“Russia’s traditional parade marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II will take place next week without tanks, missiles and other military equipment, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement. It will be the first time in nearly two decades – and in Russia’s 4-year-old war in Ukraine – that no military equipment will rumble through Moscow’s Red Square on May 9, the day Russia celebrates its most important secular holiday. The Kremlin has used it to showcase its military might and global clout, and it is a source of patriotic pride. … The ministry cited the ‘current operational situation’ as a reason for excluding military equipment, as well as cadets, from this year’s parade on the 81st anniversary of the victory. Ukraine has launched drone attacks deep inside Russia to counter Moscow’s more than 4-year-old invasion.” (04/29/26)
“Kim Jong Un has praised North Korean soldiers who killed themselves by detonating their grenades while fighting for Russia against Ukraine, confirming a long-suspected battlefield policy. In a speech this week, the North Korean leader said those who ‘unhesitatingly opted for self-blasting, suicide attack, in order to defend the great honour’ were ‘heroes.’ South Korea estimates at least 15,000 North Koreans have been sent to help Russia recapture parts of western Kursk, and more than 6,000 have been killed so far. Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow have confirmed the numbers. Intelligence agencies and defectors have said the soldiers were under Pyongyang’s orders to kill themselves rather than be taken prisoner by Ukraine.” (04/29/26)
“A former senior adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci was indicted on federal charges alleging he conspired to hide his communications related to COVID-19 research as the pandemic raged across the country, the Justice Department said Tuesday. Dr. David Morens, 78, is accused of using his private email account to intentionally circumvent public records laws while employed at the National Institutes of Health. The Justice Department alleges that he concealed or destroyed records of discussions related to COVID-19 research grants, including an effort to revive a controversial coronavirus grant.” (04/29/26)
“The Supreme Court unanimously sided with a group of faith-based pregnancy centers on Wednesday that challenged the New Jersey attorney general’s investigation into whether the centers misled donors and the public about steering women away from having abortions. The case was brought by First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, a group of five Christian-based facilities in New Jersey that provide various pre-natal services to women facing unplanned pregnancies. The Supreme Court found the centers’ First Amendment rights were violated, handing a victory to the pro-life movement, which had argued the state investigation rattled the centers’ donors. The opinion was narrow, finding that First Choice is now able to fight the state investigation in federal court, rather than state court.” (04/29/26)
“A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit from the Justice Department seeking information on Arizona voters, another defeat in the Trump administration’s nationwide push for voter data. U.S. District Judge Susan Brnovich sided with Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, finding that Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 doesn’t grant the Justice Department the power to demand that Arizona produce its statewide voter registration list. … The ruling marks the Justice Department’s sixth loss in lawsuits seeking state-level voter data, following similar rulings in California, Oregon, Michigan, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.” (04/28/26)
“A man in eastern India has said he was forced to carry his sister’s skeletal remains to a bank to prove her death after failing to withdraw her savings. A video from Odisha state of Jitu Munda, 52, taking the remains to the bank went viral this week, sparking outrage. He said he acted in frustration after repeated attempts to access the money without being able to show official proof of death. Police said he exhumed the woman’s remains to bring them to the bank. The bank denied asking for this, saying they only demanded legally required documents. It added that the incident appeared to stem from a lack of awareness of procedures, and that the money has since been handed over to the legal heirs.” (04/29/26)
“A South Korean appeals court on Wednesday sentenced ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol to seven years in prison for resisting arrest and bypassing a legitimate Cabinet meeting before his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. The conviction for obstruction of justice and other charges comes on top of a life sentence he has already received on rebellion charges stemming from his baffling authoritarian push, which triggered the most serious crisis for the country’s democracy in decades. Judge Yoon Sung-sik of the Seoul High Court said the conservative former president sidestepped a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting before declaring martial law, falsified documents to conceal the lapse, and deployed security officials ‘like a private army’ to resist law enforcement efforts to arrest him in the weeks following his impeachment. Former President Yoon stood quietly as the verdict was delivered and made no comment.” (04/29/26)
“The Supreme Court will weigh arguments Wednesday over the Trump administration’s push to end legal protections for Haitians and Syrians as migrants fleeing war and natural disaster. Haitians and Syrians were among those from 17 countries with Temporary Protected Status, which allows migrants already in the U.S. to stay with work permits in 18-month increments, so long as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security deems their country of origin unsafe for return. Since President Donald Trump ’s second term began, Homeland Security has ended the protections for 13 countries, exposing their migrants to potential deportation. The case focuses on whether the administration properly weighed conditions in Haiti and Syria when it ended TPS and if it prejudiced non-white immigrants.” (04/29/26)
“U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who presided over Bankman-Fried’s 2023 fraud trial and sentenced him to 25 years in prison, issued the ruling in New York, according to court records reported by Bloomberg and Inner City Press. The judge described Bankman-Fried’s arguments as ‘baseless on multiple independently sufficient levels.’ … Bankman-Fried was convicted in November 2023 on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy tied to the collapse of FTX and his trading firm Alameda Research. Billions in customer funds went missing. He was sentenced in March 2024. His direct appeal is pending before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, with oral arguments held in 2025. That case remains active and is separate from the Rule 33 motion Judge Kaplan just denied.” (04/28/26)
“Former FBI director James Comey has been charged over a social media photo of seashells that officials say constituted a threat against US President Donald Trump. The photo, which was uploaded nearly a year ago, showed seashells arranged on a beach to spell out the numbers 8-6-4-7, which critics have interpreted as a threat to kill Mr Trump. The two-count indictment charges Mr Comey with knowingly and wilfully making a threat to ‘take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon’ Mr Trump, and with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.Mr Comey deleted the photo soon after it was uploaded, saying he did not realise some would [pretend it was] a call for violence.” (04/29/26)
