US to leave UN agency again, citing anti-Israel bias
This marks the second instance of the US leaving UNESCO during a Trump administration, following a previous withdrawal and subsequent rejoining under the Biden administration.
The decision to pull out will become effective at the end of December 2026.
The move is a setback for the Paris-based agency, established after the Second World War to foster peace through international cooperation in education, science, and culture.
The US had previously withdrawn from UNESCO in 1984 over alleged financial mismanagement and anti-American bias, rejoining in 2003.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ITV News
26 minutes ago
- ITV News
Trump orders nuclear submarines to be moved near Russia over 'foolish and inflammatory statements'
Donald Trump has ordered two nuclear submarines to be strategically positioned over what he described as " inflammatory" remarks by the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev. It comes amid a war of words between the pair that started after the US president set a '10 or 12 day' deadline for Russia to agree on a ceasefire with Ukraine during his meeting with Sir Keir Starmer in Scotland on Monday. Writing on his Truth Social platform on Friday evening, Trump said: "Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that. "Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" It comes after former Russian president Medvedev, Vladimir Putin's right-hand-man, warned Trump against 'playing the ultimatum game with Russia' following his shortened deadline. 'Russia isn't Israel or even Iran,' Medvedev, wrote on X. 'Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country,' Medvedev said. After Trump responded on his Truth Social platform by telling Medvedev, "the failed former president of Russia, who thinks he's still president" to "watch his words", Medvedev reminded Trump of Moscow's Soviet-era automatic, retaliatory nuclear strike capabilities.
Daily Mirror
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Donald Trump orders nuclear submarines closer to Russia in power-play with Putin
Donald Trump has threatened higher tariffs and has vowed to use American nuclear submarines in order to protect itself following statements made by Dmitry Medvedev Donald Trump has ordered nuclear submarines to be moved closer to Russia in response to threats made by the country's former president. In a post shared to his Truth Social, Mr Trump called out ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev following statements that he made. The US President said in response he would move nuclear submarines "appropriate regions" closer to Russia. "Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that," Mr Trump said. It comes after Donald Trump recently reignited his feud with Sadiq Khan in front of Keir Starmer, with a savage jibe at the London "Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Mr Trump and Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, traded taunts in recent days after the Republican said on Tuesday that Russia had 10 days from today" to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or be hit, along with its oil, with higher tariffs. Medvedev accused Mr Trump of engaging in a "game of ultimatums" and said Russia still possessed Soviet-era nuclear strike capabilities after the Republican told the former president to "watch his words." The battle of words emerged after Mr Trump reportedly undid months of denying or limiting aid to Ukraine as he aimed to broker a peace between Kyiv and Moscow. Mr Trump agreed to send more lethal aid to Ukraine, sparking fury in Moscow where Putin and his allies had relished the US President's previous unwillingness to support Kyiv as much as his predecessor Joe Biden. Medvedev meanwhile has emerged as one of the Kremlin's most outspoken anti-Western hawks since Russia sent tens of thousands of its troops into Ukraine. Kremlin critics slammed him as an irresponsible loose cannon, though some Western diplomats have said his statements underscore the thinking in the Kremlin. Experts have warned Russia is pursuing its ambition to rebuild its influence and recreate a relevance not seen since its Soviet and imperial eras. Multiple foreign policy analysts have raised the alarm that Putin could pursue a war with NATO by targeting the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The countries were once member states of both the Russian Empire and, following brief inter-war periods of independence, the Soviet Union.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on the green transition: renewables are the future – but countries' actions must catch up with their promises
With net zero policies under attack from elected far-right populists as well as autocratic petrostates, and another summer of record-breaking temperatures in Europe, the failure to decarbonise the world's power supply is as gravely concerning as ever. But the UN secretary general, António Guterres, struck an optimistic note in a recent speech in New York. The world, he said, 'is on the cusp of a new era … The sun is rising on a clean energy age.' Pointing to falls in the cost of onshore wind and solar, and the risk of further gas-price shocks in future, he called on big technology companies – whose datacentres are one reason for soaring energy use – to adopt a target of 100% low-carbon electricity by 2030. Given US president Donald Trump's personal hostility to renewable energy, Mr Guterres may be right that it makes more sense to demand action from US businesses at this point. In Scotland earlier this week, Mr Trump launched his latest misleading tirade, urging European leaders to 'stop the windmills'. His repeated attacks on wind power, as well as the recent cancellation of billions of dollars of green energy investment, make Mr Trump a destructive outlier. But populist parties in other countries are also ramping up their opposition to climate goals. In the UK, such positions were once confined to the political fringe. Now, the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, is a net zero sceptic who has floated the possibility of a future government quitting the Paris agreement, while her acting shadow energy secretary, Andrew Bowie, accused the UN's most senior climate scientists of bias. This disturbing shift rightly provoked a strong response from the government. In July Ed Miliband called out Ms Badenoch's party for its irresponsible and anti-science stance. With the UN's deadline for countries to present their climate plans (known as nationally determined contributions) coming up, Mr Miliband deserves praise for his commitment. Climate diplomacy depends on politicians having the courage to face down opponents – and convince the public that a safe and secure energy future is within reach. This is the prospect held up by Mr Guterres, who hopes it will galvanise much-needed action. The goal, agreed two years ago, of tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030, is nowhere near being reached. With the UN climate summit nearing, all eyes are on China – the key player in the global renewables boom and the fight to stay within climate limits. Internationally, and domestically, renewables are the right choice. Colonial rule saw Carbon Brief rank the UK as the world's fourth-largest historical emitter, behind only the US, China and Russia. To keep UK public support strong for green policies, energy ministers – notably Mr Miliband – must ensure a well-planned green transition to bring down prices. Grids need upgrades to handle wind turbine growth. Supply chain bottlenecks and concerns about human rights in critical minerals mining must be addressed. In Britain, proposals from Labour MPs to reform energy billing – cutting costs for low-income households that use less power – aren't just about lowering inflation. They raise a deeper question of fairness, and deserve serious attention as a step toward a more equal energy system, potentially through a social tariff. Ultimately, reforms should cut gas's sway over electricity prices and couple optimism on renewables with honesty about the challenges. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
