Kansas legislature overrides Kelly veto on 'lawfare' bill, limiting public nuisance lawsuits

A new trial over the death of football legend Diego Maradona began Tuesday in Argentina, 10 months after a scandal involving a judge caused the first trial to collapse.

Maradona, considered one of the world's greatest players, died in November 2020 at the age of 60 while recovering from surgery for a brain clot.

His seven-strong medical team is accused of gross negligence causing his death over the conditions of his home convalescence.

He died of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema -- a condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs -- two weeks after going under the knife and enduring hours of agony, according to forensic experts.

Two months into the first trial last year, after hours of sometimes tearful testimony from witnesses, including Maradona's children, the proceedings were thrown into flux by revelations involving one of the three judges.

The judge, Julieta Makintach, was discovered to have taken part in a clandestine documentary about the case, which contained unauthorized recordings made inside the courtroom.

The trial was annulled over the scandal.

The new trial, which will hear from some 120 witnesses, will again seek to determine if Maradona's medical team is responsible for his death.

Maradona's daughters, Dalma, Gianinna, and Jana, as well as his former partner Veronica Ojeda, were present in the packed courtroom in the northern Buenos Aires suburb of San Isidro for the opening of the proceedings.

Defense lawyer Francisco Oneto asked that the entire trial be broadcast live on television, instead of merely the first day and day of the verdict as currently planned.

The accused doctors, psychologists and nurses are accused of homicide with possible intent -- pursuing a course of action despite knowing it could lead to death -- over the decisions they made regarding Maradona's care.

They risk prison terms of between eight and 25 years if convicted.

The defense maintains the larger-than-life Argentine, who battled cocaine and alcohol addictions, died of natural causes. 

"If there's one thing that has been ruled out, it's a malicious criminal plan to kill Maradona," Vadim Mischanchuk, lawyer for psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, told Radio Con Vos at the weekend. 

The trial is expected to last until July at the earliest. 

The passing of the star of the 1986 World Cup plunged Argentina into mourning in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tens of thousands of people queued to bid farewell to the former Boca Juniors and Napoli striker as his body lay in state at the presidential palace.

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The IMF cut its 2026 global growth projection Tuesday, warning that the world economy could be "thrown off course" by war in the Middle East -- as the conflict roils commodity markets and sparks higher prices.

The global economy is set to grow by 3.1 percent this year, said the International Monetary Fund in its World Economic Outlook report, released during its spring meetings in Washington.

This is down from 3.3 percent forecast in January before hostilities erupted February 28 with US-Israeli strikes against Iran that prompted Tehran's retaliation and sparked a broader conflict in the region.

"We were planning to upgrade growth for 2026 to 3.4 percent" if not for the war, IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas told AFP.

Prices of oil, gas and fertilizers have surged, as Iran virtually blocked traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping waterway. US President Donald Trump has also ordered a naval blockade around Iran's ports.

The IMF expects higher inflation this year at 4.4 percent, 0.6 percentage points above its January forecast.

Still the impact of oil shortages could be worse. 

Compared to the oil shocks of the 1970s, "the global economy is much less oil dependent now than it was back then," Gourinchas said at a Tuesday press conference.

"There are many other sources of energy, renewables, nuclear and other things, and also the global economy has become much more efficient in terms of how much it needs oil to produce GDP," he said. "That's a source of resilience."

After this the "disinflation path" of recent years should reassert itself, Gourinchas said.

But these projections assume a relatively short-lived conflict with temporary energy market disruptions.

In more adverse scenarios where energy prices remain steep, global growth could slow to 2.5 percent or even around 2.0 percent.

"This latest shock comes less than a year since the shift in US trade policies, and the transition to a new international trade system is still ongoing," the IMF said.

A year ago, Trump unleashed sweeping tariffs on US trading partners, rocking financial markets and snarling supply chains.

Some of the tariffs have been struck down by the Supreme Court, but uncertainty lingers as Trump moves to reimpose duties via other means.

- Uneven impact -

Although overall revisions to global growth and inflation appear modest, the IMF cautioned that the war has taken a bigger toll on the Middle East and "vulnerable economies" elsewhere.

"The impact on emerging market and developing economies would be almost twice that on advanced economies," the fund said.

Higher energy and fertilizer costs could bring steeper food prices, mainly hitting low-income energy importers, Gourinchas said.

Growth projections this year for the Middle East and central Asia were cut by around half to 1.9 percent.

Saudi Arabia, the Middle East's biggest economy, is set to see 3.1 percent growth this year, down 1.4 percentage points from January's expectation.

Among the world's two biggest economies, US growth is still set to accelerate to 2.3 percent this year, although the pace of growth was revised slightly lower.

"The US at the margin is benefiting from higher energy prices," Gourinchas said. But gasoline prices have also jumped for consumers.

China's growth is anticipated to cool to 4.4 percent, a touch below the January forecast, too.

The IMF flagged an underlying "unevenness" in both economies.

Domestic activity lags behind exports in China, while a strong showing in the United States has been accompanied by low employment growth.

Euro area growth was revised 0.2 points down to 1.1 percent for 2026.

While the IMF does not expect inflation expectations to go off-track, there is concern they may not be as well-anchored as before.

Past inflation episodes remain fresh in the public's minds, and firms might act to restore margins more quickly than before.

"If that happens, then you can get much more persistent inflation going on, that would be reflected in higher inflation expectations," Gourinchas said.

Central banks might then need to step in and raise interest rates to cool the economy, despite ongoing negative supply shocks.

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(The Center Square) – Kansas lawmakers overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of Senate Bill 462 during the recent veto session, enacting a measure supporters say will limit the use of courts to advance political agendas.

The Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate both voted to override the veto, letting the bill become law despite the governor’s objections.

The legislation focuses on public nuisance law and who can bring certain lawsuits. It limits the ability to file broad public nuisance claims and gives more power to the state attorney general in cases that extend beyond a single local jurisdiction.

Supporters say the change is necessary to prevent what they call lawfare. It happens when organizations file lawsuits to push policy goals they cannot pass through the legislature.

“This is a monumental win for consumers,” O.H. Skinner, executive director of Alliance for Consumers Action, said in a statement provided to The Center Square. “We have seen ideological activists try and hijack the direction of our country by invading corporate boardrooms, classrooms, and hospitals. What is less well known is that the same left-wing campaign to reshape our society has set out to invade our courtrooms too.”

“By using lawfare to force their agenda, activists are able to circumvent the lawmakers and voters who have refused to go along with an activist, ideological agenda,” Skinner added. “Kansas lawmakers have made it clear that policymaking belongs to elected representatives, not activists attempting to weaponize the court system for political purposes.”

Backers of the bill argue that public nuisance lawsuits have increasingly been used to target entire industries, including energy producers, firearms manufacturers, and other lawful businesses. The new law blocks lawsuits that attempt to label lawful products as a public nuisance and requires a more direct connection between harm and legal claims.

It also includes sections aimed at limiting lawsuits from individuals injured while committing crimes, preventing them from seeking damages tied to their own illegal actions.

Kelly said the measure would shift power away from local governments and concentrate power at the state level.

“This bill would transfer the underlying authority from the locals to the Attorney General,” Kelly said in her veto message. “There is no good reason for this usurpation of power.”

SB 462 is part of a growing effort across multiple states to restrict the use of public nuisance laws in policy disputes. States like Utah and Indiana have approved similar measures. 

Supporters say the goal is to return policymaking to elected officials rather than the courts.

Opponents argue the changes could make it harder for local governments and consumers to challenge harmful practices through the legal system.

(The Center Square) – A strike at Los Angeles Unified School District was averted at the last minute following a tentative agreement with SEIU Local 99.

The union said it secured “gains for workers and student services.”

SEIU Local 99 was the last of three unions wanting a new deal to reach a tentative agreement, which was announced early Tuesday. The other unions on board with a tentative agreement are United Teachers Los Angeles and the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Teamsters.

LAUSD, the nation's second-largest school district, was still negotiating with Service Employees International Union Local 99 as of Monday afternoon. Had a tentative agreement not been announced, a strike would have happened on Tuesday.

 “A strike was always the last resort, and we are proud that we could work with the school district and Mayor Karen Bass to reach an agreement that recognizes the contributions of front-line workers in our schools,” said Max Arias, SEIU Local 99 Executive Director in an email to media.

Terms of the tentative agreement include a 24% wage increase that SEIU said “will make a significant difference in workers’ livelihoods." Health care benefits will be expanded for teacher assistants, after school workers, and community representatives. Meanwhile, layoffs for hundreds of IT Technicians are being rescinded, and LAUSD will have no subcontracting of work to outside vendors.

SEIU Local 99 members must still vote to ratify the agreement, but Arias is pleased with the terms.

“This agreement was won through the bold action and courage of thousands of workers who were willing to sacrifice to improve conditions in their schools and their lives,” said Arias.

Gina Gray, a high school English teacher and UTLA member, said Monday that if SEIU Local 99 did not reach a tentative agreement, her union would stand in solidarity with their “brothers and sisters” at Local 99.

“We will not cross their lines,” Gray told The Center Square.

The tentative agreement reached with UTLA would increase their members’ salary scales by 11.65%. The tentative agreement would also increase the beginning salary for a teacher to $77,000 per year.

Gray called it a step in the right direction, adding that UTLA is "happy with the tentative agreement."

In a press release, LAUSD said that “schools are open today, Tuesday, April 14.” The district also stated that it is pleased with the agreements, adding LAUSD and SEIU Local 99 officials will continue to work together to finalize their agreement.

“We are proud to have reached resolution with all of our Labor partners — UTLA, SEIU and AALA Teamsters Local 2010 — ensuring stability for our schools and continuity for the students and families we serve,” Acting Superintendent Andrés E. Chait said in a press release. ”Our commitments reflect the dedication of our entire workforce.”

Chait added that LAUSD is “clear-eyed about the challenges ahead” and understands that meeting those challenges requires trust, shared responsibility, and a focus on the students who matter most. 

President Donald Trump's dismissal of Pope Leo XIV as "weak" and "wrong" marked an unprecedented personal attack on a pontiff by a US leader that capped months of tension.

The election of the first ever US pontiff in May 2025, one who pressed the cause of international law and the rights of migrants, seemed destined to set up a clash, but for a long time they managed their differences.

Since January, however, US military action in Venezuela, threats against Cuba and Greenland and then the Iran war have drawn increasing statements of concern from the Vatican.

On Sunday, Trump launched a blistering attack on the head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, calling him "weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy". He doubled down Monday, repeating: "He's wrong."

"Tensions regularly arise between the Catholic Church and states on a number of issues," said Francois Mabille, head of France's Geopolitical Observatory of Religion.

"What's unprecedented here is that the figure of the pope is being attacked as such... that he's being judged weak, and that this is being done by the American president with such vehemence," Mabille told AFP.

- Tipped the scales -

An expert in canon law, Leo has repeatedly emphasised the importance of upholding international law, including criticising Israel's actions in Gaza last year.

But he often spoke in generalisations, leaving more pointed criticism to local clergy, from Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa in Jerusalem to US cardinals.

One exception was when he hit out at the "inhuman" treatment of migrants in his home country. The White House responded with a measured comment defending its policies on immigration.

Leo's rhetoric and calls for peace have increased as war spread across the Middle East, and when Trump threatened the whole Iranian "civilisation" in early April, Leo told reporters this was "unacceptable".

Trump's threat "tipped the scales", Mabille told AFP.

At the same time, Leo urged "the citizens of all the countries involved to contact the authorities, political leaders, congressmen, to ask them, tell them to work for peace and to reject war always".

For Massimo Faggioli, professor of historical and contemporary ecclesiology at Trinity College Dublin, this too was a turning point.

He told AFP that it violated a long-standing diplomatic norm -- "that the pope stayed out of US politics".

- 'Difficult to attack' -

Popes have disagreed with the United States before, with John Paul II strongly opposed to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, for example.

Just weeks before he died in April 2025, Pope Francis described Trump's migrant deportations as a "major crisis", drawing a rebuke from the president's border czar that he should "stick to the Catholic Church".

Many of Francis's critics dismissed him as anti-American -- something that cannot be said for Leo. 

Traditionally, US presidents have been wary of upsetting US Catholics by speaking out too much against a pope.

Trump's criticism "is unprecedented because no American president wanted to alienate American voters," Faggioli told AFP.

- Face history -

The Vatican last week played down speculation of tensions with Washington, dismissing as untrue a report that the United States gave the Holy See's envoy a dressing down in January after comments Leo made seen as critical of the US administration.

The pope responded to Trump's outburst Monday in a typically measured way, saying he had a "moral duty" to speak out against war.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, an ally of Trump, condemned the president's criticism as "unacceptable", saying it was "right and normal for him (Leo) to call for peace".

Faggioli concurred, saying: "If you want to be pope you have to face history -- you can't just close yourself up in a monastery."

Mabille noted that, given how often Trump changes his mind, the row may just as well blow over.

"Who knows, maybe the pope will give a speech that Trump will like, or he'll see an opportunity to advance his own agenda and tell this pope what an extraordinary man he is," he said.

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© Agence France-Presse

Amazon said Tuesday that it had signed a deal to buy the US telecoms satellite group Globalstar to expand its own space-based internet network and compete with Elon Musk's Starlink.

Amazon said it would make a cash-and-stock offer worth $90 to shareholders in Globalstar, which has a market value of around $9 billion, according to a Financial Times report this month flagging the deal.

The tech and e-commerce giant founded by Jeff Bezos is building its Amazon Leo network offering satellite-based internet connectivity to people practically anywhere on the planet.

"There are billions of customers out there living, traveling, and operating in places beyond the reach of existing networks, and we started Amazon Leo to help bridge that divide," Panos Panay, Amazon's senior vice president for devices and services, said in a statement.

Around 58 percent of Globalstar's shareholders have already accepted the deal, expected to close in 2027.

As part of the deal, Apple, which owns a 20 percent stake in Globalstar, will start using Leo for satellite services with iPhones and Apple Watches, such as its Emergency SOS contact service.

Leo, with around 200 satellites in orbit, is aiming to challenge Musk's SpaceX, which operates the Starlink service of 10,000 satellites.

The Globalstar deal comes as market speculation is rife that Musk is preparing an initial public offering of SpaceX shares that could raise a whopping $75 billion, which would be the largest IPO ever.

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Economic growth across the eurozone will slow to an estimated 1.1 percent this year as higher energy prices weigh on manufacturing, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday.

In its first update to forecasts since the Mideast war erupted, the IMF said eurozone exporters are also exposed to the euro's strength against the dollar and other currencies, which makes their products more expensive on global markets.

The forecasts assume that the US and Israeli war against Iran "will last for a few more weeks and a recovery will then gradually take hold" and oil exports normalise, the fund said. 

The fund, which is holding its annual spring meeting in Washington, now sees eurozone growth at 1.1 percent in 2026, down from 1.4 percent last year and a decline of 0.2 basis points from its January forecast. 

Germany, with Europe's largest economy, should see GDP expand 0.8 percent this year instead of 1.1 percent as its power-hungry industrial heavyweights face higher energy costs.

Growth in France is now seen at 0.9 percent, also down 0.3 basis points from January, while Spain, whose economy has been one of the strongest in Europe in recent years thanks to tourism, saw its growth forecast cut to 2.1 percent.

The IMF cut its Italy forecast to 0.5 percent, the same level chalked up last year.

Outside the eurozone, Britain's economy is now expected to expand by 0.8 percent, a sharp reduction from the 1.3 percent growth the IMF forecast at the beginning of the year, in part because of "a slower pace of monetary easing" than in other major economies.

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How AI cameras are changing video capture in youth sports

For today’s young athletes and their families, capturing a game on video doesn’t just preserve memories, it serves an important role in the sports experience. From sharing highlights with loved ones on social media to providing coaches with a powerful teaching tool, quality video can literally be a game-changer.

However, for many families, the responsibility to serve as videographer can feel like a burden that actually interferes with enjoying the game. Parents become trapped behind a smartphone screen, frantically trying to track a fast-moving ball, ultimately missing the joy of experiencing their child’s play.

From Broadcast Trucks to AI

To understand why AI-powered sports cameras are gaining such momentum in 2026, XbotGo takes a look at how sports recording technology has changed over the years.

The 1980s–1990s: Broadcast-quality, few options

In the late twentieth century, sports video was primarily the domain of television broadcasters. Professional leagues and major college programs relied on multi-camera production crews and broadcast trucks to capture games at the highest level. At the grassroots level, recording was less common. When it did happen, consumer camcorders offered a low-tech way for families and teams to preserve memories.

The 2000s: Video as a coaching tool

As digital camcorders and editing software became more common, video offered an opportunity not just for making memories but for performance enhancement. Coaches used footage to review plays, strategies, and individual progress. For some, this marked the first time video became part of a team’s training process. However, getting footage still depended on a dedicated camera operator. Following fast-paced action and covering a large space for team sports, required skill and patience. A team’s video was often only as good as the person behind the camera.

The 2010s: Smartphones make every spectator a videographer

The proliferation of smartphones put capable cameras on every sideline. Parents, coaches, and teammates could capture games instantly and share clips in emails, texts, and social media posts. Recording became expected. However, the widespread adoption of amateur photography revealed a new challenge: Capturing a full game from a handheld device requires constant attention. Now, the experience of filming replaced the experience of watching the game. Many parents felt distracted from the game they were trying to capture.

2026 and Beyond: Democratization of video

Highlight reels are now part of the recruiting process for many young athletes, with college recruiters advising players to create videos that can be shared directly with coaches. The challenge for families is how to reliably capture footage without turning every game into work.

At the same time, high school sports participation in the United States has grown to more than 8 million athletes, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. The market around sports technology is also expanding. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global sports analytics market is expected to grow from $2.29 billion in 2025 to $4.75 billion by 2030.

That growth helps explain why a new generation of AI-powered cameras, designed to track action autonomously, generate highlight clips, and capture video without a dedicated operator, is gaining attention. For brands operating in this category, including XbotGo, the broader opportunity lies in bridging the gap between elite and grassroots sports by bringing this kind of capability to everyday families and amateur clubs.

The Boundaries of AI

For many parents and coaches, the appeal of autonomous cameras is the consistency of quality video. In practice, these tools help turn a stressful sideline task into an effortless part of the youth sports experience.

While AI-powered cameras offer convenience and reliability, they still come with limitations. Current technology excels at consistent tracking and high-volume capture, but it does not replace the trained eye of an experienced scout or the creativity of a professional videographer.

Unusual lighting or complex field setups may still affect coverage. However, for most amateur clubs, quality game footage is within reach, and automation prevents the tradeoff between shooting the game and enjoying it.

This story was produced by XbotGo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Israel said it was open to peace with Lebanon ahead of the first direct talks in decades between the neighbours Tuesday, but that Hezbollah remained the "problem" blocking an agreement on ending fighting.   

The United States is pressing for a halt to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, fearing it could derail the two-week ceasefire in Washington's war with Iran, despite talks with Tehran in Pakistan failing to achieve a breakthrough.

Washington said "the ball is in the Iranian court" on ending the region-wide war, after a US naval blockade on Iranian ports began in the Strait of Hormuz, which had already been effectively closed by Tehran.

Lebanon was pulled into the broader conflict when Hezbollah attacked Israel, sparking an Israeli ground invasion and strikes -- including an extremely heavy attack on Beirut on April 8 -- that have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced over one million.

Tuesday's meeting in Washington -- the first such in-person talks since 1993 -- will be mediated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and include the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States.

Expectations of any major breakthroughs were low, with Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem calling for the talks to be scrapped before they even began, describing them as "futile".

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said his country was seeking "peace and normalisation" with Lebanon. 

But he insisted that Hezbollah was the "problem", and that it needed to be addressed in order to move to a "different phase".

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said he hopes a truce deal can be agreed and full-blown negotiations launched between the two countries, which have technically been at war for decades and don't have official diplomatic relations.

- US blockades Iran -

While attention switched to the meeting on the war between Hezbollah and Israel, Trump sought to squeeze Iran with a naval blockade as diplomatic efforts accelerated towards a new round of peace talks with Tehran.

US Central Command had said the measures covered "vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas".

But at least two ships using Iranian ports passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, data from maritime tracking firm Kpler indicated Tuesday.

Iran's military command branded the blockade an act of piracy and warned that if the security of its harbours was "threatened, no port in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea will be safe".

With his blockade of Iranian ports, Trump was trying to starve Iran of funds but also pressure Beijing, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, to lean on Tehran to reopen Hormuz, analysts said.

China said the blockade was "dangerous and irresponsible", after Trump threatened to sink any boats that sought to leave or dock at Iranian ports.

The standoff at the strait, through which one-fifth of global oil transited in peacetime, failed to dampen optimism in global markets, with Asian equities rallying while oil continued a downward slide.

France said it would co-host a video conference with Britain on Friday of countries ready to contribute to a "purely defensive mission" to secure the Strait of Hormuz. 

Crucially, despite the blockade, the fragile two-week truce agreed last Wednesday between Washington and Tehran remained in place.

Trump insisted that Iranian representatives had called Washington since a US delegation returned empty-handed from negotiations in Islamabad.

"I can tell you that we've been called by the other side. They'd like to make a deal. Very badly, very badly," he told reporters outside the Oval Office.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that "full efforts are underway" to reach an agreement to stop the fighting and that the US-Iran ceasefire was "holding".

On Tuesday, senior Pakistani sources told AFP that Islamabad was working to bring Iran and the United States together for a second round of talks.

Iranian state TV reported that Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran "will continue to talk only within the framework of international law" in a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

Macron said he urged Pezeshkian and Trump to resume stalled talks towards ending the Iran war. 

- Nuclear enrichment pause? -

Trump has insisted that an agreement must include stopping Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon, having launched the war after accusing Tehran of developing an atomic bomb -- an allegation it denies.

During weekend talks, the United States reportedly sought a 20-year suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment programme, according to media reports on Monday.

Iran in turn proposed to suspend its nuclear activity for five years, which US officials rejected, The New York Times reported.

Diplomatic efforts were also picking up elsewhere, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Beijing on Tuesday, hours after Iran's state news agency reported he had spoken with his Iranian counterpart.

Moscow has offered to hold Iran's enriched uranium safely as part of any deal.

Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed Tuesday that Beijing would play a "constructive role" in promoting peace talks in the Middle East.

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At least two ships sailing from Iranian ports crossed the Hormuz Strait on Monday despite a US military blockade, maritime tracking data indicated Tuesday.

They were among at least four Iran-linked vessels that used the route after Washington's blockade came into effect at 1400 GMT on Monday, according to maritime data provider Kpler.

The Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Christianna crossed after unloading 74,000 tonnes of corn at the Iranian port of Bandar Imam Khomeini, passing Iran's Larak Island in the strait around 1600 GMT on Monday, Kpler data showed.

A second ship, the Comoros-flagged tanker Elpis, was near Larak Island around 1100 GMT and cleared the strait about 1600 GMT.

It was loaded with 31,000 tonnes of methanol, having left the Iranian port of Bushehr on March 31, Kpler data showed.

US Central Command had said the blockade would target "vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas".

A Chinese tanker, the Rich Starry, also crossed the strait overnight from Monday to Tuesday via the Iranian-approved vetting route south of Larak Island.

Kpler said that vessel was carrying 31,500 tonnes of methanol and was bound for Sohar in Oman, according to data from its transponder.

Media including leading shipping journal Lloyd's List interpreted the Chinese ship's passage as a "test" of US President Donald Trump's blockade.

Maritime analysts have cautioned during the recent weeks of conflict around the strait that ships' signals in the region have been disrupted and manipulated, making precise tracking difficult.

- Sanctioned ships -

The Rich Starry is listed by the United States' Office of Foreign Assets Control as being sanctioned for its ties to Iran.

The Elpis is also under US sanctions for ties to Iran, but the Christianna is not.

Iranian forces effectively closed the strait after the war broke out with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

The US on Sunday announced its own blockade after peace talks with Iran failed.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Tuesday called the US move "dangerous and irresponsible".

A fourth vessel, the Madagascar-flagged tanker Murlikishan, meanwhile crossed the strait westward into the Gulf on Tuesday morning through the Larak Island route.

It was empty and heading to the Iraqi port of Khor al Zubair, according to its transponder signal, Kpler said.

It is sanctioned by the US for Iran-related trade and many of its past trips to the Gulf had been to Iran, picking up Iranian bitumen and asphalt to ship to Asia.

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