Nikate Winslet

Trump announces that the US blockade of Iran's ports will commence later, as peace talks over the weekend concluded without an agreement.

Donald Trump has stated that the US blockade of Iranian ports is set to begin on Monday at 10:00 ET (14:00 GMT / 15:00 BST) - here are the key details you should be aware of.

According to US Central Command, it will "not impede" vessels navigating through the Strait of Hormuz to or from other nations - oil prices have surged above $100 a barrel.

This announcement follows the conclusion of weekend peace talks between the US and Iran, which ended without a resolution. Trump claims that negotiations fell through because Iran refused to "abandon its nuclear ambitions," while Iran's foreign minister attributes the failure to "shifting goalposts" from the US.

In reaction to the blockade, Iran's parliament speaker has stated that the nation will not "surrender under threats."

Iran has warned that any military ships that approach the shipping lane will be "dealt with severely," and the parliament speaker reiterated that Tehran will not "surrender under threats."

Trump's forthcoming actions present several challenges and risks for the American side, as noted by our correspondent.

Cygnet Texkimp's export licence for machinery to Rydena has been approved; however, ministers are reviewing the deal following the Guardian's revelation of the company's founders' connections to the Kremlin's military supply chain.

Ryan Serhant starts work at 4:30 a.m.—he says most people don't achieve their dreams because "they just want to be lazy."

In today's hyper-competitive business world, being a leader can feel like running a never-ending marathon. Perhaps that's why some executives, like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, work seven days a week—including holidays—to stay ahead.

The social media mogul, Netflix star, and founder of real estate firm SERHANT has made a name for himself not only for selling luxury homes to millionaires but also for managing his time with almost mathematical precision.

He wakes up at 4:30 a.m. every morning and spends the first hour answering emails. After a 90-minute workout, he begins his day with meetings and client work that sometimes lasts until 11 p.m.

And he's the first to admit that his work-life balance is severely lacking.

"I definitely have this problem, like I genuinely live to work," said Serhant, who is married and a father of one. "Even when I'm traveling, I'm so excited to get back to my command station."

For many employees, achieving balance has become increasingly important. In fact, according to Randstad's 2025 Workmonitor report, it was the highest-ranking factor for talent when evaluating current or future jobs. This was the first time in the study's 22-year history that work-life balance surpassed salary as the top incentive.

But Serhant argued that the work-life balance debate isn't so simple. He said many people struggle because they "lie to themselves."

"I think the easiest person to lie to is the person you see in the mirror," Serhant added. "People aren't honest about their goals. They think they want to get married, they think they want X, they think they want Y, but they don't actually want to do anything. They actually just want to be lazy. They actually just want to win the lottery."

Gold prices recently hit record highs as investors poured money into the safe-haven asset amid rising global political uncertainty.

The metal surpassed the $5,000 (£3,646) per ounce mark for the first time on Monday and briefly touched $5,500. Silver and platinum prices also saw similar increases.

However, prices for all three have since fallen significantly following signs of political stability in the US, but they remain considerably higher than at the same time last year.

Investment shifts due to Trump uncertainty
Global trade has been affected by tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on countries that trade with the US but which he deems detrimental to his country's interests.

Emma Wall, chief investment strategist at Hargreaves Lansdown, says his trade policies are unsettling investors, fueling the gold rally.

In January, gold and silver prices reached record highs, but share prices fell as investors reacted to Trump's threat to impose new tariffs on eight European countries that opposed his proposed acquisition of Greenland.

Hamad Hussain, an economist at Capital Economics, said the perception that gold is a safe investment, contrasted with the risks associated with US foreign and fiscal policies under Trump, has brought the precious metal "into the spotlight."

How low can Microsoft's stock go?
Microsoft (MSFT) stock has fallen 10% in a single day. The recent decline has raised new concerns about slowing Azure cloud growth, rising AI costs, and dependence on OpenAI. For more details, see our opinion on – What went wrong with Microsoft stock?

However, such significant drops typically raise a more challenging question: Is this weakness a temporary setback, or does it signal deeper problems within the company?

Before assessing its resilience during a downturn, let's examine Microsoft's current situation.

Size: Microsoft is a $3.2 trillion company with $305 billion in revenue, and it is currently trading at $433.50.
Fundamentals: Revenue has grown by 16.7% over the past 12 months, and the operating margin is 46.7%.
Liquidity: The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02 and a cash-to-assets ratio of 0.13.
Valuation: Microsoft stock is currently valued at a P/E multiple of 27.0 and a P/EBIT multiple of 21.6.
These indicators show strong operational performance, coupled with a very high valuation – making the stock relatively expensive. For more information, see Buy or Sell MSFT Stock.