The popular AI framework Virtuals Protocol will host an in-person meet-up in Hong Kong on Friday, January 17.

**Breaking: Trump Extends Iran Deadline by 24 Hours, Media Say** U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday (April 6) that a key time is “8:00 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday” — corresponding to 8:00 AM Beijing time Wednesday. Outlets including AXIOS and Bloomberg interpret this as Trump extending Iran’s 48-hour ultimatum by one day. The original deadline was set for 8:00 PM ET Monday, April 6 (8:00 AM Beijing time Tuesday, April 7).

April 5th — Axios reports that in a phone interview, U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. is in “deep negotiations” with Iran and expects a deal before Tuesday’s deadline. “There’s a great opportunity to reach an agreement, but if they don’t, I will destroy everything there,” Trump stated. When asked about harm to innocent civilians, he said he believes Iranian civilians opposed to the government would support such strikes to weaken the regime. In the roughly 8-minute call, Trump also noted his envoys Weedkov and Jared Kushner are engaged in intense talks with Iran. Two sources familiar with the negotiations said communications have happened via intermediaries like Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey, plus text exchanges between Trump’s advisors and Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif. Trump said the talks are progressing well but that closing deals with Iranians is always challenging. A few days ago, the sides were close to agreeing to direct negotiations but planned to reconvene in f

On April 5 (local time), the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military issued Announcement No. 56, stating it took decisive military action earlier that day in response to "misdeeds" by the U.S. and Israel—following its air defense system’s successful interception of enemy drones earlier. The announcement noted the Iranian military deployed a drone swarm to accurately target: - Israeli petrochemical facilities and oil product storage facilities near Dimona (where the region’s underground emergency fuel reserves are critical to southern Israel’s energy supply); - Equipment warehouses, satellite communication units, and U.S. military command headquarters at the American base on Bubiyan Island, Kuwait. The base, a key node for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in the region, has recently conducted extensive communication monitoring and combat management tasks, and deployed offensive weapons including Hamas multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS). Source: CCTV News

April 5th — Per a CCTV News report, Mahdi Tabatabaei, Deputy Director of Information and Communication Affairs at Iran’s Presidential Office, issued a forceful statement on the regional situation and transit access in the Strait of Hormuz. Tabatabaei took to social media to launch a blistering attack on former U.S. President Donald Trump and his policies, accusing Trump of resorting to insults out of “desperation and anger” and claiming his reckless actions have sparked a full-scale war in the region. On controlling the Strait of Hormuz, Tabatabaei stated the waterway will only fully reopen if a new legal system is established and Iran is compensated for all losses from past wars using revenue from past ship taxes. Separately, CNN reports details are emerging of “potential plans” discussed between Oman and Iran regarding resuming transit rights in the Strait of Hormuz. An Omani source said negotiations have been ongoing for about two weeks, focusing on developing a “safe passage

April 5: On-chain analyst Auntie Ai (@ai_9684xtpa) reports that address 0x78F...07a2B received 30.99 million STO tokens (valued at ~$5.98 million) one hour ago, then deposited 10 million tokens (worth ~$1.92 million) to Bitget 45 minutes later. Funds trace back to accumulation via two addresses between October 2025 and January 2026 at an average price of $0.1713. The sale of 10 million tokens yielded a $207,000 profit, though the full 30.99 million tokens held an unrealized gain of $52.33 million at April 2’s peak price.

April 5 — A false report claiming former President Donald Trump was seriously ill and hospitalized spread rapidly across U.S. social media on April 4 local time, igniting widespread speculation. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung clarified: "Over this Easter weekend, President Trump has been working tirelessly at the White House and Oval Office." After Trump’s social media account posted about a "missing pilot being rescued," Cheung added: "Let those disgusting reporters who disgracefully question the president’s whereabouts see what he’s actually doing." The White House also pushed back against online rumors via its official account: "When President Trump goes 12 hours without a media interview, these mentally deranged liberal figures start fabricating absurd conspiracy theories. (Yet when Biden can go 12 days without a media interview, they say nothing.) Don’t worry! President Trump has never stopped working." It also slammed accounts spreading the "Trump hospita