All roughly 1,300 journalists and other staffers with Voice of America (VoA) and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB), international news broadcasting agencies aired in 48 languages and funded by the U.S. Government, arrived at work this morning only to find out they had been locked out and indefinitely suspended, following an order last night by U.S. President Donald J. Trump which directed the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to terminate all agencies not required by Federal Law. President Trump’s order also affected USAGM contracts with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, which have all now been cancelled, ending U.S-linked broadcasts supporting democracy and free press in authoritarian regimes across the world since the 1950s.

Steve Capus, the President of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said in statement today shared with NPR, “The cancellation of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's grant agreement would be a massive gift to America's enemies. The Iranian Ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, and autocrats in Moscow and Minsk would celebrate the demise of RFE/RL after 75 years. Handing our adversaries a win would make them stronger and America weaker. We've benefitted from strong bipartisan support throughout RFE/RL's storied history. Without us, the nearly 50 million people in closed societies who depend on us for accurate news and information each week won't have access to the truth about America and the world."

At least two more waves of airstrikes tonight by the U.S. Navy and Air Force on Houthi military and infrastructure sites in Western Yemen, with the Yemeni Oil Company and several power stations reported to have been targeted in the Sana’a Governorate.

Electricity has begun to gradually be restored across Panama, with the fire having been extinguished at the La Chorrera Thermoelectric Power Plant.

Early and yet unconfirmed reports indicate that a Houthi missile struck the Sinai Peninsula in the Sharm el-Sheikh area. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) is now investigating whether or not Israel-proper was the intended target. More to come as this story develops.

Houthi Spokesman Yahya Saree claimed in a statement this morning, that the U.S. Air Force and Navy launched over 47 strikes last night against the Sana’a, Sa’dah, Al Bayda, Hajjah, Dhamar, Ma’rib, Al Jawf Governorates of Western Yemen, resulting in the death and injury of dozens. In response to this, the Houthis claim as they usually do to have retaliated against the aircraft carrier involved in the strikes, claiming to have launched 18 ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, at the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) and its Carrier Strike Group operating in the Northern Red Sea.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he will be removing Ronen Bar from his position as Director of the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet), due to what he calls “ongoing distrust and a loss of confidence” in Bar which has grown over time.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump spoke by phone today with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the first time since assuming the Presidency in January, during which they discussed ongoing peace negotiations to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine, for which Erdoğan stated he had been striving for peace since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. Erdoğan is said to have then pressed President Trump on lifting sanctions on Syria, claiming that it will allow a normalization which will see Syrians in Europe and across the world return to their country. Finally, President Erdoğan asked for sanctions imposed against Turkey under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) to be lifted, which were implemented after Turkey purchased Russian-produced S-400 Air-Defense Systems in 2020, leading to their removal from the F-35 Program; Erdoğan is said to have asked President Trump to advance their purchase of 40 F-16 Block-70 Vipers, while also allowing them to rejoin the F-35 Program.

Syrian media reports that a group of Hezbollah terrorists crossed into Northwestern Syria earlier today, attacking an outpost of the Syrian Army and kidnapping 3 Syrian soldiers back into Northern Lebanon, before filming their execution in a field near Hnaider. Syrian officials are vowing to respond to this attack by Hezbollah.

After two deportation flights heading to El Salvador continued on after U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg issued an order for them to turn around, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has announced that the first of 238 Tren de Aragua gang members and 23 MS-13 gang members arrived in El Salvador. The MS-13 gang members were wanted by El Salvador’s authorities and were sent in addition to those from Tren de Aragua.