“California Republicans refused Sunday to endorse Donald Trump’s pick for governor here, a stark rebuke of the sitting president by the party’s rank-and-file in the nation’s most populous state. The activists’ break with Trump — electing not to endorse in the contest, despite his backing of former Fox News host Steve Hilton — came amid worsening fears within the GOP about the party’s prospects in the midterms, including in critical House battlegrounds in California. … More party delegates voted for Chad Bianco, a firebrand Southern California sheriff who launched a probe into last year’s special election, than Hilton, with neither reaching the 60 percent threshold necessary to secure an endorsement. Bianco received 49 percent support, Hilton drew 44 percent, and the rest of delegates voted not to endorse.” (04/12/26)
“A former Nigerian oil minister accused of staying in luxury homes for free and enjoying lavish spending sprees in exchange for government contracts denied taking bribes as she gave evidence in a London court on Monday. Diezani Alison-Madueke, 65, is accused of benefiting from access to multimillion-pound U.K. homes that were paid for and refurnished by energy firms seeking government contracts in Nigeria. Prosecutors allege that she benefited from private jets, a chauffeur-driven car and shopping trips including 2 million pounds ($2.7 million) spent at Harrods, a famed London department store. They also allege that she received 100,000 pounds ($135,000) in cash while she was Nigerian minister of petroleum resources from April 2010 to May 2015. Giving evidence at Southwark Crown Court in London, Alison-Madueke said ‘I did not abuse my office during that period.’ She denies five counts of accepting bribes and a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery.” (04/13/26)
“Peruvian voters will have to wait until at least Monday to learn the outcome of Sunday’s presidential election after the process was mired with logistical issues that even left thousands of people in the country and abroad unable to cast ballots. The problems prompted electoral authorities to allow more than 52,000 residents of Peru’s capital, Lima, to vote on Monday. The extension, announced after vote counting began Sunday evening, also covers Peruvians registered to vote in Orlando, Florida, and Paterson, New Jersey. Authorities initially reported 63,300 people could vote Monday but later revised down the figure.” (04/13/26)
“President Donald Trump says the United States Navy will begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz ‘immediately’ after peace talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan ended without an agreement. Trump, in a social media post on Sunday, accused Iran of ‘extortion’ and said the US Navy would hunt down and interdict ships in international waters that have paid Iran a toll to traverse the strait. … ‘So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not,’ Trump said. ‘Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.'” (04/12/26)
“Hungary’s opposition Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, has won the election, bringing an end to Viktor Orbán’s 16-year grip on power, in a result that is likely to rattle the White House and reshape the country’s relationship with the EU. Less than three hours after polls closed on Sunday, Orbán conceded defeat after what he described as a ‘painful but unambiguous’ election result. … With 98.74% of the vote counted, Magyar’s Tisza party was projected to have won 138 of the 199 seats in the country’s parliament, giving them a super-majority capable of amending the constitution and key laws, suggesting they would be able to reverse some of the changes made by Orbán and Fidesz, and potentially unlock EU funds.” (04/12/26)
“The U.S. military said it attacked two boats allegedly transporting narcotics in the eastern Pacific over the weekend, [murdering] five people and leaving one survivor. The strikes were carried out Saturday, according to a Sunday statement from U.S. Southern Command. The Trump administration has been attacking vessels in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific since Sept. 2. With the five [murdered] Saturday, the publicly announced death toll rose from 163 as of March 25 to 168, according to a Pentagon posture statement from mid-March and subsequent SOUTHCOM releases.” (04/13/26)
“The much-touted Easter truce confirmed by the Kremlin has now expired unsuccessfully as Russia and Ukraine accused each other of breaching the 32-hour ceasefire in their four-year war. While the Russian defence ministry said it recorded 1,971 ceasefire violations overnight into Sunday, Ukraine said it has recorded a total of 7,696 Russian violations over the course of the truce in an update just few hours shy of the midnight deadline.” (04/13/26)
“A second flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza was due to set sail on Sunday from the Spanish port of Barcelona to try to break the Israeli blockade. About 30 boats planned to leave the Mediterranean port city laden with medical aid and other supplies on the Global Sumud Flotilla, and more vessels are expected to join along the route towards Palestine. [Israeli pirates] halted the roughly 40 boats assembled by the same organisation in October last year as they attempted to reach blockaded Gaza, [abducting] Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 other participants.” (04/12/26)
“Police in Ireland on Saturday used pepper spray and made arrests in a bid to clear protesters blockading the country’s only oil refinery. Authorities moved in to disperse the protesters to restore supplies after five days of nationwide demonstrations over soaring fuel prices. Law enforcers, supported by armed forces personnel, moved in to reopen the Whitegate refinery in County Cork and escort fuel trucks on Saturday. … After Ireland’s Defence Forces joined the police in clearing the protests, Irish police chief Justin Kelly said on Saturday that the fuel protesters’ actions were ‘endangering the state.'” (04/12/26)
“Donald Trump has launched an unusual and scathing attack on Pope Leo over his opposition to US immigration policy and the war in Iran. The US president accused the pontiff of being ‘WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy’ in a Truth Social post, later telling reporters he was ‘not a big fan.'” (04/13/26)
