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United States Agency for International Development

United States Agency for International Development
The latest news and top stories on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). A Washington, DC-based US government agency, USAID is dedicated to administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. Its main areas of focus include global health, education, economic development, environmental protection and humanitarian assistance.
Former US Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan speaks at a Brookings Institution forum on “Achieving Strong Economic Growth” in Washington, April 8, 2015. Photo: Reuters
My Take

My Take | Greenspan helped blow up capitalism. China saved it

Long-reigning Fed chair personalised the fanaticism of a US system that triggered two worldwide economic crises.

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US-Venezuela conflict

As Venezuela reels from earthquake disaster, a test for new US relationship

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Africa

At least 30 deaths at DR Congo camp show Ebola could be spreading fast

United States

Opinion | US’ 250th anniversary celebrations will put its decline on display

US President Donald Trump’s plans for the country’s 250th anniversary don’t seem to project what makes the American experiment worth honouring.

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People walk past the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall on June 6, in Washington, as the Trump administration has repaints and cleans it ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary next month. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
US-China relations

Can China fill funding and leadership gaps after America quit the WHO?

Beijing is now the global health body’s biggest assessed contributor, but its voluntary donations remained low in 2025.

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Africa

US to screen for Ebola at airports as American worker is infected

US implements airport screenings and suspends visa services following a WHO declaration over the deadly Ebola strain.

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The Philippines

Why airport at former US naval base in Philippines has Washington’s backing

The trend in defence is for civilian infrastructure that can be rapidly adapted for military use during contingencies, experts say.

An artist's impression of the Sangley Point International Airport project. Photo: Handout
The Philippines

A year after USAID cuts, Philippine development groups struggle as anger lingers

An investigation by several regional media outlets shows USAID was a target of misinformation after Trump froze aid from the agency.

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China-Africa relations

Rare earth strategy provides ‘opportunities for Africa’ as US counters China

US racing to fund infrastructure in Africa to process and mine critical minerals as it lacks the capacity on home soil.

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US-China relations

Minerals over ideology? US moves to break China’s rare earths grip

Washington under Trump is eager to secure alternative supplies, but Beijing’s dominance appears too strong to break soon, observers say.

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A front-end loader transports phosphogypsum in Phalaborwa, South Africa, site of a US-funded rare earths project. Photo: AP
Malaysia

World’s top condom maker to raise prices by up to 30% over Iran war

Condom demand has surged with rising freight costs and shipping delays leaving many of Karex’s customers with lower stockpiles.

ONE condoms by Karex on display in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Photo: Reuters
China-Africa relations

China steps up aid to Africa but huge funding gap left by Trump’s cuts remains

Beijing’s efforts in food and medical relief, a sector traditionally dominated by US programmes, could partly fill the void, observers said.

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My Take

My Take | Why Beijing is now the only true partner of Africa and Latin America

In contrast to friendly China, the United States has weaponised foreign aid on one continent and returned to gunboat diplomacy in the western hemisphere.

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US-China relations

As US names Tibet coordinator, is it eyeing China, its minority groups or trade?

Special coordinator for Tibetan issues says he seeks to advance US efforts to ‘preserve Tibetans’ precious heritage’.

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Riley Barnes, the new US special coordinator for Tibetan issues, has held several senior positions at the State Department. He visited Dharamsala in 2019 and also in July 2025 for the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday. Photo: Handout
Middle East

US envoys to Israel blocked ‘apocalyptic’ Gaza warning in 2024: report

Leaked reports reveal US diplomats killed internal memos detailing dead bodies and famine in Gaza to avoid a ‘lack of balance’ in policy.

Palestinians walk through the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive in April 2024. Photo: AP
United States

US walks away from WHO, leaving unpaid tab of US$260 million

Without its top donor, the UN health agency’s work to contain diseases like HIV, polio and Ebola is at risk.

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Pacific nations

US strips moral framing from foreign aid in ‘America first’ pivot

US funding for the Asia-Pacific now ties aid to business and security wins, a move analysts condemn as a ‘corrosive’ shift.

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Donald Trump

Trump pulls US out of dozens of international organisations, UN agencies

Many are groups and treaties the US president’s team has categorised as catering to diversity and ‘woke’ initiatives, such as climate talks.

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US President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives to address House Republicans at their annual issues conference retreat at the Kennedy Centre on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
Myanmar

Stay or go? Rohingya see no way out of predicament as Myanmar heads to poll

Myanmar’s phased election, set to start on Sunday, is likely to be steered by the same leaders responsible for driving the Rohingya out.

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Diplomacy

Outside In | Six years on, are we better prepared for the next pandemic?

Preparedness plans remain a work in progress while health budgets have been sliced by urgent demands and US withdrawal weakens global coordination.

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My Take

My Take | Is China committing ‘genocide’ by promoting tourism and development?

Much of UK media and academia have helped manufacture spurious claims about Xinjiang while denying real monstrous crimes elsewhere that many of them sponsor or otherwise justify.

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Actors perform an eagle dance in Taxkorgan Tajik autonomous county, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, in March while spectators look on. Photo: Xinhua
Donald Trump

This Halloween, the scariest thing in Washington is Trump

From an RFK Jnr skeleton to tombstones referring to the president’s aid cuts, anti-Trump messages are on full display in the US capital.

A competitor dressed as US President Donald Trump performs for the crowd ahead of the annual pre-Halloween High Heel Race in Washington on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
Americas and the Caribbean

Colombia recalls ambassador to US as Trump-Petro feud intensifies

Trump’s rhetoric and tariff threats mark a new low in US-Colombia relations, which the US leader alleges are complicit in the drug trade.

Donald Trump

‘Mafia-style blackmail’: Trump threatens mass firings in shutdown clash

The White House says it could permanently lay off federal workers if a deal cannot be reached, instead of sending them home temporarily.

Belt and Road Initiative

As US retreats from clean energy race, Chinese firms push into emerging markets

Deals in Asia and Latin America demonstrate China’s leadership as Trump labels wind and solar power ‘the scam of the century’.

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A worker produces solar photovoltaic modules for export at a factory in Yangzhong, Jiangsu province, in February 2023. Photo: AFP
Barack Obama

Obama, Bush and Bono fault Trump’s gutting of USAID on agency’s last day

Monday was the last day as an independent agency for the six-decade-old humanitarian and development organisation.

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A man arranges USAID humanitarian aid inside a warehouse run by the World Food Programme in Kenya. File photo: AP
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