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 fragile pause in the Iran conflict produced a volatile weekend that briefly eased — then revived — global energy and market jitters. A U.S.-brokered 10-day Lebanon-Israel ceasefire announced April 16 prompted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on April 17 to say the Strait of Hormuz was open to commercial shipping for the truce period. That news sent Brent down about 9% to $90.38 and U.S. crude down roughly 11% to $83.85, while U.S. indexes (S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow) hit record closes. Ships tested the route but many turned back, citing safety and insurance concerns; Iran said transits must be coordinated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and hinted at charging fees. On April 18 Tehran reversed course, saying it had tightened control over the strait, radioed that some vessels were barred and at least two merchant ships were reportedly hit by gunfire, including an Indian-flagged tanker identified by New Delhi as the Sanmar Herald. Washington and Tehran signalled ongoing negotiations — mediated partly by Pakistan — even as uncertainty about mines, insurance and enforcement left shipping and markets on edge.

Pope Leo XIV sought to play down a growing public spat with U.S. President Donald Trump while continuing a high-profile Africa tour, telling reporters on April 18 aboard the papal plane that it was “not in my interest at all” to debate the president. The American-born pontiff said a forceful April 16 speech in Bamenda, Cameroon — in which he blasted a “handful of tyrants” who spend billions on war and decried the exploitation of Africa’s resources — had been prepared two weeks earlier and was not directed at Trump. The remarks came after Trump publicly criticised Leo on social media, calling him “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” and posting, then deleting, an AI-generated image of himself. Leo arrived in Luanda, Angola, on April 18 as the third stop on an 11-day, four-country tour that has included large masses, meetings with leaders and appeals for peace, anti-corruption measures and interfaith dialogue. His visit in Cameroon included appeals for ceasefires and drew large crowds, while officials and religious leaders across the region voiced support for his peace message.

April 18, 2026 — A gunman opened fire in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district on Saturday, killing at least five people and wounding many others before barricading himself in a supermarket, Ukrainian officials said. Police special forces stormed the store after roughly 40 minutes of negotiations and shot dead the attacker, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. Authorities said four hostages were freed. Reports put the number of dead at between five and six and the wounded at about 10-15 people hospitalised. Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko identified the suspect as a 58-year-old man born in Moscow and said he used an automatic weapon — described by officials as a carbine that was legally registered. Investigators said the man had sought to renew his gun permit in December 2025 and had provided a medical certificate; inquiries are under way into where that certificate was issued. A fire was reported at the apartment where the suspect was registered. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and national authorities said a probe has been opened and the circumstances are being established.

President Donald Trump on April 18 signed an executive order directing federal agencies to accelerate research and regulatory review of certain psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine, psilocybin and others, as potential treatments for severe mental illness and post-traumatic stress disorder. The order instructs the Food and Drug Administration to issue national priority review vouchers for three psychedelics to shorten review times, clears a path for the first U.S. human trials of ibogaine and expands use of the Right to Try pathway for eligible patients. The administration pledged about $50 million in federal‑state funding for psychedelic research and ordered coordination among HHS, the FDA, the Department of Justice and the VA. The signing in the Oval Office included HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, podcaster Joe Rogan and veterans advocates such as Marcus Luttrell. Ibogaine remains a Schedule I substance in the U.S. and has known cardiac risks; researchers and regulators have warned safety concerns and limited evidence require careful clinical study before approval or rescheduling.

British counter-terrorism officers are leading an inquiry after an attempted arson in Hendon, north‑west London, late on Friday, April 17-18, 2026. Metropolitan Police said a man was seen placing a plastic bag containing three bottles of fluid next to a row of shops and lighting the contents; the bottles failed to fully ignite, causing only minor damage and no injuries. The premises has been reported to have been formerly used by a Jewish charity, identified in some reports as the educational organisation Jewish Futures. Police said the incident is not currently being treated as a terrorist act and is not formally linked to recent attacks, but Counter Terrorism Policing London is leading the probe because of similarities with a string of recent incidents in north‑west London, including an attempted arson at a Finchley synagogue and the torching of volunteer Jewish ambulances in Golders Green in March. Officers have increased patrols in the area, including armed units and Project Servator deployments. Investigators are keeping an open mind on motive; no arrests have been made in the Hendon incident, though police have detained suspects over other recent attacks.