The partial government shutdown stretched into its 39th day Tuesday as Senate Democrats rejected a Republican-backed plan to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, drawing sharp criticism from conservatives who argue politics is being placed ahead of national security.

Louisville, Kentucky has agreed to pay $800,000 in attorney’s fees to Christian photographer Chelsey Nelson following her legal victory over the city’s public accommodations law, which had required her to photograph same-sex weddings if she offered services for traditional marriages.

Israeli intelligence assessments indicate Hezbollah has been significantly weakened, losing an estimated 85% of its missile arsenal since the war ignited by Hamas’ October 7 massacre. The Iranian-backed terror group is now believed to possess between 11,000 and 13,000 rockets—roughly one-sixth of its pre-war stockpile.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the ongoing conflict with Iran has already resulted in what he described as a “regime change,” signaling a dramatic shift in leadership dynamics within the Iranian government as Washington presses forward with negotiations to end hostilities.

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Tuesday that Israeli forces plan to occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, outlining a strategy to create a “defensive buffer” amid ongoing conflict with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization.

The Pentagon is preparing to deploy a brigade combat team from the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing U.S. officials, signaling a significant escalation in America’s posture toward Iran.

A senior leader of one of Nigeria’s largest evangelical denominations has been abducted in Nigeria’s central Plateau State while concern remains about several Christian worshipers kidnapped elsewhere in the turbulent African nation, Christian sources said Tuesday.

Lebanon sharply escalated tensions with Iran on Tuesday, announcing the expulsion of Tehran’s ambassador-designate and recalling its own envoy amid accusations of diplomatic violations and growing concerns over Iranian influence in the country.

Arab Gulf nations are moving closer to joining the expanding military campaign against Iran, signaling a dramatic shift in regional dynamics as sustained Iranian attacks strain their economies and threaten control of critical energy routes, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Hungary’s foreign minister has admitted contacts with Russia during European Union meetings, after reports that confidential information from closed-door discussions may have been shared—an allegation the opposition says could amount to “treason” and carry a potential life sentence in prison.