A powerful undersea earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern coast on April 20, prompting tsunami warnings and large-scale evacuations. Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the quake hit at about 4:52 p.m. local time (0752 GMT) with a shallow epicentre off Sanriku and a depth near 10 km; preliminary magnitude readings ranged from 7.4 to 7.7. Authorities issued tsunami warnings for Iwate, Aomori and parts of Hokkaido forecasting waves up to 3 metres; an 80 cm wave was detected at Kuji port within an hour. Evacuation orders or advisories were issued to well over 100,000 residents across multiple prefectures and bullet train services were suspended. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said a government emergency task force was convened. Officials reported no immediate major damage or casualties and said idled nuclear facilities showed no abnormalities. The JMA warned of strong aftershocks and a slightly elevated (about 1%) short-term chance of a larger “mega-quake” on the northern coast in the coming week, urging continued vigilance and preparedness.

Two teenagers were arrested after an arson attack at Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, north‑west London, as British police probe a string of recent attacks on Jewish sites. Officers said a bottle containing an accelerant was thrown through a synagogue window around midnight on Sunday, causing minor smoke damage but no injuries. Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Matt Jukes said the two suspects, aged 17 and 19, were taken into custody; he said the force has now made 15 arrests linked to six incidents in London over recent weeks. Counter‑terror detectives are investigating claims made online by a shadowy group calling itself Harakat Ashab al‑Yamin al‑Islamia (HAYI) and are exploring a “very serious” line of inquiry into whether the attacks were carried out by criminal “proxies” with ties to Iran. Incidents under investigation include the torching of four volunteer ambulances in Golders Green, attempted arson at other synagogues and an attack on a Persian‑language media outlet. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and senior police chiefs condemned the attacks and said visible policing and protective patrols — including drones and armed units — have been increased.

Former president Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria movement scored a landslide in Bulgaria’s snap parliamentary vote on April 19-20, 2026, with official counts showing about 44.7% of the vote after more than 90% of ballots were tallied. That result puts the grouping on course to win roughly 130 of 240 seats, a rare single-party majority that could end five years of chronic instability and eight elections. Main rivals pro-European GERB and the We Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria (PP‑DB) coalition trailed on roughly 13–15% each. Turnout was materially higher than in recent contests, reflecting public anger after December anti‑corruption protests that toppled the previous government. Radev, a former air force commander who resigned the presidency in January to run, is widely described as Russia‑friendly and has criticised EU green policy and direct military assistance to Ukraine, though he has said he would not veto EU aid packages. Analysts predict a pragmatic government that may slow direct military support to Kyiv while seeking judicial reform and targeting corruption at home. The vote revives hopes for durable governance in the EU and NATO member that joined the eurozone this year.

Between April 18-20, tensions surged in the Gulf after U.S. forces intercepted and seized an Iran‑flagged cargo vessel, the Touska, in the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. military says it fired on the ship, disabled its engines and U.S. marines boarded; Washington asserts the vessel tried to breach a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. Iran called the action “armed piracy”, vowed retaliation and for now has declined to rejoin planned peace talks in Islamabad. The incident followed rapid shifts over the weekend in control of the Strait of Hormuz – Tehran briefly reopened it during a truce, then reimposed strict military control citing the U.S. blockade. Shipping reports said at least two merchant vessels were hit while attempting transit, and India summoned Iran’s ambassador after Indian‑flagged ships were fired upon. Markets reacted: oil jumped more than 5-6% on the seizure, reversing a previous fall when hopes rose that traffic might resume; stock markets and bond yields wobbled. U.S. negotiators had been prepared to return to Pakistan to seek a longer ceasefire before the truce’s expiry, but the seizure and Iran’s refusal to engage have put that prospect in doubt.

The U.S. Supreme Court on April 20 agreed to hear an appeal from Catholic preschools and the Archdiocese of Denver that challenge Colorado’s exclusion of faith-based providers from its taxpayer-funded universal preschool program. The plaintiffs — two parishes, the archdiocese (which oversees 34 preschools) and a family — say they were barred because their admissions policies would not admit children of LGBTQ+ parents or those whose families reject Catholic teachings. Lower courts, including a federal district court and the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, upheld Colorado’s nondiscrimination requirement, finding the program neutral and generally applicable. The Trump administration filed an amicus brief supporting the challengers. The Supreme Court said it will consider whether the program’s exceptions for priorities such as disabilities or low income undermine the rule’s neutrality and whether to narrow the 1990 Employment Division v. Smith precedent on religious exemptions. Oral arguments are expected in the Court’s next term this fall, with a decision likely by June 2027. The case is St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy.