Data centres, climate targets and energy security – three forces pushing nuclear power back to the forefront of the global agenda. But behind the technological shift lies a human dimension: the story of nuclear host communities, where quality of life has long defied the familiar fears.
Three Forces Behind the Renaissance
The AI Data Centre Surge
Climate Commitments
Energy Security
Data centres already consume ~2% of global electricity and the figure is set to multiply as AI model training becomes industrial. Only nuclear can deliver baseload power at scale, 24/7, regardless of weather
At COP28, 20+ nations pledged to triple nuclear capacity by 2050. Nuclear emits less CO₂ per kWh over its full lifecycle than solar panels – and far less than any fossil fuel alternative
The crises of 2021-2022 exposed the vulnerability of single-source energy systems. Now, the 2026 Middle East conflict has delivered an even starker lesson: severe disruption of flows through the Strait of Hormuz has triggered what the IEA has described as “the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market” – worse than the oil shocks of the 1970s. The crisis has made one argument impossible to ignore: energy that is generated at home cannot be blockaded.
In 2024, Microsoft signed a deal to restart a unit at Three Mile Island – the very plant in Pennsylvania whose partial meltdown in 1979 shaped public anxiety about nuclear for decades. The reasoning was simple: the data centres powering AI require enormous quantities of electricity, continuous and ideally carbon-free. A nuclear plant delivers all three. That deal has since become something of a symbol for a much broader shift playing out across dozens of countries.
The industry already calls it a renaissance – not the first in nuclear’s history, but arguably the most structurally grounded. Three things are happening at once: explosive electricity demand from the digital economy, binding climate targets set by governments, and a growing reckoning with the limits of intermittent renewables. Wind and solar are essential to decarbonisation – but they cannot guarantee baseload supply in all weather, at all hours. Nuclear can.
“We need a source that delivers around the clock, every day of the year – sun or no sun, wind or no wind.” That, roughly, is how energy executives frame the problem when they look at what AI actually needs from the grid.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: AN UNLIKELY ALLY FOR NUCLEAR
Data centres already account for about 2% of global electricity consumption, and that figure could rise dramatically by 2030 as training and running large language models becomes routine. Google, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft are all in the market for long-term clean power contracts – and nuclear plants are almost the only sellers that can offer both the scale and the certainty those contracts require.
One example already up and running: the Kalinin Data Centre, built directly on the site of the Kalinin nuclear power plant in Russia. It draws up to 80 MW of guaranteed power straight from the plant’s substations – giving it some of the lowest electricity costs in central Russia – and operates to Tier III reliability standards. It has been included in Russia’s national Digital Economy programme. This is not a concept for the future: a nuclear plant is already powering real digital infrastructure today.
In the United States, after decades of stagnation, the first licensing procedures in a generation have begun for new reactors, including small modular reactors – SMRs – that promise lower capital costs and shorter build times. In the United Kingdom, Hinkley Point C is under construction. France has announced six new EPR-2 reactors. Canada has approved a major refurbishment of the Pickering station. These are not isolated decisions. They represent a change of direction that is now systemic.
THE CLIMATE CASE: THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
Nuclear energy produces less carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour over its full lifecycle than a solar panel, and many times less than a gas turbine. For governments that have committed to climate neutrality by 2050, this is becoming a decisive argument – particularly given that large-scale battery storage, the main alternative for backing up renewables, carries its own considerable environmental costs.
It is no coincidence that at COP28 in Dubai, more than 20 nations signed a declaration committing to triple nuclear capacity by 2050. The list includes the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada and South Korea. After years on the political margins, nuclear is back in the official climate conversation.
87%
+$9K
€59B
>$2B
of residents in 24 Russian nuclear cities report satisfaction with their quality of life
average household income between US counties near nuclear plants vs. neighbouring counties
projected average annual household income generated by EU nuclear industry, 2025–2050
annual economic impact of Palo Verde nuclear plant in Arizona, the largest in the US
Nuclear cities sociological survey, Russia
Good Energy Collective / Carnegie Mellon, 2022
Deloitte / NuclearEurope, 2025
APS – Arizona Public Service
NUCLEAR CITIES: THE LIFE THAT RARELY MAKES THE NEWS
In the middle of the technology and climate debate, it is easy to miss a different dimension entirely – the human one. Nuclear energy does not exist in the abstract: it lives in specific towns and regions, alongside real communities. And the data on quality of life in those places tell a story that sits rather awkwardly alongside the image embedded in popular culture.
Research from multiple countries consistently finds that cities and regions hosting nuclear facilities tend to have higher household incomes, better infrastructure, stable employment, and often stronger demographic indicators than comparable areas without nuclear presence. A nuclear plant is not simply a generator. It is an anchor employer, a leading taxpayer, and a structural pillar of the local economy for decades at a stretch.
EVIDENCE FROM AROUND THE WORLD
CANADA – Bruce Power (Ontario)
Bruce Power is the largest employer in Ontario’s Bruce County. Ipsos polling found that 93% of local residents consider the company a “good neighbour” and 96% are confident the plant operates safely. That level of sustained public support sits alongside major refurbishment programmes that will go on creating thousands of regional jobs for years ahead.
HUNGARY – Paks
Paks is a small town on the Danube, 100 kilometres south of Budapest. According to Hungary’s Central Statistical Office (KSH), it ranks among the country’s leaders in per capita income – GDP per capita and purchasing power run roughly 1.5 to 2 times the national average. Male life expectancy in Paks is around 75-76 years, against 73 nationally; female life expectancy is 81-82, against 79 across Hungary.
FINLAND – Eurajoki (Olkiluoto NPP)
The Finnish municipality of Eurajoki, home to the Olkiluoto plant, has a population of around 9,000 and is one of the most financially secure municipalities in the region. In 2022, the plant’s operator TVO paid €20 million in property tax, out of the municipality’s total tax revenue of €57 million. Local authorities describe Eurajoki as debt-free. It also maintains a stable population, which is a genuinely rare achievement for small Finnish communities.
RUSSIA – Udomlya (Kalinin NPP, Tver Region)
The Kalinin nuclear power plant is the largest electricity producer in central Russia, located 3 kilometres from the town of Udomlya. The plant generates 82% of all electricity produced in the Tver Region and 14% of the output of the entire Central Federal District. It is also a major regional employer: together with contractor organisations, the station accounts for around 30% of all jobs among the working-age population of the Udomlya municipal district. The plant supplies the town with heat and hot water, and the construction of the station marked the beginning of rapid development across the entire surrounding area.
UNITED STATES – Palo Verde (Arizona)
Palo Verde is the largest nuclear plant in the United States and generates more than $2 billion in annual economic impact for Arizona. The station directly employs 2,500 people, with a further 5,800 jobs supported in related industries. It is Arizona’s largest private taxpayer – a contribution that matters directly to the funding of local schools and public infrastructure.
SWEDEN – Forsmark
A Novus survey from spring 2023 found that at least 86% of residents in Östhammar municipality – where Forsmark is located – support the construction of a permanent spent fuel repository. Nine in ten local residents believe the presence of operator SKB has a positive impact on regional development.
UNITED KINGDOM – Hinkley Point C (Somerset)
Britain’s largest infrastructure project will employ up to 15,000 workers at peak construction. More than 1,500 apprentices have already been trained, 500 more than originally planned. Three Skills Centres of Excellence in Somerset have put over 8,000 people through training in welding, electrical and mechanical trades. The effects on the regional labour market will be felt for a long time.
CANADA – Pickering (Ontario)
The Pickering refurbishment is expected to create around 30,500 jobs during construction and sustain 6,700 permanent positions during operation. The project received government approval in November 2025, with construction due to begin in 2027.
FRANCE – Nuclear host regions
Analysis by France’s national statistics agency INSEE indicates that nuclear plants generate economic clusters that sustain employment and population in smaller municipalities across the country.
THE PROXIMITY PARADOX: WHY NUCLEAR COMMUNITIES SUPPORT NUCLEAR ENERGY
Sociologists have long noted a pattern that tends to surprise outsiders: the further people live from a nuclear plant, the more they fear it. The closer they live, the more they trust it. A Nuclear Energy Institute study found that 89% of residents within ten miles of a reactor view nuclear energy favourably. Surveys across nuclear host cities in Russia show that 78% of residents feel proud of the industry’s achievements, and more than two-thirds rate its contribution to their city’s development positively. Across 24 such cities, 87% of residents report satisfaction with their quality of life – in some, the figure exceeds 90%.
This is not a coincidence, and it has nothing to do with messaging campaigns. It is the product of lived experience. When a nuclear plant is the largest employer in the area, the main source of local tax revenue, and the sponsor of community sports clubs and healthcare facilities, people’s relationship with it is shaped not by what they read in the news, but by the texture of their daily lives.
The Proximity Paradox: Trust Rises Near the Plant
The closer people live to a reactor, the more they support itSociologists have long documented a consistent pattern: public support for nuclear energy is significantly higher among people who live close to a plant. Daily life near a facility creates a different picture than the one shaped by media coverage from a distance.The effect holds across countries, cultures and decades of polling.
Within 10 miles of a reactor (US, Nuclear Energy Inst.) Bruce Power region (Canada, Ipsos) Forsmark area (Sweden, Novus 2023) Nuclear cities, Russia (satisfied with life)
89%96%86%87%
CONCLUSION: AN OLD SOURCE OF ENERGY FOR NEW CHALLENGES
The nuclear renaissance that gathered momentum through the mid-2020s is neither nostalgia nor ideology. It is a practical response to several problems that landed at roughly the same time: exponential growth in electricity demand from the digital economy; climate targets that cannot realistically be met without firm, low-carbon baseload generation; and hard lessons from successive energy crises about the fragility of systems built around a single source or a single supplier.
Against that backdrop, the accumulated experience of nuclear communities around the world: from Eurajoki in Finland to Paks in Hungary, from the shores of Lake Ontario to the Arizona desert, makes for a substantial body of evidence. Living near a nuclear plant is not a losing proposition for a community. More often than not, it has been the foundation of lasting prosperity, decent public services, and demographic stability that many non-nuclear towns can only envy. That, too, belongs in the conversation about what the future of energy actually looks like.
This analysis draws on data from: Deloitte / NuclearEurope (2025); Good Energy Collective / Carnegie Mellon University (2022); Ipsos Canada; Novus / SKB (Sweden, 2023); KSH — Hungarian Central Statistical Office; TVO (Finland); APS — Arizona Public Service; EDF Energy (United Kingdom); Government of Ontario; INSEE (France); Nuclear Energy Institute (United States); IEA; sociological surveys of nuclear host cities in Russia; Rosenergoatom
With 50 days to go until the World Cup kicks off, FIFA and the tournament’s host nations face criticism over wide-ranging social, political and logistical issues surrounding the global event.
Canada and Mexico will cohost the tournament with the United States, which, alongside Israel, launched a war on World Cup participant nation Iran on February 28. While the war is currently under a fragile temporary ceasefire, Iran’s participation in the tournament remains uncertain.
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Fans across the three host countries are in uproar over exorbitant ticket prices, which have affected sales and interest in the world’s most popular quadrennial sporting event.
Local politicians and the public have also raised concerns over the hike in transport fares on routes connecting match venues in the US.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the growing concerns in the run-up to the tournament, which begins on June 11 with the opening fixture between Mexico and South Africa:
What’s the latest on Iran’s participation in the World Cup?
Iran’s football team is preparing for the championship. However, officials say a final decision on the team’s participation will be taken by the government and the National Security Council after they review the players’ safety in the US.
Iran had said last month that it would not participate in the tournament amid the war, especially if the host nation could not guarantee players’ security. It followed a social media post from President Donald Trump, where he suggested that the Iranian team’s safety and security could not be guaranteed in the US, where Iranians are scheduled to play all their games.
The Iranian football federation then asked FIFA to relocate its games from the US to Mexico. FIFA rejected the request.
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino said last week that Iran “has to come” to the tournament.
Iran will play all their group stage matches on the US West Coast. Should they advance to the knockouts, the remaining games would also be held in the US.
Outrageous commuter fare prices in US host cities
Fans can expect to pay nearly 12 times the regular $12.90 fare for a round-trip train ride from Manhattan’s Penn Station to the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, venue of the World Cup final and seven other major fixtures.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and FIFA have chided each other on the $150 price tag for a roughly 15-minute, 14km (9-mile) ride; Sherrill said FIFA should bear the costs, while the global body hit back, saying it is not obligated to do so.
Train commutes to Gillette Stadium in Boston’s suburbs cost roughly four times the regular price ($20), while round-trip bus fares to Foxborough cost $95.
Host cities Los Angeles and Philadelphia have pledged to keep their transit fares unchanged, while Kansas City is offering a $15 round-trip fare to Arrowhead Stadium. Houston said it has added buses and train cars to serve fans but intends to keep fares at current levels: $1.25 for buses and light rail trains, and park-and-ride options ranging from $2 to $4.50.
High prices, low demand for match tickets
Sky-high ticket prices have left fans outraged at what they say is pricing that excludes supporters from the tournament. A lag in ticket sales for blockbuster matches, including hosts USA vs Paraguay, seems to be a testament to the high price tag.
FIFA put tickets on sale in December at prices ranging from $140 for Category 3 in the first round to $8,680 for the final. Later, it raised prices to as high as $10,990 when sales reopened on April 1.
The North American bid had initially promised tickets would be available for as little as $21; however, the cheapest ticket has been priced at $60. Most tickets cost at least $200 for matches involving higher-ranked teams.
FIFA announced another round of ticket sales on Wednesday to coincide with the 50-day countdown. Tickets will be available across categories 1 to 3 for all 104 matches on a first-come, first-served basis.
Pushback against immigration raids during World Cup matches
The Trump administration’s push for mass deportation and its efforts to tighten legal immigration pathways have spurred concerns about whether the World Cup’s international audience might be targeted by US immigration authorities.
Infantino was approached last week to pressure Trump to avoid immigration raids at this year’s tournament. Reporters suggested that agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were present at last year’s FIFA Club World Cup matches, though the Trump administration denied conducting enforcement efforts.
A report by The Athletic explained that FIFA executives have framed the possibility of an immigration moratorium as a potential public relations boon for the Trump administration. It also indicated that the executives hoped Infantino would leverage his friendly relationship with Trump to assuage any immigration-related fears.
Violence in Mexico raises fears over tournament security
World Cup cohost Mexico is also under the spotlight due to concerns for fan safety after a lone attacker opened fire on tourists near the country’s capital on Monday.
The accused opened fire on top of one of the Teotihuacan pyramids — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Mexico’s most frequented tourist attractions — and killed one Canadian tourist and injured 13 others.
It raised questions about security protocols taken by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government in the run-up to the global football tournament.
Sheinbaum said Mexico will beef up security ahead of the World Cup.
“Our obligation as a government is to take the appropriate measures to ensure that a situation like this does not happen again. But clearly, we all know — Mexicans know — that this is something that had not previously taken place,” she said on Tuesday.
The number of babies born in South Korea rose at a record high pace in February of this year, government data showed Wednesday. In this photo, taken Wednesday, a nurse looks after newborns at a hospital in Goyang. Photo by Yonhap
The number of babies born rose at a record high pace in February of this year, driven largely by an increase in childbirths by women in their 30s, government data showed Wednesday.
A total of 22,898 babies were born during the month, up a solid 13.6 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to findings by the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
The figure was the highest for the month since 2019, when 25,710 babies were born, and the growth pace was also the highest for any February since record keeping began in 1981, the ministry said
The number of newborns has been on an upward trend since July 2024.
The country’s total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, rose 0.1 from a year earlier to 0.93 in February.
The ministry said the recent rise in births was mainly led by women in their 30s, with the number of births per 1,000 women in their early 30s rising by 9.1 to 86.1 and the corresponding tally for women in their late 30s increasing by 9.2 to 61.5.
The number of births per 1,000 women in their late 20s only rose by 1.6 to 23.9.
The number of marriages in February declined 4.2 percent on-year to 18,557, turning lower after 22 straight months of increase, on the fewer number of working days due to the extended Lunar New Year holiday.
The number of divorces went down 15.6 percent on-year to 6,197 in the cited month, the data showed.
Meanwhile, the number of deaths dropped by 3.5 percent from a year earlier to 29,172, resulting in a natural population decline of 6,275.
Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.
Scotland are back at the World Cup, after a 28-year hiatus. Steve Clarke’s men will be hoping to make it past the group stages for the first time in the nation’s history, but face a tough task in Group C, which they share with five-time winners Brazil and Africa Cup of Nations champions Morocco, as well as Haiti.
Their away kit comes in a bold coral colour, reminiscent of Scotland’s 1999 away strip.
Vafaei beat Barry Hawkins in the first round at the Crucible last year before losing 13-10 to Mark Williams.
An injury wrecked the start of this season but an intensive physio programme got him back playing, although he then had a poor run of results following his return.
“With my injury, I took two or three months [out] and after that I lost my form,” he added. “It was a shoulder problem, it was hurting my fingers and all the nerves on my left side.
“It was tough to get back my form and to find something and the struggles started from there.
“I’m under lots of pressure. I’m not having a good season. A lot of people have been like ‘where is he? what’s he doing?’. They’re thinking I’ve stopped playing snooker.
“I’ve had a tough year mentally, personally, and everything.”
But there has been some encouragement on the table as before his success at qualifying, he beat Williams and Zhang Anda to reach the quarter-finals of last month’s World Open where he was beaten by Trump.
However, he said news from back home meant he was often not focused on snooker.
“You get a bad text in the day and you can’t focus on your job. How can I focus?” said Vafaei.
“No-one knows how tough it is but hopefully it will be over soon, then the safety comes back to my country.”
An AI-generated image illustrates rising consumer debt and credit card borrowing in South Korea. Graphic by Asia Today and translated by UPI
April 21 (Asia Today) — Credit card loans and cash advances in South Korea surged more than 50% in March, signaling growing financial strain among households and raising concerns about rising credit risk in the card industry.
According to data from the Credit Finance Association, card loan usage at nine major credit card companies rose to 11.44 trillion won ($8.4 billion) in March from 7.42 trillion won ($5.4 billion) in February, an increase of about 54%.
Outstanding card loan balances reached 42.99 trillion won ($31.5 billion), up slightly from the previous month and marking a third straight month of increases.
The sharp rise reflects growing demand for short-term, high-interest borrowing as households face persistent inflation and a slowing economy, while tighter bank lending standards push lower-credit borrowers toward credit cards as a last resort.
Industry officials warned the trend could signal deteriorating asset quality, as card loans typically carry higher default risks.
Delinquencies are already rising. Data from the Bank of Korea showed the delinquency rate on credit card loans at commercial banks reached 4.1% at the end of January, the highest level since May 2005.
Loans overdue for more than six months – widely considered difficult to recover – also surged, rising 84% last year to 470.8 billion won ($345 million).
While higher loan volumes can boost interest income, industry officials said the increasing share of low-credit borrowers and longer delinquency periods could weigh on profitability due to higher provisions for bad loans.
Among card issuers, Samsung Card recorded the largest loan volume in March at 2.22 trillion won ($1.6 billion), while Hyundai Card posted the biggest monthly increase.
Cash advance usage also climbed sharply, rising 56% month-over-month to 12.48 trillion won ($9.1 billion), with outstanding balances increasing 4.5% to 6.29 trillion won ($4.6 billion).
A credit card industry official said the combined rise in new borrowing and outstanding balances could become a burden if delinquency rates continue to worsen.
Football’s governing body puts more tickets on sale but has introduced new premium-priced tiers that angered some fans.
Published On 22 Apr 202622 Apr 2026
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is putting more World Cup tickets on sale after angering some fans by adding new, more expensive categories.
FIFA announced on Tuesday that it would make more tickets available at 11am EDT (15:00 GMT) on Wednesday for all 104 games in Categories 1, 2 and 3, in addition to the new “front category” pricing it added this month.
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The new category led to online complaints from fans, who said they had thought that the better seats in the categories they had bought tickets for were withheld, and they had been assigned less favourable locations.
FIFA in December put tickets on sale at prices ranging from $140 for Category 3 in the first round to $8,680 for the final, then raised prices to as much as $10,990 when sales reopened on April 1.
FIFA did not respond to an April 9 request for comment about the new ticket categories it added.
Also on Tuesday, The Athletic reported that ticket sales are lagging for the US opener against Paraguay on June 12 at Inglewood, California. It said a document distributed to local organisers, dated April 10, said that 40,934 tickets had been bought for the US-Paraguay game, and 50,661 were bought for the Iran-New Zealand contest on April 15.
FIFA projects the capacity at the Los Angeles SoFi Stadium, where the US-Paraguay and Iran-New Zealand games will be held, to be about 69,650, noting that it may change.
FIFA’s December sale priced US-Paraguay tickets at $1,120, $1,940 and $2,735, and Iran-New Zealand seats at $140, $380 and $450.
World number one Judd Trump recovered from a slow start to defeat Gary Wilson in their first-round match.
Trump, the 2019 champion, lost four of the first five frames as Wilson, ranked 27th, moved into a 4-1 lead.
But Trump then claimed the final four frames of the session, including superb breaks of 128 and 77, to hold a 5-4 advantage.
However, Wilson, a three-time ranking event winner, made the highest break of the session with a superb 139 clearance in frame five.
In the second session later on Tuesday, Wilson made a break of 58 to make it 5-5, but Trump pulled clear by winning five in a row to seal a 10-5 success.
Trump, 36, has been top of the world rankings since August 2024 and will extend that run if he reaches the quarter-finals.
“I like being number one, it’s going to be difficult to keep it unless I do really well in the next season but I take a lot of pride in it,” he said.
Trump lives in Dubai but, because of the recent conflict in the Middle East, he left the area temporarily.
“I had to stay in Thailand for a month, and I managed to practice for the World Championship, but it has been more back to normal now,” he said.
“Dubai is still my base, I’ve been back there in the last couple of weeks and everything is normal.”
A downbeat Wilson, speaking to BBC Four, said: “It’s just constant disappointment. I am, and always have been since the age of 13, a better player than this.
“It’s a constant struggle. The yips are getting worse and I’m just riding through it.”
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning speaks during a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, China, 13 January 2026. Photo by WU HAO / EPA
April 21 (Asia Today) — China has denied entry to South Korea’s intelligence chief and signaled reluctance to improve bilateral relations, amid growing tensions over Seoul’s perceived stance on Taiwan, according to diplomatic sources.
A South Korean delegation led by lawmaker Cho Jung-sik of the Democratic Party of Korea recently visited Beijing and returned Sunday after holding talks on political issues and bilateral relations. The delegation had initially planned to include National Intelligence Service Director Lee Jong-seok.
However, Chinese authorities reportedly refused Lee’s visit, citing remarks in which he suggested that engagement with Taiwan could be used as leverage to encourage China’s cooperation in improving inter-Korean relations.
According to a diplomatic source in Beijing, China reacted strongly to the comments and demanded an explanation through diplomatic channels. The delegation was subsequently restructured to include deputy officials and retired military officers instead of Lee.
Although the visit proceeded, its outcomes were limited. Chinese officials maintained protocol by assigning a vice foreign minister to host the delegation, but expectations for substantive progress were low, sources said.
Beijing is believed to be increasingly dissatisfied with what it views as South Korea’s ambiguous position – publicly supporting the “One China” principle while maintaining a level of engagement with Taiwan.
Tensions have also been fueled by a recent dispute over how Taiwan is officially referenced, in which South Korea appeared to adjust its position following objections from Taipei. Chinese officials reportedly viewed the move as inconsistent and unfavorable.
The strained atmosphere has cast doubt on the possibility of a visit to South Korea this year by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which Seoul has sought as part of efforts to stabilize ties.
Analysts say the situation highlights the need for South Korea to carefully manage relations with China while balancing broader regional dynamics.
April 21 (UPI) — European airline Lufthansa announced Tuesday that it will chop 20,000 “unprofitable” short-haul flights through October, a move the company says will save more than 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel.
The company, which is based in Germany, said fuel costs have doubled since the start of the conflict in Iran. This follows a move last week to retire the 27-plane fleet of its CityLine subsidiary ahead of schedule, Politico reported.
Lufthansa canceled the first 120 flights, which were to take place through the end of May, on Monday and said it had alerted affected passengers.The 20,000 cancelations include the former CityLine flights and affect the airline’s hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels and Rome.
“Passengers will therefore continue to have access to the global route network, particularly long-haul connections,” Lufthansa said in its announcement. “However, due to the increase in jet fuel prices, this will be achieved significantly more efficiently than before.”
The airline said that it will post the schedule “optimizations” from June onward in late April.
Politico reported that other airlines, including SAS Scandinavian Airlines and Air France- KLM, have turned to similar measures to deal with fuel costs.
The “Viajando Por El Mundo Tropitour” will kick off July 24 at Chicago’s Soldier Field. The “Provenza” artist will then head out to Las Vegas on Aug. 7 before making a stop at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Aug. 14. She’ll grace California with one more performance on Aug. 21 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
The 35-year-old singer will wrap up the U.S. leg of her tour with a performance in Dallas on Oct. 15 before commencing the international section of the tour in Monterrey, Mexico, on Nov. 6. This string of shows is scheduled to finish exactly a year after commencing, with a July 24, 2027, set in Milan, Italy.
Karol G was the first Latina to headline Coachella in the desert fest’s 27-year history. She was only the second Latin music artist to get top billing at the event, with Bad Bunny being the first to ever do it with his 2023 headlining performances.
“This is for my Latinos that have been struggling in this country lately,” she told her fans during her history-making performance. “We stand for them. I stand for my Latina community. I am very proud because this brings out the best in us: unity, resilience and a strong spirit. We do this because we want everyone to feel welcome to our culture, so I want everyone to feel proud of where you come from.”
During her Coachella shows, which took place across two weekends in April, she brought out a cavalcade of guest performers — including L.A.’s own Becky G, the Colombian reggaeton revivalist J Balvin and Greg Gonzalez from Cigarettes After Sex.
The “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” artist first teased that she’d be embarking on a tour at the end of her set during the second weekend of Coachella. Text reading “Nos Vamos de Tour” (We’re going on tour) was displayed as she played her final song.
The British government said Monday that it will pass legislation to bar smartphones from schools in England amid broader political and societal debate over whether to ban social media for children younger than 16. File photo by Sascha Steinbach/EPA
April 21 (UPI) — The British government announced it will pass legislation to ban children from using smartphones in schools in England.
The plans unveiled Monday in the House of Lords by Baroness Jacqui Smith, the education minister, formalize what is already policy in many schools but introduces a “clear legal requirement” that would empower them to enforce it — including removing phones from children before class.
The proposed amendment to the Labour administration’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill came after repeated efforts by members of the upper chamber over the past few months to tack on a social media ban for children younger than 16.
Further “ping pong” opposition and blocking, with the Lords repeatedly refusing to pass the legislation and sending it back to the House of Commons, could risk the flagship bill running out of time to become law in the current session of parliament, which is due to end within weeks.
“We recognize the strength of feeling on this issue, both in this House and beyond,” said Baroness Smith.
“Notwithstanding the fact that we think the guidance already in place provides head teachers and schools with a range of approaches to be able to deliver the objective that we all share, we are committing to tabling an amendment in lieu, which will place the existing guidance on a statutory footing in the Bill, creating a clear legal requirement for schools.
“We’ve listened to concerns about how we support headteachers in delivering on this policy and we have listened to parliament,” added Baroness Smith.
The law will only apply to schools in England because education is an area where power is devolved to the parliaments and assemblies of the other countries of the United Kingdom — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The move came two months after the Department for Education issued new guidance to schools that they should be phone-free environments, including during lessons, between lessons, breaktimes and at lunch, but stops short of an outright ban, stating only that phones must be off and in a bag or jacket.
Baroness Smith rejected criticism from some Lords that while the government’s proposal removes the “not seen, not heard” policy from guidance to schools — because phones remain a distraction even when off and out of sight — there was confusion with schools assuming the existing policy remains unchanged and “will continue to be the norm in schools.”
“We have now taken that out of the guidance, and we would be willing to consider whether we should be stronger on that. It is a complex area where different schools and different head teachers might have different ways of achieving the outcome, but it is not possible for me to say that it would be impossible [for children to still use their phones],” said Baroness Smith.
Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the opposition Conservative Party opposition, said Tuesday that her party had been battling Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a ban for over a year and that it had only been realized due to the efforts of her education secretary, Laura Trott.
“In March last year, I asked Starmer to ban phones in schools. He dismissed it as ‘completely unnecessary.’ Now it’s the latest Government U-turn. This is a testament to the relentless work of Laura Trott and our shadow cabinet,” Badenoch wrote on X.
“Now, let’s get under-16s off social media,” she added.
In a post online, Laura Trott, credited the efforts of teachers, parents and health professionals for what she said was “the right step for improving behaviour and raising attainment in our classrooms,” but vowed to hold the government to its word on making sure phones were actually banned.
“We’ll push the government to make clear that ‘not seen & not heard’ policies aren’t allowed,” wrote Trott.
Children race to push colored eggs across the grass during the annual Easter Egg Roll event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on April 21, 2025. Easter this year takes place on April 5. Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo
The container vessel Touska, seen here off Hong Kong’s Ap Lei Chau islet in November 2017, was seized by the U.S. military on Sunday. Iran’s Foreign Ministry demanded Tuesday that the United States release the vessel. Photo by Jerome Favre/EPA
April 21 (UPI) — Iran on Tuesday demanded the United States release the Iranian-flagged container ship the U.S. military seized over the weekend, threatening to use “all its capacities” to defend itself as the cease-fire neared its end.
The U.S. military seized Touska on Sunday as it enforced a military blockade of Iranian ports and ships, raising already high tensions during a two-week cease-fire rapidly nearing its end that negotiators from both countries are to use to secure an end to the war.
U.S. warships intercepted Touska transiting the north Arabian Sea en route to Iran’s Bandar Abbas port city for allegedly violating the blockade.
Iran responded with accusations of violating the cease-fire and drone strikes targeting U.S. military vessels, according to state-run media, though U.S. Central Command has yet to comment.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned the seizure of Touska as an “unlawful and savage act of the terrorist U.S. army,” saying the “act of maritime banditry and terrorism” terrified the ship’s passengers and crew, some of whose family members were onboard.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, while warning of the very dangerous consequences of this unlawful and criminal act by the United States, emphasizes the immediate release of the Iranian vessel, its passengers, its crew and its families,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said the seizure is a violation of international and the fundamental principles and rules of the U.N. Charter, and that it had informed the U.N. secretary general, the Security Council and maritime organizations.
“There is no doubt that the Islamic Republic of Iran will use all its capacities to defend Iran’s national interests and security and to safeguard the rights and dignity of its citizens,” the ministry statement said.
“It is obvious that full responsibility for the further complication of the situation in the region lies with the United States.”
The cease-fire is to end at midnight Tuesday.
Iran has accused Trump of ducking real negotiations on ending the war in favor of trying to exert the United States’ economic and military might to force it to capitulate.
“Trump, by imposing a blockade and violating the cease-fire, wants — in his view — to turn the negotiating table into a table of surrender, or else justify starting the war again,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said late Monday in a statement.
“We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and over thee past two weeks we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”
Trump has continued to boast online that he was “winning” the war while defending himself from criticism and vowing the deal his administration is working on with Iran will be “FAR BETTER” than the landmark multinational Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action the United States, Iran and several other countries signed during the Obama administration.
“If a deal happens under ‘TRUMP,’ it will guarantee Peace, Security and Safety, not only for Israel and the Middle East, but for Europe, America and Everywhere else,” he said on his Truth Social media platform.
“It will be something that the entire World will be proud of, instead of the years of Embarrassment and Humiliation that we have been forced to suffer due to incompetent and cowardly leadership!”
Turkey, Iran’s neighbor and U.S. ally, has been among nations working to de-escalate tensions in the Gulf and seek an extension to the cease-fire as negotiations appear to be at a stalemate over Iran’s nuclear program.
Though public rhetoric is fiery, negotiations behind closed doors are progressing, Ankara’s foreign affairs minister, Hakan Fidan, said Sunday during a forum in southeastern Turkey’s Antalya.
“The good thing is this: both sides continue to negotiate with a very serious intention, sincerely, they have the will to continue,” Fidan said.
“Now, no one wants a new war to start again with the end of the cease-fire next week.”
Turkey hopes that under international pressure, the United States, Israel and Iran will extend the cease-fire to solve outstanding issues, he said.
“A two-week period is good for a cease-fire, but the file in front of them is so comprehensive that it will not be possible to solve all these issues in two weeks,” he said.
“Therefore, a new extension will be needed. I hope this extension will come. I am optimistic about that.”
“A challenge like this is definitely not in Ella’s comfort zone but she wanted to experience something new and push herself. Both Sam and Ella are competitive and they’re in it to win it.
“They filmed the show earlier this year but their fans will have to wait until it airs before they can see who did the best.”
Earlier this month, I revealed that Sky Sports legend Jeff Stelling had signed up to take part with his son Matt.
They’re also competing against Junior and Princess Andre — who are making their reality TV contest debut together.
On Friday, Sam was one of Chris Evans’ first guests on his new run of TFI Unplugged on Channel 4, to promote his telly series Your Song with Paloma Faith and Alison Hammond.
Sam’s show invites amateur singers to take to the stage in a live roadshow across the UK.
Sam explained: “It’s berserk. We go up and down the country, we bring a stage with us for people who have probably never sung in public before with a live band. They come, share a story and sing a song that’s attributed to that. The connection you see being made is beautiful.”
On working with Paloma and Alison, Sam joked: “They’re mad as a box of frogs but great to be around. All of our laughs are so cackly, it’s unreal.
“The three of us laughing together is like the Witches Of Eastwick.”
Sam added: “There is no winning a record deal. There is an event at the end of it and every singer is invited — they rinse the free bar, and a couple of people from each round perform on the night. That is the prize.
“It’s a show that’s got heart.”
LOOK MUM, I’M ALL SET
THERE is less than a month to go until Eurovision and the UK act is now out of the gates, with Look Mum No Computer giving his first live performance of zany track Eins, Zwei, Drei.
The singer– whose real name is Sam Battle – performed at the London Eurovision Party on Sunday night, but admitted it was a struggle to get there after becoming a dad less than a fortnight ago.
Look Mum No Computer is giving his first live performance of zany track Eins, Zwei, DreiCredit: GettyThe singer– whose real name is Sam Battle – performed at the London Eurovision Party on Sunday nightCredit: GettyBoy George and Italian Senhit are representing San MarinoCredit: Getty
In an exclusive chat with Bizarre’s Howell, he confessed: “The concept of sleep is something I fondly miss.”
But it isn’t just his newborn Max who has taken up his time, as he has also built his set for the contest in Vienna.
The YouTuber and inventor said: “Just before we went to the hospital for the baby, I was finishing the props – making and soldering all the bits for Eurovision.
“I didn’t build all of the props – the BBC didn’t trust my welding! – but I’ve built the synthesiser bits for it, and it’s already on a lorry on the way to Vienna.”
Sam has also been working on his voice and dance moves as he prepares for the contest, which starts on May 12.
He added: “I’ve been singing, and I’ve also been working out. I just need to get my stamina up.”
On his staging, he said: “It’s quite complicated. There are some things that require coordination, which is not my forte. I’ve got two left feet.
But (choreographer) Benke Rydman, who I’m working with on the stage setup – he’s very much pushing my boundaries.”
Also at the event in London on Sunday was Boy George, who features on the San Marino act Senhit’s song Superstar.
He was in chipper spirits before the show and spent over an hour talking to journalists, so I’m sure he’ll be hoping to one-up our British act at the final on May 16.
ARNIE TO BACK AUSTRIA
HE is the most famous living Austrian and despite it being rather at odds with his macho persona, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been invited back to his home nation to attend the Eurovision final.
I’m told that organisers are preparing for the Terminator star to be in the audience at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, with the hope that his presence will help celebrate Austrian culture and draw in viewers.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been invited back to his home nation to attend the Eurovision finalCredit: Getty
Arnie already has a surprising soft spot for the contest after meeting with 2022’s Ukrainian winners KALUSH ORCHESTRA and then starring in the music video to their song Shchedryi Vechir in 2023.
Reflecting on the response after they won, frontman Oleh Psiuk previously said: “In Los Angeles, we met Arnold, who has been actively supporting Ukrainians since the early days of the war.
“He invited us over to his house and came out to greet us with a pet donkey.
“We talked about the situation in Ukraine and thanked him for his support and shared how important it was to us.”
Unfortunately though, I don’t think the movie hero’s donkey will be coming with him to the final.
APPLE Music is getting behind Eurovision in a big way, with the streaming service conducting interviews with all the key stars which will air in the run-up to the event.
And you can get to the heart of this year’s songs on Apple Music’s Eurovision 2026 official playlist, which has translated and phonetic lyrics for each of the tracks.
NOW WOODY TELLS HIS OWN TOY STORY
WITH Toy Story 5 hitting cinemas on June 19, the bigwigs over at Mattel invited Bizarre to visit their top-secret studios in LA – where characters Woody and Buzz were once again working their magic before our eyes.
Nick Karamanos at Mattel revealed: “We are bringing to life what happened in Andy’s room for the first time.” (Andy is the central child character in the original film.)
And that means fans of the films won’t just hear Tom Hanks and Tim Allen voicing the characters on screen – they’ll be able to hear them having full-blown conversations in their own homes.
The new Toy Story 5 toy range lets Buzz and Woody actually talk to each other, with no imagination required.
And Hollywood star Tom’s brother Jim Hanks was brought into the studio to bring the speaking toy version of Woody to life.
Mattel designer Baxter Crane explained: “He sounds just like him (Tom), and he knows how to sound like him. He said, ‘To be Tom you’ve just got to yell more, like whatever you wanna say you’ve just got to yell it instead.’
“And it really worked – he sounds just like his brother.”
The craftsmanship behind it all is next level, with Nick revealing that Mattel still uses manual sewing machines to make the characters’ clothes.
Nick explained: “When we think about Toy Story and taking inspiration, a lot of it is just being true to what the characters are and what is the best way to bring them to life.”
It’s not just Toy Story characters being reimagined either, with Camila Mendes, Idris Elba and Nicholas Galitzine all working with Mattel to create figures for Masters Of The Universe.
Andy and his pals will go on sale this Sunday, just in time to get us all excited about the film’s release.
Despite this, I hear fans of the Stones will be able to see Ronnie in action at a top-secret gig later this year.
Fans of the Stones will be able to see Ronnie Wood in action at a top-secret gig later this yearCredit: Getty
My music moles say he is putting on a special, intimate show at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London, on August 31.
They revealed: “Ronnie is doing a show and some big rock names will join him. This isn’t a Stones gig, so it’s not with Mick and Keith, it’s other well-known industry names.
“So far, he’s got Imelda May on board to sing and Ronnie is currently talking to other artists about getting involved.
“He absolutely loves to play live. The show should be announced next week, with tickets on sale soon after.”
Confirming the gig, Ronnie told me: “I’m looking forward to kickin’ ass with my back catalogue and some new songs – look out London!”
I revealed last month that the band was back with a brand new record, and that the legends had signed up actress Odessa A’Zion to star in their comeback video.
Last week, they proved their fan base is still crazy for their music. The Stones released an ultra-limited white label vinyl single, Rough And Twisted, under the alias The Cockroaches – with all copies snapped up within seconds.
They are now being flogged online for more than a grand.
HUGH’S PREMIERE LEAGUE
HUGH JACKMAN and his actress girlfriend Sutton Foster couldn’t have looked happier as they attended his latest movie premiere – three years after he split from his wife.
The Greatest Showman actor stepped out in a blue suit to the launch of The Sheep Detectives in New York City on Sunday evening, alongside Sutton in a sequin gown.
Hugh Jackman stepped out in a blue suit to the launch of The Sheep Detectives in New York CityCredit: Getty
He moved on after his 27-year marriage to Deborra-Lee Furness came to an end, with their divorce finalised last summer.
South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young speaks to reporters at the Seoul Government Complex on April 20. Photo by Asia Today
April 20 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s unification minister on Monday rejected reports of a rift with the United States over intelligence sharing on North Korea, warning against speculation that could harm bilateral relations.
Chung Dong-young said he was concerned about claims suggesting a crisis in ties between Seoul and Washington following reports that the United States had limited the sharing of satellite intelligence after his recent remarks.
“I explained policy to underscore the seriousness of North Korea’s nuclear issue, and it is deeply regrettable that this is being framed as a leak of classified information,” Chung told reporters at the Seoul Government Complex.
He said his comments referencing a suspected nuclear facility in Kusong, North Pyongan Province, were based on publicly available information and had been mentioned previously during his confirmation hearing in July.
Chung questioned the timing of the controversy, noting that the same reference had been made months earlier without issue.
He added that since taking office, he has not received any classified intelligence reports related to North Korea’s nuclear facilities from domestic or foreign agencies.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry also said the remarks were based on previously published material, including reports by the Institute for Science and International Security, the RAND Corporation and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Chung dismissed suggestions that internal divisions within South Korea over alliance policy were behind the issue, saying he did not believe such factors were at play.
In a separate social media post, he also criticized what he described as politically motivated speculation, calling claims of an intelligence leak “groundless.”
The comments come amid heightened scrutiny over information sharing between South Korea and the United States on North Korea’s nuclear program.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during a media tour at the Hanover Fair 2026 Hanover, Germany, on Monday. Photo by Hannibal Hanschke/EPA
April 20 (UPI) — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has warned about the deterioration of the international order and the paralysis of the United Nations in a message published on X.
He urged strengthening multilateralism while on an official visit to Germany, where he also promoted the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur.
“It is useless to have one’s house in order in a world that is in disorder. The prevalence of force over law is the greatest threat to international peace and security,” Lula wrote in a message that addresses multiple global conflict hotspots.
De nada adianta estar com a casa em ordem em um mundo em desordem. A prevalência da força sobre o direito é a mais grave ameaça à paz e à segurança internacional.
Estamos profundamente preocupados com os riscos de retomada do conflito no Irã e de escalada no Líbano. A…— Lula (@LulaOficial) April 20, 2026
Lulu expressed concern over “the risks of a new conflict in Iran” and a possible escalation in Lebanon, as well as the situation in Palestine, where he said that “the survival of the Palestinian state and its people remains under threat.”
He also mentioned the war in Ukraine, noting that “the long-awaited peace remains distant.”
In his message, Lula criticized the lack of international action.
“Between the actions of those who provoke wars and the silence of those who prefer to remain quiet, the United Nations is once again paralyzed,” he said. He added that Brazil and Germany have defended for decades a reform of the Security Council that restores its legitimacy.
“Revitalized multilateralism is the only path to restore diplomacy and cooperation as tools for peace and sustainable development,” he said, and concluded with a broader call: “Humanity must recover the idea that peace is morally necessary and politically possible.”
The message aligns with a series of recent statements by the Brazilian leader on the global order and the role of major powers.
In an interview published Thursday by the Spanish newspaper El País, Lula criticized U.S. President Donald Trump over his rhetoric toward other countries and questioned the use of threats in foreign policy.
“Trump does not have the right to wake up in the morning and threaten a country,” Lula said, also calling for greater responsibility from international leaders to preserve peace.
In the same interview, he defended dialogue as the main diplomatic tool and warned about the risk of global escalation.
“I do not want a war with the United States. I decided to be very patient,” he said, explaining that his government prioritizes negotiation and national interests over ideological differences.
He also questioned the use of tariffs by Washington and said that the arguments to apply measures against Brazil “were not true.”
Lulu already has raised the need to reform international institutions.
“The time has come to redefine the United Nations to give it credibility,” he said, in line with his most recent call on social media.
In Germany, Lulu participated in the opening of the Hannover Industrial Fair alongside Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Both leaders highlighted the free-trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, whose provisional entry into force is scheduled for May 1.
Merz said the agreement “will make all participating economies stronger, more independent and more resilient.” Lula, for his part, presented it as an alternative to unilateralism.
“Mercosur and the European Union chose cooperation,” he said, adding that increased trade will boost employment and investment in both regions.
Avilio Troconiz (C), regional president of the Primero Justicia party in Zulia, speaks at a press conference in front of the Las Tarabas electrical substation in Maracaibo, Zulia state, Venezuela, on March 26. The party denounced the the electricity crisis, which has worsened in recent months. Photo by Henry Chirinos/EPA
April 20 (UPI) — Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, said her government is talking with two major companies to address the country’s power crisis, citing recent diplomatic engagement with the United States.
“Thanks to that diplomatic dialogue, I can say we are now in direct contact with Siemens and General Electric to resolve the electricity problem in Zulia state,” Rodríguez said Sunday during a public event broadcast by state television.
She said the government decided to “open a new chapter in national political life” and in Venezuela’s international relations following a Jan. 3 U>S> military operation that captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Analysts say Zulia, a key oil-producing region in western Venezuela, is critical to the country’s hydrocarbons industry. Persistent electricity shortages have limited efforts to boost crude production, making restoration of the power system a strategic priority for economic recovery.
Situated at the western edge of the national grid, Zulia is the last region to receive electricity transmitted from the south. Failures in the transmission network often leave it disconnected. The system in the region operates at less than 40% of installed capacity.
According to local outlet El Tequeño, both companies conducted technical missions in March to assess Venezuela’s electrical infrastructure and present rehabilitation proposals.
The inspections included hydroelectric facilities in the Bajo Caroní complex in Bolívar state, following a February visit to Caracas by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Rodríguez made the remarks at the launch of a 13-day pilgrimage she called to demand the full lifting of economic sanctions imposed on Venezuela.
“Enough sanctions against the noble Venezuelan people,” she said, addressing the governments of the United States and Europe, according to Globovisión. She added that economic freedom is a sovereign right, not a concession from foreign powers.
The mobilizations began in Zulia, Amazonas and Táchira states and were led by Rodríguez, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez and ruling party leader Diosdado Cabello.
International sanctions have worsened Venezuela’s electricity crisis by limiting access to financing and technology needed to maintain and upgrade infrastructure.
A partial easing of U.S. sanctions on the oil and mining sectors has opened the door to talks with companies such as Siemens and General Electric to address those gaps.
The 965-foot-long Iranian container ship Touska, seen here in 2017 after it ran aground off Hong Kong’s main island, remained in the custody of the U.S. Navy on Monday after it was boarded and seized by U.S. Marines. File photo by Jerome Favre/EPA
April 20 (UPI) — Iran said that it carried out drone strikes on Monday against U.S. military vessels blockading its ports after the U.S. Navy attacked an Iranian-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Oman.
The state-run Tasnim News Agency said the Iranian military “launched drone strikes toward several U.S. military vessels in the area” in retaliation for the boarding and seizure of the Touska on Sunday night while it was en route to Iran from China.
“We caution that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond to and retaliate for this act of piracy and armed aggression by the US military,” Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters, the Iranian military’s central command, said in a statement
Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters said the Iranian Armed Forces had held off from delivering “a decisive response” to “blatant aggression by U.S. terrorist commandos” due to concerns for the safety of family members of the ship’s crew who were on board the Touska.
“Iran’s operational action was delayed in order to protect their lives and security, which were in constant danger,” the statement added.
The U.S. military did not immediately comment on Iran’s claim it conducted drone strikes.
However, U.S. Central Command posted video of the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance warning the Touska to “vacate your engine room” because it was about to open fire and, some time later, night-vision footage of helicopter-borne U.S. Marines from USS Tripoli conducting an amphibious assault operation to take over the vessel.
U.S. Marines depart amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) by helicopter and transit over the Arabian Sea to board and seize M/V Touska. The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 19, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s… pic.twitter.com/mFxI5RzYCS— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 20, 2026
CENTCOM said the Spruance intercepted Touska as it was steaming toward the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, issuing multiple warnings over a six hour period that it was in violation of the U.S. blockade. When it refused to stop, the Spruance fired several rounds from its 5-inch gun hitting the engine room and disabling the vessel.
U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the vessel and took control of the vessel, which remains in U.S. custody.
CENTCOM said U.S. forces had ordered 25 commercial vessels to turn back, or return to an Iranian port, in the week since the United States implemented its blockade of Iranian ports on April 13.
However, Sunday was the first time that the U.S. military is known to have opened fire on merchant shipping since the war started Feb. 28.
The escalation came after a rollercoaster weekend that began with Tehran declaring that the Strait of Hormuz was fully open to all commercial shipping for the remainder of the 14-day cease-fire currently in place, which is due to expire on Wednesday.
The move was welcomed by the United States, but the administration of U.S. President Trump made it clear its blockade would remain in place. That prompted Tehran to accuse the United States of violating the cease-fire and by Saturday it declared the strait closed again and at least one tanker was fired on by two Iranian gunboats as it attempted to enter the sea lane.
The developments have cast doubt over peace talks, which are due to resume in Islamabad, Pakistan, later Monday or first thing Tuesday.
Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform that U.S. negotiators would arrive in the Pakistani capital on Monday night, with the White House later confirming that Vice President JD Vance would again head up the U.S. delegation, picking up from where he left off from in an initial round of talks on April 11 that failed to produce a breakthrough.
Tehran said Monday it had not yet decided whether it would attend.
“As of now, while I am speaking to you, we do not have a plan for the next round of negotiations, and no decision has been taken in this regard,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said at a press conference in Tehran.
Referencing the ongoing U.S. blockade and seizure of the container ship, Baqaei accused the United States of actions that “are in no way indicative of seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process.”
However, the comments do not mean Iran will not show in Islamabad.
The Iranian side only confirmed participation in the first round of negotiations at the last minute.
Global oil prices, which fell sharply on Friday after Iran said the Hormuz Strait was open, rose again over the weekend but were holding steady in late morning trade in London where Brent crude for June delivery contract was changing hands at $95.24 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate for May delivery was changing hands at $88.89 a barrel.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing on the budget for the Department of Health and Human Services in the Rayburn House Office Building near the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (R) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi enter a room for their summit held at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Monday. Photo by Yonhap
President Lee Jae Myung held summit talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, focusing on deepening economic ties and strengthening the countries’ strategic partnership amid the war in the Middle East.
The two leaders were earlier expected to discuss ways to bolster cooperation in artificial intelligence, defense, and the shipping and shipbuilding industries, while expanding the scope of bilateral manufacturing cooperation beyond electronics and vehicles.
They also likely discussed enhancing coordination on global supply chains and energy security as their countries, both heavily reliant on imported energy, grapple with the fallout from the war between the United States and Iran.
In an interview with The Times of India published earlier in the day, Lee stressed the need for South Korea and India to work together to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for oil and natural gas, and make joint efforts to stabilize global supply chains.
It marked their third in-person meeting since Lee took office in June 2025.
Ahead of the summit, Lee paid tribute at Raj Ghat, a memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, and planted a commemorative tree with Modi at Hyderabad House.
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April 20 (UPI) — British police overnight arrested two teens in connection with an attempted arson of a London synagogue, authorities said Monday as they investigate a rash of recent attacks targeting the Jewish community as possible terrorism.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told UPI in an emailed statement Monday that a 17-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man were arrested overnight in the London area for the weekend arson attack targeting Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, northwest London.
The suspects, who were not identified, remained in police custody on Monday when authorities were expected to announce additional details.
The synagogue was attacked overnight Saturday, suffering only minor smoke damage to an internal room, according to Community Security Trust, a British charity with the mission to protect Britain’s Jewish community. It said in a statement that no injuries or significant structural damage were reported.
There have been at least five separate arson attacks in London since four ambulances used by the Jewish community in Golders Green were set ablaze March 23.
Police said there were three attacks over the weekend: the one targeting Kenton United, another targeting a communal block in Barnet and a third late Friday, targeting a row of shops in Hendon.
Several people have been arrested in connection with the various attacks, including a fourth person detained related to the Golders Green arson attack on Thursday.
The Met’s Counter Terrorism Policing unit is leading an investigation into all of these incidents, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans told reporters outside Kenton United in a Sunday press conference, stating that the “nature” of all the crimes has been similar — “arson attacks targeting Israeli- and Jewish-linked premises in London.”
Most of the attacks have been claimed online by Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, which translates to the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, Evans said.
“This same group has claimed several incidents over recent months at places of worship, business and financial institutions across Europe. These locations all appear to be linked to Jewish or Israeli interests,” she said.
The attacks were committed amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
The Met said that, as the conflict continues, its Counter Terrorism Policing unit is aware the threat Iran poses to Britain and is investigating whether those who committed these arson attacks in London had been recruited by the group to carry out its crimes.
Those recruited often have no allegiance to Iran’s cause but are paid with “quick cash,” she said.
“To anyone even considering getting involved — my message to you would be this — the stakes are high — and it is absolutely not worth the risk for a small reward,” she said.
“Those asking you will not be there when you are arrested and face court. You will be used once and thrown away without a second thought.”
Ashab al-Yamin, a front group with suspected links to Iran, has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Europe targeting Jewish and Western institutions since March 9, according to a report published earlier this month by the Washington-based nonpartisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies research institute.
No deaths have been reported in the attacks that have spanned Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece and Britain, it said.
For some frequent flyers, this might seem like a dream about to come true
08:04, 20 Apr 2026Updated 08:05, 20 Apr 2026
The new Qantas A350-1000ULR aeroplane will be trying out a non-stop route of 22 hours. This picture shows a Qantas Boeing B737-838 plane, registration VH-XZH, taking off from the third runway of Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport as flight QF139 to Christchurch(Image: Getty Images)
If you’ve ever taken a long haul flight from London to Australia, you’ll be familiar with a standard refuel stop on route. Well, soon, an ultra-long-haul flight will be set to test out a non-stop route as Australian airline, Qantas, prepares a plane that will be a record breaker for the world’s longest flight.
Next year (2027), the first test flight of the new Qantas A350-1000ULR aeroplane will be trying out a non-stop route with the aim of reaching its destination as quickly as possible.
For some frequent flyers, this may seem like a dream about to come true, while other air passengers may prefer to stick with the standard stop-off option, which gives a chance to get off the aircraft and walk around a little before setting off again.
The airline’s pending launch of the world’s longest commercial flight next year is highly anticipated by many – and will see passengers strapped in for 22 hours in total.
Two new direct routes will connect Sydney to London and New York, beating the current longest commercial flight of 18 hours and 30 minutes, which connects Newark Liberty International Airport in the US state of New Jersey to Singapore’s Changi Airport.
A specially configured aircraft will soon be able to fly for longer, all due to an additional rear centre fuel tank with a 20,000 litre capacity.
The first of these aeroplanes is currently awaiting its destiny in Toulouse, France, with its engines fitted, and final ground checks will take place soon before it’s ready for its first test flight.
Inside the plane, first class can enjoy reclining armchairs along with a separate bed – and Qantas describe the cabins as having a “science-backed design to minimise jetlag and maximise wellbeing”.
The aeroplane will boast a total of 238 seats, less than the standard 300 or more seats that other flight providers offer.
Extra space provides a unique “wellbeing zone” which both premium economy and economy cabin passengers can enjoy while flying long haul.
In total, there are six first class suites on board, 52 business class suites, 40 premium economy seats and 140 economy seats for passengers to book up (when the flight launches next year).
The new extra-long haul flight has been nicknamed “Project Sunrise” since it was first considered nearly 10 years ago.
Euro News explained the nickname as “a nod to the ‘double sunrise’ endurance flights operated by Qantas between Crawley in Western Australia and RAF Base Koggala in what is now Sri Lanka”.
During the Second World War, “both Airbus and Boeing were tasked with extending the flying range of their next generation of long-haul aircraft to accommodate such routes”, Euronews reported.
April 20 (UPI) — Two employees of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico and two Mexican law enforcement officers were killed in a car crash over the weekend while returning from an operation to destroy laboratories in the northern state of Chihuahua, officials said.
The four people were traveling in a vehicle when they skidded off the road and into a ravine at about 2 a.m. Sunday, Chihuahua Attorney General Cesar Jauregui Moreno told reporters in a press conference.
He identified the deceased as Agency Director Pedro Roman Oseguera Cervantes and officer Manuel Genaro Mendez Montes of the Chihuahua State Investigation Agency and two instructor officers from the U.S. Embassy, whose names have not been made public.
“From here, we extend our deepest condolences and wish peace and resignation to the families of those who died in this unfortunate accident,” he said.
U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson to Mexico offered his condolences online.
“We honor their dedication and tireless efforts to confront one of the greatest challenges of our time. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones,” he said in a statement.
“This tragedy is a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those Mexican and U.S. officials who are dedicated to protecting our communities. It strengthens our resolve to continue their mission and advance our shared commitment to security and justice, to protect our people.”
The incident occurred as they were returning from an operation that destroyed six clandestine laboratories in the municipality of Morelos, where Jauregui said synthetic drugs were being produced.
The site was located following a three-month investigation and destroyed on Friday and Saturday.
“It is one of the largest sites found in the country where chemical drugs were being produced,” Jauregui said during the press conference.
