US President Donald Trump has slammed the World Health Organisation's response to the coronavirus outbreak in a letter threatening a permanent freeze on US funding to the body.
He said the international agency must demonstrate “independence from China,” and enact sweeping reforms within 30 days to secure a reinstatement of US funding, according to a letter the president posted on Twitter on Monday.
“If the World Health Organisation does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days, I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the World Health Organisation permanent and reconsider our membership in the organisation,” Mr Trump wrote in the letter to WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
In a tweet accompanying a copy of the letter, Mr Trump called it “self-explanatory.”
Mr Trump already made the decision to temporarily stop funding to the WHO on April 14, accusing the group of being too supportive of China.
He has also repeatedly accused the UN health body of mismanagement of the crisis, a claim repeated in the letter, which included bullet points laying out his dissatisfaction.
The WHO did not give an immediate reaction to the letter, but spokeswoman Fadela Chaib noted that she had seen the letter.
“I don’t have any reaction, we have been busy trying to finalise our agenda for the World Health Assembly,” she said, referring to health agency’s annual meeting, which has been shortened this year because of the Covid-19 outbreak and was set to end later Tuesday.
“I am sure in the course of the day we will have more clarity and reaction to this letter,” she told reporters at a regular UN briefing in Geneva.
Earlier in the day, the WHO said it would launch an independent review of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
During a virtual assembly, Tedros acknowledged there had been shortcomings and told the assembly he welcomed calls for a review.
The European Union backed the WHO and multilateral efforts to fight the coronavirus on Tuesday after Trump's comments.
"This is the time for solidarity, not the time for finger pointing or for undermining multilateral co-operation," European foreign affairs spokeswoman Virginie Battu-Henriksson told reporters.
Half of the WHO's funding is made up of annual donations by member states, and topped up by voluntary donations and funding from other bodies.
The US has contributed about 20 per cent of the WHO's overall budget over the past two years.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Results
Stage Two:
1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 04:20:45
2. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates
4. Olav Kooij (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
General Classification:
1. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix 09:03:03
2. Dmitry Strakhov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:04
3. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 00:00:06
4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:10
5. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:12
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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The specs: 2018 Bentley Bentayga V8
Price, base: Dh853,226
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 550hp @ 6,000pm
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Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L / 100km
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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South Korea
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