World

U.S. District Judge John McConnell
U.S. District Judge John McConnell

White House revokes spending freeze in the face of legal challenges

WASHINGTON, – President Donald Trump’s administration appeared to abandon its proposed freeze on hundreds of billions of dollars in aid yesterday in the face of legal setbacks and widespread opposition, though officials said they still planned to cut funds for activities opposed by Trump.

Devotees walk from a pontoon bridge after a deadly stampede before the second "Shahi Snan" (royal bath) at the "Maha Kumbh Mela", or the Great Pitcher Festival, in Prayagraj, previously known as Allahabad, India, January 29, 2025. REUTERS/Sharafat Ali 

Dozens killed in India’s Kumbh festival stampede

PRAYAGRAJ, India,  (Reuters) – Dozens of people were killed in a pre-dawn stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in northern India yesterday, police sources and a Reuters witness said, as tens of millions gathered to take a dip in sacred river waters on the most auspicious day of a six-week Hindu festival.

(Reuters photo)

Trump aid freeze stirs chaos before it is blocked in court

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s attempt to freeze hundreds of billions of dollars in federal aid was temporarily blocked in court yesterday, even as it sowed chaos throughout the government and stirred fears that it would disrupt programmes that serve tens of millions of Americans.

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