US airman rescue, OpenAI policy blueprint, and Artemis moon flyby

Trump hails the "historic" rescue of second downed airman in Iran, the Supreme Court sends Steve Bannon’s contempt case back to a lower court, Zelenskyy visits Damascus and forges security ties with Syria, explosives are reportedly found near Serbia’s Balkan Stream pipeline, OPEC+ boosts output as oil hits $120 amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the U.K. scraps its two-child benefit cap, Trump endorses Steve Hilton for California governor, OpenAI unveils an AI policy blueprint for governments, Germany requires men to receive army approval to travel, and the Artemis II crew flies past the Moon for the first time since 1972. Sources: Verity.News

A U.S. F-15 is reportedly shot down in Iran, Cuba frees 2,010 prisoners for Holy Week,Myanmar's junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing, is elected president, Burkina Faso's military l eader says the country must "forget" democracy, the U.S. repatriates a drug suspect to China, Pete Hegseth forces out a top army officer and two other officials, a Canadian mother and daughter are released after being detained by ICE, the U.S. economy reportedly added 178,000 jobs in March, TikTok bans an Israeli influencer over West Bank videos, and a stolen ancient Dacian helmet is recovered in the Netherlands. Sources: Verity.News

Trump considers withdrawing the U.S. from NATO, Pam Bondi is fired from her role as U.S. attorney general, Washington lifts sanctions on Venezuela's Delcy Rodríguez, the first troops from a U.N.-backed Gang Suppression Force arrive in Haiti, Trump says he’ll sign an order to pay DHS employees amid the partial government shutdown, Oxfam estimates there was $3.55 trillion in untaxed wealth held offshore in 2024, SpaceX reportedly files for a record $1.75 trillion IPO, the alleged Bondi Beach shooter loses his bid to secure anonymity for his family, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes Indonesia, and NASA's Artemis II launches for the first crewed moon trip in 50 years. Sources: Verity.News

President Trump pays a visit to the Supreme Court's birthright citizenship arguments, while Trump also suggests a timeframe to the end of the Iran war, a sanctioned Russian oil tanker docks in Cuba, Pakistan and Afghanistan meet in China for peace talks, 30 are killed as a Russian military plane crashes in Crimea, Lula picks Geraldo Alckmin again for Brazil's October vote, Ron DeSantis signs the "Florida SAVE Act" into law, U.S. journalist Shelly Kittleson is kidnapped in Iraq, in the U.K., the NHS will offer Wegovy to 1.2 million heart patients, and Anthropic leaks 512,000 lines of source code. Sources: Verity.News

The U.S. Embassy in Caracas reopens after a seven-year closure, Buckingham Palace confirms King Charles' upcoming state visit to the U.S., the U.N. Security Council holds an emergency meeting following the killings of three peacekeepers in Lebanon, Alberta's independence petition passes the 177,000 signature threshold for a potential referendum, the U.S. Supreme Court rejects Colorado's ban on LGBTQ+ 'conversion therapy,' Australia probes five tech companies over suspected noncompliance with its under-16 social media ban, defense lawyers in the Charlie Kirk assassin case request a delay of May's hearing over new bullet evidence, a Trump committee exempts drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from Endangered Species Act protections, a study links e-cigarettes to cancer, and China bans 'bone-ash apartments' used to store cremated remains. Sources: Verity.News

Trump says the US is considering seizing Iran’s Kharg Island, Spain closes its airspace to U.S. military aircraft involved in operations against Iran, Israel passes a death penalty law for Palestinians, an alleged cop killer is shot dead in Australia after a 216-day manhunt, Russia sends an oil tanker to Cuba, Syria’s leader visits Berlin for talks on rebuilding and refugees,Bank of America agrees to pay $72.5 million in an Epstein trafficking suit, Donald Trump reveals a military complex under the White House ballroom, Amnesty claims the 2026 World Cup poses human rights risks, and J.D. Vance wins the CPAC 2028 straw poll again Sources: Verity.News

House Republicans reject the Senate’s DHS bill and eye a 60-day stopgap measure, G7 nations meet over the Iran war, Trump extends the pause on Iran energy strikes and says talks are going “very well,” Balendra Shah is sworn in as Nepal’s youngest prime minister, A judge temporarily blocks the Pentagon’s ban on Anthropic, The EU probes Snapchat over alleged child safety failures, The DOJ admits an error in its justification for ICE courthouse arrests, Trump’s signature is set to appear on U.S. currency, A 25-year-old Spanish woman dies by euthanasia after a court battle, and the first woman is installed as Archbishop of Canterbury. Sources: Verity.News

The European Parliament conditionally approves an EU-U.S. trade deal, Nicolas Maduro appears in U.S. court, Israel says it killed Iran's navy chief, the U.S. Army raises the enlistment age limit to 42, EU lawmakers back a bill to send asylum seekers to 'return hubs' abroad, transgender women athletes are banned from competing in the Olympics, Canada advances the Combatting Hate Act, a study estimates that U.S. carbon emissions have cost $10 trillion in global economic damages since 1990, Norway and Iceland join the EU's satellite security programs, and Melania Trump walks alongside a humanoid robot at the White House during a global tech summit. Sources: Verity.News

Intrigue surrounds potential dialogue between the U.S. and Iran, The Israeli Defense Minister signals the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, Italy and Algeria boost energy ties, Ghana becomes the first African nation to sign an EU defense pact, The first of three vessels in a humanitarian aid convoy reaches Cuba, A Democrat flips the Florida district that includes Mar-a-Lago, A funding dispute over ICE stalls the DHS budget deal, Meta and YouTube lose the first social media addiction jury trial, Australian Broadcasting Company journalists strike for the first time in 20 Years, and OpenAI shuts down its Sora video app.  Sources: Verity.News

Pakistan offers to host peace talks to end the Iran war, Australia and the EU reach a free trade agreement after eight years of talks, Russia and Vietnam sign a deal to build a nuclear plant, Hong Kong expands its national security law powers, Markwayne Mullin is confirmed as DHS secretary, the U.S. Senate reportedly nears a potential agreement to end the DHS shutdown, Pakistan is named the world's most polluted country in 2025, former Google executive Matt Brittin is reportedly set to become the BBC's new director-general, Melania Trump hosts a global summit on kids' education and AI, and Anthropic's Claude is updated with new computer control capabilities. Sources: Verity.News