Iran tightens control of Hormuz

Reuters Daily Briefing <dailybriefing@thomsonreuters.com>
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2026-04-23 12:59

Daily Briefing

By Kate Turton

Hello. Iran tightens control of Hormuz after the US calls off renewed attacks, sources say US Navy Secretary Phelan has been fired, and the Iran war revives European rooftop solar demand to cut energy bills

Plus, Trump’s DOJ has cut thousands of law-enforcement jobs while vowing to get tough on crime.

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Today's Top News

Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz. REUTERS/Stringer

Middle East

Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz as it tightened its grip on the strategic waterway after US President Donald Trump announced he was indefinitely calling off attacks, with no sign of peace talks restarting. Follow live.
The US will host a second meeting between Lebanese and Israeli envoys, with Beirut seeking the extension of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, ‌a day after Israeli strikes killed at least five people including a journalist.

In other news

Trump's $400 million White House ballroom is drawing ethical scrutiny. Jarrett Renshaw explains why the anonymity of its private donors is a problem. Listen now.
Navy Secretary John Phelan has been fired, a US official and a person familiar with the matter said, in ‌another wartime shakeup at the Pentagon coming just weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ousted the Army's top general.
Britain's King Charles heads to the US next week for the most high-profile trip of his reign so far, on a mission to shore up the future of the two allies' "special relationship" which the Iran war has plunged to its lowest point in 70 years.
Two local trains collided head-on north of the Danish capital Copenhagen, injuring 17 people, five of them critically, emergency services said.
The veteran leader of Russia's Communist Party has warned parliament that the country's faltering economy risks stoking a revolution and that the government needs to take urgent measures to correct ‌its course.
Pope Leo returns to Rome after wrapping up ‌an ambitious four-nation Africa tour in which he forcefully decried the direction of global leadership, and denounced despotism and war.

Business & Markets

A farmer harvests a field of lentils in Pullman, Washington. USA Pulses/Handout via REUTERS

The US farm economy has been pummeled by low crop prices caused by a grain oversupply, tit-for-tat tariffs triggered by Trump's trade war and skyrocketing prices of fertilizer and diesel. But pulses - which include peas, lentils and chickpeas - have been a bright spot due to rising demand for protein-infused foods.
SpaceX is telling prospective investors its board will not need ‌a majority of directors who are independent of the company, according to an excerpt of its IPO filing reviewed by Reuters, underscoring how founder Elon Musk is retaining control of the rocket and artificial intelligence maker.
US airlines are seeing their best passenger numbers ever, cramming more people onto their planes and boosting revenues, yet in a cruel paradox, a war thousands of miles away is torching profits through a crushing fuel cost burden.
Demand for rooftop solar systems across Europe has surged since the start of the Iran war, as households rush to shield themselves from soaring power prices triggered by the worst global energy disruption in history.
Economists gathered this week for the IMF and World Bank meetings amid soaring oil prices. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how debt-laden countries face an impossible task of managing inflation, higher rates and defence demands while protecting voters.

Trump’s DOJ cut thousands of jobs while vowing to get tough on crime

The Trump administration has cut more than 4,000 employees from some of the nation’s top law-enforcement agencies, even as it vowed to crack down on crime, according to records obtained by Reuters.

The records, from the US Justice Department’s management unit, show that the total number of employees at the FBI has dropped more than 7% since the government’s ‌2024 fiscal year, a loss of about 2,600 people. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s staff has dropped by about 6%, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lost about 14% of its workers.

Read more

And Finally...

Motorists take the ramp off Taipei Bridge, at a location known to locals as the Scooter Waterfall, during morning rush hour. REUTERS/Edgar Su

Thousands of scooter commuters descend the ramp off Taipei Bridge during morning rush hour, creating a striking cascade known locally as the Scooter Waterfall.

View the pictures

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