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Funding cuts in 2025 left women, children, older people and displaced communities particularly vulnerable, with 64 million fewer people receiving assistance
Funding cuts in 2025 left women, children, older people and displaced communities particularly vulnerable, with 64 million fewer people receiving assistance. The global humanitarian aid system is facing a severe crisis as funding declines, pressure on aid organisations increases and governments fail to adequately protect civilians. In some cases, governments themselves are contributing to the dangers faced by civilians and aid workers, according to a new report published Thursday. The State of the Humanitarian System 2026 report found that 64 million fewer people received humanitarian assistance in 2025. Humanitarian funding fell by about 30% between 2022 and 2025, while thousands of aid workers lost their jobs. The report, produced by the humanitarian organisation Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance (ALNAP), described the contraction as one of the largest in the humanitarian system since its creation in the aftermath of the Second World War. In 2025, humanitarian assistance increasingly focused only on people whose lives were considered to be in immediate danger. Support for longer-term needs, recovery and efforts to…
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War
Houthis Advance on Bab el-Mandeb, Raising New Threat to Global Shipping
Iran-aligned Houthi forces have reached Yemen’s strategic Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to four Yemeni government sources cited by Reuters, raising fresh concerns over the security of one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes. Two sources from Yemen’s Saudi-backed, internationally…
Opinion
25 Years After 9/11, Trump and the U.S. Have Moved on to Other Fears
Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the United States has significantly shifted its focus from foreign terrorism, which once dominated national security policy, toward domestic extremism, mass violence and other threats. President Donald Trump is scheduled to mark the 25th anniversary of…
US
Trump Promises $500 Obamacare Rebates for 1 Million Enrollees in 30 States
The Trump administration is promising $500 rebate checks to an estimated 1 million enrollees in Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance plans across 30 states, claiming they were overcharged through exchange fees during the Biden administration. President Donald Trump announced…
World
Houthis Seize Strategic Yemeni Port City, Raising Red Sea Shipping Risks
Iran-backed Houthi rebels have taken control of Yemen’s strategic port city of Mokha, Houthi and Yemeni officials said Thursday, raising concerns that the group could intensify threats to international shipping in the Red Sea. The takeover gives Iran another potential source of leverage in its ongoing war with the United States, analysts said. The Houthis could use their presence in…
AI
AI-Powered WeChat Attack Exposes China’s Digital Vulnerabilities
A demonstration of a powerful artificial intelligence-powered cyberweapon has exposed vulnerabilities in China’s digital infrastructure and added urgency to discussions between Beijing and Washington over AI safety and cybersecurity. WeChat has become deeply embedded in China’s national infrastructure. Government agencies, businesses and nearly 80% of Chinese citizens use the messaging and payment platform for communication, business transactions, government services and…
Politics
BRICS Unity Under Strain Amid Wars and Geopolitical Divisions; Summit Begins in India
The BRICS grouping is facing a test of its ability to maintain unity as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with growing tensions between the United States and China, expose divisions within the expanded bloc. BRICS leaders are…
World
Smoke Hampers Search for 84 Missing After Philippines Ferry Fire
Rescue efforts were hampered Friday by thick smoke and the badly damaged condition of a ferry drifting in Philippine waters after a fire killed at least five people and left 84 missing. The MV June Aster, which was listing heavily and still emitting smoke, appeared to have drifted closer to shore overnight. Rescuers were unable to enter the vessel Thursday…