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Apr 17, 2026 - World

Meta paused work with Sama last month after allegations about staff viewing private scenes filmed by smart glassesMore than 1,000 low-paid workers in Kenya have been abruptly sacked by an outsourcing company contracted by Meta, in what activists said was a shocking move exposing the precariousness of tech jobs in the global south.Sama, a company based in Nairobi to which Meta outsourced content moderation and AI training work, announced on Thursday that the workers were being laid off after Meta terminated a contract. Continue reading...

Apr 17, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump proclaimed the Strait of Hormuz has been re-opened, but that's not exactly how he put it.The 79-year-old president notified Americans that Iran would begin to allow "full passage" in what he inaccurately identified as "the Strait of Iran," the narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that has been closed to most commercial shipping traffic since Trump authorized a joint U.S.-Israel military operation."Now, I don't know if it was a typo or maybe a Freudian slip," said CNN's John Berman. "But if you step back, the reason I'm asking it this way, because if you step back, you know, a mile here and look at this last seven weeks, there are those who suggest one of the impacts your long term might be that Iran does have now full control of that strait, that it has become the Strait of Iran. What do you think of that?"Retired admiral James Stavridis agreed the president's announcement was confusing, and he tried to make sense of that statement and subsequent posts Trump made explaining the current situation. "Well, at least he didn't say it's the 'Strait of Trump,'" Stavridis said, echoing an idea the president has publicly discussed. "But, let's face it, you're exactly right that the concern is, hey, if we allow Iran to kind of open and close the switch and decide whether it's open or not, are we willing sovereignty over to them? That's why I am encouraged by the second posting he made, which is that the blockade remains in effect. That's sort of your stopper in a hand of bridge, if you will. So I think probably your point, not the most elegant language in the first post, second post, we're still on top of this. We're watching it, but before we get off this conversation and I know we're just on the hour, it is good news. It is a step by Iran that could help close the big deal, the negotiation, perhaps as soon as this weekend.""There's a humanitarian side to this, but there's also a big strategic play here," he added. "Let's hope both sides are indicating they've come a little bit closer as a result of this statement." - YouTube youtu.be

Apr 17, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump lashed out at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Friday after reports suggested his administration and Tehran have reached a deal to fully re-open the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that NATO allies had offered help, which he immediately rejected.“Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL. They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger!”The Strait of Hormuz – a critical shipping waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil trade flows – was opened Friday to all commercial ships for the remainder of the ongoing two-week ceasefire tentatively agreed to by Washington and Tehran. The Trump administration is reportedly considering unfreezing $20 billion in Iranian funds, a consideration that drew sharp criticism from critics.

Apr 17, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump's administration has attempted to shift the consequences of the Iran war to an ally, a report has found. Trump's team caused a fallout in Bahrain, which has undermined support for the United States. But internal documents shared by Politico show the admin has tried to pin the blame for the fallout on the United Kingdom. Nahal Toosi wrote, "Bahrain’s government is facing questions about whether the U.S. abandoned it to fend for itself against Iranian drones and missiles."Bahrain and the U.S. are stalwart allies, and the Middle Eastern country hosts an American military base that serves as headquarters for the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet."But the Iran war has led to public perceptions that the U.S. abandoned Bahrain to focus on protecting Israel instead, according to the cable from the Bahraini capital, Manama."Internal documents added to this pressure on the United States's relationship with Bahrain. Toosi added, "Still, the cable also notes that such Bahraini neglect to mention the U.S. may have partly stemmed from a 'desire to protect and maintain the operational security of U.S. personnel and materiel.'"While the cable never directly says the embassy itself failed on messaging, it points out that the British Embassy’s highly active social media presence 'created a distorted perception of the scale of British assistance and an impression that the U.K. was stepping up where the United States was retreating.'"Trump has been outspoken about the lack of support received by NATO countries, including the UK, over the war in Iran. British officials cited concerns about the legality of the unilateral military action and the lack of clear congressional approval for the conflict. The UK's position reflects growing international skepticism about the war's justification and strategic objectives. Trump's response included threats to reconsider U.S. security commitments to the UK and NATO, warning that countries failing to support American military actions would face consequences. The dispute has exposed deep rifts between Trump and traditional Western allies over military intervention and international law.The UK's refusal signals that Trump's Iran war has further alienated America from longstanding partners, leaving the administration with diminished international coalition-building capacity for future military operations.

Apr 17, 2026 - World

Accumulations of up to 3cm deep reported as severe thunderstorms also bring heavy downpours to central ItalySevere thunderstorms have affected the Mediterranean this week. On Monday, a surface low-pressure system in the Mediterranean in conjunction with an upper air cut-off low, led to thunderstorms over north Africa. Their intensity was aided by the hot precursor conditions.Algeria and Tunisia were notably affected by the thunderstorms, with some hail accumulation layers as a result. When so much hail forms, it starts to lay down sheets of hail, covering the ground like snow. Hail accumulations of up to 3cm were reported in Oum Ladjoul and Hammam Sokhna in Algeria, and there were hailstones of up to 3cm in diameter in Makthar, Tunisia. Thunderstorms continued in the region through the following day, with further hail accumulations, notably in Ouled Bousmir, Tunisia, where there was a layer about 2cm deep. Continue reading...