18 h. ago Pioneering trial to tackle ‘silent burden’ of mental illness in new mothers axed over US aid cuts

The first-of-its-kind pilot in India was just beginning to bear fruit, according to those involved with the project

Politics

19 h. ago Pioneering trial to tackle ‘silent burden’ of mental illness in new mothers axed in US aid cuts

The first-of-its-kind pilot in India was just beginning to bear fruit, according to those involved with the project

Politics

3 d. ago The climate crisis, aid cuts and deepening poverty are combining to drive a crisis in Madagascar

The humanitarian crisis in the south of the country has worsened in recent months, with the head of the country’s UN humanitarian operation telling Nick Ferris there is currently little hope for improvement

Society

4 d. ago Tens of thousands of mothers are bleeding to death giving birth. Aid cuts are denying them a solution

A breakthrough to stop life-threatening bleeding in childbirth was only just starting to reach the mothers most at risk when Donald Trump’s aid cuts hit. Rachel Schraer speaks to health workers about the dire consequences

Events

6 d. ago US ‘adapt, shrink or die’ terms for $2bn aid pot will mean UN bowing down to Washington, say experts

Afghanistan and Yemen excluded from list of 17 priority countries chosen by Trump administration to receive aid laden with demandsThe $2bn (£1.5bn) of aid the US pledged this week may have been hailed as “bold and ambitious” by the UN but could be the “nail in the coffin” in changing to a shrunken, less flexible aid system dominated by Washington’s political priorities, aid experts fear.After a year of deep cuts in aid budgets by the US and European countries, the announcement of new money for the humanitarian system is a source of some relief, but experts are deeply concerned about demands that the US has imposed on how the money should be managed and where it can go. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago Jacinda Ardern steps in to rescue project saving mothers during childbirth in wake of Trump’s aid cuts

Aid workers describe the move by New Zealand’s former prime minister as ‘a moment of believing that there was going to be light at the end of the tunnel’

Events

8 d. ago Democracy in retreat amid growing global conflict and aid cuts, warns David Miliband

David Miliband tells the World of Trouble podcast with Sam Kiley that there currently 59 significant conflicts going on around the world, including Sudan, DRC, Gaza, Ethiopia and Myanmar

Events

8 d. ago Fresh hope sparked for missing flight MH370 as marine robotics firm launches new hunt

Exactly what happened to flight MH370 is one of aviation's greatest ever mysteries and has captivated imaginations for a decade – but a new search has sparked new hope

Events

8 d. ago Aid cuts are an opportunity for Africa to take control of the health of the continent, says leading doctor

While the slashing of funding is a ‘painful experience’, it should prompt African governments to do more to tackle corruption, raise taxes and manufacture medical supplies locally, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention head Dr Jean Kaseya tells Rachel Schraer

Society

9 d. ago US pledges $2bn in new UN model for delivery of humanitarian assistance

Gaza not covered in announcement and will be handled on separate track, says US state department officialThe United States on Monday pledged $2bn in assistance to tens of millions of people facing hunger and disease in more than a dozen countries next year, part of what it said was a new mechanism for the delivery of life-saving assistance following major foreign aid cuts by the Trump administration.The US slashed its aid spending this year, and leading western donors such as Germany also pared back assistance as they pivoted to increased defense spending, triggering a severe funding crunch for the UN. The billions of dollars in assistance pledged by Washington on Monday will be overseen by the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs, the state department said, under what it described as new model of assistance agreed with the UN that aims to make aid funding and delivery more efficient and increase accountability for the spending of funds. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Millions of Afghans face hunger as aid cuts deepen a humanitarian crisis

Millions of Afghans are struggling as international aid cuts sever a lifeline many relied on for food and heating

Events

2 w. ago Reform plan to cap aid at £1bn would damage UK’s international influence, critics warn

Exclusive: Campaigners say slashing overseas aid would leave UK unable to meet existing commitmentsPlans by Reform UK to slash the aid budget by 90% would not cover existing contributions to global bodies such as the UN and World Bank, shredding Britain’s international influence and risking its standing within those organisations, charities and other parties have warned.Under cuts announced by Nigel Farage in November, overseas aid would be capped at £1bn a year, or about 0.03% of GDP. Keir Starmer’s government is already set to reduce aid from 0.5% of GDP to 0.3% by 2027, but even that lower proportion would still amount to £9bn a year. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Meet Dr Happi. With $100m and a steely determination could he save the world from the next pandemic?

The Cameroonian professor made the Time most influential list in 2025 and saw the project he co-founded receive $100m for its virus detection work. Now he is on a mission to transform Africa’s genomics capabilityWinning the world’s health lottery is a lonely business in the current climate. “It’s like being an orphan in a space where there used to be many kids playing – suddenly everybody’s gone and you’re just there with a ball,” says Dr Christian Happi.The Cameroonian distinguished professor of molecular biology and genomics has just won $100m for his work – at a time when global health funding is being viciously slashed as part of wider aid cuts. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago UK aid cuts take 40% from funds to counter Russian threat in western Balkans

Funding to tackle misinformation and cyber-attacks, and boost democracy, cut from £40m to £24mKeir Starmer’s raid on overseas aid has led to a 40% cut in funds for countering Russian aggression and misinformation in a region of Europe described by the prime minister as vital to the UK’s national security.British funding committed to bolstering the western Balkans, where Russia has been accused of sowing division and creating destabilisation, has been cut from £40m last year to £24m for 2025-26. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Ghana accused of overlooking women in landmark fisheries bill

Climate change, overfishing, and aid cuts are all impacting Ghana’s fishing sector, writes Nick Ferris. A new bill designed to safeguard against these threats is accused of ignoring the work of women in the sector, who make up 60 per cent of the workforce

Politics

2 w. ago Ghana ‘overlooks marginalised women’ in landmark fisheries bill

Climate change, overfishing, and aid cuts are all impacting Ghana’s fishing sector, writes Nick Ferris. A new bill designed to safeguard against these threats is accused of ignoring the work of women in the sector, who make up 60 per cent of the workforce

Politics

2 w. ago Sierra Leone almost entirely axed from UK aid budget: ‘Lives of mothers and babies are at stake’

Sierra Leone, which has one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates, is losing tens of millions in grants for maternal and newborn health

Politics

3 w. ago Kidnapped, married off, robbed of hope: US aid cuts contribute to exploitation of Rohingya children

Severe foreign aid cuts imposed this year by U.S. President Donald Trump, along with funding reductions from other countries, shuttered thousands of schools and youth training centers in camps for Rohingya in Bangladesh and crippled child protection programs

Events

3 w. ago Rohingya refugees face food shortages as aid cuts hit: ‘We go to sleep hungry... but I’m scared to go home’

The Rohingya that have fled violence and persecution in Myanmar face deteriorating conditions in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar as aid cuts leave supplies short. Lauren Crosby Medlicott reports

Events

3 w. ago AP photos spotlight a year of joy, triumph and resilience across Africa in 2025

In 2025, ordinary lives intertwined with extraordinary shifts across Africa's bustling cities and vast rural heartlands. The world’s youngest population found moments of joy, triumph and positive change even as it was dogged by challenges from election disputes to U.S. aid cuts.

Culture