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Donald Trump’s administration is significantly reducing the staff of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), leaving only 611 employees out of about 10,000 worldwide. This decision, made as part of a review of US foreign aid, involves suspending the agency, cancelling hundreds of programmes and returning US employees from abroad. President Trump and Elon Musk, head of the newly created Office of Government Effectiveness, have criticised USAID for supporting “fake news” and promoting democracy, which has caused controversy. Meanwhile, USAID unions have filed a lawsuit in an attempt to stop the mass layoffs.
