14 APR 26 SITREP

• Protesters gathered outside the Dáil in Dublin after a 92 to 78 vote upheld confidence in the government, with roads blocked across the city and demonstrators opposing fuel price spikes, excise taxes, and VAT taxes.
• Irish participants reported the government deployed the army near O’Connell Bridge the previous Sunday to disperse civilians, while Garda units blocked major motorway routes and responded rapidly with 5 patrol cars during road block demonstrations.
• Heating oil prices increased from 105 to 182 within 3 months, forcing elderly residents on fixed incomes to choose between purchasing food or heating their homes, while small businesses reported inability to survive under current costs.
• Farmers, fishermen, and working-class families cited broader grievances including housing shortages, healthcare system failures, grocery price increases, and government spending priorities, with continued protests expected over the next 6 months due to voting restrictions.

• Pope Leo XIV began his first apostolic journey in Africa on 04-13 with a visit to Algeria, marking the first papal visit to the country and drawing immediate attention after calling the mosque “a space proper to God.”
• The pope began at the Mosque of Algiers, the 3rd largest mosque in the world after Mecca and Medina, where he removed his shoes in accordance with protocol and spent just under 10 minutes in silent reflection alongside Imam Mohamed Mamoun al Qasimi near the mihrab.
• The visit included Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad and Archbishop Jean-Paul Vesco, followed by a private meeting with the mosque’s rector where the pope again referred to the site as “a space proper to God.”
• The Algeria stop followed a previous visit to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul where the pope also removed his shoes and observed in silence, later stating he prefers to pray in a Catholic church and referencing Saint Charles de Foucauld and the 19 martyrs of Algeria.

• California Representative Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress after videos surfaced showing him in bed with a woman identified on an escort website, with the footage released publicly following distribution by multiple individuals.
• The videos showed Swalwell engaging in activity with a woman who was not his wife, with the individual later identified through an escort listing, raising questions about his personal conduct.
• Swalwell held a position on the House Select Committee for Intelligence, giving him access to sensitive national security information at the time the alleged behavior occurred.
• Statements indicated that additional videos may exist and efforts were underway to obtain, verify, and release further material related to Swalwell’s actions.