Bulgarians set to vote in eighth election since 2021 as anger over corruption grows
Bulgarians headed to the polls on Sunday (19 April) in their eighth election in five years, with early signs pointing...
Argentina’s President Javier Milei declared that he would follow the United States in withdrawing from the World Health Organization due to “profound differences in health management, especially due to the pandemic, which led us to the longest confinement in the history of humanity.”
“We have decided to leave such a harmful organisation, which was the executing arm of what was the largest social-control experiment in history,” wrote Milei on social media.
Milei attributed his decision to the WHO’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic, which he described as a “one of the most outlandish crimes against humanity in history”.
The announcement comes two days after the meeting of the WHO Executive Board, where organization’s Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: “We would welcome suggestions from the United States and all Member States for how we can serve you and the people of the world better. So, although we are doing a lot of reform, additional is welcome.”
The United States is the biggest financial backer of the WHO, contributing around 15% of its overall funding last year
The WHO's most recent two-year budget, for 2024-2025, was $6.8 billion. Member States contribute directly nearly 60% of the programme budget, and another 14% comes from other organizations in the United Nations system, partnerships and development banks which are themselves largely funded by governments. Last year Argentina’s contribution to WHO was comparatively small – amounting to only $8 million as for the 2024-25 biennium, as compared to some nearly $1 billion paid by the US
Two weeks ago, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order announcing his intention to withdraw the United States from WHO.
“We regret the decision, and we hope the US will reconsider. We would welcome constructive dialogue to preserve and strengthen the historic relationship between WHO and the USA,” – said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
He unveiled that even before the US announcement, “WHO was facing a shortfall due to the economic difficulties that many countries are facing” and for many months, the organization had been working with twin strategic goals: “to mobilize new resources; and to tighten our belts.”
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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