00:00International oil prices hit their highest intraday level since 2022 as the U.S. and Iran
00:06show no signs of lifting their blockades of the Strait of Hormuz.
00:11The new Reporters Without Borders Index shows press freedom has fallen to its lowest level
00:16in a quarter of a century.
00:22International oil prices hit their highest intraday level since 2022 on Thursday,
00:27reaching as high as $126 a barrel as the U.S. and Iran show no signs of breaking the
00:33deadlock in negotiations and lifting their blockades of the Strait of Hormuz.
00:38The price remained elevated but slipped below $115 a barrel by early afternoon in Europe.
00:46Meanwhile, the United States announced that it intends to launch an international coalition
00:50under the name of Maritime Freedom Construct to restart shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
00:56Iran, however, remained defiant as Ayatollah Mushtaba Khamenei insisted the U.S. had been
01:01defeated in the war, rejecting American interference in the Strait as both the U.S. and Iran maintained
01:07their blockades.
01:09The standoff has heavily impacted Iran's economy, with Iranian riyal hitting a historic low on
01:14Wednesday, trading at 2.1 million riyals to the euro.
01:19U.S. President Donald Trump has said he has no intention of lifting the blockade,
01:24rejecting Tehran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an end to the U.S.
01:29naval siege of Iranian ports.
01:38Ukraine is demanding a long-term ceasefire in Russia's all-out war instead of the short
01:44parade-day truce the Kremlin suggested to U.S. President Donald Trump.
01:49Moscow proposed Victory Day Parade ceasefire as the Kremlin is concerned over Ukraine's long-range
01:55striking capabilities.
01:57More than a victory feat, the 9th of May for Russia under Putin has become one of the most
02:03important holidays and a public demonstration of the Kremlin's military power.
02:08Moscow has already scaled down the parade, where for the first time in years Russian armoured
02:14columns will not be rolling on the Red Square.
02:17It is seen as an important indicator of the situation in Russia's military and of personal
02:23and equipment shortages.
02:25Russia previously announced a short ceasefire for Easter earlier in April.
02:35Press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in a quarter of a century,
02:40reporters without borders warned on Thursday.
02:43The index shows that press freedom is in decline in 100 of the 180 countries and territories it
02:49devaluates. In addition, only seven countries in northern Europe, led by Norway, have a press
02:55freedom situation that is considered good.
02:58If we measure in terms of color in the World Classes, you can see that at the beginning of the
03:05class in 2002, 20% of the world population lived in countries where the situation was considered
03:12as good or rather good, today it is only 1%.
03:16The report also highlights the decline of press freedom in the United States, which it says
03:22is caused by systematic attacks on journalists under the Trump administration.
03:25It is very inquiétant. La parole politique sous Donald Trump contre les journalistes est
03:31complètement débridée. Vous avez des injures à répétition contre les reporters, vous avez
03:37une délégitimation du travail des journalistes, vous avez aussi eu un définancement délibéré
03:43des médias publics, que ce soit les médias publics nationaux ou internationaux américains.
03:48Bref, tout ça dresse un paysage qui est particulièrement sombre et qui explique que les États-Unis
03:53sont dévissés de 7 places dans le classement mondial de la liberté de la presse.
03:57RSF states that while EU member states retain their leading positions in the index, partly
04:01thanks to the recent European Media Freedom Act, some EU countries remain in breach of the legislation.
04:11A new statue has appeared overnight in central London of a man striding off a plinth blinded
04:16by a billowing flag. Elusive street artist Banksy later confirmed it was his work.
04:23In a video posted to his Instagram page, Banksy showed snippets of how the sculpture was
04:27put up in the dead of night. It was erected in Waterloo Place, near other statues of King
04:33Edward VII, Florence Nightingale and the Crimean War Memorial. Statues are not what Banksy is
04:39primarily known for. He's far more famous for his spray painting on buildings, with his first
04:44creations appearing in the early 1990s in his hometown of Bristol.
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