News from April 26, 2025 at 2 AM

On April 25, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the site of a Russian missile strike in Kyiv that killed 12 people. He indicated that he might miss Pope Francis' funeral on April 26, which US President Donald Trump is also scheduled to attend, due to important military meetings. Earlier, Zelensky had planned to attend the Vatican funeral to meet Trump, who is pressing both Kyiv and Moscow to reach a deal on the three-year war in Ukraine. Zelensky stated that if he cannot make it on time, Ukraine will be represented by the foreign minister and the first lady. He emphasized the importance of staying in Ukraine for military meetings and discussions on the Kyiv strike and corresponding Ukrainian actions.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated following a shooting incident in Indian-controlled Kashmir. On April 24, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged both countries to exercise maximum restraint to prevent further deterioration of the situation. The April 22 attack resulted in at least 26 deaths, which Guterres strongly condemned. The Indian government accused Pakistan of being involved in the attack, a claim denied by Pakistan. In response, India announced a series of diplomatic and strategic measures against Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, closing border crossings, and expelling Pakistani personnel. Pakistan retaliated by closing its airspace to all Indian airlines and halting all trade with India. On April 25, officials from both countries reported a firefight between their soldiers in Kashmir, with no casualties reported so far.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has announced the depletion of all its food stocks in Gaza, where Israel has blocked humanitarian aid for seven weeks. On March 2, Israel cut off aid and resumed its offensive two weeks after a two-month ceasefire collapsed. By the end of March, all 25 WFP-supported bakeries in Gaza closed due to the exhaustion of wheat flour and cooking fuel. The UN reports a rapid worsening of malnutrition, with over 80 cases of acute malnutrition identified among 1,300 children in northern Gaza. Severe shortages of medicine, medical supplies, and fuel are also reported. The WFP warns of skyrocketing food prices and serious nutrition concerns for vulnerable populations. Over 116,000 tonnes of food aid, sufficient to feed one million people for up to four months, is ready for delivery once Israel reopens Gaza's borders. The WFP urges all parties to prioritize civilian needs and allow aid into Gaza immediately.

Last December, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel in New York. Charged with murder and stalking, he was arrested in December. Mangione pleaded not guilty to all federal charges during Friday's court hearing. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Judge Margaret Garnett coordinated the pre-trial schedule, with Mangione's lawyers requesting a federal court trial first. Evidence review will take months, delaying the federal trial until at least 2026. Mangione also faces state charges in Pennsylvania and New York.

On April 25, US media reported that the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is rescinding its decision to terminate the legal status of some international students and is restoring their visa registrations. A Trump administration lawyer read a statement in the California Oakland Federal Court, stating that ICE is manually restoring the legal status of international students whose statuses were recently terminated. On the same day, a similar statement was read in another case in Washington. The statement indicated that ICE is developing a policy to provide a framework for terminating records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Until the new policy is released, records of individuals whose legal status has been terminated will remain valid, and ICE will not modify SEVIS records solely based on National Crime Information Center investigations. Previously, records of international students in various US locations were abruptly deleted, putting them at risk of deportation, and judges in multiple locations have issued temporary orders to restore these records.

In 2024, California's gross domestic product (GDP) reached $4.10 trillion, surpassing Japan's $4.01 trillion, making it the fourth largest global economy. Governor Gavin Newsom cited data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the US Bureau of Economic Analysis to highlight California's economic growth. Newsom expressed concerns about President Donald Trump's tariff policies, which he believes threaten the state's economic future. California holds the largest share of US manufacturing and agricultural production and is a hub for global technology and entertainment industries. Trump's tariffs on various countries have sparked a trade war with China. This week, the IMF lowered its economic growth forecast for Japan, citing the impact of higher tariffs.

On April 25, former Republican U.S. Congressman George Santos was sentenced to 87 months for wire fraud and multiple counts of identity theft. A judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York ordered Santos to surrender by July 25, pay over $370,000 in restitution, and forfeit approximately $200,000 in assets. Santos admitted in court to betraying public trust. Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly stated that Santos deceived his donors and voters, and the lengthy sentence was a just outcome. Santos was first elected to the U.S. House in November 2022 but was later indicted for resume fraud and other issues, expelled by Congress in December 2023, and pleaded guilty in August 2024.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced on February 21 that it is seeking public comment on proposed regulations for self-driving vehicles, ranging from light-duty robotaxis like Waymo to heavy-duty driverless trucks like those from Plus.AI. The proposed regulations aim to offer the nation's most comprehensive rules for the operation of autonomous vehicles, emphasizing public safety, innovation, and a robust framework for AV technology testing and deployment. Despite years of promises, Tesla has not yet obtained permits in California for deploying driverless vehicles. Competitors such as Waymo, Zoox, and WeRide have secured higher-level permits and are operating services in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. The public can comment on the regulations until June 9, followed by a public hearing. The new rules require manufacturers to conduct supervised tests, followed by driverless tests, and obtain final permits for deployment. They also allow testing of heavy autonomous trucks on public roads and mandate new data-reporting requirements and standards for interactions with first responders.

U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren are warning that President Donald Trump's private dinner with holders of his meme coin may constitute 'pay to play' corruption, and are calling for an ethics investigation. The Democratic senators from California and Massachusetts sent a letter on Friday to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, requesting a probe into whether President Trump violated federal ethics rules by offering exclusive access to top investors in his $TRUMP coin. The announcement, made on the meme coin's website on Wednesday, offered the top 220 token holders dinner with the president on May 22 at his golf club near Washington, D.C., which caused the coin's value to surge by 50%. The senators highlighted that this action raises serious ethics and legal concerns, including the risk of Trump and his family personally profiting from political influence. They cited reports linking some $TRUMP investors to foreign exchanges or funds from banned crypto platforms. Senators Schiff and Warren are inquiring whether any guidance has been provided to Trump or his family about profiting from digital assets while in office and what safeguards exist. Given the Republican control of the White House and Congress, and an ethics director appointed by the president, the letter is likely to be ignored. Trump and his allies are deepening their involvement in crypto markets, with the Trump family announcing plans to launch a stablecoin last month. Since its January debut, the $TRUMP meme coin has reportedly generated over $350 million in fees for entities tied to the president and his inner circle. Neither the White House nor the Office of Government Ethics responded to requests for comment.