Trump and Musk announce mass layoffs

US President Donald Trump and entrepreneur Elon Musk have decided on a large-scale restructuring of the country's government agencies, which will lead to the dismissal of thousands of employees, Reuters reports.

According to the agency's materials, significant cuts have affected the Department of Veterans Affairs, where more than 1,000 people were dismissed. The US Forest Service also announced plans to cut 3,400 staff members.

For the US government, these changes are landmark, as key structures such as the Tax Collection Service and the Internal Revenue Service are being reorganised for the first time. Diplomatic missions were also not spared: US embassies around the world have been instructed to prepare for a reduction in their staff numbers.

According to the New York Times, Trump aims to dismiss a total of 200,000 civil servants as part of this large-scale reform programme.