Oil surges, dollar gains, stock futures slip as Hormuz closure renews market anxiety
Oil surges, dollar gains, stock futures slip as Hormuz closure renews market anxiety
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The Kennedy Center wants to show that the building really needs a renovation
WASHINGTON — The Kennedy Center’s new leadership wants to prove to critics the building is damaged beyond simple repair. It’s starting with Congress.
Matt Floca, the performing arts institution’s new president, is leading a series of tours this month that show water damage and intrusion to expansion joints, marble slabs and exterior pavers. Participants are guided through the building’s water and HVAC systems along with parking garages and loading docks that are said to be in need of repair.
The sessions began earlier this month while Congress was in recess and included staff for a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrats on Capitol Hill. A representative for Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser was also included on the tour.
Similar access has been provided for several corporate and individual donors and in the coming weeks, Floca is expected to provide tours for the lawmakers themselves and members of the media.
Assessing a suddenly controversial operation
Once one of Washington’s relatively few apolitical spaces, the Kennedy Center has become a source of controversy during President Trump’s second term. Shortly after returning to office, Trump ousted the institution’s previous leadership and replaced it with a handpicked board of directors.
The president’s name was added to the building’s facade and its programming took a Trump-friendly turn, serving as a venue for events such as the premiere of First Lady Melania Trump’s documentary, “Melania.”
Trump’s move to shutter the building for two years starting in July, which was approved by the board last month, has spurred lawsuits and an outcry that the closure is merely a response to plunging sales as artists canceled Kennedy Center performances in droves.
The tours are intended to cut through that and show that the Kennedy Center, which began construction in 1964, is in genuine need of a fundamental update.
“As the July closure approaches, the Trump Kennedy Center is leading with transparency and making sure Congress and the public understand what’s at stake and why the work can’t wait,” Floca said in a statement.
In addition to staff for Schumer, Jeffries and Bowser, the recent tour included representatives for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), along with Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Rick Larsen (D-Wash.).
By virtue of their positions, these lawmakers are ex officio members of the Kennedy Center’s board. Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi said working with both parties was a “top priority” as the institution implements Trump’s vision for the renovation.
None of the participants discussed the tour on the record.
Need for repairs is not disputed
Those who are arguing against the Kennedy Center’s closure haven’t disputed the need for routine maintenance and repairs. They say the more substantial changes Trump has hinted are in the works should go through the typical review process that governs many major projects in the nation’s capital.
Trump has suggested changes at the Kennedy Center could be so dramatic that the steel supporting the structure could be “ fully exposed.”
According to a lawsuit filed last month against Trump, the Kennedy Center and others in the administration, “Demolition, new construction, major reconstruction, major renovation, or major aesthetic transformation of the Kennedy Center would permanently destroy historic fabric, degrade the monumental core’s vistas and public grounds, and compromise the Kennedy Center’s memorial purpose and architectural integrity, causing permanent, irreversible harm that no subsequent remedy can fully undo.”
The Kennedy Center is entering a critical period before its anticipated July closure, which will produce staff reductions.
In the meantime, the Kennedy Center is still hosting shows, including the musical “Chicago,” which Trump attended this month. Performances of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” are on the calendar from June 18 through July 5. Comedian Bill Maher will be presented with the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on June 28, just before the closure begins.
The Kennedy Center is part of Trump’s broader effort to leave a lasting imprint on the Washington cityscape. He demolished the East Wing of the White House last year and wants to replace it with a ballroom, an effort that is also tangled in litigation.
The president also unveiled plans on Friday for an arch that would stand between the Lincoln Memorial in the east and Arlington National Cemetery toward the west and within a traffic circle connecting Washington with northern Virginia.
Sloan writes for the Associated Press.
Fragile Ceasefire Tested as Strait Closure and Lebanon Fighting Continue
A two day ceasefire between the United States and Iran has paused direct large scale strikes, but key flashpoints across the region remain active.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and escalating violence in Lebanon highlight the limited scope of the truce, exposing gaps in its coverage and enforcement.
Strait of Hormuz Remains Closed
Despite expectations that the ceasefire would stabilise energy markets, the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut.
This chokepoint normally handles a significant share of global oil shipments, with around 140 vessels passing through daily under normal conditions. In the first 24 hours after the ceasefire, only a handful of ships were able to transit the route.
The continued disruption has driven immediate delivery oil prices sharply higher, with some refiners in Europe and Asia reportedly paying near record levels.
Donald Trump publicly criticised Iran for failing to uphold what he described as an agreement to allow oil flows, while also signalling that shipments could resume soon without detailing mechanisms.
Disputed Scope of the Ceasefire
A central point of contention is whether the ceasefire extends beyond direct US Iran hostilities.
Iran maintains that the truce should include theatres such as Lebanon, where Hezbollah is engaged in conflict with Israel.
The United States and Israel reject this interpretation, arguing that Lebanon falls outside the agreement’s framework. This divergence has created parallel narratives of compliance and violation, undermining the credibility of the ceasefire.
Escalation in Lebanon
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has continued, with both sides exchanging strikes.
Israeli forces carried out large scale attacks shortly after the ceasefire announcement, while Hezbollah resumed missile launches following earlier indications it would pause operations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since signalled a shift by expressing willingness to begin separate negotiations with Lebanon, focusing on disarming Hezbollah and establishing more stable relations.
Meanwhile, Lebanese officials are attempting to broker a temporary ceasefire as a stepping stone toward broader negotiations, indicating a parallel diplomatic track separate from US Iran talks.
High Stakes Talks in Islamabad
The first direct peace talks between the United States and Iran are scheduled to take place in Islamabad, which has been placed under heavy security lockdown.
Pakistan’s role as mediator underscores its diplomatic positioning, with tight security arrangements including restricted zones and controlled access around the negotiation venue.
The Iranian delegation is expected to be led by Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, while the US side will be headed by JD Vance.
Competing Strategic Objectives
The talks are shaped by fundamentally different goals
The United States seeks
- Limits on Iran’s nuclear programme
- An end to uranium enrichment
- Curtailment of missile capabilities
- Withdrawal of support for regional allies
Iran, by contrast, is expected to demand
- Removal of economic sanctions
- Recognition of its authority over the Strait of Hormuz
- Compensation for wartime damage
Iran’s leadership, now under Mojtaba Khamenei, has adopted a defiant posture, signalling that concessions will come at a high price.
Economic Fallout
The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is already feeding into global economic indicators.
Oil price volatility is expected to influence inflation data, particularly in the United States, where upcoming consumer price figures may reflect the early economic impact of the conflict.
While futures markets have shown some optimism following the ceasefire, spot prices remain elevated, indicating persistent uncertainty about immediate supply conditions.
Military and Strategic Reality
Despite the ceasefire, the broader strategic objectives of the war remain unresolved
Iran retains missile and drone capabilities capable of targeting regional adversaries
Its nuclear programme continues, with a significant stockpile of enriched uranium
The political system has remained intact despite internal unrest
For the United States, initial goals such as dismantling Iran’s nuclear capacity and weakening its regional influence have not been fully achieved.
Analysis
The current situation reflects a fragmented ceasefire architecture in which the absence of a unified framework allows multiple conflicts to persist simultaneously. The continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz demonstrates how economic leverage can be maintained independently of formal military de escalation, reinforcing Iran’s bargaining position ahead of negotiations.
At the same time, the divergence over whether Lebanon is included in the truce highlights the limitations of narrowly scoped agreements in complex regional conflicts involving multiple state and non state actors. The persistence of Israel Hezbollah hostilities illustrates how parallel wars can undermine broader diplomatic efforts, creating a layered conflict environment.
The decision to proceed with talks in Islamabad despite ongoing violations suggests that both the United States and Iran view negotiations as strategically necessary, even in the absence of full compliance on the ground. This indicates a shift toward diplomacy driven not by stability but by mutual recognition of the costs of prolonged confrontation.
With information from Reuters.
Trump offers no concrete plan as Strait of Hormuz closure shocks Europe | Donald Trump News
Economist James Meadway says US President Donald Trump offers threats but no clear plan to end the crisis, leaving markets unsettled as disruption from the Strait of Hormuz closure spreads beyond Asia and into Europe.
Published On 5 Apr 2026
Art Deco English lido SAVED from closure after ex-company goes into administration
BROCKWELL Lido has been saved just days after its operator went into administration.
The popular lido in Herne Hill that’s open year-round, which also has an on-site gym and café, has been taken over by the local council.
Brockwell Lido has been open since 1937, but there were fears that it would close when its operator Fusion Lifestyle went into administration on April 1, 2026.
However, Lambeth Council has already stepped in to take control of the outdoor pool, gym and café.
It confirmed that it will transfer to its in-house leisure service called Active Lambeth from July 1, 2026.
Luckily for keen swimmers, there will be no interruption and the lido will continue to be open to the public.
It’s a very popular south London lido and attracts nearly 200,000 visitors during the peak summer season.
The swim spot was even crowned the ‘Best Lido in Britain’ by the AA in 2025, based on its popularity, reviews, value, and other factors.
Last year, it was also named the ‘Best Lido in London’ by Time Out.
Brockwell Lido opened in the 1930s with the aim of creating an “oasis in the city” for locals, many of whom cannot afford a holiday, according to its website.
The unheated 50-metre lido is on a Grade II-listed site and is open throughout the year.
During the winter when the water is at its coldest there are two sauna pods so visitors can warm up after their swim.
Under Fusion Lifestyle’s operation, tickets were priced at £9.50 for an adult swim and £6 for juniors.
Brockwell Lido also has a gym, outdoor space for sunbathing and an on-site café which serves up hot and cold drinks, and sourdough pizzas.
Another lido that will open this summer despite previously being marked for closure is in Devon.
In February, the local council announced plans to close Teignmouth Lido in order to save money.
Officials said that not reopening Teignmouth Lido could save £74,000 in 2026.
Just one month later, the decision was reversed by the executive committee of Teignbridge Council.
The 25-metre outdoor pool first opened in the 1970s and opens seasonally, usually having its debut in May half-term.
It has partial opening hours in June and July and then opens full time during the summer holidays.
The pool is heated and holds various swim sessions, from public to fun sessions, as well as activities like aqua fit and aqua circuits.
Check out one of our favourite seaside towns in Devon…
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Sidmouth, Devon
Take a trip to Sidmouth on the Jurassic Coast and wander down Jacob’s Ladder to its pretty shingle beach. Make sure to walk along the promenade and check out the independent shops and boutiques. Stay at the four-star Harbour Hotel for sea views and traditional afternoon tea from £135 per room.
For more on lidos, this grotty car park could turn into a beautiful outdoor pool as the seaside town plans to bring it back after 50 years.
And this dreamy free lido is opening in UK with sweeping city views, sandpits and even its own sauna.
UK train station with 7million passengers a year reopens TODAY after 10-month closure for £2.5m revamp
A UK train station that welcomes more than seven million passengers a year will reopen its doors today after being closed for almost a year.
The London station has undergone a £2.5m revamp with major upgrades to the escalators, which frequently caused travel disruptions.
The opening follows a campaign to replace the old escalators that dates back to 1999.
More than 3,000 people signed the petition after failing escalators at Cutty Sark routinely caused closures.
As a result, thousands of passengers were forced to take the 121 station steps instead.
Four new escalators have been installed in “the most complex escalator replacement scheme ever undertaken on the DLR and the London Underground“.
The shiny new escalators will be up and running from today – eight days earlier than TfL had announced – and should last the station 30-40 years.
The station is also much brighter as the escalators have rows of lights and the area has been whitewashed.
The pale blue panels have been replaced with white panels, which reflect light much better and have a noticeable effect on the station’s appearance.
A new lift has also been installed as well as energy-efficient lighting, upgraded safety features, local artwork, and a new raised ceiling.
Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, told The Sun previously that it was “fantastic” the major upgrade at Cutty Sark DLR station could be delivered earlier than expected.
Before it closed, Cutty Sark was the third busiest station on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), after Canary Wharf and Limehouse.
Rafah crossing closure leaves Gaza patients trapped without treatment | Israel-Palestine conflict News
Gaza City, the Gaza Strip – On February 28, Lama Abu Reida was just a few hours away from what she hoped would change the fate of her sick infant daughter, Alma.
The family had finally been informed that the baby girl – fewer than five months old and unable to breathe without an oxygen machine – was eligible for medical evacuation.
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The small travelling bag was packed, the medical documents in order, and Abu Rheida ready to go. All that remained was to exit the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt and from there head to Jordan, where Alma could undergo a surgery that was not available in the Gaza Strip.
But just one day before the scheduled March 1 trip, Israel shut Gaza’s crossings “until further notice”, citing security reasons. The decision coincided with the launch of a joint military attack alongside the United States on Iran – and shattered Abu Rheida’s hopes.
“They told me the crossing had been closed without any warning because of the war with Iran,” the mother says in a choked voice.
Alma, who suffers from a lung cyst, has been at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, for more than three months now, with her mother staying by her side day and night.
“She cannot do without oxygen at all,” Abu Rheida says. “Without it, she becomes extremely exhausted.”
‘I don’t know what might happen’
The Rafah crossing, Gaza’s main gateway to the outside world, was closed for long periods during Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in the Strip that began in October 2023.
On February 1, Israel announced a limited reopening as part of a trial phase following a “ceasefire” with the Palestinian group Hamas. This allowed some movement under the agreement’s arrangements, particularly for medical cases.
But only a few patients were able to travel, and thousands remained on waiting lists until the February 28 closure, which stopped the transfer of wounded patients abroad, as well as medical evacuations of patients like Alma.
Doctors had told her family the only option for Alma, who was previously admitted to intensive care three times within a month, was to have surgery abroad to remove the cyst from the lung. While not particularly risky, such an operation cannot be done inside Gaza due to limited medical resources.
“My daughter’s life depends on a single surgery, and afterwards she could live a completely normal life,” Abu Rheida says.
“If her travel is delayed any longer … I don’t know what might happen. Her condition is not reassuring,” she adds in despair.
On Sunday, Israeli authorities said the Rafah crossing will open again on Wednesday for ”limited movement of people” in both directions.
‘The closure killed my children’
The very thing Abu Rheida fears is something Hadeel Zorob has already endured.
Zorob’s six-year-old son, Sohaib, died on March 1, 2025, while her eight-year-old daughter, Lana, passed away on February 18 last month. The two children suffered from a rare genetic disease that causes gradual deterioration in the body’s functions.
They were both waiting for medical referrals to travel abroad for treatment – but that never happened.
“I watched my children die slowly in front of my eyes, one after the other, without being able to do anything,” says Zorob, 32, breaking down in tears.
Lana was only a few days away from travelling before she passed away.
“My daughter’s travel had been scheduled around the same period when the crossing was later closed, but she died before that,” Zorob says.
“When the news of the crossing closure came, my grief for my daughter returned all over again as I remembered the many children who will suffer the same fate.”
Zorob says her children were still able to move and play relatively normally in the early stages of their illness.
Before Israel’s war on Gaza, both children were receiving specialised hospital treatment, which helped stabilise their condition to some extent. But as the Israeli attacks intensified, their condition gradually worsened until it reached a life-threatening stage. The collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system left the family struggling to access the medications they relied on.
“We even tried to bring the medicine from the West Bank, and I asked the Red Cross and the World Health Organization, but nothing worked,” Zorob says.
During the war, she and her family had to leave their home and move into a tent in the al-Mawasi area. The new displacament conditions made caring for the children much harder.
“Both were bedridden … in diapers, and their blood sugar needed regular monitoring. We had to give fluids and watch their food … all this in a tent with no basic necessities.”
Zorob says she feels like “going crazy” when she thinks that her children might have survived and improved if they were able to get treatment abroad.
“The closure of the crossings killed my children!” she adds, her voice filled with anguish. “The world gives no value to our lives or to the lives of our children … this has become something normal.”
Zorob says she is trying to stay strong for her third child, four-year-old Layan, despite the persisting pain.
“All I want is that what happened to my children does not happen to any other mother … that the crossing be reopened and that children and patients be allowed to travel.”
‘Is that too much to ask?’
According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, more than 20,000 patients and wounded people are waiting to travel abroad for medical treatment.
Among them are about 4,000 cancer patients in need of specialised care unavailable in Gaza, and roughly 4,500 children.
The lists also include around 440 “life-saving” cases needing urgent intervention and nearly 6,000 wounded people who require continued hospital care outside of Gaza.
The Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights has called the Rafah crossing’s closure a form of collective punishment for civilians in Gaza, warning that it “sentences more patients to death” and deepens Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
For Amal al-Talouli, the closure of the Rafah crossing was another devastating blow in her battle with cancer.
The 43-year-old has been suffering from breast cancer for about five years. Although she underwent treatment before the war, the disease returned and spread to other parts of her body, including the spine.
“Praise be to God, we accept our fate,” the mother of two says. “Still, why should our suffering worsen because we are prevented from travelling and the crossings are closed?”
Al-Talouli is currently living with relatives after losing her home in the Beit Lahiya project area, in northern Gaza, during the war.
Displacement was not an easy choice due to her health condition, she says. The situation is compounded by a severe shortage of medications and specialised medical staff – a reality also experienced by other cancer patients in Gaza.
“There is a shortage of everything,” al-Talouli says. “I developed osteoporosis and eye fluid from chemotherapy. Chemo needs good nutrition, but malnutrition and famine made it much harder.”
Al-Talouli says the shutdown of the crossings made things worse.
“[It] affects us very, very much. No medicines are entering, and no essential treatments are coming in,” says al-Talouli, whose name was on a waiting list to travel outside of Gaza for treatment.
She stresses that cancer patients in Gaza urgently need support.
“Now I only want the crossing to reopen so I can have a chance to recover and continue my life with my children,” she says. “Is that too much to ask?”
English seaside town’s beachfront lido to reopen this summer despite fears of closure
A LIDO that was set to close for good has backtracked and confirmed that it will reopen for the 2026 summer season.
The outdoor pool in Teignmouth was marked for closure earlier this year, but the decision has since been overturned.
In February of this year, Teignbridge Council announced plans to close its beachfront lido in order to save money.
Officials said that not reopening Teignmouth Lido could save £74,000 in 2026.
Now, the decision has been reversed by the executive committee of Teignbridge Council.
The council announced the news on social media and said: “Our Executive Committee has today (Tuesday 10 March) voted to open Teignmouth Lido this summer.
“Teignbridge District Council will operate the pool this summer and will work with community groups interested in taking on the Lido to ensure a safe handover.
“Councillors acknowledged the difficulties of balancing the books but agreed that opening the Lido would deliver value over price and enable the community to keep using the pool while Teignbridge works with groups to secure the asset’s long-term future.”
Since the news of the lido’s potential closure broke last month, the local community has been campaigning to reopen the lido.
Over 2,500 people having signed a petition to stop the lido’s closure, according to the Teignmouth Community Lido Trust.
After the executive committee meeting campaigner Catherine Brown said: “This is a brilliant outcome.
“It’s unbelievable that the council has gone from a unanimous decision to close it to a unanimous decision to keep it open!”
The 25-metre outdoor pool first opened in the 1970s and opens seasonally, usually having its debut in May half-term.
It has partial opening hours in June and July and then opens full time during the summer holidays.
The pool is heated and holds various swim sessions, from public to fun sessions, as well as activities like aqua fit and aqua circuits.
Four years ago, the pool underwent a refurbishment of £800,000 and then a further £30,000 was spent on repairs, according to Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The Teignmouth Community Lido Trust has expressed its hope to take over the lido site and keep it open for years to come.
Travel Reporter Cyann Fielding who grew up in the area is also a fan of the lido. She said: “Teignmouth Lido is more than just a gem on the South West coast; for me, it’s the backdrop of my childhood.
“For over a decade, my school summer holidays were defined by afternoons spent there with my family – so to hear that the lido could close is heartbreaking.
“With ample patio and sun-drenched patches of grass surrounding the 25-metre crystal clear pool, it was the rare kind of place where parents could relax while kids felt a bit of freedom.”
For more on swimming, here are all the lidos in the UK mapped – with water slides, cocktail bars and some are even FREE to enter.