Politics
US appeals court says Trump cannot continue foreign aid cuts
- Appeals court blocks Trump’s foreign aid cuts.
- Trump loses bid to freeze $4bn foreign aid.
- Laws binding unless Congress changes them: judge
A US appeals court on Friday declined to block a lower court ruling that said President Donald Trump’s administration could not unilaterally cut billions of dollars of foreign aid, requiring the administration to quickly move to spend funds on projects authorised by Congress.
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit made its ruling just days after a lower court ruled that the administration should take steps to spend roughly $11 billion on foreign aid projects before Congressional authorisation for the spending expires in September.
The appeals court did not explain its decision, saying only that the Trump administration had not “satisfied the stringent requirements” to pause the ruling pending an appeal. Circuit Judge Justin Walker, a Trump appointee, dissented and said he would have paused the lower court decision.
After being sued by aid groups that expected to compete for the funding this year, the Trump administration said it intended to spend $6.5 billion of the funds appropriated for foreign aid in 2024. But it moved to withhold $4 billion in funding appropriated for the US Agency for International Development, which the Trump administration has largely dismantled.
US District Judge Amir Ali in Washington, DC, ruled on Wednesday that the administration cannot simply choose not to spend the money, and said it remains under a duty to comply with appropriations laws unless Congress changes them.
Ali’s order, if it survives throughout the appeal process, would prevent Trump from effectively bypassing Congress to cancel foreign aid funding.
While the lawsuit proceeded, Trump sought to block $4 billion in disputed funding through a “pocket rescission” that bypasses Congress.
Trump budget director Russell Vought has argued that the president can withhold funds for 45 days after requesting a rescission, which would run out the clock until the end of the fiscal year on September 30. The White House said the tactic was last used in 1977.
The money at issue was earmarked for foreign aid, United Nations peace-keeping operations, and democracy-promotion efforts overseas.
Ali ruled that merely asking Congress to rescind the $4 billion is not enough, saying that the spending should proceed unless Congress affirmatively acts to stop it.
Ali said he ruled quickly to provide higher courts time to weigh in before the funds reach their expiration dates. The 6-3 conservative majority US Supreme Court has already intervened once in the case, requiring the Trump administration to pay foreign aid organisations for work they already performed for the government.
DUBAI: As the countdown to 2026 begins, Dubai is preparing to light up the sky with an awe-inspiring spectacle of fireworks.
In a celebration set to captivate the world, Dubai will host 48 dazzling fireworks displays across 40 iconic locations.
From the towering Burj Khalifa to the stunning Palm Jumeirah, Dubai is set to ring in the New Year with a glittering display that promises to leave spectators breathless.
The Dubai authorities have announced the list of key locations where the celebrations will take place.
The main venues include iconic landmarks such as:
- Burj Khalifa
- Dubai Frame
- The World Islands
- Dubai Festival City
- Burj Al Arab
- Palm Jumeirah
- Dubai Creek Harbour
- Global Village
- Al Seef
- Hatta
- Bluewaters
In addition, fireworks displays are also set to take place in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah, with over ten locations across these emirates also joining the celebrations.
Earlier, it was reported that the Dubai Mall was also set to dazzle with a spectacular light display to complement the grand fireworks at the Burj Khalifa.
Mohammed Al Abbar, the Emirati businessman whose construction company built the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, and the iconic Dubai Mall, is personally supervising the preparations for this year’s New Year’s Eve celebration.
Dubai Police have taken action against 90 individuals, seizing their electric bikes after they were caught performing dangerous stunts on the sports tracks near Kite Beach, a popular location in the Jumeirah area.
The riders were found violating safety regulations, prompting the authorities to issue a firm response.
The police have made it clear that public safety is a priority, reaffirming their zero-tolerance policy towards any action that endangers public well-being.
“Public safety is not a choice — it is a shared responsibility,” a statement shared by Dubai Police on social media platform X read.
Authorities have stressed that any violation of the law, particularly related to safety regulations, will not be tolerated.
The police emphasised that strict enforcement measures will continue to be applied to maintain public order on Dubai’s streets and sports facilities.
- Tajik forces killed three alleged militants crossing from Afghanistan.
- Taliban say they are jointly investigating with Tajikistan.
- Kabul warns of attempts to damage bilateral ties.
Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities said on Saturday they were working with neighbouring Tajikistan to investigate a border clash earlier this week that killed five people, including two Tajik guards.
Tajikistan announced on Thursday that three members of a “terrorist” group had crossed into the Central Asian country “illegally” at Khatlon province, which borders Afghanistan.
Tajik security forces killed the trio, but two border guards also died in the clash, the Tajik national security committee said.
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Saturday that “we have started serious investigations into the recent ‘incidents’ on Tajik soil.
“I spoke to the foreign minister of Tajikistan, and we are working together to prevent such incidents,” he told an event in Kabul.
“We are worried that some malicious circles want to destroy the relations between the two neighbouring countries,” the minister added, without elaborating.
Tajikistan shares a mountainous border of about 1,350 kilometres (839 miles) with Afghanistan and has had tense relations with Kabul’s Taliban authorities, who returned to power in 2021.
Unlike other Central Asian leaders, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon, who has been in power since 1992, has criticised the Taliban and urged them to respect the rights of ethnic Tajiks in Afghanistan.
At least five Chinese nationals were killed, and several were wounded in two separate attacks along the border with Afghanistan in late November and early December, according to Tajik authorities.
According to a UN report in December, a militant group, Jamaat Ansarullah, “has fighters spread across different regions of Afghanistan” with a primary goal “to destabilise the situation in Tajikistan.”
Dushanbe is also concerned about the presence in Afghanistan of members of Daesh in Khorasan.
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