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Eleven finance ministers issued a joint statement on the Middle East. Representatives from the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Spain, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, Poland, and New Zealand committed to managing the economic fallout from the crisis in a coordinated, responsible and responsive way. Calling for swift resolution to the conflict and resumption of free passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the ministers also invited the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to offer emergency support to vulnerable countries 鈥� such as remote island states 鈥� impacted by the disruption to energy prices, supply chains, and economic growth.
Our coverage: How to open the Strait of Hormuz? It鈥檚 hard 鈥� and the world is waiting.

Defying U.S. sanctions, a Russian tanker is heading to India. The vessel is carrying liquefied natural gas from a Russian terminal that is under sanctions, Reuters reported. President Donald Trump lowered tariff rates on India to 18% in February, but that reduction was contingent upon the nation halting energy purchases from Russia. The United States temporarily allowed those sales to resume in March. That waiver expired on April 11. On Wednesday, the Kremlin announced that President Vladimir Putin will fly to India for a fall summit of BRICS countries.

India considers measures to dramatically reshape parliament. They would fast-track a law passed in 2023 that mandates 33% of seats Parliament and state legislatures be for women. Currently 14% of legislators in the lower house, or Lok Sabha, are women. 鈥淚t will change the nature of power,鈥� activist Ranjana Kumari told the Financial Times. New bills added to the law would expand the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 seats and potentially shift a greater share of seats to northern India, where the population is growing fastest. Critics say the added bills are a hidden power grab, since the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is strongest in the north.
Our coverage:听India鈥檚 census delay brings new life to an old debate

A high school principal stopped a school shooting last week. Kirk Moore, principal of Pauls Valley High School in Oklahoma, was shot in the leg while charging a former student who was armed with two handguns. With the help of another staffer, Mr. Moore prevented what authorities said could have been a deadly attack. The suspect is in custody. In an interview with Oklahoma City鈥檚 News 9, Pauls Valley Mayor Jocelyn Rushing praised Mr. Moore. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a fine man who loves the students and is willing to go out of his way to ensure their safety,鈥� she said.

France moves toward restitution of African artifacts. The National Assembly unanimously approved a bill to return artworks taken during the colonial era. The move, which aligns with President Emmanuel Macron鈥檚 2017 pledge for 鈥渢emporary or definitive restitution of African heritage in Africa,鈥� allows countries to formally request the return of cultural items taken between 1815 and 1972. France still holds tens of thousands of such artifacts, according to France 24. Lawmakers say it is a step toward addressing past exploitation during the country鈥檚 colonial period.
Our coverage: Art of the steal: European museums wrestle with returning African art.

鈥� Compiled by Monitor writers around the world

Iran鈥檚 missile attacks and its closing of the Strait of Hormuz have cost the oil-producing Gulf Arab states untold billions. In response, they are moving to arm themselves against a military threat that hasn鈥檛 been erased, and construct workarounds to the Hormuz choke point.

President Donald Trump鈥檚 broadsides against the pope, alongside controversial memes, reveal cracks in his support from religious conservatives. That discontent is amplified by some policy disappointments, particularly around abortion.

Rising gun ownership among Democrats is reshaping U.S. gun culture and recalibrating debates over gun rights, civic safety, and government control 鈥� even as Republicans remain 50% more likely to own firearms.听

When the U.S. Agency for International Development听shut down, the projects it funded were left in limbo.听Project Resource Optimization matches as many as it can with new donors.听

Dhaka is the beating heart of Bangladesh鈥檚 textile industry. But beyond the capital, rural weavers are bridging a traditional craft with modern markets, often with a focus on sustainability.听

Japan, like much of Asia, which is highly reliant on Middle East oil and gas, announced Wednesday that it will provide $10 billion to many of its regional trade partners to find new supplies during the Strait of Hormuz crisis. As Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae put it, Asian countries 鈥渁re mutually dependent.鈥�

Much of that money will go to Southeast Asia, where nations have reacted to the crisis by trying to revive a long-standing regional agreement to aid each other during a petroleum emergency. 鈥淲hat this crisis has confirmed is a structural truth: no single country in Asia can insulate itself from supply chain shocks of this scale by acting alone,鈥� said Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

At the very least, many Asian countries hope not to restrict their exports of oil-related products to each other 鈥� a restriction China has already done. Singapore and Australia, for example, struck a deal last week to maintain their energy interdependence during the crisis. Australia is Singapore鈥檚 second-biggest supplier of liquefied natural gas, while Singapore is Australia鈥檚 largest supplier of refined fuel.

鈥淲e do not plan to restrict exports. We didn鈥檛 have to do so even in the darkest days of Covid, and we will not do so during this energy crisis,鈥� said Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

鈥淚n times like these,鈥� he added, 鈥渨e must work closely, move faster, and stand together 鈥� not just to manage the risks, but to protect the wellbeing of our people.鈥�

In Europe, meanwhile, which is far less dependent on Gulf oil and more experienced in energy cooperation, officials of the European Union have warned member states not to ban the export of fuel across their borders. During the continent鈥檚 last energy crisis 鈥� following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine 鈥� the EU quickly reduced its dependency on Russian gas and oil.

The current crisis has also led the continent to assist many Middle East countries at risk. Last week, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development 鈥� originally set up to assist central and Eastern Europe after the Cold War 鈥� announced 鈧�5 billion ($5.9 billion) in investments for nations such as Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon to deal with the repercussions of the oil crisis.

All these efforts reflect lessons learned from past energy shortages. 鈥淲e must not panic. We must work together,鈥� said Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore鈥檚 minister of foreign affairs, on April 13. 鈥淲e must not compete against each other, but instead support each other mutually.鈥�