- Military planners set to bypass the clowns and reopen the Strait of Hormuz themselves investingLive
- Europe Wanted a Say on the Iran War, but It’s Still on the Sidelines The New York Times
- Military planners to discuss Hormuz reopening in London Reuters
- UK and France to lead defensive mission in Strait of Hormuz BBC
- UK, France Convene Fresh Hormuz Summit on Re-Opening Planning Bloomberg.com
Heatwaves, floods and wildfires pose rising threat to democracy, report finds
Research shows natural hazards linked to climate crisis disrupted 23 elections in 18 countries in 2024
Democracy is under mounting threat from the climate crisis, with new analysis documenting how elections are increasingly shaped not only by political forces but also by floods, wildfires and extreme weather.
At least 94 elections and referendums across 52 countries have been disrupted by climate-related impacts over the last two decades, researchers found.
Continue reading...Ukraine war briefing: Quick loan in pipeline as Druzhba reopens – The Guardian
- Ukraine war briefing: Quick loan in pipeline as Druzhba reopens The Guardian
- Contested Druzhba pipeline resumes operations with EU close to signing off on €90bn loan for Ukraine – Europe live The Guardian
- Ukraine to restart oil flows via Druzhba pipeline on Wednesday, source says Reuters
- Ukraine says Druzhba pipeline running Russian oil to Europe can resume work Al Jazeera
- Ukraine reopens Russian oil pipeline to get €90B EU loan Yahoo
April 21, 2026 – Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson | Substack
- April 21, 2026 Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson | Substack
- Early Edition: April 21, 2026 Just Security
- Iran News in Brief – April 21, 2026 National Council of Resistance of Iran - NCRI
- The World and Everything in It: April 21, 2026 wng.org
- Daily World Briefing, April 20 Xinhua
Millions in India stripped of vote before critical state election, as government seeks to ‘purify’ electoral roll
Experts say Muslims and other minorities have been disproportionately deleted from the electoral roll ahead of the West Bengal elections this week
Millions of people in the Indian state of West Bengal have been stripped of their vote ahead of a critical state election this week, after a controversial electoral revision described by critics as a “bloodless political genocide” and mass disenfranchisement of minorities.
In West Bengal, a total of 9.1 million names have been deleted from the register, more than 10% of the electorate. While many were dead or duplicates, about 2.7 million people have challenged their expulsions, but still been removed.
Continue reading...EU aims to ease energy blow from Iran war with tax cuts, gas coordination – Reuters
- EU aims to ease energy blow from Iran war with tax cuts, gas coordination Reuters
- $28 billion and counting: Europe tallies the cost of another energy crisis CNN
- EU proposes steps to deal with energy crisis amid Iran war dw.com
- EU eyes options as Iran conflict threatens jet fuel shortages Al Jazeera
- EU plans to cut electricity taxes to shield households from Iran war energy crisis The Guardian
UAE-backed Colombian mercenaries provided support to Sudan paramilitary, report says
The Conflict Insights Group (CIG) says its research also shows the extent of UAE involvement.
Mexico officials say Teotihuacán gunman carried material related to US mass shooting
The gunman visited the archaeological site repeatedly and appeared to act alone.
Domestic workers legally recognised in Indonesia after ’22-year struggle’
The country is home to some 4.2 million domestic workers - of which almost 90% are women.
China praises blocking of Taiwan president’s Africa trip, Taipei defiant – Reuters
- China praises blocking of Taiwan president's Africa trip, Taipei defiant Reuters
- Lai Ching-te: Taiwan president cancels trip after African countries revoke flight permits BBC
- Does William Lai’s cancelled eSwatini trip show Beijing’s reach in Africa? South China Morning Post
- Taiwan Abruptly Cancels Lai Trip, Citing China’s Interference Bloomberg.com
- Taiwan president blames China for forced cancellation of Eswatini trip The Guardian
Virginia approves redistricting measure, boosting Democrats’ hopes for midterms
The new maps approved by the state's voters could allow Democrats to flip as many as four House seats.
Iran’s Secret Weapon Is in Iraq – The Free Press
- Iran’s Secret Weapon Is in Iraq The Free Press
- Saudi Arabia and Iraq Are Caught in a Hidden War Within the War WSJ
- Baghdad’s decline two decades after the war: A mirror for Tehran EL PAÍS English
- Iraq in the Vice International Crisis Group
- Iran’s War on Iraq’s Oil Industry Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Virginia voters approve new congressional maps in blow to Trump
Governor called referendum after president urged GOP-led states to redraw maps to protect House majority
Voters in Virginia on Tuesday approved new congressional maps intended to boost Democrats’ chances of retaking the House of Representatives, in the latest blow to Donald Trump’s effort to use mid-decade redistricting to preserve his control of Congress.
The tit-for-tat redistricting battle began last year after Trump pressed Texas’s Republican-controlled legislature to redraw that state’s congressional maps in a bid to oust as many as five Democratic House lawmakers in the November midterm elections.
Continue reading...Trump buys time for Iran deal after frantic day of diplomacy
The US president's decision marked the second time in as many weeks he has backed off a threat to escalate the war, buying more time.
Trump buys time for Iran deal after frantic day of diplomacy
The US president's decision marked the second time in as many weeks he has backed off a threat to escalate the war, buying more time.
Mideast crises divide Europe as it grapples with rising fuel costs and policy toward Israel – AP News
SpaceX secures option to buy AI startup Cursor for $60bn or partner for $10bn
Cursor is aSilicon Valley startup using AI to automate coding as Elon Musk’s firm seeks foothold in the AI market
SpaceX said it has secured an option to either acquire code-generation startup Cursor for $60bn later this year, or pay $10bn for their new partnership, as it pushes deeper into the lucrative market for AI developer tools.
Along with OpenAI and Anthropic, Cursor is one of several Silicon Valley startups that has drawn waves of developers by using artificial intelligence to automate coding, a business where AI companies have found early commercial traction.
Continue reading...Iran war live: Trump says ceasefire extended as talks with Tehran in limbo
Lebanon's disaster management unit raises death toll from weeks of Israeli attacks to 2,454, with 7,658 people injured.
Condom prices could rise 30% due to Iran war, says world’s top producer Karex
Karex produces more than 5 billion condoms annually and is a supplier to leading brands like Durex and Trojan, as well as the NHS
The world’s top condom producer, Malaysia’s Karex Bhd, plans to raise prices by 20% to 30% and possibly further if supply chain disruptions drag on due to the Iran war, its chief executive has said.
Karex is also seeing a surge in condom demand as rising freight costs and shipping delays have left many of its customers with lower stockpiles than usual, CEO Goh Miah Kiat told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.
Continue reading...Proposed Lifetime Smoking Ban to Become Law in Britain – The New York Times
- Proposed Lifetime Smoking Ban to Become Law in Britain The New York Times
- UK bill bans anyone born after 2008 from ever buying tobacco Al Jazeera
- Bill banning people born after 2008 from buying tobacco clears UK parliament The Guardian
- Everyone born after 2008 to be banned from smoking Sky News
- What to Know About the U.K.’s Generational Smoking Ban Time Magazine