Today is Saturday, April 25, the 115th day of 2026. There are 250 days left in the year. Today in history: On April 25, 1898, the United States Congress declared war against Spain. The 16-week Spanish-American War resulted in an American victory, after which the U.S. took possession of the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam.
BANGKOK (AP) – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Friday during a visit aimed at strengthening the countries’ strategic partnership and expanding cooperation. The two agreed to strengthen collaboration in fighting transnational crime and cyberscams and other areas.
BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) – An explosive device killed 13 people traveling on a bus in southwestern Colombia on Saturday, an attack the country’s army chief described as a “terrorist act” that also left at least 38 injured as violence linked to drug trafficking in the region escalates.
WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. military said it launched another strike Friday on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people.
BANGKOK (AP) – China’s top diplomat on Saturday visited Myanmar’s capital and met with the leader of its military-backed government as part of a regional tour aimed at strengthening Beijing’s political, security and strategic ties in Southeast Asia.
Northern India continues to endure an intense and prolonged heatwave, with little relief in sight as temperatures keep climbing across multiple states. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued comprehensive advisories aimed at helping residents cope with extreme heat conditions, urging precautions as the situation worsens.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Naval mines bobbing in the waters of the Persian Gulf, threatening oil tankers. Iranian speed boats raking ships with machine-gun fire in the Strait of Hormuz. And the United States right in the middle of the fight.
Some Russian influencers recently released public appeals to President Vladimir Putin, criticizing his government and policies, and a number of his loyalists even threatened a revolt – the latest wave of public outcry over the country’s strained wartime economy and mounting internet restrictions.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) – The European Union’s ongoing push to bolster its own defensive capabilities isn’t intended to spawn an alternative to the NATO alliance but to answer a long-standing U.S. call for the continent to take charge of its own security, the French president said Saturday.