UN human rights chief Volker Turk describes Israel’s attacks on Lebanon as ‘horrific’ coming so soon after US-Iran ceasefire announcement.
Published On 9 Apr 20269 Apr 2026
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The TWZ Newsletter
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The rollout of the Trump administration’s defense budget for the 2027 Fiscal Year is underway, with approximately $1.5 trillion in total funding being requested. This is a whopping $445 billion above what the U.S. military has received for the current fiscal cycle. That is a more than 40 percent year-over-year increase, which includes major planned boosts for aircraft, munitions, missile defense, shipbuilding, and other programs.
The White House and the Pentagon began releasing details about the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 defense budget last week. The $1.5 trillion “topline” request includes a base budget of $1.1 trillion and “$350 billion in additional mandatory resources through reconciliation,” per the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
“The Budget builds upon the historic $1 trillion overall Defense topline for 2026,” according to an OMB fact sheet. “The mandatory funding protects key priorities such as providing flexibility in maturing technology for delivery and allowing for acquisition approaches for portfolios of capabilities that broaden opportunities for new entrants.”
It should be noted that the Pentagon has yet to release more granular documents for its Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, which often contain important additional context and nuance.
Still, there are already many significant takeaways about the proposed defense budget for the next fiscal cycle, which we will dive into below.
B-21 Takeoff and Landing
It should be stressed here that the Pentagon’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request is just that. Members of Congress routinely intercede to add or remove funding for different programs, and it typically takes months for an annual defense spending plan to be passed and signed into law, and then even more time for money to be appropriated to pay for it. In addition, this latest proposed defense budget relies heavily on legislators signing off on additional funds through the reconciliation process.
The Trump administration is expected to also make a separate request for billions more in supplemental funding related to operations against Iran, including to restock key munitions. Officials originally expected to seek $200 billion for that purpose, but more recent reports say that figure could now be down to between $80 and $100 billion.
As already noted, our understanding just of different aspects of the defense budget proposal for the 2027 Fiscal Year itself will evolve in the coming weeks as more granular details are released.
Still, the $1.5 trillion defense spending plan the Trump administration has put forward already sets an important tone as it seeks to substantially increase funding for a host of key programs. At the same time, its unprecedented size could present challenges to getting it approved.
Contact the author: joe@twz.com
The US president has lashed out at European partners for declining to contribute military forces to the war on Iran.
United States President Donald Trump has reportedly discussed withdrawing from NATO, the transatlantic alliance that has been a central pillar of Western security for decades.
At a news briefing on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt framed the US and Israel’s war on Iran as a “test” that the alliance had failed.
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Despite Trump’s pressure, NATO allies had declined to contribute military forces to the war, outside of defensive manoeuvres.
Leavitt’s comments came shortly before Trump met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House.
“I have a direct quote from the president of the United States on NATO, and I will share it with all of you. They were tested, and they failed,” Leavitt said.
“I would add, it’s quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the course of the last six weeks, when it’s the American people who have been funding their defence.”
Trump, she continued, was preparing to have “a very frank and candid conversation” with Rutte that afternoon.
In an interview with the news outlet CNN after their meeting, Rutte likewise described the encounter as “frank and open”. He reiterated his support for Trump, but added that NATO allies had offered support through logistics and access to bases.
“Did the president say he was going to try withdraw from NATO or, at the very least, not support NATO as much as other presidents have,” CNN host Jake Tapper asked Rutte.
“There is a disappointment, clearly. But at the same time he was also listening careful to my arguments of what is happening,” Rutte replied, before pivoting to praise of Trump’s leadership.
The US president has had a mixed relationship with NATO, sometimes threatening to pull US support and, at other times, reassuring allies of the US’s continued commitment to the alliance.
Since returning to the presidency in 2025, Trump has renewed his pressure campaign for NATO’s European partners to step up their defence spending.
Last June, at the 2025 NATO summit, he largely succeeded. The NATO members agreed to nonbinding commitments to increase their defence budgets to 5 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035.
But Spain sought an exemption, leading Trump to denounce the country repeatedly over the past year.
Tensions between the US and its European allies were further strained last year when Trump threatened to use military force to seize the self-governing Danish territory of Greenland, claiming that its ownership was essential for national security.
The US has eased away from those threats. But Trump has continued to assert that US ownership of Greenland is necessary, despite strong protests from the territory’s residents and European leaders.
After the US and Israel unilaterally launched a war against Iran on February 28, Trump lashed out at European countries for their lack of interest in contributing to the campaign.
Many legal scholars consider the war an act of aggression, in violation of international law.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the Trump administration is considering whether to close US bases or move troops out of countries such as Spain and Germany as punishment for their stance on the war.
When asked by reporters if Trump was considering leaving NATO, Leavitt said it was something the president “has discussed” and could address after his meeting with Rutte.
Trump and Rutte are considered to have a close relationship. Rutte has visited the White House multiple times during Trump’s second term, including in March, July, August and October of last year.
In the past, Rutte has warned that NATO “will not work” without US support.
Liverpool went into their Champions League last-16 tie against PSG last season with a 74.4% win rate under Slot after 43 games.
Since being knocked out on penalties, the Reds have won just 49.2% of their past 59 games, while their loss percentage has more than trebled.
Slot has retained the support of Liverpool‘s owners and has credit in the bank after last season’s Premier League triumph – but that is likely to change if they do not qualify for the Champions League.
The Reds either have to win this season’s competition – which seems unlikely after Wednesday’s performance – or qualify through finishing in the top five in the Premier League.
They are currently fifth – one point ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea.
“Slot is not going to get sacked for losing 2-0 at PSG,” said Warnock.
“They are one of the best teams in Europe. But the defeats are stacking up, and there’s the danger there could be more damage next week.
“It is going to suit PSG next week because Liverpool have to go at them.
“They can’t play like this and sit in at Anfield, when they need goals.
“But what does Slot do? Liverpool‘s system tonight screams ‘you are better than us’. If he opens up, they leave themselves vulnerable and they could get battered.”
Captain Virgil van Dijk accused the team of “giving up” against City last weekend, when Liverpool conceded four times in the space of 20 minutes either side of half-time.
After losing to PSG, he insisted the team would not give up on their Champions League ambitions.
“We shouldn’t forget we play against the European champions of last season and you see the quality they have in the games that they played already this season,” he said.
“We have to be absolutely spot on with everything we do.
“Hopefully our fans can play a big part in that as well. I’ve been through many special evenings at Anfield, I’m very lucky and privileged, and our fans, that’s the backbone of the club and hopefully they can be there for us again.”
Woods pleaded not guilty in his driving under the influence case in Florida last week after rolling his SUV.
Published On 8 Apr 20268 Apr 2026
Prosecutors are seeking Tiger Woods ‘ prescription drug records from a pharmacy, a week after his vehicle crashed in Florida and he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Prosecutors in Florida on Tuesday said they planned to issue a subpoena seeking copies of all prescription medication records for the legendary golfer on file at Lewis Pharmacy in Palm Beach, Florida, from the start of the year through the end of last month.
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Prosecutors in Martin County, Florida, want the times the prescriptions were filled, the number of pills, the dosage amounts and any instructions that accompanied the pills, such as warnings about driving while taking them, according to documents in an online court docket.
Any objections to the subpoena must be filed with the State Attorney’s Office within 10 days. Neither Lewis Pharmacy nor Woods’ attorney, Doug Duncan, immediately responded to emails seeking comment.
Woods pleaded not guilty in his driving under the influence case in Florida last week, hours after a sheriff’s report said deputies found two pain pills in his pocket and he showed signs of impairment after his SUV clipped a trailer and rolled over on its side.
Woods was travelling at high speeds on a beachside, residential road on Jupiter Island with a 30-mile per hour (nearly 50km per hour) speed limit when the accident occurred, authorities said. The truck had $5,000 in damage, according to an incident report. Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test, authorities said.
Woods said last week that he is stepping away to seek treatment.
It’s the second time Woods has taken a leave following a car crash. In 2009, after his SUV ploughed into a fire hydrant and tree outside his home near Orlando, he took a leave of absence to work on being a better person. That lasted four months, and he returned at the Masters.
He was also in a 2021 car crash in Los Angeles that damaged his right leg so badly he said doctors considered amputation.
Americans are split on whether to trust Donald Trump’s instinct-driven approach to the Iran conflict. The range of opinions reflects a deeper unease about a president bypassing his cabinet and Congress in favour of gut decisions. Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro speaks with US citizens at the White House.
Published On 8 Apr 20268 Apr 2026
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UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain claim 2-0 first-leg lead over English Premier League champions Liverpool.
Published On 8 Apr 20268 Apr 2026
Paris Saint-Germain’s UEFA Champions League defence remains on course after a dominant 2-0 victory against Liverpool in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie.
The home side took the lead thanks to a deflected effort in the 11th minute on Wednesday, after Desire Doue’s effort from outside the box looped over the helpless Giorgi Mamardashvili.
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The Reds are long out of their own title defence in the English Premier League this season and left only with the Champions League as a faint hope of silverware, but Arne Slot’s side rallied in response to the Parisians’ fortune until the half-time whistle.
The second period was a far different matter, and all too familiar to Liverpool fans this season. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia deservedly doubled the advantage in the 65th minute when the Georgian international dribbled into the box before rounding the keeper.
A total of 18 shots were registered by the home side, with six on target. Liverpool managed just three efforts on goal with none on target in reply.
It was far from the most fluent display by Luis Enrique’s side in the French capital, despite relentless passing and a 74 percent share of the possession, but their second-half showing was a vast improvement from the first.
Achraf Hakimi’s 82nd-minute drive was one of the biggest moments to settle the tie, but drew a fine save from Mamardashvili, low to his left, which keeps his side in with a chance as the teams head to Anfield for the second leg next Tuesday.
There was little the Reds’ keeper could do other than hope, as Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele produced a moment of brilliance with two minutes to play when he exchanged a one-two with substitute Lee Kang-In in the box only to see his fierce strike rebound off the post.
It was Liverpool’s fourth consecutive defeat away from home, a first for the Merseyside club since April 2012
The winner will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the next round, with the latter holding a 2-1 advantage following the first leg of their quarterfinal in the Spanish capital on Tuesday.
Domestically and internationally, the effects of the war will felt for years to come.
The US president has stepped back from the brink.
After calling for the destruction of an entire civilisation, it appears Donald Trump is in the mood for peace.
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He has confirmed that Israel and the United States will stop attacking Iran for two weeks.
And while it’s not clear if the agreement will lead to lasting peace, what is certain is that the US – and the world stage – have been changed.
So how has the US been shaped by Trump’s war on Iran? How has the world order?
And can any of it be walked back?
Presenter: James Bays
Guests:
Sanam Vakil – Director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House
Robert Pape – Professor of political science at the University of Chicago
Kim Wehle – Professor of constitutional law at the University of Baltimore Law School
Published On 8 Apr 20268 Apr 2026
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Israeli forces have launched an intense bombardment across Lebanon, killing hundreds of people, hours after a two-week ceasefire was announced in the United States-Iran war.
Lebanon’s Civil Defence said at least 254 people were killed and 1,165 others were wounded in air strikes that targeted areas in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, Mount Lebanon, Sidon, and several villages in southern Lebanon.
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The Israeli military said that the attack was its largest coordinated assault on Lebanon since it started a new military operation in the country on March 2, “targeting more than 100 Hezbollah command centres and military sites”.
In a written statement, the head of Lebanon’s syndicate of doctors, Elias Chlela, urgently called for “all physicians from all specialities” to head to any hospital they could to offer help, with one of Beirut’s biggest hospitals saying it needed donations of all blood types.
Here’s how the world has reacted to the attacks:
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called the attacks on densely populated areas a “full-fledged war crime.”
“Today’s crime, coinciding with the ceasefire agreement declared in the region — an agreement that Israel and its political and security apparatus have failed to uphold — is a serious test for the international community and a blatant challenge to all international laws, norms, and conventions, which Israel violates daily through its unprecedented campaign of human assassination in modern history,” Berri said.
“It is also a test for all Lebanese — political, religious, and civil leaders — to unite in solidarity with the martyrs. May God have mercy on the martyrs, grant a speedy recovery to the wounded, and protect Lebanon,” he added.
The Lebanese armed group said it had a “right” to respond to the attacks.
“We affirm that the blood of the martyrs and the wounded will not be shed in vain, and that today’s massacres, like all acts of aggression and savage crimes, confirm our natural and legal right to resist the occupation and respond to its aggression,” Hezbollah said in a statement.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah told the news agency Reuters that the Israeli strikes were “a grave violation of the ceasefire”, adding there would be “repercussions for the entire agreement” if they continued.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel “insisted on separating the war with Iran with the fighting in Lebanon in order to change the reality in Lebanon”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also told a news conference that Israel would “continue to strike” Lebanon as the US-Iran ceasefire did not apply to Hezbollah.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that it will respond to the attacks on Lebanon if Israel does not stop the assault.
“We issue a firm warning to the United States, which violates treaties, and to its Zionist ally, its executioner: if the aggression against beloved Lebanon does not cease immediately, we will fulfil our duty and deliver a response,” the IRGC said in a statement carried on Iran’s state-owned TV channel, using a reference to Israel.
In a post on X, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the terms of the ceasefire were “clear and explicit: the US must choose — ceasefire or continued war via Israel. It cannot have both.”
“The world sees the massacres in Lebanon. The ball is in the US court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments,” he added.
The foreign ministry condemned the “brutal series” of Israeli attacks on Lebanon that had killed hundreds of people, calling the attacks a “dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the sister Lebanese Republic, the rules of international humanitarian law, and United Nations Security Council Resolution (1701).”
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities by compelling the Israeli occupation authorities to halt their barbaric massacres and repeated attacks on Lebanon, and to hold them accountable for respecting international covenants and laws,” a statement posted on X read.
It added that Qatar was in “full solidarity” with Lebanon.
The Ministry of Foreign Affiars called Israel’s attacks on Lebanon had a “premediatated intent” to undermine regional and international efforts to reduce escalation.
The ministry added that the attacks were an attempt by Israel to drag the region into “total chaos”.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Netanyahu’s “contempt for life and international law is intolerable” in light of the attacks.
“It’s time to speak clearly: – Lebanon must be included in the ceasefire. – The international community must condemn this new violation of international law. – The European Union must suspend its Association Agreement with Israel. – And there must be no impunity for these criminal acts,” Sanchez said.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he spoke to the Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and expressed solidarity for the “unjustified and unacceptable attacks he is suffering from Israel.”
“We want to avoid there being a second Gaza. We will reiterate this concept to the Israeli Ambassador as well, whom I have summoned to the Farnesina. We condemn the bombings on the Lebanese civilian population, including the gunfire incidents suffered by our UNIFIL [UN Interim Force in Lebanon] troops, for which we continue to demand guarantees of total safety. We must absolutely avoid any further expansion of the conflict that would jeopardise the ceasefire in Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz,” Tajani added.
The deputy spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Farhan Haq, said the UN “strongly condemns” Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.
“The United Nations strongly condemns the strikes by Israel across Lebanon that resulted in significant civilian casualties,” said Haq.
“We continue to call on all sides to avail themselves of diplomatic channels, cease hostilities”, and use the new US-Iran ceasefire as an opportunity to prevent further loss of life,” he added.
US vice president in Hungary calls Ukrainian leader’s ‘threatening’ remarks ‘completely scandalous’.
Published On 8 Apr 20268 Apr 2026
US Vice President JD Vance has said Ukraine’s prime minister made “scandalous” comments about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, as he echoed Budapest’s accusations that Kyiv is trying to influence the upcoming elections there.
Vance’s remarks on Wednesday came during a visit to Budapest days before the far-right Orban, a Trump ally, faces the toughest challenge of his 16-year rule in an election on April 12.
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Hungary’s strained relations with Ukraine have taken centre stage in the election campaign, with Budapest’s government accusing Kyiv of deliberately stopping flows of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline in an effort to sway the ballot.
Kyiv says the pipeline was damaged by a Russian drone attack in late January, and it is fixing it as quickly as it can.
Hungary responded by blocking a 90-billion-euro ($105bn) EU loan for Ukraine, prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to say he could give the address of whoever was responsible to the Ukrainian army, who could “speak with him in their own language”.
Speaking at a Hungarian university, Vance said Orban had told him about Zelenskyy’s remarks.
“It’s completely scandalous,” Vance said. “You should never have a foreign head of government … threatening the head of government of an allied nation.”
Vance then accused the media of double standards in their coverage of alleged foreign interference in the 2016 US presidential election and in the Hungarian vote.
“You saw this back in 2016 where a lot of the American media said that it was a true scandal that the Russian government bought like $500,000 of Facebook advertisements … That’s foreign influence,” he said.
“But what’s not foreign influence is when the European Union threatens billions of dollars withheld from Hungary because you guys protect your borders… What’s not foreign influence is when the Ukrainians shut down pipelines, causing suffering among the Hungarian people in an effort to influence an election.”
Budapest has been embroiled in a long‑running dispute with the European Union over issues ranging from judicial independence to the treatment of migrants.
Vance had already lambasted what he said was EU meddling in the Hungarian vote at a news conference on Tuesday.
A European Commission spokesperson said on Wednesday Brussels would use diplomatic channels “to convey our concerns to our US counterparts” following those comments, according to the Reuters news agency.
The TWZ Newsletter
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire just under an hour before U.S. President Donald Trump’s Wednesday deadline to hammer the country with an unprecedented level of airstrikes was due to expire, with Tehran announcing it will temporarily reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Both sides are now claiming victory in the conflict, which lasted more than a month and disrupted global financial markets, with oil prices driving sharply higher.
Trump told AFP that the agreement last night marked a “total and complete victory” for the United States.
Trump called the provisional Iran ceasefire a “total and complete victory,” saying Tehran’s uranium issue would be “perfectly taken care of.”
“One hundred percent. No question about it,” he said, adding he “wouldn’t have settled” otherwise.
Source: AFP
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 8, 2026
Iran also portrayed the ceasefire as a huge success, stating it had agreed to begin talks with Washington on Friday in Pakistan as part of efforts to bring the conflict to an end. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council conditionally accepted the two-week ceasefire if attacks against Iran are halted.
“The enemy has suffered an undeniable, historic and crushing defeat in its cowardly, illegal and criminal war against the Iranian nation,” said a statement from the Supreme National Security Council.
“Iran achieved a great victory.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine gave a press conference today.
Hegseth, who had previously described “a fragile truce,” says that Iran “begged for this ceasefire” and that Operation Epic Fury “decimated” Iran’s military.
He says the country’s missile programme has been “functionally destroyed” and that Iran’s navy “is at the bottom of the sea.” Hesgeth adds that “we [the US] own their skies.”
The U.S. military carried out 800 strikes on Tuesday night, Hegseth says, destroying Iran’s defense industrial base.
The ceasefire with Iran is a “fragile truce,” @VP says. Iran’s foreign minister is negotiating, but others in the country have been “lying” about points agreed upon.
“If the Iranians are willing in good faith to work with us, I think we can make an agreement,” Vance said in…— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 8, 2026
Should it be decided, the U.S. military is also ready to resume action against Iran.
In the statement on Truth Social, Trump said that the United States would be just “hangin’ around” in order to make sure everything goes well,” suggesting a continuing beefed-up military presence in the region.
“Let us be clear, a ceasefire is a pause, and the joint force remains ready, if ordered or called upon,” Caine told the press conference today.
While the Israeli Channel 12 reported that U.S. Air Force KC-135 refueling tankers are starting to leave Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, publicly available flight-tracking data suggested the aircraft took off and then returned to the same airport.
Israeli Channel 12 reports that U.S. Air Force KC-135 aerial tankers are departing the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.
The airport has been serving as a major staging base for US aerial refueling ops throughout the war with Iran.pic.twitter.com/Q9bOfUMxK3
— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) April 8, 2026
המריאו וחזרו. מה זה אומר שהם עזבו??? בניגוד לדיווח על עזיבת מתדלקים אמריקניים, בצה”ל אומרים שארה”ב שומרת על יציבה אזורית, ולא מפנה מתדלקים מישראל. הגורם אמר שארה”ב שומרת על מוכנות גבוהה באזור למקרה שהפסקת האש תקרוס https://t.co/0L9oAqmjBq pic.twitter.com/CbSjhLZA0u
— איתי בלומנטל 🇮🇱 Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) April 8, 2026
Trump said that Iran had proposed a “workable” 10-point peace plan. According to Iranian state media, the 10-point proposal includes various conditions that the United States had rejected in the past.
Among the key Iranian demands are controlled transit through the Strait of Hormuz, coordinated with the Iranian military. The plan would also require the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions, payment of full compensation to Iran, and release of all frozen Iranian assets. It is unclear if the United States will actually cede to any of these latter points.
Making matters more confusing, a U.S. official said today that the 10-point ceasefire plan published by Iran is not the same set of conditions that were agreed to by the White House for pausing the war.
“The document being reported by media outlets is not the working framework,” the senior official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
NEW: A White House official says that the 10-point peace plan that Iran publicly released on Wednesday differs from the plan that Trump said was a “workable basis on which to negotiate.” – NYT pic.twitter.com/oH9R0bTKif
— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) April 8, 2026
Since then, Trump has also emphasized the fact that the nature of the points in the agreement is a closely guarded secret, and published claims about them “have absolutely nothing to do with the negotiation.”
“There is only one group of meaningful ‘POINTS’ that are acceptable to the United States, and we will be discussing them behind closed doors during these Negotiations…” – President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/PP4jlW8LAJ
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 8, 2026
After the ceasefire was announced, there were aid-raid warnings in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
Israel said it was also intercepting missiles and striking back at sites in Iran.
Ceasefire day 1:
Israel took multiple waves of Iranian missile fire after the ceasefire was announced.
Kuwait reports that more than two dozens drones were launched by Iran since 8am.
UAE is currently under an Iranian missile attack.
Iran, via state media, reports strikes…
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) April 8, 2026
Kuwait, in particular, today reported a barrage of drone attacks targeting oil infrastructure, desalination facilities and power plants.
Kuwait ministry of defense reports a wave of drone attacks targeting oil infrastructure, desalination facilities and power plants. https://t.co/Ao8CGFvICG
— Geoff Brumfiel (@gbrumfiel) April 8, 2026
However, there are signs that some U.S. airstrikes may have been called off as soon as the ceasefire announcement was made, with at least one B-52 bomber returning to RAF Fairford, England, with weapons still loaded under the wings.
While it remains unclear to what degree Iran is taking the ceasefire seriously, there is also the reality that many Iranian military units have been fighting with a decentralized command and control in order to make its forces more resilient after lessons learned from the 12-Day War. Meanwhile, whatever ability to maintain oversight and authority over these units that is still in place has been significantly incapacitated in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes and by other means, as well as an internet blackout. Iran also mentioned yesterday that getting the word about the ceasefire agreement to military units will take time.
Hegseth: Iran would be wise to find a way to get the carrier pigeon to their troops out in remote locations to know not to shoot missiles—we’re prepared.
Reporter: THEY’RE STILL FIRING BALLISTIC MISSILES
Hegseth: Excuse me, why are you so rude? pic.twitter.com/4PMqMHX9qZ
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 8, 2026
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported today that Saudi Arabia’s critical East-West oil pipeline, which transports crude from the Gulf to the Red Sea for export, has been attacked. The newspaper cited two sources familiar with the incident, who said that a pumping station along the pipeline was struck around 1:00 p.m. local time today. The pipeline has become an absolutely crucial economic asset for the kingdom (and the world) amid disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
One source said the facility was targeted by a drone, and officials are currently assessing the extent of the damage.
SAUDI ARABIA’S VITAL EAST-WEST OIL PIPELINE CARRYING CRUDE FROM THE GULF TO THE RED SEA FOR EXPORT HAS BEEN ATTACKED – FT
— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) April 8, 2026
At this point, Iranian officials have not fully confirmed all details of the reported agreement, so the status of the nuclear issue is unclear.
Iranian state media reports that the 10-point plan also requires Washington to accept its uranium enrichment program, a previous red line for the Trump administration, and one of the main reasons for the U.S. military operation in the first instance.
On his Truth Social platform on Wednesday afternoon, Trump said he had rejected the Iranian demand for the right to enrich uranium.
He said the United States would “work closely” with Iran but “there will be no enrichment of uranium.”
Trump has also claimed that the United States will assist in recovering enriched uranium, at least some of which was buried during Operation Midnight Hammer airstrikes last summer. On Truth Social, he wrote:
“The United States will work closely with Iran, which we have determined has gone through what will be a very productive Regime Change! There will be no enrichment of Uranium, and the United States will, working with Iran, dig up and remove all of the deeply buried (B-2 Bombers) Nuclear ‘Dust.’ It is now, and has been, under very exacting Satellite Surveillance (Space Force!). Nothing has been touched from the date of attack.”
BREAKING: Trump:
The United States will work closely with Iran, which we have determined has gone through what will be a very productive Regime Change!
There will be no enrichment of Uranium, and the United States will, working with Iran, dig up and remove all of the deeply… pic.twitter.com/mxzXJhUAHu
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 8, 2026
Speaking today, Hegseth said that Iran will give the United States its enriched uranium or else the U.S. will “take it out.”
Hegseth on Iran’s buried enriched uranium:
They will either give it to us, as the President has laid out — they’ll give it to us voluntarily — or we’ll get it.
We’ll take it. We’ll take it out.
Or, if we have to do something else ourselves, like we did in Operation Midnight… pic.twitter.com/JFhfX2YEpa
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 8, 2026
Subsequently, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Iran has indicated it will turn over its stocks of enriched uranium.
(Reuters) – Iran has indicated it would turn over its stocks of enriched uranium, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday.
— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) April 8, 2026
Some of the first ships to sail through the strait since the ceasefire announcement have already been detected, according to tracking data analyst MarineTraffic.
In a post on X, MarineTraffic wrote:
“Early signs of vessel activity are emerging in the Strait of Hormuz following a ceasefire announcement, which includes a temporary reopening of the strategic waterway to allow for negotiations. According to MarineTraffic data, hundreds of vessels remain in the region, including 426 tankers, 34 LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) carriers, and 19 LNG (liquefied natural gas) vessels, many of which had been effectively stranded during the disruption.”
Vessel movements resume in the Strait of Hormuz following ceasefire announcement
Early signs of vessel activity are emerging in the Strait of Hormuz following a ceasefire announcement, which includes a temporary reopening of the strategic waterway to allow for negotiations.… pic.twitter.com/CSy6PZlCJ4
— MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) April 8, 2026
Subsequently, French global marine data tracker AXSMarine reported that 10 ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz so far today, four of which are Iranian.
📰 The US–Iran ceasefire comes amid notable shipping developments around the Strait of Hormuz. Under the reported terms of the agreement, passage through the strait is to be permitted for a two-week period, in coordination with Iran’s armed forces.
📈 Over the past seven days, a… pic.twitter.com/Y7SWNaMvqG
— AXSMarine (@AXSMarine) April 8, 2026
During peacetime, the straits saw between 50 and 100 ships passing in each direction daily.
Iran’s foreign minister said that passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be allowed for the next two weeks under Iranian military management.
Hamid Hosseini, a spokesperson for Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union, told the Financial Times today that Iran wanted to collect tolling fees from any tanker passing and to assess each ship.
“Iran needs to monitor what goes in and out of the strait to ensure these two weeks aren’t used for transferring weapons,” said Hosseini, whose industry association works closely with the state. “Everything can pass through, but the procedure will take time for each vessel, and Iran is not in a rush,” he added.
Iran has stated a tariff of $1 per barrel of oil, to be paid in cryptocurrency, adding that empty tankers can pass freely.
FT: Iran will demand that shipping companies pay tolls in cryptocurrency for oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Hamid Hosseini, a spokesperson for Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union said the tariff is $1 per barrel of oil.
— Annmarie Hordern (@annmarie) April 8, 2026
Trump today said he is considering the formation of a “joint venture” with Iran to set up tolls in the strait. This may well be related to Trump’s announcement that the United States will be “helping with the traffic buildup” in the strait, although no further details were provided.
There are also reports that the Iranian Navy said today it will destroy ships attempting to pass through the strait without Tehran’s permission, adding that transit through the waterway remains shut.
“Any vessel trying to travel into the sea … will be targeted and destroyed…” the reported message said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday there was still a lot of work to do to reopen the strait, speaking during a visit to Saudi Arabia. “We now … have a ceasefire, but there’s a lot of work to do, as you will appreciate, a lot of work to make sure that that ceasefire becomes permanent and brings about the peace that we all want to see,” Starmer said. “But also a lot of work to do in relation to the Strait of Hormuz, which has an impact everywhere across the world.”
‘It is very important that we get the Strait of Hormuz open’.
Keir Starmer is in Saudi Arabia for talks with Gulf allies.
The UK’s prime minister says that there is “still a lot of work to do” to reopen the oil and gas shipping route.https://t.co/hzCXe9ayiw pic.twitter.com/iSyyes24Gs
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 8, 2026
In a statement today, the Iranian news agency FARS said that the strait will remain blocked as long as Israel attacks Lebanon, suggesting a nother possbile point of friction in the ceasefire.
Iran state media FARS posted to Telegram. While two tankers transited this morning, they will block strait as long as Israel attacks Lebanon.
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) April 8, 2026
Regardless of tolls and continued coercion, it is highly unlikely that energy prices will spring back to their pre-war levels any time soon. Despite the agreement on access to the strait, shipowners will probably remain cautious about re-entering the region when any resumption of hostilities could result in the loss of vessels or crew.
Overall, it will require a lasting ceasefire before there is more confidence in the oil market.
The White House says that Israel agreed to the ceasefire, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it does not include Lebanon, where Israel continues to launch assaults and airstrikes in response to rocket fire by Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
“We will continue striking the Hezbollah terror organization and will utilize every operational opportunity. We will not compromise the security of the residents of northern Israel. We will continue to strike with determination.”
— IDF Chief of the General Staff LTG Eyal Zamir… pic.twitter.com/h1ZWPftRWz
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 8, 2026
The Pakistani prime minister, Shebaz Sharif, had previously said the ceasefire extended over Lebanon, something that Trump refuted.
Trump on Lebanon:
Because of Hezbollah. They were not included in the deal. That’ll get taken care of too. It’s alright.
Source: PBS News
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 8, 2026
This was underscored by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launching what it says is the largest wave of strikes across Lebanon since the current conflict began. The IDF claims it attacked 100 command centres and military infrastructure targets belonging to Hezbollah in 10 minutes.
‼️ In 10 minutes, the IDF completed the largest coordinated strike across Lebanon since the start of Operation Roaring Lion.
The strike targeted 100+ Hezbollah headquarters, military arrays, & command-and-control centers in Beirut, Beqaa and southern Lebanon, including:
•…
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 8, 2026
“The IDF carried out a surprise strike on hundreds of Hezbollah terrorists at command centres across Lebanon. This is the largest concentrated blow Hezbollah has suffered since Operation Beepers,” Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz said in a video statement, referring to the 2024 operation against Hezbollah involving explosive pagers.
There is also a possibility that the continued Israeli campaign directed against Hezbollah could also draw Iran back into the conflict. Al Jazeera reports that a senior Iranian official told them that Iran “will punish Israel in response to the crime it committed in Lebanon,” which Tehran views as a violation of the ceasefire conditions.
Iran is preparing “operations” against Israeli targets in response to the ceasefire violations in Lebanon -Iranian state outlet Fars pic.twitter.com/1iyoCwZ1st
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 8, 2026
Iranian state media said negotiations with the United States will be held in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital. Iran wants to see the details of a long-term peace agreement finalized, with the aim of “confirming Iran’s battlefield achievements.”
Talks are supposed to begin on Friday, April 10, but could be extended. This morning, Washington had yet to publicly accept an invitation to the talks, but Trump today told the New York Post that in-person talks with Iran will happen very soon.
(Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said in-person talks with Iran will happen “very soon”, the New York Post reported Wednesday.
In an interview with the Post, Trump said Vice President JD Vance might not attend the talks due to security concerns.
— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) April 8, 2026
Today, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to X to condemn reported violations of the ceasefire at a “few places across the conflict zone, which undermine the spirit of the peace process.”
Violations of ceasefire have been reported at few places across the conflict zone which undermine the spirit of peace process. I earnestly and sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire for two weeks, as agreed upon, so that diplomacy can take a…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 8, 2026
“I earnestly and sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire for two weeks, as agreed upon, so that diplomacy can take a lead role towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict,” he added.
Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif:
Violations of ceasefire have been reported at few places across the conflict zone which undermine the spirit of peace process.
I earnestly and sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire for two weeks, as agreed… pic.twitter.com/mosd8qaLWI
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 8, 2026
This afternoon, the White House confirmed that JD Vance, plus Middle East envoys, Jared Kushner, and Steve Witkoff, would lead the U.S. negotiating team in Pakistan.
Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner will lead the U.S. negotiating team in Pakistan for Iran talks starting Saturday -White House
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 8, 2026
Another early aim for Trump and Netanyahu when the war began was regime change in Iran.
While Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior leaders have been killed, the degree to which the political landscape in Iran has actually changed is highly questionable.
Trump has repeatedly said that the new Iranian leadership is much more open to negotiation, but it remains the case that the new regime is essentially now centred around a hardline group dominated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Such an outcome is what we warned about prior to the conflict beginning.
There is also a question about the condition of the new Iranian supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. Hegseth said again today that he is “wounded and disfigured,” presumably in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes.
The Iranian military was already reeling under the effects of years of sanctions and previous military operations directed against it by Israel and the United States.
Clearly, its capabilities have been severely degraded by the intense U.S./Israeli airstrikes over the last few weeks.
Efforts to rearm will be blocked by the United States, with Trump declaring that any country supplying weapons to Iran will be “immediately tariffed, on any and all goods sold to the United States of America, 50 percent, effective immediately. There will be no exclusions or exemptions!”
TRUMP ON IRAN: A COUNTRY SUPPLYING MILITARY WEAPONS TO IRAN WILL BE IMMEDIATELY TARIFFED, ON ANY AND ALL GOODS SOLD TO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 50%, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
TRUMP ON IRAN-RELATED TARIFFS: NO EXCLUSIONS OR EXEMPTIONS
— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) April 8, 2026
This is largely focused on the idea that a major player like China could execute a strategic partnership with wounded Iran in exchange for a part of the country’s oil reserves or at least a steadier supply of energy at a deeply discounted rate. This would also extend Beijing’s ability to wield power throughout the region, and especially over and around the critical Strait of Hormuz. The idea of the spigot being turned off for a prolonged period of time from this region is all too real now, and China’s demand for energy imports is very high.
Russia, to a lesser degree, could step in as well, but for different reasons, although it is not in a position to provide Iran with all the armament it needs as the war in Ukraine rages on. Still, Trump’s 50 percent tariffs would have far less of an impact on Russia than on China.
Iran’s manufacturing base has been largely destroyed, according to the IDF and Pentagon, which will make reconstituting its military capabilities with internal armaments much more challenging, at least in the near term.
The ability of Tehran to support its proxies abroad has also been severely impacted by this conflict. This is on top of years of those forces being targeted by Israel and the United States. Even Iran’s airlift capacity has been heavily impacted, with aircraft used to support its nefarious operations abroad being destroyed.
At the same time, reports as of last week suggested that the Trump administration may well have overestimated the losses inflicted on the Iranian military.
According to a report last week from CNN, which it says was based on recent U.S. intelligence assessments, roughly half of Iran’s missile launchers were still intact, and thousands of one-way attack drones remained in its arsenal.
“They are still very much poised to wreak absolute havoc throughout the entire region,” one source told CNN.
Also, Iran’s military personnel and internal security forces have lost some facilities and a limited number of people, but they remain largely intact.
Perhaps the question hardest to answer is how the war with Iran will affect U.S. influence in the Middle East.
Putting aside the more bombastic statements of victory from Iran, it is true to say that, while the Trump administration projected unmatched military power in Operation Epic Fury, its strategic effectiveness was more limited. This is something that has been picked up in Israel, too, with the outcome slammed by Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid.
Israeli opposition leader calls Trump’s ceasefire deal with Iran the greatest “political disaster” in Israel’s history. https://t.co/XswOuag9Zn
— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) April 8, 2026
Iran’s military — and civilian populace — suffered very heavy blows under sustained U.S. and Israeli attacks, but Tehran also maintained control of the Strait of Hormuz and continued to hit back with drone and missile strikes across the Gulf, and even exacted a toll on U.S. military assets.
(Reuters) – Iranian authorities see the truce with the United States and Israel as a strategic victory, but they emerge battered and isolated with an economy in tatters, little prospect of rapid recovery and an impoverished, embittered population.
After weeks of U.S. and Israeli…
— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) April 8, 2026
Ultimately, Washington was reluctant to deploy ground troops, which would have driven casualty numbers up much higher, but overall, key rivals such as China and Russia may view the conflict as evidence of declining U.S. military power.
During the conflict, Trump threatened to walk away from NATO and slammed most of its major allies around the globe for not coming to help the U.S. and its cause. This sent a shockwave through its alliances. Trump’s deadline threat of total war was also unprecedented and will have a lasting impact, regardless of whether it was just a negotiating tactic or not.
The U.S. has also worn down its arsenal of advanced weaponry even further in a very public manner. This is especially true for air defense capabilities. China is watching this and all other aspects of the operation regarding its future designs on Taiwan.
Meanwhile, the relationship between the U.S. and its allies in the Arabian Peninsula appears to have been strengthened, and those countries will likely see major changes in the force posture of their militaries and their capabilities from lessons learned during the war. But still, this could change based on the long-term outcome of this war.
Overall, it remains to be seen how America’s reputation will be seen after the war, and what kind of effect it will have on alliances in the region and beyond.
At the same time, Iran’s economy is in critical condition. The country has been bombed thousands of times over the last month. Its leadership has been patched together, and regardless of conflicting estimates of what systems remain intact, its military is a shell of its previous self, which wasn’t in great shape to begin with.
While the regime survived the fighting, how it will be able to navigate a positive future for the country and its citizens, many of whom wanted the regime to fall prior to this war, remains to be seen. Meanwhile, there are still very well-armed, fanatical forces that hold major sway in the country, specifically the hardline IRGC. As we stated before the war began, the regime would be more likely to fall to it than a foreign power or the masses.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
Ecuador has recalled its ambassador from Colombia over remarks related to a high-profile criminal case that has stirred tensions across Latin America.
The case in question is that of former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas, a left-wing figure currently serving a lengthy prison sentence for corruption.
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This week marks the two-year anniversary of a controversial police raid that saw Ecuadorian authorities storm the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest Glas, who had sought asylum in the diplomatic facility.
But the right-wing government of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, which authorised the raid, has denounced criticisms of the Glas case as a violation of his country’s sovereignty.
Wednesday’s decision to recall Ambassador Arturo Felix Wong from Bogota is the latest sign of cross-border strife with Ecuador’s neighbour, Colombia, and its left-wing President Gustavo Petro.
In a local radio interview on Wednesday, Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld confirmed that her country’s ambassador to Colombia had been recalled.
The criticisms of the Glas case, she added, were uncalled for. “It’s clearly a provocation because these kinds of messages come out of nowhere,” she said.
Her remarks echoed those of Noboa himself, who has led a months-long feud with the Colombian government.
“This country has waited years to see the corrupt answer to justice,” Noboa said in a social media message on Tuesday.
He denounced critics, like Petro, who consider Glas to be a “political prisoner” and warned that he considered such rhetoric to be a form of foreign interference.
“I wish to be emphatic: This constitutes an assault on our sovereignty and a violation of the principle of non-intervention,” Noboa said.
His statement appeared to be prompted by a series of social media posts Petro wrote on the anniversary of the Mexican embassy raid, which took place on April 5, 2024.
That episode resulted in Mexico breaking its diplomatic relations with Ecuador, a rupture that endures to this day.
Critics called the raid a violation of international law. Treaties like the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations protect embassies and consulates from military and law enforcement actions without prior consent.
Glas had been sheltering in the Mexican embassy since December 2023, claiming he was facing political persecution in Ecuador.
After the raid, he was sentenced to an additional 13 years in prison for the misuse of public funds, in addition to prison terms for two prior corruption cases.
Glas was one of several politicians who were convicted as part of the Odebrecht scandal, which saw government officials across Latin America accused of taking bribes in exchange for issuing favourable contracts to certain business interests.
In 2017, Glas was sentenced to six years in prison for allegedly accepting bribes worth $13.5m, and in 2020, he faced an additional eight-year sentence. He has been barred from ever holding public office again.
Last September, Colombia granted citizenship to Glas. President Petro then called for Glas to be transferred into Colombian custody. He reprised that request in a social media post on Monday.
“I called for there to be no political prisoners in any country in the Americas. It is undeniable that Jorge Glas is a political prisoner,” Petro wrote in the first of two posts on the subject.
In the second, published the next day, Petro raised concerns about Glas’s health and wellbeing. The former vice president is serving his sentence in a maximum-security prison in Ecuador, El Encuentro.
“Jorge Glas is a Colombian citizen, and he is a political prisoner,” Petro said.
“I call upon international human rights organisations to safeguard his rights. His health condition now poses a threat to his life; due to his imprisonment, he has not received adequate sustenance and is currently suffering from severe malnutrition and muscle mass loss.”
Petro added that “allowing a person to starve to death” would constitute a “crime against humanity”.
The heated rhetoric between Petro and Noboa is part of a long-running spat between the two leaders.
Since March alone, Noboa has slapped Colombia with 50-percent tariffs, based on accusations it has been too lax in its fight against drug trafficking.
Petro, meanwhile, has accused Noboa of carrying out a bombing campaign near the Colombian border, resulting in the recovery of 27 charred bodies.
Noboa has been leading an aggressive, military-led anti-narcotics campaign with the support of United States President Donald Trump, who has similarly criticised left-wing governments like Petro’s for failing to tamp down on drug trafficking.
Noboa and Trump have grown close since the US president was sworn in for a second term in January 2025, and Ecuador’s policies towards regional governments and drug-trafficking have echoed those of the US.
Memorial was co-winner of 2022 Peace Prize for its work in documenting human rights abuses in Russia.
Published On 8 Apr 20268 Apr 2026
The committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize has condemned attempts by Moscow to designate the human rights group and Peace Prize laureate Memorial as an “extremist organisation”.
The chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, said in a statement on Wednesday that it was “deeply alarmed by the Russian authorities’ latest attempts to destroy Memorial – a co-recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize – by seeking to designate [it] as an extremist organisation”.
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The statement was issued as Russia’s Supreme Court is expected to examine a petition from the Ministry of Justice on Thursday to add Memorial to Russia’s list of “undesirable” entities.
The designation would ban the organisation from operating in Russia, with those affiliated with it could face up to four years in prison and fines.
Memorial has already been declared a “foreign agent”, and the Supreme Court ordered it dissolved in Russia at the end of 2021.
Frydnes stressed that if the latest petition by the Justice Ministry is upheld, “all activities of Memorial will be criminalised. Anyone taking part in, or funding, Memorial’s work – or even sharing its published materials – will risk imprisonment.”
“To designate such an organisation as extremist is an affront to the fundamental values of human dignity and freedom of expression,” he added.
The committee called “on the Russian authorities to immediately withdraw this claim and to cease all harassment of Memorial and its members”.
Memorial won the Nobel Peace Prize with the Ukrainian human rights organisation Centre for Civil Liberties and Ales Bialiatski, who has worked to promote democracy and human rights in Belarus. Memorial, established in 1987, focuses on documenting human rights abuses in Russia.
Before it was banned in Russia, Memorial formed a network of about 50 organisations across Russia and outside its borders. Some of its constituents based in Germany, France and Italy continue to operate.
Several Russian Memorial leaders have been subjected to criminal proceedings – including Oleg Orlov, who was freed in a prisoner exchange in 2024 after being imprisoned for speaking out against the Ukraine war – are now working outside Russia to continue documenting human rights abuses.
Islamabad, Pakistan – Just under 90 minutes remained until United States President Donald Trump’s deadline to destroy Iran’s “civilisation” late on Tuesday in Washington, DC, when he took to his favourite social media platform, Truth Social, again.
He said he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran after almost six weeks of bombing.
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Soon after, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed the ceasefire on X, giving a world on edge a chance to breathe again.
Beyond the fact of the ceasefire, much remains unclear. Trump claimed Iran would allow unimpeded transit through the Strait of Hormuz while Araghchi said passage through the waterway would need to be done under the auspices of the Iranian armed forces. Other key differences quickly emerged: Was Lebanon included in the ceasefire? Has the US agreed to allow Iran to pursue uranium enrichment? Has Trump agreed to a 10-point Iranian list of demands or accepted that merely as a conversation starter?
But there also was a common glue that bound both Trump’s statement and Araghchi’s assertions: acknowledgement of Pakistan’s central role as the mediator that managed to persuade warring nations deeply distrustful of each other back to the negotiating table.
Trump said he agreed to the ceasefire “based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan”, adding that they had “requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran”.
Araghchi was even more profuse in his praise for Pakistan. “On behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I express gratitude and appreciation for his dear brothers HE Prime Minister of Pakistan Sharif and HE Field Marshal Munir for their tireless efforts to end the war in the region,” he said in a statement, adding that Iran had accepted the ceasefire “in response to the brotherly request of PM Sharif”.
Sharif, who had publicly called on the US and Iran to accept a ceasefire a short time before, posted again 90 minutes later, highlighting what may be Pakistan’s most significant diplomatic achievement in years.
“With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY,” he wrote, inviting both delegations to Islamabad on Friday “to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes”.
By Wednesday afternoon, Sharif had spoken directly with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian too. Formal talks were expected to begin in Islamabad on Friday with a US delegation that could potentially be led by Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who had previously been engaged in dialogue with Iran before the war.
The war, which began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and struck Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure, has killed more than 2,000 people in Iran in five weeks, disrupted roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supplies and threatened to draw in regional powers.
That it has been paused, even temporarily, is the result of weeks of painstaking diplomacy that few believed Pakistan could deliver.
Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement began almost immediately after the first US-Israeli attacks of the war, largely behind the scenes.
When the first strikes hit Tehran, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who is also deputy prime minister, was in Saudi Arabia, attending a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Within hours, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement, and Dar called Araghchi to convey solidarity.
By March 3, Dar was addressing the country’s Senate, outlining Pakistan’s position. “Pakistan is ready to facilitate dialogue between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad,” he told lawmakers.
At home, meanwhile, protests erupted. In Karachi, demonstrators tried to storm the US consulate on March 1, leaving at least 10 people dead.
Pakistan’s Shia Muslim population, estimated at 15 to 20 percent of the country’s roughly 250 million people, was watching closely. As sectarian tensions rose, Munir summoned Shia clerics to Rawalpindi and warned that violence inside Pakistan would not be tolerated.
At the same time, Islamabad was dealing with multiple pressures. It remained engaged in what officials described as an “open war” against the Afghan Taliban. It was also grappling with rising fuel costs due to disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and concerns over remittances from Pakistani workers in Gulf states.
On March 12, Sharif travelled to Jeddah with Munir to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, expressing “full solidarity” while urging restraint against mounting Iranian attacks against Gulf countries.
It was a delicate balancing act. Pakistan had to maintain its mutual defence pact with Riyadh, signed in September, without being drawn into a direct confrontation with Iran, its southwesterly neighbour with which it shares a nearly 1,000km (620-mile) border.
Qamar Cheema, executive director of the Islamabad-based Sanober Institute, said Pakistan’s early condemnation of the US-Israeli strikes proved crucial.
“When Pakistan condemned American strikes,” he told Al Jazeera, “that was where Pakistan won over the Iranians as well. This role as a global peacemaker is the result of personal diplomatic investment in Iran and the protection of international law.”
Masood Khan, a former Pakistan ambassador to the United Nations and the US, said regional actors were looking for “reliability, impartiality, consistency, restraint and deliverables”.
“We fit the bill and delivered on all counts,” Khan told Al Jazeera. “We did not seek strategic opportunism. We earned their trust.”
On the night of March 16-17, Israeli strikes killed Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and, since Khamenei’s death, one of the most powerful figures in Tehran.
On March 18, Israeli jets struck South Pars, the world’s largest natural gasfield, which Iran shares with Qatar and which accounts for roughly 70 percent of Iran’s domestic gas production.
The attack triggered a new wave of Iranian retaliation on Gulf energy infrastructure, sending oil and gas prices soaring.
Against this backdrop, Dar arrived in Riyadh on March 18 for a meeting of 12 foreign ministers convened by Saudi Arabia.
The gathering produced a joint statement condemning Israeli actions. Turkiye and Pakistan resisted harsher language that could have undermined Islamabad’s credibility with Tehran, according to officials aware of the deliberations in Riyadh.
It was in Riyadh that a quadrilateral mechanism also took shape, bringing together Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt.
Betul Dogan-Akkas, assistant professor of international relations at Ankara University, said the format emerged partly from divisions within Gulf diplomacy. While some Gulf countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, were by late March increasingly losing patience with Iran’s attacks and raising the prospects of hitting back, others, while also upset with Iran, were still pushing for de-escalation.
“The intra-GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] disagreements over a ceasefire and a diplomatic dialogue with Iran created the need for exactly that kind of actor,” Dogan-Akkas told Al Jazeera, adding that Pakistan’s ties with both sides made it a natural choice for a mediator.
From March 22 to 23, officials confirmed that Munir spoke directly to Trump. The US president had already announced a five-day pause on strikes targeting Iranian energy infrastructure by then, signalling he was open to a diplomatic exit.
![The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia gathered in Islamabad on March 29, their second such meeting in ten days. [Handout/Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/FM-meeting-Isb-1775655081.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
On March 23, Pakistan formally offered to host talks. Sharif echoed the offer publicly hours later on X, tagging Trump, Araghchi and Witkoff.
Initial reactions were mixed. Reports suggested talks could take place in Islamabad within days with Vance, Witkoff and Kushner named as possible members of a US delegation.
Iran, however, denied that negotiations were under way while the White House sought to dampen speculation. “The US will not negotiate through the press,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.
On March 26, Dar confirmed that the US had shared a 15-point proposal with Iran via Pakistan. It demanded commitments on Iran’s nuclear programme, limits on its ballistic missiles and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran rejected the proposal and responded with a 10-point counteroffer, demanding an end to hostilities, sanctions relief, reparations, recognition of its sovereignty over the strait and the withdrawal of US forces from the region.
The positions remained far apart. But the fact that both proposals passed through Islamabad underscored Pakistan’s central role.
On March 29, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt reconvened in Islamabad. Before the meeting, Sharif held a lengthy call with Pezeshkian, his second in five days.
After the talks, Dar travelled to Beijing, reflecting China’s growing involvement. He met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and the two sides outlined a five-point initiative that included a ceasefire, early dialogue, civilian protection, restoration of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and a larger UN role. On Tuesday, Trump confirmed that China appeared to have played a role in pushing Iran towards talks.
Some critics have described Pakistan’s role as that of a messenger, but Ishtiaq Ahmad, professor emeritus of international relations at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, rejected that notion.
“A messenger transmits, but Pakistan shaped the sequencing, timing and framing of proposals,” he told Al Jazeera. “It had leverage with all sides.”
Dogan-Akkas said Tehran’s choice of Pakistan as mediator was deliberate.
“I believe it is a strategic choice to not project a powerful middle power with a US military base as the mediator but to have another regional country convey the message,” she said.
Central to Pakistan’s role was its army chief, Munir.
His relationship with Trump dates back to early last year when Pakistan arrested the alleged perpetrator of the Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul in 2021, which occurred as thousands of Afghans tried to flee after the Taliban takeover. Thirteen American service members were killed in that attack.
But their relationship truly took root after the brief conflict between Pakistan and India in May when Trump publicly claimed credit for brokering a ceasefire, a claim acknowledged by Pakistan but rejected by India.
![General Asim Munir became Pakistan's army chief in November 2022, and after the four-day conflict with India in May last year, he was promoted to the rank of field marshal. [Handout/Inter-Services Public Relations]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AM-ISPR-1775656006.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
That episode opened a direct channel between Munir and the White House. He has since visited Washington, DC, twice, and Trump has publicly praised him on several occasions.
Pakistan also maintained connections with figures close to the Trump administration, including through business engagements involving Witkoff’s family.
Trump himself acknowledged Pakistan’s ties with Iran, telling reporters that Pakistanis “know Iran very well, better than most,” after hosting Munir for an unprecedented lunch in June.
However, Ahmad cautioned against overstating the personal dimension.
“The personal equation helped accelerate decision-making at a critical moment, but the mediation was not built on personalities alone,” he told Al Jazeera.
“It rested on institutional alignment between Pakistan’s civil and military leadership and on sustained engagement with Washington over the past year. Even if personalities shift, the channel Pakistan has built is now institutionalised,” he said.
Cheema argued that the calculus was also structural.
“Trump understands that in the entire Muslim world, this is the only nuclear-capable country, and it can change the course of history,” he told Al Jazeera, referring to Pakistan.
It was on Sunday on the Christian holiday of Easter when tensions peaked. As Pope Leo XIV called for peace from the Vatican, Trump issued a stark warning on Truth Social.
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” he wrote, threatening to blow up all of Iran’s bridges and power facilities if it did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran dismissed the remarks, but behind the scenes, Pakistani officials intensified their diplomatic efforts.
By Monday, Pakistan had put forward a two-phase ceasefire proposal with Munir in contact with Vance, Witkoff and Araghchi.
Trump initially rejected the plan. He set a final deadline of 8pm Washington, DC, time on Tuesday (midnight GMT) and, hours before it expired, warned of catastrophic consequences.
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” he posted. “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”
According to officials, Munir continued engaging both sides in the final hours, even as much of the diplomacy remained out of public view, until Sharif’s public appeal came with about five hours remaining.
The breakthrough followed shortly after.
As Trump announced the ceasefire and Iran confirmed it, the immediate impact was visible.
Oil prices dropped by 16 percent. The Strait of Hormuz was set to reopen for the first time in five weeks. And Islamabad was ready to become the centre of diplomatic activity.
The temporary ceasefire is not a peace deal. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council described it as a victory while warning that “our hands are on the trigger.”
Key differences remained unresolved, and expectations for the upcoming talks are cautious.
Despite Sharif’s claim that Lebanon was included, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the arrangement does not cover Lebanon, and Israeli attacks there on Wednesday killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds.
Still, analysts said Pakistan’s role marks a significant shift.
A country that was not at the table for talks that resulted in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal or the Abraham Accords has now positioned itself at the centre of a major diplomatic effort.
“This is the first time Pakistan has simultaneously managed active conflict mediation between two adversaries under ongoing military escalation without direct contact between them,” Ahmad said.
Dogan-Akkas offered a more cautious assessment, noting that Pakistan does not have a long history of mediation compared with countries such as Kuwait, Oman or Qatar.
The outcome, she said, reflects Pakistan’s ties in the Gulf and its improving relationship with Washington rather than a deeply institutionalised mediation role.
When Pakistan quietly facilitated US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s secret trip to Beijing in 1971, its role remained unacknowledged for years.
This time, recognition came almost immediately, from both Washington and Tehran.
“Our effort this year is a continuation of the facilitation we undertook between the US and Iran in 2025,” Khan, the former envoy, said.
“But the stakes this time were very high. We did not want to see the richest bloc of the Muslim world decimated nor the world pushed towards a wider war.”
He added a note of caution.
“No relationships are, however, assured in perpetuity. Look at the Trump-Modi bonhomie in the first Trump administration and its unravelling now,” he said, referring to the warm friendship between the US president and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which appears to have cooled during Trump’s second term.
Even so, he argued, Pakistan has already secured a lasting gain.
“While ultimate success will depend on the outcome of the process, however, even at this preliminary stage, Pakistan has already carved a niche for itself in diplomatic chronicles,” Khan said.
Senegal, who were stripped of the AFCON title, are appealing the decision for the trophy to be awarded to Morocco.
Published On 8 Apr 20268 Apr 2026
The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has visited Dakar, nearly a month after the body’s shock decision to strip Senegal of its Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to Morocco.
Patrice Motsepe announced the trip at the end of March, stating that he would travel to Senegal and Morocco to emphasise the importance of “working together to grow African football”, as his organisation faces considerable criticism.
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President Bassirou Diomaye Faye will receive Motsepe at the presidential palace later in the day, with a news conference to follow.
His visit comes at a particularly tense time for CAF following its surprise decision to overturn Senegal’s 1-0 win over hosts Morocco in the Cup of Nations final on January 18.
CAF cited regulations about leaving the field as it recorded a 3-0 victory in Morocco’s favour on March 17.
During the match, Senegalese players, head coach Pape Thiaw and his staff walked off the pitch in Rabat after Morocco were awarded an added-time penalty, which forward Brahim Diaz ultimately missed.
The Senegalese Football Federation has appealed CAF’s decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The decision has prompted a strong response by Senegal, whose government has called for an international investigation into suspected corruption within the institution.
Weighing in on the matter late last month, Motsepe said he would “respect and implement the CAS decision. My personal opinion regarding the matter is irrelevant.”
Leicester City have lost their appeal against their six-point deduction for breaching English Football League financial rules.
The sanction was imposed on the club in February by an independent commission and saw the Foxes fall from 17th to 20th, however they have since dropped into the Championship relegation zone and are a point adrift of safety with five games remaining.
They were initially charged by the Premier League in May 2025 for profit and sustainability breaches relating to the 2023-24 season, when they were in the Championship.
“With the matter now at an end and five games of the season remaining, everyone at the club is fully focused on the matches in front of us and on shaping the outcome of our season through our results on the pitch,” a Leicester statement said., external
“We know this has been a challenging period, and we thank our supporters for the backing they continue to give the team.
“The responsibility now is to ensure these remaining games are approached with the focus and intent our current situation demands.”
Before today, all four nations of the UK had recorded their highest temperature of the year so far on Tuesday after very warm air was dragged in from continental Europe.
The addition of the foehn effect – a warming wind on the leeside of a mountain – meant that north-west Wales saw the highest temperatures.
Wales – 24.8C (76.7F) – Mona, Isle of Anglesey
England – 22.5C (72.5F) – Merryfield, Somerset
Scotland – 22.5C (72.5F) – Kinloss, Moray
Northern Ireland – 19.0C (66.2F) – Armagh, County Armagh
The focus of the highest temperatures on Wednesday will be the Midlands, East Anglia and south-east England, possibly reaching 26C (79F) in some localised spots.
This is around 10C above average for early April.
The last time before this week that 25C or more was recorded in the UK was 19 September 2025, when temperatures peaked at 27.8C at St James’s Park, London.
Around this time in April in 2017 and 2020 25C (77F) was recorded, but last year that temperature was not reached until the last day of the month.
The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK in April was 29.4C (84.9F) measured in London in 1949.
There is some way to go to beat that but spring is the fastest warming season due to climate change.
Scotland and Northern Ireland will not be as warm. The cloud will break to give some sunshine and temperatures could still reach as high as 18C (64F) in eastern Scotland.
The multi-discipline event scheduled for May 8 will now be held on June 19 should conditions allow, organisers say.
Published On 8 Apr 20268 Apr 2026
World Athletics has postponed its season-opening event in Qatar’s capital, Doha, due to concerns for “player and spectator safety” as the US-Israel war on Iran continues to affect the Middle East.
The Doha Diamond League has been rescheduled from May 8 to June 19, conditional on the safety and security situation in the region, World Athletics said in a statement on Wednesday.
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“In the interests of athlete and spectator safety, a decision has been taken to postpone the meeting,” the global governing body for athletics said, adding that the event will go ahead on the new date “should conditions allow”.
The Diamond League said it had been “monitoring the situation in Doha” in recent weeks and was “working in close coordination with meeting organisers, Qatari authorities and other stakeholders”.
While Iran and the United States accepted a two-week ceasefire deal – mediated by Pakistan – Gulf states continued to intercept missile and drone attacks on their territories.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday that it intercepted a missile attack in the hours leading up to the ceasefire announcement, and the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain reported strikes after news of the ceasefire was confirmed.
The organisers said they would continue to monitor developments in the Middle East in the coming weeks to deliver “the highest level of safe and secure competition for athletes, media and spectators”.
The Doha meeting was originally scheduled to take place at the Qatar Sports Club as the opening event of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League season, but will now be held at the Khalifa International Stadium, a temperature-regulated venue with air cooling vents.
The stadium hosted the World Athletics Championships in 2019 and was one of the FIFA World Cup 2022 venues in Qatar.
Olympic gold medallist from Botswana, Letsile Tebogo, headlined the 2025 event, winning the 200m race, while Jamaica’s Tia Clayton won the women’s 100m event.
Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra was the crowd favourite for the field event but finished behind Julian Weber of Germany.
Chopra, Olympic gold medallist in 2021 and silver winner in 2024, has finished on the Doha Diamond League podium on five occasions.
The new date of the Doha Diamond League will fall between the Bislett Games in Oslo on June 10 and the Meeting de Paris on June 28, making it the eighth leg of the 2026 season.
The series will begin in Shanghai on May 16 and end at the Diamond League final in Brussels on September 5.
Tens of thousands of babies were taken from their unmarried mothers in the three decades after World War Two.
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Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russian energy facilities recently, as peace talks show no signs of progress. Several key facilities have been impacted:
NORSI, Russia’s fourth-largest oil refinery, owned by Lukoil, halted operations on April 5 due to a Ukrainian drone attack. This refinery, which processes 16 million metric tons of oil per year (around 320,000 barrels daily), is also Russia’s second-largest gasoline producer.
The Kirishi oil refinery may restart partial operations within a month after sustaining damage from drone attacks in late March that caused fires. Sources indicate that three of its four main units will resume operations, representing about 60% of its capacity. Last year, Kirishi produced 2 million tons of gasoline, 7.1 million tons of diesel, 6.1 million tons of fuel oil, and 600,000 tons of bitumen.
Novatek’s Ust-Luga processing plant suspended gas condensate processing and naphtha exports after drone strikes caused fires. The complex features three processing units, each with a capacity of 3 million tons per year, processing stable gas condensate into various fuels. In 2025, it processed 8 million tons.
Ukraine’s military reported hitting Russia’s Bashneft-Novoil oil refinery, located over 1,400 km (870 miles) from the border, which can process more than 7 million tons of oil annually.
The Saratov refinery was attacked on March 21, which led to the shutdown of its crude distillation unit. In 2024, it processed 5.8 million metric tons of oil, representing 2.2% of Russia’s refining capacity.
A fire at the Ilsky refinery occurred on February 17 due to drone attacks, with the blaze fully extinguished the next day. The refinery’s annual capacity is 6.6 million tons.
The Volgograd refinery was completely shut down on February 11 from drone strikes, affecting its primary processing unit, which accounts for 40% of its operations, with a processing figure of 13.7 million tons of oil in 2024.
A fire at the Ukhta refinery on February 12, caused by a drone attack, affected its primary oil processing unit, which processes 6,000 tons per day. In 2025, it processed around 3 million tons of oil.
The Afipsky refinery experienced a fire on January 21 due to drone attacks, focusing mainly on exports and processing 7.2 million metric tons of crude oil in 2024.
Additionally, a recent attack by Ukraine damaged facilities at the maritime transhipment complex in Novorossiysk, affecting oil product reservoirs. The damage did not disrupt CPC oil exports via the Black Sea, and U. S. oil major Chevron confirmed that crude oil exports from Tengiz remained stable. Ukrainian drones also caused fires at the Sheskharis oil terminal and damaged an oil pipeline at Primorsk, which saw significant storage capacity losses from drone attacks last month.
With information from Reuters
From Maddie Lee: As Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto came set on the Rogers Centre mound Tuesday, he didn’t let his mind drift to the last time he gazed from that exact spot.
He didn’t think of the snap of Alejandro Kirk’s bat as it splintered, or the fluidity of Mookie Betts’s movement as he started the double play, or the joy on Freddie Freeman’s face as his arms flew in the air.
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He didn’t think of the relief as a back-and-forth World Series Game 7 finally ended, or the mayhem that ensued around him as he tilted his head back and smiled.
Yamamoto insisted he didn’t think about the final pitch of last year’s World Series during his start Tuesday. And in the Dodgers’ 4-1 win against the Blue Jays, his focus showed.
“No matter how important, how big the game is, I just treat every game as the same,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter the day before. “And in just normal games, I just pretend that that’s the biggest game.”
Tuesday was, by all measures, just a normal game. And Yamamoto held the Blue Jays to one run through six-plus innings.
Lakers guard Bronny James dunks during a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: No Big Three. No surprise.
Without 80% of their starting lineup, the Lakers, predictably, got crushed by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, losing 123-87 to drop their third consecutive game and fall one game out of third place in the Western Conference.
Already without Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) for the rest of the regular season, the Lakers had to dig deep in their bench when LeBron James (left foot injury management) and Jaxson Hayes (left foot soreness) were ruled out.
With Marcus Smart (ankle) sidelined for his eighth consecutive game, the Lakers were without five of their top nine players. Even some veterans left from the rotation didn’t inspire confidence early.
Angels batter Jorge Soler, left, fights Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo López as the benches clear in the fifth inning at Angel Stadium on Tuesday night.
(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: Ozzie Albies hit his third home run of the season, starter Reynaldo López struck out seven in 4⅔ innings before being ejected after a bench-clearing brawl, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Angels 7-2 on Tuesday night.
Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler went after López following a high-and-tight wild pitch in the fifth. There was a lengthy staredown before Soler took steps toward the mound and López held out his arms before the two exchanged punches. López was holding the baseball when he landed a punch on Soler’s batting helmet.
Soler homered in the first — the fifth of his career in 23 at-bats against López — and was hit by a pitch in the third.
Atlanta snapped a three-game skid and ended the Angels’ three-game winning streak.
Michigan center Aday Mara celebrates during the Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball championship win over Connecticut on Monday night.
(Abbie Parr / Associated Press)
From Bill Plaschke: Was that really Aday Mara?
It was the most maddening part of March.
It was a Cinderella story that smelled like rotting pumpkin.
It was a big dance over the sensibilities of everything that is UCLA.
Seriously, was that really Aday Mara?
The biggest player on the giant national champion Michigan basketball team Monday night looked familiar, yet strange.
Familiar, because he once played for the Bruins.
Strange, because he wasn’t buried on the bench.
Meet Mick Cronin’s nightmare, a 7-foot-3 indictment of his embattled program, a monumental mistake that has spent three weeks eating at the heart of even the most dedicated Bruin loyalists.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, right, passes the ball in front of Dallas Mavericks forward Dwight Powell during the first half of the Clippers’ 116-103 win Tuesday at Intuit Dome.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
From the Associated Press: Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points, hitting six three-pointers, and the Clippers recovered after blowing a 23-point lead to beat rookie Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks 116-103 on Tuesday night.
It was Leonard’s 55th straight game with 20 or more points in the Clippers’ first win in three tries against the Mavericks this season.
Leonard played in his 62nd game, and he’ll have to appear in the final three games of the regular season to reach 65 and be eligible for postseason awards such as league MVP and All-NBA honors.
Nashville goaltender Justus Annunen makes a save on a shot by Ducks forward Ryan Poehling in the first period of the Ducks’ 5-0 loss at Honda Center on Tuesday.
(Scott Strazzante / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: Justus Annunen stopped 43 shots — one shy of his career high — for his third career shutout, and the Nashville Predators sent the Ducks to their sixth consecutive loss, 5-0 on Tuesday night.
Erick Haula, Filip Forsberg and Brady Skjei scored second-period goals, and Zachary L’Heureux and Fedor Svechkov scored in the third for the Predators. Joakim Kemmell and Ryan O’Reilly each had two assists.
The win pushed Nashville (84 points) one point ahead of the Kings for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Predators have four regular-season games left.
Iowa State center Audi Crooks, a prolific scorer, is in the transfer portal and is among the players UCLA could pursue.
(Jessica Hill / Associated Press)
From Marisa Ingemi: Women’s college basketball’s version of free agency is here. Less than six hours after UCLA won its first NCAA national title, the transfer portal opened, allowing teams to talk to players seeking new schools. And, like the past few seasons, it is already filled with star power.
UCLA coach Cori Close has to replace six seniors and graduate students who exhausted their eligibility after scoring every point in the national title game.
Close enters the derby with considerable momentum.
“The transfer portal just got easier,” she said with a smile with a championship net draped around her neck Sunday.
Rory McIlroy watches his tee shot on the 17th hole during a practice round ahead of the Masters on Tuesday.
(Eric Gay / Associated Press)
From Sam Farmer: Rory McIlroy, defending Masters champion, finally belongs.
That’s how he feels in the Augusta National clubhouse, at least, even though this week marks his 18th start in the historic golf tournament.
“I always felt like I knew the week of the tournament that the clubhouse is for participants and their families,” he said, “but I still felt like I had to earn the right to be there a little more often.”
A year ago, McIlroy beat Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff to become the sixth man to complete a career grand slam, winning all four major championships.
1935 — Gene Sarazen gets a double eagle on the 15th hole to erase Craig Wood’s three-stroke lead, then goes on to win the Masters.
1941 — In his 4th title defense in 9 weeks Joe Louis beats Tony Musto by TKO in the 9th round.
1943 — The Detroit Red Wings beat the Boston Bruins 2-0 to win the Stanley Cup with a four-game sweep.
1956 — Jack Burke, Jr. comes back from eight strokes behind to beat Ken Venturi by one and win the Masters.
1966 — American Football League votes in 36 year old Al Davis as commissioner after Joe Foss resigns. Appointment lasts 3 months when AFL merges with NFL.
1968 — Major League Baseball decides to postpone Opening Day because of the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
1969 — MLB expansion teams Royals, Expos, Padres & Pilots win their 1st games
1971 — The first legal off-track betting (OTB) system in the United States opens in New York City.
1974 — In the home opener in Atlanta, Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth’s career record by hitting his 715th home run, connecting off Al Downing of Los Angeles in the fourth inning.
1975 — Frank Robinson, the first black manager in the majors, debuts as player-manager for the Cleveland Indians. Robinson hits a home run in his first at-bat — as a designated hitter — to help beat the New York Yankees 5-3.
1989 — Alex English scores 26 points to become the first player in NBA history to score 2,000 points in eight straight seasons, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Utah Jazz 110-106.
1989 — One-handed pitcher Jim Abbott makes MLB debut.
1990 — Nick Faldo becomes the second player to win consecutive Masters, beating Ray Floyd on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. Faldo joins Jack Nicklaus as the only repeat winner.
1991 — Major league umpires & baseball reach a 4-year agreement after strike.
1995 — Oliver McCall beats Larry Holmes in 12 for heavyweight boxing title.
2001 — Tiger Woods claims the greatest feat in modern golf by winning the Masters, giving him a clean sweep of the four professional majors in a span of 294 days. Woods, with his winning score of 16-under 272, sweeps the majors with a combined score of 65-under.
2003 — 22nd NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Tennessee, 73-68.
2007 — Zach Johnson hits three clutch birdies on the back nine of Augusta National, to close with a 69 for a two-shot victory over Tiger Woods at the Masters.
2008 — Candace Parker, playing with an injured left shoulder, scores 17 points and grabs nine rebounds to help Tennessee capture its eighth women’s NCAA championship with a 64-48 victory over Stanford.
2012 — 76th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Bubba Watson wins on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff.
2013 — Luke Hancock makes all five of his 3-pointers and leads Louisville to its first NCAA men’s basketball championship since 1986 with a 82-76 victory over Michigan. Coach Rick Pitino adds this title to the one he won at Kentucky in 1996 and became the first coach to win a championship at two schools.
2014 — 33rd NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Notre Dame, 79-58.
2017 — Damian Lillard scores a franchise-record 59 points and matches his career high with nine 3-pointers to help the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Utah Jazz 101-86.
2018 — 82nd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Patrick Reed wins his first major title.
2019 — 81st NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Virginia beats Texas Tech, 85-77 OT.
Compiled by the Associated Press.
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is expecting to receive ‘third-country’ deportees after a deal with the US. Some people are unhappy with the deal, arguing that conflict and insecurity make life difficult enough without the added consequences of more arrivals.
Published On 8 Apr 20268 Apr 2026
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