On this day: The Suez Canal reopens April 24, 2026 Today 69 years ago, on 24 April 1957, the Suez Canal reopened after six months of closure. What can history teach us about the current predicament in the Middle East, asks Eliot Wilson A strategically vital global waterway was re-opened to maritime traffic after conflict between a Middle Eastern state and Western powers had seen [...]
Aer Lingus slashes Summer schedule as Hormuz blockade bites April 23, 2026 Irish commercial darling Aer Lingus has cancelled hundreds of flights from its summer schedule amid growing jet fuel fears stemming from the blockade at the Strait of Hormuz. The airline is axing scheduled transatlantic, European, and local flights on various days over the coming weeks, according to the Irish Independent. Services set to be affected [...]
How to tax in an energy crisis April 23, 2026 Whether the government wants to maximise North Sea oil extraction or home grown renewables, tax policy can help, says Tim Sarson Recent global events seem to have a knack of happening in places that send energy prices through the roof. Last time it was the loss of piped gas from Russia into Europe. Now it’s [...]
Food inflation rises as ‘storm clouds gather’ April 22, 2026 Food inflation has started to climb as industry figures warn “storm clouds are gathering” over potential double-digit food inflation later this year. The rate of food inflation climbed to 3.7 per cent in the year to March, up from 3.3 per cent year on year to February, according to the Office of National Statistics. This [...]
Shoe Zone shares plummet as retailer kicks out at budget tax raids April 22, 2026 Shoe Zone shares plummeted after the retailer hit out at Rachel Reeves’ budgets for stifling consumer confidence, saying the chancellor’s policy and the Iran war will kick it into a loss this year. The firm’s share price slumped by more than 32 per cent on Wednesday’s market open, leaving the stock down more than 48 [...]
Government urged to halt food inflation ‘before it’s too late’ April 21, 2026 The food industry’s leading trade body has urged the government to act on food inflation before it’s “too late” to protect consumers and businesses. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) expects food inflation to soar from three to between nine and 10 per cent this year, and has accused the government of lacking “urgency” to [...]
‘No more Mr Nice Guy’: Oil prices spike as Trump renews Iran power plant threats April 20, 2026 The price of oil has been driven higher by the latest round of escalations in the Middle East renewing fears of a drastic global energy shock. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – jumped over six per cent on Monday morning to over $96. It follows a weekend of tensions where shipping [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks slump on renewed Iran threats; UK to be ‘pushed to brink’ of recession April 20, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets are returning from the weekend to a fresh round of volatility. The mood ended last week on a high following the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz but that sentiment was quickly squashed over the weekend as tensions renewed. Shipping in the Strait of [...]
Tankers report being fired upon as Tehran closes Strait of Hormuz again April 18, 2026 Merchant vessels have said they were hit by gunfire as they attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz, the first indication that Iran’s re-closure of the waterway has been enforced. Iran’s military reimposed restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz again after accusing the US of violating the deal to reopen it, throwing the world’s energy [...]
Easyjet tops FTSE 100 risers as airline, travel shares rocket after Hormuz reopening April 17, 2026 Airline and travel shares listed on the London Stock Exchange have rocketed after Iran said it has reopened the Strait of Hormuz, potentially signalling an end to weeks of chaos to the tourism industry. London-listed Wizz Air and Easyjet surged nine and eight per cent on the news, after the blockage to the crucial shipping [...]