Headlines: 27-30 April 2026

Tuesday, 28 April 2026

Oil prices rise despite Iran's proposal to reopen Strait of Hormuz — 28 April 2026 (LINK)

Mexico: Special forces capture cartel leader 'El Jardinero' — 28 April 2026 (LINK)

Washington Post: Trump administration has fired over 100 immigration judges, hires loyalists — 28 April 2026 (LINK)

Suspected Trumps shooter’s social media posts show shift from video games to political rage — shared posts comparing President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler and encouraged others critical of his presidency to purchase guns — 28 April 2026 (LINK)

Germany: Major raids carried out against Hells Angels in North Rhine-Westphalia — 28 April 2026 (LINK)

— The state's Interior Ministry in Düsseldorf said more than 50 properties were searched. The ban on the Leverkusen Hells Angel chapter is the latest in a series imposed on the group in the state over the past years. The investigation into the group is based on the suspicion of forming a criminal organization.

Monday, 27 April 2026

Iran offers US deal to reopen strait without nuclear deal — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

Russian fighters confirm withdrawal from northern Mali city of Kidal following a negotiated deal with the Azawad Liberation Front after separatist attacks — (LINK) ground.news: 24 media reports — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

DRC creates a paramilitary mining guard backed by US and UAE funding — (LINK) ground.news: 18 media reports — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

Dances With Wolves star Nathan Chasing Horse, 49, sentenced to life in prison on sexual assault charges — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

— Chasing Horse's victims told the court that they continue to suffer from the trauma caused by his actions, and struggle with their faith after he exploited his role as spiritual leader and medicine man in order to target victims.

Suspected pirates seize vessel carrying cement off Somalia, the second hijacking incident in days — (LINK) ground.news: 25 media reports — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

— At least four vessels have been targeted in suspected piracy incidents in the last week; the World Bank estimates pirates off the Horn of Africa earned between $339m and $413m in ransoms between 2005 and 2012.

Gunmen attack orphanage in northern Nigeria and abduct 23 pupils: 15 later rescued — (LINK) ground.news: media reports — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

— The facility, Dahallukitab Group of Schools, was operating illegally, said officials.

Mexico's Sheinbaum rules out a conflict with US over 2 CIA agents killed in Chihuahua accident: "Let us hope this is an exceptional case" — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

— The head of the Chihuahua state prosecutor’s office, César Jáuregui Moreno, resigned after telling reporters days earlier that the state government had worked with U.S. agents on an operation. He later walked back the comments under pressure from Sheinbaum.

US National Trust says it won't drop suit against Trump's $400M White House ballroom after DOJ request — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

China blocks Meta’s $2 billion takeover of Manus, a Singaporean artificial intelligence startup with Chinese roots — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

SIPRI: Record arms spending for the 11th year in a row — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

— Much of the global rise in military spending in 2025 was driven by Europe, where spending rose by 14% to $864 billion. Spain's defense budget jumped by 50%, Poland's by 23% and Italy's by 20%. Among European countries, Germany was the biggest military spender in 2025. Its defense budget rose by 24% to $114 billion, making it the world's fourth-largest. For the first time since 1990, German military spending passed the NATO benchmark of 2% of GDP, reaching 2.3%. The US spent less on its military — just $954 billion in 2025. That's 7.5% less than the year before.

Military spending surges in Europe and Asia, by almost 3% in 2025, pushing world to levels not seen in 16 years, report says — (LINK)

Elon Musk and Sam Altman face off in court over OpenAI for Altman changing it to a for-profit enterprise — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

King Charles and Queen Camilla meet Trumps at White House — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

Every stop on King Charles, Queen Camilla's US visit: where they're traveling in America — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

US Supreme Court formally reinstates pro-GOP Texas voting map by 6 to 3: could flip as many as five currently Democratic-held U.S. House seats to Republicans — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

US Supreme Court debates whether police may seek sweeping cellphone location data in investigations — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

US immigration agents left a refugee to die in the cold. His Buffalo New York community is demanding justice — 27 April 2026 (LINK)

— Alam, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee from Myanmar, who spoke no English and had mental health issues, was dropped by federal immigration officers outside a closed coffee shop in the middle of a brutal winter. He had spent months in custody following a confusing encounter with local law enforcement, then was released — alone, in the cold — far from the Rohingya community hub where he might have found help. Days later, he died.