Gaza

• Israel's latest proposal asked Hamas to release elderly, ill, and female hostages - including five female soldiers - in return for a temporary ceasefire and release of Palestinian prisoners, but Hamas responded to tell negotiators it hasn't been able to locate 40 hostages fitting the bill.
• That admission raised concerns that more of the hostages than previously thought may have died. [Although that's not certain: Hamas officials also suggested it's just hard to locate dispersed hostages in the fog of war, and asked for a ceasefire to gather them from other militant groups and even families some are reported to be quartered with].
• Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike killed three sons of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. The elder Haniyeh lives in exile in Qatar, but Israel says all three of his sons were Hamas military operatives. Their father was defiant: "The enemy is delusional if it thinks that by killing my children, we will change our positions. We shall not give in, no matter the sacrifices."
• While Israel continues to carry out airstrikes in Gaza, it has mostly reduced its ground presence and continues to boost aid flows into the strip. Defense minister Gallant announced plans to "flood Gaza with aid" through a new land crossing in the north that will shorten the distance aid trucks travel between Ashdod port and Gaza.

China

• Canadian PM Trudeau testified at a government hearing about foreign interference, saying China tried to interfere in Canada's last two elections - although not in a way that affected the results, and probably not favoring one party over another.

Venezuela

• Colombia's Pres. Petro said he met with Venezuela's opposition in Caracas, but he actually only met with Socialist Party-approved "opposition" candidate Manuel Rosales, and he did so with Pres. Maduro's approval. [Some analysts think Rosales was allowed to join the ballot for July's election because his candidacy lends a veneer of legitimacy to the rigged poll without posing a real threat to Maduro's re-election.]
• Petro's team didn't reach out to the united opposition under Maria Corina Machado - and Maduro probably wouldn't have let Petro meet any real opposition figures.
• Petro is trying to stay in Maduro's good graces because he wants to sign a deal that would see Colombia's Ecopetrol produce Venezuelan oil and gas.

Afghanistan

• Reclusive Taliban leader Hibatullah Akundzada gave a rare public address during Eid prayers yesterday and doubled down on his government's Byzantine policies: "If anyone has any issues with us, we are open to resolving them, but we will never compromise on our principles or Islam. At the same time, we expect that Islam will not be disrespected. I will not take even a step away from the Islamic law."
• [Islamic law, in his view, recently led to the repeal of a ban on publicly stoning women to death for adultery - although no stonings have been carried out since the ban was repealed last month.]

Other News

• Pres. Biden hosted an elaborate dinner for Japanese PM Fumio Kishida that was attended by Apple's Tim Cook, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, and Chase's Jamie Dimon. During meetings earlier in the day, the U.S. and Japan agreed to join three-way military exercise with Australia to counter China's growing influence in the Pacific.
• South Korea's opposition won a surprise landslide in yesterday's parliamentary elections, humbling Pres. Yoon and his conservative party and complicating their plans to pass legislation for the three years left in Yoon's term. PM Han Dong-hoon offered to resign.
• A South African court ruled that former president Jacob Zuma will be allowed to run for parliament under the newly-formed MK party on May 29 - despite a criminal conviction for refusing to cooperate with a graft investigation.