Sri Lanka Guardian

A covert attempt by a senior Cuban presidential aide to bypass official U.S. diplomatic channels and directly reach President Donald Trump has exposed fresh tensions between Havana and Washington, after a back-channel letter proposing economic deals and sanctions relief was intercepted in Miami, according to reporting originally detailed by the Wall Street Journal.

A landmark court case in Buenos Aires is reopening the final chapter of Diego Maradona’s life, as prosecutors accuse his medical team of negligence and “eventual intent” in a death that has gripped Argentina and reignited global debate over how one of football’s greatest icons was allowed to deteriorate so rapidly.

When Sam Altman was briefly fired and then reinstated as CEO of OpenAI in 2023, the company’s board was already uneasy about what it described as limited visibility into his personal financial interests. According to reporting originally detailed by the Wall Street Journal, those concerns have persisted and even deepened as OpenAI expands rapidly and positions itself for a historic public listing.

Cement manufacturers have raised prices by ₹15–20 per 50 kg bag this month, resulting in an all-India average increase of about 5% in April compared with March, according to a Motilal Oswal report dated 10 April. The surge is being driven by higher expenses for fuel, packaging materials and logistics, with early indicators suggesting that the current pricing cycle may extend further if demand conditions remain stable.

The confrontation between the Vatican and the White House has entered unusually direct political territory, as Pope Leo XIV openly declares he has “no fear of the Trump administration” while escalating criticism of the Iran war. According to reporting by the Financial Times, the dispute marks one of the most politically charged moments in modern relations between a pope and a US president, with implications that extend far beyond theology into the heart of American electoral politics.

Venezuela and the European Union have taken a significant step toward deepening economic and technological cooperation following high-level meetings held in Caracas on April 16. Venezuelan authorities and EU representatives agreed to establish a structured work agenda aimed at strengthening trade relations and promoting productive development between the two sides.

A prayer delivered by Pete Hegseth at a Pentagon worship service has ignited widespread debate after listeners noted its striking similarity to a famous monologue from Pulp Fiction rather than the biblical verse it was meant to reference. The remarks came during a service on Wednesday, where Hegseth said he was quoting a prayer shared with him by a mission planner involved in a recent combat search and rescue operation that saved two downed airmen in Iran.

Viktor Orbán has spoken candidly about the emotional toll of his dramatic election defeat, describing a sense of “pain and emptiness” after losing power following 16 years at the helm of Hungary.

Pope Leo XIV has intensified his criticism of global military spending and political leadership, warning that the world is being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” during a speech delivered in Bamenda, Cameroon. Speaking as part of an 11-day tour of Africa, the pontiff denounced what he described as the misuse of power, wealth, and religion to justify violence and war.

Asian refiners are increasingly turning to U.S. crude in an urgent bid to secure fuel supplies as disruption in the Middle East reshapes global oil trade, according to reporting by Bloomberg. Oil processors across Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand have stepped up purchases of American barrels as shortages linked to conflict-related disruptions threaten to ripple through regional economies.