In late 2025, the United States shocked the world by suspending global health aid, leading experts to predict 700,000 additional deaths annually, primarily among children. This prompted the US to propose unusual bilateral health agreements with developing countries, which have drawn criticism for being exploitative.
UK-led action to address spiralling national debt in some of the world's poorest countries could more than offset the impact of UK aid cuts, producing net funding gains across water, sanitation, education and health, new research has found.
I've always thought it would be good to acquire an old warehouse in every town throughout the land and convert it into low-rent community workspaces for artists, local charities and small businesses getting off the ground. A kind of people's WeWork. What would others do with a humungous, but not unlimited, pile of dosh to benefit society? Roland Freeman, West Yorkshire Send new questions to nq@theguardian.com.
"Hello, how are you doing? Good to see you," says Honor Cousens, as she pushes a trolley loaded with cold drinks, sweets, biscuits, toiletries, newspapers and magazines. The volunteer at the Royal London Hospital is a familiar face on the wards, and has been supporting staff and patients for many years. She is part of the Friends of the Royal London Hospital, a charity that has been running at the Whitechapel site since 1979.
BBC Jodie was surrounded by smiling faces at her 21st birthday party, but most were people she had not known for more than a month. The party had been organised for her by the London International Christian Church - a Bible-based non-denominational church, according to their website - into which she had recently been baptised. She was told by her "discipler", or church mentor, she says, that she could not invite any friends from outside the church - only a handful of family members.
Instead, the foundation - one of the largest in the world - will concentrate at least 70% of its funding over the next 20 years on ending preventable maternal and child deaths and controlling key infectious diseases. A third goal focused on poverty will divide its work between U.S. education and agriculture in poorer countries. 'We are saying not only will we not be taking on new priorities, we're actively narrowing our priorities against three core North Star goals,'
When they meet, share stories and learn together, they build empathy and understanding that lasts a lifetime, Linda Cowie and Meg Grant said of the children who participate in the schools linking network they help run. The project, which now operates in 26 local authorities, pairs schools so pupils from different faiths, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds can meet, spend time together and discover what they have in common.
In 2025, the administration of US President Donald Trump ordered the US Agency for International Development to be closed; this year, it withdrew the country from 66 international organizations. Other Western nations that are plagued with high levels of debt and pressure to prioritize domestic challenges have slashed their foreign aid, too. According to projections, official development assistance dropped by 9-17% in 2025, amounting to some US$55 billion.
"Are you okay?" These were Alex Pretti's last words, said to a woman after ICE agents had tackled and pepper-sprayed her. Videos from bystanders show Pretti holding up a phone, attempting to document what was happening before he himself was pepper-sprayed, wrestled to the ground, and killed by those officers. He lost his life not for committing violence, but for documenting it, and stepping in to protect someone facing it.
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During the deployment, the teams rescued more than 80 people from floodwaters and damaged structures. London Fire Brigade's UK ISAR coordinator, Ian Simpson, said an elderly blind woman and a small child were among the people they saved, which "brought home how important our work out there was". LFB He added: "I could not be prouder of the team's dedication, resilience, and professionalism, which directly contributed to saving lives and supporting the wider humanitarian response."
Life is cautiously returning to the streets of Dilling, the second largest city in South Kordofan state, after the Sudanese army broke a suffocating siege that had isolated the area for more than two years. For months, the city had been encircled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), cutting off vital supply lines and trapping civilians in a severe humanitarian crisis.