News Briefing — April 26, 2026

Every headline below links to its original source. No source, no publish.

🔴 Shooting at White House Correspondents’ Dinner

A gunman armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives tried to storm the ballroom at the Washington Hilton while Trump was inside. The president was evacuated. The suspect, 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen, is in custody.

• Suspected gunman likely targeting Trump administration officials at White House press dinner, acting attorney general says — Todd Blanche says suspect could be charged with attempting to assassinate Trump. (The Guardian)

• White House press dinner shooting suspect could be charged with trying to assassinate Trump — Acting AG says Allen was “believed to have been targeting top Trump administration officials.” (The Guardian)

• What we know about the suspected ‘assassination attempt’ on Donald Trump — Armed man in custody after trying to rush the dinner. (Al Jazeera)

• What we know about the suspect in White House press dinner shooting — Cole Thomas Allen, 31, subdued at the scene. Shotgun, handgun, multiple knives. (France 24)

• What to know about Cole Allen, alleged WH correspondents’ dinner shooter — Trump evacuated from stage. (Al Jazeera)

• White House journalists’ gala ended like many US events do: with gun violence — “A night dedicated to press freedom ended like many US events do.” (The Guardian)

• Timeline: Trump assassination attempts and security incidents — Latest in a pattern of security incidents around Trump. (Al Jazeera)

• Macron says shooter attack at Trump media dinner ‘unacceptable’ — International leaders react. (France 24)

🇲🇱 Mali Defence Minister Killed — Junta Fighting for Survival

Coordinated attacks across Mali by al-Qaeda-linked jihadists and Tuareg rebels. Defence Minister Sadio Camara killed. Bamako airport, Kidal, and multiple cities hit simultaneously.

• Mali’s Defence Minister Sadio Camara killed during coordinated attacks — Death of the influential minister seen as a major blow for the military government. (Al Jazeera)

• Mali Defence Minister Sadio Camara killed in al-Qaeda-linked attack near Bamako — RFI reports the minister was killed near the capital. (France 24)

• Gunfire and blasts rock Mali: Army claims situation is under control — “Too soon to tell” if the junta will fall. (France 24)

• Armed groups claim attacks across Mali — Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists and Tuareg rebels joined forces against the army. Helicopters over Bamako. (France 24)

• Gunmen stage simultaneous attacks across Mali, army says — Capital and several other locations hit in an apparently coordinated assault. (Al Jazeera)

🕊️ Iran-US Talks Collapse — Then Maybe Not

Trump scrapped the Pakistan talks, saying there was “no point sitting around talking about nothing.” Then said Iran revised its offer within minutes. Araghchi shuttles between Oman and Pakistan without the Americans.

• US-Iran talks in doubt after Trump scraps Pakistan visit — Trump dismissed Tehran’s position but said Iran revised its proposal “within minutes” of his decision. (France 24)

• Iranian Negotiators Set to Return to Pakistan to Try to Revive Truce Talks — Not clear if Trump will send his negotiators for a new round. (New York Times)

• Iran foreign minister returns to Pakistan despite Trump cancelling envoys’ trip — Araghchi arrived in Islamabad to convey “Iran’s positions and views on the framework of any understanding to completely end the war.” (Middle East Eye)

• Iran’s Araghchi discusses efforts to end war and Hormuz security with Oman — Araghchi told Oman’s Sultan the US military presence in the Middle East was “fuelling insecurity and division.” (Middle East Eye)

• Trump doubts shooter motivated by Iran war as peace talks on hold — Shooting took focus away from the war. Trump says incident “unlikely” linked to the conflict. (NPR)

• Trump says shooting at press dinner ‘won’t deter him’ from Iran war — “It’s not going to deter me.” (Middle East Eye)

• Islamabad Reopens After U.S.-Iran Talks Fail to Materialize — City was locked down for talks that never happened. “What did I close my business for?” one owner asked. (New York Times)

⛽ Hormuz & Energy — “Months to Recover”

Russia says the oil market will take months to recover even if Hormuz reopens. Starmer and Trump discuss the “urgent need” to get shipping moving. China’s Hengli Petrochemical denies Iranian oil ties after US sanctions.

• Russian official says oil market needs months to recover from Hormuz closure — Deputy PM Novak: “The crisis is very deep — a very large number of barrels did not reach the market.” (Middle East Eye)

• Starmer and Trump discuss ‘urgent need’ to restore shipping in Strait of Hormuz — “Severe consequences for the global economy and cost of living.” (Middle East Eye)

• China’s Hengli Petrochemical denies trade with Iran in response to US sanctions — One of China’s largest refiners says it has “never engaged in any trade with Iran.” (Middle East Eye)

• Iran’s medical facilities devastated — Pasteur Institute and Tofigh Daru destroyed — US and Israel struck century-old research institutions on day one of the war, “erasing decades of global research.” (Middle East Eye)

• UAE to establish $272m national fund for industrial resilience — AI-driven fund to localise vital industries and strengthen supply chains. (Middle East Eye)

🇱🇧 Lebanon — 2,490 Killed Since March 2

Strikes continue despite ceasefire. Leaflets dropped warning villagers. Solar panels destroyed. Israel expanding “Yellow Line.”

• Deadly Israeli strikes hit Lebanon despite ceasefire extension — Strikes in at least four locations in the south. Six killed Saturday — the deadliest day during the ceasefire. (France 24)

• Israeli attacks kill 2,490 people in Lebanon since 2 March — 7,725 wounded. Strikes continue despite truce extension. (Middle East Eye)

• Israeli warplanes strike southern Lebanon, says state media — Strike on Kfar Tibnit with reports of casualties. (Middle East Eye)

• Israel threatens residents in south Lebanon in leaflets dropped over Sour — Warnings against entering nearly two dozen villages. (Middle East Eye)

• Israel destroys solar panels in south Lebanon — Systematic infrastructure destruction continues. (Al Jazeera)

🇵🇸 Palestine

• At least four people killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza despite ‘ceasefire’ — Israeli forces advancing further into western Gaza, expanding area of control. (Al Jazeera)

• What lies ahead for Gaza after ceasefires in Iran and Lebanon? — Deadlock over Hamas weapons and future governance threatens any progress. (Al Jazeera)

• Israel’s President puts off decision on Netanyahu pardon, will push for plea deal — Herzog will seek mediation instead of issuing a pardon in the corruption case. (New York Times)

🇬🇧 King Charles US Visit — Security Under Review

State visit begins Monday. Security being reassessed after the dinner shooting. Comes at the tensest moment in the transatlantic relationship in decades.

• King Charles’s security for US visit under review after Washington shooting — Buckingham Palace confirms talks taking place. (The Guardian)

• What to Know About King Charles and Queen Camilla’s U.S. State Visit — Garden party, address to Congress, and banquet on the schedule. (New York Times)

• King Charles U.S. visit comes at tense moment in transatlantic relationship — Some hope the royal touch can heal the rift that’s emerged under Trump. (NPR)

• Britain and Spain Reject Reported Plans by Trump to Punish Them — Pentagon email suggested reviewing Falklands sovereignty and suspending Spain from NATO. (New York Times)

🏃 Sub-2-Hour Marathon — History in London

Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours in an official race.

• Sebastian Sawe breaks London marathon record with first run under two hours — Breaks Kelvin Kiptum’s previous world record of 2:00:35. Ethiopia’s Assefa retains women’s crown. (Al Jazeera)

• London Marathon: Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe sets world-record men’s time of under 2 hours — First person ever to complete the 26-mile race in under two hours. (France 24)

☢️ Chernobyl — 40 Years

• 40 Years After the Meltdown, War Layers Another Disaster on Chernobyl — The contaminated zone is now an army-controlled security belt. Ideas floated for economic use remain distant. (New York Times)

• 40 years since Chernobyl: Soviet Union’s ‘top-down culture’ partly to blame — Imperial College expert says the culting of top-down rule was a key factor. (France 24)

• Ukraine marks 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster — Comes four years into the Russian invasion that has put the plant under threat again. (France 24)

🇸🇾 Syria — First Assad-Era Trial

• Syria puts first Assad-era official on trial in Damascus — Atef Najib, ex-head of political security in Deraa, charged with “crimes against the Syrian people.” (Al Jazeera)

🌍 World

• CIA Ran MK-ULTRA Experiments on Prisoners of War in U.S. Custody, Declassified Docs Confirm — First time documents confirm tests on North Korean POWs. CIA planned far more invasive experimentation. (The Intercept)

• U.S. Mint Buys Drug Cartel Gold and Sells It as ‘American’ — As gold prices soar, the industry’s guardrails have broken down. (New York Times)

• Bus blast in Colombia kills 13 amid rising violence — Army chief called it a “terrorist act.” 38 injured. (France 24)

• Iranian-American activist speaks about diaspora split over US-Israeli war — The Iranian diaspora’s divided response to western intervention. (Middle East Eye)

• Yemen’s landmine crisis endures despite truce and de-mining efforts — Mines continue to kill and maim even amid ceasefire. (Al Jazeera)

• Raghu Rai, legendary Indian photographer, dies at 83 — Magnum Photos icon who preserved India’s memory across decades. (Al Jazeera)

• Florida is latest US state to enter redistricting war ahead of 2026 election — Republicans trying to redraw maps for more congressional seats. (The Guardian)

• Ryanair to shut Berlin base as it blames rise in German aviation tax — Halving passenger numbers from 4.5m to 2.2m. (The Guardian)

• Toxins plus climate harms likely cause of reduced fertility, study finds — Endocrine disruptors in plastic plus climate change creating synergistic reproductive harm. (The Guardian)

Sources: Al Jazeera (10) · The Guardian (8) · New York Times (8) · Middle East Eye (12) · France 24 (13) · NPR (2) · The Intercept (1) Fetched: 2026-04-26 09:12 UTC via RSS — 7 sources