Zoohi

Western airlines added 677 flights to Asia since the conflict began, recapturing roughly 12% of routes lost to Gulf carrier groundings, according to Bloomberg data.
Lufthansa warned this week of potential jet fuel shortages at some Asian airports if Iran's Strait of Hormuz blockade persists.
Turkish Airlines gained market share via Istanbul but its limited fuel hedging could erode profits from the extra traffic.
#iran

Financial services giant Charles Schwab Corporation has officially moved into the cryptocurrency market, announcing the launch of direct trading for Bitcoin and Ethereum through a new service called Schwab Crypto. The rollout is expected to begin in the first half of 2026, starting with a limited release before expanding to more customers.

The new platform will allow millions of clients to buy and sell digital assets directly from the same accounts they use for stocks, bonds, and other investments. Company executives said the decision was driven by growing demand from customers who want crypto integrated into traditional portfolios rather than relying on separate exchanges.

With roughly $12 trillion in client assets and about 46 million accounts, Schwab’s entry into crypto is widely seen as a major milestone for mainstream adoption. Analysts believe even a small shift of funds into digital assets could significantly increase liquidity and competition across the industry.

Overall, the launch signals a clear trend: large Wall Street institutions are accelerating their push into cryptocurrencies, bringing digital assets closer to the financial mainstream and reshaping how investors access Bitcoin and Ethereum.
$ETH
$BTC
#bitcoin #Ethereum

#AnthropicBansOpenClawFromClaude
AI company Anthropic has effectively banned the popular third-party AI agent OpenClaw from using standard subscriptions to its chatbot Claude, marking a significant shift in how external tools interact with major AI platforms.

Under the new policy, which took effect on April 4, 2026, users can no longer rely on their regular Claude subscription to power OpenClaw. Instead, they must switch to a pay-as-you-go model or purchase additional usage bundles, even if they already pay for premium plans.

Anthropic explained that the change was driven primarily by infrastructure strain and rising demand. Third-party automation tools like OpenClaw generate heavy, continuous usage patterns that flat-rate subscriptions were not designed to support. The company said it now intends to prioritize its own services and maintain system stability as AI workloads expand rapidly.

The decision has sparked backlash among developers and power users who relied on OpenClaw for tasks such as managing emails, browsing the web, and automating workflows. Critics argue that the move could significantly increase costs and limit innovation in the growing ecosystem of AI agents. Meanwhile, OpenClaw’s creator publicly expressed disappointment, saying efforts to persuade Anthropic to reconsider were unsuccessful.

More broadly, the policy highlights a turning point in the AI industry: companies are moving away from unlimited subscription models toward usage-based pricing as advanced AI systems become more resource-intensive.

Iran has stated that it never refused to participate in proposed negotiations with the United States in Pakistan, pushing back against recent reports suggesting Tehran had declined Islamabad’s mediation efforts. The clarification came from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said his country remained open to dialogue and had not rejected the possibility of traveling to Pakistan for talks.
The diplomatic confusion emerged amid heightened regional tensions and ongoing efforts to prevent further escalation. Pakistan has positioned itself as a potential intermediary, leveraging its relationships with both Washington and Tehran. Officials in Islamabad emphasized that their mediation initiative remains active, even as mixed signals from various sources created uncertainty about Iran’s willingness to engage.
Complicating the situation further, Pakistan and China jointly introduced a five-point peace proposal on 31 March aimed at stabilizing the region. The plan called for an immediate ceasefire and the reopening of critical maritime routes through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy supplies. The proposal underscored the growing role of regional powers in attempting to de-escalate tensions and safeguard international trade.
Despite Iran’s public statement, some uncertainty persists behind the scenes. Pakistan’s Foreign Office dismissed claims that mediation efforts had collapsed, yet an unnamed official indicated that Tehran had not formally confirmed readiness to begin negotiations. Analysts note that such diplomatic ambiguity is common in early-stage mediation, where parties often balance domestic messaging with cautious international signaling.
Overall, Iran’s denial keeps the door to negotiations open and sustains momentum for Pakistan-led diplomatic engagement. Whether these talks ultimately materialize will depend on mutual assurances, security considerations, and broader geopolitical calculations in the coming weeks.
#iran #Pakistan