“Pope Leo has criticised the treatment of prisoners in Equatorial Guinea, ahead of a visit to a jail known for its dire conditions. He addressed the Central African nation on Wednesday at a Mass that drew some 100,000 people, including Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the country’s leader and the world’s long-serving president. Pope Leo said: ‘My thoughts go to the poorest, to families experiencing difficulty and to prisoners who are often forced to live in troubling hygienic and sanitary conditions.’ Oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, a country with a poor human rights record and vast income inequalities, is the Pope’s final stop on a four-nation tour of Africa. In the evening on Wednesday, his last full day of the tour, Pope Leo is scheduled to visit an infamous prison in the economic capital, Bata.” (04/22/26)
“Amazon is pushing deeper into the booming weight loss market, unveiling Tuesday a new program that aims to simplify access to popular GLP-1 treatments. The company said its primary care arm, Amazon One Medical, is launching a GLP-1 management program that integrates obesity treatment into routine care. The offering combines virtual and in-person visits, prescription management and pharmacy fulfillment, positioning weight management as a long-term chronic condition rather than a one-off prescription. … Through Amazon Pharmacy, patients will be able to access medications including Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy as well as newer oral GLP-1 options. Insured pricing will start as low as $25 per month, Amazon said. For cash-paying patients, oral drugs start at $149 per month, it said.” (04/21/26)
“An appeals court has blocked a California law passed in 2025 requiring federal immigration agents to wear a badge or some form of identification. The Trump administration filed a lawsuit in November challenging the law, arguing that it would threaten the safety of officers who are facing harassment, doxing, and violence and that it violated the constitution because the state is directly regulating the federal government. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction pending appeal Wednesday. It had already granted a temporary administrative injunction to block the implementation of the law. At a hearing March 3, Justice Department lawyers argued that the California law sought to regulate the federal government, violating the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution.” (04/22/26)
“Lufthansa is ending 20,000 short-haul routes across its network through October to achieve ‘jet fuel savings of more than 40,000 metric tons,’ the airline announced on Tuesday. Jet fuel costs have ‘doubled since the outbreak of the Iran conflict,’ Lufthansa said. The move follows last week’s decision to retire the entire 27-aircraft fleet of its subsidiary CityLine ahead of schedule amid surging fuel costs and tightening supply. The airline said the first 120 flights were canceled on Monday.” (04/21/26)
“United States President Donald Trump has announced an extension to the ceasefire with Iran, saying that the US military will hold off its planned attack to allow more time for Tehran to put forward a proposal to end the war. The move on Tuesday comes at the request of Pakistani mediators, according to Trump. The truce was set to expire on Wednesday. … The extension marks the latest abrupt reversal from the Trump White House. Hours before his social media post, Trump had said that he opposed lengthening the truce, warning Iran that time is running out before the US launches a huge attack on its infrastructure.” (04/21/26)
“Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a Democratic redistricting plan that could allow the party to pick up as many as four new seats in the midterm elections, NBC News projects. With 97% of the vote in, the “yes” vote on the ballot referendum held a narrow lead of 3 percentage points. The special election is a major victory for Democrats as they seek to gain control of the narrowly divided House this fall. Democrats have now won statewide votes in California and Virginia to redraw congressional maps as part of a mid-decade redistricting arms race that began last year when President Donald Trump urged GOP-led states to alter their district lines.” (04/21/26)
Source: Raidió Teilifís Éireann [Irish state media]
“Russian drones attacked infrastructure in Ukraine’s Black Sea Odesa port overnight, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba has said. Berths, warehouses, railway infrastructure and port operators’ facilities were damaged in the assault, Mr Kuleba wrote on the Telegram messaging app. The hold of a cargo ship was also hit, causing a fire Ukraine’s seaports authority said. According to preliminary information no one was hurt in the attack, and the port was still operating, the authority said on Telegram.” (04/22/26)
“Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida resigned on Tuesday moments before a hearing was to begin to consider what punishment to recommend after a House ethics panel found she had committed numerous campaign finance and reporting violations. The congresswoman was facing the possible threat of expulsion, something that has only occurred six times in the history of the House. Support from her own party was increasingly in doubt. In a statement, Chefilus-McCormick said her resignation was ‘effective immediately.’ ‘But let me say this plainly: we should be very careful about the precedent we are setting in this country, we do not punish people before due process is complete,’ she said. ‘We do not allow allegations alone to override the will of the people. …’ The committee had previously determined she committed 25 violations of House rules and ethical standards, including breaking campaign finance laws.” (04/21/26)
“A new report commissioned by Coinbase sounds a cautious, but urgent, alarm: Quantum computing won’t break crypto tomorrow, but the industry can’t afford to wait. The 50-page paper, authored by an independent advisory board that includes prominent cryptographers and academics like Dan Boneh of Stanford University, Justin Drake of the Ethereum Foundation and Sreeram Kannan of Eigen Labs, concludes that while today’s blockchains remain secure, a future ‘fault-tolerant quantum computer’ capable of breaking widely used encryption is increasingly plausible, and preparation must begin now. … Rather than a single solution, the report outlines multiple transition strategies, including hybrid systems that combine existing cryptography with post-quantum updates or allow a gradual switch when needed.” (04/21/26)
“U.S. forces have boarded an oil tanker previously sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude oil in Asia, the Pentagon said Tuesday, as it puts into place a global warning to track down vessels tied to Tehran. U.S. forces ‘conducted a right-of-visit maritime interdiction’ and boarded the M/T Tifani ‘without incident,’ the Pentagon said on social media. The Tifani was captured in the Bay of Bengal — between India and Southeast Asia — and was carrying Iranian oil, according to a U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing military operation. The U.S. military will decide in the next four days what to do with the vessel, such as tow it back to the U.S. or turn it over to another country, the official said.” (04/21/26)
