Newsweek is reporting that oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and the surrounding region are not far off their pre-war levels, citing data from firms including Kpler. It said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations has not recorded any attacks on vessels for several days, and that Iran is setting out terms for reopening the strait while using diplomatic language.
Newsweek said mediators are meeting and proposals are being exchanged, though President Donald Trump denied Monday night that he had offered Iran sanctions relief or access to frozen funds, disputing a media report. It said a U.S. naval effort continues to protect ships transiting the area and to keep Iranian vessels blockaded, and that Iranian leverage over the strait does not appear to be what it once was.
Separately, Newsweek is reporting confusion over what happened at RAF Fairford in England on Sunday evening. It said five British nationals arrested over a suspected terror plot to attack the U.S. base have been released on bail, a move it described as surprising to many, including Trump. The British government called it an "operational decision" by police, and Newsweek said there are complex legal reasons for the release, or the incident could be less significant than it first appeared, with fuel theft among the theories. It said Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have both commented and implied the matter was serious, potentially involving a state actor. Newsweek noted the base was used by U.S. bombers to strike Iran, making it an obvious suspect, while Tehran denies any connection.
Newsweek also reported that Russia is increasingly using jet-powered drones to strike Ukrainian cities, a problem it said Trump's Patriot systems are too slow to solve.
In the United States, Newsweek reported that Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a statewide disaster over skyrocketing diesel prices, allowing the use of dyed diesel on the state's roads for 30 days to bring down costs for drivers. It said the declaration suspends state restrictions and associated penalties but does not waive the underlying fuel tax liability, and that it lifts some restrictions on commercial transportation, including higher allowable weights for fuel, agricultural and timber loads.
Newsweek reported that OpenAI is scrapping the planned release of its next-generation AI model after researchers raised safety concerns during internal testing. It said an OpenAI spokesperson confirmed the decision not to ship GPT-6.1 Astra, which was set for an October debut, and that the decision was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The spokesperson said the model did not perform as well as Astra GPT-6 on alignment evaluations, and that other new models meeting safety standards are coming "very soon."
Newsweek also reported that Pope Leo XIV said warnings about artificial intelligence going rogue are not "fake news" and should be taken seriously, as Trump prepares to meet with some leading AI executives Tuesday in Washington.