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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
GLOBAL AFFAIRS
Mark Carney’s Liberal Party has won the Canadian election, defeating his Conservative rival Pierre Poilievre, who until recently was expected to become the next Prime Minister. Despite securing enough seats to form a government, it remains a close call at the time of writing whether Carney will secure a majority in parliament — if not, he will have to rely on other parties to govern. In his victory speech, Carney said, “President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us – that will never ever happen.” BBC News reports.
Spain and Portugal declared states of emergency yesterday after nationwide power outages and blackouts. Power was also lost in parts of France, causing widespread chaos on roads and in airports. Electricity supply is gradually returning to parts of Spain and Portugal, with the cause of the blackout still being investigated, Spain’s prime minister said. The president of the European Council said there were “no indications” of a cyberattack. CNN reports; Gabriela Pomeroy reports for BBC News.
Pakistan’s defense minister said yesterday that a military incursion by India was “imminent,” as tensions between the neighbouring countries continue to rise in the wake of last week’s deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir. Pakistan has said it is on high alert, adding it would only use its nuclear weapons “if there is a direct threat to our existence.” Asif Shahzad reports for Reuters.
Iranian officials said there was a “failure to observe safety principles” at the port of Bandar Abbas, where an explosion on Saturday killed dozens, though further testing is needed to identify the exact cause of the blast. Leila Gharagozlou, Tim Lister, Eve Brennan, Max Saltman, and Frankie Vetch report for CNN.
Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed at least 30 people in an attack on Omdurman on Sunday, authorities and an activist group said yesterday. Separately, a U.N. panel overseeing sanctions in Sudan is investigating how mortar rounds originally exported from Bulgaria to the United Arab Emirates ended up in a supply convoy for the RSF, according to a letter obtained by Reuters. Samy Magdy reports for the Associated Press; Reade Levinson and David Lewis report.
Iran has proposed holding a meeting with the European signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal — potentially in Rome this Friday — if negotiations with the United States resume, diplomats said yesterday, adding that the Europeans have not yet responded to the proposal. John Irish and Parisa Hafezi report for Reuters.
Four former Hong Kong lawmakers were released from prison today after serving over four years for convictions under a Beijing-imposed national security law that effectively dismantled the city’s pro-democracy movement. Kanis Leung reports for the Associated Press.
The twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago held snap elections yesterday after its new prime minister dissolved parliament last month. The Associated Press reports.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday announced a three-day unilateral ceasefire in the war in Ukraine, beginning on May 8 and ending on May 10, to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. “Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example,” Putin said in a statement on the Kremlin website, adding, “In the event of violations of the truce by the Ukrainian side, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will give an adequate and effective response.” Mary Ilyushima reports for the Washington Post; Thomas Mackintosh and Vitaliy Shevchenko report for BBC News.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israel yesterday boycotted the opening day of hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on its decision to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Israel’s foreign minister said Israel had submitted its written position but would not participate in “this circus,” accusing UNRWA of being “infested with Hamas terrorists.” The hearings at The Hague, which are expected to last all week, follow a request by the U.N. General Assembly, with 40 countries, including the United States, set to speak as part of proceedings. Eugenia Yosef and Oren Libermann report for CNN; Shira Rubin and Clare Parker report for the Washington Post.
The head of Israel’s Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, announced his resignation yesterday, saying he would step down on June 15 “after 35 years in service.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Bar had been sacked in March, with Bar claiming he was dismissed because he refused to fulfil Netanyahu’s request to disrupt his corruption trial and spy on Israeli protestors. Reuters reports.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Mexico and the United States announced yesterday that they had reached an agreement under which Mexico will immediately release more water from the shared Rio Grande basin to Texas farmers, following earlier tariff and sanction threats by Trump. The Associated Press reports.
Amid the U.S. bombing campaign in Yemen targeting the Houthis, a jet fighter yesterday fell off the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and sank when the ship made a sharp turn, defense officials said. It marks the strike group’s third mishap during its Middle East deployment, although officials say it is unclear whether the intensified pace of operations was a factor in the lost aircraft. Nancy A. Youssef reports for the Wall Street Journal.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
House Republicans have unveiled a bill that proposes a $150 billion increase in Pentagon spending, bringing the total defense budget for FY-25 to over $1 trillion, if approved. The legislation, developed by the House and Senate Armed Services committees, allocates nearly $25 billion for Trump’s long-proposed Golden Dome missile defense project, a system designed to shield the entire continental United States from advanced missile threats. Ellen Mitchell reports for The Hill.
Tennessee State prosecutors began their own trial yesterday against three former Memphis Police Department officers involved in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, seeking a murder conviction after a separate federal jury returned a mixed verdict last fall. Emily Cochrane and Ben Stanley report for the New York Times.
Elon Musk and his companies could be exposed to at least $2.37 billion in potential legal and regulatory liabilities stemming from federal investigations, lawsuits, and oversight, according to a new report released yesterday by Senate Democrats. The report outlines various conflicts of interest related to Musk’s involvement with DOGE and raises concerns about the possibility of him leveraging his position to influence legal outcomes. Nick Robins-Early reports for The Guardian.
An Atlanta woman whose home was mistakenly raided by the FBI will appear before the Supreme Court today in a pivotal case determining when individuals can sue to hold federal law enforcement accountable. Lindsay Whitehurst reports for the Associated Press.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
Trump signed three executive orders yesterday. One order directs the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to release a list of state and local jurisdictions that the Trump administration views as “sanctuary cities” — areas that restrict cooperation with federal officials’ efforts to arrest undocumented immigrants, and to pursue enforcement efforts. A second order directs the Trump administration to support police officers facing misconduct allegations by providing legal assistance; to review and potentially revise existing limitations on law enforcement, including federal consent decrees; to supply local law enforcement with military-grade equipment; and to take action against local officials who “unlawfully” prevent officers from performing their duties. A third executive order aims to enforce current regulations mandating that professional truck drivers demonstrate English proficiency. It instructs the Transportation Department to remove from service any driver who cannot read or speak English. Luke Broadwater and Zolan Kanno-Youngs report for the New York Times; Michelle Hackman and Tarini Parti report for the Wall Street Journal.
The new head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division has been redirecting staff to focus on combating antisemitism, anti-Christian bias, and what she terms “woke ideology,” prompting the departure of about half of the division’s lawyers in recent weeks, sources say. The division also revised the mission statements to shift focus away from addressing racial discrimination and toward opposing diversity initiatives. Hundreds of lawyers and other staff members are leaving the division en masse, with section chiefs — who had been responsible for cases involving police brutality, disability rights, and voting rights — being reassigned to roles outside their areas of legal expertise. Perry Stein and Jeremy Roebuck report for the Washington Post.
A team of DOGE personnel yesterday went to the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) headquarters to evaluate the agency’s performance and alignment with Trump’s agenda, sources say. As one of the last remaining foreign aid agencies that has not yet been drastically impacted by the Trump administration, the DFC was established during the first Trump administration with bipartisan backing from Congress to support development projects in low- and middle-income countries through private sector investment. Robbie Gramer and Sophie Cai report for POLITICO.
National security agencies within the Trump administration are intensifying investigations into suspected leaks to the media, with some using polygraph tests, which current and former officials say are fostering a climate of fear and harming national security. Under the direction of FBI Director Kash Patel, the bureau has recently started administering polygraph tests to track down the sources of leaks, according to an FBI spokesperson. Ellen Nakashima and Hannah Natanson report for the Washington Post.
The Trump administration has dismissed hundreds of scientists and experts who had been working on publishing a flagship report on how climate change is affecting the country. The future of the report, which is required by Congress and known as the National Climate Assessment, is now at risk, experts say. Brad Plumer and Rebecca Dzombak report for the New York Times.
House Republicans have proposed a $1,000 fee for migrants seeking asylum, part of a broader set of new or increased charges on immigrants pursuing legal entry into the United States. The proposal is among several measures outlined in legislation unveiled yesterday by the House Judiciary Committee, intended for inclusion in a sweeping domestic policy bill advancing Trump’s agenda. Michael Gold reports for the New York Times.
The Trump administration yesterday launched two investigations into Harvard University and the Harvard Law Review over allegations that race was considered in the journal’s editorial decisions. The civil rights offices of the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services stated the inquiries were “based on reports of race-based discrimination permeating the operations of the journal.” Other issues including financial ties, oversight procedures, and selection policies are also being probed. Bianca Quilantan reports for POLITICO.
The head of a Peace Corps alumni group said yesterday he had been informed the agency, under review by DOGE, is looking to reduce the number of full-time staff who assist volunteers overseas. In a statement, the Peace Corps confirmed that DOGE was evaluating its operations and “working to identify additional efficiency in our staffing structure.” David A. Farenthold reports for the New York Times.
The Trump administration will move to lessen the impact of his automotive tariffs today by easing certain duties on foreign parts used in U.S.-built cars and preventing multiple tariffs from accumulating on imported vehicles, officials say. Reuters reports.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
A coalition of labor unions, local governments, and nonprofits filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in federal court yesterday, aiming to block the DOGE Service’s federal workforce reductions in part on the basis that they lack congressional approval. The lawsuit, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, claims that the administration’s “reduction in force” plans and government reorganization violate the Constitution’s separation of powers. Lauren Kaori Gurley reports for the Washington Post.
A lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s policy of permitting immigration enforcement agents to operate in places like schools and houses of worship was filed in Oregon yesterday, aiming to address the legal question of whether certain civic spaces should be off-limits. Zach Montague reports for the New York Times.
A U.S. appeals court yesterday reinstated a temporary block on mass layoffs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, allowing employees to retain their jobs for the time being. The divided ruling by a three-judge panel on Washington’s federal appeals court dealt a setback to Trump’s push to significantly restructure the CFPB, potentially shrinking the workforce by 90%. Reuters reports.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
