Donald Trump says he is directing his government to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the former prison on an island off the coast of California.

The prison was closed in 1963, and Alcatraz Island is currently operating as a tourist site.

NEW: An international NGO that intends to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza by sea has said it was in talks with Malta’s government about allowing a vessel to enter Maltese waters to repair damage caused by a drone attack.

The ship named Conscience, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), suffered damage to its front section including a loss of power when it was hit by two drones just outside Maltese territorial waters in the central Mediterranean early on Friday, the NGO said on Sunday.

Source: Al Jazeera

Trump:

Other nations have been stealing the movies— the movie making capabilities from the US. I’ve done some very strong research over the past week and we’re making very few movies now.

Trump says he will pick a new National Security Advisor in 6 months.

"Stephen Miller is at the top of the totem pole. I mean, I think he sort of indirectly already has that job."

Trump:

If Mexico wanted help with the cartels, we would be honored to go in and do it.

Trump on Mike Waltz's resignation:

He didn't resign. You people are so bad. You're trying to make a big deal out of something that's not.

M23 rebels and their allies took over the town of Lunyasenge on the west coast of Lake Edward in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, following clashes with the army that killed 17 people, including seven soldiers.

The Congolese army confirmed in a statement that Lunyasenge has been captured in the eastern province of North Kivu.

Source: TRT World

India Begins Hydropower Work After Suspending Treaty With Pakistan

India has begun increasing reservoir capacity at two dams in Kashmir—Salal and Baglihar—without informing Pakistan, following its suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.

The work includes "flushing" sediment from reservoirs, which had been restricted under the treaty. Islamabad responded by calling any diversion “an act of war.”

Pakistan is preparing legal challenges, and experts warn the long-standing water-sharing framework is at risk. Efforts to renegotiate the treaty had already begun under Modi.

Source: Reuters

Israel’s Plan to Control Gaza Aid with U.S. Contractors

Israel plans to tightly control humanitarian aid in Gaza using private U.S. security contractors and heavily restricted distribution, making this a condition for lifting the current aid blockade.

U.S. contractors (Safe Reach Solutions and UG Solutions) would handle logistics and security, without arrest powers. A Swiss-based nonprofit is being formed to manage funding.

Only 60 trucks/day would be allowed, one-tenth the previous volume. Aid would be distributed at six Israel-controlled hubs guarded by U.S. contractors, using facial recognition tech for access.

Source: WaPo

China dodges Trump’s tariffs using ‘origin washing’ tactics.

Chinese companies are increasingly shipping goods to third countries—such as Malaysia or Vietnam—to alter certificates of origin and evade U.S. tariffs imposed by Trump, which can reach up to 145%.

Malaysian ports like Port Klang are commonly used. Logistics companies openly admit to changing tags and securing false certificates via local factories.

South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand have begun investigating and cracking down on fake origin claims, as they risk becoming illegal transit hubs.

Source: FT

Why the EU and Nato fear Romania’s hard-right presidential frontrunner

George Simion, leader of the far-right AUR party, won around 40% in the first round of Romania’s presidential election, triggering concern across NATO and EU capitals.

Simion’s rise unsettles allies who see Romania as vital to NATO’s Black Sea defense and a corridor for Ukrainian trade and aid.

He is banned from Ukraine and Moldova, fueling fears of diplomatic isolation.

Despite inflammatory rhetoric, Simion insists Romania won’t abandon its Western orientation under his leadership.

Source: FT

Pakistani Foreign Minister:

We will not give up a single drop of our water, nor will we be the party to escalate.

If India commits any hostile act against us, we will defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Israel’s Netanyahu:

New Gaza operational plan will include conquest and sustained control of territories.

Source: Amichai Stein

South African troops withdrawing from the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have begun assembling in Tanzania and most should return home this month, the defense chief said on Sunday.

From there they will return to South Africa by sea and air by the end of May.

Iran steps in to defuse India-Pakistan crisis after Kashmir attack

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Pakistan to mediate between India and Pakistan following a deadly April attack on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Tehran recently expressed willingness to help ease hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

Araghchi was received by senior officials upon arrival near Islamabad and is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, President Zardari, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Source: AP

NEW: Pakistan conducted a successful training launch of a FATAH series surface-to-surface missile with a 120 km range during Exercise INDUS.

The test validated the missile’s advanced navigation and accuracy systems and demonstrated troop readiness.

The Signal Clone the Trump Admin Uses Was Hacked

A Signal clone used by former Trump adviser Mike Waltz, called TeleMessage, was hacked.

The app, meant for archiving government messages, was compromised through its backend, exposing some chats from U.S. agencies like Customs and Border Protection and firms like Coinbase.

Although Waltz’s messages were not breached, the hack showed serious flaws—archived messages weren’t fully encrypted, contradicting TeleMessage’s security claims.

The attacker accessed the system in under 30 minutes and didn’t report the flaw, fearing it would be hidden.

Source: 404media

Air France suspends flights over Pakistani airspace until further notice due to rising tensions with India.

Ukrainian fiber-optic-controlled drone chase a Russian soldier into a bunker, bypassed a net at the entrance, and detonated inside, thanks to uninterrupted signal control.

Russia cancels Victory Day parade in Sevastopol due to security concerns.

The European Union plans to ban all Russian gas imports — including pipeline and LNG — under new and existing contracts by the end of 2027.

Source: Bloomberg