🇨🇩🇷🇼 BBC News: Former DR Congo President Joseph Kabila has returned to the country after two years, arriving in M23-held Goma. His return follows senators stripping his immunity over alleged support for the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, accusations he denies.

🇮🇱 🇵🇸 A day of heavy Israeli strikes across Gaza has killed dozens, per Hamas run Gaza Health Ministry officials.

🇷🇺🇺🇦🇺🇸 The Hill: Russia launched a record 355 drones and 9 missiles into Ukraine late Sunday, with Ukraine neutralizing most. This massive attack follows President Trump's recent strong criticism of Vladimir Putin, whom he called "crazy" while warning of Russia's "downfall" if attacks continue.

🇵🇸🇮🇱 JPost: Hamas is urging Gazans not to cooperate with a new Israeli-initiated aid mechanism, calling it an "intelligence operation" to collect information and create internal division. Hamas claims Israel is using food as a weapon and demands a return to UN-based aid distribution.

🇺🇸🇮🇱 SAN: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is in Israel conveying President Trump's support after two Israeli embassy staffers were killed in a D.C. shooting last week. Noem met with Israeli PM Netanyahu and FM Sa'ar, and is the first Cabinet secretary to participate in Jerusalem Day.

🇰🇵 Miami Herald: North Korea is reportedly using balloons to salvage the destroyer that capsized during its May 21 launch in Chongjin.

🇸🇩 SAN: Drone strikes by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Port Sudan "signal a new phase" in the civil war marked by new weapons and foreign interference. The UAE is accused of supplying Chinese-made drones to the RSF, which the US has formally determined committed genocide.

🇵🇸 Al Jazeera: More than 95% of Gaza's agricultural land is unusable due to the ongoing war, according to a UN assessment. The FAO warns that this destruction of cropland, greenhouses, and wells is exacerbating the critical risk of famine for the entire population.

🇺🇸 The Hill: President Trump considers redirecting $3 billion from Harvard to vocational schools due to the university's stance on antisemitism and its 27.2% international student body. This follows DHS attempts to revoke Harvard's foreign student cert, which a judge has temporarily blocked.

🇩🇰🇫🇮🇸🇪 UK Defence Journal: Nordic Air Forces from Denmark, Finland, & Sweden conducted a joint "Nordic Combat Enhanced Training" operation over the Baltic Sea on May 21. The exercise enhanced NATO interoperability & showcased Agile Combat Employment.

🇺🇸 AP: President Trump will participate in a wreath laying ceremony and deliver Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery today.

🇬🇧 UK Defence Journal: The UK Ministry of Defence is launching a £48M assessment phase for a new Mounted Short Range Air Defence (SHORAD) capability. This program aims to develop mobile air defenses for the British Army against threats like drones, signaling efforts to restore layered air defense.

🇨🇦🇬🇧 NYT: King Charles III is in Canada for a two-day visit, his first as King. He will deliver Parliament's opening Speech from the Throne, a symbolic act underscoring Canadian sovereignty amid American threats. The visit includes ceremonial events and meetings with Canadian leaders.

🇫🇷🇺🇸 The Guardian: French President Macron says Donald Trump realizes Putin has "lied" about Ukraine and hopes Trump's anger "translates into action."

🇬🇷🇪🇺🇨🇾🇮🇱🇪🇬 AP: Greece has completed a €1B undersea power cable link to Crete, plugging it on Saturday for full operation this summer. Key step in plans to expand the grid across the Eastern Mediterranean to Cyprus & Israel, bolstering energy diversification & enabling Crete's shift to renewables.

🇺🇸🇪🇪 UK Def Journal: The U.S. has approved a potential $296M sale of 800 Javelin missiles & 84 launch units to Estonia. The FMS deal aims to strengthen Estonia's territorial defense & NATO interoperability, supporting U.S. foreign policy & national security. The sale awaits Congressional approval.

🇺🇸 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 BREAKING: Hamas says they'll agree to a 70-day truce & release of 10 hostages for reciprocal releases & partial IDF withdrawal from Gaza. WH envoy Steve Witkoff rejects Hamas' terms, and tells Axios: "What I have heard so far from Hamas has been disappointing and completely acceptable."

🇺🇸🇲🇽 Military: The Pentagon is sending 1,115 additional troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, bringing the total to over 8,000 active-duty personnel. These "ground components" will provide logistics, engineering, & medical support efforts to "gain full operational control" of the southern border.

🇮🇷 Mehr: Iranian Judiciary Chief Ejei has called for accelerated investigation into the Bandar Abbas port fire case, insisting on quickly examining any fault or negligence. The fuel tanker blast at Shahid Rajaee port on April 26 resulted in 70 deaths.

🇺🇬🇩🇪 BBC: Uganda has suspended all military cooperation with Germany, accusing German Ambassador Mathias Schauer of "subversive activities." Comes after reports that Schauer raised concerns about controversial statements by Uganda's army chief, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Germany rejects charges.

🇳🇴 AP: Norwegian prosecutors have charged a cargo ship's on-duty navigator for allegedly falling asleep, causing the vessel NCL Salten to run aground near a home on the Trondheim Fjord last Thursday. The ship's bow came within meters of the house, though no injuries or oil spills were reported.

🇮🇷🇫🇷 AP: Iran has summoned France's top diplomat in protest after the French Foreign Minister praised the Palme d'Or-winning Iranian film "It Was Just an Accident" as "a gesture of resistance." Tehran's Foreign Ministry called the remarks "interventionist" and criticized France's stance on Gaza.

🇷🇴 ABC: Nicusor Dan was sworn in as Romania's president, easing a political crisis that followed his May 18 election rerun victory. The mathematician & former Bucharest mayor pledged to tackle economic woes, and reaffirmed Romania's Western ties & support for Ukraine.

🇰🇵 Yonhap/AP: North Korea's state media announced its new destroyer, damaged last week during a launch attempt, is under repair. Leader Kim Jong Un decried the accident as a "criminal act" of "absolute carelessness," and has had several arrested, including shipyard officials.

🇺🇸 ABC News: DHS has asked DoD for ~20,000 National Guard troops for domestic immigration operations, including potential "interior immigration enforcement." Pentagon is reviewing. Move tied to boosting manpower for ICE-led ops, a shift from traditional Guard roles.

🇺🇸 BREAKING: President Trump has announced his intent for the defense industry and military to develop two new aircraft: the F-22 Super, and the twin engine F-55, per Axios.

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇶🇦 NYT: President Trump said his administration is "getting close to maybe doing a deal" with Iran on nuclear weapons, claiming Iran "has sort of agreed to the terms" during his Middle East tour in Qatar. Iranian officials could not immediately confirm his remarks on the talks happening in Oman.

Breaking: Unconfirmed reports indicate that Indian air defense systems have activated in Samba, Jammu and Kashmir, and potentially other areas near the border with Pakistan amid reports of drone incursions. The situation remains fluid despite the ceasefire, and it is not yet clear what is going on.

NYT: Trump Administration to Announce Trade Deal With Britain

President Trump teased a trade deal announcement, nearly a month after he implemented a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs and implemented a 145 percent tariff on China.

NBC: Trump says he does not know if noncitizens are entitled to due process or if he has to uphold the U.S. Constitution as President, stating "I was elected to get them the hell out of here, and the courts are holding me from doing it".

🇮🇱🇾🇪 Update: A Houthi ballistic missile that impacted the vicinity of Ben Gurion Airport's main terminal on Sunday morning injured four people, and two more were injured while running for shelter per Magen David Adom.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX launch site to become Texas’ newest city www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

🇻🇦 dpa: The chimney for the papal conclave has been installed on the Sistine Chapel roof at the Vatican. Black smoke will signal unsuccessful votes & white smoke a new pope has been chosen during the conclave, set to begin Wednesday with 133 cardinals.

🇺🇸🇭🇹 Miami Herald: The Trump admin designated Haiti's powerful Viv Ansanm gang coalition & the Gran Grief gang as Foreign Terrorist Organizations & Specially Designated Global Terrorists. SECSTATE Rubio made the designation Friday, citing the gangs' violence as a threat to US national security.

🇺🇦 Ukrainian troops will join UK forces in London on Monday to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, the Ministry of Defence has announced.

🇺🇸🇵🇦🇨🇳🇭🇰 NY Post: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink is pushing to finalize a deal for 43 ports, including 2 on the Panama Canal. The complex deal needs approval from 23 countries & China, and faces a dispute w/ Panama. Fink wagers China won't block the HK-based seller's deal despite the US trade war.

🇨🇦🇺🇸 Bloomberg: Canadian PM Mark Carney is set to meet with US President Trump at the White House early next week, their first in-person meeting since Carney's election which included an anti-Trump message.

🇺🇸 The Independent: 19yo DOGE staffer "Big Balls" (Edward Coristine) spoke publicly, describing using "computer stuff" to find "fraud & waste". With Trump admin spending up 6.3%, Musk has vowed that DOGE's work will continue.

Ars Technica: Rockstar Games announced Grand Theft Auto VI will miss its 2025 release, now targeting May 26, 2026. The delay is needed to "deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve," per Rockstar. Insider sources say the delay wasn't unexpected.

🇪🇺🇷🇺🇺🇦 Reuters: Euroclear plans to seize & redistribute ~€3B ($3.4B) in frozen Russian funds to compensate Western investors whose cash Moscow seized. This is separate from Russian central bank reserves.

🇺🇸 Military Times: President Trump announced plans via social media to rename Veterans Day (Nov 11) as "Victory Day for WWI" & establish May 8 as "Victory Day for WWII," stating "We won both wars... but we never celebrate anything." Veterans Day currently honors all veterans.

🇮🇱🇵🇸 Times of Israel: After 2.5mo freeze, IDF plans a major shift in Gaza aid delivery to thwart Hamas, moving from mass distribution to direct handouts to families via international groups/contractors in IDF-secured zones. Plan lacks final govt. approval.

🇺🇸 Military Times: A soldier from Fort Carson has been charged with cocaine distribution following a raid on a Colorado Springs nightclub for selling cocaine to a DEA agent. He was one of ~17 soldiers present during the raid at the club, where 100+ immigrants were also detained.

🇺🇸 Reuters: President Trump announced he plans to strip Harvard University of its tax-exempt status, stating "It's what they deserve!" on Truth Social, without specifying when.

BREAKING: Axios reports Steven Miller is emerging as top candidate for National Security Advisor. To replace interim NSA Rubio in wake of Waltz reassignment, if chosen.

BREAKING: The USS Harry S Truman's deployment in the Red Sea has been extended by the Secretary of Defense.

🇨🇳🇺🇸 The Independent: China's Commerce Ministry is "evaluating" a US offer for talks on President Trump's 145% tariffs. China warned against "extortion and coercion," but said talks are open if the US shows sincerity, corrects "wrong practices," & cancels unilateral tariffs.

🇺🇸 Reuters: Exxon Mobil beat Wall Street's Q1 profit estimate, reporting $7.71 billion ($1.76/share), driven by higher production from Guyana & the Permian basin. Overall production rose to 4.55 million boepd. The company remains on track for its $20B annual share repurchase goal.

🇩🇪 BBC: Germany's federal intelligence agency classified the far-right AfD party as extreme-right, stating its "ethnicity- and ancestry-based understanding" is incompatible w/ the democratic order.