27) A posthumous collection of essays from the Pulitzer-winning historian.
10. Writing Creativity and Soul by Sue Monk Kidd (Knopf: $29) A look at the mysteries, frustrations and triumphs of being a writer.
…
Paperback fiction
1. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (Ballantine: $22)
2. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (Atria Books: $20)
3. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (Ace: $20)
4. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Vintage: $20)
5. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (Transit Books: $17)
6. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (Ecco: $20)
7. Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid (Carina Press: $19)
8. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Vintage: $19)
9. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (Grand Central: $20)
10. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Riverhead Books: $19)
…
Paperback nonfiction
1. The Beginning Comes After the End by Rebecca Solnit (Haymarket Books: $17)
2. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (TarcherPerigee: $24)
3. The Wager by David Grann (Vintage: $21)
4. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (Simon & Schuster: $20)
5. All About Love by bell hooks (William Morrow Paperbacks: $17)
6. The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson (Crown: $22)
7. Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton (Vintage: $21)
8. Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $18)
9. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Milkweed Editions: $22)
10. When the Going Was Good by Graydon Carter (Penguin Books: $22)
War, tariff volatility, and shifting capital flows challenge the global currency order—even as markets prove resilient.
When Japan’s largest automaker reported 2025 results last May, it said its earnings were hit by $4.6 billion in foreign-exchange losses due to the US dollar’s decline. This month, Toyota has a new concern: the war in Iran that has spread throughout the Persian Gulf. The company sold 325,000 cars to the region in 2025, but the fighting and the closure of shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz could further decrease earnings.
Even more damaging, the company is forecasting a roughly $9.6 billion drag on earnings in 2026 due to President Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs. “The impact of US tariffs,” Toyota CFO Kenta Kon said, “is a significant rise from our initial forecasts.”
The global economy entered 2026 already on shaky ground. The Trump administration’s sweeping tariff policies weakened the dollar and heightened trade fears, while a Supreme Court decision on those tariffs added fresh uncertainty, even as inflation was slowly easing. Then, on February 28, US and Israeli forces launched strikes on Iran, oil prices surged, and the dollar bounced higher in a flight to safety.
The Strait of Hormuz, which carries about 20% of global oil and LNG exports, effectively closed after Iranian threats and tanker attacks, sending oil prices from about $70 to more than $110 a barrel within days. Oil-import-dependent economies such as Japan, South Korea and China were especially vulnerable to the war’s aftershocks.
Higher oil prices. Uncertainty about tariffs. The dollar boomerang. Corporate finance executives face a new series of challenges: Higher oil prices, etc. However, despite short-term headwinds for business, global analysts remain relatively optimistic about the long-term economic outlook, even with the war’s sudden shadow over markets.
While energy concerns increased as war clouds gathered over the Persian Gulf, analysts largely believed that the global economy would revert to a pattern similar to the pre-war period: a gradually declining dollar, reduced foreign investment in US assets, and inflation that persistently prevents central banks from lowering interest rates. A key sign of market consensus was that, by mid-March, the forward price of oil for October delivery was $79 per barrel, compared to its temporary $110 spike after the war began. But the uncertainty surrounding the objectives and duration of the attacks on Iran by the US and Israel has kept oil prices bouncing around $100 per barrel.
Aside from the currency issue, several factors have contributed to relatively positive economic forecasts despite the fighting in the Gulf. The Trump administration maintains, despite its forecast having been extended, that the disruption to energy supplies will be relatively short-lived. “You’re seeing a little bit of a fear premium in the marketplace, but the world is not short of oil or natural gas,” said Energy Secretary Chris Wright on CNBC in early March. “Worst case is a few weeks, not months.”
As Dollar Falters, China Moves In
The dollar had a tough year in 2025, dropping about 12% against a basket of other major currencies. Although US administrations usually support a strong dollar, President Donald Trump broke that tradition and said it was “great” that the dollar was falling on global markets, which caused it to tumble even more.
The dollar’s decline triggered a significant shift into gold, which increased in value by 60% in 2025, reaching a record price of $5,110 per ounce. European stocks saw their largest inflows ever in February as investors moved away from the United States.
Marc Chandler, Bannockburn Global Forex
Marc Chandler, chief market strategist at Bannockburn Global Forex, said that for much of 2025, foreign investors had been buying US equities while shorting the dollar as a hedge. “Now that US equities are declining, they have to buy back their short-dollar hedge,” Chandler said. “I’m not convinced that what we’re seeing in the dollar is much more than unwinding positions, rather than people flocking to the US as a safe haven.”
Mark Sobel, former head of international finance at the US Treasury, wrote in a March 2025 op-ed for the Financial Times that the dollar’s dominance was slowly eroding. “Like termites eating away at a house’s woodwork, Trump’s dysfunctional policies are eating away at its support and rendering the US currency acutely vulnerable to future shocks,” Sobel said.
A weaker dollar is not just a market story—it is reshaping currency dynamics globally, with China at the center. The Chinese government intervened on February 27 to stop the renminbi’s appreciation against the dollar, which had increased by 7% since last April. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) announced it would eliminate the 20% reserve requirement on foreign exchange forward contracts and stated it would keep the renminbi’s exchange rate at a “reasonable and balanced level.” The higher value of the renminbi did not hurt Chinese exports—the country recorded a $1.2 trillion trade surplus in 2025.
China’s government has used the weaker dollar to strengthen the renminbi’s role in trade finance and payments, with officials claiming the currency is now the world’s largest trade-finance currency. Chinese companies have been gradually decreasing dollar transactions. The dollar’s share of cross-border transfers has dropped from 80% in 2010 to about 40% in 2025, mainly due to increased renminbi flows. The renminbi’s share of global trade has grown from 2% in 2021 to over 7%, a notable rise but still not enough to threaten the dollar’s dominant position in world trade.
In Japan, as inflation rises, the Bank of Japan is expected to increase interest rates, according to Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. While the Federal Reserve in the US has kept rates steady through its mid-March meeting. The BOJ’s move to tighten policy after ending its negative interest rate policy is seen as a factor aiding yen appreciation.
Europe has been significantly affected by the rise of the euro, which appreciated nearly 12% against the dollar in 2025. “I have watched the dollar rate with concern for some time,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. “The dollar course is a considerable extra burden for the German export economy.” Dirk Jandura, head of the BGA, Germany’s wholesale and foreign trade association, said the strength of the euro was causing exporters “great concern.” The dollar’s easing, though, has softened some of that impact.
Economy Shows Resilience
Supporting the Trump administration’s more optimistic oil outlook, the International Energy Agency agreed in early March to release 400 million barrels of oil to address the supply disruption—the largest such action in the organization’s history. The move reinforced officials’ view that any price spike would likely be short-lived, lasting weeks rather than months. The 32 member countries still have about 1.4 billion barrels of emergency reserves that can be tapped if the shortage worsens.
“The rise in crude oil prices to date does not represent a shock of the magnitude seen in earlier episodes,” said J.P. Morgan analysts Bruce Kasman and Nora Szentivanyi. “At [about] $100 a barrel, Brent crude is less than 35% above its two-year trailing average. To deliver a shock similar in size to the Russian invasion, crude oil prices would need to move close to $150 and remain at this elevated level for several months.”
Joe DeLaura, an energy analyst at Rabobank in the Netherlands, urged companies to have a plan in place to make quick decisions involving their energy supplies. “Start assessing your supply chains and your access to capital markets,” DeLuca told a webinar in March. “Are you shoring up relationships? Are you able to have critical redundancy in your supply chains, especially for key inputs like energy? One of the ways to take advantage of this is by looking further out on the curve and take advantage of volatility when it swings in your favor.”
Daniel Moseley, Oxford Economics
Unlike in 1973, when a Middle East oil embargo caused inflation to soar, the United States now exports both petroleum and liquefied natural gas. Therefore, the war is unlikely to significantly impact the US economy in 2026, as it would require a “very severe scenario” for US economic growth to contract, according to Oxford Economics. “We have a view that the US dollar is going to broadly continue to somewhat weaken,” said Daniel Moseley, associate director for scenarios and macro modeling, at Oxford Economics.
Asia Hit Hard
The Iran War most heavily affects Asia. According to the US Energy Information Administration, 84% of crude oil and 83% of LNG travels to the region. I would also say war in Iran. China, India, Japan, and South Korea are the leading destinations for Persian Gulf crude oil, but Thailand and Vietnam also rely heavily on imported energy.
Companies like Toyota have limited options but to cut costs. One strategy is localizing their supply chains. The company announced in February that it plans to invest $10 billion in the US over the next five years to increase production of its most valuable hybrids. It is also reducing production of lower-value models and stated it will implement three price hikes in 2026 to compensate for the “double whammy” of a weaker dollar and US tariffs.
Rajiv Biswas, CEO of Asia-Pacific Economics in Singapore, states that a major concern in Asia is that a prolonged energy shortage could lead to a surge in inflation, prompting central banks to increase interest rates. China’s government, for instance, ordered refiners to halt diesel exports, seemingly worried that supplies could run low during a lengthy conflict.
Biswas stated that the Persian Gulf is also a major shipping route for urea and sulfur used in fertilizer production. This means “the agricultural sectors of many Asian developing countries could also be hit by lack of essential inputs,” as well as the US, right as the Spring planting season begins. Additionally, Brazil, the world’s leading soybean producer, imports most of its urea from Qatar and Iran. India depends on Saudi phosphate exports.
Europe Needs To Urgently Use AI
No European industry was more affected by the dollar’s rise than automobile manufacturing. At luxury carmaker BMW, for instance, revenues fell 5.9%, with half of the decline attributable to the strength of the euro, which created a $670 million headwind. Additionally, US tariffs reduced earnings and imports from China and limited sales to Europe.
“If you take all these elements together, the headwind is bigger than the tailwind, which we’re working on,” BMW CFO Walter Mertl said. He added that the company had cut costs by $2.6 billion to boost profitability. “We are working on all cost elements,” Mertl said, including capital expenditures, research and development spending, and sales and general expenses.
To hedge against a weakened dollar that makes their exports more expensive, European companies need to do more than cut costs. These companies need to invest urgently in cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to make them more competitive in the global marketplace, says Marcello Messori, a professor at the Schuman Centre of the European University Institute in Milan.
“Europe needs to look at artificial intelligence and how it is compatible with the green transition and try to exploit these specific sectors,” Messori says. “Between the current European specialization in mature technologies and the technological frontier, there are a lot of opportunities that you can exploit between those extremes.”
One company leading this approach is Siemens, once known for low-profit industrial machinery. CEO Roland Busch stated that the company has strong growth prospects because it has focused on adopting new technology. “We are in a good place because we are offering what the world needs,” Busch said. “We are positioned along secular growth drivers: automation, digitalization, electrification, sustainability, and artificial intelligence.”
Messori emphasizes that the European Union must speed up efforts to unify financial markets to create a larger pool of venture capital. He notes that Sweden boasts a thriving startup economy. However, established companies often relocate quickly to the US, where capital markets are more accessible.
While the results of wars rarely match initial predictions, the consensus among analysts is that by year’s end, the Iran war may be seen as an economic distraction rather than a strategic turning point. The forces that defined markets before the conflict—moderating inflation, steady demand, and resilient consumer spending—are expected to keep the global economy on track. The dollar, meanwhile, is likely to remain volatile but broadly weaker over time, as structural pressures and shifting capital flows continue to test its dominance.
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear President Trump’s claim that he has the power to revise the Constitution and to end birthright citizenship for babies born in this country to parents who were here unlawfully or temporarily.
Trump proposed this potentially far-reaching change in an executive order. It has been blocked by judges across the country and has never been in effect.
His lawyers contend they seek to correct a 160-year misunderstanding about the Constitution’s promise that “all persons born” in this country are deemed to be citizens.
By comparison, the president has even less power to set the rules for U.S. citizenship. The Constitution gives Congress the power to “establish a uniform rule of naturalization.”
After the Civil War, Congress adopted a civil rights act in 1866 that said “all persons born in the United States and not subject to any foreign power, including Indians not taxed, are hereby declared to be citizens of the United States … of every race and color.”
To make sure that rule stood over time, it was added to the Constitution in the 14th Amendment. Its opening line says: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
In 1898, a conservative Supreme Court upheld that rule and affirmed the citizenship of Wong Kim Ark. He was born in San Francisco to Chinese parents who later returned to China.
“The 14th Amendment affirms the ancient and fundamental rule of citizenship by birth within the territory,” the court said. “In clear words and in manifest intent, [it] includes the children born, within the territory of the United States, of all other persons, of whatever race or color.”
In 1952, when Congress revised the immigration laws, it added the same provision without controversy. Lawmakers set multiple rules for deciding disputes over American parents who live abroad, but the first rule was simple and undisputed.
“The following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth: a person born in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof,” the law said.
Critics say Trump’s plan could replace a clear and simple rule with a confusing and complicated one. States would have to look into the history and legal status of a newborn’s parents to decide whether they met the new qualifications.
Until now, a valid birth certificate had been sufficient to establish a person’s U.S. citizenship.
Last week, Trump was urging Senate Republicans to pass a new election law that would require millions of Americans to present a birth certificate as proof of their citizenship if they register to vote or move to a new state.
“Proving citizenship to vote is a no brainer,” the White House said.
This week, however, Trump’s lawyers are urging the court to rule that their birth in this country is not proof of their citizenship.
There is a “logical inconsistency” here,” said Eliza Sweren-Becker, a voting rights expert at the Brennan Center.
In the legal battle now before the court, the key disputed phrase is “subject to the jurisdiction.” That has been understood to mean that people within the United States are subject to the laws here, except for foreign diplomats and, for a time, Native Americans who lived on tribal reservations.
But Sauer contends it excludes newborns who are “not completely subject to the United States’ political jurisdiction” because their parents are in this country unlawfully.
Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union called this a “radical rewriting” of the 14th Amendment, which says nothing about the parents of a newborn child.
If upheld, this order could apply to “tens of thousands of children born every month, “ they said, “devastating families around the country.” But worse yet, they said, the outcome “would cast a shadow over the citizenship of millions upon millions of Americans, going back generations.”
Some legal experts predict the court may rule narrowly and reject Trump’s executive order because it conflicts with federal immigration laws. Such a ruling would be a defeat for Trump, but it could allow Congress in the future to adopt new provisions, including a limit for expectant mothers who enter this country to give birth.
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen:Luka Doncic, with the eyes of five defenders fixed on him in the paint, faked a lob pass. He threatened to wrap a pass around Cleveland center Thomas Bryant’s back. Instead, the Lakers superstar pulled up straight over the top of Bryant’s outstretched arm, dropping a fadeaway jumper softly through the net.
Doncic smiled toward the Lakers’ bench as he backpedaled. He shrugged at himself.
Doncic brought back all his old tricks after serving a one-game suspension and capped his torrid March with 42 points, 12 assists, five rebounds and no turnovers in the Lakers’ 127-113 rout of the Cavaliers (47-29) on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.’s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads.
Doncic, who was suspended for Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards because of technical foul accumulation, joined Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to score 600 points in the month of March. He is one of just 10 players to score 600 points in a month.
“You can see he’s the MVP,” forward Rui Hachimura said.
Doncic, in the NBA most valuable player conversation with Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama and Denver’s Nikola Jokic, scoffed at the suggestion that he state his case for the coveted award.
He’ll let his numbers speak: A league-best 33.8 points per game, the only player averaging 30 points a game with more than 100 steals this season and the third-youngest player to reach 15,000 career points.
Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers during the third inning of a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
From Maddie Lee: The sprinkling of rain over Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night added a new element to what’s already a familiar sight: Shohei Ohtani walking off the mound and immediately strapping on the various guards and batting gloves he wears to hit.
In the Dodgers’ 4-1 win — as Ohtani held the Guardians to one hit through six scoreless innings in his 2026 pitching debut — it happened twice.
The first inning was guaranteed. But after throwing a scoreless fifth, Ohtani again was due up to lead off the bottom half of the inning.
He appeared to realize just that as he reached the far end of the dugout. Ohtani pivoted and jogged to the opposite entrance, where he handed off his hat and glove to start the well-practiced routine.
UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez, left, drives to the basket past Duke center Arianna Roberson during the Bruins’ Elite Eight win in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament on Sunday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
From Anthony Solorzano: With Kendrick Lamar’s “tv off” blaring outside the Mo Ostin Basketball Center, a crowd of cheering fans gave the UCLA women’s basketball team a fitting sendoff Tuesday as they left Westwood for Phoenix.
The Bruins are back in the Final Four, where they’ll play Texas — the only team that has beaten them this season — and begin a final push to win what they hope will be their first national championship since 1978.
Last year, UCLA fell to Connecticut in the Final Four, a loss that has made the Bruins hungrier for a title.
“Experience is such an important teacher, for me, as well as for [the team],” said UCLA coach Cori Close. “I just think there’s been a clarity of focus.”
Portland’s Brandon Ingram, left, controls the ball in front of the Clippers’ Derrick Jones Jr. during the first half of the Clippers’ 114-104 loss Tuesday night at Intuit Dome.
The Clippers (39-37) are eighth in the Western Conference, a half-game in front of the ninth-place Blazers (39-38). The loss locked the Clippers into the NBA play-in tournament. They lead the season series against the Blazers 2-1, with the teams playing again on April 10 in Portland.
Toumani Camara scored 17 points and Scoot Henderson added 15 for the Trail Blazers.
Logan O’Hoppe hit a two-run single with two outs in the sixth against reliever Phil Maton (0-1), and that was all Soriano (2-0) needed on a cold and windy night at Wrigley Field.
The 27-year-old right-hander threw 90 pitches, striking out four and walking two. He was coming off a terrific performance in the Angels’ 3-0 win at Houston on opening day.
Chase Silseth pitched around a single by Nico Hoerner and walk to Moisés Ballesteros in the seventh. Drew Pomeranz worked 1⅓ innings against his former team, and Jordan Romano got two outs for his second save.
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell, left, speaks with referees during a game against the Rams at SoFi Stadium in December.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
From Sam Farmer: With the NFL and referees union at a negotiating impasse, the league has put in place a safety net in case replacement game officials are required for the upcoming season.
Team owners approved a rule Tuesday allowing the league to intervene from its New York headquarters and correct officiating errors in real time using replay technology. The rule would be in effect for one year only and would be triggered if the NFL and NFL Referees Assn. cannot agree on the fundamental issues of accountability, compensation and working conditions.
“There is frustration among ownership about the state of the negotiations,” said NFL executive Jeff Miller, responsible for overseeing the league’s communications and public affairs. “What we’ve been crystal clear on is that this is an opportunity for us to improve the state of our officiating.”
Golfer Tiger Woods stands by his overturned vehicle in Jupiter Island, Fla., March 27.
(Jason Oteri / Associated Press)
From Steve Henson:Tiger Woods failed field sobriety tests after crashing into another vehicle last week, and had bloodshot eyes and two hydrocodone pills in his pants pocket, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit released Tuesday.
Woods, 50, told investigators he did not notice the vehicle in front of him had slowed because he was looking at his cellphone and changing the radio station, the affidavit said. His Land Rover rolled onto its side after hitting a Ford-F150 pickup truck pulling a small trailer.
The prescription opioid pills were found during a search after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence, causing property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. Woods told deputies he had taken prescription medications earlier that day.
Just consider the evidence: In his 10 years with LAFC, Thorrington has hired three coaches and each one has been better than the last. How many other executives have a track record like that?
Then again, maybe it’s not luck. Maybe Thorrington simply has been the best general manager in the league over the past decade.
“Either one. Doesn’t really matter,” Thorrington said when asked for the secret to his success. “The results are what matter.”
Jaden Ivey waived by Bulls for ‘conduct detrimental’
Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey is defended by Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones on Feb. 7.
(Erin Hooley / Associated Press)
From Chuck Schilken: The Chicago Bulls announced Monday that they have waived guard Jaden Ivey for “conduct detrimental to the team,” soon after the former first-round draft pick made anti-LGBTQ+ comments on Instagram Live.
The move came less than two months after Chicago acquired Ivey from the Detroit Pistons. In recent days, the fourth-year player has posted several videos on Instagram in which he speaks at length about his religious beliefs.
Ivey recorded another such video Monday soon after learning of his release by Chicago. In it, he held firm to his convictions and predicted he would have trouble landing another NBA job because of them.
1930 — American golfer Bobby Jones starts his Grand Slam season by winning the Southeastern Open.
1938 — Joe Louis knocks out Harry Thomas in the fifth round in Chicago to retain his world heavyweight title.
1940 — Governor Herbert Lehman of New York signs the Dunnigal bill, which legalizes pari-mutuel wagering and outlaws bookmakers at the state’s racetracks.
1954 — Detroit Red Wings right wing Gordie Howe scores 2 goals and an assist, and sets a Stanley Cup playoff record for fastest goal from the start of a game (:09).
1972 — The first collective player’s strike in major league history begins at 12:01 a.m. The strike lasts 12 days and cancels 86 games.
1973 — Boston’s John Havlicek connects on 24 field goals and finishes with 54 points the Celtics defeat Atlanta, 134-109, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
1978 — NY Islanders RW Mike Bossy becomes first NHL rookie to score 50 goals in a season.
1981 — Edmonton C Wayne Gretzky has an assist (his 103rd) to break Bobby Orr’s 10-year mark for most assists in a single NHL season.
1984 — Southern Cal beats Tennessee 72-61 for the NCAA women’s basketball title.
1985 — Villanova shocks Georgetown with a 66-64 victory to win the NCAA basketball title. The Wildcats, led by Dwayne McClain’s 17 points, shot 79 percent from the field, making 22 of 28 shots, and added 22 of 27 free throws.
1989 — Jim McAllister of Glassboro State hits four home runs and drives in nine runs in four at-bats in a 21-5 five-inning rout of Delaware State.
1990 — Betsy King holds on for a two-stroke victory over Kathy Postlewait to win the LPGA Dinah Shore tournament.
1991 — Duke ends years of frustration with a 72-65 victory over Kansas for its first national title in five championship game appearances and nine trips to the Final Four.
1992 — A week before the Stanley Cup playoffs are set to begin, the NHL players strike for the first time in the league’s 75-year history. The strike lasts 10 days.
1996 — Kentucky wins its first national title in 18 years with a 76-67 victory over Syracuse.
1999 — Detroit Pistons G Joe Dumars becomes 10th player in NBA history to play 1,000 games with the same team.
1999 — Philadelphia 76ers head coach Larry Brown wins his 900th pro game.
2000 — Michelle Kwan wins her third World Figure Skating title by pushing through all seven triple jumps. The triple toe-triple toe lifts Kwan above Russians Irina Slutskaya and last year’s champion, Maria Butyrskaya.
2002 — With Juan Dixon and Lonny Baxter leading the way, Maryland wins its first national championship with a 64-52 victory over Indiana.
2007 — Morgan Pressel becomes the youngest major champion in LPGA Tour history with a game well beyond her 18 years, closing with a 3-under 69 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Pressel plays her final 25 holes over Mission Hills without a bogey as Suzann Pettersen blew a four-shot lead with four holes to play.
2007 — American super swimmer Michael Phelps smashes his own world record in the 400m individual medley (4:06.22) to win his record 7th gold medal at the World Championships.
2011 — Jarome Iginla scores his second goal of the game with 5:03 left to reach 1,000 points and help Calgary rally to beat St. Louis 3-2.
2016 — Golden State Warriors consecutive home winning streak ends at 54 games.
2018 — Arike Ogunbowale hits a 3-pointer with a tenth of a second left to give Notre Dame a 61-58 win over Mississippi State and its first women’s national championship since 2001. Notre Dame, trailing 30-17 at halftime, pulls off the biggest comeback in title game history, rallying from a 15-point deficit in the third quarter and a five-point deficit in the final 1:58.
2020 — All England Lawn Tennis Club cancels Wimbledon for the first time since World War II because of the COVID-19 pandemic; entire grass-court season abandoned.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
LONDON is the most dangerous place in the country according to your mother who last visited in 1981 for the Royal Wedding. This is what she thinks happens there:
Your phone will get stolen
Every resident of London has their phone stolen by youths on e-bikes at least five times a day. It’s in the Mail. Statistically, that means your phone will be snatched within 28 seconds of getting off the train then twice again before lunch. You’d be much better visiting somewhere safer, like Banbury or Dubai.
You’ll encounter a migrant
Not that there’s anything wrong with migrants, of course. They’re perfectly welcome to seek refuge in London so long as they stay there. It’s just they sell vapes and aren’t qualified to cut hair and I don’t understand why they can’t be migrants in their own country. It would save them the trouble of crossing the Channel.
You’ll commit knife crime
They’re all at it: wealth managers, PR girls, Tube drivers. Everyone in London indulges in knife crime on a daily basis. Honestly, before you’ve got to Cockfosters you’ll find a big deadly blade in your coat pocket and a burning desire to use it. Do you really want to stab someone just for having the wrong postcode when you could stay here in Uttoxeter?
You’ll question your entire identity
London is a diverse, multi-cultural melting pot, and worse they think that’s normal. Even just a day trip to the Big Smoke can have you reassessing whether you’re heterosexual or need to mix race. And the evidence shows that makes property prices go through the absolute roof.
You’ll get gentrified
You as you are? Not good enough for fancy Londoners. They’ll tear down your charming, homely features and replace them with a soulless glass-and-steel construction too expensive for anyone who isn’t a finance wanker to enjoy. Bad enough, but when you come back here you’ll look terribly out-of-place and your friends will rightly bully you.
Google’s Doodle is celebrating the launch of Artemis II. The mission will send astronauts around the moon and back for the first time in 50 years.
