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Trump's team plans a swift U.S. withdrawal from WHO, sparking fears of weakened global health efforts and increased Chinese influence.
Donald Trump's presidential transition team is reportedly preparing for the U.S. to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the first day of a potential second term, according to Georgetown University global health professor Lawrence Gostin.
"I have it on good authority that he plans to withdraw, likely on Day One or soon after," said Gostin, who also directs the WHO Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law. The Financial Times first reported the plans, citing two experts, including former White House COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha, who was unavailable for comment.
Trump's transition team and the WHO declined immediate comment, though WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus previously expressed confidence in ongoing efforts for a global pandemic agreement by 2025.
The proposed withdrawal aligns with Trump’s criticism of the WHO, which he has accused of favoring China during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump previously initiated a year-long withdrawal in 2020, reversed by President Joe Biden. Critics warn a U.S. exit would weaken global health efforts and bolster China’s influence in the WHO.
Trump has nominated WHO critics to key public health roles, including vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a candidate for Health and Human Services Secretary. Critics argue that leaving the WHO would undermine global disease response systems, reducing U.S. clout in health diplomacy.
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots have demonstrated improvements in speed, balance and autonomous navigation after completing a half-marathon in Beijing on Sunday (19 April), in a showcase of the country’s fast-developing robotics sector.
Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping on Friday (17 April) for the first time since the U.S. and Israel killed Iran's ex-Supreme Leader in air strikes, triggering the Middle East conflict, at the end of February. A U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, however, remains in force.
Two Indian-flagged ships were shot at in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, India's Foreign Ministry said, as Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again, less than 24 hours after reopening the 167km long sea passage, which is essential for global trade.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is open, lifting markets and sending oil lower. Meanwhile the U.S. blockade remains in place as President Donald Trump warns the ceasefire may not be extended. Talks continue as a fragile Israel-Lebanon truce holds, while the regional death toll has surpassed 5,000.
Netflix shares fell sharply on Friday after the streaming group issued a weaker-than-expected outlook and said chairman and co-founder Reed Hastings will step down from the board.
Secretly filmed footage from two UK laboratories has reignited debate over animal testing in drug development, after a former worker alleged that monkeys, dogs and other animals endured prolonged distress during safety trials for new medicines.
Cleanup efforts are underway in Lena, Illinois, after a suspected tornado tore through the village on Friday (17 April), damaging homes, schools and infrastructure, leaving thousands without power. Residents and emergency crews spent Saturday clearing debris, and working around downed power lines.
North Korea fired ballistic missiles towards the sea off its eastern coast on Sunday (19 April), accelerating its weapons tests amid heightened regional tensions linked to the Iran war and renewed diplomatic signals toward the United States and South Korea.
Construction of U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project will be allowed to continue after an appeals court granted an administrative stay, temporarily blocking a lower court order that had halted parts of the work.
European countries should expand the role of natural gas in their energy systems to reduce the risk of supply shocks caused by international crises, an energy industry chief has said.
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