2 h. ago UK foreign aid: How much is spent and who receives it as Starmer slashes budget

UK foreign aid will be slashed from 0.5 to 0.3 per cent of GDP to fund an increase in defence spending

Economics

3 h. ago Judge gives Trump administration two days to unfreeze funds for US foreign aid

A federal judge has given the Trump administration less than two days to release billions of dollars in blocked funding for U.S. foreign aid

Politics

3 h. ago Keir Starmer bows to Trump pressure and increases UK defence spending by slashing foreign aid

PM brands Russia a ‘menace in our waters’ and says UK must stand by Ukraine to achieve lasting peace to avoid threats to economic instability

Politics

3 h. ago This is a hard choice. We believe in foreign aid – but we have to make cuts. We must keep the UK safe | David Lammy

Putin’s Russia is a threat to all Europe, including the UK. Vital aid work will be hit as we spend more on defence, but we must deal with the world as it isThere are moments in history when everything turns, but the extent of change is not perceived until later when the fog has cleared. These are hinge points that require clear leadership and bold action. In the late 1940s, my Labour predecessor and hero Ernie Bevin, alongside Clement Attlee, saw through the fog when they led Britain into Nato and the UN, and secured the development of Britain’s nuclear deterrent. In the 1960s, Harold Wilson saw through the paranoia of the cold war, refusing Lyndon Johnson’s request to send British troops to Vietnam. In the 1990s, Tony Blair understood that unless we stopped the president of Serbia, Slobodan Milošević, there would be no peace in the Balkans.Three years into Vladimir Putin’s brutal war, this is again a hinge point for Britain. Keir Starmer’s commitment to dramatically raise defence s...

Politics

3 h. ago Watch: Starmer defends cutting foreign aid budget to boost defence spending

Watch as Sir Keir Starmer holds a press conference on Tuesday, 25 February, after announcing he will slash the foreign aid budget to hike defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP to counter “tyrants” like Vladimir Putin.

Economics

3 h. ago Keir Starmer says 'dangerous new era' forced decision for 'biggest rise' in defence spending since Cold War

The Prime Minister said ‘extremely difficult and painful choices’ would be needed to reach the spending goal, including a cut to foreign aid

Events

3 h. ago Starmer slams accusation he is ‘Farage in disguise’ over defence spending increase

Sir Keir Starmer dismissed an accusation he is "Nigel Farage in disguise" over his plans to slash the foreign aid budget to hike defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP to counter “tyrants” like Vladimir Putin.

Politics

4 h. ago Keir Starmer addresses nation after slashing aid budget to fund 'biggest sustained rise' in defence spending since Cold War

The Prime Minister said ‘extremely difficult and painful choices’ would be needed to reach the spending goal, including the cut to foreign aid

Economics

4 h. ago Watch live: Starmer defends cutting foreign aid budget to boost defence spending

Watch live as Sir Keir Starmer holds a press conference on Tuesday, 25 February, after announcing he will slash the foreign aid budget to hike defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP to counter “tyrants” like Vladimir Putin.

Economics

4 h. ago What is Keir Starmer’s plan to increase UK defence spending and is it affordable?

Keir Starmer has outlined plans to slash foreign aid in order to hike Britain’s defence spending, The Independent looks at what has been said about the move

Politics

6 h. ago White House official pushes to axe Canada from Five Eyes intelligence group

Peter Navarro wants to increase pressure on country that Donald Trump has threatened to annex

Politics

8 h. ago Watch: Keir Starmer fast tracks defence spending boost by cutting foreign aid

Watch as Sir Keir Starmer announced a fast track on the government’s defence spending boost by cutting foreign aid.

Politics

8 h. ago Starmer hikes defence spending to 2.5% ahead of crunch meeting with Trump

Labour PM cuts foreign aid funding as he prepares to fly to Washington to meet the US President who has piled pressure on Britain to bolster its armed forces

Politics

8 h. ago Keir Starmer vows to slash aid spending to pump 2.5% of GDP into defence by 2027 in dramatic statement to MPs ahead of 'mission impossible' trip to meet Trump in White House

In a dramatic Commons statement, Keir Starmer finally laid out a trajectory for boosting the military amid rising alarm about America withdrawing support.

Events

8 h. ago Starmer slashes aid to fund biggest increase in defence spending since Cold War

Sir Keir Starmer set out plans for defence spending to reach 2.7% of gross domestic product in 2027.

Economics

8 h. ago Keir Starmer slashes aid budget to fund 'biggest sustained rise' in defence spending since Cold War

The Prime Minister said ‘extremely difficult and painful choices’ would be needed to reach the spending goal, including the cut to foreign aid

Economics

32 h. ago US politics live: confusion at agencies over whether to comply with Elon Musk email demanding workers justify jobs

Government agencies give conflicting orders after Musk demands employees list accomplishments from past week by Monday deadlineDonald Trump’s sweeping foreign aid freeze has stalled a United Nations programme in Mexico aimed at stopping imported fentanyl chemicals from reaching the country’s drug cartels, according to eight people familiar with the situation, Reuters reports.It is one of several US counternarcotics efforts in Mexico derailed in recent weeks by the stop-work order. Continue reading...

Politics

35 h. ago Donald Trump's foreign aid clampdown could force controversial LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall to 'cut half of its staff'

The controversial LGBTQ+ lobbying group was told on Thursday that only roles with dedicated funding would remain following a 'restructuring' of the charity.

Politics

36 h. ago LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall to 'cut half of staff' after Trump freezes foreign aid

The controversial LGBTQ+ lobbying group was told on Thursday that only roles with dedicated funding would remain following a 'restructuring' of the charity.

Politics

45 h. ago Zelensky's shock reaction to Trump team saying he's hours away from signing huge mineral deal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has balked at the suggestion any minerals deal with the United States would be backpay for foreign aid his nation has received during the war.

Politics