Headlines: 13-19 April 2026

Thursday, 16 April 2026

Pope criticises 'tyrants' who spend billions on wars after Trump spat — 16 April 2026 (LINK)

— BBC: Speaking in Cameroon, the Pope criticised leaders who "turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to ?be found". He said the world was "being ravaged by a handful of tyrants".

— The remarks come just days after a high-profile spat with US President Donald Trump, who posted a lengthy attack on the Pope, a vocal critic of the US-Israeli military operation in Iran. The Pope had voiced his concern about Trump's threat that "a whole civilisation will die" if Iran did not agree to US demands to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz. Leo, who last year became the first US-born Pope, has previously also questioned the Trump administration's approach to immigration.

Europe has six weeks of jet fuel left caused by 'dire strait' crisis, IEA chief warns — 16 April 2026 (LINK)

South African opposition figure Julius Malema sentenced to five years in prison for firing a gun — 16 April 2026 (LINK)

— The charges related to an incident in 2018 when a video emerged showing Malema using a semi-automatic rifle to fire several shots in the air during his party's fifth anniversary celebrations held in the country's Eastern Cape province. During the trial in KuGompo City, which is the new name for East London, Malema told the court that the firearm was not his and that he had fired the shots to rouse the crowd, South African news site SowetanLIVE reported at the time.

Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax kills his wife and then himself, police say — 16 April 2026 (LINK)

— The shooting stemmed from an ongoing domestic dispute surrounding “what seems to be a complicated or messy divorce,” police chief said.

NPR roundup: Jet fuel prices double, leading airlines to increase baggage fees, raise fares — 16 April 2026 (LINK)

— The top three global exporters of jet fuel are China, South Korea and Kuwait. China has banned exports of jet fuel and South Korea has had to cut back on production, in both cases because they can't get enough crude to make it. And Kuwait can make jet fuel just fine — but can't send it anywhere.

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)

Trump posts a picture of Jesus hugging him days after his AI-deity image drew widespread anger — 15 April 2026 (LINK)

— Trump posted the picture to his Truth Social social media platform Wednesday morning with the message: 'The Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!! President DJT'

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

UNCTAD: Developing countries launch first-ever Borrowers' Platform, "a breakthrough in global finance" — 15 April 2026 (LINK)

— "Today, 54 countries — home to 3.4 billion people — spend more on debt servicing than on health or education. [...] First outlined in the Sevilla Commitment adopted at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in July 2025, the initiative creates a permanent space for collaboration among developing countries. Through peer learning, technical support and knowledge sharing, the platform aims to strengthen debt management practices and improve coordination on sovereign debt issues."

On Wednesday, at an event in Washington DC to launch the group, UN Secretary-General António Guterres – whose Expert Group on Debt proposed the idea for the Platform in 2025 — described the initiative as a "breakthrough in global financing," comparable to long-established groups for creditor countries, such as the Paris Club, the London Club and the Institute of International Finance — (LINK)

NASA selects Voyager for seventh private mission to ISS, targeted to launch no earlier than 2028 from Florida: first selection for a private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory — 15 April 2026 (LINK)

— The mission, named VOYG-1, is expected to spend as many as 14 days aboard the space station. A specific launch date will depend on overall spacecraft traffic at the orbital outpost and other planning considerations. Voyager will submit four proposed crew members to NASA and its international partners for review. Once approved and confirmed, they will train with NASA, international partners, and the launch provider for their flight. The company will purchase mission services from NASA, including crew consumables, cargo delivery, storage, and other in-orbit resources for daily use. NASA will purchase the capability to return scientific samples that must remain cold during transit back to Earth.

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)

Scientists revived a 24,000-year-old animal frozen in Siberia. The rotifer woke up and started reproducing — 16 April 2026 (LINK)

— Indian Defence Review: This finding pushes the known limits of cryptobiosis, a state in which organisms suspend metabolism to survive extreme environments. While similar behaviour has been observed in single-celled organisms and some simple animals, this case stands out because rotifers possess more complex internal structures, including digestive systems.

Live Nation and Ticketmaster illegally monopolized big concert venues, jury rules — 15 April 2026 (LINK)

— Live Nation reached a deal with the Department of Justice in March to pay $280 million to states that sued the company over its practices. However, a coalition of more than 30 states rejected the federal settlement and vowed to move forward with litigation, with New York Attorney General Letitia James describing the suit as an effort to "restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry."

Five new Patek Philippe releases from Watches and Wonders Geneva that deserve your full attention — 50th Nautilus anniversary or not — 15 April 2026 (LINK) requires signup

Scientists now think they know how Egypt's Great Pyramid was built by moving 2.3 million stones without modern machines: internal ramps system — 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)

Vicious Cycle Index (VCI): this indicator has called every recession over the last 80 years: the U.S. economy could be starting a vicious cycle if this indicator is right — 14 April 2026 (LINK)

— Smart moves for investors include buying recession-resistant stocks and increasing their cash positions.

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.

Catchup: Travellers stranded at Istanbul Airport, Turkey as 192 flights are delayed and 2 cancelled — 13 April 2026 (LINK)

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)