WHO denies US claims of violating national sovereignty in pandemic rules
'Our job is to provide evidence-based recommendations and guidelines, and to support countries to protect and improve the health of their populations,' Tedros stated. 'But how or whether countries implement that advice has always been and always will be up to them, based on their national guidelines and rules.'
The amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR), approved in 2024, introduced a 'pandemic emergency' alert level to enable faster global coordination. These changes followed criticism of delayed responses during the COVID-19 crisis.
However, the US administration, led by President Donald Trump, rejected the revisions last week. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy argued that the rules could undermine national decision-making.
'We will put Americans first in all our actions and we will not tolerate international policies that infringe on Americans' speech, privacy or personal liberties,' they said in a joint statement.
Tedros emphasized that the amendments were developed and adopted by member states, not imposed by the WHO. 'WHO has no authority to tell countries what to do. We cannot impose travel bans, lockdowns, vaccine mandates or any other type of measure. Nor do we seek to,' he said.
Steven Solomon, WHO's chief legal officer, confirmed that only a few countries opposed the changes before the July 19 deadline. 'It's now clear that the 2024 IHR amendments will apply to the overwhelming majority of the 196 countries that are party to the IHRs,' he said. - AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Monday (July 28, 2025)
Malaysia: * King presents instrument of appointment to new Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid * Thai, Cambodian PMs welcome Malaysian-brokered peace * Putrajaya considering nationwide vape ban, says Health Minister * Two rally-goers arrested for allegedly 'whipping' effigy of PM * Putra Heights inferno: Disaster caused by soil movement, not excavation work, Dewan Rakyat told * Sabah polls: PH has a delicate balancing act to pull off, says former CM Salleh * Dewan Rakyat passes Poisons (Amendment) Bill 2025 * Govt to ensure SST exemption for eligible construction projects * Unfair to make Umno repay RM16mil SRC Int'l donation, High Court hears * Recent spike in crime caused by thieving drug addicts, says Kedah top cop * Malaysia enhancing cooperation with Thailand for trade, says Liew * Govt to continue Penang's development as biz hub, says Zafrul * Malaysia's economy projected to grow 4% to 4.8% this year, central bank says * Rubio says US officials in Malaysia to help in Cambodia-Thailand talks * CCTV at Dr M's granddaughter's home records only 24 hours, say police * Break-in at home of Dr M's granddaughter: CCTV not the only thing we are looking at, say KL cops Canada's swimmer Summer Mcintosh reacts after winning the women's 200m individual medley swimming event during the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Monday, July 28, 2025. --Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP Singapore: * Jail for former pre-school teacher who tripped toddler repeatedly, causing child to bleed from nose * Business tycoon Ong Beng Seng set to plead guilty on Aug 4 in case linked to ex-transport minister Iswaran * SIA flights between Singapore-Cambodia, Singapore-Thailand, operating normally amid border dispute * Woman allegedly linked to case involving pre-schooler's sexual assault given stern warning * 'Medium risk' of severe haze as higher agricultural prices drive deforestation: Singapore researchers * Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after LTA tests * Not feasible for Singapore to avoid net‑zero; all options to cut energy emissions on table * Oil rises as US-EU deal boosts trade optimism * Home prices in Singapore jump ahead of curbs * European stocks gain, euro dips after US-EU strike trade deal Indonesia: * Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia face medium risk of severe haze in 2025, says report * Indonesian government plans to place funds in state banks to provide liquidity * Indonesian super-diva Bunga Citra Lestari hails Jaclyn Victor as Asia's best vocalist * Indonesia learns from S. Korea to develop local ingredients for free meals * Indonesian solar panel manufacturers brush off potential US tariffs * Indonesian showcase Latihan Pestapora Malaysia lights up Bukit Jalil with rhythm, unity, and nostalgia People enjoy their dinner at the China district in Surabaya. -- Photo by Juni KRISWANTO / AFP Thailand: * Thailand deploys F-16 jets in second strike ahead of midnight ceasefire with Cambodia * Cambodia and Thailand agree to immediate ceasefire, says Anwar * Thailand-Cambodia peace talks begin in Putrajaya * Asean leaders renew call for Thailand, Cambodia to end hostilities * Displaced villagers at Thai-Cambodian border hope to go home as leaders set to meet for talks * Thailand returns bodies of 12 Cambodian soldiers in gesture of battlefield respect * At least six killed in shooting near Bangkok's Chatuchak market; suspect takes own life Philippines: * Philippines' Marcos pushes more social programmes, jobs to soothe public discontent * Three years of Marcos' presidency: A mix of promises achieved, still hanging * Tariffs, Duterte risks loom as Philippines' Marcos charts last years in power * Phoebe Philo's take on fashion's new 'New Look': Chic, clever, boldly weird * Most markets rise, euro boosted after EU strikes US trade deal Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr looks on as he prepares to leave after delivering his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), at the House of Representatives, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on Monday, July 28, 2025. -- Photo: REUTERS/Lisa Marie David Vietnam: * Non-communicable diseases cause 80% of deaths in Vietnam, says the Vietnam Health Ministry * Building a research hub will advance Vietnam's fashion supply chain * Vietnam's rising role in Asean lauded by New Zealand ambassador * Vietnamese man arrested over murder-robbery in Japan * Yinson JV to charter FSO vessel to Vietnam's Phu Quoc Petroleum Myanmar: * Anwar-led talks yield ceasefire, reinforce Asean's role in regional peace * Heavy flooding leaves four dead and another four people missing in eastern Myanmar * Myanmar to exhibit about 80 booths at 22nd China-Asean Expo in September * Mandalay rattled by 4.1-magnitude aftershock, 214th since major quake Local villagers wait to receive supplies donated by a charity, in Srey Snam district, Siem Reap province, Cambodia, Monday, July 28, 2025, amid the fighting between Thailand and Cambodia. -- AP Photo/Heng Sinith Cambodia: * Cambodia PM Hun Manet says ceasefire offers solution 'to move forward' * Ceasefire in focus as Thai, Cambodian leaders gather in Putrajaya * Cambodia says immediate ceasefire purpose of talks; Thailand questions its sincerity * Cambodian and Thai leaders hold ceasefire talks in Malaysia as border violence enters fifth day * Cambodia remains safe destination for investors says Malaysian trade body Laos: * Laos forecasts heavy rain, flash floods, landslides through July 31 * Japan grants RM12mil to support Lao human resource development * Concern for the animals - Endangered wildlife found shot in Laos' Salavan despite stricter conservation laws Brunei: * Brunei's unemployment rate drops to 4.7% * Borneo region hotspots cause haze in Brunei * Climate issues and gender in focus for World Bank in aid-reliant Pacific Islands Officials, team coaches, and players from Japan, China, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, Vietnam, Philippines, and Uzbekistan pose for a photograph with the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup trophy ahead of the official draw, opposite the Sydney Opera House in Sydney on July 28, 2025. The 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup will be hosted by Australia, and will run from March 1 to 21, 2026. -- Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP AseanPlus: * Sheila Majid pays tribute to parents for career * Police to call more witnesses in Shila Amzah assault probe * Get your adrenaline pumping with these water activities in Malaysia * Nvidia-YTL Power deal to boost Malaysia as Asean AI hub * Mandapop icon Wakin Chau returns to Kuala Lumpur with upgraded 'Younger Me 3.0' concerts tour this Oct 18 * Hit movie 'Ejen Ali' goes international - unlocks successful mission at World Expo 2025 di Osaka * HK actress Charmaine Sheh ate non-stop since arriving in KL, calls Malaysia a '2nd Hong Kong' * Japan's Ishiba stresses resolve to stay, avoid political vacuum * Kim Jong-un's sister says 'no reason' for talks with South * US-China set to meet with extension of tariff pause on the cards * Is this new tailless UAV China's answer to next-generation drone warfare? * Japan to ease overseas student enrolment caps at universities in bid to attract talent * Bollywood actor and Malaysian model spark dating rumours after spotted together * Can taxis and ride-hailing services co-exist in Hong Kong under new rules? * Migrant worker in S. Korea tied to forklift for 'giggling', says suspect * South Korean police under scrutiny over delayed response in fatal family shooting * Viral 'honour' killing in southwest Pakistan triggers national outrage * Evictions and expulsions of Muslims to Bangladesh precede Indian state polls * Trump pauses export controls to bolster China trade deal, FT says * Musk says Tesla, Samsung sign $16.5 billion chip supply deal * Hong Kong court orders law on use of opposite-sex toilets to be struck down * China's mega dam project in Tibet sparks hydropower stock surge * 'Don't forget me': K-idol Cha Eun-woo set for enlistment * Woman caught live-streaming while drink-driving in South Korea * North Korea says South Korea's overtures 'great miscalculation' * China to offer childcare subsidies in bid to boost birth rate * Stanley Ho's daughter Josie puts work on hold amid husband Conroy Chan's sudden health scare * How to make it in India? A New Delhi fashion designer just showed the world how * Breaking the barriers of time: A son's quest for closure in 'Once Again' * Trouble in orbit? China's Starlink rival faces long delays amid rocket shortage * US commerce secretary says Trump really likes TikTok, but app has to move to US ownership * K-star Cha Eun-woo covers KPop Demon Hunters song Free with movie's lead actress Arden Cho * Furore in South Korea after college art competition asks entrants to 'depict pilot's face before crash' * Golf: England's Lottie Woad wins ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open in her first start as a professional * Motor racing - Piastri and Norris racing like champions in F1 title battle / Piastri beats Norris in rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix * Cricket-India have not ruled out Bumrah for the final test, coach says / India dig deep with bat to draw fourth test against Engla
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
China hopes for 'reciprocity' at trade talks with US in Stockholm
STOCKHOLM (AFP): Chinese and US economic officials met for talks in Stockholm on Monday, with Beijing saying it wanted to see "reciprocity" in its trade with the United States. The Swedish prime minister's office confirmed the talks, which are expected to last two days, were under way. The talks came a day after US President Donald Trump reached a deal that will see imports from the European Union taxed at 15 percent and the clock ticking down for many countries to reach deals or face high US tariffs. Beijing said on Monday it hoped the two sides could hold talks in the spirit of "mutual respect and reciprocity". Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing sought to "enhance consensus through dialogue and communication, reduce misunderstandings, strengthen cooperation and promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US relations". For dozens of trading partners, failing to strike an agreement in the coming days means they could face significant tariff hikes on exports to the United States come Friday, August 1. The steeper rates, threatened against partners like Brazil and India, would raise the duties their products face from a "baseline" of 10 percent now to levels up to 50 percent. Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have already effectively raised duties on US imports to levels not seen since the 1930s, according to data from The Budget Lab research centre at Yale University. For now, all eyes are on discussions between Washington and Beijing as a delegation including US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent meets a Chinese team led by Vice Premier He Lifeng in Sweden. In Stockholm, Chinese and US flags were raised in front of Rosenbad, the seat of the Swedish government. While both countries in April imposed tariffs on each other's products that reached triple-digit levels, US duties this year have temporarily been lowered to 30 percent and China's countermeasures slashed to 10 percent. But the 90-day truce, instituted after talks in Geneva in May, is set to expire on August 12. Since the Geneva meeting, the two sides have convened in London to iron out disagreements. - China progress? - "There seems to have been a fairly significant shift in (US) administration thinking on China since particularly the London talks," said Emily Benson, head of strategy at Minerva Technology Futures. "The mood now is much more focused on what's possible to achieve, on warming relations where possible and restraining any factors that could increase tensions," she told AFP. Talks with China have not produced a deal but Benson said both countries have made progress, with certain rare earth and semiconductor flows restarting. "Secretary Bessent has also signalled that he thinks a concrete outcome will be to delay the 90-day tariff pause," she said. "That's also promising, because it indicates that something potentially more substantive is on the horizon." The South China Morning Post, citing sources on both sides, reported Sunday that Washington and Beijing are expected to extend their tariff pause by another 90 days. Trump has announced pacts so far with the European Union, Britain, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines, although details have been sparse. An extension of the US-China deal to keep tariffs at reduced levels "would show that both sides see value in continuing talks", said Thibault Denamiel, a fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. US-China Business Council president Sean Stein said the market was not anticipating a detailed readout from Stockholm: "What's more important is the atmosphere coming out." "The business community is optimistic that the two presidents will meet later this year, hopefully in Beijing," he told AFP. "It's clear that on both sides, the final decision-maker is going to be the president." For others, the prospect of higher US tariffs and few details from fresh trade deals mark "a far cry from the ideal scenario", said Denamiel. But they show some progress, particularly with partners Washington has signalled are on its priority list like the EU, Japan, the Philippines and South Korea. The EU unveiled a pact with Washington on Sunday while Seoul is rushing to strike an agreement, after Japan and the Philippines already reached the outlines of deals. Breakthroughs have been patchy since Washington promised a flurry of agreements after unveiling, and then swiftly postponing, tariff hikes targeting dozens of economies in April. - AFP
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
US senator wants Musk to block use of Starlink by financial fraud groups in Southeast Asia
WASHINGTON: A Democratic senator on Monday urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to block transnational criminal groups in Southeast Asia from using Starlink satellite internet service to commit fraud against Americans. Senator Maggie Hassan cited recent reports that Starlink is being used to facilitate fraud against Americans by a broad range of transnational criminal organisations operating "scam compounds" in Southeast Asia. The US Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network said these groups defrauded Americans out of billions of dollars, she added. "Scam networks in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, however, have apparently continued to use Starlink despite service rules permitting SpaceX to terminate access for fraudulent activity," Hassan wrote in a letter to Musk seen by Reuters. "SpaceX has a responsibility to block criminals from using the service to target Americans." SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment. For years, criminal networks have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people to scam compounds across Southeast Asia, including many along the Thai–Myanmar border, where victims are forced to work in illegal online schemes, according to the United Nations. "While most people have probably noticed the increasing number of scam texts, calls, and emails they're receiving, they may not know that transnational criminals halfway across the world may be perpetrating these scams by using Starlink internet access," Hassan wrote. Since February, Thailand has halted electricity, internet, and fuel supplies to five Myanmar border areas, including Myawaddy, in a bid to disrupt the scam centres, which have become an escalating regional security concern. International pressure to shut down the scam centres intensified following the abduction of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was kidnapped after arriving in Thailand in January. He was later rescued by Thai police, who located him across the border in Myanmar. Criminal networks, mainly emanating from China, are known to run several of these scam centres, including those in the Myawaddy region, according to the United States Institute of Peace.
