On April 17, 2026, former Australian Special Air Service corporal Ben Roberts-Smith was granted bail by a Sydney local court after being charged with five counts of the war crime of murder alleged to have occurred in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. The Victoria Cross recipient, arrested at Sydney Domestic Airport on April 7 and remanded for 10 days, appeared via video link in prison greens. Judge Greg Grogin said exceptional circumstances — including the likely years-long delay to trial and the need to access sensitive national security material to prepare a defence — justified conditional release. Bail conditions include reporting to police three times weekly, surrendering his passport, restrictions on travel within Australia, limits on communications and devices accessible to police, and a A$250,000 surety reportedly to be provided by his father. Prosecutors opposed bail, citing risks of flight and witness or evidence interference. The charges follow a 2020 military inquiry and a 2023 civil defamation judgment that found some allegations substantially true; Roberts-Smith denies wrongdoing and faces a maximum sentence of life if convicted.

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.