Brazil approves oil drilling near mouth of the Amazon
Brazil’s government approved on Monday exploratory drilling by state-run oil company Petrobras near the mouth of the Amazon River....
President Donald Trump’s administration announced a decision to place the majority of USAID personnel on paid administrative leave, with plans to cut about 2,000 positions in the U.S., according to a notice reviewed by Reuters.
The Trump administration has placed nearly all United States Agency for International Development (USAID) direct hire personnel on paid administrative leave, with the exception of those essential for critical functions. A "Reduction-in-Force" will eliminate around 2,000 USAID positions in the U.S., the notice said.
This move comes amid an ongoing effort led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to scale back USAID operations, which are a key tool for American foreign assistance and soft power abroad.
A federal judge cleared the way on Friday for the administration to place thousands of USAID workers on leave, despite legal challenges from government employee unions.
Two former senior USAID officials estimate that a majority of the agency’s 4,600 personnel, including career U.S. Civil Service and Foreign Service staff, will be affected.
“This administration is shortsighted in cutting into the expertise and unique crisis response capacity of the U.S.,” said former USAID official Marcia Wong. “When disease outbreaks occur or populations are displaced, USAID experts are often the first deployed to help stabilize and provide aid.”
USAID has received less than $100 million in exemptions from Trump’s 90-day foreign aid freeze, which halted funding for essential programs that once totaled roughly $40 billion annually.
The administration approved exemptions totaling $5.3 billion, primarily for security and counter-narcotics programs, with limited humanitarian relief included.
The White House has yet to respond to requests for further comment on these actions.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
Brazil’s government approved on Monday exploratory drilling by state-run oil company Petrobras near the mouth of the Amazon River.
Bulgaria has confirmed its readiness to facilitate a potential summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in Budapest by permitting Putin's aircraft to traverse its airspace.
The U.S. Senate on Monday rejected a stopgap funding measure for the 11th consecutive attempt, leaving the federal government shuttered for its 20th day.
NATO has reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on fraud and corruption, announcing new measures to strengthen oversight following an investigation into alleged misconduct at its procurement body.
The United Nations said on Monday that all its personnel previously confined inside its compound in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, have been released after Houthi forces withdrew.
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