US Chief Justice Roberts keeps in place Trump's $5 bn foreign aid freeze

Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday temporarily kept in place the Trump administration's decision to freeze nearly $5 billion in foreign aid.

Roberts acted on the administration's emergency appeal to the Supreme Court in case involving billions of dollars in congressionally approved aid.

President Donald Trump said last month that he would not spend the money, invoking disputed authority that was last used by a president roughly 50 years ago.

The high court order is temporary, though it suggests that the justices will reverse a lower court ruling that withholding the funding was likely illegal. US District Judge Amir Ali ruled last week that Congress would have to approve the decision to withhold the funding.