The Trump administration is pressuring the UN and international aid sectors to adopt trade-focused policies, threatening budget cuts if demands are not met. This shift has led to significant layoffs at USAID and reduced support for key agencies.
Mentioned in this story
The Trump administration is continuing to pressure the United Nations and the international aid sector more broadly to adopt trade-focused policies to benefit US firms – or face the threat of further budget cuts.
Donald Trump’s second term has already seen USAID suffer mass layoffs and have its remaining operations folded into the state department, with a ripple effect across the globe that has many experts warning will cost thousands of lives as vital programs are cut.
The Trump administration has also largely suspended support for agencies, including the World Health Organization, the UN human rights council and the UN’s cultural body Unesco.
Last week the Trump administration unveiled a “trade over aid” initiative at the United Nations, outlining a shift away from donor-focused development assistance toward greater private investment, or what it says is “an international economic development vision built on free markets”.
At the same time, the news website Devex reported on two US diplomatic notes that circulated in Geneva and New York that made it clear that the US was willing to use the threat of more budget cuts to the international community in order to force through its agenda.
Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.
The suspect from the 25 April shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner has a hearing covering the conditions of his confinement scheduled for later today.
Cole Allen, who remains behind bars for now pending his trial, was injured during the attack but was not shot by officers. The attack was an attempt to kill president Trump, according to the federal prosecutor overseeing the investigation.
Allen is accused of rushing a Secret Service checkpoint at the event, attended by president Donald Trump and other members of the cabinet. Allen was allegedly armed with multiple weapons and fired at an agent.
Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, said last week there was no evidence the agent was hit by friendly fire during the incident. However, she went beyond that Sunday in saying a shot from one of Allen’s weapons hit the officer’s bullet-resistant vest.
The Trump administration has introduced a 'trade over aid' initiative, shifting from donor-focused assistance to promoting private investment.
USAID has experienced mass layoffs and its operations have been folded into the State Department, impacting global aid programs.
The US has largely suspended support for the World Health Organization, the UN Human Rights Council, and UNESCO.
Experts warn that the cuts could cost thousands of lives as vital programs are eliminated.
At 93, Moira Brown will attend her fourth World Cup, celebrating Scotland's qualification for the tournament after nearly 30 years. She'll cheer for her team during their group stage matches in the U.S.
One in 17 children globally is involved in child labour, with many in hazardous conditions.
How Trump's immigration crackdown affected small-business loans for entrepreneurs.
Belfast residents voice disgust at riots following stabbing incident
One year on from the Air India crash, families like Sagar Patel's seek justice and closure.
Want a better skin care routine? Sign up for our one-week guide!
See every story in News — including breaking news and analysis.
“We now can establish that a pellet that came from the buckshot from the defendant’s Mossberg pump-action shotgun was intertwined with the fiber of the vest of the Secret Service officer,” she told CNN’s State of the Union. “It is definitively his bullet.”
Allen is charged with attempting to assassinate Trump, interstate transportation of weapons and discharge of a firearm during a violent crime. His attorneys filed a document with the court on Sunday, saying they learned he was no longer on suicide watch and sought to withdraw a motion formally seeking to remove him from such supervision.
In other developments:
Explore more on these topics