“A woman was shot and killed after allegedly breaking into a home in North Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon, according to police. Philadelphia Police Inspector D.F. Pace said preliminary information indicates the woman entered the home through a back window on the 2300 block of North Cleveland Street. Residents inside told her to leave, but she did not comply and was shot multiple times, police said. ‘It appears that this is a case of a person defending oneself inside their own home,’ Inspector Pace said.” (05/04/26)
“The U.S. and Iran launched new attacks in the Gulf on Monday as they wrestled for control over the Strait of Hormuz with duelling maritime blockades, shaking a fragile truce. The fresh volleys of missiles and drones came after U.S. President Donald Trump launched a new effort to get stranded tankers and other ships through the strait, the vital energy-trade chokepoint that has been virtually closed since the U.S. and Israel began attacks on Iran in February, a war that has killed thousands of people across the region. Before Monday was out, several merchant ships in the Gulf reported explosions or fires, the U.S. said it had destroyed six small Iranian military boats, and an oil port in the United Arab Emirates, which hosts a large U.S. military base, was set ablaze by Iranian missiles.” (05/04/26)
“Alberta separatists said Monday they have formally submitted almost 302,000 signatures to try to trigger a referendum on the province leaving Canada. The group needed 178,000 signatures to force the province to consider such a vote. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said if the petition is verified, there will be a referendum. Smith has said she personally does not support the oil-rich province leaving Canada. … the petition could face another hurdle this week as an Edmonton, Alberta judge is expected to rule on a court challenge launched by a group of Alberta First Nations who say Alberta separation would violate treaty rights.” (05/04/26)
“Justice Samuel Alito on Monday temporarily halted an appellate court order that blocked a Food and Drug Administration rule allowing the abortion pill mifepristone to be prescribed online and dispensed through the mail. Alito granted temporary relief to the maker of mifepristone, Danco Laboratories, and the manufacturer of a generic version of the drug, GenBioPro. His administrative stay will remain in place until 5 p.m. on May 11. The move gives the Supreme Court more time to consider the drug companies’ requests to set aside the appellate court’s order while litigation proceeds.” (05/04/26)
“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has celebrated what he called ‘a spectacular mandate’ given to his ruling Hindu nationalist BJP. West Bengal had been an opposition stronghold, but the BJP is now poised to govern the state for the first time. Partial results released by the Election Commission of India showed the BJP ahead in at least 190 seats in the 294-member state legislature. … Actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party, is set to win Tamil Nadu’s 2026 Assembly elections, signaling a significant political shift in the state With the majority of votes counted, the TVK is well ahead of the incumbent DMK and the BJP-supported AIDMK — both alliances made up of established parties.” (05/04/26)
“Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced a two-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine to observe the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. The ceasefire would run Friday and Saturday, according to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy countered with his own proposed pause in fighting starting earlier, on the night of May 5‑6. … Russia celebrates victory in World War Two on May 9, a major national holiday marking the day the Soviet Union signed Germany’s surrender in 1945. It traditionally holds a military parade, but says this year’s commemoration will feature none of the military hardware frequently put on display at past commemorations because of the threat of increased Ukrainian ‘terrorist’ activity. … Authorities cut off mobile internet services to many customers in Moscow on Tuesday ahead of the parade.” (05/04/26)
“Bitcoin’s break above $80,000 caught the crypto derivatives market badly positioned for the third time in recent weeks, triggering $370 million in total liquidations across 97,235 traders in 24 hours with short sellers absorbing the majority of the damage — a pattern that is beginning to look less like a series of isolated events and more like a structural feature of the current market. Bitcoin briefly tagged $80,594 in early Asian trading Monday — its highest print since January 31 — before pulling back to trade around $79,851 at time of writing. Of the $370 million in total liquidations, $301.93 million came from short positions, according to CoinGlass data, with shorts liquidated at roughly four times the rate of longs. Bitcoin alone accounted for $179 million of the wipeout, with Ether traders contributing $95 million.” (05/04/26)
“The cruise ship at the center of a deadly outbreak of hantavirus has been refused permission to dock, with 149 people still on board — two of them seriously ill. The virus is suspected to have killed three people and sickened three more, with one patient hospitalized in critical condition. … The remaining passengers, who are from 23 different countries, including 17 Americans, are required to follow strict precautionary measures, including isolation and medical monitoring, the cruise operator said. The west African nation of Cape Verde said it had decided not to let the cruise ship, the Hondius, dock at the port of Praia as a precautionary measure, Reuters reported. The cruise operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said in a statement Monday that the ship may sail from Cape Verde to Las Palmas or Tenerife in the Canary Islands and dock there.” (05/04/26)
“An Iraqi court on Monday sentenced four people to six years in prison on charges of promoting the ideas of the banned Baath Party led by former leader Saddam Hussein. The Karkh Criminal Court said in a statement that those convicted were found in possession of the banned materials on their cellphones in Kirkuk province during 2025 and 2026. After the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq toppled Saddam’s autocratic rule, the country implemented a broad de-Baathification policy aimed at removing the influence of the Baath Party from state institutions.” (05/04/26)
“Iran[‘s regime has killed] three men charged in connection with political protests this January, authorities have said, the latest in a wave of hangings against the backdrop of the war against the US and Israel. Iranian authorities have carried out [killings] on a near-daily basis in recent weeks in what activists have denounced as a bid to instil fear in society at a time of international and domestic tension. Mehdi Rassouli, Mohammad Reza Miri and Ebrahim Dolatabadi, all considered political prisoners by human rights organisations, were [killed] after being convicted over unrest in the eastern city of Mashhad in January, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency announced on Monday.” (05/04/26)
