Officials say slashing of US Department for International Development leaves power vacuum for adversaries

Hundreds of diplomats at the state department and US Agency for International Development have written to the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, protesting against the dismantling of USAid, saying it undermines US leadership and security and leaves power vacuums for China and Russia to fill.

In a cable expected to be filed with the department’s internal “dissent channel”, which allows diplomats to raise concerns about policy anonymously, the diplomats said the Trump administration’s 20 January freeze on almost all foreign aid also endangers American diplomats and forces overseas while putting at risk the lives of millions abroad that depend on US assistance.

State senate passes bill as its sponsor suggests shooting someone is more effective and humane than other methods

Firing squads could become Idaho’s primary execution method under a bill headed to the governor’s desk this week.

The Idaho senate passed the bill on Wednesday, and if signed by governor Brad Little, it will take effect next year.

Something seemed to break here, and it was not just Xabi Alonso’s proud unbeaten record over Bayern Munich. For Vincent Kompany are cruising to the Bundesliga title and now they are cruising to the Champions League quarter-finals too. They may well sign Leverkusen’s best player Florian Wirtz in the summer, but here they played him off the park. It feels like game over, and in more senses than one.

This week the Bayern director of sport Max Eberl made an eye-catching comparison. He compared Alonso and Vincent Kompany to Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp, the coaching duopoly that shaped modern football for almost a decade. Bit soon for all that, most people reckoned, but it feels just a little less fanciful now. The bloke who got Burnley relegated to the Championship may just be the next big thing in European coaching.

Liverpool are alive and well in the Champions League when they should have been buried in Paris. Arne Slot’s team did not simply secure a precious first-leg lead against Paris Saint-Germain, they committed grand larceny on a night that belonged to Alisson.

Harvey Elliott grabbed a late winner entirely against the run of play and within a minute of replacing Mohamed Salah. Fittingly, Liverpool’s goal was constructed by their goalkeeper. Alisson was unbeatable all night, driving PSG to despair with a string of superb saves, although Luis Enrique’s side also squandered plenty of chances of their own accord. A goalless draw would have been a fine outcome for Liverpool in the circumstances but they emerged victorious when Alisson launched a clearance in the 87th minute.

Disney is reportedly cutting staff across ABC News Group and its entertainment network as media layoffs continue

The popular political poll news and analysis website, 538, is being shut down as part of a broader shuttering effort across ABC News and Disney Entertainment, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday night.

Disney is reportedly cutting 200 positions across ABC News Group and Disney Entertainment Networks, including shutting down the data-driven 538.