Portal:Current events/2026 April 13

April 13, 2026 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Iran war
  - 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
    - 2026 Strait of Hormuz campaign, Naval blockade of Iran
      - In a notice to seafarers, the U.S. Central Command announces that a blockade of Iranian ports is now in effect, with all unauthorized vessels in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz subject to interdiction. (Al Jazeera)
    - Three ships successfully cross the Strait of Hormuz since the blockade was announced, including Marshall Islands-flagged vessel New Future, Vietnam-flagged NV Sunshine, and Panama-flagged tanker Auroura, which was recently sanctioned by the United States for its links to Iranian oil trading. (Bloomberg) (Caspian Post)
  - 2026 Iran war ceasefire
    - Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif says that the ceasefire is still in force and efforts are still underway to end the war despite the recent talks ending without an agreement. (Arab News PK)
- Hezbollah–Israel conflict
  - 2026 Lebanon war
    - Battle of Bint Jbeil (2026)
      - The Israeli army claims to have killed over 100 Hezbollah fighters during the battle in Bint Jbeil. (Al Jazeera)
    - At least six people are killed by Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon, including at an International Red Cross location in Tyre. (Al Jazeera)
Operation Southern Spear, United States strikes on alleged drug traffickers during Operation Southern Spear
- Two people are killed in an airstrike carried out by the United States Navy against an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific. (Reuters)
Haitian conflict
- Seven people are killed after a police station in Marigot, Sud-Est, Haiti, was burned during a gang attack. (AP)
Insurgency in the Maghreb
- Two suicide bombers blow themselves up near a police station in Blida, Algeria, wounding several people. (Le Monde)
Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- A policeman is killed and four others are injured during an ambush against a polio vaccination team in Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (Dunya News)

Business and economy

2026 Cuban crisis
- Spanish airline Iberia announces the suspension of flights to Cuba from June to late October due to fuel supply constraints and reduced passenger demand linked to the U.S.-imposed oil blockade of the country. The airline states that it plans to resume operations in November if conditions improve. (AFP via The Economic Times)
2026 Philippine energy crisis
- Philippine president Bongbong Marcos suspends excises on kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas to reduce household fuel costs amid rising global oil prices linked to the Iran war. (Reuters)
Chinese property sector crisis
- A court in Beijing, China, orders the liquidation of Zhongzhi Enterprise Group and more than 300 affiliated companies through a consolidated bankruptcy process, with creditors instructed to submit claims by June 10. (Reuters)
Chevron Corporation signs two agreements with the government of Venezuela to expand its operations in the oil-producing Orinoco Belt region. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Eleven people are killed after a cement mixer truck collided with a van in Thane district, India. (The Indian Express)
Five people are killed after two cars collided into each other head-on in Kings County, California, United States. (Fox News)

Health and environment

Hippopotamuses in Colombia
- Colombian environment minister Irene Vélez Torres approves the cull of dozens of wild hippos brought to the country by drug lord Pablo Escobar in the 1980s with Torres saying up to 80 will be killed out of an estimated population of about 200, citing the need to protect local villagers and native species. (AP)

International relations

Algeria–Holy See relations, Pastoral visits of Pope Leo XIV
- Pope Leo XIV arrives in Algiers, marking the first papal visit to Algeria. He will visit Souk Ahras, the birthplace and home of St. Augustine of Hippo, namesake of the Augustinian Order, which Pope Leo is a part of. (AP)
Bahrain–Iraq relations
- The Bahraini foreign ministry summons the chargé d'affaires of Iraq over "continued malicious drone attacks" against the country and other Gulf Cooperation Council states from Iraqi territory. (Al Jazeera)
Iran–Russia relations, Russia in the 2026 Iran war
- Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov states that Russia is prepared to receive Iran's enriched uranium as part of a potential agreement with the United States, following unsuccessful negotiations between Iran and the U.S. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Law and crime

Gaza war protests
- Gaza war protests in the United States
  - Demonstrators in New York City, U.S., are detained during a anti-Israel protest calling for an end to U.S. aid to Israel. Protesters also oppose the US-Israel strikes in Iran and Lebanon war. (Reuters)
Corruption in Spain
- Begoña Gómez, wife of Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez, is charged with influence peddling and corruption in the private sector. (Bloomberg)
Lafarge scandal
- A court in Paris, France, convicts cement company Lafarge and several former executives, including former CEO Bruno Lafont, for financing the Islamic State and other Syrian armed groups between 2013 and 2014, imposing fines, asset forfeiture, and prison sentences. (Al Jazeera)
Three people are killed and four more injured in a mass shooting during a family dispute inside a mosque in Khinjan District, Baghlan Province, Afghanistan. (Amu TV)

Politics and elections

2026 Beninese presidential election
- Provisional results reveal that finance minister Romuald Wadagni won in a landslide victory with 94% of the vote. (Reuters)
By-elections to the 45th Canadian Parliament
- Following victories in three federal by-elections, the Liberal Party of Canada wins a majority government nearly a year after the 2025 Canadian federal election. (Reuters)

Sports

Boycott of Russia and Belarus
- World Aquatics says that they will allow athletes from Belarus and Russia to compete under their national anthems and flag. (ESPN)