US aid agency at center of political uproar

The US Agency for International Development announced on Tuesday it was placing its staff members in the United States and around the world on administrative leave as it moved to recall employees from overseas postings.

The agency said in a statement that staff leave would begin shortly before midnight on Friday and would concern "all USAID direct hire personnel ... with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs".

The move is part of US President Donald Trump's — and his billionaire ally Elon Musk's — radical drive to shrink the government. The Trump administration and Republicans are targeting the agency, which is funded by US tax dollars, while Democrats are accusing them of going too far.