Myanmar’s newly installed president, Min Aung Hlaing, approved a broad amnesty on April 17, 2026, ordering the release or sentence reductions for 4,335 prisoners and the deportation of 179 foreign nationals, state media reported. The decree commuted all death sentences to life terms, cut life sentences to 40 years and reduced shorter terms by one-sixth. Among those pardoned was former president Win Myint, who had been jailed since the 2021 coup; Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi had her 27-year sentence reduced by one-sixth but remained in detention with her precise status unclear. The move comes a week after Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as president following a junta-organised election widely criticised as neither free nor fair. Rights groups say the bulk of political detainees remain behind bars: more than 30,000 people have been detained on political charges since the coup, and think tanks estimate only a small share of amnesty releases have been political prisoners. The announcement was framed by the junta as a reconciliation step timed to the Thingyan New Year holiday, and families gathered outside prisons hoping loved ones would be among those freed.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has ordered expedited license-renewal reviews of eight Disney‑owned ABC television stations after President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump publicly called for ABC to fire late‑night host Jimmy Kimmel. The move, announced around April 28, 2026, follows a year‑long FCC probe into Disney and ABC’s diversity and inclusion practices and could — in theory — lead to revocation of broadcast licences, an outcome the commission has not pursued in more than four decades. The FCC’s Republican chair, Brendan Carr, who was appointed in 2025, has said early reviews were under consideration; Democratic commissioner Anna Gomez called the step “unlawful” and a political stunt. Disney has said its stations comply with FCC rules and intends to defend its record. The dispute intensified after Kimmel’s parody monologue referencing Melania Trump aired days before a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner; the alleged attacker has been charged. Disney’s board chair said the new CEO would determine the company’s response. Legal challenges are expected.

U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on April 27 joined calls for ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel after a parody segment in which Kimmel joked that Melania had “a glow like an expectant widow.” The remark aired days before a gunman opened fire near the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on April 25; a suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, was arrested and later charged with attempting to assassinate the president. Kimmel defended the line on his show, saying it was a light roast about the couple’s age difference and “not by any stretch…a call to assassination.” Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr is expected to press for an unprecedented early review of Walt Disney Co.’s broadcast licences and, according to reports, may direct Disney’s eight owned‑and‑operated TV stations to file early renewals. The potential probe — denounced by Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez as unlawful and politically motivated — comes as Disney’s new CEO Josh D’Amaro, praised by Disney Chair James Gorman, faces pressure over ABC. ABC and Disney have not immediately commented. The dispute revives questions about broadcaster regulation, First Amendment protections and the commercial and legal risks facing major media owners.

The U.S. Department of Justice on April 28, 2026 secured a two-count federal indictment against former FBI director James Comey accusing him of threatening President Donald Trump and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. The case stems from an Instagram photo Comey posted in May 2025 showing seashells arranged to read “86 47,” a sequence some officials and Trump allies interpreted as a call to “get rid of” or kill the 47th president. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the charges, which were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina; each count carries a statutory maximum of 10 years. Comey previously faced unrelated September charges for false statements and obstruction that were dismissed by a judge after finding the prosecutor was unlawfully appointed. Comey has said he did not know the alleged violent connotation and removed the post. The indictment follows heightened pressure from the White House on the Justice Department to pursue perceived political opponents and comes amid other politically charged prosecutions announced since Blanche became acting attorney general.

Federal prosecutors charged Cole Tomas Allen, 31, on April 27–28 with attempted assassination of President Donald Trump and related firearms offences after he allegedly tried to breach a security perimeter at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton. Authorities say Allen was armed with a 12‑gauge shotgun, a .38 semi‑automatic pistol and knives; one Secret Service agent was shot but protected by a ballistic vest and is expected to recover. Video and affidavits show agents quickly removed Mr. Trump and other officials from the ballroom; the suspect was tackled near stairs one floor above the venue. Court filings and family interviews indicate Allen booked a hotel room weeks earlier, travelled cross‑country by train and sent a manifesto to relatives minutes before the attack. He appeared in federal court and faces life in prison on the assassination count, plus additional counts for transporting and discharging firearms. The White House has ordered a security review: Chief of Staff Susie Wiles will meet Secret Service and Homeland Security leaders to reassess protective perimeters for upcoming high‑profile events. The incident has renewed scrutiny of presidential protection and event security protocols.

U.S. President Donald Trump reviewed — and expressed unhappiness with — a fresh Iranian proposal to end the two‑month war that would prioritise a ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz while deferring detailed talks on Iran’s nuclear programme. The offer, delivered via mediators including Pakistan, envisages the U.S. lifting its blockade on Iranian ports in exchange for resumed shipping; Washington insists nuclear issues be addressed up front. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi travelled to Pakistan, Oman and Russia seeking backing. The diplomatic impasse has kept flows through the Hormuz crippled — daily transits have plunged from around 125–140 vessels to single digits and at least six tankers reportedly turned back under the U.S. blockade — pushing Brent above $110 a barrel and WTI near $100. Markets and central banks are fretting about renewed inflationary pressure. Separately, the United Arab Emirates announced it will leave OPEC/OPEC+, a move seen as weakening the producer grouping amid the supply shock. The deadlock has dampened hopes of a near‑term resolution and sustained volatility in energy and financial markets.