United States secretary of defense Pete Hegseth says that the U.S. is prepared to resume the war if Iran does not agree to deal.
Source:
Al Jazeera 
April 16
Armed conflicts and attacks
Lebanese president Joseph Aoun denies that he will speak to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after a claim by U.S. president Donald Trump that the two leaders are going to have direct talks.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)Hezbollah–Israel conflict2026 Lebanon war2026 Israel–Lebanon peace talks
Source:
The Hill
Source:
NOS
Law and crime
In the United States, Fairfax County officials claim that former Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Justin Fairfax murdered his wife, then committed suicide, after police find them dead at their home.
Source:
New York Times
Disasters and accidents
A helicopter lost contact in Sekadau Regency, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. A search and rescue effort is underway.
Source:
CNN Indonesia
April 15
International relations
Donors pledge €1.3 billion (US$1.5 billion) in foreign aid for Sudan at an international conference in Berlin, Germany, marking the third anniversary of the beginning of Sudan's civil war, as participants also discuss efforts to advance ceasefire negotiations.
Source:
Al Jazeera
International Atomic Energy Agency director general Rafael Grossi reports increased activity at multiple nuclear facilities in North Korea, including the Nyongbyon site, indicating expanded capacity to produce nuclear weapons.
Source:
AFP via ABS-CBN News
Israel appoints Michael Lotem as the first Israeli ambassador to Somaliland, months after Israel officially recognised the breakaway region in Somalia. Lotem previously served as the Israeli ambassador to Kenya.
Source:
Horseed Media
Business and economy
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov states that Russia can supply energy to China and other countries affected by disruptions in shipments through the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war.
Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war2026 Iran war fuel crisisChina–Russia relationsChina in the 2026 Iran warRussia in the 2026 Iran war
Source:
AFP via CNA
Syria begins loading the first tanker carrying Iraqi oil at the Baniyas Refinery for export by sea under a bilateral arrangement to reroute shipments amid disruptions to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war2026 Iran war fuel crisisIraq–Syria relationsIraq in the 2026 Iran warSyria in the 2026 Iran war
Source:
AFP via SpaceWar.com
South Korea secures imports of 273 million barrels of crude oil (by the end of the year) and 2.1 million tons of naphtha through alternative routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz, providing several months of supply amid disruptions linked to the Iran war.
Source:
AFP via SpaceWar.com
The Iraqi transport ministry announces that Iraqi Airways will resume flights to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, beginning tomorrow and Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday.
Source:
Iraqi News
Shoe company Allbirds announces it will be pivoting to providing computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence, with plans to rename itself to "NewBird AI". The company's shares rose nearly 600% on the news.
Source:
CNBC
Politics and elections
The U.S. Senate rejects the War Powers Resolution by a 52–47 vote in the fourth Democratic-led attempt to stop hostilities until they are authorized by the U.S. Congress.
Source:
Reuters
Law and crime
Nine people are killed and 13 others are injured in a mass shooting at a school in Onikişubat, Kahramanmaraş Province, Turkey. The perpetrator dies by suicide. It is the deadliest school shooting in Turkish history.
Source:
Reuters
Two people are arrested in Watford on suspicion of arson in an attempted attack on Finchley Reform Synagogue in North Finchley, London, England. The Metropolitan Police are treating the attempted attack as a hate crime.
Source:
Politico
Papua New Guinea tightens security at military bases and imposes movement restrictions after a group of soldiers sets up roadblocks in Port Moresby to protest alleged irregularities in army recruitment linked to former defence minister Billy Joseph, who is under investigation.
Source:
AFP via SpaceWar.com
Indonesian police announce the arrest of six suspects for trafficking endangered Komodo dragons sourced from East Nusa Tenggara and intended for export to Thailand, and detain two additional individuals for smuggling pangolin scales.
Source:
The Straits Times
A court in Nairobi, Kenya, sentences a Chinese national to one year in prison and imposes a fine after he pleads guilty to attempting to smuggle more than 2,200 ants out of Kenya without authorization.
Source:
AFP via CP24
Armed conflicts and attacks
A Pakistani delegation led by military chief Asim Munir arrives in Tehran, Iran, to facilitate the continuation of diplomacy between Iran and the United States.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations2026 Iran war ceasefirePakistan in the 2026 Iran war
Source:
Al Jazeera
Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif arrives in Jeddah to begin a four-day diplomatic trip through Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey to push for a second round of Iran–U.S. peace talks.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations2026 Iran war ceasefirePakistan in the 2026 Iran war
Source:
Arab News PK
The U.S. says that it has not formally agreed to extend the ceasefire, although there is ongoing engagement between Iran and the U.S. towards a peace deal.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations2026 Iran war ceasefire
Source:
Al Jazeera
The U.S. Central Command reports that ten vessels have been turned around since the start of the naval blockade of Iran.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis2026 Strait of Hormuz campaign
Source:
NBC News
Iran's military headquarters threatens to close the Red Sea in addition to the strait if the U.S. naval blockade continues.
Source:
Al Jazeera
A U.S. official says that over 10,000 additional U.S. military personnel, including sailors aboard USS and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit on the , will arrive in the region later this month.
Source:
AA
At least three paramedics are killed, six others are injured, and one remains missing after Israeli strikes hit incident response teams in Mayfadoun, Nabatieh Governorate, Lebanon.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)Hezbollah–Israel conflict2026 Lebanon warIsraeli attacks on the Lebanese health sector during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict (2023–present)
Source:
AFP via LBCI
The Israeli security cabinet convenes and does not make a decision about a ceasefire in Lebanon, following the previous day's negotiations.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)Hezbollah–Israel conflict2026 Lebanon war2026 Israel–Lebanon peace talks
Source:
Axios
At least 13 people are killed by Israeli attacks across Lebanon.
Source:
Al Jazeera
Lebanon's health ministry updates the total casualties to 2,167 killed and 7,061 injured.
Source:
Al Jazeera
Israeli military chief of staff Eyal Zamir says that Israel has approved plans for the continuation of military action in both Iran and Lebanon.
Source:
Al Jazeera
Foreign ministers at the Third International Conference for Sudan in Berlin that is hosted by Germany, the African Union, the European Union, France and the United Kingdom, pledges $1 billion in assistance to Sudan as the war entered its fourth year and the country faces a hunger crisis.
Source:
Channel Africa
Source:
Reuters
Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai announces that Canada will send $120 million in aid to Sudan as the war entered its fourth year.
Source:
CBC
Source:
Sudan Tribune
The civil war in Sudan enters its fourth year between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces.
Source:
AP
Swedish civil defence minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin reports that the Swedish Security Service had prevented a cyberattack on a thermal power station in West Sweden in mid-2025, identifying the perpetrators as a group linked to Russian intelligence, with no significant disruption to operations.
Source:
Macau Business
April 14
Politics and elections
In the Republic of Ireland, the Government of the 34th Dáil wins a no confidence vote tabled by Sinn Féin over its handling of recent fuel protests.
Source:
BBC News
The Somali federal government fails to ensure the timely succession of the Federal Parliament, as its term expired on 14 April. The lapse creates significant uncertainty, with no clear plan for forthcoming elections following a series of constitutional crises.
Source:
Hiiraan Online
Source:
Reuters
Papuan soldiers block several roads across Port Moresby, protesting the military's recent recruitment controversies.
Source:
NBC PNG
International relations
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni announces that Italy is suspending the automatic renewal of an agreement with Israel on exchanging military equipment and technology "in view of the current situation."
Source:
Al Jazeera
The Norwegian government announces that Ukraine will produce drones in the country as part of a bilateral defence cooperation agreement. Norway will support the production of Ukrainian drones, while Ukraine will share data, information and knowledge of the technology with Norway.
Source:
Reuters
Business and economy
Oil prices decline, with West Texas Intermediate for May delivery falling 6.2% to US$92.94 per barrel and Brent Crude decreasing 3.77% to $95.61, amid expectations of reduced tensions in the Middle East.
Source:
AFP via NAMPA
The Pakistani energy ministry announces daily power outages of about two hours during evening peak demand periods throughout the country, except in Hyderabad and Karachi, to reduce fuel costs and limit tariff increases amid higher energy prices linked to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Source:
AFP via CNA
American stocks, including the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq Composite, rise amidst the possibility of renewed Iran–U.S. talks.
Source:
CNBC
Stocks in the United Kingdom increase amidst hopes of new Iran–U.S. talks.
Source:
Reuters
Law and crime
The founder of the property development company Evergrande Hui Ka Yan pleads guilty to several charges, including fundraising fraud and illegally taking public deposits, at a trial in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Source:
ABC News Australia
An 18-year-old man opens fire at a school in Siverek, Şanlıurfa Province, Turkey, wounding 16 people, before killing himself.
Source:
CNN
Armed conflicts and attacks
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian tells French president Emmanuel Macron that the Islamabad Talks did not lead to a deal because the United States took "maximalist positions" and had a "lack of goodwill".
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations2026 Iran war ceasefire
Source:
Al Jazeera
Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif says that he will visit fellow mediators in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Ankara, Turkey, to push for a second round of talks between Iran and the U.S.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations2026 Iran war ceasefire
Source:
Al Jazeera
U.S. president Donald Trump reportedly tells the that a second round of talks between Iran and the U.S. could occur within the next two days.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations2026 Iran war ceasefire
Source:
CNBC
At least three oil tankers pass through the strait, including the Panama-flagged , which took the new route through Iranian waters as instructed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Source:
Al Jazeera
Saudi Arabia asks the U.S. to end its naval blockade of the strait.
Source:
AA
Israeli and Lebanese officials meet in Washington, D.C., U.S., for the first direct peace talks between the countries in decades, with Israel prioritizing Hezbollah's disarmament and Lebanon limiting its mandate to ceasefire discussions.
Source:
The Economic Times
At the Washington meeting, Israeli and Lebanese officials agree to begin direct negotiations in the future.
Source:
AA
Three people are killed by an Israeli raid in Adloun, Sidon District, Lebanon.
Source:
Al Jazeera
The Israeli military announces that troops from the 205th Brigade and Yahalom have destroyed four Hamas tunnels over the weekend.
Source:
The Jerusalem Post
Two people, including a 14-year-old, are killed by Israeli gunfire in North Gaza Governorate.
Source:
Reuters
Médecins Sans Frontières reports that two people are killed and 56 injured following five drone strikes by the Sudanese military in West Darfur and Central Darfur, Sudan.
Source:
ReliefWeb
United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher reports that around 700 people have been killed in drone strikes in Sudan since the year started as the conflict enters its fourth year.
Source:
The Straits Times
Four people are killed in an airstrike carried out by the United States Navy against an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific.
War on drugsOperation Southern SpearUnited States strikes on alleged drug traffickers during Operation Southern Spear
Source:
Al Jazeera
Ambazonian militant groups announce a temporary ceasefire in Cameroon after nearly a decade of conflict in anticipation of Pope Leo XIV's visit on April 15.
Source:
Vatican News
Eleven kidnapping victims, including two NDLEA personnel, are rescued and several suspected bandits are arrested by the Nigerian Army in raids across Nigeria.
Source:
The Punch
Four people are killed and at least 25 others are injured in a Russian drone attack in Dnipro, Ukraine.
Source:
RTÉ
In a joint operation with international support, Somali military and Jubaland regional forces kill at least 27 al-Shabaab militants in the semi-autonomous state of Jubaland.
Source:
Reuters
Disasters and accidents
At least 14 people are killed and 20 others are injured in an explosion at a privately-owned power station in Chhattisgarh, India.
Source:
India Today
Eleven people are killed and another is injured when a van collides with a cement mixer in Thane district, Maharashtra, India.
Source:
Hindustan Times
April 13
International relations
Pope Leo XIV arrives in Algiers, marking the first papal visit to Algeria. He will visit Souk Ahras, the birthplace and home of St. Augustine of Hippo, namesake of the Augustinian Order, which Pope Leo is a part of.
Source:
AP
The Bahraini foreign ministry summons the chargé d'affaires of Iraq over "continued malicious drone attacks" against the country and other Gulf Cooperation Council states from Iraqi territory.
Source:
Al Jazeera
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov states that Russia is prepared to receive Iran's enriched uranium as part of a potential agreement with the United States, following unsuccessful negotiations between Iran and the U.S.
Source:
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Law and crime
Demonstrators in New York City, U.S., are detained during a anti-Israel protest calling for an end to U.S. aid to Israel. Additionally, protesters also oppose the US-Israel strikes in Iran and Lebanon war.
Source:
Reuters
Begoña Gómez, wife of Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez, is charged with influence peddling and corruption in the private sector.
Source:
Bloomberg
A court in Paris, France, convicts cement company Lafarge and several former executives, including former CEO Bruno Lafont, for financing the Islamic State and other Syrian armed groups between 2013 and 2014, imposing fines, asset forfeiture, and prison sentences.
Source:
Al Jazeera
Three people are killed and four more injured in a mass shooting during a family dispute inside a mosque in Khinjan District, Baghlan Province, Afghanistan.
Source:
Amu TV
Politics and elections
Provisional results reveal that finance minister Romuald Wadagni won in a landslide victory with 94% of the vote.
Source:
Reuters
Following victories in three federal by-elections, the Liberal Party of Canada wins a majority government nearly a year after the 2025 Canadian federal election.
Source:
Reuters
Business and economy
Spanish airline Iberia announces the suspension of flights to Cuba from June to late October due to fuel supply constraints and reduced passenger demand linked to the U.S.-imposed oil blockade of the country. The airline states that it plans to resume operations in November if conditions improve.
Source:
The Economic Times
Philippine president Bongbong Marcos suspends excises on kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas to reduce household fuel costs amid rising global oil prices linked to the Iran war.
Source:
Reuters
A court in Beijing, China, orders the liquidation of Zhongzhi Enterprise Group and more than 300 affiliated companies through a consolidated bankruptcy process, with creditors instructed to submit claims by June 10.
Source:
Reuters
Chevron Corporation signs two agreements with the government of Venezuela to expand its operations in the oil-producing Orinoco Belt region.
Source:
Reuters
Armed conflicts and attacks
In a notice to seafarers, the U.S. Central Command announces that a blockade of Iranian ports is now in effect, with all unauthorized vessels in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz subject to interdiction.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis2026 Strait of Hormuz campaignNaval blockade of Iran
Source:
Al Jazeera
Three ships successfully cross the Strait of Hormuz since the blockade was announced, including Marshall Islands-flagged vessel , Vietnam-flagged , and Panama-flagged tanker , which was recently sanctioned by the United States for its links to Iranian oil trading.
Source:
Caspian Post
Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif says that the ceasefire is still in force and efforts are still underway to end the war despite the recent talks ending without an agreement.
Source:
Arab News PK
At least six people are killed by Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon, including at an International Red Cross location in Tyre.
Source:
Al Jazeera
Two people are killed in an airstrike carried out by the United States Navy against an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)Operation Southern SpearUnited States strikes on alleged drug traffickers during Operation Southern Spear
Source:
Reuters
Two suicide bombers blow themself up near a police station in Blida, Algeria, wounding several people.
Source:
Le Monde
A policeman is killed and four others are injured during an ambush against a polio vaccination team in Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Source:
Dunya News
Health and environment
Colombian environment minister Irene Vélez Torres approves the cull of dozens of wild hippos brought to the country by drug lord Pablo Escobar in the 1980s with Torres saying up to 80 will be killed out of an estimated population of about 200, citing the need to protect local villagers and native species.
Source:
AP
Sports
World Aquatics says that they will allow athletes from Belarus and Russia to compete under their national anthems and flag.
Source:
ESPN
Disasters and accidents
Eleven people are killed after a cement mixer truck collided with a van in Thane district, India.
Source:
The Indian Express
Five people are killed after two cars collided into each other head-on in Kings County, California, United States.
Source:
Fox News