Hegseth Iran testimony, PRC-Panama tensions and Greece online ID plans

The U.S. House votes to end a record 76-day Homeland Security shutdown, Trump and Putin discuss Iran and Ukraine during a 90-minute phone call, as the Russian president also meets with his Congolese counterpart at the Kremlin, Gov. Landry suspends Louisiana's House primaries, Bernie Sanders hosts a U.S.-China AI safety panel, seven families sue OpenAI over British Columbia's Tumbler Ridge mass shooting, a royal commission releases its preliminary report on Australia's Bondi attack, a new court filing raises questions about the shooting at the White House Correspondents' dinner, the U.S. economy grows 2% in early 2026, and the EU finds that Meta broke child safety rules by not keeping minors of its platforms. Sources: Verity.News

Pete Hegseth testifies about the Pentagon budget and Iran, two Jewish men are stabbed in London in an alleged terrorist attack, six nations back Panama amid China port tensions, 7.8 million reportedly face hunger in South Sudan, Greece considers targeting anonymous posters with its social media policies, Auckland officials reject a statue memorializing Japanese sex slaves, James Comey is indicted and surrenders over his Trump Instagram post, the U.S. Supreme Court limits race-based redistricting in a 6-3 Ruling, the FCC orders an early license renewal for eight ABC stations, and Canada releases its 2026 spring economic update. Sources: Verity.News

The UAE announces its withdrawal from OPEC, King Charles addresses the U.S. Congress, U.S.-Iran talks on reopening the Strait stall, Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of striking a university, a former Fauci advisor is indicted over an alleged COVID-19 cover-up, a train crash in Indonesia kills at least 15 people, the Elon Musk vs OpenAI trial begins in California, the FBI raids over 20 Minnesota child care centers amid its ongoing fraud probe, the U.K.'s healthy life expectancy hits a record low, and Japan Airlines announces plans to start using humanoid robots as ground handlers. Sources: Verity.News

The suspect in the Correspondents' Dinner shooting appears in court, Britain’s King Charles visits the United States, armed groups launch coordinated attacks across Mali, Iran strikes have reportedly caused billions of dollars in damage to U.S. bases, three people are killed in an alleged drug boat strike, 42 people are killed in clashes over a water dispute in Chad, China orders Meta to unwind its $2 billion Manus AI deal, the Trump administration fires all National Science Board members, and the FDA approves the first gene therapy for genetic deafness. Sources: Verity.News

A shooter causes chaos as the White House Correspondents' dinner, the Pentagon reportedly considers options to penalize NATO allies seen as uncooperative during the Iran war, Russia says it was invited to this year's G20 summit, the DOJ drops its probe into U.S. Fed chairman Jerome Powell, Argentina bans 60 journalists from the presidential palace, Syria arrests the suspected leader of the 2013 Tadamon massacre, the DOJ inspector general announces an audit of the Epstein files release process, the WHO's "Big Catch-Up" initiative delivers 100 million vaccines to 18 million kids, a U.S. sergeant is charged with winning a $400,00 bet on Maduro's capture, a chunk of glacial ice blocks the Khumbu Icefall route on Mount Everest, and the 2 hour marathon barrier falls.  Sources: Verity.News

Trump announces a three-week extension to the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, U.S. forces board two tankers carrying Iranian oil, the ICC confirms that the Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte will stand trial for alleged crimes against humanity, U.S. Navy Chief John Phelan is fired, the private health records of half a million Britons are listed for sale on a Chinese website, the House Oversight Committee remains split on a potential Maxwell pardon, the Trump administration reclassifies medical marijuana as a Schedule III drug, a U.K. court backs the Metropolitan Police's use of live facial recognition technology, Anthropic probes reports of unauthorized access to its Claude Mythos, and Warner Bros shareholders approve Paramount’s $111 billion takeover bid. Sources: Verity.News

Iran seizes two ships and fires on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the EU approves a €90 billion loan for Ukraine, Trump blocks dollar shipments to Iraq to curb Iran-backed militias, RFK Jr faces questions in the US Senate, Meta reportedly plans to track employees’ keystrokes to train AI, Indonesia passes a law protecting domestic workers, the Southern Poverty Law Center is indicted on federal fraud charges in Alabama, Florida probes OpenAI over a shooting at Florida State University, Uber is found liable in a driver assault case in North Carolina, and a study finds that cocaine entering waterways affects the behavior of salmon. Sources: Verity.News

The U.S. extends the ceasefire with Iran pending further negotiations, Japan approves the export of lethal arms for the first time since World War II, U.S. Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh testifies before the Senate Banking Committee, Tim Cook steps down as Apple CEO, El Salvador begins a mass trial for 486 alleged MS-13 gang members, a gunman kills a Canadian and injures 13 others at Mexico's Teotihuacán archaeological site, the EU's top court rules against Hungary's law restricting LGBTQ+ content for minors, U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigns, Palantir posts a 22-point manifesto, and NASA's Curiosity rover finds organic molecules on Mars. Sources: Verity.News

Keir Starmer apologizes but denies misleading parliament over Peter Mandelson's vetting, Rumen Radev’s party wins Bulgaria’s eighth election in five years, eight children are killed in a Louisiana mass shooting, a 7.7 magnitude quake hits Japan as tsunami warnings are issued, the U.S. House Ethics Committee defends its misconduct record after resignations, Mark Carney says Canada-US ties are ‘weaknesses to fix,’ France summons Elon Musk over an X misconduct probe, the Beneficial AI Foundation launches 'Signal Shot' to verify Signal's encryption protocol using AI, three gene therapy pioneers win a $3 million Breakthrough Prize, and a robot beats the human half-marathon record in Beijing. Sources: Verity.News

The U.S. seizes an Iranian ship in the Strait of Hormuz, a Louisiana mass shooting claims 8 children, Brazil's Lula and Spain's Sánchez lead a bilateral summit in Barcelona, the U.K.'s Peter Mandelson is reported to have failed the vetting process for his U.S. ambassador role, U.S. Congress approves a 10-day term extension of a surveillance law, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approves Trump's 250-foot Triumphal Arch, a fugitive Philippine lawmaker is arrested in Prague, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons resigns, finance leaders warn of Anthropic's Mythos as U.K. banks prepare to use the AI tool, and a review concludes that anti-amyloid Alzheimer's drugs offer "trivial" benefits. Sources: Verity.News