BAGHDAD (AP) — Aboard an oil tanker plying the tense waters between the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, Iraqi Captain Rahman Al-Jubouri continues to work in one of the world’s most volatile maritime corridors, where the U.S.-Israel war with Iran has disrupted global trade and left some crews stranded and exposed to attacks.

The hostilities are not new for al-Jubouri, a veteran who has worked at sea since 1984 and lived through decades of upheaval, including the Iran-Iraq War and the 1991 Gulf War. Once again, he finds himself operating in high-risk waters, as sporadic military strikes threaten vessels seeking to navigate through chokepoints like Bab el-Mandeb and the Persian Gulf.

“Work has become a real risk; we don’t know when we might be bombed. We’re sailing over a ball of fire,” he said.

Al-Jubouri has been on board his tanker, the Palau-flagged Sea Moon, for four months. Currently he and his crew are sailing from the Gulf of Aden toward the Gulf of Oman to unload oil at Ras Isa port in Yemen. He spoke to The Associated Press by phone.

The war has put commercial vessels in the crossfire of the regional war amid the ongoing standoff between Washington and Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz. Several tankers have been targeted in attacks carried out by Iranian forces and allied groups. Intermittent disruptions and threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil flows, has also left vessels delayed, rerouted, or stranded in the Gulf.

On Sunday, American military forces forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to get around a naval blockade near the strait, the first such interception since the blockade of Iranian ports began last week.

The dangers of his work mean his crew undergoes regular safety drills to prepare for potential attacks. “We’ve trained them on how to respond if the ship comes under fire, God forbid,” he said.

Last year, while docked at a Yemeni port, his vessel came under bombardment. “I immediately cut the ropes, prepared the engines, and left the port at my own risk to protect the crew and the ship,” he said.

Shrapnel struck the tanker as it pulled away, causing minor damage, but the crew escaped unharmed. Despite the ongoing threat, the vessel later returned to port operations and resumed its planned route.

Not all of al-Jubouri’s crew can bear the dangers of the job, however. His team has thinned from 27 sailors to 17, he said. Fear drove them away.

The psychological toll is compounded by long stretches at sea. For four months, al-Jubouri has not seen his family. Like many sailors, he struggles with homesickness.

The national head of Ukraine’s police patrol division, Yevhen Zhukov, ⁠has resigned after a video showed officers running away during a shooting in Kyiv.

Six people were killed in the mass shooting while another eight, including a child, were injured, according to Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko.

“The police officers acted unprofessionally and disgracefully. As police officers, they should have been helping and rescuing our citizens. But they failed to assess the situation properly and left civilians in danger,” Zhukov said.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s defence ministry said it was working to procure 25,000 ground robotic systems to be deployed to the frontline in the first half of this year, its defence ministry said.

“Our goal — 100 per cent of frontline logistics should be performed by robotic systems,” defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.

Last week, president Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine’s army robots were able to recapture land from surrendering Russian forces in a battlefield first.

Watch: Kyiv attack probed as officers accused of fleeing scene, says Zelenskyy

Arpan Rai20 April 2026 06:23

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Watch: Pope Leo calls for ‘weapons to fall silent’ in Ukraine and commends ceasefire in Lebanon

Arpan Rai20 April 2026 05:40

Ukraine to replace soldiers with 25,000 ground robots in bid to save lives

Ukrainian military is working to procure 25,000 ground robotic systems to send in the warzone against invading Russian forces in the first half of this year, its defence ministry said.

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Defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine will double the total procured robotic systems throughout 2025.

“Our goal — 100 per cent of frontline logistics should be performed by robotic systems,” he said, adding that the expansion follows a meeting with domestic manufacturers of unmanned ground systems, where the ministry outlined its goal of scaling robotic support across the battlefield.

This comes just days after president Volodymyr Zelensky announced that in a rare historic battlefield first, Ukraine’s ground robotic systems of drones and ammunitions were able to recapture land from the Russian forces and saved 22,000 lives in the process.

Ukrainian forces carried out more than 9,000 logistics and evacuation missions using ground robots in March alone, and approximately 21,500 missions during the first quarter of 2026, according to the government.

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Arpan Rai20 April 2026 05:24

One dead in ‘massive’ drone attack on Russia’s Tuapse port

One man has died and another ⁠injured in a “massive” Ukrainian drone ⁠attack ​on Russia’s ⁠Black Sea port ⁠of Tuapse, ​which ⁠has been ‌set ablaze, local governor Veniamin ‌Kondratiev said ‌this morning citing preliminary ⁠information.

He also said debris from drones damaged several buildings in the city, ‌including a ​kindergarten, ‌primary ⁠school, church ⁠and residential apartment block.

Tuapse is one of Russia’s major southern ports, ⁠serving as an oil product export hub and ​also ⁠handles dry bulk ‌cargo such as coal and fertiliser. It is also home to a major oil ‌refinery of the same name owned ‌by Rosneft, Russia’s biggest oil producer.

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Ukraine has increasingly attacked the facility in the past week, with the last attack on Thursday, killing two.

Arpan Rai20 April 2026 05:12

Ukraine attacks Russian oil refineries after Trump removes sanctions on Moscow’s oil

Ukraine drone strikes targeted industrial areas in Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran in Russia’s Samara region, local governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said on Saturday.

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He did not give further details, but the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said in a statement that it had hit major oil refineries in both cities.

It also said that its attacks had sparked fires at the Vystosk oil terminal in Russia’s northwestern Leningrad region and an oil refinery in the southern Krasnodar region, with the blazes later confirmed by Russian officials.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian oil facilities in the past, but the strategy has gained more attention since the Trump administration gave Russian oil a temporary waiver from sanctions to ease supply constraints.

The US treasury department extended its pause on sanctions on Russian oil shipments on Friday, despite complaints from Kyiv officials that Russia will use the additional revenue on new weapons to hit Ukraine harder.

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The so-called general license means US sanctions will not apply for 30 days on deliveries of Russian oil that has been loaded on tankers as of Friday. It extended a similar 30-day license issued in March for Russian oil that had been loaded by 11 March.

Arpan Rai20 April 2026 05:00

Hungary’s Magyar kicks off early EU talks to unblock funds for Ukraine

Hungary’s ​incoming prime minister Peter Magyar has announced talks with EU officials in Budapest, saying there is no time to waste in his efforts to unblock ⁠funds frozen by the bloc over disputes with his predecessor.

Magyar, whose landslide victory in the 12 April election spelled the end of nationalist prime minister Viktor Orban’s 16-year rule, said he would kickstart the discussions by setting out points where he and the ⁠EU already agreed.

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“I expect a constructive ​negotiation. ⁠It will not be easy because we have very little time,” he told a news conference.

He said the chief of ⁠staff of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen would arrive at ​around ⁠5pm local time as part ‌of a high-level delegation.

“The aim is… to map out before the new government is formed what we agree on and what are ‌the conditions that the next parliament can pass ‌as a law and comply with European conditions,” Magyar said.

The clearance of the funds will also pave for a critical loan for Ukraine, earlier blocked by Orban.

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Markets have rallied on ‌Magyar’s victory with hopes that the EU will unblock billions ​of euros of funds and help an economy at near-stagnation.

Arpan Rai20 April 2026 04:48

Ukraine patrol police chief resigns after officers flee from shooting spot

Yevhen Zhukov, ⁠the head of Ukraine’s Patrol Police – a division of the national police service whose duty is to patrol the streets – resigned yesterday after social media circulated a video showing patrol officers running away after hearing gunfire, leaving civilians without protection.

At least six people were killed and eight people, including a child, remain hospitalised in Kyiv after being wounded in a shooting, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

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“The police officers acted unprofessionally and disgracefully. As police officers, they should have been helping and rescuing our citizens. But they failed to assess the situation properly and left civilians in danger,” online media outlet RBC Ukraine quoted Zhukov as saying.

“As a combat officer, I have decided to submit my resignation from the position I ‌currently hold,” Zhukov added.

Earlier yesterday, interior minister Ihor Klymenko said the officers’ behaviour was “a disgrace to the ​entire system”. An investigation has been launched and decisions will be made regarding their superiors.

Arpan Rai20 April 2026 04:28

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Russia loses more than 1.3 million troops in Ukraine war since invasion, says Kyiv

Russia has lost at least 1,318,220 troops in Ukraine since the invasion in February 2022, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said over the weekend.

These include 1,070 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Russia has also lost 11,882 tanks, 24,420 armoured combat vehicles, 90,397 vehicles and fuel tanks, 40,324 artillery systems, 1,748 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,349 air defence systems, 435 aircraft, 350 helicopters, 247,131 drones, 33 ships and boats, and two submarines, the Ukrainian military said in its daily update.

Arpan Rai20 April 2026 04:18

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Europe needs defence system against ballistic weapons, says Ukraine

Ukraine is holding discussions with several European nations about the creation of a new defence ​system against ballistic weapons, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.

“I believe, and my idea is ​that ⁠we should have a ‌European anti-ballistic missile defence system. We are in talks with several countries and are working in this ‌direction,” Zelensky told the national TV channel, ‌Marathon.

“We need to build our own anti-ballistic missile defence system within a year,” he added.

Zelensky said the task ⁠is extremely difficult but realistic, and added that he had already discussed it with key European countries, though he did not name them.

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Defence against ballistic missiles is one of Ukraine’s biggest challenges in the war with Russia, since only certain types of missiles used by the American Patriot system ⁠are capable of intercepting Russian ​ballistic ⁠missiles.

Russia uses ballistic missiles to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, destroying thermal power generation and electricity ⁠transmission systems.

Fire Point, maker of Ukraine’s Flamingo cruise missile, told Reuters this month that it was ‌in talks with European companies to launch a ​new air defence system by next year, ‌creating a low-cost alternative ⁠to the increasingly hard-to-get Patriot system.

Patriot missiles ⁠are in short supply amid extensive deployment in the Gulf ‌against Iranian ​attacks. And Europe’s only anti-ballistic ‌system, the Italo-French SAMP/T, ​is produced in relatively small numbers.

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Arpan Rai20 April 2026 03:57

Pope Leo decries intensification of Ukraine war

Pope Leo on Sunday decried the intensification of the war in Ukraine, calling “for the weapons to fall silent and for the path of dialogue to be followed”.

The pope made the appeal after a Mass outside Angola’s capital Luanda that drew roughly 100,000 people.

The first US pope also praised the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, to end fighting between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah, as a “reason for hope.”

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Joe Middleton20 April 2026 03:00

The county’s police say they want a key witness to come forward after an incident in Manham Hill in Eastfield on Wednesday, April 8 at about around 11pm.

A force spokesman said: “A woman in distress stopped a member of the public whilst crossing the road.

“We are appealing for this person or anyone else who witnessed this to come forward to see if you can assist in our enquiries.

“A 41-year-old man a has been arrested in connection with the investigation and released on bail.”

Please call North Yorkshire Police or call 101, alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Please quote reference 12260062813.

Hello, and welcome to WalesOnline’s live blog for Monday, April 20. We’ll be bringing you all of the latest news from across Wales – whether you’re on the move, at home or at work – as well as the latest traffic and travel.

We’ll also be keeping you informed of major news stories from the UK and overseas.

Contribute to the live blog by posting your comments below, or tweet us @WalesOnline to share the news that’s breaking in your area. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.

Jason Faulkner has died just two days after serving as a pallbearer at his sister Scarlett’s funeral in Limerick on Friday.

The devastating news of Jason’s passing over the weekend was confirmed on social media on Sunday evening by the siblings’ cousin, Melissa McCarthy, who urged people to keep the Faulkner family in their prayers, reports the Irish Mirror..

“My heart, 2 days after burying your sister Scarlett, your [sic] gone now Jason, her lovely brother. The laughs we had, oh Jason what are the family gonna do? I can’t get my head round it, no doubt Scarlett Faulkner was there to meet you – together again forever,” Melissa wrote.

“Please keep my aunt Mary and Banny and family in yere [sic] prayers,” she added.

Another family member shared a heartbreaking post expressing disbelief at Jason’s death.

“Sad world we live in – poor Banny and Mary buried there [sic] daughter Scarlett two days ago and now there [sic] son – God may mind them keep them strong pray for all the family again this is a painful world – rest in peace Jason,” the relative wrote.

Messages of condolence continue to pour in for Jason, with one friend calling him an “angel”.

“So heartbreaking, two lovely angels gone to heaven – rest in peace Jason Faulkner my heart goes out to your family. God wrap your arms around Banny, Mary and family.” Another mourner commented: “This is just beyond devastating, the nation needs to keep the Faulkner family in their taughts [sic] and prayers, how much heartache can this family take?”

Scarlett, 28, from Limerick, had been on life support at Cork University Hospital for three weeks following catastrophic injuries sustained in a vicious roadside assault on the R494 near Birdhill on March 21.

Her heartbroken family, who maintained a round-the-clock bedside vigil, confirmed she died on Monday April 13.

At her sister’s funeral, Victoria Faulkner said: “You were Daddy’s girl and Mommy’s world, we will love you forever, our sleeping beauty, from your ten sisters and five brothers, and most importantly you’re beautiful daughter Oceanna, who you loved dearly, the same way she loved you.”

She added: “You have left a big hole in each and everyone of our hearts but you also touched the hearts of many others in this world.

“You were a good mother, daughter, sister, sister-in-law, friend to us all, you have left us with a beautiful little girl, ‘Oceanna’ – a gift from god, who reminds us of you so much.”

Scarlett, a well-regarded member of a Traveller family from Limerick county, was savagely attacked by a gang armed with weapons at the roadside on the R494 in Birdhill.

A woman and a 16 year old girl have been charged in connection with the serious assault of Scarlett.

The reason for the brutal attack remains unknown. Emergency services discovered Scarlett at the roadside with devastating head injuries.

It is believed she was set upon by one or more armed individuals at around 5.30pm on Saturday, March 21.

Gardaí are pursuing a number of lines of enquiry in connection with the assault, amongst them the possibility that innocent Ms Faulkner may have been travelling in a vehicle that was deliberately rammed by occupants of another car, before being dragged out and brutally attacked with weapons at the roadside.

Detectives based at Nenagh Garda Station are continuing their investigation into the incident.

Anyone with information relating to the attack is urged to get in touch with Nenagh Garda Station on (067) 05450, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any local Garda station.

The poll, if replicated at the election, could make the SNP vulnerable to losing power at Holyrood for the first time since 2007.

A new poll has found the pro-UK parties could hold the majority in Holyrood after the election. The survey, carried out for More in Common, suggested the SNP would continue to be the largest party.

But John Swinney’s party and the pro-independence Greens would fall one seat short of a majority, leaving the SNP vulnerable. Such a result could lead to the pro-UK parties teaming up to install Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar as First Minister.

More than 5,000 Scots were spoken between February 4 and April 10 for the poll. According to the survey, the SNP would drop to 56 seats – down from 64 at the last election.

Reform UK would move into second place on 22 seats, while Labour would fall to 17 MSPs and remain in third. Nigel Farage’s party would be the main winner on the regional lists, with at least two MSPs in every area and up to four in West Scotland.

READ MORE: Anas Sarwar swerves Keir Starmer as PM makes ‘strange’ Scottish visit shrouded in mysteryREAD MORE: “Farage heavies manhandled me when they took my disabled spot” Video captures OAP in parking row

The Tories would drop to 12 seats, compared with 31 in 2021. The Lib Dems would jump to 14 MSPs – eight of which would be in constituencies.

The Scottish Greens, who are projected to take eight seats, would claim their first constituencies in Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill, as well as Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith.

Even though the pro-indy parties are projected to lose their majority in this poll, the SNP would likely argue they would have the moral mandate to continue in office.

Despite being projected to come second, no other party would likely vote for Reform leader Malcolm Offord to become FM. If the pro-UK parties were determined to topple the SNP, they could put Sarwar in Bute House instead.

More in Common found that 39 of the 73 constituency seats in Scotland are considered marginal, the pollster’s UK director Luke Tryl said.

“Having been in power for almost two decades, the SNP are clearly suffering from the curse of incumbency that has afflicted governments around the world,” he said.

“Although they look set to maintain power in Holyrood it will almost certainly be with significantly diminished vote share and this model estimates a lower seat count too.

“The SNP benefit however from a further fragmentation of the unionist vote with Reform UK emerging as the strongest unionist party and official opposition as Farage finally breaks through north of the border.”

Commander Helen Flanagan, of CTP London, said earlier on Saturday: “At this stage last night’s arson is not being linked to other incidents in the north-west London area over the last week or last month’s arson in Golders Green, but counter-terrorism officers are leading due to the similarities of each attack.

Operation Take Off was rolled out at Teesside International Airport this week, with officers stopping drivers arriving home from trips abroad to ensure they were not driving under the influence.

The campaign aims to make travellers think twice about driving under the influence, ultimately reducing fatalities across the County Durham and Darlington area.

Durham Police launched Operation Take Off following the devastating loss of baby Zackary Blades and his aunt Karlene Warner who were killed on their way home from Newcastle International Airport, in May 2024.

Zackary Blades, left, and Karlene Warner who were killed by drink driver on A1(M) in County Durham in May 2024 (Image: Durham Constabulary)

Their killer, Darryl Anderson, had also landed at the airport and selfishly decided to get behind the wheel even though he was nearly three times over the drink drive limit making his way back to his home in South Yorkshire.

Darryl Anderson, 38, from South Yorkshire, jailed for more than 17 years for two counts of causing death by dangerous driving (Image: Durham Constabulary)

Officers have been conducting Operation Take Off in the years since, in a bid to spread awareness, educate drivers and prevent further fatalities.

Detective Constable Natalie Horner, of the force’s Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Despite his horrendous actions, Anderson told officers during his arrest that he was ‘not a bad guy’ and that ‘mistakes happen’.

“We disagree.

“There is no excuse for driving under the influence and we will continue to carry out these important operations in memory of Zackary and Karlene whose deaths were completely avoidable.

“Their families continue to live with the pain of losing their loved ones which is why we will continue to do everything in our power to help prevent this happening again.

“Thankfully everyone who was stopped this morning and passed the breathalyser test.

“We want to thank them for doing their bit to keep other road users safe.”

She added: “Remember, don’t fly, drink, then drive.”

Anderson, 38, was jailed for 17 years and three months after admitting two county of causing death by dangerous driving at Durham Crown Court, in July 2024.

The reform could benefit some workers but there is still a ‘risk’, one expert has warned

The state pension age is the earliest a person in the UK can claim their state pension entitlement. From the start of April 2026, it will be increasing from 66 to 67 in a phased rollout continuing for the next two years.

Future state pension age rises are also still under review, leaving middle-aged workers uncertain about exactly when they will be able to retire with their state pension. While it has caused some concern, one expert believes some people could benefit from the current and future age rises but warned workers to educate themselves.

Dr Kathy Hartley, Interim Subject Head, Human Resource Management Group at the University of Salford, explained that state pension age increases could mean some people have more time to build up their retirement funds and make themselves more financially secure in retirement by working longer than their predecessors may have.

She said: “In one sense, some workers have been choosing to remain in employment beyond what was once the norm for some time now, particularly since the default retirement age of 65 was removed back in 2011.

“For some, this is clearly beneficial financially, even if it involves reduced hours or, in some cases, less strenuous forms of work, especially in the context of rising living costs. Others remain in roles they find intrinsically interesting, feel motivated and healthy, and see no reason to stop what they have been doing.”

Even in these cases where extra years in the workforce could benefit workers, Dr Hartley noted there’s a risk it may create for employers as an employee’s performance and health may start causing more disruptions as they age.

Another group that may benefit from spending more years in the workforce are those that have made mid-life career transitions, as the expert noted that people over the age of 60 only just beginning “new starts” are becoming more common than before.

She added: “Some older workers decide to take on new challenges, perhaps working part-time at what they have done for years while combining this with other forms of work that may have interested them for some time, effectively creating a new or ‘portfolio career’ later in life.”

Regardless of where people stand in their careers and when they expect to access their state pension, the expert warned: “One thing that many of us need, however, is greater ‘financial literacy’, or simply to pay closer attention to the state of our pension pot and what kind of future it is likely to provide.

“For more of us to have genuine choice over whether to stay in the workplace for longer, financial understanding and planning will be key, as will employer support in relation to flexible working and adjustments. Such support has risen in recent years, driven by various changes in employment law, and the need for this – along with open conversations about employees’ longer-term aspirations – is unlikely to lessen.”

Dr Hartley admitted that for young people just entering the workforce, it’s very difficult to even anticipate what the state pension age will be when they hit their 60s and she revealed this is already being reflected in the workforce.

She added: “Younger people (are) less inclined to rush into paid employment than previous generations. Pressure on entry-level jobs, combined with expectations of working into one’s later years (70 and beyond,) may help to explain some of this hesitancy.”

It was only fitting that Kane scored on a historic afternoon in Munich on Sunday.

There have been several standout performers for Bayern this season, but none more so than the number nine.

It was only two years ago that Kane was being challenged about his decision to move to Germany as Bayern ended a season trophyless for the first time in 12 years.

But fast forward to the present day and Kane has not only helped his side return to the summit of German football by winning back-to-back titles, but has also put himself in contention to win football’s most prestigious individual accolade – the Ballon d’Or – after netting 32 goals in 27 Bundesliga appearances this term.

No player in Europe’s top five leagues has managed more goals than Kane’s 50 in all competitions.

Now in his third season at Bayern, Kane is also delivering in the Champions League.

This month he scored home and away against Real Madrid in the quarter‑finals to help Bayern reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2024, while equalling Frank Lampard as the highest‑scoring Englishman in the knockout stages of the competition with 15 goals.

“I could score 100 goals this season, but if I don’t win the Champions League or the World Cup, you’re probably not going to win the Ballon d’Or,” said Kane in November.

“It’s the same with any player. You have to be winning those major trophies.”

If he can help Bayern to a seventh Champions League title and play a leading role for England at this summer’s World Cup, Kane would surely have a strong case to become the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001.