A powerful earthquake off northern Japan on April 20, 2026, prompted tsunami warnings, large-scale evacuations and a rare JMA advisory of slightly elevated risk for an even larger quake. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) revised initial estimates to a 7.7 magnitude tremor with an epicentre off Iwate (Sanriku) at a shallow depth of about 10-20km. Authorities issued tsunami warnings for waves up to three metres and detected an initial wave of about 80cm at Kuji port; warnings were later downgraded to advisories and then lifted overnight in many areas. Municipalities across several prefectures advised or ordered tens of thousands of residents to move to higher ground and more than 170,000 people were told to shelter. Bullet train services and some roads were halted; initial reports indicated only minor injuries and no major structural damage. The government set up a crisis management team; Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara urged vigilance. Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority and operators reported no abnormalities at nuclear facilities. The JMA issued a special week-long advisory raising the near-term probability of an 8.0+ event to about 1% from a baseline of roughly 0.1%, stressing it is not a prediction but a call for preparedness.

LONDON, April 21 (Reuters) - British counter-terrorism police arrested eight people in the past 48 hours as part of an investigation into a series of suspected arson attacks on Jewish-linked sites in London, bringing the total arrested since late March to 23. Officers said the recent arrests were part of a probe into an alleged conspiracy to commit arson and that an intended target was connected to the Jewish community, though a specific venue was not disclosed. Arrests in Harpenden, Stevenage, near Birmingham and west London included men aged 24-39 and two women; several suspects have been released on bail while others remain in custody. Separately, a 17-year-old British boy has been charged with arson over an attack on Kenton United Synagogue in north-west London in which a bottle containing an accelerant was thrown through a window, causing minor smoke damage and no injuries. Police recovered jars containing a non-hazardous substance in Kensington Gardens and are probing whether “criminal proxies” paid by a hostile state carried out some incidents; a pro-Iran group has claimed responsibility for a number of the attacks. Counter-terrorism units continue searches and security patrols in north-west London.

On April 21, 2026, Virginians headed to the polls in a one-question special election on a Democratic-drawn mid-decade congressional map that could flip up to four Republican-held U.S. House seats, potentially giving Democrats 10 of the state’s 11 districts. The ballot would temporarily allow the Democratic-controlled General Assembly to adopt new lines through 2030, bypassing the bipartisan commission created in 2020. The contest has attracted near-record spending — much of it from “dark money” — with Virginians for Fair Elections reporting roughly $64 million raised and opposition groups roughly $20–23 million; combined outside spending has been estimated between $75 million and nearly $100 million. Polling showed a narrow edge for the “yes” campaign (around low 50s vs high 40s in several surveys), while the Virginia Supreme Court permitted the referendum to proceed amid legal challenges. National figures including former President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson urged a “no” vote, while Democrats leaned on Barack Obama and Hakeem Jeffries to back “yes.” The outcome could affect control of the narrowly divided U.S. House in November and intensify a coast‑to‑coast redistricting battle, with Florida and other states watching closely.

Britain’s royal family held a series of events on April 20-21, 2026 to mark what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday. King Charles and Queen Camilla visited a major new exhibition, “Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style,” at the King’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace, showing more than 300 items from the late monarch’s wardrobe. The sovereign delivered a pre-recorded, personal tribute calling his “darling Mama” a life of service and saying she might have been “troubled deeply” by the times. Royals and Prime Minister Keir Starmer viewed final designs for a national memorial in St James’s Park — a Foster-led scheme that includes a traditional bronze statue by Martin Jennings (about 3 metres tall), a bust of the Queen in later life, and a rebuilt park bridge — expected to be completed in roughly two years. Princess Anne opened the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Regent’s Park, and the family hosted an evening reception at Buckingham Palace for charities the Queen supported and centenarians. The government-backed Queen Elizabeth Trust was also launched with £40 million and the King as patron to support community spaces.

SEOUL, April 21 — South Korean police have asked prosecutors to seek a detention warrant for Bang Si-hyuk, founder and chairman of HYBE, over alleged illegal trading tied to the company’s 2020 initial public offering. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency says Bang is suspected of violating the Capital Markets Act by misleading early investors in 2019, inducing them to sell shares to a private equity vehicle linked to his associates, and later receiving about 30% of the fund’s post-IPO profits. Police estimate alleged illicit gains at roughly 190 billion won (about $129 million). Bang has denied wrongdoing and his lawyers said they regretted the warrant request despite “full and consistent” cooperation with investigators. Bang has been barred from leaving South Korea since August 2025; authorities have previously raided HYBE and the Korea Exchange and seized shares provisionally. HYBE shares swung on the news, falling in early trading. The probe has diplomatic overtones after reports the U.S. embassy in Seoul sought a temporary lift of Bang’s travel ban to allow attendance at U.S. events tied to BTS’s global tour. Prosecutors must decide whether to seek formal detention and a court will then consider any warrant.