U.S. President Donald Trump considered withdrawing the U.S. from NATO after several allies denied American forces access to their bases for operations against Iran,and asserted that the war with Iran could end in "two or three weeks," regardless of the progress of negotiations,as he declared that Washington's military objectives in the region were "nearing completion" during a 19-minute primetime address.This comes as Iran shot down a U.S. F-15W fighter jet, with the second of two crew members rescued over the weekend, Israel and the U.S. launched strikes near Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, reportedly killing a security guard,and Iran struck a Kuwaiti oil tanker carrying approximately 2 million barrels of oil at a Dubai port.Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council convened an emergency session after three of its peacekeepers were killed in Lebanon, Israeli air strikes continued in Khan Younis, causing further casualties in the southern Gaza Strip,and Pakistan and Afghanistan held peace talks in China after previous mediation efforts by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey failed to yield lasting results.Elsewhere, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a "positive" phone call with several U.S. officials and NATO's chief amid ongoing discussions on security assistance and peace negotiations, a Russian military plane crashed in Crimea, killing all 30 people on board,and the first troops from a U.N.-backed mission were deployed to Haiti to help combat the nation's growing gang crisis,as a gang attack in the country killed at least 70 people.In other news, U.S. Gen. Randy George resigned, allegedly under pressure from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, China deployed more than 200 drone fighters near Taiwan in a show of force, Japan deployed long-range missiles to its southwestern islands as part of efforts to strengthen its defense against potential threats,and New Zealand and the Cook Islands signed a defense pact following tensions over the latter's relationship with China.

The U.K. announced plans to convene a 35-nation meeting aimed at restoring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa made his first official visit to Berlin for talks on postwar reconstruction efforts,and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made an unannounced trip to Saudi Arabia, becoming the first EU or NATO leader to travel to the Middle East since the onset of the Iran conflict.Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Tokyo, marking his fourth state visit to Japan as president, the U.S. announced plans to close the Canada-Montana "Border Road," citing security concerns and a rise in illegal crossings,a Canadian mother and daughter duo were released from U.S. immigration detention after being held at a Texas checkpoint,and talks on a new $858 million U.K.-France border deal stalled over a financial dispute.This comes as Buckingham Palace confirmed King Charles' upcoming visit to the U.S., planned to align with the 250th anniversary of American independence, the U.S. Embassy in Caracas officially reopened after a seven-year closure,and Washington lifted sanctions on Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, signaling a shift in diplomatic relations.Elsewhere, Taiwanese opposition leader Cheng Li-wun reportedly accepted an invitation to visit China next week, Russia and Egypt discussed creating a joint grain and energy hub during high-level talks at the Kremlin,and Russia expelled a British diplomat over allegations of espionage.In other news, an Alberta independence petition reached the official referendum threshold, paving the way for a potential vote on separation from Canada, Avi Lewis won the New Democratic Party leadership race in Canada, positioning the left-wing activist as the new face of the opposition party,Myanmar Junta Chief Min Aung Hlaing was elected president five years after his coup against Aung San Suu Kyi's government,and the U.S. reportedly ordered embassies worldwide to collaborate with social media companies to combat alleged foreign propaganda and disinformation campaigns.

Pam Bondi was dismissed as attorney general, with Todd Blanche stepping in as acting attorney general, three former FBI agents sued the government alleging wrongful termination as political retaliation,and Hegseth was accused of seeking defense fund investments right before the U.S. launched strikes on Iran.Meanwhile, Trump attended Supreme Court arguments on birthright citizenship, observing the high-stakes case firsthand, Trump ordered the compilation of a list of verified U.S. citizens eligible to vote, prompting several lawsuits that claim the directive oversteps federal authority,and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the "Florida SAVE Act" into law, tightening voter identification and election security measures in the state.This comes as a court ordered the resentencing of Colorado clerk Tina Peters for her role in the 2020 election data case, a judge ruled that recent Department of Homeland Security emails sent to 900,000 migrants were unlawful, finding that the mass notifications telling them "to leave the United States" violated proper procedures,and a judge blocked Trump's order cutting funding for NPR and PBS, ruling it violated First Amendment protections against viewpoint discrimination.In other news, Trump directed Homeland Security to pay its employees amid an ongoing partial government shutdown, the Department of Interior offered a new early retirement plan for its employees amid Trump's goal to downsize the federal government, a judge halted Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project, citing legal and procedural violations,and Trump unveiled plans for a presidential library in Miami, with a design centered on his political legacy and policy achievements.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy, ruling it violated free speech protections, Senegal’s president signed an LGBTQ+ law doubling the maximum prison term for same-sex sexual acts to 10 years,and Belarus passed a bill to criminalize the promotion of LGBTQ+ content, introducing penalties including fines and community service.Meanwhile, Israel passed a law allowing the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of serious terrorism offenses, China put artist Gao Zhen on trial over his satirical works of Mao Zedong,and Cuba freed 2,010 prisoners as a "humanitarian and sovereign gesture" for Holy Week celebrations.

Lawyers for the alleged Charlie Kirk shooter sought to delay a preliminary hearing over new bullet evidence, the suspected Bondi Beach shooter lost a bid to secure anonymity for his family,and a suspect in the killing of two Australian officers was fatally shot after a 216-day manhunt.Meanwhile, DNA definitively linked serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 murder of Laura Ann Aime, closing a cold case that had been unresolved for over five decades, South Africa deployed 2,200 troops in a sweeping effort to combat crime,and the U.S. repatriated a suspected Chinese drug trafficker to Beijing, marking the first drug-related extradition between the two countries in years.

SpaceX reportedly filed for a $1.75 trillion IPO in what could rank as the largest stock market listing on record,and Australia launched an investigation into several social media giants over potential noncompliance with its under-16 social media ban.Meanwhile, Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau announced plans to retire following controversy over an English-only condolence video released after a fatal collision involving an Air Canada Jazz flight, the BBC fired Radio 2 presenter Scott Mills over sexual offense allegations,and Oracle began mass layoffs, with up to 30,000 employees reportedly let go.

Trump unveiled a 2027 budget proposal, requesting $1.5 trillion in military funding, the Trump administration's Endangered Species Committee approved an exemption allowing oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico to bypass Endangered Species Act protections,and the U.S. added 178,000 jobs in March, nearly triple economists' expectations.Meanwhile, U.K.-based charity Oxfam estimated that around $3.55 trillion in untaxed wealth was held offshore in 2024, an amount double the combined GDP of the world's 44 least developed countries,and a sanctioned Russian oil tanker docked in Cuba, carrying 730,000 barrels of crude oil and marking the first such vessel to reach the island in three months.

Trump announced 100% tariffs on patented drugs, citing national security and supply chain concerns, the U.K.'s NHS approved Wegovy for 1.2 million patients with cardiovascular disease,and a study linked e-cigarettes to lung and oral cancer, raising concerns about the health effects of vaping.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Indonesia, triggering temporary tsunami warnings.

Anthropic leaked parts of Claude Code's internal source in a mistake that was attributed to human error.

Researchers engineered a tobacco plant to produce five psychedelic compounds,and two preprint studies moved up the date for when quantum computers will be capable of breaking current encryption.

NASA's Artemis II mission launched, marking the first crewed moon trip in 50 years.

Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European playoff final, Amnesty International warned of "significant risks" surrounding the 2026 World Cup, citing concerns over U.S. immigration policies,and FIFA raised the top ticket price for the 2026 World Cup final to $10,990, up from an initial $6,370 when sales began in October.In other news, Tiger Woods announced plans to step away from golf after being charged with driving under the influence.

Japan allowed divorced parents to share custody of their children in the first major update to the country's parental rights framework since its creation in 1948,and China banned "bone-ash apartments" used for storing cremated remains.