“The United States has issued a warning to shipping firms that they risk sanctions if they make payments to Iran for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The alert, released by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), emphasised that US persons and entities are prohibited from engaging in transactions with Iranian government bodies. It also warned non-US entities that they could face sanctions repercussions if they settle payments to Iran.” (05/03/26)
“Spain has demanded the release of a citizen who was arrested during a raid on a flotilla headed for Gaza and taken to Israel, calling it an abduction. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told Catalan radio station RAC1 on Saturday that he was concerned about the ‘illegal detention’ of Saif Abukeshek, and called for him to be ‘released immediately.’ … [Israeli pirates] stormed 22 of the flotilla boats attempting to deliver aid to Gaza while they were in international waters, hundreds of miles from the strip. Drones and communications-jamming technology were used. They [abducted] 175 of those on board and took them to Greece, except for Abukeshek and Avila.” (05/02/26)
“Somali pirates have hijacked an oil tanker off the coast of Yemen, according to multiple Somali security officials that spoke with the BBC. The Yemeni coastguard earlier said the tanker MT Eureka had been hijacked and was headed towards Somalia. Sources said it was overrun by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, near the port of Qana. The pirates departed a remote coastal area near the seaside town of Qandala, which sits on the Gulf of Aden, according to three separate security officials from the semi-autonomous Puntland region who spoke with the BBC. It marks the second hijacking of an oil tanker in the area in a 10-day period, following the hijacking of Honor 25 by Somali pirates on April 22. Honor 25 was carrying 18,500 barrels of oil bound for Mogadishu.” (05/02/26)
“U.S. First Lady Melania Trump was instrumental in securing the return of at least 26 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia over the past several months, Ukraine’s top human rights official said. Speaking at a Bring Kids Back event in Kyiv on Thursday, Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukraine Parliament’s Human Rights Commissioner, said Trump had become an important ally in negotiating with Moscow to return children to their families from Russia and regions under Russian control. … According to Ukraine Government data, 20,570 children had been deported or forcibly displaced from Ukraine by Russia, as of May 1, of whom only 2,126 have been returned.” (05/01/26)
“Two makers of the widely used abortion pill mifepristone asked the Supreme Court on Saturday to block an appellate court ruling that cut off mail-order access to the drug just a day earlier, in what was the biggest jolt to abortion policy in the U.S. since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Danco Laboratories asked the high court for an emergency pause on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision, saying the appellate ruling ‘injects immediate confusion and upheaval into highly time-sensitive medical decisions.’ GenBioPro, which makes a generic version of mifepristone, made a similar request.” [editor’s note: While this pill does work a bit further along than Plan B, it is useless if not taken in the early part of first trimester; it is not a late term procedure and should not be anyone’s business – SAT](05/02/26)
“A metro homeowner shot an alleged intruder Friday night and sent the suspect to the hospital, according to police. … Officials said it appeared to be a first-degree burglary, possibly turned self-defense. … The homeowner was not injured in the situation, per police.” (05/02/26)
“President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, effectively ending the partial government shutdown that began in February. The U.S. House had approved the measure hours earlier following White House warnings that emergency funding for DHS would run out as soon as Friday. The funding bill’s passage comes after more than a month of House Republican opposition to the plan, which advanced unanimously out of the Senate in late March.” (04/30/26)
“Ukrainian drones have again hit oil infrastructure in the city of Perm in central Russia, more than 1,500km from the front line. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said the target in Perm was an Lukoil-owned oil refinery — one of the largest in Russia. Dramatic images shared on social media showed huge columns of black smoke and flames rising into the air, and a chemical emergency alert was issued for some parts of Perm. City authorities later claimed the alert was merely a test. … Moscow continues to target Ukrainian cities with aerial attacks on a regular basis and on Wednesday night killed at least three people and injured 79, including a child. Earlier this week, the SBU said it had hit a strategic hub for Russia’s sprawling oil pipeline system, also in Perm.” (04/30/26)
“The Labor Department said Thursday that U.S. initial unemployment claims totaled 189,000 for the week ending April 25, down 26,000 from a revised prior-week figure of 215,000. That is the lowest reading in more than 50 years, according to The Associated Press, citing research firm High Frequency Economics, which said the figure was the fewest new applications since September 1969. Analysts had projected 212,000 applications for the week, according to Bloomberg. … historically low filing numbers have persisted even though a string of prominent employers — among them Meta Platforms, Nike, Morgan Stanley, and Amazon — have publicly announced workforce reductions, according to Bloomberg and The Associated Press.” (04/30/26)
“The Republican-led Senate on Thursday again blocked a Democratic attempt to stop Trump’s war in Iran, rejecting a war powers resolution that would have limited the conflict until Congress authorities further military action. The vote was 47-50, with two Republicans – senator Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky – voting in favor and one Democrat – senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania – opposing it. It was the sixth time this year that Democrats have forced a vote on a war powers resolution related to the US’s assault on Iran. All have failed, mostly along party lines.” (04/30/26)
