While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, April 6, 2026
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An image obtained from social media showing the burned-out wreckage of an American aircraft and a helicopter rotor in Isfahan, Iran.
PHOTO: REUTERS
US vows ‘hell’ for Iran if Strait of Hormuz stays shut
US special forces rescued an airman in a high-risk mission deep inside Iran while President Donald Trump threatened to rain “hell” on Tehran if it did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by April 7 for oil flows vital to the world economy.
Mr Trump announced the rescue in the early hours of April 5 in a social media post that described the operation in a mountainous area as “one of the most daring” such missions in US history.
The airman, the weapons officer of an F-15 jet shot down on April 3, was wounded but “will be just fine”, Mr Trump said in a message on X. The jet’s pilot was rescued later that day.
In another post laden with expletives, Mr Trump told Iran to open the Hormuz waterway, the conduit for around a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supply that has been largely shut down since the war began five weeks ago.
China ready to cooperate with Russia to ease Middle East tension, foreign minister says
PHOTOS: REUTERS
China’s top diplomat told his Russian counterpart on April 5 that he is willing to work together to “de-escalate” the war in the Middle East, Beijing’s state media reported.
Mr Wang Yi told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in a phone call that “China and Russia should uphold fairness on major issues of principle”, state news agency Xinhua said, noting that the call came at Mr Lavrov’s request.
Mr Wang said that “the situation in the Middle East is still deteriorating and fighting is escalating”, Xinhua reported.
Serbian president says explosives found near gas pipeline to Hungary
PHOTO: REUTERS
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said the army and police had found two backpacks containing explosives on April 5 near a gas pipeline to Hungary, prompting Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban to call an emergency meeting.
Hungary’s opposition leader Peter Magyar however suggested the incident could be a “false flag” operation staged to disrupt April 12’s high-stakes elections in their country.
The backpacks, containing “two large packages of explosives with detonators”, were found in Kanjiza in northern Serbia, “a few hundred metres from the gas pipeline”, Mr Vucic said.
Bangladesh launches emergency vaccination campaign as measles outbreak spreads
PHOTO: REUTERS
Bangladesh on April 5 launched an emergency vaccination campaign targeting more than a million children as a fast‑spreading measles outbreak sweeps across the country.
Health ministry figures show there have been 17 confirmed deaths from measles so far, with 113 suspected deaths and more than 7,500 suspected infections nationwide.
The campaign, led by the health ministry with support from UNICEF, the World Health Organization and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, began in 18 high-risk districts, according to a joint press release.
Tour of Flanders cyclists face fines for running red light at railroad
PHOTO: AFP
Up to 20 cyclists from the Tour of Flanders, including race winner Tadej Pogacar, could face action from Belgian authorities after running a red light at a railway crossing on April 5.
While the main peloton stopped as required, Pogacar and a bunch of chasers slipped across the tracks in pursuit of a leading group, despite the warning signals and the risk of an oncoming train.
Pogacar said he and several others were alerted to the red light too late.
