Headlines: 13-19 April 2026

Wednesday, 15 April 2026

Roundup: 168 children killed in Lebanon as Israeli strikes hit homes far from front lines of war with Hezbollah — (LINK) ground.news: 20 media reports — 15 April 2026 (LINK)

North Korea boosting ability to manufacture nuclear arms, IAEA chief warns — (LINK) ground.news: 34 media reports — 15 April 2026 (LINK)

A $1 million Picasso has sold for just $117 in raffle to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation: winner Ari Hodara is an art lover from Paris who works selling software: the raffle had 120,000 tickets, suggesting total raised could be $14 million — 15 April 2026 (LINK)

Tuesday, 14 April 2026

Fresh Iran talks could begin this week as US continues blockade on ports — 14 April 2026 (LINK)

No ships 'make it past US blockade' in Hormuz strait in its first 24 hours and six merchant ships followed orders to turn around: Pentagon — 14 April 2026 (LINK)

— CENTCOM said the blockade applies only to vessels "entering and exiting Iranian ports" and other vessels remain free to transit the waterway. It added: "US forces are supporting freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports." The Reuters news agency reported at least three vessels transited the strait during the first 24 hours of the blockade, citing shipping data. They included two tankers sanctioned by the US. The three ships were not heading to Iranian ports, according to Reuters.

Global economy at risk of recession if Iran war persists, warns IMF — 14 April 2026 (LINK)

— In its World Economic Outlook report, the IMF said in a worst case scenario — where oil, gas and food prices spike and remain high this year and next — global growth could fall below 2% in 2026.

— "This would mean a close call for a global recession which has happened only four times since 1980," it said, the most recent being during the Covid pandemic.

Iran war triggered 'most severe oil supply shock in history', International Energy Agency says — (LINK) ground.news: 34 media reports — 14 April 2026 (LINK)

Canada, U.K. and 8 other nations condemn killings of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon — (LINK) ground.news: 27 media reports — 14 April 2026 (LINK)

— Preliminary UN findings attributed one peacekeeper death to an Israeli tank projectile and two deaths to an improvised explosive device most likely placed by Hezbollah, clarifying responsibility for the killings. Joint Statement — (LINK)

JD Vance defends Trump amid spat with Pope Leo: 'Stick to matters of morality' — 14 April 2026 (LINK)

President vs. Pope: Trump posts pic of self as Jesus, Pope says warmakers have "hands full of blood" — (LINK)

Trump claims the Jesus-like image he posted was meant to depict him as a doctor — (LINK)

AI search is changing which crypto brands get discovered: i.e. the ones whose coverage appears in the right places, in the right format, with consistent language across sources — 14 April 2026 (LINK)

— Less than 15% of crypto projects have taken meaningful steps to appear in AI-generated answers, and the gap between who AI recommends and who deserves to be recommended widens every quarter.

10 best AI crypto and stock trading bots (2026): a beginner's guide — 14 April 2026 (LINK)

Monday, 13 April 2026

Joint Statement by the Heads of the International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank Group: "it will take time for global supplies of key commodities to move back towards their pre-conflict levels — and fuel and fertilizer prices may remain high for a prolonged period given the damage to infrastructure" — 13 April 2026 (LINK)

Microsoft stock topped the market today — 13 April 2026 (LINK)

Chinese tanker crosses Strait of Hormuz, testing Trump's blockade — 13 April 2026 (LINK)

— Rich Starry, a medium-range tanker, traveled through the strait on Monday afternoon, making it through the waterway on a second attempt, according to shipping data from Kpler. The ship is carrying around 250,000 barrels of methanol, Reuters reported. The ship flies under the Malawi flag, but the African country has stated that it has no official registration for ships. The vessel has a Chinese crew on board, according to Reuters. In 2023, the U.S sanctioned the tanker and its owner, Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Company Limited, for its dealings with Iran. It is unclear whether the vessel stopped at Iranian ports during its recent journey through the waterway.

— Another U.S.-sanctioned Chinese tanker, Murlikishan, passed through the strait from the opposite direction and is currently located in the Persian Gulf. The second tanker flies under Madagascar's flag and is heading to Iraq to load fuel on April 16, according to Kpler.

Husband of US woman missing from boat in Bahamas released, says he will keep looking — 13 April 2026 (LINK)

MSC Cruises just revealed a new luxury private island in the Bahamas: Sandy Cay, a beach retreat near MSC Ocean Cay: both MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys ships will be visiting Sandy Cay when it opens in 2028 — 13 April 2026 (LINK)