05.03.2026 sunday

In the U.S., Spirit Airlines ceases operations following a failed government bailout deal and oil price surges amidst the Iran war. (CBS News) (AP) 

A bulk freighter reports being attacked by multiple small craft outside the Strait of Hormuz, off Bandar Sirik, Iran. (CBS News) 

A opposition figure and lawyer critical of the Malian military junta is kidnapped in Bamako overnight. (Africanews) 

JPMorgan Chase analysts estimate that oil inventories in OECD countries will begin running out between May 9 and May 30. (Fortune) 

On World Press Freedom Day, Afghan journalists launch the Kabul Times News media outlet in exile in France amidst media restrictions in Afghanistan. (Khaama Press) (Kabul Times News) 

The United States Africa Command reports that two U.S. Army troops have been reportedly missing while on a hike in southwestern Morocco after taking part in the annual African Lion military exercises. (AP) 

Five Ethiopian migrants were killed last week in a series of xenophobic attacks in Johannesburg, South Africa, three of whom were shot dead inside a McDonald’s restaurant. (Borkena) 

Tasnim News Agency reports that Iran has submitted a 14-point proposal to Pakistan via an intermediary. (AA) 

United States president Donald Trump says that he is reviewing Iran’s new proposal to end the war. (AP) 

The U.S. Central Command says that the U.S. has redirected its 48th vessel attempting to exit or enter an Iranian port since the start of the blockade. (Middle East Monitor) 

Forty-one people have been killed in the last 24 hours in a series of Israeli airstrikes across multiple locations in Lebanon. (Al Jazeera) 

EgyptAir cancels Hajj flights to and from Mali amidst a crisis in which separatist and Islamist militant are targeting the Malian military-led junta. (AFP via Arab News) 

Five civilians are killed in a drone strike launched by the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum, Sudan. (Asharq Al-Awsat) 

The General Civil Aviation Authority says that the United Arab Emirates has resumed normal traffic operations and lifted temporary precautions imposed during the start of the war on February 28. (Khaleej Times) 

At least 10 people are killed after heavy rains cause flooding and landslides in several regions of Kenya. (Reuters) 

Wildfires in Ōtsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, are brought under control after burning about 1,600 hectares for 11 days, marking one of the country’s largest fires in decades. (AFP via Dawn) 

Sixteen people are killed and 21 others are injured when a truck carrying bamboo overturns in Naypyidaw, Myanmar. (Xinhua) 

Six people are killed and five others are rescued in a fire at a massage parlor in Lingbao City, Henan, China. (Xinhua) 

Three personnel of the District Reserve Guard are killed and another is injured after an improvised explosive device detonated during a demining operation in Kanker district, Chhattisgarh, India. (Hindustan Times) 

Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te arrives in Eswatini after an earlier trip was cancelled when several countries revoked overflight permissions, a move attributed by Taiwanese officials to pressure from China. (AFP via The Caledonian-Record) 

Lawyer associations say that all 576 protesters who were detained during yesterday’s May Day protests in Istanbul, Turkey, are released. (Turkish Minute) 

Niueans vote to elect 20 members of the Assembly amid a cost-of-living crisis. Incumbent prime minister Dalton Tagelagi is running for re-election in Alofi South, seeking a third term in office. (Pacific Media Network) 

The National Jury of Elections launches a comprehensive audit of Peru’s presidential election first round after reported irregularities, with results showing leading candidates separated by a narrow margin and multiple contested tally sheets under review. (AFP via The Manila Times) 

In association football, Górnik Zabrze beats Raków Częstochowa 2–0 in the final to win their 7th Polish Cup. (Polish Radio) 

In horse racing, American horse Golden Tempo wins the 152nd Kentucky Derby after entering the race with 24–1 odds, making Cherie DeVaux the first female trainer to win the derby. (NBC News) 

The Emperor notifies Congress that the Iran war has been “terminated” ahead of a 60-day deadline under the War Powers Resolution, in which military operations must halt unless lawmakers authorize military force. (Politico) 

USS Gerald R. Ford officially exits the Middle East after taking part in operations in Iran during the war, leaving only the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H. W. Bush in the region. (AFP via The Straits Times) 

State media IRNA reports that Iran has sent a proposal for negotiations with the United States to mediators from Pakistan in an effort to end the Iran war. (Reuters) 

Reuters says that the U.S. was planning to close the Civil-Military Coordination Center. The Board of Peace denies such reports. (The Times of Israel) 

Jihadist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin takes over a base outside of TessalitKidal Region, Mali, after it is abandoned by Malian troops and Russia’s Africa Corps. (AFP via Barron’s) 

Al Qaeda-linked insurgents call for Malians to rise up against the Mali military junta and transition to Sharia law(Reuters) 

Six civilians are killed and nine more were injured after the military junta bombed a village in Falam Township, Chin State. (BNI) in Burmese 

A 45-year-old man is charged with three counts of attempted murder after attacking three people in London, England, on Wednesday. (BBC News) 

A 66-year-old man is charged with several offences, including terrorism, following a car bombing outside of a police station in Dunmurry, Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Sky News) 

World War II-era German SC250 bomb is safely detonated by the British Army in Plymouth, England, following its discovery on a building site that prompted the emergency evacuation of 1,000 homes. (BBC News) 

Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodríguez raises the minimum income package by 26.3% to US$240 and increases pensions to $70, as the government responds to protests over low wages amid high inflation(AFP via France 24) 

Fourteen Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members are killed and two others are injured when an unexploded ordnance detonated in Zanjan province, Iran. (Al Jazeera) 

Eleven people are killed after a passenger bus carrying medical staff and patients collided head-on with a truck near Otjiwarongo, Namibia. (Xinhua) 

At least 11 people are killed and 31 others are injured when a passenger bus veers off a highway and overturns near Amatlán de Cañas, Nayarit, Mexico. (Reuters) 

Nine people are killed, including two children, when a cruise boat capsizes in the Bargi Dam in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. (Hindustan Times) 

Three people are killed and 30 others are injured after a minibus rolled over in Balıkesir, Turkey. (AA in Turkish) 

Three people are killed and two others are injured when a bridge collapses in JammuJammu and Kashmir, India. (India Today) 

A gold mine collapse in a remote area of the Shahri Buzurg District of Badakhshan province, Afghanistan kills five people including two children. (KabulNow) 

The European Parliament adopts a resolution supporting the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian leaders for crimes related to the war in Ukraine and calls for sanctions to remain until a peace agreement is fully implemented. (Euromaidan Press) 

Turkish police arrest at least 57 people and use tear gas to disperse May Day demonstrators in Istanbul, where authorities block access to Taksim Square to prevent marches. (AFP via FMT) 

Protests and demonstrations are held worldwide on May Day to call for peace, higher wages and better working conditions. Additionally, protests are held against the Iran war and the global energy and fuel crisis caused by the war. (PBS) (Common Dreams) 

Labour Day rally organized by Kilusang Mayo Uno is held in Manila, Philippines. During the rally, protesters attempt to storm the U.S. embassy to demand an end to the Iran war and clash with police, injuring seven officers. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) (Xinhua) 

May Day protests are held across the U.S., including an economic blackout as part of 3,500 “May Day Strong” events across the country. Additionally, demonstrations are held outside institutions such as the New York Stock Exchange. (Time) (The Guardian) 

Leon Botstein, president of Bard College in New York, U.S., announces his retirement over his ties to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. (AP) (The Independent) 

Members of Alice Springs‘ Aboriginal community in Northern Territory, Australia, clash with police outside a hospital where a man charged with the murder of a five-year-old Warlpiri girl is being treated, demanding the suspect be punished under traditional law. This follows a five-day search for the missing girl with large community participation before she was confirmed dead. (The Guardian) 

Rubén Rocha Moya announces he will temporarily step down as governor of Sinaloa, Mexico, after the U.S. files charges alleging links to the Sinaloa Cartel(Reuters) 

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 formally enters force in England, banning Section 21 notices (no-fault evictions), limiting rent increases to once per year, giving tenants the legal right to keep pets, abolishing assured shorthold tenancies, and making it illegal to discriminate against tenants based on them having children, or receiving benefits(The Independent) 

One person is killed and 11 others are injured in a vehicle-ramming attack in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. The suspect is arrested. (The Standard) 

Official results from yesterday’s election indicated that the ABLP led by Antiguan prime minister Gaston Browne won 15 of 17 seats, while UPP leader Jamale Pringle and BPM leader Trevor Walker each retained their own seats. Browne is sworn in for a fourth term in office. (Antigua.news) (AP) 

Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda says that his country may consider joining a U.S. campaign to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. However, he also states that it will need approval by the government and parliament. (RBC-Ukraine) 

The United Kingdom raises its national terrorism threat level to “severe” following a series of antisemitic attacks in London, with the most recent being a stabbing attack that injured two Jews in Golders Green yesterday. (CBS News) 

Israel carries out a series of airstrikes across multiple locations in Lebanon, killing at least 32 people. (Middle East Eye) 

 Russia says that it will continue its military presence in Mali to provide assistance to the Malian government(Reuters) 

Niger announces that the Alliance of Sahel States conducted airstrikes in Mali against Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists and Tuareg separatists hours after the attacks began. (AFP via Indo Premier) 

Talks between participants from the Taliban government in Afghanistan and Pakistan are held in IstanbulTurkey under a Track 1.5 format in an effort to lower tensions between the two countries. (Islamabad Post) (Pakistan Today) 

At least 18 militants are killed in operations by Nigerian troops across Borno StateNigeria(Reuters) 

More than 1,000 homes are evacuated in PlymouthEngland, following the discovery of an unexploded World War II-era German SC250 bomb on a building site. (Sky News) 

The jury of the Venice Biennale in Italy resigns ahead of the exhibition’s opening, amid disagreement involving the government over Russia‘s participation. (CP via Lethbridge Herald) 

Reporters Without Borders reports that global press freedom has declined to its lowest level since the index began in 2002, with more than half of countries classified under severe conditions and the share of the world’s population living in countries with strong press freedom falling to below one percent. (AFP via France 24) 

United States president Donald Trump announces that he will lift tariffs on all whisky products, including Scotch whisky. (BBC News) (Politico) 

The bill is signed by U.S. president Donald Trump, officially bringing an end to the shutdown. (BBC News) (PBS) 

Residents of Tuapse in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, upload videos to social media appearing to show oil raining from the sky as authorities say the fire at the Tuapse oil terminal has now been extinguished after days of burning. (CNN) (Al Jazeera) 

Camp Mystic in Texas, U.S., withdraws an application to reopen during the summer in the wake of the floods last year, which killed 25 campers and two counsellors. (NBC News) 

Twenty people are killed after a jeep carrying pilgrims plunged off a cliff in Rolpa district, Nepal. (The Tribune) 

Five people are killed when a Cessna 421 Golden Eagle airplane crashes into wooden terrain in Wimberley, Texas, United States. (Reuters) 

The first direct commercial flight from the United States to Venezuela in seven years arrives at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas(AFP via NDTV) (AP) 

Thirty-eight-year-old Christopher Okello Onyum is sentenced to death by hanging for the murders of four children at a nursery school on April 2 in Kampala, Uganda. (BBC News) 

China announces it will ban the sale or renting of commercial drones in Beijing, while existing drone owners will also be required to register their devices with the police, citing security concerns. (BBC News) 

Myanmar‘s president Min Aung Hlaing orders the remaining prison sentence of deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be served under house arrest and announces a one-sixth reduction of sentences for all prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi. (AFP via CNA) (AFP via Taipei Times) 

Antiguans and Barbudans vote to elect 17 members of the House of Representatives. Incumbent prime minister and Labour leader Gaston Browne, who is running for a fourth term, is being challenged by United Progressive leader Jamale Pringle(Reuters) 

The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approves a bill passed by the Senate to fund the Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service, the Coast Guard, FEMATSA, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in an effort to end the 76-day government shutdown. (AFP via SCMP) (AP) (Politico) 

The Brazilian National Congress overrides a veto by president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to reduce the sentence of former president Jair Bolsonaro for a coup-related conviction. (Reuters) 

Russia announces the creation of a censorship council. (The Moscow Times in Russian) 

The Pakistan Navy commissions the first Hangor-class submarine, the PNS/M Hangor, at a ceremony in Sanya, China. (Daily Pakistan) 

American company Cloudflare states that Russian messenger app Max is a spyware app. (Ukrainian News) 

FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirms that Iran’s football team will participate in the upcoming FIFA World Cup, including matches in the United States, despite the Iran war. (Time) 

Russia says that it will continue its military presence in Mali to provide assistance to the Malian government(Reuters) 

The End

04.30.2026 thursday

ovlp below

Thursday, April 30th, 2026 oil $104 

Myth 

Rhodesia 

Cloudflare recognizes Russian messenger Max as a spyware app. (Ukrainian News) 

The Russian government announces the creation of a censorship council. (Russian service The Moscow Times) In Russian 

Russia says that it will continue its military presence in Mali to provide assistance to the Malian government(Reuters) 

China announces it will ban the sale or renting of commercial drones in Beijing, while existing drone owners will also be required to register their devices with the police, citing security concerns. (BBC News) 

The Pakistan Navy commissions the first Hangor-class submarine, the PNS/M Hangor, at a ceremony in Sanya, China. (Daily Pakistan) 

Wednesday, April 29th, 2026 oil $107 

American technology company Alphabet Inc. announces a $40 billion investment into artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic(Reuters) 

Finnish elevator manufacturer Kone announces the acquisition of its German competitor, TK Elevator, in a 29.4 billion (US$34.4 billion) deal, described by Bloomberg L.P. as one of Europe’s largest private equity-related takeovers and the largest corporate acquisition in Finland. (AFP via Barron’s) 

Pentagon UFO videos The Emperor says his administration will be soon releasing more classified files and videos related to UFOs and “related material”, adding that he had spoken to air force pilots who had seen “things you wouldn’t believe”. (Reuters) 

A barge carrying Timmy, a humpback whale that has been stranded off Germany’s coast in the Baltic Sea for several weeks, departs for the North Sea where Timmy is set to be freed. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern environment minister Till Backhaus says the whale is showing signs of good health. (AP) 

The Emperor says that he rejected an Iranian offer to end the Strait of Hormuz closure in exchange for lifting the naval blockade of Iran, and that the blockade will continue until an agreement is reached on Iran’s nuclear program. (Axios) 

During a phone call with President Truman, Stalin offers a ceasefire for Victory Day on May 9. (The Moscow Times) 

Three police officers are killed and another is injured in a mass shooting when gunmen open fire on a police patrol in Zahedan, Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran. (Al Jazeera) 

The Washington Post reports that the USS Gerald R. Ford will exit the Middle East and return to the U.S. state of Virginia in the coming days around mid-May after spending 10 months at sea. (The Washington Post) (The Times of Israel) 

Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi confirms that the Japan-flagged crude oil tanker Idemitsu Maru has successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz, making it the first direct passage of a Japanese oil tanker to cross the waterway since the war began on February 28. (AFP via AA) (The Chosun Ilbo) (Newsweek) 

Anadolu Agency reports that Pakistan is working silently to break the ongoing deadlock between the Iran and the United States in ceasefire talks, including finding a new “formula” for an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s nuclear program. (Pakistan Today) 

The United States charges Rubén Rocha Moya, the current governor of Sinaloa, Mexico, and nine other current and former politicians, with alleged drug and weapons trafficking charges and allegedly working with Mexican cartels, including Los Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. (CNN) 

A 21-year-old is detained in Rome, Italy, for shooting and wounding two people with a non-lethal airsoft gun during the celebrations for Liberation Day four days ago. The suspect claims to be affiliated with the Jewish Brigade, whose representatives deny his involvement with the group. (Il Messaggero in Italian) 

Two Jewish men are injured in a stabbing attack in Golders Green, London, England, which police describe as a terrorist attack. A 45-year-old man is arrested, and a political motive is being investigated. (The Guardian) 

The Islamist group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia takes responsibility for the attack. (i24NEWS TV) 

A Lebanese soldier and his brother are killed in an Israeli airstrike in Bint Jbeil(Reuters) 

Three people are killed and eight others are injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on a passenger bus in Voznesenovka, Belgorod Oblast, Russia. (AFP via Al-Arabiya) 

A Ukrainian SBU drone strikes an oil refinery near Perm, Perm Krai, Russia, causing a large fire at the facility. (AP) 

At least 12 people are killed and 23 others are injured, including 10 critically, after a pickup truck carrying 35 laborers collides with an SUV in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, India. (Hindustan Times) 

Seven people are killed and four others are injured after a wall collapses at a hospital in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. (Reuters) 

Two people are killed and 11 others are injured when a Diamond DA42 Twin Star crashes into a hangar at Parafield Airport in South Australia. (BBC News) 

A local board in the Auckland Region of New Zealand rejects a proposal to install a memorial statue for World War II-era comfort women in Takapuna following public consultation and diplomatic representations from Japan. (AFP via ABS-CBN News) 

The United States Supreme Court rules that Louisiana’s new redistricting map from 2024 is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander under the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution(AP) 

14th floor case The Thai corrections department approves the early release of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is serving a one-year prison sentence for corruption, citing his age and the limited time remaining on his sentence, with his release subject to probation conditions. (AFP via France 24) 

The Seoul High Court increases former South Korean president  You Suck Y’all’s sentence to seven years in prison for obstruction of justice and abuse of power, citing his use of presidential security personnel to interfere with his arrest and other actions. (AFP via France 24) 

Police in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, arrest 276 individuals linked to a transnational fraud network in a joint operation with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Chinese police, targeting multiple criminal groups and dismantling several scam centers involved in investment and cryptocurrency scams. (AFP via Arab News) 

The Brazilian federal senate rejects attorney general Jorge Messias’s nomination to the Supreme Federal Court in a 42–34 secret ballot, marking the first such rejection in more than a century. (AFP via Firstpost) 

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) indicts former FBI director James Comey on two counts for allegedly threatening The Emperor in The Coliseum. This is the second time Comey has been indicted by the DOJ after a previous indictment in 2025.  (NPR) 

Origin of SARS-CoV-2COVID-19 lab leak theory The U.S. justice department indicts David Morens, an ex-adviser to the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci, for allegedly concealing federal records during the COVID-19 pandemic related to the origin of COVID-19. (The Guardian) 

The U.S. Senate blocks a resolution by Democrats that would force a vote to limit The Emperor’s powers in launching military action against communist scum. (CBS News)

The United Arab Emirates announces that it is leaving the oil exporter groups OPEC and OPEC+(Reuters) 

The Tuapse oil terminal fire in Tuapse, Russia, grows larger following the third Ukrainian drone strike on the facility in two weeks. (BBC News) 

Ukraine reports intercepting more than 33,000 Russian drones in March, the highest monthly total since the start of the full-scale invasion. (AP) 

Air IndiaIndiGo, and SpiceJet inform the Indian government that the country’s airline industry is on the verge of “stopping operations” because of cost increases related to the Strait of Hormuz closure and the Iran war. (Al Jazeera) 

Three paramedics are killed in an Israeli airstrike in Majdal Zoun, Lebanon, while responding to the scene of a previous airstrike against a building, which killed two more people. (Al Jazeera) 

Colombian police arrest José Vitonco, an alleged guerrilla leader linked to FARC dissident leader Iván Mordisco [es], in connection with a deadly highway bombing in Cauca Department(AFP via RTHK) 

Malian president and military leader Assimi Goïta meets with Russian ambassador to the nation, Igor Gromyko, marking the former’s first public appearance since a rebel offensive began three days ago. (Al Jazeera) 

A series of clashes between delinquent cells took place in various part of the municipality of Tecoanapa, Guerrero. The balance of the violence is unknown, but is reported the use of drone bombing and attack against civil infrastructure and the reinforcement of government forces in the area. (La Jornada) 

Seven people are killed and 13 others are injured in a fire at a private construction site in Aeroport DistrictMoscow, Russia. (Xinhua) 

Five people are injured in a shooting spree between a social security office and a courthouse in Athens, Greece. The 89-year-old suspect fled the scene, but was arrested at a bus stop in Patras.  (BBC News) 

A Bahraini high court sentences five people, including two Afghans, to life in prison for plotting “terrorist and hostile acts” with Iran, while another 25 people receive up to ten years for supporting “terrorist acts”. (Firstpost) 

The Seoul High Court sentences former South Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee to four years in prison after convicting her of stock price manipulation and bribery, overturning her earlier acquittal on market-related charges. (AFP via France 24) 

A huge slice of Swiss Cheese dismisses a corruption case against Gulnara Karimova, daughter of former Uzbek president Islam Karimov(Financial Times) 

The Kosovan legislature fails to elect a president by the constitutional deadline due to insufficient votes, raising the likelihood of early parliamentary elections. (AA) 

In Canadian football, the 70th edition of the CFL draft is held, with the Ottawa Redblacks selecting former Purdue Boilermakers offensive lineman Giordano Vaccaro with the first overall pick. (Sportsnet) 

The End Thursday 

ovlp above

new above thursday

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 – Oil – $99

Rhodesia 

The United Arab Emirates announces that it is leaving the oil exporter group OPEC(Reuters) 

xxx

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio states that Iran’s position on access to the strait does not meet U.S. requirements, while The Emperor discusses a reported Parthian proposal on reopening the route with his national security advisers. (AFP via CNA) 

The United Arab Emirates announces that it is leaving the oil exporter group OPEC(Reuters) 

China’s National Development and Reform Commission announces the decision to block American technology company Meta‘s planned acquisition of Chinese artificial intelligence startup Manus(AFP via CNA) 

Air IndiaIndiGo, and SpiceJet inform the Indian government that the country’s airline industry is on the verge of “stopping operations” because of cost increases related to the Strait of Hormuz closure and the Iran war. (Al Jazeera) 

horribly exposed and focused e100 slide film

Australian gold mining corporation Resolute Mining says its gold mining operation at Syama Hybrid Power Station in Sikasso Region, Mali, is operating as normal despite jihadist attacks across the country. (Capital Brief) 

Audias Flores Silva, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, is taken into custody during a raid in Nayarit, Mexico. (Reuters) 

Four people are injured in shooting spree between a social security office and a courthouse in Athens, Greece. The 89-year-old suspect fled the scene. (AP) 

Five people, including three Bahraini citizens and two Afghan citizens, are sentenced to life in prison by Bahrain for plotting “terrorist and hostile acts” with Iran, while another 25 people receive up to ten years for supporting “terrorist acts”. (Al Jazeera) 

Bahrain revokes the citizenship of 69 people for “expressing support” for Iran during the conflict. (Reuters) 

Hezbollah secretary-general Naim Qassem says that he “categorically rejects” negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, and that “the resistance” will continue. (MENA via The New Arab) 

Iran and the U.S. dispute at a review conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons at the United Nations, amid disagreement over Iran’s election as a vice president of the meeting and its compliance with treaty obligations. (AP) 

A Taiwanese court sentences a former TSMC employee to 10 years in prison for stealing trade secrets to benefit Tokyo Electron, while also imposing prison terms on accomplices and financial penalties on Tokyo Electron Taiwan. (AFP via The Manila Times) 

The Associated Press and Axios report that Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the United States lifts its blockade and if the war ends. (CNBC) 

Iraqi president Nizar Amidi names Ali al-Zaidi as prime minister-designate from the Coordination Framework, after two other contenders, former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki and the incumbent Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, withdrew their candidacies. (Al Jazeera) (Reuters) 

Islamist militant group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) says the Malian military has begun to withdraw from Tessalit, Kidal Region, with the soldiers agreeing to hand over their weapons in exchange for a safe passage from the town. (Reuters) 

Somali pirates storm and hijack a Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged cargo ship off the coast of Puntland that was en route to Kenya. Puntland maritime police say nine gunmen boarded the vessel and are currently in control of the vessel and are heading towards Mogadishu. The status of the crew is not known. (AP) 

Seven people are killed and 85 others are injured in Pakistani strikes on Afghanistan, including the Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University(The Economic Times) 

Four people are killed and dozens are injured after an Argo Bromo Anggrek train collides with a KRL Commuterline train near Bekasi Timur Station in West Java, Indonesia, prompting evacuations. (AFP via France 24) 

Twenty-nine people are killed and several structures are destroyed by Islamic State gunmen during a mass shooting in Guyaku, Nigeria. (Al Jazeera) 

American fashion retailer Claire’s closes all of its 154 stores in Ireland and the United Kingdom with the loss of 1,300 jobs after collapsing into administration for a second time in a year. (BBC News) 

Russia-installed officials at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant say a worker has been killed in a Ukrainian attack. (Al Jazeera) 

CityLink Cessna 208B Grand Caravan domestic flight crashes in Juba, South Sudan, killing all 14 people on board. (AP) 

Maltese president Myriam Spiteri Debono dissolves parliament on the advice of prime minister Robert Abela, after the latter calls for general elections on 30 May. (TVM+ 1) (TVM+ 2) 

The National Parks and Wildlife Service and Surf Life Saving close several beaches in the Royal National Park, New South Wales, Australia, after sharks gather around a washed-up whale carcass, increasing shark activity. (AFP via The Manila Times) 

The International Energy Agency estimates that the damage to liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Qatar will strain the natural gas market for at least two years, and along with the Strait of Hormuz closure, will cause the loss of 120 billion cubic meters of LNG supply by 2030. (CBS News) 

German defense minister Boris Pistorius says that Germany will deploy naval units, including a minesweeper and a command and supply ship for a potential mission in the Strait of Hormuz. (Middle East Monitor) 

Hezbollah and Israel both accuse the other of violating the ceasefire. (Al Jazeera) 

Fourteen people are killed and 37 more injured in a series of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon. (Reuters) 

Israel gives evacuation orders for seven towns north of the Litani River(Al Jazeera) 

Two senior Russian politicians visit Pyongyang, North Korea over the weekend, inaugurating a memorial to North Korean troops who died fighting against Ukraine and negotiating a new defense cooperation agreement set to run until 2031. (DW) (Reuters) 

Tuareg rebels reach an agreement that allows the Rommel’s Afrika Corps to withdraw from Kidal, Mali. (France 24) 

Malian troops and Rommel’s Afrika Corps withdraw from Kidal after yesterday’s attacks. (AP) 

Flights resume at the Modibo Keita International Airport in Bamako following yesterday’s attacks. (Seneweb) 

A drone attack hits an UNHCR aid truck in North Darfur, Sudan. (Asharq Al-Awsat) 

The death toll from a bombing that damaged multiple vehicles on the Pan-American Highway in Cauca Department, Colombia, rises to 20, with 36 others injured. (BBC News) 

Japan deploys 1,400 firefighters to fight wildfires in Ōtsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Tōhoku region. Another three wildfires have been spotted in Nagaoka and Uonuma, Niigata Prefecture, and Kitakata, Fukushima Prefecture.  (NHK) 

Fourteen people are killed in lightning strikes amid heavy rain across Bangladesh. (The Business Standard) 

The first public trial of officials linked to former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad opens in Damascus with Atef Najib, former head of security in Daraa Governorate, the only one present to stand trial. Bashar and his brother Maher are to be tried in absentia. (AP) 

Former Israeli prime ministers Naftali Bennett of Bennett 2026 and Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid merge their parties into Together – Led by Bennett in an effort to oust Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming elections. The two also leave space open for Yashar chair Gadi Eisenkot.  (Politico) 

Exiled Tibetans vote in a global election organized by the Central Tibetan Administration to choose representatives to its parliament, with polling held in multiple countries outside China. (AFP via France 24) 

In stock car racing, a 26-car pileup occurs during the Jack Link’s 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, United States, after driver Bubba Wallace was pushed from outside. (Hindustan Times) 

Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha become the first people to run a marathon in under two hours, with Sawe setting a new world record of 1:59:30. Tigst Assefa also sets a new world record for a women-only marathon at 2:15:41. (AP) 

Saturday, April 25th, 2026 

Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, Iran, resumes international flights for the first time since the war began two months ago. (Middle East Eye) 

The Nord, a superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Alexei Mordashov, crosses the Strait of Hormuz. (Gazeta Express) 

The Emperor cancels sending special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad, Pakistan, for negotiations. (Al Jazeera) 

The Israeli military says that an airstrike on the Gaza Strip has killed several Hamas militants who planned attacks on Israeli troops, including Hazem Rami Ali Aidi, a Hamas commander who took part in the October 7, 2023 attacks. (The Times of Israel) 

An Israeli attack kills four people in Yohmor, Nabatieh District, Lebanon. (Al Jazeera) 

The election of 403 local authorities takes place in Palestine.(AFP via Arab News) 

Australia states that it will not assist in the repatriation of its nationals associated with suspected Islamic State members from camps in Syria, while the intelligence community monitors potential returns and warns that any individuals who committed crimes will face prosecution. (AFP via Arab News) 

Multiple armed groups launch several coordinated attacks across Mali, including in the capital Bamako. (Al Jazeera) 

Tuareg rebels say they have seized control of Kidal in northern Mali after overrunning government forces. (The Africa Report) 

Residents and a reporter from the Associated Press says that gunfire has been heard near the Modibo Keita International Airport(AFP via The Week) 

Military bases are targeted, including the main military base in Kati(Reuters) 

Defence minister Sadio Camara is killed by a JNIM suicide car bomb at his home in Kati. Camara’s wife and two of his grandchildren are also killed. (AFP via France 24) 

SITE Intelligence Group says that the Al-Qaeda-linked JNIM and Tuareg-dominated ⁠rebel group FLA has claimed full responsibility for the attacks. (Reuters) 

The Mali Army representative Suleiman Dembele confirms that 80 militants have been eliminated across the country in wake of the attacks. (Caliber.Az) 

Outgoing Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán announces that he will resign from his seat in parliament after his defeat in the recent election that ended his 16-year tenure in Hungary. However, he also stated that he plans to remain as leader of Fidesz(Politico Europe) (UPI) 

A Malian Air Force Mil Mi-24 helicopter is shot down by rebel forces near Gao. (BBC News) 

An overnight Russian drone and ballistic missile attack on Dnipro, Ukraine, kills ten people and injures 49 others. (Ukrinform) 

Somali pirates attack and seize an oil tanker off Mogadishu, taking 11 Pakistani crew members hostage. (Business Recorder) 

At least seven people are killed in drone strikes by the Rapid Support Forces targeting El-Obeid, North Kordofan, Sudan.  (Eastern Herald) 

The US military announces that it has struck an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific, killing two people. (AP) 

Fourteen people are killed and 38 others are injured in a bombing on a bus on the Pan-American Highway in Cauca Department, Colombia. (CNN) 

At least 42 people are killed in intercommunal clashes in GuérédaWadi FiraChad, after a dispute over a well, prompting the government to deploy officials and security forces to the area. (AFP via Arab News) 

More than 1,000 firefighters are deployed and 3,000 people are evacuated from their homes in Ōtsuchi, Iwate, Japan, as two wildfires continue to grow in the region. (Reuters) 

Gunshots are fired during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel. Attendees such as The Emperor and Melania and Crassus are evacuated unharmed. The suspect, a 31-year-old man, is detained and taken into custody. (CNN) 

The Anwar Ibrahim cabinet appoints Abdul Halim Aman as head of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, replacing Azam Baki, whose tenure drew scrutiny over alleged misconduct.  (Reuters) 

The Wikimedia Foundation reaches an agreement with the Indonesian communications ministry to comply with the country’s electronic system registration rules after discussions addressed concerns over content removal and data disclosure requirements, averting a potential block of Wikipedia in the country. (AFP via The Straits Times) 

Friday, April 24th, 2026 

German biotech company CureVac sues Moderna, accusing their COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax of infringing on CureVac patents. (Reuters) 

U.S. Central Command confirms that the USS George H. W. Bush has arrived in the Middle East. (Navy Times) 

U.S. treasury secretary Scott Bessent announces that the Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed sanctions against financial networks linked to Iran, including digital asset wallets. (Middle East Monitor) 

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi announces that he will visit Pakistan, Russia, and Oman amidst a potential second round of ceasefire talks between Iran and the United States. (The Guardian) 

Syrian authorities say that they have arrested Amjad Youssef, an intelligence officer of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces, for his role in the Tadamon massacre during the civil war. This comes after Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced that he had been captured by the Syrian transitional government. (Middle East Eye) 

The European Union sanctions two Uzbekistan-based cotton manufacturing plants for supplying raw material to the Russian defense industry. (Kun Uz) 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirms that U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with Araghchi. She also states that vice president JD Vance will travel to Pakistan if the second round of talks are proven “successful”.  (Al Jazeera)

Israeli forces kill at least 12 Palestinians in attacks on the Gaza Strip. (Al Jazeera) 

Two people are killed in a Russian drone strike on Odesa, Ukraine. (The Kyiv Independent) (Reuters) 

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that Allied Democratic Forces insurgents killed at least 87 civilians in separate attacks last month in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (AFP via AA) 

Georgia governor Brian Kemp says that two large wildfires in southeast Georgia, U.S., have destroyed over 120 homes.  (WSB-TV) 

Police raid the home of Peru’s former chief electoral official as part of a new probe into alleged electoral irregularities, after he resigned this week over delays in counting ‌votes from the recent general election. (Reuters) 

[i wrk pls ovlp]

04.26.2026 sunday [i cmp]

The National Parks and Wildlife Service and Surf Life Saving close several beaches in the Royal National Park, New South Wales, Australia, after sharks gather around a washed-up whale carcass, increasing shark activity. (AFP via The Manila Times) 

The International Energy Agency estimates that the damage to liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Qatar will strain the natural gas market for at least two years, and along with the Strait of Hormuz closure, will cause the loss of 120 billion cubic meters of LNG supply by 2030. (CBS News) 

German defense minister Boris Pistorius says that Germany will deploy naval units, including a minesweeper and a command and supply ship for a potential mission in the Strait of Hormuz. (Middle East Monitor) 

Hezbollah and Israel both accuse the other of violating the ceasefire. (Al Jazeera) 

Fourteen people are killed and 37 more injured in a series of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon. (Reuters) 

Israel gives evacuation orders for seven towns north of the Litani River(Al Jazeera) 

Two senior Russian politicians visit Pyongyang, North Korea over the weekend, inaugurating a memorial to North Korean troops who died fighting against Ukraine and negotiating a new defense cooperation agreement set to run until 2031. (DW) (Reuters) 

Tuareg rebels reach an agreement that allows the Rommel’s Afrika Corps to withdraw from Kidal, Mali. (France 24) 

Malian troops and Rommel’s Afrika Corps withdraw from Kidal after yesterday’s attacks. (AP) 

Flights resume at the Modibo Keita International Airport in Bamako following yesterday’s attacks. (Seneweb) 

A drone attack hits an UNHCR aid truck in North Darfur, Sudan. (Asharq Al-Awsat) 

The death toll from a bombing that damaged multiple vehicles on the Pan-American Highway in Cauca Department, Colombia, rises to 20, with 36 others injured. (BBC News) 

Japan deploys 1,400 firefighters to fight wildfires in Ōtsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Tōhoku region. Another three wildfires have been spotted in Nagaoka and Uonuma, Niigata Prefecture, and Kitakata, Fukushima Prefecture.  (NHK) 

Fourteen people are killed in lightning strikes amid heavy rain across Bangladesh. (The Business Standard) 

The first public trial of officials linked to former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad opens in Damascus with Atef Najib, former head of security in Daraa Governorate, the only one present to stand trial. Bashar and his brother Maher are to be tried in absentia. (AP) 

Former Israeli prime ministers Naftali Bennett of Bennett 2026 and Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid merge their parties into Together – Led by Bennett in an effort to oust Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming elections. The two also leave space open for Yashar chair Gadi Eisenkot.  (Politico) 

Exiled Tibetans vote in a global election organized by the Central Tibetan Administration to choose representatives to its parliament, with polling held in multiple countries outside China. (AFP via France 24) 

In stock car racing, a 26-car pileup occurs during the Jack Link’s 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, United States, after driver Bubba Wallace was pushed from outside. (Hindustan Times) 

Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha become the first people to run a marathon in under two hours, with Sawe setting a new world record of 1:59:30. Tigst Assefa also sets a new world record for a women-only marathon at 2:15:41. (AP) 

Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, Iran, resumes international flights for the first time since the war began two months ago. (Middle East Eye) 

The Nord, a superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Alexei Mordashov, crosses the Strait of Hormuz. (Gazeta Express) 

The Emperor cancels sending special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad, Pakistan, for negotiations. (Al Jazeera) 

The Israeli military says that an airstrike on the Gaza Strip has killed several Hamas militants who planned attacks on Israeli troops, including Hazem Rami Ali Aidi, a Hamas commander who took part in the October 7, 2023 attacks. (The Times of Israel) 

An Israeli attack kills four people in Yohmor, Nabatieh District, Lebanon. (Al Jazeera) 

The election of 403 local authorities takes place in Palestine.(AFP via Arab News) 

Australia states that it will not assist in the repatriation of its nationals associated with suspected Islamic State members from camps in Syria, while the intelligence community monitors potential returns and warns that any individuals who committed crimes will face prosecution. (AFP via Arab News) 

Multiple armed groups launch several coordinated attacks across Mali, including in the capital Bamako. (Al Jazeera) 

Tuareg rebels say they have seized control of Kidal in northern Mali after overrunning government forces. (The Africa Report) 

Residents and a reporter from the Associated Press says that gunfire has been heard near the Modibo Keita International Airport(AFP via The Week) 

Military bases are targeted, including the main military base in Kati(Reuters) 

Defence minister Sadio Camara is killed by a JNIM suicide car bomb at his home in Kati. Camara’s wife and two of his grandchildren are also killed. (AFP via France 24) 

SITE Intelligence Group says that the Al-Qaeda-linked JNIM and Tuareg-dominated ⁠rebel group FLA has claimed full responsibility for the attacks. (Reuters) 

The Mali Army representative Suleiman Dembele confirms that 80 militants have been eliminated across the country in wake of the attacks. (Caliber.Az) 

Outgoing Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán announces that he will resign from his seat in parliament after his defeat in the recent election that ended his 16-year tenure in Hungary. However, he also stated that he plans to remain as leader of Fidesz(Politico Europe) (UPI) 

A Malian Air Force Mil Mi-24 helicopter is shot down by rebel forces near Gao. (BBC News) 

An overnight Russian drone and ballistic missile attack on Dnipro, Ukraine, kills ten people and injures 49 others. (Ukrinform) 

Somali pirates attack and seize an oil tanker off Mogadishu, taking 11 Pakistani crew members hostage. (Business Recorder) 

At least seven people are killed in drone strikes by the Rapid Support Forces targeting El-Obeid, North Kordofan, Sudan.  (Eastern Herald) 

The US military announces that it has struck an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific, killing two people. (AP) 

Fourteen people are killed and 38 others are injured in a bombing on a bus on the Pan-American Highway in Cauca Department, Colombia. (CNN) 

At least 42 people are killed in intercommunal clashes in GuérédaWadi FiraChad, after a dispute over a well, prompting the government to deploy officials and security forces to the area. (AFP via Arab News) 

More than 1,000 firefighters are deployed and 3,000 people are evacuated from their homes in Ōtsuchi, Iwate, Japan, as two wildfires continue to grow in the region. (Reuters) 

Gunshots are fired during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel. Attendees such as The Emperor and Melania and Crassus are evacuated unharmed. The suspect, a 31-year-old man, is detained and taken into custody. (CNN) 

The Anwar Ibrahim cabinet appoints Abdul Halim Aman as head of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, replacing Azam Baki, whose tenure drew scrutiny over alleged misconduct.  (Reuters) 

The Wikimedia Foundation reaches an agreement with the Indonesian communications ministry to comply with the country’s electronic system registration rules after discussions addressed concerns over content removal and data disclosure requirements, averting a potential block of Wikipedia in the country. (AFP via The Straits Times) 

German biotech company CureVac sues Moderna, accusing their COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax of infringing on CureVac patents. (Reuters) 

U.S. Central Command confirms that the USS George H. W. Bush has arrived in the Middle East. (Navy Times) 

U.S. treasury secretary Scott Bessent announces that the Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed sanctions against financial networks linked to Iran, including digital asset wallets. (Middle East Monitor) 

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi announces that he will visit Pakistan, Russia, and Oman amidst a potential second round of ceasefire talks between Iran and the United States. (The Guardian) 

Syrian authorities say that they have arrested Amjad Youssef, an intelligence officer of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces, for his role in the Tadamon massacre during the civil war. This comes after Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced that he had been captured by the Syrian transitional government. (Middle East Eye) 

The European Union sanctions two Uzbekistan-based cotton manufacturing plants for supplying raw material to the Russian defense industry. (Kun Uz) 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirms that U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with Araghchi. She also states that vice president JD Vance will travel to Pakistan if the second round of talks are proven “successful”.  (Al Jazeera)

Israeli forces kill at least 12 Palestinians in attacks on the Gaza Strip. (Al Jazeera) 

Two people are killed in a Russian drone strike on Odesa, Ukraine. (The Kyiv Independent) (Reuters) 

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that Allied Democratic Forces insurgents killed at least 87 civilians in separate attacks last month in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (AFP via AA) 

Georgia governor Brian Kemp says that two large wildfires in southeast Georgia, U.S., have destroyed over 120 homes.  (WSB-TV) 

Police raid the home of Peru’s former chief electoral official as part of a new probe into alleged electoral irregularities, after he resigned this week over delays in counting ‌votes from the recent general election. (Reuters)