April 22, 2026 - Daily News Digest
On this day in 1889, at noon, by official decree, white settlers were allowed into what was called Indian Territory, sparking a land rush involving tens of thousands in what became Oklahoma Territory.
QotD: , "A just cause enjoys abundant support, while an unjust cause finds little support,” China’s foreign ministry said in a statement, quoting the ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius.
IRAN/US/MIL/HORMUZ – Iran seizes ships in Strait of Hormuz after Trump halts attacks.
Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, tightening its grip on the strategic waterway, after U.S. President Donald Trump called off attacks indefinitely with no sign of peace talks restarting.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said the Revolutionary Guards had seized two vessels for maritime violations and escorted them to Iranian shores. It was the first time Iran has seized ships since the war began at the end of February.
The Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy also warned that any disruption to order and safety in the strait would be considered a "red line", Tasnim said.
Earlier, a British maritime security agency reported that three ships had come under fire.
Trump said in a statement on social media late on Tuesday that the U.S. had agreed to a request by Pakistani mediators "to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal ... and discussions are concluded, one way or the other."
But even as he announced what appeared to be a unilateral ceasefire extension, Trump also said he would continue the U.S. Navy's blockade of Iran's trade by sea. The U.S. fired on and seized an Iranian cargo vessel on Saturday and boarded a huge Iranian oil tanker on Tuesday in the Indian Ocean.
Iran considers the U.S. blockade an act of war and has said that as long as it continues it will not lift its closure of the strait, which has caused a global energy crisis.
In a show of defiance, Iran showcased some of its ballistic weapons at a parade in Tehran on Tuesday evening, with images showing a large banner in the background with a fist choking off the strait, the WANA news agency reported.
Captions read: "Indefinitely under Iran's Control" and "Trump could not do a damn thing", referring to the waterway.
EU/ENERGY – EU eyes options as Iran conflict threatens jet fuel shortages.
The European Union is mulling jet fuel imports from the United States and new minimum reserve quotas as it eyes options amid a supply crunch due to the Iran conflict.
Despite mounting pressure on jet fuel supplies in the EU, there is no evidence of “actual shortages” of jet fuel currently, and widespread flight cancellations are not expected over the summer, Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas insisted on Tuesday.
The EU official’s bid to calm worries came amid the continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which is normally the passage for one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, has raised concerns about supply across the globe.
Last week, the head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, said that Europe has “maybe six weeks or so [of] jet fuel left”, warning of possible flight cancellations “soon” if oil supplies remain halted by the war.
Tzitzikostas admitted that stocks were “under pressure” in parts of Europe, but said that the EU is following the situation closely, the market is responding to the pressure, and there were no signs of bottlenecks.
He acknowledged that some carriers had cancelled flights, but asserted that it was on account of high fuel costs, not for lack of supply.
Airlines will be provided with guidance on passenger rights and public service obligations in the event of jet fuel shortages, he said.
The EU imports 30 to 40 percent of its jet fuel needs, with roughly half coming from the Middle East.
EU/UKRAINE/LOAN – EU close to approving release of $106 bn loan to Ukraine after months of deadlock.
European Union envoys gathered on Wednesday with most cautiously optimistic that a massive loan to help meet Ukraine’s military and financial needs for the next two years is close to being approved after months of deadlock.
Meeting in Brussels, the envoys assessed whether Hungary might lift its veto on the 90 billion euro ($106 billion) loan package, originally agreed in December, which Ukraine desperately needs to prop up its war-ravaged economy and help keep Russian forces at bay.
Hungary has insisted that it must start receiving supplies of Russian oil again via Ukraine before it will unblock the funds.
Hungary and Slovakia, which both rely on Russian oil to meet their energy needs, have accused Ukraine of failing to repair a damaged pipeline that ships the oil. Ukraine and most of its European backers oppose imports of Russian oil which have helped to fund President Vladimir Putin’s war, now in its fifth year.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Ukraine has now completed repairs on the Druzhba pipeline. In a post on social media, he said it “was damaged by a Russian strike” but “the pipeline can resume operation.”
EU/IMMIGRATION – Record number of immigrants reside in EU in 2025.
https://www.dw.com/en/record-number-of-immigrants-reside-in-eu-in-2025/a-76890285
The number of foreign-born people living in the EU reached a record high of 64.2 million in 2025, according to a report released Wednesday.
That figure compares with 40 million in 2010 and represents a growth of about 2.1 million from 2024, according to the report by the Centre for Research and Analysis on Migration at RFBerlin.
Germany still has the largest immigrant population in the EU, with nearly 18 million foreign-born people residing in the country, up from 10 million in 2010 — an increase of around 70%.
The report stated that:
Some 21.2% of Germany's population consists of immigrants, 72% of whom are of working age.
The number of immigrants residing in Germany grew by about 300,000 between 2024 and 2025, a rise of 1.7%. That is half the EU average of 3.4%.
Germany also hosts by far the largest number of refugees in absolute terms, with 2.7 million living in the country.
Spain was the country with the fastest recent growth, with its foreign-born population growing by 700,000 in 2024 to reach 9.5 million. That is an 8% increase, more than double the EU average.
GAZA/POL – In Gaza, first local vote in years offers gauge of Hamas popularity.
Palestinians in one of the only Gaza cities not overrun by Israeli ground forces during the war will vote this weekend in municipal elections that will feature some pro-Hamas candidates, offering a rare barometer of the militant group's popularity.
The vote in Deir al-Balah is part of Palestinian Authority municipal elections that Palestinians have cast as a display of national unity against a U.S. plan for Gaza that they believe intends to entrench their separation from the occupied West Bank.
It will be Gaza's first vote of any kind since 2006, when Hamas won the PA's legislative elections and later seized control of Gaza following a brief civil war with PA President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, dominant in the West Bank.
The polls will be the fifth municipal elections in the West Bank since 2005. In January, the PA said it would extend those elections to Gaza "wherever possible", a move analysts see as a symbolic effort to show Gaza remains part of a future Palestinian state.
ROK/VIETNAM/DIPLOMACY – South Korea, Vietnam agree to boost nuclear energy, high-tech cooperation.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-koreas-lee-meets-vietnams-lam-hanoi-2026-04-22/
Vietnam and South Korea's leaders agreed to boost cooperation in nuclear energy and high-tech at a meeting in Hanoi on Wednesday, as the two countries seek to strengthen supply chains amid global trade turmoil.
In their second meeting since August, Vietnam's top leader To Lam and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung attended the signing in Hanoi of 12 non-binding documents, including on energy, technology and security cooperation. The partners agreed to studying the possibility of cooperation for a nuclear power plant development and financing.
Vietnam is seeking a partner to develop a nuclear power plant with a planned capacity of 2 to 3.2 gigawatts by 2035, after Japan withdrew from the project because it deemed the timeframe too tight.
Southeast Asia's fastest-growing economy has at times struggled to meet growing power demand as its industrial base expands. South Korea is the largest investor in Vietnam, with multiple Korean multinationals having large manufacturing operations in the country.
CHINA/TAIWAN/AFRICA – China hails countries for blocking Taiwan President’s flight.
https://www.dw.com/en/china-hails-countries-for-blocking-taiwan-presidents-flight/a-76891296
China said Wednesday it had "high appreciation" for the African countries that denied overflight rights to the plane of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, forcing him to cancel a trip to Eswatini.
China claims self-governed Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes the island having diplomatic relations with other countries.
Lai was to visit Eswatini, Taiwan's only remaining ally on the African continent, from April 22-26.
But that plan was shelved after Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar unexpectedly withdrew flight permits "due to strong pressure from the Chinese authorities, including economic coercion," a Taiwanese official said Tuesday.
Beijing denied it had applied economic pressure to block Lai's trip, but at the same time said it had "high appreciation" for the three countries' actions.
"Relevant countries maintained support for the one-China principle, completely in line with ... the basic norms of international relations, China expresses high appreciation," China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"No one can stop the historical trend of China's eventual reunification," the statement added, referring to Beijing's claims over Taiwan.
Separately, a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office told reporters, "A just cause enjoys abundant support, while an unjust cause finds little support," quoting the ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius.
CANADA/US/TRADE DEAL – Carney, boosted by majority government in Canada, aims for US trade deal.
After securing a majority government in Canada last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney faces his biggest challenge: redefining trade with the U.S. under President Donald Trump.
Canada, the U.S. and Mexico must agree by July 1 to keep the deal as is, insulating most Canadian goods from U.S. tariffs, renegotiate it, or hold annual reviews until its 2036 expiry. Carney, under U.S. pressure for concessions, will push for a revised deal this year that addresses tariffs against Canadian steel, aluminum and autos.
Ahead of three special elections swept by Carney's Liberals last week, the PM said he needed a parliamentary majority to deal more effectively with Trump's trade war. After a year in office, political insiders and analysts say Carney must deliver on his promise to transform the Canadian economy and negotiate with Trump. While Carney has earned plaudits globally for his call to middle powers to band together against global hegemons and signed new global trade deals, Canadians now expect him to address the U.S. tariffs, along with domestic concerns, they said.
“Dealing with Trump and negotiating a trade deal with the U.S. is what Canadians hired Mark Carney to do,” said Dan Arnold, a former senior staffer in former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government. "He now has to rise to the moment and show us the fruits of these deals he’s been signing.”
US/VIRGINIA/POL – Virginia backs revised voting map in redistricting fight.
Voters in the US state of Virginia on Tuesday narrowly approved a plan to redraw congressional electoral boundaries.
The constitutional amendment could increase the Democrats' chances of winning four currently Republican-held seats in Congress in midterm elections in November.
It bypasses a redistricting commission made up of Democrats and Republicans and allows a new map drawn by the state's Democrat-majority General Assembly.
Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the lower house of Congress, the House of Representatives, with 217 seats to the Democrats' 213.
"Virginia just changed the trajectory of the 2026 midterms," the speaker of the lower house of the state's legislature, Don Scott, said in a statement.
EL SALVADOR/JUSTICE?/CARTELS – Mass murder trial in El Salvador for almost 500 alleged MS-13. Members.
Nearly 490 alleged members of the powerful Central American gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), including several alleged leaders, went on trial collectively in El Salvador on Monday, accused of thousands of murders.
El Salvador is conducting mass trials of thousands of suspected gang members, many of whom have spent years in prison without charge or visiting rights, as part of the anti-gang crackdown of iron-fisted President Nayib Bukele.
The Attorney General's Office said 486 suspected MS-13 members were on trial for 47,000 crimes committed between 2012 and 2022, including 29,000 homicides.
The country's court system said the trial included "members of the national leadership, street-level leaders, program coordinators from across the country, and founders of" MS-13.
Salvadoran authorities accuse the group of a range of crimes, including the killing of 87 people in a single weekend in March 2022.
In the wake of those killings, Bukele, a close ally of President Trump, declared a "war" on gangs, which he said controlled 80 percent of Salvadoran territory.
MS-13 is charged with the crime of rebellion "because they sought to ... establish a parallel state," the Attorney General's Office said.
"We are going to put them on trial, and we are going to settle a historic debt," prosecutors said.