Iran and Oman have reached a consensus to advance a scheme that imposes “voluntary” charges on vessels traversing the Strait of Hormuz, as highlighted in several reports.

Initially, Oman opposed Iran’s idea of implementing tolls in this strategically crucial passageway. However, Oman has now presented a formal plan to the United States and other allied nations, suggesting that shipping companies should contribute service fees for passage through the strait, according to a report by the New York Times.

The government of Oman asserts that their proposal draws inspiration from the fee structure used in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore in Southeast Asia, where shippers voluntarily contribute for safe passage.

Although a diplomat from the region informed the Times that the charges would be non-mandatory, Iranian officials maintain that these payments will, in fact, be compulsory.

The initiative also bears a significant difference from the toll setup in the Strait of Malacca — over 15 years, the Aids to Navigation Fund, managed by Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, has accumulated a mere $23 million.

Iran projected Hormuz tolls could bring in $40 billion per year.

Details of the plan come just a day after Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi expressed support for a joint plan with Iran to impose “maritime service fees” on the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Press TV reported.

Al-Busaidi said Muscat remains opposed to Iran’s direct toll scheme for the critical oil choke point, but said fees were necessary to keep navigation in the waters safe.

“Some services may include enhancing navigational safety, protecting waters from pollution, and increasing preparedness to deal with accidents or emergencies,” the minister said of the collection plan.

The position echoes a joint statement from Tehran and Muscat last week that the governments refused to rule out collecting fees in the Strait of Hormuz after the Trump administration publicly insisted that Tehran can’t charge tolls.

The developments threaten to permanently change the strait, which oversees the transport of 20% of the world’s oil supply.

Before the US and Israel launched its war with Iran, the international shipping route was free and open to the more than 130 vessels that sailed through its waters every day.

It remains unclear whether the US will accept Oman’s plan to charge voluntary service fees following President Trump’s repeated insistence that the Strait of Hormuz should remain free waters for all.

The president previously described any tolls or fees schemes along the strait as “unacceptable,” going as far as to threaten Oman if it did not “behave just like everybody else.”

A California couple’s plans to relocate have been thrown into disarray as they claim a moving company is holding their belongings hostage after unexpectedly doubling the price they initially agreed upon.

It’s been almost a month since John Nelson and his wife embarked on a move from Oceanside to North Carolina, a journey that turned problematic in late May. As per CBS 8’s reporting, the couple described the experience as deeply unsettling.

Initially, the couple had entered into an agreement with a moving broker, settling on a full-service package for just over $16,000, with a $7,000 deposit paid in advance.

However, on the scheduled moving day, the company reportedly hiked the price to $32,000, claiming the couple’s inventory was larger than originally estimated.

While Nelson ultimately agreed to move forward to avoid losing his deposit, he later alleged that the company attempted to charge another round of additional fees upon delivery.

According to the couple, the company attempted to deliver their belongings on June 3 — one week before the date Nelson said they would be available to receive them, CBS 8 reported.

The failed delivery attempt allegedly led the contractors to issue an additional redelivery fee, according to the report.

“They’ve got $30,000 and they’ve got our stuff… and they’re basically holding it for ransom,” Nelson said. 

“When you move, it’s an exciting thing…you never expect for somebody to take your stuff and not deliver it,” he added.

Nelson also claimed the initial delivery attempt may have been staged to pressure the couple into paying additional charges, alleging that the moving truck captured on video did not appear to be the same vehicle used to load their belongings. 

“I think they just pulled up an empty truck to stage a charade,” he said. 

“As far as I’m concerned, they’ve got stolen property that’s crossed state lines,” Nelson added. 

Nelson and his wife reportedly filed police reports in both Oceanside and their new city in North Carolina.

Complaints were also filed with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), a dispute-resolution service that helps consumers address issues with companies, the outlet said. 

According to CBS 8, the broker has received 280 complaints with the BBB over the past three years. 

The broker reportedly disputed the couple’s claims but said it was working to find a resolution. 

The sudden disappearance of a Virginia teacher during a planned hiking expedition in Peru has left his family desperately searching for answers and hoping for his safe return.

Ian Thomas Treger, 29, intended to complete his trek to the Choquequirao Archaeological Park by around May 20. However, concern mounted when his family was unable to reach him, raising alarms about his whereabouts.

Initially, his mother, Michelle Ludwig, thought her son might be having trouble communicating due to poor cell phone reception in the remote Andes region. She shared this with The News-Gazette.

Ludwig also speculated that he may have spontaneously decided to take a detour to visit Peru’s renowned Machu Picchu archaeological site.

“I wasn’t too worried because he often changes his plans,” she commented, noting that her son is an Eagle Scout with extensive outdoor experience. She remains hopeful given his familiarity with navigating the wilderness.

According to his Instagram profile, he is also very well-traveled, with his last post showing him in Ecuador on April 16. 

Ludwig said he traveled to Peru after wrapping up his teaching year at Ecuador’s Galápagos Language Academy.

She said he wanted to experience Jubilee Month, a month-long celebration in Cusco, a city in the Peruvian Andes. 

His distraught mother said she notified local authorities that Treger was missing on May 26, but an alert wasn’t issued by Peruo’s national police until June 11 – when she arrived to join in the search for her son. 

‘I really thought something was happening, that they were looking for my son. But they weren’t,’ she told the outlet. 

Two Peruvian police divisions, the High Mountain Rescue Police and the Missing Persons Divison have been assisting in the search for Treger, Ludwig said. 

She has also hired private guides to help look for her child. 

‘It’s been a real challenge finding information,’ Ludwig stated. 

A police alert has described Treger as 5’10”, white, with blond hair and blue eyes. He also has small tattoos that feature two pairs of whale sharks on his right calf. 

Anyone with information on Treger has been urged to call the Peruvian authorities or Ludwig directly. 

She has also launched a GoFundMe to help raise money for her efforts. 

‘Everyone who knows or has met Ian enjoys his sense of humor, appreciates his love of life, is fascinated by his many tales of travel, and will never forget his beautiful smile & bright blue eyes,’ she wrote. 

As of Tuesday evening, more than $26,000 had been raised. 

A local site at Collierstown Presbyterian Church is also collecting donations, per the outlet. 

Treger grew up in Effinger, Virginia, where he was a Boy Scout, and eventually an Eagle Scout. 

He obtained a Wilderness First Aid certification while attending colleged at Washington and Lee, she told the publication. 

During his senior year, he led one of the school’s Appalachian Adventure trips before graduating in 2020. 

‘He loves the outdoors and prefers to be away from crowds and the destinations popular with tourists. He is as comfortable hiking with friends as he is adventuring alone,’ she added.  

Breaking news… updates to follow.  

A vicious killer now faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison after a jury found him guilty of the horrific murder of his artist girlfriend in California. He dragged her back into their home as she desperately tried to flee after their outing.

Following a fortnight-long trial, 30-year-old Victor “Frito” Frieson III was convicted of both murder and torture. The Alameda County jury delivered the verdict on Monday concerning the death of ceramic artist and poet Zoe Reidy Watts, as reported by the Mercury News.

According to the prosecution, the deadly incident occurred after the couple returned to Frieson’s residence in Oakland. They had been on a date at Johnny Foley’s Irish House in San Francisco on March 1, 2024.

During the evening, the couple shared videos on an Instagram account that they occasionally used for restaurant reviews and other content, capturing moments from their night out.

Investigators later utilized these videos to piece together the sequence of events, noting that Reidy Watts appeared unscathed and without any visible injuries when the couple exited the restaurant.

They rode Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) back to Frieson’s apartment at 185 15th St. in Oakland, arriving around 10:45 p.m.

Surveillance footage showed Reidy Watts “was walking but was clearly struggling to maintain her balance, at one point falling sideways into the street,” according to court filings.

Prosecutors said Frieson attacked her around midnight on March 1 or shortly before midnight the following night, leaving her covered in bruises, multiple cuts and a gash to her neck.

During the assault, Reidy Watts tried to escape the apartment, but surveillance video captured her final moments as she staggered outside naked and badly injured before collapsing just beyond the doorway, according to court records.

The footage then showed Frieson dragging her back inside by the arm and shutting the door.

At his trial, Frieson testified in his own defense. His lawyers admitted he committed domestic violence against Reidy Watts but argued he was not guilty of murder or torture.

After the attack, prosecutors said Frieson went to a neighbor’s apartment, said he needed help and led the neighbor to Reidy Watts’ body while implying he did not know how she had died. Prosecutors also argued he cleaned the apartment before seeking help, calling it another sign of guilt.

Jurors also heard that Frieson had assaulted previous romantic partners and that Reidy Watts had tried to get protection from him just months before her death.

The couple met in 2023 while Reidy Watts was a student at San Francisco State University and living in her grandparents’ apartment on Turk Street in San Francisco.

At the time, she was building a name for herself as a visual and performing artist, working as a ceramicist, clothing designer and arts instructor.

Deputy District Attorney Nick Homer wrote in court filings that friends and family started noticing injuries on Reidy Watts soon after she began dating Frieson.

Just six weeks before the killing, she filed a domestic violence report with Oakland police. Homer wrote officers documented “two black eyes, and her legs were covered in deep bruises.”

Frieson’s sentencing is tentatively set for mid-September.

A tragic incident has occurred involving a 21-year-old student from Wichita State University who lost his life after leaping into a well-known swimming area in Oregon, where the frigid waters are reportedly intense enough to cause immediate shock.

Kenny Truong, hailing from Wichita, Kansas, was with friends at Tamolitch Falls, locally recognized as Blue Pool, on Friday evening. As he plunged into the water, he found himself unable to return to the surface, confirmed the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

Emergency dispatch received a 911 call at 8:47 p.m. on June 26, alerting them to a man who had entered the body of water near Highway 126 and was in distress.

“Eyewitnesses observed him battling to swim toward the shore before he disappeared from view,” Linn County Undersheriff Micah Smith stated in an official release. “The dedicated efforts of both bystanders at Tamolitch Falls and the emergency responders who promptly arrived after the 911 call, unfortunately, could not save Kenny’s life.”

The Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Lane County Sheriff’s Office and Upper McKenzie Rural Fire responded to the remote area Friday evening.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Kenny Truong, 21, of Kansas, during what is an unimaginable time,” Smith said.

Truong was a finance major at the W. Frank Barton School of Business and a member-at-large of the Cummings Student Managed Investment Fund, Wichita State University confirmed to News Media.

Blue Pool, known for its striking turquoise water and cliffside views, is a major draw for hikers and visitors across the Pacific Northwest, but officials warned it can be deadly.

“It is also a place that has taken lives before and will take lives again if visitors do not understand what they are facing,” Smith said.

Authorities said the cliffs surrounding the pool rise between 10 and 60 feet, while the water averages just 37 degrees. The area also has minimal to no cellphone service, and rescue efforts can be complicated by the remote terrain.

“When something goes wrong at Blue Pool — or on the trail leading into the falls — it can take up to several hours from the moment of injury to reach a hospital,” the sheriff’s office said.

A GoFundMe organized by Carter Nguyen remembered Truong as a deeply loved friend with “fire in him” who pushed others to become “the brightest, best, fullest” versions of themselves.

“Kenny wasn’t just my best friend; he was my brother,” Nguyen wrote. “He had a way of making everyone around him feel seen, feel loved, and feel like they were capable of more than they ever believed on their own.”

“Every room he walked into got a little brighter just because he was in it,” Nguyen wrote. “That’s not something you can fake; that was just Kenny.”

The sheriff’s office urged visitors to understand the risks before entering the water at Tamolitch Falls, watch out for the people they arrive with and call 911 immediately if someone is in distress. Officials said visitors with questions about current conditions should contact the McKenzie River Ranger Station.