Iran’s 90 million people have been cut off from the global internet for most of 2026, one of the world’s longest and strictest national shutdowns. That is devastating an online economy that had defied years of government restrictions and international sanctions. From fashion to fitness, to advertising and retailers, many have seen their incomes evaporate. Despite an uneasy truce with the U.S. and Israel, Iran’s rulers have refused to reverse the shutdown they have depicted as a wartime necessity. But they are facing an outcry as it adds to mass job losses from strikes on key industries and an ongoing U.S. blockade.
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Leaders of major media companies are urging Israel to lift a ban preventing foreign journalists from independently entering Gaza. This restriction has been in place since the war began in October 2023. The executives released a statement Thursday emphasizing the importance of on-the-ground reporting for questioning official accounts and speaking directly with civilians. Despite a ceasefire and reduced fighting, Israel has not responded to discussions about lifting the ban. Initially, Israel said the ban was necessary because foreign journalists allowed into Gaza could give away the positions of Israeli soldiers and endanger them.
A new survey finds teenagers are more likely to get news from nontraditional sources like social media and influencers than their elders are. Experts say that's likely heralding a generational shift in how people seek out information. The results are from the Media Insight Project. The survey finds 57% of teenagers get daily news from social media, compared with 36% of adults. Similarly, 57% of teens get some news from influencers, compared with 43% of adults. The new poll points to the pervasiveness of social media in teenagers’ lives and shows how more teens are consuming their news from these platforms or independent content creators, rather than directly from national or local news sources.
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A man armed with guns and knives stormed the lobby outside the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner attended by President Donald Trump on Saturday night. The man charged toward the ballroom in a chaotic encounter with Secret Service agents as guests dived under tables at the sound of shots being fired Saturday night. The president was uninjured and was rushed off the stage. The armed man, who officials said was a guest at the Washington Hilton where the dinner was being held, was taken into custody and was expected in court Monday. Police believe he opened fire and acted alone but did not say who was his intended target or describe a motive.
Commercial flights resume at Tehran’s international airport for first time since the war, Iranian state media report.
Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil killed in Israeli strike on a house where she took cover, paper says
Rescue workers say a Lebanese journalist was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. The daily Al-Akhbar newspaper says its reporter Amal Khalil was killed on Wednesday in the southern village of al-Tiri. Khalil had been covering the Israel-Hezbollah war, which resumed in early March, in the shadow of the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. Earlier on Wednesday, Reporters Without Borders had called on the international community to pressure the Israeli army to allow the rescue of Khalil and others who were in the house. However, rescuers say her body was only retrieved hours later from the rubble.
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Pope Leo XIV's trip to Africa has been marked by an unusual dynamic with U.S. President Donald Trump. The first American pontiff has faced criticism from Trump. The U.S. leader has accused him of being soft on crime and cozy with the left. Leo responded by emphasizing his calls for peace especially regarding the Iran war. Leo on Wednesday focused on his visit to Algeria and highlighted themes of unity and peace. Traveling with the Vatican press pool offers unique access but also limits local reporting. The trip is Leo's first to Africa. It underscored the challenges and privileges of covering the papal journey.
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At least 18 people killed in airstrike targeting Iran's Alborz province, state media reports.
The Associated Press says it will offer buyouts to an unspecified number of its U.S.-based journalists as part of an acceleration away from the focus on newspapers and their print journalism that sustained the company for more than 1½ centuries. The news organization is becoming more focused on visual journalism and developing new revenue sources, particularly through companies investing in artificial intelligence. That's to cope with the economic collapse of many legacy news outlets. Once the lion’s share of AP’s revenue, big newspaper companies now account for 10% of its income. Julie Pace, AP's executive editor, says that “we’re not a newspaper company and we haven’t been for quite some time.