Headlines: 1-5 April 2026

Sunday, 5 April 2026

Iran mediators make last-ditch push for 45-day ceasefire: President Trump's 10-day deadline to Iran was expected to expire Monday evening. But on Sunday, Trump extended his deadline by 20 hours and posted on Truth Social a new deadline of Tuesday at 8pm ET — 5 April 2026 (LINK)

'Unhinged madman': US politicians react to Trump's expletive-laden threat to Iran — 5 April 2026 (LINK)

— Marjorie Taylor Greene and Bernie Sanders among those responding with alarm to Trump writing 'open the fuckin' strait, you crazy bastards'

— The US president wrote on his Truth Social platform: "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP."

Aid groups warn Iran war is hindering food and medicine from reaching millions: up to a 20% cost increase forcing organizations to reroute vessels around Africa, adding weeks to delivery times. Save the Children International faces a 10-day delay and about 25% higher costs delivering supplies, while the International Rescue Committee has $130,000 worth of pharmaceuticals for Sudan stranded in Dubai. The World Food Programme warns an additional 45 million people may face acute hunger if tensions persist — (LINK) ground.news: 42 media reports — 5 April 2026 (LINK)

Iran war live: Trump vows to hit power plants, bridges over Hormuz closure: Iran's UN mission denounces Trump's latest remarks, urging the world to act to prevent "atrocious acts of war crimes" — 5 April 2026 (LINK)

— Al Jazeera: Iran claims it downed two C-130 planes and two Black Hawk helicopters belonging to the US, hours after Trump confirmed a US officer who went missing in Iran after the downing of his F-15E fighter jet was rescued.

— Iran has continued its attacks across the Gulf, with Kuwait reporting two power generation and water desalination plants were hit.

— Iran says US-Israeli attacks have killed five people and wounded 170 at the Mahshahr Petrochemical Zone while more than 30 universities have been targeted since the beginning of the war.

At least 11 killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon on Easter Sunday — (LINK) ground.news: 61 media reports — 5 April 2026 (LINK)

Iranian missiles hit Negev chemical complex for third time, triggering a fire that Israel's Environmental Protection Ministry is investigating for potential hazardous leaks — (LINK) ground.news: 72 media reports — 5 April 2026 (LINK)

Zelenskyy on first visit to Syria discusses security cooperation with al-Sharaa — (LINK) ground.news: 70 media reports — 5 April 2026 (LINK)

— Zelenskiy offered Ukraine's expertise in countering drones and missiles, while the leaders discussed food security as Ukraine is a major grain producer and signed recent defense deals with Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Iran: US crew member from downed F-15 jet 'safe and sound' after rescue: he "sustained injuries, but he will be just fine," President Trump says: the rescue operation involved "dozens of aircraft" — 5 April 2026 (LINK)

Trump confirms that rescued wounded F-15E WSO evaded Iranian forces for over a day (LINK)

'Absolutely spectacular': Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon: photo includes the Orientale Basin, which is the first time humans have seen the entire lunar feature — (LINK) ground.news: 39 media reports — 5 April 2026 (LINK)

Irish Star: Artemis II astronauts left gutted after serious Chappell Roan blunder — 5 April 2026 (LINK)

— The song cut out barely a minute in. PS: the Artemis II crew faced a second bathroom issue on the 10-day trip with a 'frozen urine' problem — potentially triggered by the "freezing of the vent lines", NASA stated. Until the capsule's restroom is repaired, Mission Control has directed the astronauts to use additional backup urine collection bags.

NASA on X: "Thanks to our @NASAArtemis II astronauts for working on the weekend! The fourth day of their mission brought more crew preparations for Monday's trip around the Moon and stunning new images from their vantage point." — 5 April 2026 (LINK)

"History in the making: In this new image from our @NASAArtemis II crew, you can see Orientale basin on the right edge of the lunar disk. This mission marks the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes." — (LINK)

Saturday, 4 April 2026

At least 15 killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine as Zelenskyy meets Erdogan: at least one person is killed in a Ukrainian attack on southern Russia's Rostov region — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

BBC: world's oldest leader to get a deputy for first time in 43-year rule — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

Iran warns of "big surprise" for US after Trump's "stupid, nervous" ultimatum — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

Trump warns Iran it has 48 hours left to open Hormuz (by Monday): threatened that the Islamic Republic would face "all hell" — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

— Average price of gas in the US climbs to $4.10

Floods, landslides triggered by heavy rain in Afghanistan leave 77 dead in 10 days, authorities say — (LINK) ground.news: 63 media reports — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he has stripped Iranian Qassem Soleimani's niece of US residency — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

Iran-linked hackers claim to expose 50 Israeli Unit 9900 officers — (LINK) ground.news: 8 media reports — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

Indian Oil Ministry confirms Iranian crude purchases, rejects claims of payment-led tanker diversion — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

Cameroon approves giving role of vice president to backup 93-year-old Biya — (LINK) ground.news: 20 media reports — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

Cameroon opposition slams plan as 'coup' — (LINK)

Artemis astronauts pass half-way point on way to Moon — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

— AFP: The milestone was hit around two days, five hours and 24 minutes after liftoff, according to the NASA official broadcast. The US space agency's online dashboard shows that the Orion spacecraft carrying the astronauts is now more than 219,000 kilometres (136,080 miles) from Earth.

Politico: Trump weighs more Cabinet changes after Bondi ouster — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

— U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed frustration and disappointment with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

Trump told Bondi on way to SCOTUS hearing: "I think it's time." She asked Trump to keep her in post until the summer. He refused — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

US: Car slams into Louisiana Lao New Year parade, injuring about 15 people: authorities in New Iberia, Louisiana, have said the incident does not appear to be an intentional car-ramming — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

Bermudian head of London Pride fired over finance claims: accusations from last year that he misused event funds to buy luxury goods — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

— Christopher Joell-Deshields, the executive director of Pride in London since 2021, denies the claims. He was implicated in September of abusing his position by taking personal advantage of vouchers intended to supply food and drink for volunteers. He was accused of bullying a disabled volunteer via WhatsApp messages as well as financial mismanagement, with the organiaztion's board subsequently suspending him from his role. In a statement today, Joell-Deshields "strenuously" denied the allegations and highlighted that there were no criminal charges or police involvement over the claims.

American woman missing after husband reports she fell overboard during Bahamas evening dinghy trip to Elbow Cay — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

Death of Vegas strip looms as century-old burger chain is the latest to leave — 4 April 2026 (LINK)

— Daily Mail: The city drew about 3.1 million fewer visitors in 2025, a 7.5 percent drop — its sharpest decline outside the pandemic since record-keeping began in 1970, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Air passenger traffic also declined, falling about 6 percent in 2025 at Harry Reid International Airport.

Friday, 3 April 2026

World food price rise set to continue if Iran war lasts, FAO says: Food Price Index rose 2.4% in March, reaching its highest level since September last year — (LINK) ground.news: 63 media reports — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

— Vegetable oil prices increased 5.1% in March, marking a third consecutive monthly rise, while sugar prices jumped 7.2% to their highest level since October 2025.

Strait of Hormuz crossings reached 220 in March — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

— MarineTraffic said on US social media company X that 111 of the crossings, or 51% of the monthly total, were made by liquid tankers, followed by 82 dry bulk vessels, or 37%, and 27 LPG carriers, or 12%. No LNG crossings were recorded during the month, the data showed. Traffic through the strategic waterway remained heavily tilted toward west-to-east movements out of the Gulf, which totaled 149 crossings, or 68% of the monthly volume.

White House seeks massive increase in defence spending to $1.5 trillion, more than 40% compared to last year, and looks to slash housing, social services and health care — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

— CNN: Of the $445 billion that the administration wants to add to the defense budget, the White House is proposing that $350 billion of it be passed as part of forthcoming legislation that Republicans are planning to pass using a maneuver that requires only a majority vote in the Senate — and therefore would not need Democratic support.

— The budget proposal, by contrast, seeks to slash nondefence spending by 10% — a $73 billion cut that would primarily affect housing, social services, health care and other domestic programs that the administration has derided as "woke" — a word that is mentioned 34 times in the 92-page document. Trump's budget proposes cutting the Environmental Protection Agency's funding in half, eliminating a wide array of environmental programmes.

Ukraine slows enemy advances, liberates land, drains Russia’s war chest — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

Kenya fuel executives resign and arrested as state probes fuel supply chain irregularities — (LINK) ground.news: 12 media reports — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

Institute of the Study of War: Iran Update — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

— "The majority of Iranian ballistic missiles are combat ineffective, even if they remain 'intact'." The IDF announced that it has prepared a plan to establish a “security zone” along the Israel-Lebanon border, which includes the destruction of Lebanese villages within the defined zone.

Pakistan to repay $2 billion UAE loan by month-end following Abu Dhabi's demand — (LINK) ground.news: 21 media reports — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

5.8 magnitude earthquake hits Afghanistan and Pakistan, killing 8 on outskirts of Kabul — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

U.S. payrolls rose by 178,000 in March, more than expected; unemployment at 4.3% — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

— CNBC: Though the unemployment rate posted a decline, the move largely came from a decline of 396,000 in the labour force. The share of working-age Americans in the labor force fell to 61.9%, its lowest since November 2021. With inflation well above the Fed's target and energy prices surging as the Iran war continues, markets expect little movement from the central bank this year.

Elon Musk insists banks working on SpaceX IPO must buy Grok subscriptions — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

Artemis II flight Day 3: crew prepares for first correction burn, readies to receive lunar observation assignment — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

US: Judge stands by his decision to quash Department of Justice subpoenas targeting Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

US judge rules against deporting Subramanyam Vedam, Indian man whose murder conviction was overturned after 44 years in prison — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

— A DHS lawyer had argued he could still be deported on unrelated drug distribution convictions. The two had been high school friends and both were 19 years old when the victim disappeared. Jurors were told Vedam purchased a stolen .25-caliber gun and ammunition around the time Kinser disappeared. Jurors were told Vedam purchased a stolen .25-caliber gun and ammunition around the time Kinser disappeared but were not informed that an FBI report suggested Kinser's head wound was too small for bullets that size but were not informed that an FBI report suggested Kinser's head wound was too small for bullets that size. Despite being cleared of Kinser's murder, Vedam's no-contest pleas to LSD distribution charges put him in danger of deportation.

Technion Israel Institute of Technology physicists found something that can move faster than light: the darkness inside it — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

— They're known as phase singularities or optical vortices. This does not break relativity, which states that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. That's because the vortices carry no mass, energy, or information, and their motion is based on the evolving geometry of the wave pattern rather than any physical motion through space. "This breakthrough provides us with a powerful technological tool: the ability to map the motion of delicate nanoscale phenomena in materials, revealed through a new method (electron interferometry) that enhances image sharpness."

Scientists finally discover location of male G-spot and it's not where previously thought — 3 April 2026 (LINK)

Thursday, 2 April 2026

US President Donald Trump has stepped up his threats against Iran, warning that the US military "hasn't even started" destroying what's left of the country's infrastructure after a US strike demolished the country's largest bridge. — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

Iran's former Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has called for Iran to declare victory and end the war, outlining a blueprint for how Tehran could seek a settlement with Trump on terms acceptable to it.

Iran announced a wave of attacks on targets across the region, including US-owned steel plants in the United Arab Emirates and an arms factory in Israel.

The United Nations Security Council has delayed consideration of a proposal to authorize countries to use force to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, rescheduling the vote from Friday to Saturday.

Trump warns Tehran 'more to follow' after strike destroys Iran's largest bridge: Eight people reported killed and 95 wounded in attack on newly completed suspension bridge after strike splits structure in half — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

U.S. bombs Iran's civilian infrastructure for first time after "Stone Ages" threat: the attack on the B-1 bridge near Tehran signals a widening of the U.S. military's targets and could be a first step toward attacks on energy, water and transportation infrastructure — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

Iran says it hit Oracle facilities in the UAE — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

— Iran threatened to begin striking American tech giants it deemed to be assisting American and Israeli military operations. In a list reported widely by Iranian state media, Oracle was explicitly named. Other companies on the list include Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, HP, Tesla, Nvidia, Boeing, IBM, and Cisco.

Austria refuses US requests to overfly its territory, citing its neutrality policy — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

US experts say American strikes on Iran may amount to war crimes — (LINK) ground.news: 31 media reports — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

US Defence Secretary Hegseth tells US Army chief to step down immediately without giving a reason for the departure — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

— He has held the post, which typically runs for four years, since August 2023 under the Biden administration. CBS quoted a source as saying Hegseth wanted someone who would implement his and President Donald Trump's vision for the Army.

US mortgage rates climb for fifth-straight week, pushed up by Iran war worries — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

US trade deficit jumped by almost 5% in February, another zigzag in the year since Trump's 'Liberation Day' — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

— The US trade deficit remains roughly the same today as it was on April 2, 2025, when Trump delivered his "Liberation Day" address and signed an executive order that name-checked the trade deficit in its title. The increase in February's deficit was a result of import increases, which jumped by 4.3% to $372.1 billion. That outpaced gains in exports, which increased by a smaller 4.2% to $314.8 billion. Thursday's data also included a country-by-country breakdown and showed continued multibillion-dollar trade deficits with many nations, including Mexico ($16.8 billion), Vietnam ($16.5 billion), China ($13.1 billion), and others.

NASA: Artemis II Flight Day 2: Orion completes TLI burn, sending the crew out of Earth orbit and on a trajectory toward the Moon — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

Artemis II toilet's fixed, but astronauts now have Microsoft Outlook problem — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

— The so-called "lunar loo" malfunctioned as soon as Artemis II reached orbit Wednesday evening, but Mission Control helped astronaut Christina Koch adjust the plumbing to fix the problem. Astronauts reported problems with two versions of Microsoft Outlook on their personal computer, an older version and a new one, with both giving them errors.

Fuel tanker that rerouted from Cuba now discharging in Venezuela — (LINK) ground.news: 7 media reports — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

Cuba releasing 2,010 prisoners as the US pressures the island's government — (LINK) ground.news: 329 media reports — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

Drone strike on Sudan hospital "reportedly" carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) kills 10, medical charity MSF says — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

Mount Everest guides accused of poisoning climbers in $20 million rescue scam: 32 people charged and 11 arrests so far — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

Nigeria launches manhunt after abductions by bandits in northwest Zamfara — (LINK) ground.news: 14 media reports — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

Trump removes US Attorney General Pam Bondi: will be replaced by her former deputy, Todd Blanche — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

— Bondi said she would be "working tirelessly" to transfer her work to Blanche, adding that the job had "been the honour" of a lifetime. She added that in her new private sector position — which she did not identify — she would "continue fighting for President Trump and this administration" Trump praised her in a post on Truth Social and said she would be "transitioning" to a role in the private sector. As recently as Thursday morning, Trump was defending Bondi, saying: "She is a wonderful person and she is doing a good job." But hours later, Trump confirmed her departure on Truth Social, saying that her new private sector role would be "announced at a date in the near future".

Politico: Pam Bondi fails Trump's loyalty test — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

Colorado court throws out election denier Tina Peters' 9-year sentence for tampering with election equipment, finding that the lower court violated her First Amendment right to free speech related to her allegations of election fraud. The state appeals court is asking the trial court to resentence Peters — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

ICE arrest Palestinian advocate Salah Sarsour, the president of Islamic Society of Milwaukee: reportedly detained by 10 agents while driving on March 30 — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

Stolen Van Gogh back on view at Dutch museum after dramatic restoration: painting stolen in 2020 was later returned to the Groninger Museum in an Ikea bag and wrapped in an old pillowcase — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

— "The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring" (1884) was on loan at the Singer Laren when a thief smashed through the museum's glass door entrance in the early hours of the morning and departed with the Van Gogh. In 2023, following the exertions of Dutch police and the art sleuth Arthur Brand, the painting was returned.

Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni dismissed: case continues — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

— Judge Lewis Liman on Thursday struck down 10 of Lively's 13 claims against Baldoni and other defendants tied to his production company, Wayfarer Studios, including sexual harassment, defamation and conspiracy. The allegations that he allowed to proceed to trial are breach of contract, retaliation and aiding and abetting in retaliation.

Meta lays off nearly 200 Silicon Valley workers as AI spending ramps up — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

— The reductions add to roughly 700 job cuts across the company in recent weeks, affecting teams in recruiting, sales, operations and its Reality Labs division.

8 arrests made in federal crackdown on alleged health care and hospice fraud in Southern California: allegedly billed Medicare for patients that were not terminally ill and did not qualify for hospice services — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

World's oldest known tortoise, Jonathan, still alive at 193 despite reports of death using fake account of vet — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

Your vision can predict dementia 12 years before a diagnosis, study suggests — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

British Airways: 265 passengers stranded in Canada for two days: passengers on London-to-Houston flight criticize British Airways for poor communication and lack of care during an unplanned two-day stopover in St. John's, Newfoundland, eastern Canada: stranded travellers accused the airline of leaving them without food, clear updates, or access to their luggage for an extended period: "families with young children were left sitting at the airport without food or drink and with no clarity on next steps" — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

Powerful psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT —— colloquially known as "Bufo" or the God molecule — feels like a 'total fusion With God' — 2 April 2026 (LINK)

— Popular Mechanics: The substance comes from a species of toad called the Bufo alvarius, which is native to the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States. Some psychonauts would lick the toad's back where the venomous secretion glands lie. However, extraction methods have become more advanced, and now people have learned to milk the venom out of the glands, refining the hallucinogen into a smokable powder for more potent results, making it several times stronger than its more popular psychedelic cousin, DMT.

Wednesday, 1 April 2026

Trump's primetime speech on Iran war: Key takeaways: US president says Washington is 'getting very close' to achieving goals as he promises to bomb Iran into 'Stone Ages'. — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

US Supreme Court appears sceptical of Trump plan to limit birthright citizenship — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

NASA successfully launches Artemis II, first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years on a 10-day test flight: The crew of three Americans and one Canadian carried a plush toy named Rise bearing the names of more than 5.6 million people who joined the mission vicariously — (LINK) ground.news: 264 media reports — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

— Around 4,700 miles (7,500 km) beyond the Moon's far side, the Orion spacecraft will fly, setting a new distance record for a human crew during the so-called lunar flyby. Teams spent two years training for the 685,000-mile (1m km) journey.

Trump says he's considering leaving NATO as Starmer says UK will host talks on Strait of Hormuz — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

Pakistan, Afghan Taliban resume talks in China as Beijing seeks ceasefire — (LINK) ground.news: 42 media reports — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

Human Rights Watch says Burkina Faso Forces, JNIM (an Al Qaeda-linked group) killed 1,837 civilians — (LINK) ground.news: 25 media reports — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

Supreme Court hears arguments in birthright citizenship case — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

Heather Cox Richardson: President Donald J. Trump attended oral arguments at the United States Supreme Court on birthright citizenship: for the first time in U.S. history, a sitting president attended such arguments at the United States Supreme Court — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

— The case argued before the court grew out of Trump's executive order of January 20, 2025, the day he took the oath of office a second time. Fulfilling a campaign promise, the order declared that, contrary to the Fourteenth Amendment, individuals born in the United States are not citizens if their parents do not have legal permanent status.

Trump drops blatantly false outburst after storming out of Supreme Court hearing: "We are the only Country in the World STUPID enough to allow 'Birthright' Citizenship!" — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

— rawstory: Despite Trump's claim, birthright citizenship exists in dozens of countries, including the United States' neighbors Canada and Mexico. In the United States, birthright citizenship was enshrined as a right in 1868 through the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Tennessee librarian is fired for refusing to move over 100 LGBTQ books from children's to adult section — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

North Korean hackers bug Axios software used by thousands of US companies in potential crypto heist attempt — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

Death of Rohingya refugee left in parking lot by US border agents ruled a homicide — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

Ex-US Air Force master sergeant pleads guilty in $37M bid-rigging scheme: with co-conspirators falsely inflated information technology contracts for Air Force installations across the Pacific — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

FIFA hikes World Cup prices, again. A finals ticket can now cost as much as $11,000 — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

Using AI safely as a journalist: Stand-alone AI tools — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

Elon Musk's SpaceX confidentially files to go public at $1.75tn in June, reports say: one of the most closely watched and highly valued listings in market history — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

Former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham attacked with unknown substance by woman stalker in California — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

Axios: Get ready for $200 a barrel oil prices if Hormuz stays closed — 1 April 2026 (LINK)

Amidst the flames of conflict, the world's only safe haven turns out to be Chinese government bonds! — 1 April 2026 (LINK)