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President Donald Trump is moving to cut $5bn (£3.7bn) in foreign aid using a rarely invoked “pocket rescission,” which allows funds approved by Congress to lapse if left unspent by the end of the fiscal year, according to BBC.

The plan targets USAID, State Department programmes, international peacekeeping, and democracy-promotion efforts. The White House says it is aimed at curbing wasteful spending, but critics argue it sidesteps Congress’s constitutional control over federal funds.

Republican Senator Susan Collins called the move unlawful, while Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned it could disrupt budget processes and risk a shutdown. The tactic was last used in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter, BBC reported.

India and Canada have appointed new high commissioners to each other’s countries, easing tensions after the 2023 killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Vancouver.

Last year, Ottawa expelled India’s envoy over alleged links to the murder, which Delhi denied, and India retaliated by expelling Canadian diplomats. The standoff marked a major low in otherwise cordial ties, BBC reported.

Following a June meeting between PM Narendra Modi and Canadian PM Mark Carney, both countries agreed to reinstate senior diplomats. Canada named Christopher Cooter as envoy to Delhi, while India appointed Dinesh K Patnaik to Ottawa.

While the move signals renewed engagement, differences remain over Canada’s handling of pro-Khalistan groups, a longstanding concern for India. Canada hosts about 770,000 Sikhs, the largest diaspora outside Punjab, according to BBC.

At least 49 people have died and around 100 remain missing after a migrant boat sank off Mauritania’s coast, officials said. Seventeen survivors were rescued, and search efforts are ongoing, BBC reported.

The vessel had left The Gambia six days earlier with about 160 people, mostly Gambians and Senegalese, heading for Spain’s Canary Islands. Survivors said it capsized after passengers rushed to one side on spotting coastal lights near Nouakchott.

According to BBC, the Canary Islands route has become one of the deadliest paths to Europe. Rights group Caminando Fronteras warned the toll could be higher, calling the sinking one of the summer’s worst tragedies.

Elon Musk is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which oversees financial markets and investor protections, accusing him of delaying disclosure of his Twitter investment to save about $150m, according to BBC.

The SEC says Musk should have revealed crossing the 5 percent ownership threshold by March 14, 2022, but waited until April 4. His lawyers argue the case is baseless, insisting the late filing caused “no intent, no harm” and was corrected immediately.

They also accuse the SEC of targeting Musk with unusually harsh penalties. The regulator declined to comment, BBC reported.

President Donald Trump has revoked extended Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a memo seen by the BBC.

Harris, entitled by law to six months of security after leaving office in January, had her protection extended by Joe Biden for an additional year. Trump cancelled that order in a directive dated Thursday, instructing the Secret Service to end any extra measures beyond legal requirements starting September 1.

The decision comes just weeks before Harris begins a national book tour promoting her memoir 107 Days, which recounts her brief 2024 presidential bid. The White House and Secret Service have not commented yet according to BBC.

Britain has barred Israeli officials from next month’s DSEI arms fair in London, reflecting growing tensions over the war in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.

The Ministry of Defense said no Israeli government delegation would be invited, though private defense firms may still attend. Israel denounced the decision as discriminatory and vowed to withdraw entirely.

The move comes after the UK suspended some arms export licenses, froze trade talks, and sanctioned two Israeli ministers. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also warned he will recognize a Palestinian state if Israel fails to agree to a ceasefire and take steps toward ending its occupation.

Across Europe, pressure on Israel is rising, with France restricting its arms displays and EU ministers set to debate further sanctions, according to Al Jazeera.

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra over a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, BBC reported.

In the call, she criticized the Thai army and appeared conciliatory toward Hun Sen during a border dispute, sparking a backlash at home. Though Paetongtarn apologized and described it as a negotiating tactic, senators pushed for her removal.

According to BBC, the ruling is a major setback for the powerful Shinawatra political dynasty and makes her the fifth Thai leader since 2008 to be ousted by the court, deepening political uncertainty in the country.

Thirty-three Colombian soldiers have been freed after being held for three days in Nueva York, a remote Amazon village controlled by rebel factions and drug traffickers. They were detained on Monday following clashes that left at least 10 dead, with villagers blocking their exit in what the government called a kidnapping, according to Al Jazeera.

Their release was secured through talks involving officials, the Ombudsman’s Office, and the UN. The army has reinforced the area, blaming rebels led by Ivan Mordisco — a former FARC commander accused of child recruitment and recent bombings — for manipulating locals.

Guaviare remains a hotspot for coca cultivation, highlighting the challenges facing President Gustavo Petro’s peace plan, which critics say has yet to reduce violence, Al Jazeera reported.