Monday morning news: April 20, 2026

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Iran negotiations » The clock is ticking in Iran, with the current U.S.-Iranian ceasefire set to expire in two days. The two sides still haven't scheduled a second round of in-person peace talks.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told CBS Face the Nation:

WALTZ: Anybody who has dealt with the Iranians will tell you it is often two steps forward, three steps back. They're incredibly slippery. Uh, they can't be trusted. They cheated over the years.

Pakistan has offered to host another round after the first meeting there more than a week ago went nowhere.

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine said Sunday:

KAINE: It's my hope that in the negotiations we would first agree to extend the ceasefire, then we would talk about this nuclear issue. And look, I think the US has other issues on the table too, about ballistic missiles – or support for terrorism in the region.

President Trump has renewed his threat to hit Iranian infrastructure if a deal is not reached. Some Democrats call such strikes potential war crimes. Waltz pushed back.

WALTZ: Bridges. Power plants that are run by the IRGC, which runs the entire military are absolute legitimate military targets. Not only now, but have been historically, that is a false, fake and ridiculous notion that this is some type of war crime.

Meanwhile, a U.S. Navy destroyer blew a hole in an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz Sunday then seized it. It's the first seizure since the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports began last week.

UAE attacks » And with Iran lashing out across the region, it has targeted the United Arab Emirates more than any other country — including Israel.

The UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al-Hashimy told ABC’s This Week:

HASHIMY:  And for us, it's very clear that they've chosen to go down this path because we are everything that they're not. We are a model of economic prosperity. We have 200 nationalities that live there. We have religions and cultures from all around the world.

Since the start of the conflict Iran has launched nearly 3,000 strikes on the UAE including multiple civilian sites. The UAE is an American ally and Washington keeps a significant U.S. military presence in the country.

FISA Section 702 extension » A major U.S. surveillance program just got a 10-day lifeline. President Trump signed a stopgap bill over the weekend — extending Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act — or FISA — through April 30th.

The program was set to expire today.

Congress has been locked in a fight over whether to renew the program long-term. Trump's own party rejected an 18-month deal he pushed for and a five-year plan with privacy safeguards.

Speaker Mike Johnson:

JOHNSON: There are some nuances with the language and some questions that need to be answered, and we'll get it done. The extension allows us the time to do that.

Section 702 lets U.S. spy agencies and the FBI collect overseas phone calls, texts, and emails without a warrant. Officials call it vital — the CIA, for example, credits the program with stopping a mass-casualty attack at a Taylor Swift concert.

But critics warn Americans' own private messages often get swept in — with no warrant required.

UK investigation of attacks on Jewish sites » In London, counter-terror police are investigating arson attacks on Jewish sites across the city.

Arsonists torched a north London synagogue over the weekend. It only sustained minor damage and no one was hurt. But it was just the latest in a string of incidents. Attackers have also set fire to Jewish charity ambulances and a Persian-language media company.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans of the Metropolitan Police said UK authorities:

EVANS: Remain alive to the threat of Iranian hostile activity in the UK. We are aware of public reporting that suggests this group may have links to Iran.

A radical Islamist group has claimed responsibility online.

British intelligence says it disrupted more than 20 Iran-backed plots last year.

Rabbi Naftali Schiff of the Jewish Futures organization:

SCHIFF: Once again, that the Jewish community has been targeted by extremism. Um, sadly I would say that, that the Jews seem to be societies pit canaries.

So far, no one has been hurt — but British authorities are ramping up patrols across Jewish neighborhoods.

Mass shooting in Kyiv » A man set fire to his own apartment in Kyiv over the weekend. Then he walked out with a gun and began shooting people on the street, killing at least six.

Police say the shooter was a 58-year-old Russian-born man who had lived for years in Ukraine's war-torn Donetsk region.

KLYMENKO: (Speaking in Ukrainian)

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said video of the attack showed the gunman walking up to victims and firing at close range. He said “people had very little chance of survival.”

He later barricaded himself inside a nearby supermarket with hostages killing one of them.

Ukraine's security service is calling the attack terrorism. Police say the suspect had a prior criminal record.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Legal Docket. Plus, a determined father and son’s Boston marathon legacy.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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