Author: niyidaram

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is set to undergo a drastic workforce reduction, shrinking from more than 5,000 foreign service officers, civil servants, and personal service contractors to just 290 employees, according to two sources familiar with the plan. Approximately 3,000 institutional support contractors have already been fired or furloughed, while the status of around 5,000 foreign service nationals serving globally remains uncertain. The bureaus of Humanitarian Assistance, Global Health, and Management are expected to retain the most staff. However, under the proposed restructuring, only 12 employees would be assigned to cover the entire continent of Africa, and…

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has recently launched a public attack on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Musk, appointed by President Donald Trump, described USAID as a corrupt and radical leftist organization, calling for its termination. His remarks came alongside Trump’s executive order freezing foreign aid, effectively dismantling the agency by reducing its workforce from over 5,000 to about 290 employees. While USAID has long faced criticism regarding inefficiency, lack of oversight, and accusations of hidden political agendas, it has traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support for its humanitarian…

An 11-year-old boy has been charged in connection with a double stabbing in Manchester. He is due to appear in court on Friday alongside Ali Saim, 20, after a 16-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man were stabbed and seriously injured in Longsight in Manchester. Police believe the attack on Tuesday evening around Rushford Street and Purcell Street was targeted. Saim, from Aston Avenue in Manchester and the boy were charged with section 18 assault – wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Both the injured men are in a stable condition in hospital.

The Bank of England has cut interest rates to 4.5% from 4.75%. The decision could lead to cheaper borrowing costs for things like mortgages and loans, but also lower returns on savings. Today’s decision means rates are now at their lowest point since June 2023. Summary The Bank of England has cut interest rates from 4.75% to 4.5% It’s the lowest base rate since June 2023 The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee voted 7-2 in favour of the cut – those two members wanted a bigger cut, to 4.25% Cutting the rate makes borrowing cheaper, and is intended to boost consumer…

Sarah Michelle Geller (Buffy): Sarah married Freddie Prinze Jr. in 2002, they have two kids together. Since the show, she’s been in The Grudge, The Crazy Ones, The Ringer, Scooby Doo 2 and voiced Teela on Netflix’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation. More recently, she appeared in the movie Do Revenge, was a costar on the Teen Wolf spinoff Wolf Pack and currently stars on Dexter: Original Sin. She’s reportedly finalizing a deal to reprise her Buffy role in a sequel series, which will revolve around a new, younger slayer. Anthony Stewart Head (Rupert Giles): Since working on Buffy,” Anthony…

A 15-year-old boy has died after being stabbed at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield. The incident occurred around 12:17 GMT, prompting an immediate response from police and paramedics, but the teenager succumbed to his injuries shortly afterward. South Yorkshire Police arrested another 15-year-old boy on suspicion of murder, and he remains in custody. Assistant Chief Constable Lindsey Butterfield stated that authorities were working swiftly to piece together the events leading up to the tragedy. She urged the public to be mindful of the grieving family and to avoid speculation or sharing distressing content online.Floral tributes have been left…

Donald Trump’s tariffs have wiped £200bn from the crypto markets in just 24 hours. As reported by the Crypto Today podcast, some coins have suffered their biggest single-day drop in years as investors race to pull their funds from riskier assets. Bitcoin has recovered slightly after falling to lows of $93,000 in the early hours of Monday morning. The downturn came days after the world’s biggest digital asset finished a month at a price above $100,000 for the first time in its history. Bitcoin over the past seven daysCoinMarketCap But the bigger story today is found among smaller cryptocurrencies – commonly…

Sir Keir Starmer is traveling to Brussels for a significant meeting with European Union leaders, marking the first visit by a British prime minister to the EU since Brexit. The discussions will primarily focus on strengthening UK-EU cooperation in defence, security, crime, and trade, with the UK government aiming for a “reset” in its relationship with the EU. Starmer’s visit includes a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and is framed by the ongoing war in Ukraine and the resurgence of Donald Trump as U.S. president, which adds an element of urgency to EU defense autonomy. Despite this shift…

NBC News

Beyoncé took home the biggest award of the night, winning Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter, while Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar, and more were among the other notable winners. Music’s biggest night — the 2025 Grammy Awards — was a night to remember! The awards show — which aired live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, was once again hosted by Trevor Noah — celebrated the best in music from the past year, with the Recording Academy handing out trophies in a whopping 94 categories.Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Beyoncé were three of the most notable winners,…