News
US Set To Quit World Health Organization
- /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/united-states-flag.jpg&description=US Set To Quit World Health Organization', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/united-states-flag.jpg&description=US Set To Quit World Health Organization', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
The U.S. is due to officially exit the World Health Organization on Thursday, in the face of warnings it will hit both U.S. health and global health and also in violation of a U.S. law that requires Washington to pay the U.N. health agency $260 million in fees that it owes.
President Donald Trump gave notice that the U.S. would quit the organization on the first day of his presidency in 2025, via an executive order. Under U.S. law, it has to give one-year notice and pay all outstanding fees before departure.
On Thursday, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said the WHO’s failure to contain, manage and share information had cost the U.S. trillions of dollars and the president had exercised his authority to pause the future transfer of any U.S. government funds, support, or resources to the WHO.
“The American people have paid more than enough to this organization and this economic hit is beyond a down payment on any financial obligations to the organization,” the spokesperson said by email.
Over the last year, many global health experts have urged a rethink, including most recently WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“I hope the U.S. will reconsider and rejoin WHO,” he told reporters at a press conference earlier this month. “Withdrawing from the WHO is a lose for the United States, and it’s a lose for the rest of the world.”
The WHO also said that the U.S. has not yet paid the fees it owes for 2024 and 2025. Member states are set to discuss the U.S. departure and how it will be handled at the WHO’s executive board in February, a WHO spokesperson told Reuters by email.
“This is a clear violation of U.S. law,” said Lawrence Gostin, founding director of the O’Neill Institute for Global Health Law at Georgetown University in Washington, a close observer of the WHO. “But Trump is highly likely to get away with it.”
Speaking to Reuters at Davos, Bill Gates – chair of the Gates Foundation, a major funder of global health initiatives and some of the WHO’s work – said he did not expect the U.S. to reconsider in the short-term.
“I don’t think the U.S. will be coming back to WHO in the near future,” he said, adding that when he had an opportunity to advocate for it, he would. “The world needs the World Health Organization.”
For the WHO, the departure of the U.S. has sparked a budgetary crisis that has seen it cut its management team in half and scale back work, cutting budgets across the agency.
Washington has traditionally been by far the U.N. health agency’s biggest financial backer, contributing around 18% of its overall funding. The WHO will also shed around a quarter of its staff by the middle of this year.
The agency said it has been working with the U.S. and sharing information in the last year. It was unclear how the collaboration will work going forward.
Global health experts said this posed risks for the U.S., the WHO and the world.
“The U.S. withdrawal from WHO could weaken the systems and collaborations the world relies on to detect, prevent, and respond to health threats,” said Kelly Henning, public health program lead at Bloomberg Philanthropies, a U.S.-based non-profit.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ekiti State Office, on Thursday announced the extension of the ongoing collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) has been extended from Friday, 12th June to Sunday, 14th June 2026.
The was contained in a statement by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Bunmi Omoseyindemi in Ado Ekiti
The statement read: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ekiti State Office, wishes to inform all registered voters in the State that the ongoing collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) has been extended from Friday, 12th June to Sunday, 14th June 2026
“The extension is intended to provide an additional opportunity for eligible voters who are yet to collect their PVCs to do so before the Governorship Election scheduled for Saturday, 20th June 2026.
“Collection of PVCs will continue at the designated Local Government Area Offices of the Commission during official hours. Voters are advised to collect their PVCs personally, as collection by proxy will not be permitted.
INEC urges all registered voters who have not collected their PVCs to take advantage of this extension, as the PVC remains the only means of identification for voting on Election Day.
“The Commission remains committed to ensuring that every eligible voter is given the opportunity to participate in the electoral process.”
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was calling off strikes on Iran and flagged the signing of a possible deal with Tehran after top-level talks.
“Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have… cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.
“Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly,” he added.
Iran Warns Of ‘Endless Quagmire’
Iran had warned Washington on Thursday that it risked wading into an “endless quagmire” of war and soaring energy prices, after Trump vowed to launch a new round of airstrikes and to seize an island oil terminal.
Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the Americans, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, issued his stark warning after the two sides exchanged overnight fire and Trump threatened that US forces would hit “VERY HARD TONIGHT”.
“Wrong strategies and impulsive decisions will reset the entire board for the worse, explode energy infrastructure and markets and create an endless quagmire that you will be stuck in for years,” Ghalibaf said.
The war, which began on February 28 with a wave of US-Israeli strikes on Iran, was paused under an April truce, but efforts to hammer out a permanent end to the fighting have since stalled.
US forces have also, since the ceasefire, hit radar arrays and disabled Iranian ships, and Tehran has maintained a chokehold on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela,” Trump said, in a post on his own social media platform, referring to a Gulf island that hosts Iran’s biggest oil export terminal.
General Ali Abdollahi, head of the Iranian military’s central headquarters, warned that “if the United States once again seeks to carry out attacks against heroic Iran, it would receive a harsher response than before, and the flames of war, in addition to creating insecurity in the region, will become more widespread and far-reaching”.
The conflict has destabilised oil and gas prices, fuelling inflation and fears of recession in many economies.
On Thursday, the World Bank lowered its global growth forecast to its lowest level since the coronavirus pandemic, predicting it would drop to 2.5 percent in 2026, from 2.9 percent last year.
Channels
Hon. Dr. Olotu Akpodiete JP, who’s vying for the Ughelli North, South and Udu Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives, has sent his congratulations to Rt. Hon. Frederick Agbedi. Agbedi’s new role as Minority Leader was announced today during plenary by Speaker Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.
Dr. Akpodiete said Agbedi’s emergence shows the trust and confidence his colleagues have in him. He described the new Minority Leader as dependable, strong-willed, and a politician of principle who acts on conviction rather than convenience.
Rt. Hon. Agbedi represents Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency in Bayelsa State. Before this appointment, he led the PDP Caucus in the House and also served as Bayelsa PDP chairman. He remains a committed PDP member and believes the party has a vital role as a strong opposition.
Akpodiete said he’s confident Agbedi will use his experience, competence and character to serve the House, the legislature, and Nigerians well.
Signed:
Hon. Dr. Olotu Akpodiete JP
House of Representatives Candidate Hopeful
Ughelli North, South and Udu Federal Constituency
INEC extends PVCs collection in Ekiti for 72hours
Trump Stops Scheduled Bombings Against Iran
Julian Quinones of Mexico Scores First Goal Of 2026 World Cup
-
News14 hours agoSenate Orders Kyari’s Arrest Over Alleged ₦210 Trn NNPCL Financial Infractions
-
News18 hours agoKano Screens 720 Couples for State-Sponsored Mass Wedding Programme
-
News18 hours agoPastor Kumuyi Explains Why None of His Sons Will Inherit Deeper Life Church
-
News18 hours agoEx-NNPCL Boss Kyari Challenges Senate Over Arrest Warrant, N210trillion Probe, Cites Medical Trip Abroad
-
News18 hours agoAlleged N2bn scam: EFCC tells Court how Sirika hired Ethiopian Airlines aircraft for three-day exhibition
-
News18 hours agoNationwide protest to begin on Democracy Day as insecurity continue to escalate
-
News18 hours ago2027: INEC restores 22 State constituencies in kogi, Benue, Delta, Jigawa
-
Economy17 hours agoIMF questions Nigeria’s $5bn borrowing structure