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FUJAIRAH: Round 3 of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship (No-Gi) concluded on Sunday with Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club top of the medal standings. They were followed by Palms Sports – Team 777
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Singapore has flatly rejected any suggestion it would pay transit fees to Iran for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan telling parliament the right of free navigation is enshrined in international law — not a toll concession for Tehran to extract. Responding to a parliamentary question, Balakrishnan said Singapore would continue engaging Iran diplomatically but ruled out any negotiation over safe passage fees. "It is not a privilege to be granted by the bordering state, it's not a licence to be supplicated for, it is not a toll to be paid," he said. The remarks come as Iran has imposed what shipping sources describe as a de facto toll system — administered by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps — in the wake of US and Israeli strikes on Iranian infrastructure. Reports suggest demands of up to $2mn per vessel, payable in cryptocurrency or yuan, ostensibly to fund reconstruction. Traffic through the strait plummeted by an estimated 90% during peak hostilities, with only partial recovery following a tentative ceasefire. Tehran, which signed but never ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), maintains it is not bound by its transit passage provisions and retains the right to regulate movement through its territorial waters on security grounds. Balakrishnan dismissed that argument, saying non-ratification was not a "get-out-of-jail-free card" and that the principle of free transit applied universally as customary international law. Singapore's hard line is rooted as much in strategic interest as legal principle. Balakrishnan drew an explicit parallel with the Strait of Malacca and the Strait of Singapore — chokepoints that carry roughly a quarter to two-fifths of global seaborne trade, including nearly half of China's oil imports. Were Hormuz tolls to go unchallenged, he warned, similar demands could follow on the very waterways Singapore depends on for its economic existence. The shipping industry has broadly backed Singapore's stance, with insurers and major operators advised against payment to avoid legitimising the practice. A clip of Balakrishnan's remarks, posted to social media on April 11, drew more than 3mn views and sharp debate over the tension between legal norms and geopolitical realities. Related Story
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Hungarian voters on Sunday ousted long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power, rejecting the authoritarian policies and global far-right movement that he embodied in favor of a pro-European challenger in a bombshell
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Ukraine and Russia renewed overnight drone strikes on Monday, after the end of a 32-hour Orthodox Easter truce marred by accusations of mass violations, both countries said.The Ukrainian air force said Russia had launched 98
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Michael Bisping I'm 99% Retired ... Only One Thing Gets Me Back In The Octagon Published April 13, 2026 12:30 AM PDT Play video content TMZSports.com MMA is in its comeback era ... but you
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Etihad Airways has announced a significant expansion of its mainland China network, launching five new routes and adding 28 weekly flights, marking one of the airline’s largest single market increases in recent years.The expansion will
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Japan hopes a "final agreement" will be concluded swiftly between the US and Iran to de-escalate the Middle East situation, after Washington-Tehran weekend peace talks failed to reach a deal."What is most important is that de-escalation, including securing the safety of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, is actually achieved," Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said in a press conference Monday, adding that Tokyo is closely watching developments and will continue to work with the international community.Kihara also said no decision has been made about whether Japan plans to send its Self-Defense Forces for minesweeping operations in the strait, a chokepoint for global energy transportation.Japan relies on the Middle East for more than 90% of its crude oil imports. Most transit the strait, which Iran has effectively closed since the US and Israel began attacking the country in late February.
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South Korean Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said Monday that South Korea aims to expand its free trade agreement (FTA) network with emerging markets, such as Latin America and Africa, in its latest effort to diversify supply chains."Rather than simply responding to trade issues, the government will expand its FTA network to support export growth," Yonhap News Agency quoted the finance minister as saying.He noted that the global trade environment is undergoing a structural change due to the weakening of multilateral trade norms and increasing competition among major countries.In response, the government sees a need to continuously expand and strategically upgrade its FTA network."In the future, we will broaden our FTA map to emerging markets, such as Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa, to diversify global supply chains," he said.South Korea has signed 21 free trade deals covering 59 countries, the finance ministry said.
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Dirty Secrets ... 🌱 Gardening Essentials Everyone's Buying Published April 13, 2026 12:05 AM PDT TMZ may collect a share of sales or other compensation from links on this page. If you're convinced that you
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DUBAI: FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has paid tribute to the thousands of volunteers who make Formula 1 racing possible, after a study by the organization revealed the scale, value and dedication behind the role
