Iran extended a new peace offer to the U.S.after talks between the two warring nations stalled, with Washington accusing Tehran of seeking unacceptable terms,and U.S. President Donald Trump declared that hostilities with Iran were "terminated," citing a ceasefire brokered at the beginning of April.This comes as anonymous officials claimed that Iranian strikes have caused billions of dollars in damage to U.S. bases — far surpassing public disclosures —U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the Iran war before the House Armed Services Committee,and Trump asserted that Iran was “choking” economically, calling for a sustained blockade of its naval ports.Meanwhile, a report found that global military spending reached a record $2.9 trillion in 2025, the 11th consecutive year of growth and a 41% rise over the past decade, Afghanistan accused Pakistan of striking a university, marking the first such incident since Chinese-mediated talks in early April, the U.S. Senate blocked a war powers resolution aimed at curbing Trump's potential military action in Cuba,and Washington announced plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, where more than 36,000 active duty personnel are stationed.Elsewhere, Russia rebuffed calls to withdraw from Mali, maintaining its presence in the region, the Sahel Alliance confirmed joint airstrikes in Mali following coordinated attacks by al-Qaeda-linked militants and Tuareg separatists,and the Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack in Nigeria that killed 29 people at a football pitch.

Britain’s King Charles III made a state visit to the U.S.,where he delivered an address to Congress, becoming only the second British monarch to do so, Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin held a 90-minute phone call described as "friendly" and "businesslike,"and Putin met with his Congolese counterpart at the Kremlin to strengthen their bilateral relations.Meanwhile, Trump approved a new U.S.–Canada crude pipeline permit, advancing cross-border energy infrastructure, the U.S. moved to impose a 25% tariff on EU cars and trucks, marking an increase from the existing 15%, six nations issued a joint statement backing Panama's sovereignty amid tensions with China over the Panama Canal,and Switzerland rejected a motion to recognize Palestinian statehood, citing a lack of an independent and functioning government.In other news, Brazil’s Congress reduced former President Jair Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison sentence, overriding President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's veto, Ukrainian media published recordings of several associates of Volodymyr Zelenskyy that allegedly implicate them in a corruption scheme, the U.S. indicted a Mexican governor over his alleged ties to the Sinaloa cartel,and South Korea raised former president Yoon Suk-yeol's sentence to seven years for charges related to his martial law declaration in 2024.This comes as former Myanmar President Aung San Suu Kyi was moved from prison to house arrest more than five years after being detained over a coup, Trump expanded sanctions on Cuba, following up on measures first declared in January,and the U.S. imposed sanctions on former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila over allegations that he financially supported the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group.

The U.S. House approved funding for the Department of Homeland Security, ending a record 76-day shutdown, the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) limited race-based redistricting,after which Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry halted the state's House primaries, but left all other races on schedule,and SCOTUS upheld Texas’ GOP-drawn redistricting map, allowing it to remain in use through at least the 2026 midterm elections.Meanwhile, the Justice Department (DOJ) lost its bid to obtain Arizona's voter registration data, marking a setback in its legal effort,Maine Gov. Janet Mills dropped her U.S. Senate bid, citing a lack of "financial resources,"Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell confirmed he would remain on the board after his term expires, pending the conclusion of an ongoing DOJ probe into building renovations at the agency,and a Senate panel advanced Kevin Warsh’s nomination for Fed chair, moving him closer to assuming the role.This comes as Cole Allen was charged with attempting to assassinate Trump following an attack at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, a court filing revealed new details about the incident, but left unresolved who shot a Secret Service agent at the event,and Jimmy Kimmel defended a remark he made before the dinner in which he said Melania Trump had "a glow like an expectant widow," saying it was a joke about their age gap — not a call to violence.In other news, the FBI raided more than 20 sites in Minneapolis as part of its child care fraud probe, SCOTUS heard arguments in a case examining Temporary Protected Status for 356,000 Haitians and Syrians amid Trump's push to end their protections,and Trump backed an idea to rename Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as National Immigration and Customs Enforcement (NICE).Meanwhile, former Attorney General Pam Bondi was scheduled to face Congress on May 29 as part of an investigation into the DOJ's handling of the Epstein files,former FBI Chief James Comey surrendered to authorities after being indicted for allegedly threatening Trump,and the DOJ accused the Biden administration of anti-Christian bias across more than a dozen federal agencies.

U.S. Congress passed a 45-day extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, allowing U.S. intelligence agencies to collect communications of foreign nationals abroad without a warrant, a U.S. appeals court temporarily blocked nationwide access to the abortion pill mifepristone via the mail, ruling that the medication must be prescribed in person,and SCOTUS declined to hear an appeal from Florida parents, who filed a lawsuit after officials created a gender support plan for their 13-year-old without their consent.Meanwhile, Greece pushed for measures to verify social media users' identity, aiming to increase accountability online,and North Korea reportedly executed 153 people from Jan. 30, 2020, to the end of 2024.

Purdue Pharma was ordered to pay $225 million to resolve a U.S. Department of Justice criminal case related to the opioid epidemic, three men went on trial in connection with several arson attacks on U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's properties,and a man was charged over the stabbing of two Jewish men in London in an alleged terrorist attack.Meanwhile, new research challenged the evidence used in the conviction of U.K. nurse Lucy Letby, who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven others, an Australian royal commission released a preliminary report on the Dec. 14 Bondi Beach attack, which killed 15 people,and a suspect was arrested in connection with the murder of an Indigenous girl in Australia after residents apprehended him.Elsewhere, Mexico arrested “El Jardinero” — a senior figure in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel,and former NBA player Damon Jones pleaded guilty in a gambling conspiracy case.

Eight Disney-owned ABC stations were ordered to file for early broadcast license renewals amid a probe into possible violations of the Communications Act of 1934, Elon Musk's civil trial against OpenAI began in California over allegations that the ChatGPT maker abandoned its nonprofit mission to benefit humanity,and the EU ruled that Meta broke child safety rules by allegedly failing to prevent under-13-year-olds from accessing Facebook and Instagram.Meanwhile, five Paramount+ subscribers sued to block the $110 billion Paramount–Warner Bros. merger over concerns it would increase prices,and Spirit Airlines reportedly prepared to shut down after a $500 million government bailout deal collapsed.This comes as Australia proposed legislation requiring digital platforms to pay a 2.25% tax unless they reach commercial agreements with local news publishers,and a ban on the sale of drones in Beijing took effect, tightening controls over unmanned aerial technology.

The United Arab Emirates announced plans to withdraw from OPEC and OPEC+, signaling a shift in global oil market dynamics,Starmer's Chief Secretary Darren Jones warned of the economic impacts from the Iran conflict, estimating at least eight months of persisting pain points,and U.S. gas prices hit a four-year high, with the national average price for a gallon reaching $4.18.Meanwhile, the U.S. economy grew by 2% in the first quarter of 2026, showing resilience amid geopolitical strain, backers of California’s billionaire tax gathered enough signatures for a November ballot, advancing the proposal to voters,and Canada released its 2026 spring economic update, outlining the country’s fiscal outlook and policy plans.

Trump selected Dr. Nicole Saphier as his replacement surgeon general nominee after withdrawing his nomination for Dr. Casey Means, making her his third pick for the role, the FDA approved Otarmeni, the first gene therapy for genetic deafness,and Canada approved a generic version of Ozempic, becoming the first G7 country to do so.Meanwhile, a report found that the U.K.’s healthy life expectancy had fallen to a record low of 60.7 years for men and 60.9 years for women,and a former aide to Dr. Anthony Fauci was indicted over an alleged cover-up of COVID-19 records.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders hosted a U.S.–China AI safety panel at the Capitol, bringing together officials to discuss risks and cooperation,and the U.S. Pentagon signed AI deals with seven tech firms to implement their AI systems on the Defense Department’s classified networks for “lawful operational use.”Meanwhile, seven families filed a lawsuit against OpenAI over a mass shooting in British Columbia, China ordered Meta to unwind its $2 billion acquisition of Manus, a Singapore-based AI startup with Chinese founders,and the U.K.'s Metropolitan Police used AI to analyze police data, flagging 615 officers for misconduct.This comes as Japan Airlines announced plans to pilot humanoid robots at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, aiming to test them on baggage and cargo handling, archaeologists used AI to reconstruct the face of a victim from the Pompeii eruption, offering new insights into ancient history,and ChatGPT’s “goblin glitch” was traced to an issue in AI training data, identifying the source of the system's repeated mentioning of mythical creatures.

A U.N.-backed report projected that 7.8 million people in South Sudan will face hunger between April and July, marking one of the highest rates of hunger anywhere in the world.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman called for Pluto to be reinstated as a planet, reopening debate over its classification.

Officials approved red cards for players who cover their mouths as part of new measures to limit unsportsmanlike behavior ahead of the 2026 World Cup,and Saudi Arabia announced plans to pull funding for LIV Golf, bringing an end to a partnership that has poured more than $5 billion into the breakaway tour since it launched in 2022.

An Indonesian train crashed, killing 15 and injuring over 80.