There have been concerns among fans this season that the game’s top teams, faced with stubborn man-to-man defensive set-ups, are taking a less risky approach in attack.

But Kompany’s Bayern lean into that risk, playing freely both in and out of possession. They often dominate, and are exciting to watch – an approach that involves all 11 players and starts right from the back.

In the Champions League last 16, Bayern faced an Atalanta side who opted to man-mark across the pitch. So Kompany rotated his players around, dragging opposition defenders out of position.

For instance, attacking midfielder Serge Gnabry frequently dropped into centre-back positions to get on the ball. His Atalanta marker followed him. That opened up space for Gnabry’s team-mates. As a result, Atalanta ended up with attackers in defence and defenders in attack. Bayern Munich won 10-2 on aggregate.

Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti was particularly impressed, noting Bayern’s fluidity. In his words: “They showed us a whole encyclopedia of movement and positioning in football.”

Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid on Tuesday 3-2 on aggregate, with Marcus Rashford feeling the sting of European football away from Manchester United

Raphinha has claimed that Barcelona were “robbed” as his club were knocked out of the Champions League – a match that Marcus Rashford was widely expected to start in but was given just 20 minutes. The Catalan giants faced Atletico Madrid at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Tuesday evening in a second leg quarter-final clash.

Hansi Flick’s side understood the monumental task at hand. given they headed into the 8pm kick-off with a 2-0 deficit to overcome thanks to Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth raining on their parade last week at the Camp Nou.

However, Barca were ultimately unable to conquer their La Liga rivals on the road, leaving the Spanish capital 2-1 up on the night – but 3-2 down on aggregate. Lamine Yamal took very little time to offer his team a glimmer of hope by netting withing four minutes, before Ferran Torres diminished Atleti’s 2-0 aggregate lead completely 20 minutes later.

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It took Ademola Lookman a matter of moments to ensure that Atletico ultimately advanced to the semi-finals of Europe’s premier footballing competition, however, with a goalless second half seeing Barcelona sent packing.

However, Raphinha had some strong words for referee Clément Turpin in the aftermath. He told TNT Sports Brasil: “For me, we were robbed.

“I don’t want to talk about the refereeing, but we played extremely well, they committed I don’t know how many fouls, and the referee didn’t even pull out a single yellow card against them. The refereeing was very bad in all the decisions he made.

“What I really want to understand is, by what criteria is Barca being refereed? I’d really like to understand the secret behind this fear that haunts these people at the thought of Barca winning.

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“Yes, we’re all human and we can make a mistake in a match, that’s something I can understand, but for it to happen in two consecutive matches? That’s not normal. I think the result of this double confrontation isn’t fair.”

Elsewhere, Manchester United loanee Rashford suffered a double heartbreak in the fixture. Not only were Barcelona ousted from the Champions League in what has otherwise been a largely successful spell for the 28-year-old, but he also didn’t have the full 90 minutes to make a difference.

That’s despite Spanish media touting Rashford to start the match. The Englishman was afforded just over 20 minutes to make a difference as he entered the field as a late substitute for Fermin Lopez.

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However, he was ultimately unable to make much of an impact as Barcelona crashed out of the Champions League. It comes as Rashford’s future in sunny Spain is currently up in the air.

While Barcelona have an option to make his move permanent come season’s end to the tune of around £26million, it looks as though they are set to use limited funds to recruit Alessandro Bastoni from Inter Milan to strengthen their defence.

But with Robert Lewandowski potentially leaving the club this summer, the board could opt to keep Rashford as a replacement for their talisman – given he can also operate through the middle as well as on his favoured left flank.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly rose in Wednesday trading, echoing the rally on Wall Street that came as oil prices eased on hopes the United States and Iran may try again on talks to end their war.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.4% in afternoon trading to 58,122.52. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was little changed, inching up less than 0.1% to 8,978.70. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 2.1% to 6,092.77. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up 0.4% to 25,980.69, while the Shanghai Composite declined less than 0.1% to 4,023.40.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 added 1.2% to its leap from the day before, and the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts is just 0.2% below its record set in January.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 317 points, or 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 2%.

On Wednesday, benchmark U.S. crude fell 58 cents to $90.70 a barrel. Brent crude added 7 cents to $94.86, or less than 1% after falling 4.6% the day before. While that’s still above its roughly $70 price from before the war began in late February, it’s well below the peak level of $119.

Lower oil prices help bring down costs for all kinds of businesses. But some analysts noted the war was still ongoing, warning that the optimism may be unfortunately unfounded.

“The counterintuitive decline in crude appears driven by growing hopes that a second round of peace talks between Washington and Tehran could soon materialize, after the first attempt fizzled out. Traders are clearly choosing to price in the possibility of de-escalation rather than the immediate reality of restricted flows,” said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.

Asian nations depends on access to the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that’s the main avenue for crude oil produced in the Persian Gulf area to reach customers worldwide. Blockages there have kept oil off the global market, which has in turn driven up its price.

Global inflation this year looks set to accelerate to 4.4% from 4.1% in 2025, according to the International Monetary Fund, which had earlier thought inflation would slow to 3.8%. The IMF on Tuesday also downgraded its forecast for global economic growth to 3.1% this year from the 3.3% it had forecast in January.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 81.14 points to 6,967.38. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 317.74 to 48,535.99, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 455.35 to 23,639.08.

In the bond market, Treasury yields eased as the fall for oil prices took some of the pressure off inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.25% from 4.30% late Monday.

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar edged up to 158.95 Japanese yen from 158.79 yen. The euro cost $1.1790, down from $1.1797.

___

AP Business Writer Stan Choe in New York contributed to this report.

Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

The Brandon Street site is on the market with a guide price of £72,000 and is set to go under the hammer at an online auction on April 29.

A Motherwell town centre property is up for sale with potential to convert into flats.

The Brandon Street site is on the market with a guide price of £72,000 and is set to go under the hammer at an online auction on April 29.

The property is being managed by Town & Country Property Auctions, based in Chester and is being shown on property website, Rightmove.

Writing on the website, Town & Country Property Auctions state: “There is strong potential for conversion into four 2-bedroom flats and one 1-bedroom flat, with layout feasibility supported by architectural input, giving confidence in the development opportunity (subject to planning).

“Alternatively, the property may suit residential units or continued use as office suites.

“From an income perspective, four 2-bedroom flats are estimated to achieve £750 per month each, with the 1-bedroom flat achieving £600 per month, generating a total of £3,600 per calendar month (£43,200 per annum).

“For serviced accommodation, each unit is projected to generate approximately £24,000 per annum based on a £98 average daily rate and 68% occupancy, equating to a total potential income in excess of £120,000 per annum across five units.

READ MORE: Scooter enthusiasts swoop over to Wishaw hospital to hand over whole host of Easter eggs

“The asset is well suited to a range of strategies including flat conversion, HMO, or commercial use (subject to planning).

“Located on Brandon Street, the property is within walking distance of the high street, supermarkets, schools, and colleges, with excellent transport links via the M74 and M8.

“Motherwell is currently benefiting from approximately £19 million of investment focused on town centre regeneration, new housing delivery, infrastructure improvements, and public realm upgrades across areas including Forgewood and North Motherwell, all of which are driving increased demand and long-term growth.

“A low entry price with significant upside makes this an ideal opportunity for investors and developers seeking strong returns.”

More information is available on the Rightmove website.

READ MORE: Airdrie driver badly hurt when his car ploughed into back of lorry on motorway

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Global air travel faces severe disruption, with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continuing to impede access to key hubs like Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi.

British Airways is making permanent changes to its network, announcing the cancellation of all flights from London Heathrow to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 24 April. Having suspended most Middle East services shortly after the conflict began, British Airways will resume flights to Dubai, Doha, and Tel Aviv in the second half of the year, though at a much-reduced scale.

While airspace in the region is starting to reopen, with Bahrain’s Gulf Air set to resume London flights, BA’s decision marks a strategic pivot away from the Middle East.

Adding to the strain, jet fuel prices have soared since the conflict’s onset, intensifying pressure on carriers already rerouting to bypass the volatile region.

Below is the latest on which airlines have cancelled flights to the region, in alphabetical order:

Aegean Airlines

Greece’s largest carrier cancelled flights to Riyadh and Amman until June 27 and to Tel Aviv and Beirut until June 26. It cancelled flights to Erbil and Baghdad until July 2 and to Dubai until June 29.

airBaltic

Latvia’s airBaltic says all flights to Tel Aviv have been cancelled until May 31. All flights to Dubai are cancelled until October 24.

Air Canada

The Canadian carrier has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai until September 7.

Air Europa

The Spanish airline has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until May 3.

Air France

Air France has suspended its Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh flights until May 3.

British Airways

IAG-owned British Airways is reducing flights to the Middle East when services resume, permanently dropping Jeddah as ‌a destination, while adding capacity to India and Africa.

It plans to reduce services to Dubai, Doha and ‌Tel Aviv to one daily flight from July 1, and to cut Riyadh services from two daily flights to one from mid-May. Changes apply through the summer season that ends on October 24, with one Dubai service restarting on October 16.

Cathay Pacific

The Hong Kong airline has cancelled all passenger flights to Dubai and Riyadh until June 30. To cater for a surge in demand to Europe, it will operate extra passenger flights to London, Paris and Zurich in April.

Delta

The U.S. carrier has cancelled its New York-Tel Aviv flights and delayed the restart of its Atlanta-Tel Aviv route until September 5. It said the launch of its Boston-Tel Aviv route, planned for late October, has been delayed until further notice.

EL AL Israel Airlines

The Israeli carrier said customers who planned to depart Israel ⁠through April 18 had their flights cancelled, including relevant return flights. It will increase the number of destinations to about 30 from April 13 and will gradually expand that number through the rest of the month.

Emirates

The UAE carrier has said it is operating a commercial ​flight schedule between Dubai and around 110 destinations.

Ethiad Airways

The UAE carrier said it had resumed a limited commercial flight schedule between Abu Dhabi and around 80 destinations.

Finnair

The Finnish carrier has cancelled its Doha flights until July 2, while continuing to avoid the airspace of Iraq, Iran, Syria and Israel. The airline only restarts its Dubai flights in October.

Flynas

The Saudi budget airline has suspended flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Doha, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Syria until April 15.

Iberia Express

IAG’s low-cost airline, Iberia Express, has cancelled all flights to and from Tel Aviv through May 31.

Indigo

The Indian airline suspended operations to Doha, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah until March 28.

ITA Airways

ITA Airways has suspended flights to Tel Aviv until April 2 and extended Dubai cancellations until March 29, continuing to avoid the airspace of Iraq, Iran, Syria and Israel.

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines has suspended scheduled Tokyo-Doha flights until May 10 and Doha-Tokyo flights until May 11. The airline also announced extra flights between Tokyo ⁠and London on April 25.

KLM

KLM has suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Riyadh, Dammam and Dubai until May 17.

LOT

The Polish airline has suspended all its flights to Tel Aviv until May 31. It has also cancelled flights to Riyadh until June 30 and to Beirut from March 31 to May 30.

The airline plans to operate its winter route to Dubai in October.

Lufthansa Group

Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways and Edelweiss suspended flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv until May 31, and to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Dammam, Riyadh, Erbil, Muscat and Tehran until October 24.

Lufthansa Cargo is the same, except for the Tel Aviv suspension, which will last through April 30.

Low-cost carrier Eurowings plans to suspend flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut and Erbil through April 30 and to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman through October 24.

Malaysia Airlines

The Malaysian carrier has suspended all flights to Doha until June 14.

Norwegian Air

The low-cost airline has pushed back planned launches of its Tel Aviv and Beirut services to June 15.

Pegasus

Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines cancelled its ‌Iran, Iraq, Amman, Beirut, Kuwait, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah flights until May 1.

Qantas

Australia’s flag carrier is adding flights to Rome and Paris to meet an upswing in demand ‌for European routes.

Flights to Paris will increase to five return flights per ⁠week from three and the Perth-Singapore service will increase from daily to 10 flights per week.

An updated schedule will come into effect progressively for flights from ⁠mid-April and run until late July.

Qatar Airways

The carrier said it is gradually increasing flights from Doha to more than 120 destinations by mid-May.

Royal Air Maroc

The Moroccan carrier says flights to Doha are cancelled until June 30 and those to Dubai until May 31.

Singapore Airlines

The carrier extended its Singapore-Dubai flights suspension until May 31, while adding services on the Singapore-London Gatwick ‌and Singapore-Melbourne routes from late March until October 24 to ​meet higher demand.

Turkish Airlines

SunExpress, Turkish Airlines’ joint venture with Lufthansa, has cancelled flights to Dubai ‌until April 30.

Wizz Air

The low-cost airline suspended flights to Israel until April 13, ​and to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman from mainland European destinations until mid-September. All flights to Medina have been suspended indefinitely.

AO.com experts have warned that Brits’ bad laundry habits are not only affecting how clothes look and feel, but also shortening their lifespan – meaning they could end up paying as much as £275 a year replacing their favourite items.

The Bolton-based online electrics online retailer, which has its own laundry advice hub, conducted a survey of 3,000 Brits, which revealed that many still use outdated laundry habits – and are washing their favourite items more than they need to. 

Jeans were revealed as the most overwashed item, with 8 in 10 Brits (79%) saying they wash their jeans too often, despite guidance suggesting jeans can be worn up to 10 times before needing a wash. 

Hoodies were also identified as an overwashed item, with two thirds of Brits (65%) admitting they wash this beloved staple more often than the recommended 7 wears, and half of Brits (51%) are washing jumpers more frequently than needed. 

However, whilst Brits have an over-washing tendency in general that is damaging their favourite items, the survey also revealed some interesting guilty habits. 

A third of Brits (35%) admit to rewearing socks, despite guidance stating these should be washed after one wear, and a quarter of Brits admit they wear underwear items like briefs and knickers more than once. 

The top five clothing items Brits are washing wrong – and cost them over £275 a year to replace:

1. Jeans – 79% of Brits are washing them too often, despite being wearable up to 10 times before needing a wash. With jeans costing £40–£80+ on average, this is one of the most costly items to replace if damaged in the wash.
2. Hoodies – 65% of people are washing them too often, even though they can usually be worn 6-7 times unless visibly dirty. Hoodie prices typically range from £30-80, so it’s important not to overwash this item.
3. Jumpers – Half of Brits (51%) wash them too frequently, despite getting around five wears out of them when layered over other clothing. Overwashing your favourite jumpers and knits could cost you from £25-75 to replace based on highstreet prices.
4. Socks – 35% of Brits admit to wearing them more than once, even though guidance suggests they should be washed after every use. Whilst socks are on the cheaper end of wardrobe staples, a new multipack could cost £5-15 to replace damaged items.
5. Underwear – A quarter (24%) of Brits say they wear their briefs and knickers more than once, despite guidance suggesting these should be changed daily. Multipacks for underwear can range from £10-30, meaning this staple can easily wrack up costs if it’s damaged during the wash. 

Gwil Snook, Washing Machine Expert at AO.com, says that laundry behaviours are often based on assumptions rather than expert guidance.

“People tend to stick to the routines they’re used to, but a lot of the time those habits don’t match how clothes are designed to be cared for, or how washing machines are designed to help you get the most out of your clothes,” Gwil explains.

“Jeans are one of the most commonly overwashed items, as people think that washing them regularly will help the denim to stay structured. In reality, they don’t need frequent washing, and wearing them multiple times actually helps preserve their shape and colour.”

“Jumpers are really easy to overwash, as people often think they’re the same as t-shirts and should be washed after 1-2 wears. But actually, if you’ve got a layer on underneath, then they can be worn for up to 5 wears. That makes a big difference in keeping them in good condition.”

“The same goes for hoodies: unless a hoodie is stained or starting to smell, it doesn’t need to go straight in the wash. Washing it too often just puts unnecessary stress on the fabric.”

“Socks are different, they should always be washed after one wear. They’re in constant contact with sweat, so rewearing them isn’t recommended from a hygiene point of view.”

Gwil added that incorrect laundry habits can also affect washing machines, stating: “Washing machines work by gently aggravating the fabric of your clothes, and different settings do this at different levels. So washing items more than you need to, or even worse on the wrong settings, can easily reduce the lifespan of clothing by weakening fibres and fading colours. Underwashing on the other hand can create hygiene issues, so it’s really important to get the balance right to help both your clothes and your machine to last longer and avoid unnecessary washing.

(Image: Tom Molloy)

“Running unnecessary cycles or using the wrong settings can lead to a build-up of detergent and residue inside the machine.

“Over time, that can create conditions where bacteria and mould develop.”

He advises checking care labels, avoiding unnecessary washes and using appropriate settings for different fabrics.

The Coronation Street legend shared an update as she awaits news following her early-stage breast cancer diagnosis

Beverley Callard has been flooded with messages of support as she shared a tearful update on her cancer diagnosis. The actress first announced in January that she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.

She told how the news came just 20 minutes before she filmed her first scenes on Irish soap, Fair City, where she now plays Lily Patterson, having relocated to Ireland for the role.

But Beverley, who is famed for playing Liz McDonald in Coronation Street, recently revealed she was thrilled to learn that she does not need a second operation after she had two lymph nodes removed as a precaution to ensure the cancer does not spread, but she is waiting results which will indicate whether she is cancer-free or not.

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However, Beverley, who is currently on-screens having returned to I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here for its South Africa spin-off, shared at the beginning of April that she’d suffered a setback, explaining that there was a “backlog” in the system delaying her results.

Now, the soap star has taken to Instagram to update her followers once again on the situation, with her captioning the update: ” “Had a bit of a weird update and not sure how to feel about it…trying to be brave and strong.”

Speaking to the camera, Beverley said: “Oh well, I’ve been painting all day again and I’ve nearly finished it, which is amazing. God, I’ve put some hours in that room, but I really want it finished for when Jon gets back. As you know, I’m waiting for my results, which has made me paint for England, well, for Ireland!

“Anyway, I got a text just a couple of hours ago. It says that my consultant is away at the moment, but there is someone else who I have seen before, another consultant, who wants to discuss my results on Thursday at 12 o’clock, so I’ve got a consultation then. I don’t know what that means. So I’m sort of like, ‘Okay… I just thought that the nurse was going to ring.’

“I spoke to one of the cancer nurses last week, she was great, and she said they would ring me as soon as they know anything. So I’m thinking, ‘Well, why have they not rung me then?’ Or am I mistaken? I don’t know but I will know more on Thursday at 12 o’clock so I will be glad when Jon is home.”

Appearing tearful, she added: ” I wasn’t going to tell him but [my daughter] Rebecca said to tell him, so I have just told him. There we are. I just wondered if this has happened to anyone else. Lots of love everyone – I’m being strong.”

And she was soon flooded with messages of support. @kate290669 said: “Sending loads of love- the wait is awful but you are tackling it in the best way – staying busy & talking . I’ve said it before but you’re such an inspiration Bev – on screen in I’m a Celeb & on here . Sending the biggest hug.”

@melissaknight90 commented: “We are all rooting for you. Sending positive vibes your waymrbenbryantactor wrote: “Be strong, stay strong. These times will pass and better ones are ahead!” @mauralyons13 replied: “Try not to overthink things Beverley. You are strong. Thoughts and prayers are with you.” @susparkes added: “Stay strong girl you got this.”

Rachel Reeves is set to meet her US counterpart after he argued “a small bit of economic pain” caused by the Iran war was worth it to prevent Tehran getting a nuclear weapon.

The comments by US treasury secretary Scott Bessent put him at odds with the chancellor, who has gone public with her anger and frustration at the “folly” of America’s actions in the Middle East and its financial fallout on families.

The pair were due to hold face-to-face talks in Washington DC on Wednesday during the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which will be dominated by the ongoing crisis in the Gulf, which has inflicted a global economic shock and sent energy prices soaring.

Prior to the chancellor heading stateside, the influential financial body slashed Britain’s economic growth forecast as a result of the conflict and warned a worldwide recession could be a “close call” in a severe scenario.

The IMF said the international outlook had “abruptly darkened” as a result of the war, which threatens to throw the global economy “off course” and could cause an energy crisis on an unprecedented scale.

Of the major economies, the UK faces the biggest hit to growth, the IMF said, with forecasts slashed for the next two years. In a further blow to Sir Keir Starmer, the IMF also warned that inflation and unemployment will rise.

However, despite the “large” jolt to the global economy, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey insisted the UK was much better placed to deal with it because of its resilient banking system, forged in the wake of the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has said a second round of talks between the US and Iran could happen “over the next two days”, after negotiations at the weekend collapsed.

In an interview which is due to be broadcast on Wednesday, Mr Trump told the Fox Business Network he viewed the conflict as nearing completion and said Iran was keen to make a deal.

“If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country,” he said. “And we’re not finished. We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly.”

Tehran’s nuclear ambitions were a key sticking point.

Diplomats have been working behind the scenes as the US imposed its blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran threatened retaliatory strikes across the region, amid a shaky ceasefire.

At the same time, Sir Keir Starmer is seeking to coordinate international efforts to ensure the strategic Strait of Hormuz can remain open to shipping after hostilities end.

The critical waterway, used to move one fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies, has become a major flashpoint in the conflict, with its effective closure by Iran hiking the cost of fuel, food and other basic goods.

However, responding to the spike in prices, Mr Bessent said “a small bit of economic pain for a few weeks is worth taking off the incalculable tail risk of either a nuclear Iran or a nuclear Iran that uses that weapon”.

He insisted “there is nothing more transient than what we are seeing now”, and added: “So the conflict will end, prices will come down, and then headline inflation will come down, and with that, gasoline prices will come down.”

Mr Bessent made his remarks after Ms Reeves told The Mirror: “I feel very frustrated and angry that the US went into this war without a clear exit plan, without a clear idea of what they were trying to achieve.”

She branded it a “folly” that impacted households in the UK and around the world.

The Resolution Foundation think tank has warned the average UK household could be £480 worse off over the current financial year as a result of the conflict, a figure Ms Reeves claimed she did not recognise.

The chancellor also took aim at Mr Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, saying: “We’re not getting involved in the US blockade, we don’t think that is the right approach.

“All the way through this conflict, we have said de-escalate, de-escalate. The Conservatives and Reform – they both wanted to jump in feet first into this conflict and for us to play a part in active, aggressive, offensive action.”

The US president has defended the blockade aimed at putting pressure on Iran, arguing its control of the strait amounted to blackmail and extortion. He has warned that any hostile Iranian boats approaching American warships would be “immediately eliminated”.

US Central Command, which directs military operations in the Middle East, said no vessels have so far run the blockade.

Among those ships being barred are Chinese tankers. In response, the country’s president Xi Jinping said nations should “oppose the world’s retrogression to the law of the jungle”.