“U.S. Vice President JD Vance lashed out on Tuesday at what he called ‘disgraceful’ European Union interference in Hungary’s election, even as he openly endorsed Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a close ally of both President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, days before the vote. Vance’s visit to Budapest came ahead of Sunday’s election, which independent public opinion polls show Orban is likely to lose. The trip — and the rare endorsement by a sitting U.S. official — underscored how crucial Trump deems the veteran Hungarian nationalist’s reelection. The visit broke with the norms of prior U.S. presidential administrations of not openly campaigning in foreign elections, especially for a government that has maintained close ties with Putin. It was not immediately clear whether Vance’s public support would strengthen Orban’s candidacy.” (04/07/26)
“The World Health Organization has suspended medical evacuations from Gaza to Egypt via the Rafah crossing after a contractor was killed by Israeli troops on Monday. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the contractor (named locally as Majdi Aslan, 54) was killed in a ‘security incident’ and that two staff were present but not injured. He gave no further details. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said the contractor was driving a WHO-rented vehicle in southern Gaza when it was targeted by Israeli forces. Israel’s military said its troops ‘identified an unmarked vehicle approaching them and the Yellow Line, posing an immediate threat,’ referring to the line marking Israeli-held territory. ‘In response, the troops fired warning shots. The vehicle continued to accelerate toward the troops, who then responded with additional fire that hit the vehicle,’ it added. ‘The incident is under review.'” (04/07/26)
“Republicans held onto former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s House seat on Tuesday. Republican Clay Fuller defeated Democrat Shawn Harris in a special runoff election in the state’s 14th Congressional District, giving the GOP another vote for their narrow House majority. But his margin of victory is on track to be less than half of President Donald Trump’s 37-point win in 2024. … The northwest Georgia district is the reddest in the Peach State, and the slimmer margin had Democrats bullish on their ambitious plans to flip seats in November’s midterms.” (04/07/26)
“The biggest prediction market in the U.S. is teaming up with the biggest TV news [sic] channel in the U.S. Kalshi, the betting platform that lets users put their money on the line to predict the outcome of world events (from elections and sporting events to unemployment rates, Oscar winners and updates in the Iran war), has inked a wide-ranging deal with Fox Corp. that will see its forecasts integrated into Fox News [sic], Fox Business Network, Fox One and Fox Weather. Kalsi has been aggressive about inking deals with media partners: It has similar arrangements with both CNN and CNBC, with the goal to get Kalshi-branded forecasts and predictions onscreen.” (04/07/26)
“The rapper formerly known as Kanye West was barred Tuesday from entering the U.K., where he was scheduled to headline the Wireless Festival in July, after a backlash over Ye’s history of antisemitic remarks. Festival organizers canceled the three-day outdoor event as a result of the travel ban and said those who had bought tickets would get refunds. Ye had been granted an electronic travel authorization which has now been withdrawn on the grounds that his presence in the U.K. would not be ‘conducive to the public good,’ CBS News partner network BBC News said, citing the Home Office.” (04/07/26)
“A 2023 Iowa law banning LGBTQ books and topics from being discussed in public school classrooms is taking effect after an appeals court lifted an injunction against it on Tuesday. The Court of Appeals for the Eighth U.S. Circuit ruled against the injunction after a lower court judge blocked the law last year. The law also requires school administrators to inform parents if a student requests accommodations to affirm their gender identity, such as preferred pronouns.” (04/07/26)
“Iran has allowed two French former detainees, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, to leave the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday. They had been holed up in French diplomatic premises there since their release from prison in November. ‘Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris are free and on route toward French territory, after three and a half years of detention in Iran,’ Macron posted on X. The green light for them to leave Iran, long sought by France, signaled how Iran is differentiating between nations, treating some favorably and others as foes, in the context of the Iran war. Macron has distanced France from the conflict, saying his country wasn’t consulted in advance about the U.S-Israel strikes and didn’t want the war. He thanked Oman for playing a mediation role in the release of Kohler and Paris.” (04/07/26)
“A massive explosion under the Bridge of the Americas has killed one person and injured two, temporarily closing the vital crossing over the Panama Canal. Smoke and flames engulfed part of the bridge, footage on social media showed, after a fuel tanker truck exploded in the area of La Boca, under the 5,400ft-long bridge. Cars and buses sped up in order to move past the explosion. … The Bridge of Americas spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, a vital waterway for commodities connecting the Panama Sea with the Pacific Ocean.” (04/07/26)
“A former Australian soldier was charged on Tuesday with war crimes on allegations that he killed five unarmed Afghans while serving in Afghanistan from 2009 and 2012, police said. Police have not confirmed the 47-year-old man’s name. He is expected to appear in a Sydney court later Tuesday. The soldier is only the second Australian veteran of the Afghanistan campaign to be charged with a war crime. … The charges follow a military report released in 2020 that found evidence that elite Australian SAS and commando regiment troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and other noncombatants.” (04/07/26)
“Ukrainian forces are operating in western Libya under a covert deal endorsed by the West, and they used the Northern African country’s territory to strike a Russian tanker in the Mediterranean last month, two Libyan officials said Tuesday. The Russian-flagged Arctic Metagaz, carrying 61,000 tons of liquefied natural gas, was badly damaged in a suspected sea drone attack near Maltese waters early in March. It has since drifted off Libya. All 30 crew members were rescued and put on another vessel heading to the Libyan city of Benghazi, the Libyan Maritime Authority said. The tanker is part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet transporting oil in violation of international sanctions over Moscow’s more than 4-year-old invasion of Ukraine. A recent temporary U.S. waiver on those sanctions is aimed at easing supply shortages amid the Iran war.” (04/07/26)
