Iran said it has selected its next Supreme Leader, though the name is yet to be publicly announced,the country's Security Chief Ali Larijani ruled out the resumption of nuclear talks with the U.S.,as Defense (War) Secretary Pete Hegseth highlighted Washington's goals for its ongoing military operation in Iran, the U.S. Senate rejected a resolution requiring congressional approval for continued military action in Iran,and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized for striking Tehran's neighboring countries. This comes as the U.S. and Iranian Kurdish forces allegedly discussed possible joint operations in Iran, Israel struck Iran's leadership building as the Assembly of Experts was reportedly meeting to select a successor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes, Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel,as it claimed to have hit the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln,and several reports suggested that Washington was likely behind a deadly strike on an Iranian school that killed dozens of children.Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh was hit by drones amid the escalating tensions, a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka,and U.S. President Donald Trump promised U.S. Navy escorts for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.In related developments, Israel struck targets in Lebanon after Hezbollah fired missiles across the border,with Tel Aviv issuing evacuation orders for all of Beirut's southern suburbs,and Syria reinforced its borders amid concerns of spillover from the neighboring conflicts.In other news, France announced plans to expand its nuclear arsenal and end its policy of publicly disclosing its number of warheads,and Finland proposed a law to lift a ban on hosting nuclear weapons.Elsewhere, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Rwanda's military for allegedly supporting the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Sudanese Army retook Bara, the second-largest city in North Kordofan state,and at least 169 people were killed in an attack in South Sudan amid escalating ethnic and militia violence.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with Trump at the White House, marking his third visit to the Oval Office, the U.S. and Venezuela agreed to restore diplomatic relations following Washington's capture of Nicolás Maduro,Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Indian Prime Minister Modi in his first visit to the country since taking office,and Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadéra met with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Moscow.Meanwhile, Melania Trump presided over a U.N. Security Council meeting, becoming the first spouse of a sitting world leader to do so, Ecuador and the U.S. launched joint operations to target narco-terrorism and illicit drug trafficking,and an Indian consulate staff member was accused of assisting in the assassination of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.In other news, Nepal held its first election since last year's Gen Z-led uprising, with voter turnout reaching 60%, Somalia's parliament approved a new constitution and extended the terms of lawmakers and the president,and the U.K.'s Green Party polled second behind Reform UK's 23% in a YouGov survey.This comes as U.K. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch unveiled a new plan "to deal with separatism, culture and integration," the U.K. Home Office offered failed asylum seekers up to £40,000 to leave the country voluntarily,and New Zealand passed the first reading of a bill to recognize English as an official language.Elsewhere, three men were arrested in the U.K. for allegedly spying for Beijing, China held its annual "Two Sessions" political meeting, involving thousands of delegates from across the nation,U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced plans to impose a 15% global tariff,and a U.S. court rejected Trump's bid to delay $175 billion in tariff refunds, sending the case back to the U.S. Court of International Trade.

Trump removed Kristi Noem as Homeland Security chief, replacing her with Senator Markwayne Mullin, Noem faced bipartisan criticism in a Senate hearing over her handling of immigration enforcement operations,and GOP Rep. Nancy Mace faced an ethics probe over alleged "improper reimbursement practices" related to a congressional housing program.Meanwhile, the nation kicked off its midterm primary season, with voting in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas,which saw John Cornyn and Ken Paxton head to a runoff after neither candidate secured a majority of votes in Texas' GOP primary for U.S. Senate,and James Talarico defeat Jasmine Crockett for the state's Democratic Senate primary.Other results also included Steve Toth securing victory over Dan Crenshaw in the GOP primary for Texas' 2nd Congressional District, Bobby Pulido beating Ada Cuellar for the Democratic primary for Texas' 15th Congressional District,and Mark Teixeira winning the Republican primary for Texas' 21st Congressional District.This comes as Montana’s Steve Daines ruled out reelection to a third term in the U.S. Senate,Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke decided not to run for a fifth term in the U.S. House,and Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales halted his reelection bid after admitting to having an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee named five frontrunner cities for its 2028 convention, Trump accepted an invitation to the White House Correspondents' Association dinner after boycotting the event during his first term,and several federal departments joined the White House in terminating all use of Anthropic's products.In other news, the Justice Department said it would release over 47,000 missing files related to Jeffrey Epstein,Attorney General Pam Bondi was subpoenaed over her handling of the Epstein files,and the House Oversight Committee released video footage of Bill and Hillary Clinton's Epstein deposition videos.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case on whether federal law can ban gun possession by illegal drug users,as it blocked several Californian education policies that would have prevented teachers from outing a student's gender identity to their parents.Meanwhile, Microsoft faced criticism for banning the term "Microslop" on Copilot Discord, a U.S. House Panel advanced a children's online safety bill along party lines,and Indonesia announced plans to ban social media for children under 16.

A Pakistani man on trial for allegedly plotting to kill U.S. politicians claimed he was coerced by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,and the father of a school shooter in Georgia was convicted of murder for giving his son access to the firearm used in the deadly attack.This comes as a report documented 300 victims and 75 "credibly accused" clergy in an investigation into alleged sexual abuse in Rhode Island's Catholic Diocese of Providence,and Britney Spears was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.Meanwhile, a Paris court reduced the sentences of two men in the 2020 beheading of teacher Samuel Paty,and a Seoul court convicted three people of murder in a late-term abortion case involving a 36-week pregnancy.

Elon Musk testified in a lawsuit accusing him of stock manipulation related to his 2022 Twitter acquisition,and Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi were sued over their approval of the TikTok-U.S. joint venture deal.Meanwhile, TikTok confirmed it will not implement end-to-end encryption for direct messages, citing challenges with content moderation,and U.S. cannabis and beverage firm Tilray Brands acquired BrewDog for £33 million ($44 million).

European gas prices surged by up to 70% as the escalating Iran conflict disrupted key energy shipping routes,and Polymarket bets on potential Iran strikes netted traders $1.2 million in profits, drawing regulatory scrutiny and questions over the platform's role in geopolitical speculation.Meanwhile, the European Commission proposed the Industrial Accelerator Act, aiming to boost domestic manufacturing,and U.K. Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered the Spring Financial Statement, outlining updated fiscal plans, tax measures and growth projections.Elsewhere, China set its growth target at 4.5-5% — the lowest since 1991 —and China's National People's Congress convened to discuss the country's economic strategy.In other news, Trump predicted that Cuba would "fall soon" in an interview with CNN,as the nation was hit by a blackout that left millions in Havana without electricity,and U.S. jobs fell by 92,000 in February, missing economists' projections of a 50,000 gain.

A report warned of rising child obesity rates, predicting that 227 million children could fall under that category by 2040,researchers found that CBD and CBG show potential in treating fatty liver disease,and a study found that weight loss drugs may be linked to a lower risk of addiction, suggesting potential protective effects against substance use disorders.Meanwhile, a study determined the optimal amount of sleep needed per night, finding that exactly 7 hours and 18 minutes can cut the risk of developing diabetes,and a U.K. poll detailed women's understanding of menopause, finding that most are unaware of its link to mental health issues.

A study examined over 1,000 ferries across Europe's 100 busiest ports, finding that they emit more sulphur dioxide than all cars in those cities combined,and a U.S. judge ruled against the federal government's bid to end New York City's congestion toll.Meanwhile, a report suggested that global sea levels have been underestimated due to inadequate modelling,and a magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck southern Iran's Gerash region, causing minor damage and no reported casualties.

The Future of Life Institute released a Pro-Human AI Declaration with five guidelines on prioritizing human well-being, a lawsuit claimed that Google's Gemini AI was responsible for a man's suicide, alleging harmful responses during a mental health crisis contributed to his death,and a report alleged that Meta's AI glasses shared intimate user videos with human moderators without proper consent or anonymization safeguards.Meanwhile, a study found that ChatGPT missed half of emergency medical cases in health advice scenarios,and Anthropic's Claude AI experienced a temporary outage, disrupting access for users worldwide.

A mine collapsed in the DRC, killing over 200 people.

A lost Rembrandt painting was authenticated after two years of analysis,and a survey found that Gen Z men favor traditional household roles more than Baby Boomers.

Hall of Fame college football Coach Lou Holtz died at the age of 89,and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas allegedly tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance, making him ineligible to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.