The U.S. State Department clarified on Saturday that the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)—the world’s largest HIV initiative—is exempt from the 90-day pause on foreign aid ordered by President Donald Trump.
Shortly after taking office on January 20, Trump halted all foreign aid contributions for review under his "America First" policy. While emergency food aid was granted an exemption earlier, the lack of clarity left aid organizations uncertain about which programs could continue.
The State Department's Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy issued a formal memo confirming that PEPFAR remains operational, allowing for:
HIV care and treatment, including testing and counseling
Prevention and treatment of infections such as tuberculosis (TB)
Laboratory services and medicine supply chains
Mother-to-child HIV transmission prevention
The memo stated that all other activities not explicitly mentioned require express approval.
PEPFAR directly supports over 20 million people living with HIV worldwide, accounting for two-thirds of all those receiving treatment.
Meanwhile, the wider foreign aid freeze remains in place. As of Tuesday, all U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) payments were suspended, marking the first halt in funding since October 1.
Additionally, sources indicate that the Trump administration is considering placing USAID under direct State Department control, a move that would significantly reshape U.S. foreign aid policy.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian w...
Turkiye is making efforts to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and bring together t...
The status of a two-week-old ceasefire, due to expire earlier this week, remained unclear. In a sharp turn arou...
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecti...
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shor...
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
Turkiye is making efforts to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and bring together the leaders of the warring sides, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in a meeting in Ankara, the Turkish presidency said on Wednesday.
The status of a two-week-old ceasefire, due to expire earlier this week, remained unclear. In a sharp turn around hours after threatening renewed violence, President Donald Trump made what appeared to be a unilateral announcement on Tuesday that the U.S. would extend the Iran war ceasefire
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
The architect of the modern K-pop boom, Bang Si-hyuk, is facing arrest by South Korean police over claims he illegally gained millions in an investor fraud scheme.
Pakistan is confident it can bring Iran to talks with the United States, a senior official said, citing “positive signals” from Tehran, as JD Vance is reportedly set to visit Islamabad on Tuesday for peace talks, according to Axios.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
A gunman who killed seven people in a mass shooting in Kyiv on Saturday (18 April) had quarrelled with his neighbour before he opened fire on passersby, public broadcaster Suspilne cited Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as saying on Tuesday.
Jars of baby food deliberately tampered with rat poison and discovered in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia were part of an attempted extortion plot targeting manufacturer HiPP, German police said on Monday.
Jars of baby food deliberately tampered with rat poison and discovered in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia were part of an attempted extortion plot targeting manufacturer HiPP, German police said on Monday.
More than half of Haiti’s population is facing acute food insecurity, prompting the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to warn that recent progress in tackling hunger remains fragile and could quickly be reversed without urgent support.
A Chinese biotechnology company is stepping up efforts to combine artificial intelligence (AI) with advanced genetic testing in a bid to improve the success rates of in vitro fertilization (IVF), while also tapping into growing demand for fertility services.
Austria’s government on Friday approved plans to introduce a nationwide ban on social media use for children under the age of 14, alongside reforms to upper secondary school curricula aimed at boosting media literacy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) education from the 2027/28 academic year.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that as of Wednesday evening, it has identified six new cases of meningococcal disease in Kent, bringing the total of confirmed or suspected cases to at least 27.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment