Chris Haskins was a champion of the left behind | Letter

The fight for social justice has lost a real champion with the death of Chris Haskins (Obituary, 3 April). As a junior public health academic, I experienced first-hand his openness and willingness to embrace and support insights into the conditions of the left behind in the north of England.In his response to my cold-calling letter drawing attention to the problem of food deserts in inner-city Liverpool, I was privileged to attend the famously relaxed and open Northern Foods directors’ meetings above the dairy in Hull and provided with generous funds for research into this hidden injustice.With Lord Haskins’ support, we were able to reveal how poverty-stricken communities had access only to overpriced processed and tinned food from corner shops whose owners left each night for their homes in the affluent suburbs.The battle for universal access to wholesome, affordable food continues, but Haskins will remain a beacon of ethical and sustainable capitalism

Oil rises and global stocks wobble amid worries over ‘fragile’ ceasefire deal in Middle East – as it happened

Time to wrap up…The boss of Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil company has warned that the strait of Hormuz is “not open” despite the US-Iran ceasefire agreed earlier this week, as uncertainty over the truce pushed the price of US oil over $100 a barrel on Thursday.Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose by over 4% on Thursday to almost $99 a barrel, while New York light crude climbed by 5.8% to as high as $100.29 a barrel. On Wednesday, Brent had tumbled 13

Strait of Hormuz not open, Abu Dhabi’s oil chief says as crude prices rise

The boss of Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil company has said the strait of Hormuz is “not open” despite the US-Iran ceasefire agreed earlier this week, as uncertainty over the truce pushed the price of Brent crude towards $100 a barrel on Thursday.Sultan Al Jaber, the chief executive officer of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), said passage through the crucial waterway was subject to “permission, conditions and political leverage” by Iran. He said energy security and global economic stability depended on the strait being opened “fully, unconditionally and without restriction”.Al Jaber wrote on LinkedIn: “The weaponisation of this vital waterway, in any form, cannot stand. This would set a dangerous precedent for the world – undermining the principle of freedom of navigation that underpins global trade and, ultimately, the stability of the global economy

Head of IMF says Iran war will permanently scar global economy even if peace is reached

The head of the International Monetary Fund has warned that the Iran war will permanently scar the global economy even if a durable peace deal in the Middle East can be reached.In a speech delivered as the ceasefire in the conflict threatened to unravel, Kristalina Georgieva said the “scarring effects” caused by the war to date would mean slower global growth this year than first anticipated.Had it not been for the outbreak of the conflict six weeks ago, the IMF would have upgraded its global growth outlook for 2026, Georgieva said. “But now, even our most hopeful scenario involves a growth downgrade. Even in a best case, there will be no neat and clean return to the status quo

BA to reduce Middle East flights when services resume in July

British Airways will offer a reduced flight schedule to the Middle East when it resumes services in July, and use the aircraft to operate more direct flights to India and Kenya.The airline has currently suspended services to the region because of the Iran war, and plans to resume flights to Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, in mid-May, as well as services to Dubai, Doha and Tel Aviv on 1 July. It is cutting its Dubai flights from three – a day to one daily flight, and reducing services to Doha, Tel Aviv and Riyadh from two to one a day.It will drop Jeddah in Saudi Arabia permanently as a destination from 24 April. Flights to Bahrain and Amman are paused until 25 October

Give all UK households a set amount of subsidised energy, says thinktank

In order to cut rising bills all UK households should receive a minimum amount of energy at rates subsidised by the government through North Sea taxes, a thinktank has suggested.Providing all homes with enough energy to heat two rooms, provide hot water and run key appliances such as a fridge and washing machine, at rates frozen at current levels, would require a subsidy of about £4.5bn, according to the New Economics Foundation.That is roughly equal to the expected windfall in tax revenues from the North Sea, generated by the bonanza oil and gas companies are enjoying from the high price of oil.Although oil prices, sent soaring by the Iran war, have abated on the announcement of a ceasefire by the US president, Donald Trump, they are still higher than before the conflict and could remain volatile as supplies through the strait of Hormuz may take some time to get back to normal