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Israel launched a large wave of airstrikes on central Beirut, killing more than 100 people and saying the Iran ceasefire does not extend to Lebanon. Iran responded within hours by closing the Strait of Hormuz again, calling the strikes a violation of the agreement and warning it would not sit back while attacks continued elsewhere.

The two-week truce is now under in real strain, with Washington insisting Israel’s operations in Lebanon are separate from the deal. Tehran rejects that distinction, saying a ceasefire that allows ongoing bombing in the region is meaningless and cannot be sustained.

Talks set for Friday in Islamabad are still on the schedule, but the tone has shifted sharply. With tensions rising again around both Lebanon and key shipping routes, it would not take much to push the situation back into full-scale escalation.

Rex Heuermann pleaded guilty to murdering seven women and killing an eighth linked victim in the Gilgo Beach case, ending years of investigation and speculation. The admission formally connects him to a series of killings that had remained unsolved for more than a decade.

The case cast a long shadow over Long Island, with victims identified over time and families left waiting for answers. Early leads went nowhere, and for years the investigation seemed stalled before new evidence brought a breakthrough.

Prosecutors spent years building the case, using advances in forensic analysis and digital records to tie Heuermann to the crimes. The guilty plea avoids a lengthy trial and closes one of the most high-profile serial killing cases in recent memory.

A Senate vote on limiting Trump’s war powers in Iran is shaping up as a test of whether Congress can reassert control over military action as the conflict escalates. Lawmakers are pushing to require explicit approval for further strikes even as tensions remain high.

Democrats support the measure as a way to restore constitutional checks on the president. Republican leaders oppose it, arguing that restricting authority during an active conflict could undermine U.S. deterrence.

Similar efforts have failed in recent weeks, underscoring how difficult it is for Congress to act once military operations are underway. The outcome could influence not just current policy on Iran but the broader balance of war powers going forward.

All twelve miners trapped underground in a Sinaloa collapse were pulled out alive Wednesday after a three-day rescue operation. The operation drew hundreds of emergency workers and was closely watched by families camped at the mine entrance throughout.

Two French nationals held in Iran for nearly two years were released Wednesday and are en route to Paris. France said their release was a humanitarian outcome separate from the ceasefire negotiations, though the timing coincided with the US-Iran deal taking effect.

A passenger vessel capsized on Lake Kivu in eastern Congo on Wednesday, with dozens of people reported missing. Local authorities launched a search-and-rescue operation; the lake's rough conditions complicated recovery efforts.

A Florida judge ordered Tiger Woods to hand over medical and drug-test records as part of a lawsuit filed by a former partner. Woods had sought to block the subpoena on privacy grounds; the ruling clears the way for the records to be disclosed in discovery ahead of the Masters.

A Wisconsin mayor facing a voter drop-box investigation was cleared of wrongdoing Wednesday after a review found no evidence of election-law violations. Critics said the investigation was politically motivated; supporters called the outcome a vindication of local election procedures.

A coalition of Texas cannabis and hemp businesses filed suit Wednesday to block a new state law banning hemp-derived products, arguing it would shutter thousands of legal businesses. The suit seeks a preliminary injunction before the law takes effect next month.

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Federal Reserve meeting minutes released Wednesday show most officials expect a rate cut in 2026 despite the energy shock from the Iran conflict. Several members flagged that a prolonged Strait disruption could change that calculus, making today's ceasefire directly relevant to rate timelines.

Paramount's president Jeff Shell has left the company amid a lawsuit filed against him. Shell had been a central figure in Paramount's ongoing merger talks and his departure adds fresh uncertainty to the studio's future direction.

Southwest Airlines raised its checked bag fees Wednesday, abandoning a perk it had held onto for decades. Delta cut its growth outlook but expects a $300 million boost from its refinery arm as jet fuel prices stay elevated.

Meta unveiled a new large language model Wednesday, its first major AI release since a $14 billion deal brought in Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang. The model competes directly with Google's Gemini and OpenAI's GPT-4o, with Meta emphasizing open-source access as its edge.

A quiet but deepening dispute between TSMC and Nvidia over advanced packaging capacity is emerging as a chokepoint in the AI chip buildout. Nvidia wants faster turnaround on CoWoS packaging; TSMC says it cannot scale without Intel as a backup — a move Nvidia has resisted.

Global average temperatures in March set a new all-time record for the month, continuing a run of historic heat that has now stretched for more than a year. Scientists said the sustained anomaly goes beyond El Niño effects and reflects the underlying long-term warming trend.

The annual Masters Par 3 Contest drew a packed crowd Wednesday as players arrived at Augusta with family and celebrity caddies for the traditional pre-tournament event. No player has won the Par 3 and gone on to win the Masters the same week — a streak that has held for decades.

MLB handed Jorge Soler and Reynaldo López seven-game suspensions after Tuesday's bench-clearing brawl between Atlanta and the Angels. Several additional players received shorter suspensions; both Soler and López are expected to appeal.

Pittsburgh signed 19-year-old shortstop Konnor Griffin to a nine-year deal worth at least $140 million, pairing him with ace Paul Skenes as the foundation of an ambitious rebuild. Griffin is regarded as one of the best hitting prospects in a generation.

Jim Whittaker, who in 1963 became the first American to summit Everest, died Wednesday at 97. Whittaker went on to lead expeditions, mentor a generation of climbers, and become a prominent advocate for wilderness conservation.

Fox has confirmed that Malcolm in the Middle is being revived with most of the original cast returning. The show ran from 2000 to 2006 and helped define a decade of family sitcoms. No premiere date has been announced.

Saturday Night Live closed its 51st season with a finale featuring Olivia Rodrigo, Paul McCartney, Matt Damon, and Will Ferrell. The show leaned into nostalgia and star power, with noticeably less political satire than in recent seasons.

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A surge of Israeli airstrikes on Beirut killed more than 100 people and made clear that operations in Lebanon remain outside the scope of the current ceasefire. Iran answered within hours by closing the Strait of Hormuz, framing the move as both retaliation and a warning that the truce cannot survive selective enforcement.

The ceasefire was built to halt direct confrontation between Israel and Iran after weeks of escalating exchanges, yet it never fully addressed proxy conflicts unfolding across the region. Tehran is now challenging the structure of the agreement itself, arguing that a deal that tolerates continued strikes in Lebanon undermines any claim of de-escalation.

Washington is trying to preserve a narrow interpretation that separates theaters of conflict, hoping to keep diplomatic channels open long enough to stabilize the situation. Pressure is building around scheduled talks in Islamabad, where negotiators must now contend with a rapidly deteriorating baseline and rising skepticism from both sides.

Regional dynamics are shifting quickly as Lebanon becomes a renewed flashpoint layered on top of an already fragile truce. Hezbollah’s position, Israel’s willingness to expand its campaign, and Iran’s readiness to respond indirectly or directly are all converging into a more volatile equation.

Global stakes extend far beyond the battlefield because the Strait of Hormuz carries a significant portion of the world’s oil supply. Energy markets have already reacted to the shipping disruption risk, signaling how quickly a regional escalation can translate into higher fuel costs, inflation pressure, and supply chain instability.

A Wyoming man who crashed a snowmobile into a bar and later kept a wolf as an illegal pet received probation for both incidents, underscoring how even dangerous and unusual offenses can result in relatively light sentencing.

The Artemis II crew shot an Earthset photo from behind the lunar horizon, evoking Apollo 8's iconic Earthrise. They are on their way home and on track for splashdown later this week.

A Volkswagen Beetle dangling from a Canadian cliff turned out to be a prank after authorities investigated the bizarre sight, highlighting how quickly viral stunts can trigger real emergency responses and public safety concerns.

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—The Five Minute Daily Team