Japan court hands ex-PM Abe's assassin life sentence, NHK reports
A Japanese court sentenced 45-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami to life imprisonment for fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, public broadcaster...
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced major reductions in its management team and operations, following a significant funding cut after the U.S. confirmed its exit from the agency.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is scaling back its operations, cutting its management team by half, and implementing cost-saving measures, according to director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. This comes four months after the United States announced its decision to leave the agency and halt funding, leaving the WHO facing a budget shortfall.
At a budget committee meeting on Wednesday, Tedros emphasized the challenges the WHO now faces, stating, "To be blunt, we cannot do everything." A proposed 21% budget cut for 2026-2027 will reduce funding to $4.2 billion, with only 60% of that being funded if member states agree to raise mandatory fees.
Tedros confirmed that efficiency measures would save $165 million this year, alongside staff reductions. However, he clarified that the 25% cut in staff costs would not equate to job losses but a reduction in the scope of WHO’s operations, including the closure of some offices in high-income nations.
The WHO has already made significant changes to its leadership structure, shrinking the management team from 14 to seven, including Tedros himself. New roles include Dr. Jeremy Farrar moving to assistant director-general for health promotion and disease control, while Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu becomes executive director of the health emergencies programme. Dr. Sylvie Briand will serve as chief scientist.
The organisation is also seeking closer collaboration with other global health groups to maximise impact despite the cuts.
Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani has died at the age of 93, his foundation said on Monday.
More than 100 vehicles were involved in a massive pileup on Interstate 96 in western Michigan on Monday (19 January), forcing the highway to shut in both directions amid severe winter weather.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he would impose a 200% tariff on French wines and champagnes after France declined to join his proposed Board of Peace on Gaza initiative.
Syria's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that about 120 Islamic State detainees escaped from Shaddadi prison, after the Kurdish website Rudaw reported that a spokesperson for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Farhad Shami, said around 1,500 Islamic State members had escaped.
The German and French finance ministers said on Monday that European powers would not be blackmailed and that there would be a clear and united response to U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of higher tariffs over Greenland.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 21st of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A Japanese court sentenced 45-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami to life imprisonment for fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, public broadcaster NHK reported. The ruling on Wednesday (21 January) brings to an end a three-and-a-half-year case that has stunned the nation.
A Russian air attack cut power to more than one million Kyiv residents and impacted substations carrying power from Ukraine's atomic plants on Tuesday.
A commuter train derailed on Tuesday after a containment wall fell on the track due to heavy rain near the Spanish city of Barcelona, killing the driver and seriously injuring passengers, a fire brigade official said.
U.S. forces have seized another oil tanker linked to Venezuela in the Caribbean, marking the seventh such detention in recent weeks as Washington intensifies enforcement of sanctions on illicit oil shipments.
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