Taiwan Political Standoff Deepens as President Lai Urges Parliament to Withdraw Disputed Laws 
Supporters Gather Ahead of Verdict in Jimmy Lai’s Landmark Hong Kong National Security Trial 
Zelenskiy Signals Willingness to Drop NATO Bid as Ukraine, U.S. Hold Crucial Peace Talks in Berlin 
Special Prosecutor Alleges Yoon Suk Yeol Sought North Korea Provocation to Justify Martial Law 
U.S. Soldiers Killed in ISIS Attack in Palmyra, Syria During Counterterrorism Mission 
Sydney Bondi Beach Terror Attack Kills 16, Sparks Gun Law and Security Debate 
Syria Arrests Five Suspects After Deadly Attack on U.S. and Syrian Troops in Palmyra 
U.S. and Mexico Reach New Agreement to Tackle Tijuana River Sewage Crisis 
European Leaders Launch International Claims Commission to Compensate Ukraine for War Damage 
Global Leaders Condemn Deadly Antisemitic Shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach During Hanukkah 
International Outcry Grows Over Re-Arrest of Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi in Iran 
Hong Kong Democratic Party Disbands After Member Vote Amid Security Crackdown 
Belarus Frees Opposition Leaders Maria Kalesnikava and Viktar Babaryka in U.S.-Brokered Deal 
Russian Drone Attack Hits Turkish Cargo Ship Carrying Sunflower Oil to Egypt, Ukraine Says 
Thousands Protest in Brazil Against Efforts to Reduce Jair Bolsonaro’s Prison Sentence 
Lukashenko Says Maduro Welcome in Belarus Amid Rising U.S.-Venezuela Tensions 
Trump Sues BBC for Defamation Over Edited Capitol Riot Speech Clip 
The Trump administration's move to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has severely weakened oversight of $8.2 billion in unspent foreign aid, according to a report by the agency's Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
Following Trump's January 20 freeze on most U.S. foreign aid to align with his "America First" policy, hundreds of programs worldwide were halted. Staffing reductions, particularly in USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs (BHA), have crippled operations, leaving critical oversight mechanisms nonfunctional. The OIG report warns that USAID’s inability to monitor aid effectively raises the risk of funds reaching unintended recipients, including groups linked to terrorism.
Despite U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issuing waivers for “life-saving humanitarian assistance,” aid workers and U.N. officials report that most programs remain inactive due to confusion over the scope of permissible aid. The State Department has not responded to requests for comment.
The administration has proposed folding USAID into the State Department, and most of its workforce was placed on administrative leave, with only 600 employees remaining active. This has further hampered efforts to distribute and safeguard taxpayer-funded aid.
USAID programs typically rely on partner vetting and third-party monitoring to prevent misuse of funds, but the drastic cuts have made oversight nearly impossible. The OIG warns that the current situation leaves USAID vulnerable to inadvertently funding entities associated with U.S.-designated terrorist organizations.
With USAID’s website down for over a week, transparency remains a concern. The report underscores how staffing cuts, policy uncertainty, and aid freezes have effectively paralyzed the agency’s ability to fulfill its humanitarian mission.
