Georgia’s Republican governor calls for special session to redraw electoral maps

• A geopolitical crisis in the Middle East that began on February 28 has evolved into a global food security emergency, causing rising hunger in Africa and medical shortages in Afghanistan. • Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which previously handled roughly 20% of global oil shipments, have spiked crude oil prices and increased transport and supply chain costs.

• The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) May Chief Economists’ Outlook warns that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and Middle East conflicts are severely damaging global economic prospects. • The report highlights a period of heightened uncertainty driven by geopolitical tensions, persistent inflationary pressures, and the ongoing restructuring of global supply chains.

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned that urgent action is needed to prevent a global food security crisis caused by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. • FAO Director-General Qu Dongyan met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain, and IFAD President Alvaro Lario in Rome to address these risks.

• Qatar has formally condemned Iranian attacks on civilian targets in Bahrain and Kuwait, labeling the actions a "grave violation" of national sovereignty. • The State asserts that these strikes breach the 1949 Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law, specifically the principles prohibiting indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

• J. Ricardo Martins argues that the "Geneva fiasco" demonstrates the danger of replacing professional diplomats with business-oriented dealmakers in international relations. • The author contends that these dealmakers mistakenly viewed compromise as weakness, which escalated a negotiable crisis into an active conflict with Iran.

Platner says claims in New York Times article of physical misconduct and offensive remarks ‘politically motivated’Graham Platner, a Democratic candidate for the US Senate, has rejected an explosive new report about his treatment of women, insisting that allegations of abusive behavior are “politically motivated”.Platner, a progressive running for election in Maine, was responding to a New York Times article published on Thursday that included an interview with a Republican operative who accused him of womanizing, physical misconduct and making troubling comments about rape. Continue reading...

US president’s appointee for acting director of national intelligence has sparked bipartisan criticismDonald Trump has suggested his controversial ally Bill Pulte will investigate “rigged elections” while serving as the country’s top intelligence official, as the US president continues to make unfounded allegations about voting.But Pulte, whom Trump appointed as acting director of national intelligence earlier this week, will only serve in the role temporarily, the president claimed on Thursday. Continue reading...

Blanche, whom Trump plans to nominate to replace ex-attorney general, served as Bondi’s deputy at DoJFormer attorney general Pam Bondi told lawmakers that Todd Blanche, the man Donald Trump has lined up to replace her, was “in charge” of the US Department of Justice’s controversial handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.Appearing before the House oversight and reform committee, which is investigating the late financier and convicted sex offender, Bondi also said she was “not certain of the extent” Trump knew about the crimes of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of Epstein who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex-trafficking crimes, before they became public. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president proposes meeting in neutral third country as Trump says both sides have to ‘make compromises’The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has called for face-to-face negotiations in a public letter addressed directly to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.The letter, the first public letter Zelenskyy has written directly to Putin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, was a sweeping criticism of the Russian leader’s 26 years in power. Continue reading...

Announcement seeks to close a difficult chapter for the company after the Guardian revealed its platform was used in mass surveillance of PalestiniansMicrosoft has said it will tighten human rights controls when working with national security agencies after an inquiry into how the Israeli military used its cloud technology for the mass surveillance of Palestinians.On Thursday, Microsoft announced the completion of the inquiry and a series of new measures that include changes to how the company oversees employees with security clearances issued by foreign governments. Continue reading...

Announcement follows DoJ’s recent findings that medical schools at UCLA and Yale illegally used race in admissionsThe US Department of Justice’s civil rights division has launched investigations into 15 medical schools over allegations of potential race discrimination in their admissions processes.Thursday’s announcement follows the DoJ’s recent findings that the medical schools at the University of California, Los Angeles and Yale University illegally used race in their admissions. Continue reading...

Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Labor MP has declared victory in the debate over the government’s tax reforms, engaging in a bit of meta-commentary at the end of parliament’s sitting fortnight.Julian Hill made the comments on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing on Thursday.I believe the government’s won the debate on negative gearing. I believe we’ve won the debate on capital gains tax on property.And we’re winning the debate, we got a way to go, on removing the distortion that would otherwise be there. … I think we’re winning the debate … Start ups and so on, we are still engaging on. Continue reading...