POLITICS & POLICY

WASHINGTON — Cole Tomas Allen, the 31-year-old California teacher identified as the suspect in Saturday night's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, has emerged as a central figure in the latest apparent assassination attempt on President Donald Trump. Authorities describe him as a lone actor who allegedly bypassed security at the Washington Hilton and opened fire near the main ballroom.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump was rushed to safety Saturday night after gunshots rang out during the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, in what authorities are investigating as the latest apparent assassination attempt on the sitting president. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were unharmed, but the incident has reignited national debates over presidential security and political violence.

WASHINGTON — The Strait of Hormuz, the world's most critical energy chokepoint, stayed effectively closed to normal commercial traffic Sunday as U.S. naval forces hunted Iranian mines and Iran continued seizing vessels, even as a fragile ceasefire entered its third week and indirect talks resumed in Pakistan.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department announced Friday it is expanding federal execution methods to include firing squads, reinstating lethal injection protocols from the first Trump administration and streamlining processes to expedite capital punishment cases as part of a broader push to strengthen the federal death penalty.

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed Friday that he was diagnosed with and successfully treated for early-stage prostate cancer several months ago, a revelation he deliberately withheld to avoid giving Iran ammunition for propaganda amid ongoing regional conflicts.

KUWAIT CITY — Kuwait International Airport will partially reopen on Sunday, April 26, 2026, with Terminals 4 and 5 resuming limited operations after a nearly two-month closure caused by regional tensions, while the long-awaited new Terminal 2 remains on track for completion in late 2026.

LOS ANGELES — Meghan Markle has returned to California after a whirlwind four-day visit to Australia with Prince Harry, sharing never-before-seen footage of their trip and drawing both praise for community engagement and sharp criticism over the quasi-royal nature of the tour.

SYDNEY — Anzac Day will be observed as a public holiday across every Australian state and territory on Saturday, April 25, 2026, but only residents in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia will enjoy an additional day off on Monday, April 27, creating uneven long weekends as the nation commemorates its fallen service members.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will extend its fragile ceasefire with Iran indefinitely while maintaining a naval blockade of Iranian ports, even as Tehran responded by seizing two vessels and firing on others in the Strait of Hormuz, keeping global energy markets on edge and raising fears of renewed escalation.

KUWAIT CITY — Kuwait International Airport remains closed to all commercial passenger flights as of April 23, with no official reopening date announced despite high-level government inspections and growing frustration among travelers and airlines.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared Wednesday there is "no time frame" for ending the U.S. conflict with Iran, signaling an open-ended military and diplomatic posture even as a fragile ceasefire extension hangs in the balance and fresh clashes disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz ground nearly to a halt Wednesday as Iran fired on commercial vessels and seized others, escalating tensions with the United States and sending world oil prices sharply higher amid fears of a prolonged disruption to one-fifth of global crude supplies.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump delivered a pre-recorded reading of 2 Chronicles 7:11-22 from his desk in the Oval Office on Tuesday, joining hundreds of participants in the weeklong "America Reads the Bible" event that organizers describe as a spiritual celebration tied to the approaching 250th anniversary of American independence.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump asserted Tuesday night that Iran is on the brink of financial collapse and urgently seeking to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, posting on Truth Social that the country is "starving for cash" and losing $500 million a day amid ongoing tensions.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Strait of Hormuz remained in a state of high tension on Wednesday as the United States seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship attempting to breach its naval blockade, prompting Iran to fire warning shots at passing vessels and reassert control over the critical waterway, driving oil prices sharply higher and leaving global energy markets on edge.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz ground to a near standstill Tuesday as a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire teetered on the edge of collapse, with only a handful of vessels risking passage through the world's most critical oil chokepoint amid fresh seizures, gunfire and dueling blockades.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest aviation hubs, has resumed operations following a period of disruption caused by regional tensions, with flights now processing across all three terminals as of April 2026.

KUWAIT CITY — Kuwait International Airport did not reopen to commercial passenger flights on Monday, April 20, 2026, as officials continued safety assessments and infrastructure repairs following damage from drone strikes linked to regional conflict, with no confirmed resumption date announced despite a high-level government inspection the previous day.

CANBERRA, Australia — Millions of Australian workers will soon have the option to claim a flat $1000 deduction for work-related expenses without keeping receipts or detailed records, under a landmark tax simplification measure set to take effect from the 2026-27 financial year, the Albanese government has confirmed.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz fully closed again Saturday and its Revolutionary Guard forces opened fire on commercial vessels attempting to transit the vital waterway, dramatically escalating tensions just hours after both Tehran and Washington had proclaimed it open during a fragile ceasefire in the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.

PHOENIX — President Donald Trump said Friday that a Pentagon review of government files on UFOs and unexplained aerial phenomena has uncovered "many very interesting documents," with the first batch of records set for public release "very, very soon."

NEW YORK — World oil prices tumbled sharply on Friday, with benchmark U.S. crude dropping more than 10 percent to settle below $84 per barrel after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz fully open to commercial shipping during an ongoing ceasefire, easing fears of prolonged supply disruptions from the Middle East conflict.

PALM BEACH, Florida — President Donald Trump fired off a characteristically boastful message on Truth Social late Friday night, asking supporters "ANYONE SICK OF WINNING YET?" in a 17-second video post that quickly drew thousands of reactions amid signs of de-escalation in the recent U.S.-Iran confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz flared dramatically on Saturday as Iran reimposed strict control over the vital shipping chokepoint and Revolutionary Guard gunboats fired on a tanker, hours after briefly reopening the waterway amid a fragile regional ceasefire.

Iran declared the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz completely open to all commercial vessels Friday, easing weeks of global shipping disruptions and sending oil prices sharply lower as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon appeared to hold.

BEIJING — China has sharply criticized the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz as a "dangerous and irresponsible" escalation that threatens global energy security and undermines a fragile ceasefire, even as Chinese-owned tankers continue to transit the vital waterway in apparent defiance of American restrictions.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Friday that Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz fully open and ready for unrestricted passage, claiming a diplomatic and military victory after weeks of U.S. naval enforcement and escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf.

MIAMI — Elon Musk on Friday proposed that the U.S. federal government issue "Universal HIGH INCOME" checks as the most effective response to widespread unemployment triggered by artificial intelligence, arguing that AI and robotics will generate such vast abundance that inflation will not result.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have returned to Australia for the first time since their 2018 royal tour, embarking on a four-day whirlwind visit that blends philanthropic causes, mental health advocacy and commercial opportunities as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex navigate life outside the working royal family.