U.S. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was on “massive life support” after rejecting Tehran's latest counterproposal, the Pentagon raised its estimate for the cost of the Iran war to $29 billion, up from the $25 billion previously disclosed,and intelligence reports indicated that Iran has retained 70% of its pre-war missile arsenal, challenging public claims that Iran's military was "decimated."In related developments, the U.S. Senate blocked an Iran war powers resolution, preserving presidential military authority in the conflict, Reuters alleged that Saudi Arabia carried out covert strikes on Iran in March, suggesting deeper regional involvement in the conflict,and Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their ceasefire for 45 days ahead of its upcoming expiration.This comes as Israel established a military tribunal for around 300 Palestinians accused of participating in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, the chief of Hamas' military wing was killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City,and Yemen's government and the Houthis signed a prisoner swap agreement covering over 1,600 detainees, marking their largest such deal since the conflict began over a decade ago.Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates condemned the hijacking of an Egyptian tanker by Somali pirates, calling for stronger maritime security measures, North Korea amended its constitution to formalize automatic nuclear strike authority if Kim Jong Un is killed or incapacitated in a foreign attack, Trump announced the killing of a senior Islamic State leader in Nigeria's Borno State in a joint operation between American and local forces,and nearly 19.5 million people in Sudan were estimated to be facing hunger as the country's civil war entered its fourth year.Elsewhere, Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war in the first phase of a deal to swap 1,000 captives each, Russia launched missiles and drones at Ukraine in the second large-scale attack since a three-day ceasefire was mediated by Trump,and the U.S. Pentagon canceled a planned deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland, altering Washington's military posture in Europe.

Trump made a state visit to Beijing, where he held talks with President Xi Jinping for their seventh-ever face-to-face meeting,which both sides described as "historic,"and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he secretly visited the United Arab Emirates in March — claims that Abu Dhabi rejected.Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia reportedly pursued a “non-aggression pact” with Iran, seeking to reduce regional tensions,French President Emmanuel Macron co-hosted an Africa summit with Kenyan President William Ruto in Nairobi,where he announced $27 billion in investments,and BRICS foreign ministers met in India ahead of the group's 18th summit in September.In the U.K., Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejected calls to step downas dozens of Labour MPs called for his resignation following the party's recent loss in local elections,U.K. Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned without launching a leadership bidamid speculation that he would challenge Starmer,and former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was cleared in a tax investigation that accused her of trying to avoid paying stamp duty on her £800,000 property in Hove.This comes as shots were fired at the Philippine Senate afterRodrigo Duterte ally Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa sought to evade arrest by the International Criminal Court,former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released on parole after serving 243 days for abuse of power, the U.S. reportedly prepared to indict former Cuban President Raúl Castro for his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two aircraft operated by an American activist group, and Peruvian presidential candidate Roberto Sánchez was charged with financial crimes for allegedly making false statements in administrative proceedings.In similar developments, former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang pleaded guilty to acting as an agent for China in a California court,ex-police officer William Majcher was acquitted on charges of spying for China in a foreign interference case in Canada,and former chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Andriy Yermak, was implicated in a $10.5 million corruption scheme, intensifying scrutiny around the government,as Zelenskyy’s former press secretary accused him of corruption and drug abuse in an interview with American political commentator Tucker Carlson.Meanwhile, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa vowed to remain in office despite renewed impeachment proceedings against him,Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was sworn in for a seventh term, extending his decades-long rule,and Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis and his party won reelection, becoming the first party to secure consecutive general election victories since 1997.In other news, London deployed 4,000 police officers amid rival right-wing and pro-Palestine ralliesthat saw tens of thousands of people march through London and over a dozen people arrested, a Canadian judge struck down an Alberta independence referendum petition, halting the separatist initiative,and Venezuela rejected Trump’s proposal to make the country the 51st U.S. state, with acting President Delcy Rodríguez telling reporters that it would "never" consider it.

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary resigned, creating a sudden leadership vacancy at the agency, the Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair, finalizing his appointment to lead the central bank, Trump selected David Venturella to serve as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement following Todd Lyons's resignation,and Border Patrol chief Michael Banks stepped down following his appointment to the role in January 2025.Meanwhile, the CIA faced a potential subpoena related to its seizure of roughly 40 boxes of JFK assassination and MKUltra files,FBI Director Kash Patel testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee, where he denied claims of excessive drinking and unexplained absences,Virginia Rep. Jen Kiggans faced calls to resign after making controversial remarks about House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries,and Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen dropped his reelection bid following Tennessee’s recent redistricting changes.This comes as South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster reportedly considered calling a special legislative session to redraw the state's electoral maps after GOP lawmakers blocked a redistricting push, the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) revived Alabama’s contested congressional map, reopening the legal fight over representation,and Virginia Democrats appealed to SCOTUS, seeking to reinstall a voter-approved congressional map that was struck down by the state's Supreme Court.In other news, the White House unveiled its 2026 counterterrorism strategy, outlining new national security priorities,and a watchdog group opened an investigation into Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s sponsored family road trip show.

Four U.K. Palestine Action activists faced possible sentencing as terrorists after being convicted of criminally damaging an Israeli weapons manufacturer,and NHS England allegedly gave external contractors unlimited access to patient data, raising concerns over privacy and surveillance.

Former U.S. personal injury lawyer Alex Murdaugh’s murder convictions in the death of his wife and son were overturned and a new trial was ordered, Cole Allen pleaded not guilty to four federal charges related to a recent attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner,and the U.S. reportedly moved to drop charges against Indian businessman Gautam Adani amid a criminal fraud and bribery investigation.Meanwhile, Harvey Weinstein’s New York City rape retrial ended in another mistrial, prolonging the long-running legal saga, a Utah mother was sentenced to life for the poisoning and murder of her husband,and a man opened fire at passing vehicles in Massachusetts, triggering a large police response.Elsewhere, a fugitive was found dead in an Australian nature reserve, ending a lengthy manhunt,and a report found that 70 million warnings were issued over child abuse material in the past two years, highlighting the scale of online exploitation concerns.

Closing arguments in the Elon Musk v. OpenAI federal trial concluded, with jury deliberations to begin next week, Texas sued Netflix for allegedly unlawfully collecting user data,and the U.K. reportedly considered a television license fee for households that use streaming platforms.Meanwhile, the Trump Organization scrapped plans to build a $1.5 billion tower in Australia, citing financial issues related to local developer Altus Property Group, the Trump Mobile T1 phone began shipping after a year of delays, ending a prolonged rollout process,and the U.S. Justice Department reached a settlement with PayPal over an investigation into its Economic Opportunity Fund.This comes as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that freight brokers can face state negligence lawsuits, expanding potential legal liability in the industry, Honda posted a net loss of $2.7 billion for the fiscal year ending in March, marking the automaker's first annual loss since listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1957,and American doughnut chain Dunkin’ announced plans to return to Canada with more than 600 new locations.

U.S. household debt topped $18.8 trillion in the first quarter, rising $18 billion from the previous quarter, U.S. inflation rose to 3.8% in April from a year earlier, marking the highest annual rate since May 2023,and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a $124.7 billion budget for fiscal year 2027, the largest in the city's history.Elsewhere, Australia announced its 2026-27 federal budget, unveiling what was described as "the most significant tax reform" in over 25 years, the U.K.'s economy grew 0.3% in March, outperforming other G7 countries,and protests erupted across Cuba amid its worsening fuel crisis.

U.S. drug overdose deaths fell 14% to pre-pandemic levels, marking an improvement in mortality trends, Trump deferred $1.3 billion in California Medicaid funding amid disputes over federal health care spending,and CIA special operations officer James Erdman III testified before a U.S. committee, alleging that findings supporting the theory that COVID-19 originated from a lab leak were suppressed.Meanwhile, a study found that obesity rates have slowed in wealthy countries while rising in poorer nations, revealing shifting global health trends, polycystic ovary syndrome was officially renamed after a 14-year scientific review, reflecting updated medical understanding of the condition,and researchers linked certain sleep patterns to accelerated aging, raising concerns about long-term health effects.This comes as the hantavirus-hit MV Hondius departed Tenerife after all of its passengers were evacuated and repatriated to over 20 countries for quarantine,World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that more hantavirus cases were expected, but reassured that there's little risk of it becoming a larger outbreak,and France confined 1,700 people aboard a cruise ship after a suspected norovirus-related death.In other news, a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo killed dozens, prompting renewed international health concerns, with the WHO declaring a global emergency.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans to double the country's power grid capacity by 2050 as part of a long-term energy strategy,and New Zealand moved to block climate lawsuits against companies, seeking to limit legal challenges tied to environmental policy.Meanwhile, El Niño was given an 82% chance of emerging by mid-2026, signaling possible global weather disruptions,and a group of scientists warned FIFA about heat risks ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Meta launched an “incognito” AI chat mode, expanding its privacy-focused AI features, one in seven U.K. adults reported relying on AI chatbots instead of doctors, reflecting changing health care habits,and a Chinese court ordered compensation for a worker who was replaced by AI, ruling he was unlawfully dismissed for refusing a 40% pay cut tied to automation.Meanwhile, an AI-generated persona exposed an alleged French pedophile, leading to him being detained and charged, AI agents committed arson and other crimes during a virtual-world experiment, raising concerns about autonomous system behavior,and Pope Leo XIV warned of AI's use in warfare, saying it's fueling a “spiral of annihilation” and calling for stronger ethical safeguards.

A study found evidence that Neanderthals may have performed dentistry 59,000 years ago, suggesting advanced prehistoric medical practices,and researchers discovered Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis — Southeast Asia’s largest known dinosaur.

SpaceX announced May 19 as the target date for the debut of Starship V3, its 12th full-scale test flight.

The U.S. indicted two companies and an employee over the 2024 collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Trump announced an additional $1.8 billion in humanitarian aid for the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

NBA player Jason Collins died at the age of 47 after battling brain cancer for eight months.