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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.

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

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.

30 Apr 2026 - 6:35PMvideocam

Malaysia

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

21 Apr 2026 - 8:13PM

China-Africa relations

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

19 Apr 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

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.

5 Apr 2026 - 11:05PM

A section of the Chinese-built Nairobi Expressway in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo: Xinhua

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’.

1 Mar 2026 - 9:42PMvideocam

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.

30 Jan 2026 - 7:43PM

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.

23 Jan 2026 - 7:26AMvideocam

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.

11 Jan 2026 - 4:00PM

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.

8 Jan 2026 - 7:25AMvideocam

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.

26 Dec 2025 - 5:05PMvideocam

A boat with Rohingya refugees attempts to enter Malaysia from Langkawi in this photo released on January 4. Photo: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency/AP

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.

19 Dec 2025 - 8:58PMvideocam

A woman walks past the National Covid Memorial Wall in London, Britain, on November 20. Photo: EPA

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.

10 Nov 2025 - 9:06AMvideocam

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.

31 Oct 2025 - 7:28AM

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.

20 Oct 2025 - 11:10PM

Colombian President, Gustavo Petro (left), has called US President Trump’s comments about him being an “illegal drug leader” offensive. Photo: AFP

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.

26 Sep 2025 - 2:18AM

Capitol Police officers adjust security barriers around the East Plaza on Wednesday. Photo: AP

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’.

22 Aug 2025 - 8:30PM

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.

1 Jul 2025 - 11:16AMvideocam

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United States Agency for International Development

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.

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

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

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}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.

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’.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

‘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.

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’.

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.

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