US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to begin the process of withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Oooh, that’s a big one,” the newly inaugurated US president said as he approved the document after arriving back at the White House. It was one of dozens of executive actions he put his signature to on day one in office.

This marks the second time Trump has ordered the US be pulled out of the WHO.

Trump was critical of how the international body handled Covid-19 and began the process of pulling out from the Geneva-based institution during the pandemic. President Joe Biden later reversed that decision.

Carrying out this executive action on day one makes it more likely the US will formally leave the global agency.

“They wanted us back so badly so we’ll see what happens,” Trump said in the Oval Office, referring to the WHO, perhaps hinting the US might return eventually.

The order said the US was withdrawing “due to the organization’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states”.

The executive order also said the withdrawal was the result of “unfairly onerous payments” the US made to the WHO, which is part of the United Nations.

When Trump was still in office the first time around he was critical of the organization for being too “China-centric” in its tackling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Trump accused the WHO of being biased towards China in how it issued guidance during the outbreak.

Under the Biden administration the US continued to be the largest funder of the WHO and in 2023 it contributed almost one-fifth of the agency’s budget.

The organization’s annual budget is $6.8 billion (£5.5 billion).

Public health experts have been critical of Trump’s decision to leave the WHO, warning there could be consequences for Americans’ health.

Some have suggested the move could reverse progress made on fighting infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and Hiv & Aids.

Ashish Jha, who formerly worked as Covid-19 response co-ordinator under President Biden, previously warned leaving would “harm not only the health of people around the world, but also US leadership and scientific prowess”.

“It’s a cataclysmic presidential decision. Withdrawal is a grievous wound to world health, but a still deeper wound to the US,” Lawrence Gostin, a global public health expert and Georgetown University professor said.

(BBC News)

Fan Weiqiu, the criminal convicted of causing heavy casualties after ramming his car into the crowd at a sports center in November last year in the city of Zhuhai, south China’s Guangdong Province, was executed on Monday (Jan. 20), according to a court statement.

The execution was conducted by the Zhuhai Intermediate People’s Court after the death sentence was approved by the Supreme People’s Court. The procedure was supervised by prosecutors from the local procuratorate in Zhuhai.

Fan was convicted of the crime of endangering public safety by dangerous means in December 2024. He was also deprived of his political rights for life.

(Xinhua)

Donald Trump will take oath of office as the 47th President of the United States, with J. D. Vance being sworn-in as the vice-president today.

The ceremony will take place at the US Capitol in Washington DC, starting at 12 pm local time. This inauguration day falls on Martin Luther King Jr Day, a federal holiday, and marks the first time in this century that a US President will take the oath on such a holiday.

While January 20 is traditionally the set date for inaugurations, if it falls on a Sunday, it is moved to the following day. This year, the event is adjusted due to the holiday overlap, creating special scheduling considerations.

Due to dangerously cold temperatures expected in Washington DC, President-elect Trump has announced that the inauguration ceremony will be moved indoors.

He confirmed that the swearing-in, along with speeches and prayers, will take place in the Capitol Rotunda, just as Ronald Reagan’s inauguration did in 1985 under similar weather conditions.