“More than 17,000 American and Filipino military personnel will participate in one of their largest annual combat exercises in the Philippines that underscore the United States’ staunch commitment to Asia despite its preoccupation with the Middle East, a U.S. military official said Tuesday. During the April 20-May 8 maneuvers, called the Balikatan, Japanese forces will fire a missile in a ship-sinking exercise in northwestern Philippine waters facing the disputed South China Sea. Japan’s defense chief has been invited to witness the live-fire drill, Philippine military officials said. The large-scale combat drills between the U.S. and Philippines, which are longtime treaty allies, will expand this year to include other friendly forces, including those from Japan, France and Canada, which have signed visiting forces agreements with Manila, the Philippine military said.” (04/14/26)
“China has called the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz a ‘dangerous and irresponsible act’ that will further enflame tensions in the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that the targeted blockade of the vital shipping channel, which began at 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday, coupled with an increase in U.S. military deployment, risks undermining an ‘already fragile ceasefire situation.’ Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a press conference that only a full ceasefire can help ease the situation, adding that Beijing would make efforts to help restore peace and stability in the Middle East.” (04/14/26)
“A US-sanctioned tanker linked to China is making its way through the Strait of Hormuz, testing President Donald Trump’s naval blockade. Rich Starry, a medium-range tanker earlier known as Full Star, was blacklisted by Washington in 2023 for helping Tehran evade energy sanctions. It is not clear on this occasion whether it visited Iranian ports before its transit, or is carrying cargo. This exit from the Persian Gulf is a second attempt for the carrier in less than 24 hours. Just as the blockade came into effect, Rich Starry was making its way into the narrow waterway near Iran’s Qeshm Island and turned back — only to restart its exit just hours later, broadcasting that it has a Chinese owner and crew. This is a safety mechanism frequently used by vessels, but will test US resolve to challenge vessels tied to the world’s largest oil importer.” (04/14/26)
“Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-California) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) separately announced plans to depart from Congress on Monday ahead of possible expulsion votes related to allegations of sexual misconduct. … Swalwell faces accusations of sexual assault from a former staffer, first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday. Several other women also alleged sexual misconduct in interviews with The Washington Post, CNN and other news outlets. Gonzales is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for having an affair with a staff member who later set herself on fire and died.” (04/13/26)
“Ukraine says its forces have retaken territory in an operation using only unmanned robots and drones, the first time this has happened in the course of the war. Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian soldiers surrendered when confronted by army robots after an advance ‘carried out without infantry and without losses on our side.’ ‘For the first time in the history of this war, an enemy position was taken exclusively by unmanned platforms – ground systems and drones,’ he said on X.” (04/14/26)
“A judge dismissed President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal for alleging he sent Jeffrey Epstein a lewd birthday note but said Trump may amend the lawsuit and refile it within two weeks. … Florida federal Judge Darrin P. Gayles ruled Trump didn’t make a plausible allegation in his lawsuit that The Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, published the story with ‘actual malice,’ a legal term referring to publishing something while either knowing it was false or with a reckless disregard for whether it was false.” (04/13/26)
“Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other major cryptocurrencies rebounded late Monday in a ‘classic risk-on snapback,’ as traders continue to digest the protracted U.S.-Iran conflict, analysts said. Bitcoin climbed 4.9% over the past 24 hours to $74,414 as of 12:55 a.m. ET Tuesday, offsetting weekend losses, according to The Block’s crypto price page. The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell to a low of around $70,600 earlier in the day. Ether jumped 7.9% to $2,365, while XRP added 3.2% to $1.37, and Solana gained 4.9% to $85.97.” (04/14/26)
“Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell in March to their slowest pace nine months, as easing mortgage rates failed to motivate home shoppers during what’s traditionally been the busiest time of the year for the housing market. Existing home sales fell 3.6% last month from February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.98 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Monday. Sales also fell 1% compared with March last year, weighed down by declines in the Northeast and Midwest. The latest sales figure fell short of the roughly 4.06 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.” (04/13/26)
“A French court has found cement group Lafarge guilty of financing ‘terrorism’ through its Syrian subsidiary, fining the company and jailing its former CEO. The Paris court ruled on Monday that Lafarge had paid protection money directly to ISIL (ISIS) and other armed groups and breached European sanctions to operate in northern Syria during the country’s civil war in 2013-2014. The case is just the latest of several concerning the company’s conduct during the conflict. The court ordered Lafarge to pay a fine of 1.12 million euros ($1.32m), and for 30 million euros ($35.1m) worth of its assets to be confiscated. An additional fine was levied for having disregarded international sanctions. The ruling can be appealed.” (04/13/26)
“Keiko Fujimori appeared headed for yet another presidential runoff in Peru after early results from Sunday’s election showed her leading a fragmented field, setting up a potential showdown with ultraconservative former Lima mayor Rafael López Aliaga in a vote shaped by rising crime, political instability and disputes over the electoral process. … The preliminary outcome, if confirmed, would mark the fourth consecutive time Fujimori advances to a second round. She previously lost runoffs in 2011, 2016 and 2021, but her latest showing suggests she remains one of the most durable political figures in the country despite years of polarization surrounding her candidacy and the legacy of her father, former President Alberto Fujimori, the authoritarian leader who governed Peru from 1990 to 2000, and who remains one of the country’s most polarizing figures.” (04/13/26)
