Opens Fire

• A 71-year-old former member of the House of Representatives opened fire at a government building in Thailand, marking the second shooting in the country within a few days. • The gunman, who confessed to the attack during a YouTube livestream, previously earned the nickname "cobra" in 1997 for voting against his party's lines for prime minister. • The incident follows the suspect's failed attempt to regain a seat in the most recent election while running under the ruling Bhumjaithai party.

• Indian equity markets rallied at the start of the week, with the Sensex opening up approximately 470 points (0.62%) to 76,530.15 and the Nifty rising to 23,825.25. • The positive momentum was signaled by the GIFT Nifty, which traded at 23,931, marking a 124-point increase. • This recovery follows a volatile week of selling pressure and is driven by improved investor sentiment after the US and Iran paused military strikes.

Defense says no evidence occasional Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht ignited deadly blaze on New Year’s Day 2025The trial of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of starting last year’s deadly Palisades fire, kicked off on Wednesday with opening arguments. Prosecutors cast him as a vengeful arsonist who sought to hide his role from authorities, while his defense attorneys argued that the fire was caused by fireworks.On New Year’s Day in 2025, firefighters extinguished a small blaze in the Pacific Palisades, a coastal Los Angeles enclave. But the flames continued to smolder underground, before reigniting as they were picked up by strong winds. The Palisades fire, the most destructive wildfires in city history, tore through roughly 23,000 acres, incinerating thousands of buildings and killing 12 people. Continue reading...

An 89-year-old man armed with a shotgun wounded an employee at a social security office in Athens before opening fire at a courthouse, injuring several more people. Police are actively searching for the suspect, with the motive behind the attacks currently unknown.

At least four more injured at world heritage site in latest violent incident as country prepares to co-host World CupOne Canadian tourist has been killed and at least four other people have been shot after an armed man opened fire at one of Mexico’s most famous tourist destinations, the Teotihuacán pyramids near Mexico City.The shooting – the latest violent incident to affect Mexico as it prepares to co-host the football World Cup in June – took place on Monday lunchtime and was captured in mobile phone videos shot by visitors to the site. Continue reading...

• Stocks surged following the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz amid a 10-day Israel-Lebanon ceasefire and President Donald Trump's blockade measures, signaling reduced energy supply constraints. • The market reaction reflects investor optimism over improved shipping lanes and normalized energy flows, with financial commentators attributing the gains to Trump's diplomatic efforts. • The reopening of this critical global shipping chokepoint addresses a major source of market volatility tied to Middle East tensions.