Saturday 18 April 2026
Daily Digest
26 Stories
Top StoryStrait of Hormuz Reopens Amid Iran-US Ceasefire and Peace Deal Signals
- Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi declared the Strait of Hormuz 'completely open' to commercial vessels following the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire
- Oil prices fell sharply (Brent crude down ~10%) and stock markets rallied following the announcement
- Iran threatened to close the strait again if the US naval blockade of Iranian shipping continued
42 sources
Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Takes Hold; First Direct Talks in Decades and Path to Broader Peace
- A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took hold, allowing thousands of civilians to return to southern Lebanon
- Lebanon and Israel held their first direct talks in decades following the ceasefire
19 sources
Iran Nuclear Threat: Buried Sites, Enriched Uranium and Unresolved Diplomacy
- Experts say Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site illustrates the impossibility of relying on force alone to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear bomb
- Iran's 'Mosquito Fleet' — fast attack boats capable of exceeding 115 mph — remains a disruptive threat separate from Iran's regular Navy
5 sources
UK-France to Lead Strait of Hormuz Defence Mission; Trump Declares NATO 'Useless'
- UK PM Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed a joint multinational naval mission for the Strait of Hormuz, emphasising it would be purely defensive
- The UK-France mission would only be deployed once a lasting peace agreement was reached in the region
5 sources
Iran War Economic Fallout: Airlines, Energy Markets, Supply Chains and Global Disruption
- Spirit Airlines sought emergency US government funding as it faces liquidation due to high fuel costs from the Iran war
- Air Canada suspended six routes citing jet fuel costs driven up by the Iran war
26 sources
Israel-Gaza War: UN Reports Over 38,000 Women and Girls Killed Since 2023
- Israeli attacks killed over 38,000 women and girls in Gaza between October 2023 and end of 2025, according to a UN report
- Palestinian health authorities estimate the total death toll in Gaza exceeded 71,000 by end-2025 and surpassed 72,000 by mid-April
1 source
Russia Publishes List of 23 European Sites It Could Target Over Ukraine Support
- Moscow published a list of 23 sites across Europe and the UK identified as potential targets for attack
- The threat was issued by a senior Russian official warning against continued support for Ukraine
1 source
Hungary Post-Orbán: Tisza Party Landslide Ends 16-Year Era; EU Holds High-Stakes Talks
- Viktor Orbán's era ended after Péter Magyar's Tisza party won a dramatic landslide victory in Hungary
- Magyar and Tisza are wasting no time preparing for the transfer of power
3 sources
UK PM Starmer in Deep Crisis Over Mandelson Security Vetting Scandal
- The Independent revealed Downing Street was informed in September that Mandelson had failed MI6's Developed Vetting process, seven months before Starmer claimed to have learned of it
- Mandelson was initially denied security clearance due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein
15 sources
Record Deaths in ICE Custody; US Immigration Enforcement Expands Amid Controversy
- Twenty-nine people have died in ICE custody since October, surpassing the previous annual record of 28 set in 2004
- Some new ICE officers started working before passing background checks and had problems in their past, according to an AP investigation
8 sources
Trump vs Pope Leo XIV: Rift Over Iran War Divides Right and Raises Just War Questions
- Trump said the Pope must 'understand Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon' as he pushed back against papal criticism of the war
- Trump's attacks have reportedly made Pope Leo XIV more combative after he was initially known as a mild-mannered mediator
5 sources
Japan Expands Arms Exports as US Alliance Reliability Questioned; China-Vietnam Ties Deepen
- Japan is revising its Three Principles on the Transfer of Defence Equipment to loosen longstanding arms export restrictions
- Analysts say the change will strengthen Japan's domestic defence industry and reduce US dependency amid growing concerns about Washington's reliability
5 sources
White House and Anthropic Hold Talks Over Powerful New AI Model Mythos; Cybersecurity Fears Mount
- White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles met Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to discuss the new Mythos AI model
- US officials believe Mythos could be critical for national security but also raise fears it could supercharge cyberattacks
10 sources
Daniel Kinahan, Alleged Irish Crime Boss, Arrested in Dubai
- Daniel Kinahan, alleged leader of the Kinahan organised crime group, was arrested in Dubai
- The arrest was carried out on foot of an arrest warrant issued by Irish courts
4 sources
Trump's $10B IRS Lawsuit Settlement and DOJ Voter Roll Case Dismissed Raise Governance Concerns
- Trump may receive up to $14 billion in taxpayer money after his own tax office signalled it would settle a lawsuit with him
- Critics warn that Trump could arrange his own settlement by negotiating with a Justice Department under his control
5 sources
India Launches World's Largest Census; Women's Parliamentary Quota Bill Fails
- India has launched the first phase of what is set to be the world's largest census, involving more than three million officials
- The last census was conducted in 2011 when India's population was 1.21 billion; it is now estimated at 1.4 billion
3 sources
Pope Leo XIV's Africa Tour: Mass in Cameroon, Angola Slave Trade Chapel Visit
- More than 120,000 cheering Catholics attended Pope Leo XIV's Mass at Japoma Stadium in Douala, Cameroon — the biggest event of his four-nation Africa tour
- The Pope implored the faithful to be 'architects of peace' and to reject the 'deceit of violence and abuse'
7 sources
DOJ Investigation of Ex-CIA Chief Brennan Loses Key Prosecutor Over Doubts About Charges
- Career DOJ lawyer Maria Medetis Long in Miami was removed from the Brennan investigation after raising concerns about the viability of charges
- The prosecutor expressed concerns to Justice Department officials before being removed
3 sources
Ben Roberts-Smith War Crimes Case: Comrades Allege Executions of Unarmed Civilians
- Court documents reveal Australian soldiers told prosecutors Roberts-Smith ordered the execution of unarmed civilians
- One statement alleges Roberts-Smith placed a man on his knees and ordered a fellow soldier to shoot him
4 sources
Carfentanil Surges as Deadly Fentanyl Substitute Across the US
- Carfentanil has experienced a drastic resurgence across the US as a dangerous substitute for fentanyl
- Hundreds of unsuspecting drug users have overdosed on carfentanil
2 sources
Wildfires Now Burning Around the Clock Due to Climate Change
- Wildfires in North America are increasingly burning through the night due to warmer, drier conditions driven by climate change
- Wildfires used to naturally slow or stop overnight, but climate change is eliminating this pattern
2 sources
RFK Jr. Faces Congressional Scrutiny Over Measles Outbreak Claims and Vaccine Policy
- RFK Jr. claimed at a congressional hearing that the US is limiting measles outbreaks better than any other country in the world, a claim disputed by fact-checkers
- A measles outbreak in a western US state surpassed 600 cases this week
6 sources
Nearly 900 Rohingya Refugees Dead or Missing in 2025 Shipwrecks
- Nearly 900 Rohingya refugees have died or gone missing in shipwrecks in 2025, according to UNHCR
- Most depart from huge camps in Bangladesh, where more than one million refugees live in squalid conditions
1 source
South Sudan Risks 'Full-Scale Famine,' UN Aid Chief Warns
- UN aid chief Tom Fletcher warned that South Sudan is at risk of 'full-scale famine and collapse'
- The warning highlights deteriorating humanitarian conditions in a country already experiencing severe instability
1 source
Myanmar Frees Over 4,000 Prisoners Including Former President Win Myint
- Myanmar's new president announced the release of over 4,000 prisoners in the country's annual prisoner amnesty tradition
- Former President Win Myint, detained since the 2021 military coup, was among those released
1 source
Tech Giants Lobbied EU to Keep Datacentre Emissions Secret, Investigation Finds
- Microsoft and other US tech firms successfully lobbied the EU to hide datacentre environmental metrics
- Their demands were written almost word for word into EU rules
1 source
