The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) will drastically scale back its humanitarian aid to Yemen – where it provides emergency food assistance to more than 13 million people – citing funding shortfalls and soaring prices around the globe.

Senate Dems Press Biden to Investigate Killing of Palestinian-American Journalist Ahead of Israel Trip
Nearly half of the Senate’s Democratic caucus has called on President Joe Biden to conduct an independent probe into the murder of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a US citizen who was shot dead by Israeli troops while reporting from the occupied West Bank last month.

State Department ‘Illegally Obstructing’ Afghanistan Probes, Watchdog Says
The US government’s top oversight official for Afghanistan has accused the State Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) of stonewalling ongoing investigations, saying they have refused interviews with staff and even failed to provide “basic information” to assist the probes.

US Official Says Biden Will Have One-on-One Meeting with Saudi’s ‘Pariah’ Crown Prince
President Joe Biden is set to meet with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), according to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. The statement from the cabinet-level official appears to contradict what the president said last week. Biden will make a trip to the Middle East next month, where he will first stop in Israel before attending a meeting of regional leaders hosted by Saudi Arabia. Though the president said last week that he would not meet with the crown prince during the summit in Jeddah, the White House has since reversed course. Speaking to CNN on Sunday, Granholm...
Ukraine Proposed Viable Peace Plan in April Before Cutting Off Negotiations, Russia’s FM Claims
As talks toward a peaceful settlement to the war in Ukraine have all but collapsed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow received a workable proposal from Ukrainian negotiators soon after the conflict began, but claimed Kiev abruptly broke off all dialogue and has been ‘silent’ ever since.
Turkey & Russia Suggest Path for Grain Ships to Access Ukrainian Ports
Ankara and Moscow have put forward potential solutions to reopen Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, with Russia offering safe passage to grain ships while Turkey said it could help guide vessels around Ukrainian naval mines deployed to stall the Russian advance.
Israeli Spyware Firm Seeking to Sell Hacking Tech to US Defense Contractor
American military contractor L3Harris is planning to purchase controversial hacking technology from the Israeli firm NSO Group. The Tel Aviv-based spyware company was placed on the US sanctions blacklist after several governments used its Pegasus espionage tool to target politicians, diplomats and human rights groups.
Zelensky Vows to ‘Liberate’ Crimea as Ukrainian Officials Voice Alarm Over Russian Gains
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has promised that his forces will retake the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, despite warnings from other officials that Kiev will soon lose the Donbass region to Moscow without substantial military aid from the West.