The father and estate administrator of late singer Amy Winehouse has lost a High Court claim in London against two of her former associates over the sale of dozens of her personal items. Deputy High Court judge Sarah Clarke KC dismissed Mitch Winehouse’s case on April 20, 2026, finding that stylist Naomi Parry and friend Catriona Gourlay either owned the disputed items or had been gifted them by Winehouse. The sales took place at US auctions in 2021 and 2023 as part of a larger catalogue of hundreds of lots; several individual pieces fetched six-figure sums, including a silk mini dress reported to have sold for about $243,000. The judge concluded the defendants had not “deliberately concealed” the items and said Mr Winehouse “could have discovered” their whereabouts with reasonable diligence, adding critical observations about the reliability of his evidence. Parry issued a statement saying the judgment “clears my name unequivocally,” while the ruling closes a long-running legal dispute over ownership, proceeds and the handling of high-value celebrity effects following Winehouse’s death in 2011.

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.

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.

The fragile two‑week ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared in jeopardy after U.S. forces seized an Iranian‑flagged cargo ship attempting to run a U.S. naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz, disabling its engines and boarding the vessel. Tehran vowed retaliation and initially declined to rejoin a planned second round of talks in Pakistan, even as senior Iranian officials said they were “positively reviewing” participation. Pakistan has stepped up mediation efforts and deployed around 20,000 security personnel in Islamabad to prepare for potential negotiations. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains at a virtual standstill after Iran tightened military control and fired warning shots at vessels; global oil benchmarks jumped roughly 4–6% and war‑risk insurance rates rose. Analysts warn that even if hostilities ease, restoring pre‑war flows through the chokepoint could take weeks to years due to damaged infrastructure, tanker logistics, insurance constraints and depleted onshore storage.

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.