Early Bird: Oil prices have jumped sharply again after Trump's threats. Cimický was sentenced to 5 years in prison by the court.
Oil at Its Most Expensive in 2 Years
Oil prices surged sharply in Asia on Thursday following a report that the U.S. military is set to brief President Donald Trump on new plans for possible actions in the war with Iran. According to the news site Axios, the U.S. Central Command has prepared a plan for a series of "short and strong" strikes against Iran aimed at breaking the deadlock in negotiations with Tehran.
The price of Brent crude rose by almost 7% to over $126 per barrel, the highest level since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Energy prices increased this week as peace talks seemed stalled, and the key maritime route, the Strait of Hormuz, remains effectively closed, reported BBC.
Cimický sentenced to 5 years in court
For four cases of sexual assault and 35 cases of extortion, the court sentenced psychiatrist Jan Cimický to 5 years in prison and a ten-year ban from practicing medicine. The seventy-eight-year-old psychiatrist did not attend the court hearing. Cimický also has to pay all affected women compensation amounting to 6 million crowns. After the first appeal by Cimický's lawyer, the court reclassified the rape as sexual assault, and the lawyer appealed again, reported ČTK.
Russian Victory Day Will Be Celebrated Without Tanks
The traditional Russian parade commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II will take place next week without tanks, missiles, and other military equipment, according to a statement by the Russian Ministry of Defense reported by AP.
This will be the first time in nearly two decades and throughout the four-year Russian war in Ukraine that no military equipment will pass through Moscow's Red Square on May 9, the day Russia celebrates its most significant secular holiday. The Kremlin uses this event to showcase its military strength and global influence, and it is a source of patriotic pride.
King Charles Honored 9/11 Victims in New York
During an official visit to the USA, King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Wednesday continued to emphasize the "enduring solidarity" between the United States and the United Kingdom in a heartfelt handwritten message left at the 9/11 memorial in New York. "We remember those who tragically lost their lives on September 11, 2001. We stand with the American people in enduring solidarity in the face of this profound loss," the royal family members wrote on a card attached to a bouquet of white flowers according to CNN.
The United Arab Emirates announced on Tuesday that it will leave OPEC on May 1st, causing the oil cartel to lose its third-largest producer and further weakening its influence on global oil supplies and prices.
Speculation about the UAE's decision had been circulating for some time, as the country had been protesting OPEC's production quotas in recent years, considering them too low—which meant it couldn't sell as much oil as it wanted.
