Pope Leo condemned what he described as a world ruled by autocrats following an online attack from former U.S. President Donald Trump, according to Al Jazeera. Speaking during his visit to Cameroon, the Pope sharply criticized global leaders who spend hundreds of billions of dollars on wars, calling his remarks unusually forceful.

In his speech, Pope Leo said that war heroes pretend not to know that destruction takes only a moment, while rebuilding can take a lifetime. He added that leaders ignore the truth that vast sums are spent on killing and devastation, yet resources for healing, education, and recovery remain scarce.

The Pope’s comments were seen as a strong message to world leaders, urging them to invest more in humanitarian sectors instead of warfare.

A global energy crisis has emerged after the closure of the Hormuz Strait following attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel, raising fears of a major collapse in air transport by May or June. The strait, which handles about 20 percent of the world’s oil supply, has been blocked, putting Asian and European countries at the greatest risk due to reduced jet fuel availability.

Market analysis firm Rystad Energy and the International Energy Agency (IEA) have forecast that flight cancellations could begin as early as May because of fuel shortages. The IEA warned in its monthly report that if Europe fails to replace at least half of its Middle Eastern oil imports, its reserves could fall to a critical 23-day level by June. OECD European countries, including EU members, the UK, and Norway, import over 30 percent of their jet fuel, most of which passes through the Hormuz Strait.

The European Commission stated that while total fuel depletion has not yet occurred, supply disruptions are now unavoidable. Spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Ikonen cautioned that if the situation remains uncontrolled, global air transport could face unprecedented paralysis starting in May.

Bangladeshi expatriates across the world celebrated the Bengali New Year 1433 with vibrant cultural events reflecting their heritage and traditions. In Porto, Portugal, the Centro Cinema Batalha and Porto Bangladesh Community jointly organized a pitha festival featuring traditional sweets and a screening of the Bangladeshi film 'Borbad'. Organizers said such initiatives help preserve Bengali culture abroad.

In New York, USA, festivities at Times Square and Jackson Heights included processions, music, dance, and folk performances, creating a festive atmosphere reminiscent of Bangladesh. Traditional foods like panta-ilish and pitha, along with children’s participation, added to the celebration. In Cairo, Egypt, Bangladeshi students from several universities held a Boishakhi event at Heliopolis International Park with cultural shows, sports, and local cuisine. Malaysian expatriates also marked the day with songs, poetry, and traditional foods in red-and-white attire.

Participants emphasized that these events not only bring joy but also serve as a bridge for younger generations to connect with Bengali culture, reaffirming that the spirit of Boishakh endures across distances.

Arsenal secured a place in the UEFA Champions League semifinals after a goalless draw against Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium on April 16, 2026. Despite failing to score in the second leg of the quarterfinal, Arsenal advanced with a 1–0 aggregate win, thanks to their first-leg victory in Lisbon. The home side dominated possession with 55 percent and attempted 16 shots, though only one was on target, while Sporting managed 10 shots with one on target.

Sporting pressed early in the match, but Arsenal created several counterattacking chances, including a Leandro Trossard header that struck the post. Goalkeeper David Raya and the Arsenal defense held firm in the closing stages to preserve the aggregate advantage. Arsenal will now face Atlético Madrid in the semifinals, after the Spanish club eliminated Barcelona 3–2 on aggregate.

The first leg of the semifinal will take place on April 30 at Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium, with the return leg scheduled for May 6 at the Emirates. In the other semifinal, PSG will meet Bayern Munich after both sides recorded decisive quarterfinal victories.

Erika Guevara Rosas, Senior Director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns at Amnesty International, has called for an immediate end to all forms of military cooperation with Israel. In a post on social media platform X on April 16, 2026, she alleged that Israel continues to commit serious human rights violations in multiple regions in breach of international law.

According to Rosas, these violations include genocide in the Gaza Strip, violence and illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank, apartheid and occupation policies, as well as attacks and mass displacement in Lebanon. She warned that any military cooperation with Israel could risk complicity in international crimes.

Rosas specifically urged the Italian government to take a firm stance in favor of suspending the European Union–Israel Association Agreement. She emphasized that statements alone are insufficient and that concrete and decisive actions are urgently needed to stop human rights violations and genocide.

The latest edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack has sharply criticized India’s expanding dominance and political entanglement in global cricket administration. Editor Lawrence Booth described the current state of world cricket as increasingly “Orwellian,” claiming that political influence over the sport is now stronger than ever. The report highlights that both the International Cricket Council’s chief executive and chairman are Indian nationals, with chairman Jay Shah also being the son of India’s Home Minister Amit Shah and a close associate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Wisden argues that India’s cricket board has effectively functioned as a sporting arm of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, strengthening India’s control over international cricket. The 2025 Asia Cup was cited as an example of politics infiltrating the game, with Indian and Pakistani players refusing to shake hands amid military tensions. Booth also noted symbolic gestures such as India’s captain dedicating a victory to the armed forces and Modi’s social media message framing the win in militaristic terms.

The report further mentions regional ripple effects, including Bangladesh’s cricketing uncertainties linked to political and security concerns. Wisden concludes that world cricket now faces a critical question over whether it can preserve its competitive integrity under India’s growing political shadow.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reduced its global economic growth forecast to 3.1 percent for this year, down from its earlier projection of 3.3 percent. The revision follows escalating tensions after the United States and Israel began their war on Iran on February 28, prompting Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz and attack regional energy infrastructure. These developments have disrupted oil and gas supplies, driving up global energy and food costs and hitting import-dependent economies hardest.

The IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook report highlights that the slowdown marks a decline from last year’s 3.4 percent growth. Iran’s 2026 forecast was cut by 7.2 points to a contraction of 6.1 percent, while Saudi Arabia’s growth outlook dropped from 4.5 percent to 3.1 percent. The Middle East and North Africa’s 2026 forecast was reduced to 1.1 percent, and the Middle East and Central Asia’s to 1.9 percent. The IMF also expects global inflation to rise to 4.4 percent, up 0.6 points from January.

Oil prices remain volatile, though they eased slightly on hopes of renewed US-Iran talks. The IMF warned that the conflict’s economic impact will be uneven, with low-income and emerging economies facing the greatest strain.

In the first month of the ongoing conflict centered on Iran, the world’s top 100 oil and gas companies collectively earned more than $30 million per hour in excess or unearned profits, according to a special analysis by The Guardian. The report found that in March, as oil prices averaged $100 per barrel, these companies gained around $23 billion in additional profits. If prices remain at that level and supply takes months to normalize, total windfall earnings could reach $234 billion by year-end.

Among the biggest beneficiaries are Saudi Aramco, Gazprom, and ExxonMobil, all identified as major opponents of climate action. Rising fuel prices have increased costs for consumers and businesses worldwide, prompting several countries—including Australia, South Africa, Italy, Brazil, and Zambia—to cut fuel taxes, which has reduced public revenue. The European Commission is considering a proposal from several finance ministers to impose a windfall tax on companies profiting from the war.

Analysts warned that while corporate profits surge, ordinary people face higher living costs and inflationary pressures globally.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has introduced Amazon Bio Discovery, a new application that integrates computational design and wet-lab validation into a single platform. The system provides access to more than 40 AI biology models and allows users to upload custom or third-party models. It includes agentic assistants that guide researchers in model selection, configuration, and candidate evaluation. The platform connects directly with contract research organization partners for seamless lab testing, with results automatically feeding back to improve subsequent research cycles.

According to AWS, the tool aims to remove collaboration bottlenecks between computational biologists and bench scientists by offering a no-code environment for workflow creation and experiment management. Computational experts can build reusable workflows with standardized data processing, while bench scientists can run parallel experiments and adjust parameters without coding. Both groups work from the same data and results, improving reproducibility and speed.

Amazon Bio Discovery is built on AWS infrastructure used by major pharmaceutical companies and is available immediately with enterprise-grade security. The platform is designed to make lab-in-the-loop drug discovery scalable and accessible across research organizations.

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose new tariffs on Chinese goods, accusing Beijing of providing military assistance to Iran amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. In response, China has warned that it will take firm countermeasures if Washington proceeds with the tariff plan.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated at a press conference that if the United States uses the allegation as a pretext to impose additional tariffs, China will respond strongly. He also dismissed reports claiming that China is supplying weapons to Iran, calling them completely fabricated.

The exchange underscores rising tensions between Washington and Beijing as accusations over Iran’s role in the Middle East war intensify, with both sides signaling readiness for economic retaliation.

Amid ongoing tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, new concerns have emerged over the Malacca Strait following a recent defense agreement between the United States and Indonesia. The deal, finalized earlier this week, allows US military aircraft to conduct more operations using Indonesian airspace. Although officially described as a defense cooperation arrangement, it effectively expands Washington’s surveillance and operational reach over the Malacca Strait, a vital maritime route linking the Indian Ocean with East Asia.

The Malacca Strait is jointly managed by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, and serves as a crucial artery for global trade. The agreement has prompted questions about whether the United States is recalibrating its Indo-Pacific strategy to secure key maritime chokepoints beyond the Middle East. The strait plays a central role in global energy and goods transport, particularly for East Asian economies.

China is especially dependent on this corridor for its energy imports, underscoring the strategic importance of the route in regional and global trade dynamics.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated that much of the anticipated damage to the global economy from the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has already occurred. During its spring meeting in Washington, the IMF released a new economic forecast, noting that even if the conflict were to end immediately, global growth would still slow down.

The IMF further cautioned that if the conflict continues and infrastructure damage worsens, global growth could fall to around 2 percent, while inflation may exceed 6 percent next year. According to IMF experts, the impact will not be uniform across countries, with Middle Eastern oil-producing nations facing the greatest losses.

Developing economies are expected to feel nearly twice the impact compared to advanced economies, particularly those dependent on energy imports. Analysts also warned that continued instability in global energy markets and supply chains could further drive inflation in food, energy, and transport sectors.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that escalating conflict in Iran and continued volatility in global energy markets could push the world economy to the brink of recession. According to the IMF, repeated shocks in the energy sector may reduce global growth from the current 3.1 percent to 2 percent.

The IMF outlined three possible scenarios. In the best case, if the war remains short-lived, oil prices could normalize to an average of 82 dollars per barrel in the second half of 2026. Under a moderate scenario, if the conflict drags on, oil prices may hover around 100 dollars this year and fall to 75 dollars in 2027, bringing global growth down to 2.5 percent from 3.4 percent in 2025. In the worst case, oil could reach 110 dollars per barrel in 2026 and 125 dollars in 2027.

IMF Chief Economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas said current supply disruptions and the lack of a clear path to peace make the moderate or adverse scenario more realistic. The organization also warned that the crisis could further fuel global inflation.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel could bring the global economy dangerously close to recession if the war continues and energy prices remain high. In its World Economic Outlook report released in Washington on April 15, 2026, the IMF projected that global growth could fall below 2 percent in 2026, a level seen only four times since 1980. The report noted that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of war had driven up fuel prices, and a failed peace effort in Pakistan has prolonged the crisis.

The IMF said that if oil prices average 110 dollars per barrel this year and rise to 125 dollars by 2027, global growth will slow further, with inflation possibly reaching 6 percent. Chief Economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas stated that such conditions would feel like a recession for most people, with rising unemployment and food insecurity in some countries. The report also warned that the UK would be among the hardest hit developed economies, while Iran, Iraq, and Qatar could see sharp contractions this year.

If the conflict eases within weeks and energy exports normalize by midyear, global growth could recover to 3.1 percent in 2026, though still below earlier forecasts.

European countries are planning to form a major coalition to ensure the normal operation of maritime traffic through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz without relying on the United States. According to The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed officials, the plan will be implemented after the current conflict ends.

The report notes that Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states are deeply anxious amid escalating threats between U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran, as their economies depend heavily on oil exports through the strait. Meanwhile, Qatar has announced the lifting of all maritime restrictions, and Saudi Arabia has activated its east-west pipeline at full capacity to bypass Hormuz entirely.

Saudi Arabia’s pipeline can transport about seven million barrels of oil per day, and the Manifa oil field on its southeastern coast is ready to supply an additional 300,000 barrels daily. These measures reflect the Gulf states’ growing reliance on alternative routes and strategies to sustain their economies during the ongoing crisis.