5 Big News Stories Overnight - Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Middle East: $71 Billion Need to Rebuild Gaza, Says Report

Al Jazeera reports:

More than $71bn will be needed over the next 10 years for recovery and reconstruction in Gaza after Israel’s genocidal war on the territory, a new report says.

In their final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA), released on Monday, the European Union and United Nations asserted that the conflict has had a “catastrophic impact on human development” and left the enclave desperately in need of huge sums of money in the immediate future.

The report found that $26.3bn will be required in the first 18 months of Gaza’s reconstruction to restore essential services, rebuild critical infrastructure and support its economic recovery.
 

Washington: U.S. Secretary of Labor Is Out

President Donald Trump's shake-up continues. On Monday, it was announced that Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the U.S. Secretary of Labor, is leaving. 

She is under multiple investigations.

In recent weeks, Pamela Bondi and Kristi Noem have been fired.

U.S.: Tim Cook Retiring as Apple CEO

New York Times reports:

Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said on Monday that he would step down after nearly 15 years running an operation that rode the wild popularity of the iPhone to become one of the most influential and valuable companies in the world.

Mr. Cook, 65, will move into a new role as Apple’s executive chairman in September and be succeeded in the company’s corner office by John Ternus, the 50-year-old head of Apple’s hardware engineering.

The resignation of Mr. Cook will end one of the most successful management runs in the history of American business. During his tenure, Apple’s annual profit quadrupled to more than $110 billion, while its value ballooned more than tenfold to $4 trillion.

Washington: Patel Sues the Atlantic

The Wall Street Journal reports:

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic and one of its writers Monday, alleging an article about his drinking and overall conduct was malicious and factually inaccurate.

He is seeking $250 million in damages in the suit, which was filed in federal district court in Washington, D.C. 

The Atlantic story, by staff writer Sarah Fitzpatrick and published Friday, said Patel’s drinking has become a source of concern among government officials and cited sources who worried that Patel’s behavior has become a threat to public safety. The piece included unnamed sources who described Patel as impulsive and absent from his post, and who claimed he was concerned about his job security. 

U.S.: 'Emails show Amazon colluding with other firms to raise prices, California authorities allege'

The Guardian reports:

Emails released on Monday by California’s attorney general show Amazon allegedly colluding with other companies to raise the prices of pet treats, khaki pants, eyedrops and other products sold online.

According to a newly unsealed court filing released by attorney general Rob Bonta, Amazon employees have repeatedly worked with vendors using its platform to push retail vendors including Walmart and Chewyto set higher prices collectively.

In one case, according to Bonta’s office, Amazon raised prices on a set of dog treats and worked with a pet treat manufacturer to convince Chewy, the pet supplies retailer, to follow its increases, effectively protecting its market share while sticking consumers with higher prices.