Armed conflicts and attacks
Middle Eastern crisis
Acting Pentagon chief financial officer Jules Hurst III testifies in U.S. Congress that Operation Epic Fury has cost $25 billion so far. (Military Times)
Antisemitism during the 2026 Iran war
2026 London antisemitic attacks
Two Jewish men are injured in a stabbing attack in Golders Green, London, England, which police describe as a terrorist attack. A 45-year-old man is arrested, and a political motive is being investigated. (The Guardian)
Iran-backed Islamist group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia takes responsibility for the attack. (i24NEWS TV)
2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations
United States president Donald Trump says that he rejected an Iranian offer to end the Strait of Hormuz closure in exchange for lifting the naval blockade of Iran, and that the blockade will continue until an agreement is reached on Iran's nuclear program. (Axios)
It is reported from Anadolu Agency that Pakistan is working silently to break the ongoing deadlock between the United States and Iran in ceasefire talks, including finding a new formula for an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran's nuclear program. (Pakistan Today)
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirms that the Japan-flagged crude oil tanker Idemitsu Maru has successfully crossed through the Strait of Hormuz, making it the first direct passage of a oil tanker from Japan to cross the waterway since the start of the war on February 28. (AFP via AA) (The Chosun Ilbo) (Newsweek)
2026 United States military buildup in the Middle East
It is reported by the The Washington Post that the USS Gerald R. Ford will exit the Middle East and return to the U.S. state of Virginia in the coming days around mid-May after spending 10 months at sea. (The Washington Post) (Times of Israel) (WTKR)
A Lebanese soldier and his brother are killed in an Israeli airstrike in Bint Jbeil. (Reuters)
Russo-Ukrainian war
Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
Three people are killed and eight others are injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on a passenger bus in Voznesenovka, Belgorod Oblast, Russia. (AFP via Al-Arabiya)
A Ukrainian SBU drone strikes an oil refinery near Perm, Perm Krai, Russia, causing a large fire at the facility. (AP)
Insurgency in Balochistan
Three police officers are killed and another is injured in a mass shooting when gunmen open fire on a police patrol in Zahedan, Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran. (Al Jazeera)
Business and economy
Finnish elevator manufacturer Kone announces the acquisition of its German competitor, TK Elevator, in a €29.4 billion (US$34.4 billion) deal, described by Bloomberg L.P. as one of Europe's largest private equity-related takeovers and the largest corporate acquisition in Finland. (AFP via Barron's) (Bloomberg)
Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war
Economy of Pakistan, Pakistan in the 2026 Iran war
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says that the Iran war has impacted Pakistan's economy. He also reaffirms that the government will continue its efforts to ease tensions between the U.S. and Iran and restore peace in West Asia. (Arab News)
Competition in artificial intelligence
American technology company Alphabet Inc. announces a $40 billion investment into artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
At least 12 people are killed and 35 others are injured, including 10 critically, after a pickup truck collides with an SUV in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, India. (Hindustan Times)
Two people are killed and 11 others are injured when a Diamond DA42 Twin Star crashes into a hangar at Parafield Airport in South Australia. (BBC News)
Health and environment
A barge carrying Timmy, a humpback whale that has been stranded off Germany's coast in the Baltic Sea for several weeks, departs for the North Sea where Timmy is set to be freed. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern environment minister Till Backhaus says the whale is showing signs of good health. (AP)
International relations
Japan–New Zealand relations
A local board in the Auckland Region of New Zealand rejects a proposal to install a memorial statue for World War II-era comfort women in Takapuna following public consultation and diplomatic representations from Japan. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)
Law and crime
A 21-year-old is detained in Rome, Italy, for shooting and wounding two people with a non-lethal airsoft gun during the celebrations for Liberation Day four days ago. The suspect claims to be affiliated with the Jewish Brigade, whose representatives deny his involvement with the group. (Il Messaggero in Italian)
14th floor case
The Thai corrections department approves the early release of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is serving a one-year prison sentence for corruption, citing his age and the limited time remaining on his sentence, with his release subject to probation conditions. (AFP via France 24) (CNA)
Arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol
The Seoul High Court increases former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol's sentence to seven years in prison for obstruction of justice and abuse of power, citing his use of presidential security personnel to interfere with his arrest and other actions. (AFP via France 24)
Crime in the United Arab Emirates, China–United Arab Emirates relations, United Arab Emirates–United States relations
Police in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, arrest 276 individuals linked to a transnational fraud network in a joint operation with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Chinese police, targeting multiple criminal groups and dismantling several scam centers involved in investment and cryptocurrency scams. (AFP via Arab News)
Subscribe to Legible News Plus and we'll email you the Thursday issue when it publishes .