Hegseth Khameni claims, Poland loan veto and shark evolution rewrite

Pete Hegseth makes claims about Mojtaba Khamenei amid reports of major deployments, a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft crashes in Iraq, the U.S. temporarily eases Russian oil sanctions, Poland vetoes €44B in EU defense loan access, the FBI opens its first Ecuador office as Quito prepares for a major offensive on criminal groups, Eswatini receives its third batch of deportees from the U.S., 85-year old Rep. Jim Clyburn is running his 18th term in U.S. Congress, Canada tables a bill on digital access powers, Qantas pays AU$105M to settle a COVID flight lawsuit, and a genomic study proposes rewriting shark evolutionary history. Sources: Verity.News

Iran’s new supreme leader vows revenge in his first message since his appointment, The U.S. launches trade probes into 16 economies, The U.S. Senate fails to advance a DHS funding proposal, Oil surges past $100 a barrel, A suspect is left dead after ramming a car into a Michigan synagogue, Three brothers are arrested in Oslo in connection to a U.S. Embassy bombing, China approves an 'ethnic unity' law, Floods and landslides kill dozens in Ethiopia, A report warns of growing AI-driven surveillance systems across Africa, and a Naples museum announces a project to allow visually impaired visitors to experience its artworks through touch.  Sources: Verity.News

Military attacks escalate in the Strait of Hormuz, 32 countries will release a record 400 million barrels of oil amid the simmering Iran war, Ghana, and South Korea strengthen ties during a state visit, Six are dead in a reportedly "deliberate" bus fire in Switzerland, The U.K. ends hereditary peers' rights to sit in the House of Lords, The trial begins for the alleged assassins of former Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, A report suggests that the White House is advising the GOP to avoid "mass deportation" rhetoric, The U.S. Senate confirms that General Rudd will lead Cyber Command and the NSA, The U.S. election in Georgia's 14th district heads to a runoff, and Bam Adebayo scores 83 points in a game - the second-most in NBA history. Sources: Verity.News

Pete Hegseth announces the most "intense" day of strikes on Iran, Georgia holds a special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene, Democrats sue to determine if Trump will deploy armed officers to election sites, shots are fired at the U.S. consulate in Toronto, Australia grants asylum to seven Iranian women soccer players, the U.K. House of Commons approves a plan to restrict juries, Anthropic sues the U.S. over its ban on Claude, Uber expands its "Women Preference" feature across the U.S., daily multivitamins show signs of slowing biological aging, and around 10,000 authors publish an empty book in protest of AI firms. Sources: Verity.News

Iran claims a strike on the USS Abraham Lincoln as the Mideast conflict continues, President Trump predicts that Cuba will "fall soon," the U.S. grants India a 30-day waiver to buy Russian oil, Sudan's army retakes a strategic city, Hungary is accused of taking Ukrainian bank staff hostage, reports claim that the U.S. military used Anthropic's Claude AI in strikes against Iran, a House panel advances a kids' online safety bill, Jimmy Lai won't appeal his 20-year sentence in Hong Kong, Polymarket removes its nuclear detonation betting market, and Germany's Lower House passes a wolf-hunting bill. Sources: Verity.News

The U.S. Senate rejects a resolution requiring congressional approval for continued military action in Iran, Israel issues evacuation orders for Beirut's southern suburbs, Trump replaces Homeland Security Chief Kristi Noem, Nepalis vote in the first parliamentary election since Gen Z protests overturned the government, China sets its lowest growth target since 1991 at 4.5-5%, The U.K. offers failed asylum seekers £40,000 to leave voluntarily, Trump and Bondi are sued over the administration's TikTok deal, A study suggests that global sea levels have been underestimated, A lawsuit alleges that Google's Gemini was responsible for a man's suicide, and Hall of Fame Coach Lou Holtz dies at 89. Sources: Verity.News

Israel attacks what it characterizes as "security headquarters" across Tehran, a U.S. sub sinks an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka, Syria reinforces its borders amid simmering regional tensions, China begins its "Two Sessions" political meetings, German Chancellor Merz meets President Trump in Washington, the U.S. and Ecuador launch joint anti-narcoterrorism operations, James Talarico defeats Jasmine Crockett in the Texas Democratic Senate primary, while Steve Toth beats incumbent Dan Crenshaw in a Texas GOP Congressional contest, TikTok confirms it won't add end-to-end encryption to DMs, and the Future of Life Institute releases a Pro-Human AI Declaration. Sources: Verity.News

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh is hit by drones, Primary voters head to the polls across Texas, Arkansas and North Carolina, An Indian consulate staff is accused of aiding the 2023 assassination of a Canadian Sikh activist, Melania Trump presides over a U.N. Security Council meeting, U.K. Chancellor Reeves delivers the spring financial forecast, A Paris court reduces the sentences of three men convicted for beheading a teacher, Bill and Hillary Clinton's Epstein deposition videos are released, Kristi Noem testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on immigration enforcement, Several U.S. departments join the Trump administration's ban on Anthropic, and a lost Rembrandt painting is authenticated after 60 years. Sources: Verity.News

Pete Hegseth insists the Iran conflict is different from Iraq and Afghanistan, Israel strikes Lebanon after Hezbollah launches missiles, Donald Trump criticizes Keir Starmer over a delay in approving the use of U.K. military bases against Iran, Canada's Mark Carney meets with Narendra Modi, France announces plans to expand its nuclear arsenal and end warhead disclosure, at least 169 people are killed in an attack in South Sudan, a Pakistani airstrike on Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base is reportedly thwarted, the U.K. reduces the refugee protection period to 30 months, Anthropic’s Claude AI suffers a major outage, and Brigid Kosgei wins the Tokyo Marathon in record time. Sources: Verity.News

Pakistan declares an "open war' on Afghanistan after airstrikes, British and French paratroopers prepare for a possible Ukraine peacekeeping mission, Over 500 body bags are found near the 2026 World Cup venue in Mexico, The U.S. encourages embassy staff to evacuate Israel as tensions simmer with Iran, Melania Trump is slated to preside over a U.N. Security Council meeting, The U.S. military shoots down a Border Patrol drone over Texas, Trump activists reportedly push a draft executive order regarding alleged election threats, Netflix drops its Warner Bros. bid after a Paramount counteroffer, Jack Dorsey's firm Block cuts 4,000 jobs, citing AI, and a U.S. Congressional report suggests that China is operating 11 military-linked space sites in Latin America. Sources: Verity.News