“A US destroyer on Sunday, April 19, fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade a US naval blockade, President Donald Trump and the US military said the same day. … Iran’s military on Sunday vowed to respond. ‘We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy and the US military,’ said a spokesperson for the military’s central command center, Khatam Al-Anbiya, cited by ISNA news agency. He accused the United States of having ‘violated the ceasefire’ that has been in place since April 8.” (04/20/26)
“A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse sparked a fire and killed at least one person, Russian officials said on Monday, only hours after a blaze was extinguished following a similar attack on April 16. One of Russia’s major southern ports, Tuapse is an oil product export hub that also handles dry bulk cargo, such as coal and fertiliser. In addition, it is home to a major oil refinery of the same name owned by Rosneft. … Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure in the past month as U.S.-brokered peace talks have stalled with Washington more focused on the war in Iran.” (04/20/26)
“The U.S. military said it launched another strike on a boat it accused of ferrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, [murdering] three people Sunday. The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and [murdered] at least 181 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean. At least 54 vessels have been targeted in the campaign.” (04/19/26)
“Bulgarian ex-president Rumen Radev – an EU critic who has called for renewing ties with Russia – on Sunday hailed a ‘victory of hope’ after his formation topped the eighth parliamentary elections in five years. Projections from polling agencies put his Progressive Bulgaria (PB) grouping at 44%, which would give him an absolute majority of at least 129 seats in the 240-seat parliament. … the landslide victory marks the first outright parliamentary majority for a single formation in Bulgaria since 1997 when a centre-right, pro-European grouping won.” (04/20/26)
“Michigan officials have strongly rejected a demand from the US Department of Justice for 2024 election materials from the Detroit area, accusing the Trump administration of attempting to undermine the integrity of future polls. The DOJ’s request, sent last week, sought ballots, ballot receipts, and envelopes from the clerk in Wayne County, home to the heavily Democratic city of Detroit. The letter was authored by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson – all Democrats – released the DOJ’s letter and their reply, vowing to fight the request.” (04/20/26)
“Jeff Bezos'[s] Blue Origin on Sunday said its New Glenn rocket booster touched down after its launch, marking its first landing of a reused booster. The rocket, which had a launch window of 6:45 a.m. to 12:19 p.m. ET on Sunday, lifted off at around 7:25 a.m. ET (1125 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the booster touchdown happened about 10 minutes later. New Glenn carried AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite to low-Earth orbit in a flight that marks a pivotal step for the company. The mission was key to demonstrating that New Glenn, a 29-story heavy-lift rocket, has a reliable booster reuse capability and can compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.” (04/19/26)
“Bitcoin Latinum founder Donald G. Basile now faces federal fraud charges from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC claims Basile and his two companies raised $16 million from hundreds of American investors through fraudulent crypto offerings. Regulators filed the complaint on April 17, 2026, in the Eastern District of New York. The charges center on false claims about insurance, asset backing, and the intended use of investor funds. The case revolves around the sale of Simple Agreements for Future Tokens, or SAFTs. These instruments promised investors the right to receive a crypto asset known as Bitcoin Latinum, or LTNM.” (04/19/26)
“Australia and Japan have signed contracts for the first three of 11 warships set to be delivered to the Australian navy under a landmark $7bn defence deal, as the two close US allies in the Asia Pacific region deepen defence cooperation. Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles and Japanese Defence Minister Koizumi Shinjiro made the announcement in Melbourne on Saturday at the signing ceremony for the Mogami-class warships. … Australia has committed to a record $305bn in military spending over the next decade, as part of a widespread defence overhaul aimed at boosting the country’s naval power to levels not seen since World War II.” (04/19/26)
“The remains of at least 50 infants and six adults have been dumped at a graveyard in Trinidad and Tobago, police say. In a statement, the country’s police service (TTPS) said the bodies were found in the town of Cumuto, about 40km (25 miles) from the capital Port of Spain on Trinidad – one of the two islands forming the Caribbean nation. A preliminary investigation shows it may be a case of an ‘unlawful disposal of unclaimed corpses,’ it added. It is unclear if the incident is linked to gang violence in the country with one of the highest murder rates in Latin America and the Caribbean.” (04/19/26)
“A life jacket worn by a Titanic survivor sold for more than $900,000 at auction Saturday, far exceeding expectations and highlighting the enduring fascination with the doomed ship. The flotation device — believed to be one of only a handful of Titanic life jackets still in existence — was used by first-class passenger Laura Mabel Francatelli during the ship’s 1912 sinking and was the only one of its kind ever offered at auction. It sold for 670,000 pounds, or roughly $906,000, including fees, at Henry Aldridge & Son auctioneers in Devizes, England, to an unidentified telephone bidder.” (04/19/26)
