Deepens

• International NGOs are warning of a collapsing humanitarian situation in Yemen four years after the United Nations truce. • Geopolitical friction and tactical exploitation by disruptive actors are currently hindering regional stability and economic growth initiatives. • The crisis is straining global resources, as NGOs are forced to focus exclusively on basic relief rather than long-term development.

Albert Manifold disputes reports about his behaviour and says he always tried to set exampleThe boardroom turmoil at BP deepened after its ousted chair, Albert Manifold, claimed allegations about his conduct were “lies”.In a new and lengthy statement, Manifold disputed reports about his conduct, insisting “at no point in my tenure as chairman of BP has anyone raised with me any issue about my conduct or my relationship with my colleagues”. Continue reading...

• Reuters reported on May 16 that U.S. President Donald Trump’s coercive diplomacy toward Iran has “hit a wall,” with the two sides deadlocked after weeks of public threats and ultimatums. • The standoff is linked to an 11-week-old crisis that has shaken the global economy, with analysts warning that energy supplies and markets could face prolonged disruption if talks do not move forward. • Trump is said to be insisting on emerging from any deal as an outright U.S. victory, while Iran is unlikely to accept what it sees as total defeat, complicating compromise.

Dr Tracy Beth Høeg, the Food and Drug Administration’s top drug regulator, says she was fired from agency after declining to resignIn a major shake-up at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), top regulators left on Friday – including Tracy Beth Høeg, the acting drug chief, who says she was fired, and Katherine Szarama, the acting vaccines chief who has only been in the position for days. Jim Traficant, the chief of staff, has also been ousted.The FDA now has no permanent commissioner or deputy commissioner and no permanent leaders of two major centers, after the resignation of Marty Makary on Tuesday and other high-profile departures. Continue reading...

• SoftBank announced a deepened push into AI through a new venture involving OpenAI, targeting enterprise applications in the US market. • The move comes as rival venture capital firms increase funding for AI startups, intensifying competition for talent and tech. • This investment bolsters SoftBank's position in the booming US AI sector, potentially accelerating model deployments.

Motorists are forced to queue up to six hours for fuel or pay more on the black market, while farmers lack fuel to operate machinery and harvest crops.

• Egypt has convened an emergency regional summit with Ethiopia, Sudan, and other Nile Basin nations to address water allocation disputes intensified by Sudan's ongoing civil war and dam infrastructure threats. • The summit, held in Cairo on Friday, focused on protecting the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and Blue Nile water flows during heightened regional conflict; negotiations remain deadlocked. • US officials are monitoring the summit closely, concerned that water scarcity could fuel refugee crises across the Horn of Africa and destabilize a critical US partner region.