Global Summary

The US-Iran war entered its 56th day with President Trump extending the ceasefire indefinitely on April 21 while maintaining a naval blockade that Iran has called an act of war; on April 22, Iran's Revolutionary Guard seized two commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, pushing Brent crude above $106 per barrel. Ukraine-Russia peace talks remain stalled after trilateral negotiations last convened on February 16, with Moscow signaling no urgency to return to the table. 

Sudan's civil war marked three years in April with over 13 million displaced and nearly 700 civilians killed by indiscriminate drone strikes in the first quarter of 2026 alone. In the Indo-Pacific, Balikatan 2026 opened April 20 as the largest iteration of the US-Philippines exercise on record, drawing China's condemnation as Japan deployed 1,400 troops in its first military deployment to the Philippines since World War Two. Across Latin America, Colombia heads toward a May presidential election with armed group membership having reportedly doubled under the outgoing Petro administration, while Peru's Keiko Fujimori advanced to a June 7 runoff following a first-round marred by logistical failures.

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