World Headlines
Hegseth and Caine say ceasefire between the US and Iran is not over
[caption id="attachment_1503965" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine speak to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)[/caption]U.S. forces are pressing ahead Tuesday with an effort to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, but so far only two vessels, both of them American-flagged merchant ships, are known to have passed through. Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine said the safety corridor in the key waterway for oil and gas transport involves guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft and 15,000 service members. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the forces prefer a peaceful effort to “guide” the ... Read More
An explosion at a fireworks plant in China kills at least 26 people and injures dozens of others
[caption id="attachment_1503904" align="alignnone" width="1100"] In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, firefighters work to out the fire after an explosion at a fireworks plant in Guandu Town of Liuyang, central China's Hunan Province, in the early hours of May 5, 2026. (Chen Sihan/Xinhua via AP)[/caption]BEIJING (AP) — An explosion at a fireworks plant in a central Chinese province killed at least 26 people and injured 61 others, state media reported Tuesday, prompting the halting of all firework manufacturing near the site. The blast occurred at a fireworks plant in the city of Changsha in Hunan province on Monday afternoon, China’s official news agency Xinhua said. State media China Daily said that the plant was operated by the Huasheng Fireworks ... Read More
US military strike on alleged drug boat kills 2 in the Caribbean
[caption id="attachment_1503901" align="alignnone" width="1024"] FILE - This image from video provided by U.S. South Command, shows a vessel accused of trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean shortly before it was destroyed by the U.S. military, killing two and injuring one, on Jan. 23, 2026. (U.S. Southern Command via AP, File)[/caption]WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said it launched another strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing two people Monday. The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed at least 188 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Despite the Iran war, the series of ... Read More
US tries to force open the Strait of Hormuz as the UAE comes under attack in a test of Iran truce
[caption id="attachment_1503895" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A container ship sits at anchor as a small motorboat passes in the foreground in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)[/caption]DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military said it fired on Iranian forces and sank six small boats targeting civilian ships as it moved to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. The United Arab Emirates, a key American ally, said it had come under attack from Iran for the first time since a fragile ceasefire took hold in early April. The U.S. military said two American-flagged merchant ships had successfully transited the strait on Monday as part of a new initiative. The UAE ... Read More
London stabbing attack allegedly targeting Jewish community a ‘terrorist incident’: Police
British police investigate the scene with the support of counterterrorism units after two people were injured in a stabbing attack in a neighborhood with a large Jewish community in Golders Green area of north London, United Kingdom on April 29, 2026. (Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)(LONDON) -- A stabbing attack in London that officials said injured two Jewish men has been declared a "terrorist incident," police said.The suspect -- a 45-year-old man -- was arrested after trying to attack officers who responded to reports of people being stabbed in the Golders Green neighborhood in Northwest London, the Metropolitan Police said.The incident took place at 11:16 a.m. local time in London on Wednesday."One male was seen running along Golders Green ... Read More
UK passes bill that will eventually ban cigarette purchases
LONDON (AP) — Opponents of smoking got a breath of fresh air as Parliament passed a bill that will put cigarettes out of reach for future generations. “The end of smoking, and the devastating harm it causes, is no longer uncertain — it’s inevitable,” Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said after a decades-long campaign in favor of legislation approved Tuesday. Children born after Dec. 31, 2008, will be banned from ever buying cigarettes under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The legislation that needs approval by King Charles III — a formality — before taking effect will also allow the government to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including flavors and packaging. It is currently illegal ... Read More
Lebanon-Israel talks to resume in Washington amid shaky Hezbollah ceasefire
An Israeli artillery unit fires toward Lebanon on April 9, 2026 in northern Israel. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)(LONDON) -- Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors are expected to convene again at the State Department on Thursday for a second round of meetings amid the latest conflagration in the Middle East.The first direct negotiations between the two states since 1993 are intended as preparatory meetings to shape future talks on a deal to normalize ties between the countries.Thursday's meeting is expected to focus on extending a shaky ceasefire that has halted fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia, long considered by experts as a "state within a state" wielding enormous influence over Lebanon's political, economic and security spheres.The technocratic government in Beirut, which ... Read More
Seafarer talks being trapped on the Strait of Hormuz: ‘There is no safe place here’
A view of the vessels heading towards the Strait of Hormuz following the two-week temporary ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran on the condition that the strait be reopened, seen in Oman on April 08, 2026. (Photo by Shady Alassar/Anadolu via Getty Images)(LONDON) -- As the world awaits a resolution on the fate of the Strait of Hormuz -- one of the most vital global trade routes -- the seafarers who have been stranded for weeks aboard ships and tankers on either side of the waterway are desperate for answers.Nearly 20,000 people on some 2,000 vessels are currently trapped in the Persian Gulf, waiting for a passage that may not come anytime soon, according to the International Maritime ... Read More
Gunman in deadly Mexican tourist site shooting was influenced by violent acts in US: Officials
An aerial view of the Pyramid of the Moon following a shooting that left at least one person dead, at the Teotihuacan archaeological site, in Teotihuacan, Mexico on April 20, 2026. (Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu via Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- The man who opened fire at one of Mexico's busiest tourist sites was allegedly influenced by violent acts in the United States, Mexican officials said Tuesday.The deadly mass shooting occurred during the late morning Monday at the Teotihuacan pyramids, an archaeological site outside of Mexico City. The shooter fired upon tourists from atop one of the pyramids while armed with a revolver that he reloaded at least twice before dying by suicide, according to José Luis Cervantes Martínez, the attorney general of ... Read More
7.4 magnitude earthquake strikes off Japanese coast, USGS says
Table indicating the escape route in the case of tsunamis. (Getty stock photo)(TOKYO) -- A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck on Monday off Japan's northeastern coast, the U.S. Geological Survey said, prompting authorities to issue tsunami warnings and advisories along parts of the coast that were later downgraded to advisories and then cancelled."Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters, hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 300 km of the earthquake epicenter," USGS said after the quake was detected.The Japan Meteorological Agency initially said tsunami warnings were in place for some of the coast along the Pacific, along with lesser advisories and forecasts farther away from the quake's center."Residents in areas where tsunami warnings have been issued should immediately evacuate ... Read More
Iran escalates crackdown on dissent as arrests, executions and threats surge, observers say
Women seen in front of an Iranian flag during a pro-government National Army Day demonstration on April 17, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)(LONDON) -- Even as a fragile two-week ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. holds – sparing about 90 million Iranians from the immediate threat of bombardment – many Iranians at home and abroad say they still face an intensifying wave of threats from the Islamic Republic regime as it continues cracking down on dissent.The leaders of the Iranian regime have escalated measures to silence any kind of protests and criticisms against their policies both inside the country and across its diaspora, Iranians and observers inside the country and abroad told ABC News.Shiva, a London-based Iranian journalist, says she has received direct threats ... Read More
Daughter of American woman missing in Bahamas speaks with ABC News
The Hookers' boat, "Soulmate," is seen in Marsh Harbor on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas, April 8, 2026. (ABC News)(NEW YORK) -- More than two weeks after American Lynette Hooker went overboard and disappeared in the Bahamas, her daughter is speaking out to ABC News."It still feels surreal," Karli Aylesworth said. "... This feels like something you just watch in a movie, but it's my life."Aylesworth's mother, Lynette Hooker, has been missing since the evening of April 4 when Aylesworth's stepfather, Brian Hooker, said she went overboard. The couple had departed Hope Town for their yacht, Soulmate, in Elbow Cay, when bad weather caused her to fall off their dinghy, Brian Hooker told authorities.Brian Hooker, 58, was arrested on ... Read More
Daughter of American woman missing in Bahamas arrives to help with search
Cadaver dogs in the Bahamas to help search for missing American Lynette Hooker, April 16, 2026. (ABC News)(NEW YORK) -- The daughter of Lynette Hooker, an American woman who is missing in the Bahamas, has arrived on the islands with her boyfriend to help with the search after her stepfather, Brian Hooker, left the country.Karli Aylesworth and her boyfriend, Steve Hansen, said they gave a statement to Bahamian police and plan on retracing her mother's last steps."They're just not releasing information because it's an ongoing investigation, which we understand," Hansen told ABC News."We seem frustrated because of the fact that we haven't found her yet, and we would hope by now we would have," he added.Aylesworth's mother, Lynette Hooker, has ... Read More
Researchers propose solutions to stop Venice from sinking
A seagull stands on the 16th-century Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, Monday, April 13, 2026. (Photo by Danil Shamkin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)(VENICE, Italy) -- One of the world's most iconic cities could be heavily impacted by climate change and sea level rise in the coming years, leading researchers to search for solutions on how to protect it.Venice, the historic Italian city known for its canals that serve as water traffic corridors, has been said to be sinking for nearly a century. The site within the vicinity of the Venetian Lagoon has flooded increasingly over the past 150 years, according to a paper published in Scientific Reports on Thursday.Historically, there have been 28 events in which seawater ... Read More
‘Massive’ Russian attack on Ukraine kills 16, injures at least 100, Ukrainian officials say
A large fire burns near a shopping center following an overnight Russian missile strike in the Podilskyi, Obolonskyi, Shevchenkivskyi and Desnianskyi districts, on April 16, 2026 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photo by Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)(LONDON) -- At least 16 people were killed and another 100 were injured in Ukraine as Russia targeted the country with a "massive" drone and missile attack on Wednesday and into Thursday morning, Ukrainian officials said.Russia launched almost 700 drones and 19 ballistic missiles, along with cruise missiles, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Ukraine shot down about 636 drones and "some" of the missiles, he added, saying, "Unfortunately, not all."At least 16 people were killed across Ukraine, officials said. Zelenskyy said at least 100 people had been reported ... Read More
Husband of woman reported missing after going overboard in Bahamas interviewed by police again: Attorney
The Hookers' boat, "Soulmate," is seen in Marsh Harbor on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas, April 8, 2026. (ABC News)(NEW YORK) -- The husband of a woman who was reported missing in the Bahamas after going overboard on a dinghy was questioned again by police on Monday as he awaits any charging decision in connection with her disappearance, according to his attorney.Lynette Hooker, 55, of Michigan, has been missing for over a week. She and her husband, Brian Hooker, 58, had departed Hope Town on the Abaco Islands for their yacht, Soulmate, in Elbow Cay around 7:30 p.m. on April 4, when bad weather caused Lynette Hooker to fall overboard, her husband told authorities.Brian Hooker was arrested on Wednesday in connection ... Read More
‘Momentary relief’: World leaders react to US-Iran ceasefire
A teacher from Gurukul school of art paints a poster of US President Donald Trump (L) and Supreme Leader of Iran Mojtaba Khamenei (R) with a message welcoming two weeks of ceasefire between US and Iran outside their art school in Mumbai. (Ashish Vaishnav/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)(PARIS and LONDON) -- Foreign leaders expressed hope for a full peace deal to end the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran in their reactions to Tuesday's two-week ceasefire, which was first announced by President Donald Trump and later confirmed by Iranian officials.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post to X that the ceasefire agreement "will bring a moment of relief to the region and the world. Together with our partners we must ... Read More
As ceasefire begins, some Iranians express relief after days of living in limbo
Iranians hold national flags as they gather in Tehran's Revolution Square after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, on April 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)(LONDON) -- As President Donald Trump pulled back from threats to annihilate "a whole civilization" when the Iranian regime agreed to a ceasefire and open the critical Strait of Hormuz, some people in the Islamic Republic expressed relief after juggling feelings ranging from despair to doom.Trump had given the Iranian regime a deadline of 8 p.m. ET Tuesday -- which would have been Wednesday, April 8, at 3:30 a.m. in Tehran -- for the Iranian government to strike a peace deal or risk the destruction of all bridges and power plants in Iran.He ... Read More
Ukraine outshoots Russia in cross-border drone war for 1st time, March data suggests
A soldier of the Unmanned Systems Forces prepares a 'Salut' drone on March 31, 2026 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (Nikoletta Stoyanova/Getty Images)(LONDON) -- Ukraine launched more cross-border attack drones than Russia in a one-month period for the first time since the start of the ongoing war in 2022, according to daily data published by the Ukrainian Air Force and Russian Ministry of Defense, which was analyzed by ABC News.Russia's defense ministry reported downing 7,347 Ukrainian drones during March, the highest monthly total ever reported by Moscow and an average of 237 craft each day. The defense ministry only publishes figures of Ukrainian drones it claims were shot down.Ukraine's air force, meanwhile, said its forces faced 6,462 Russian drones and 138 missiles ... Read More
Palestinian babies separated from parents at start of war, reunited after 2 years
A Palestinian mother hugs her child as eight children evacuated from Gaza to Egypt through the Rafah Border Crossing during 2023 land attacks due to health issues return to Gaza after completing treatment, coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, Palestine, on March 30, 2026. (Photo by Hani Alshaer/Anadolu via Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- When Sundus al Kurd and her daughter Bissan were separated at the start of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, she wasn't sure she'd see her again. Bissan was only a few days old when her mother allowed her to be medically evacuated from the Gaza strip to Egypt.The premature baby's life was saved, along with others, by the World ... Read More
US fighter jet down in Iran: 1 crew member rescued as search continues, officials say
(WASHINGTON) -- A U.S. fighter jet appears to have been shot down by Iran over Iranian territory, American officials confirmed to ABC News, marking a new and potentially dangerous point in the conflict.One crew member aboard the downed two-seater F-15E has been rescued, according to two U.S. officials. The status of the other crew member is unknown, according to the official, and the search and rescue effort continues.Combat search and rescue missions have become relatively rare for U.S. forces after more than a generation of near-total air dominance, with American aircraft typically operating with limited threats to aircraft in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.The early indications that the U.S. fighter was brought down by enemy fire would mark the first time ... Read More
‘Leave Iraq now’: Americans in Baghdad warned of potential Iran-aligned militia terrorist attacks
Iraqi Shiite militia groups organize a military parade as part of the 'World Quds Day' events in Baghdad, Iraq, March 28, 2025. (Anadolu via Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- U.S. officials have issued a new warning to Americans still in Iraq, advising them to leave the country immediately as Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran may "intend to conduct attacks" in central Baghdad."U.S. citizens should leave Iraq now," said the alert issued on Thursday by the United States Embassy and Consulate in Iraq, which has previously issued warnings for Americans to leave the country due to security risks.The new alert comes as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has entered its second month.The security alert also came just days after an American ... Read More
Iran regime weaker, more radical after US-Israel assassination campaign: Analysts
A man sweeps up debris near a residential building that was hit in an airstrike in the early hours of March 27, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)(LONDON) -- President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kicked off their joint military campaign against Iran in late February, urging the fall of the Islamic Republic."When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations," Trump said, addressing Iranians in announcing the start of "major combat operations."A month of unrelenting combined U.S.-Israeli strikes appears to have significantly eroded Iran's military capabilities and killed many of its most senior leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ... Read More
Iran war timeline: 1 month of escalating strikes, broadening conflict
A view of gigantic poster as daily life continues despite the ongoing conflict in Tehran, Iran on April 1, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)(LONDON) -- President Donald Trump is set to address the nation on Wednesday evening with an "important update" on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, which was launched on Feb. 28.ABC News has collated a timeline of the key events in the conflict to date.Feb. 28: Combined U.S.-Israeli airstrikes began, with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed alongside dozens of senior political and military leaders in strikes on his office in Tehran. Iran immediately began retaliatory attacks targeting Israel, U.S. facilities and allies across the Middle East.The opening salvo of strikes targeted Iranian government and ... Read More
King Charles III to address Congress on April 28, leaders say
King Charles III speaks on March 27, 2026 in Oxford, England. (Kate Green/Getty Images)(LONDON) -- King Charles III will address a joint meeting of Congress on April 28 as part of his upcoming state visit to the U.S., according to a joint statement issued by Congressional leaders on Tuesday.The address, the statement said, "celebrates the 250th anniversary of American independence and the enduring special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom."The statement was issued by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.“This year, the United States will mark the 250th anniversary of its independence. As we celebrate this historic milestone and recommit ourselves to the principles upon which ... Read More
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