Headlines: 20-26 April 2026

Tuesday, 21 April 2026

Time: Trump says he does not want to extend cease-fire as Iran insists it will 'not negotiate under threat' — 21 April 2026 (LINK)

President Donald Trump said he thinks that the U.S. is "going to end up with a great deal" with Iran to end the war — 21 April 2026 (LINK)

Three ships including an Iranian vessel appear to cross Hormuz Strait as US and Iranian blockades remain in place — 21 April 2026 (LINK)

Eight arrested in UK over foiled arson attack on Jewish community in London — 21 April 2026 (LINK)

— Police said that since the March 23 arson attack in the Golders Green neighbourhood of London, in which several ambulances belonging to a Jewish volunteer rescue organization were set on fire outside a synagogue, a total of eight people have been charged with arson-related offences and 13 people remain in police custody or on bail under investigation.

Japan lifts ban on lethal weapons exports in major shift of pacifist policy: Japanese newspapers said the changes would encompass fighter jets, missiles and warships, which Japan has recently agreed to build for Australia — 21 April 2026 (LINK)

Gunman who fired on tourists at Mexican pyramid carried materials related to 1999 Columbine massacre. Monday marked the 27th anniversary of the massacre in Colorado — 21 April 2026 (LINK)

— The attack killed a Canadian woman and left at least 13 people injured. Taken to hospitals were six people from the U.S., three from Colombia, one from Russia, one from Brazil, one from the Netherlands and one from Canada, the local government said. The youngest person who was hurt was 6; the oldest was 61, Mexican authorities said.

US: Florida Democrat resigns from Congress minutes before House ethics panel was set to weigh her expulsion — 21 April 2026 (LINK)

— Congress previously found Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of a slew of ethics violations, including accusations that she stole millions in pandemic relief funds and used it to bolster her 2021 campaign. Her attorney decried the congressional investigation, arguing that the panel had put the congresswoman — who faces separate federal criminal charges — in an unfair position.

— The Democrat's departure marks the third resignation from the House in the last seven days. Reps. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, resigned last week amid a torrent of explosive allegations against them and the threat of expulsion votes.

Sacked UK Foreign Office chief, Olly Robbins, describes 'pressure' from No 10 and 'dismissive' attitude to Mandelson vetting to be US ambassador — 21 April 2026 (LINK)

— Robbins was sacked after the prime minister discovered he did not tell him that Mandelson had failed the vetting process to be the US ambassador. Guardian: "Robbins still believes that he and the Foreign Office made the correct decision — the PM's position is the exact opposite."

Airlines, though not in the US, are about to run out of jet fuel because of the Iran war, but costs are rising, and United has cut its previously planned schedule by about 5% over the next six months — 21 April 2026 (LINK)

JPMorgan Chase said Tuesday it will expand its $1.5 trillion Security and Resiliency Initiative into Europe, extending a programme originally launched in the U.S. to finance and invest in industries critical to national security and economic resilience — 21 April 2026 (LINK)

Monday, 20 April 2026

NPR: Trump says he is sending a team of negotiators to Pakistan today for in-person talks to end the war. But Vice President Vance has not left yet. Iran has never confirmed that talks would take place — 20 April 2026 (LINK)

Two months after the Supreme Court ruled that most of Trump's tariffs were unconstitutional, the federal government has launched an online portal for business owners to request refunds. U.S. Customs has estimated it owes $166 billion in tariff refunds — (LINK)

UK moves to ban smoking for everyone born after 2008. Only the king's signature remains for it to become law — 20 April 2026 (LINK)

— DW: Only one other country, the Maldives, currently has a similar "generational smoking ban" in place. The very first country to do so, New Zealand, swiftly overturned the law following a change in government in 2023.

Mexico’s President Sheinbaum demands explanation after US officials die after IS-Mexico anti-drug operation in Chihuahua — 20 April 2026 (LINK)

Japan lifts tsunami alert after magnitude 7.7 quake in north — 20 April 2026 (LINK)

— Al Jazeera: The quake hit on Monday at 4:53pm (07:53 GMT) in waters off Iwate prefecture on the Pacific coast. It was felt across a wide area, shaking buildings in Tokyo, hundreds of kilometres to the south.

Gunman shoots several tourists at historic Teotihuacan pyramids in Mexico, killing one Canadian and leaving at least 13 people injured — 20 April 2026 (LINK)

— The shooter was identified as a 27-year-old Mexican, a state official told the AP on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak about the case. The gunman later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said, and security officials found a gun, a knife and ammunition. He was the sole assailant in the attack, the State of Mexico government confirmed on Monday night.

US Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is leaving Trump's Cabinet after abuse of power allegations, including having an affair with a subordinate and drinking alcohol on the job — 20 April 2026 (LINK)

Researchers at the University of Lausanne (Unil) have uncovered a new biological mechanism that exposes a critical vulnerability in tumor cells when they are deprived of vitamin B7 — 20 April 2026 (LINK)

— Science Daily: "Without biotin, cancer cells lose that flexibility and stop growing. Mutations in a cancer-linked gene can make this vulnerability even stronger, offering a promising new target for therapy."