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Apr 18, 2026 - World

Gunman kills at least 5 people in Kyiv street and takes hostages; police shoot him dead

Apr 18, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump has made the war with Iran much trickier after prematurely declaring victory, a political analyst has warned. Trump took to Truth Social and made a series of posts regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. One post reads, "President Xi is very happy that the Strait of Hormuz is open and/or rapidly opening. Our meeting in China will be a special one and, potentially, Historic. I look forward to being with President Xi — Much will be accomplished! President DONALD J. TRUMP."Another saw Trump declare the matter of reopening the strait over. "Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help," he wrote yesterday. "I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL. They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger! President DJT."But in declaring victory with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which has since been closed once again according to Iranian media, Trump has made ending the war with Iran that much trickier. The Preparedness and Politics Substack argues that the declaration of victory so close to the new closure makes peace a much tougher conclusion to the war. They wrote, "For shipping markets and insurance underwriters, the political contradiction is itself risk. "When the US president publicly declares victory while ten thousand US personnel actively enforce a blockade that the other party calls illegal and threatens to retaliate against, the contradiction is a reason to keep rates high. "If Iran reneges on the opening — as the April 7-8 pattern suggests is entirely possible — lifting the blockade in response becomes harder, not easier, because Trump has already claimed the situation is resolved."A new closure of the Strait of Hormuz was confirmed by Iranian military operational command, Khatam Al Anbiya, with a statement accusing the US of "maritime piracy and theft".The statement reads, "For this reason, control of the Strait of Hormuz has reverted to its previous state, and this strategic waterway is under the strict management and control of the armed forces. "Until the US restores the complete freedom of navigation for vessels from an Iranian origin to a destination, and from a destination back to Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain strictly controlled and in its previous state."President Trump previously imposed a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as part of his escalating Iran war strategy, declaring he would "immediately eliminate" Iranian Navy vessels attempting to breach it.

Apr 18, 2026 - World

Exiled leader to revive push for change amid US backing of Delcy Rodríguez and delays to democratic transitionVenezuela’s opposition leader, María Corina Machado, will seek to revive her push for political change with a rally in Madrid on Saturday, having found herself sidelined by Donald Trump after the abduction of the president Nicolás Maduro.“Venezuela will be free,” the Nobel peace prize winner insisted in an interview on the eve of this weekend’s demonstration in the Puerta del Sol square, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of protesters. Continue reading...

Apr 17, 2026 - World

Growing numbers in the capital Honiara are playing the street card game Pass for a chance of a big payout, while risking big lossesAs the school day ends in Honiara, *Irene, a 43-year-old teacher in a floral dress with a yellow daisy in her bun, steps on to a minibus.After 10 minutes, Irene gets off the bus, walks down an alley, and enters a damp, smoky shelter. Plastic tables fill the space and playing cards are scattered on the floor. Irene has stopped by a hidden gambling table in a western suburb of Honiara to play Pass, a street card game gaining popularity in the Solomon Islands capital. Continue reading...

Apr 17, 2026 - World

Separately, Spirit Airlines reportedly seeks emergency US government funds as Iran war keeps aviation fuel costs highSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxAir Canada has announced a temporary suspension of flights from Toronto and Montreal to New York’s John F Kennedy airport, citing rising fuel prices.The move comes amid growing concerns that airlines worldwide may scale back services as aviation fuel costs climb in the wake of the US and Israel’s ongoing war with Iran, which entered a fragile ceasefire earlier in April. Although Iran announced on Friday that the strait of Hormuz had reopened, helping ease oil prices, fuel costs remain significantly elevated after weeks of disruption. Continue reading...