Federal investigators have begun advanced DNA testing on hair and other genetic material recovered from the Tucson home of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, who was abducted on Feb. 1, 2026, authorities said. Samples that were initially processed at a private Florida laboratory were transferred to the FBI laboratory in recent weeks for next-generation analysis; officials have warned the mixed genetic profile may take months to separate into usable profiles. Guthrie, mother of NBC "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her Catalina Foothills residence after doorbell-camera footage captured a masked person on the night of the disappearance and drops of her blood were found on the porch. The case has drawn intense national attention and generated more than $1.2 million in combined rewards. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department faced backlash after a brief social-media post on April 16 saying "Nancy has been located" referred to a different missing woman, prompting public outrage and renewed criticism of Sheriff Chris Nanos’ handling of the investigation. Law enforcement officials say the Guthrie family has been cleared of suspicion and the probe remains active with multiple labs and federal agents involved.

British counter-terror officers are investigating an attempted arson on a business in Hendon, north-west London, on the night of April 17-18, 2026. Police say a man was seen placing a plastic bag containing three bottles of fluid outside a row of shops and lighting them; the bottles failed to fully ignite, causing only minor damage and no injuries. Counter Terrorism Policing London is leading the probe with support from the Met’s north-west command area, although authorities say the incident is not currently being treated as a terrorist offence. Investigators are examining whether the attack is linked to a recent string of similar incidents in north London, including a synagogue arson in Finchley (in which two people were arrested), four Jewish community ambulances torched in Golders Green in late March, and an attempted arson at a Persian-language media outlet. A small Islamist group has claimed responsibility on social media for some of the incidents, but police have not verified those claims. Officers have increased patrols in the area, including armed units and Project Servator deployments, and have urged the public to share any footage or information.

On April 18, 2026, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to accelerate research, review and potential patient access to psychedelic drugs, with particular focus on ibogaine. The order instructs the Food and Drug Administration to expedite reviews — including adding three psychedelics to a National Priority Voucher pilot — and opens a pathway under the federal Right to Try law for desperately ill patients. The White House announced a $50 million federal research commitment for ibogaine, supplementing $50 million pledged by Texas, and said agencies will streamline clinical-trial guidance and data-sharing with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Administration officials and allies at the Oval Office event included Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and veteran advocates; podcaster Joe Rogan also attended. Ibogaine remains a Schedule I substance in the United States and carries known cardiac risks; supporters point to small studies, including Stanford research, that reported symptom improvements for PTSD and addiction. Officials said faster decisions could come within months but emphasized trials and safety protocols would continue to be required.

On April 18, 2026 Ukrainian drone units struck a string of Russian oil and port facilities, Kyiv and Russian regional officials said. Targets reported included the Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran refineries in Samara Oblast, the Vysotsk Baltic Sea port in Leningrad region, an oil pumping station at Tikhoretsk in Krasnodar Krai and an oil depot in Russian-occupied Sevastopol, Crimea. Ukrainian drone forces commander Robert Brovdi took responsibility for several attacks and said recent strikes on ports and terminals had cut shipments by about 880,000 barrels per day, a figure Reuters could not immediately verify. Russian authorities and Telegram channels reported large fires at some sites and said many attacking drones were downed; Russia’s defence ministry gave higher interception figures. Reports also said Ukraine struck landing ships and a warship in Crimea. The strikes come amid an intensified Kyiv campaign to hit energy infrastructure that Moscow relies on for wartime revenue, and follow months of long-range drone operations targeting Russia’s export logistics.

A French soldier serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was killed and three other peacekeepers wounded on April 18, 2026, during a small-arms ambush in southern Lebanon, French and U.N. officials said. President Emmanuel Macron named the dead as Staff Sgt. Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment and accused Hezbollah of responsibility, urging Lebanese authorities to arrest those behind the attack and ensure UNIFIL’s safety. Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin said Montorio was ambushed while on a mission to clear a route to an isolated UNIFIL post in the Deir Kifa/Ghandouriyeh area; two of the wounded were seriously injured and all were evacuated to hospital. UNIFIL said initial assessments indicated fire came from non-state actors and opened an investigation. Lebanon’s president and prime minister condemned the shooting and ordered probes. The incident occurred the day after a 10-day ceasefire took effect between Israel and Hezbollah and follows prior attacks on French personnel in the region, heightening concerns about the safety and freedom of movement for U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.

Lawyers for President Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service told a federal court in mid-April they are engaged in talks to resolve a $10 billion lawsuit the president, his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, and the Trump Organization filed against the IRS and the Treasury Department over the unauthorized disclosure of Trump’s tax records in 2019–2020. In a filing in Miami federal court the parties asked a judge to pause proceedings for 90 days while they “engage in discussions designed to resolve this matter and to avoid protracted litigation.” The suit stems from a breach by a former IRS contractor who later pleaded guilty and was sentenced for stealing and leaking tax files to news outlets. Plaintiffs seek damages for alleged reputational and financial harm. Ethics watchdogs and Democratic lawmakers have raised alarms about the conflict of interest posed by a sitting president negotiating a settlement with agencies he oversees and have proposed legislation to bar presidents and their families receiving such federal settlement payments. Trump has said any proceeds would go to charity; any payout would likely be taxpayer-funded and require court approval.