US to leave UN cultural agency UNESCO again, New York Post reports
FILE PHOTO: A 3D-printed miniature model of U.S. President Donald Trump with the UNESCO logo in the background is seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
The United States will leave the United Nations' culture and education agency UNESCO as President Donald Trump continues to pull his country out of international institutions he has long criticized, the New York Post reported on Tuesday, citing a White House official.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
The move is a blow to the Paris-based agency, founded after World War Two to promote peace through international cooperation in education, science, and culture.
Trump took similar steps during his first term, quitting the World Health Organization, the U.N. Human Rights Council, a global climate change accord and the Iran nuclear deal.
Joe Biden reversed those decisions after taking office in 2021, returning the U.S. to UNESCO, the WHO and the climate agreement.
With Trump now back in the White House, the U.S. is once again pulling out of these global bodies. The administration has also ordered a 90-day pause on all U.S. foreign assistance to assess alignment with Trump's foreign policy priorities.
UNESCO is best known for designating World Heritage Sites, including the Grand Canyon in the United States and the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 can claim $600 SG60 vouchers from July 22
Singapore Miscalculation of MOH subsidies and grants led to $7m in overpayments, $2m in shortfalls
Singapore Singaporeans continue to hold world's most powerful passport in latest ranking
Asia Indonesia on high alert as dry weather fans forest, peatland fires in Sumatra
Singapore 2 charged over alleged role in posting bail for man who later absconded
Singapore Teen charged after allegedly selling vaporisers, advertising e-cigarettes on WhatsApp
Singapore 2,500 turtles seized in India and sent back to S'pore, put down humanely after salmonella detected
Singapore Ports and planes: The 2 Singapore firms helping to keep the world moving
The United States initially joined UNESCO at its founding in 1945 but withdrew for the first time in 1984 in protest against alleged financial mismanagement and perceived anti-U.S. bias, returning almost 20 years later in 2003 under President George W. Bush, who then said the agency had undertaken needed reforms.
UNESCO's full name is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
UNESCO officials said the agency was already a lot less dependent on the United States than in the past, but the move would nonetheless impact the agency, with some limited impact on programmes the United States was financing.
The United States provides about 8% of UNESCO's total budget, down from about 20% at the time Trump first pulled the United States out of the agency. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
IMF plans August mission to Senegal on hidden debt, new programme
Find out what's new on ST website and app. A street food vendor pushes her cart near Kermel Market in downtown Dakar, Senegal, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo LONDON/NEW YORK - The International Monetary Fund plans a mission to Senegal in August to address hidden debt and start talks on the "contours" of a new loan programme, it said on Thursday. Senegal is grappling with billions in debts hidden by the previous administration, which have prompted the IMF to freeze its loan programme. "The purpose of the mission is going to be to discuss the steps needed to bring the misreporting case to our executive board," IMF communications director Julie Kozack said in a media briefing in Washington. "The team will also use the opportunity to initiate discussions on the contours of a new IMF-supported program for Senegal." Separately, another Fund spokesperson said via email that it needs more data before it can firm up its assessment on Senegal's debt situation and also needs an agreement on key remedial measures. The IMF's executive board must either approve a misreporting waiver - many investors' base case - or order Senegal to pay back previous programme disbursements. With a waiver, Senegal could negotiate a new programme. "Once we have reached agreement on the key corrective measures, the IMF Board will be in a position to consider the Senegal misreporting case and take a decision," a spokesperson for the Fund said in response to emailed questions from Reuters. An agreement on these measures could be reached "hopefully within the coming weeks," that spokesperson added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Asia Singapore urges all parties in Thailand-Cambodia border dispute to exercise restraint Asia Deadly Thai-Cambodian dispute puts Asean's relevance on the line Life Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies aged 71: US media Singapore Avoid water activities around Tuas Second Link, Raffles Marina after chemical tank accident: NEA Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore Mindef to set up new volunteer management unit to grow volunteer pool Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B Bonds jumped on the news. The euro-denominated 2028 bond gained more than 3 cents to bid at 82.88 cents on the euro, and the 2033 dollar-denominated bond gained nearly 3 cents to bid at 70.64 cents on the dollar. DEBT ICEBERG The IMF estimates - based on latest data from Senegalese authorities - that hidden debt stood at $11.3 billion by end-2023, the spokesperson added. This included a portion for state-owned enterprises of about 7.4% of GDP. There have been a range of estimates. S&P pegged the total hidden debt discovered since October 2024 at roughly $13 billion. The size of the hidden debt has escalated since September 2024, when the then newly elected government said an audit of government finances first flagged the issue. The scale dwarfs Mozambique's infamous "tuna bond" scandal -the most recent hidden debt case, which involved roughly $3 billion. The spokesperson said that the IMF, which has come under fire for not catching the off-the-books lending, will present information to the board on how it went undetected. "The IMF is conducting an internal assessment and diagnostic as part of the misreporting process," the spokesperson added. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Columbia ends uncertainty with Trump deal, head says
Columbia University's acting president Claire Shipman speaks during Columbia University's commencement ceremony in New York, Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Seth Wenig/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Columbia University's agreement to pay over $200 million to the U.S. government in a settlement with President Donald Trump's administration to resolve federal probes and restore most of its suspended federal funding ends a period of "institutional uncertainty," the university's acting president said. Trump has targeted several universities since returning to office in January over the pro-Palestinian student protest movement that roiled college campuses last year. "The resolution will allow the university to move forward with clarity and focus — returning our full attention to the work of teaching, discovery, and public service," Acting President Claire Shipman said in a statement, adding that under the settlement the university did not admit to violating civil rights laws. In March, the Trump administration said it was penalizing Columbia over how it handled last year's protests by canceling $400 million in federal funding. It contended that Columbia's response to alleged antisemitism and harassment of Jewish and Israeli members of the university community was insufficient. Columbia said it also agreed to settle investigations brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for $21 million and that its deal with the Trump administration preserved its "autonomy and authority over faculty hiring, admissions, and academic decision-making." Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Columbia agreed "to discipline student offenders for severe disruptions of campus operations, make structural changes to their Faculty Senate, bring viewpoint diversity to their Middle Eastern studies programs, eliminate race preferences from their hiring and admissions practices, and end DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs." The agreement calls on Columbia to appoint an administrator to oversee the three-year accord and spells out that a provost will review hiring and other practices in its Middle East and other programs, and a student liaison to help address antisemitism issues. Shipman said the agreement restored access to $1.3 billion in federal funding and reinstated $400 million in frozen grants. Had Columbia fought the Trump administration in court it could have won short-term litigation victories but would have lost federal funding and faced the potential revocation of the visa status of thousands of international students, she said. After the government canceled funding, the school acquiesced in March to a series of demands that included scrutiny of departments offering courses on the Middle East and other concessions that were widely condemned by U.S. academics. The agreement announced Wednesday contained no provisions that "shall be construed as giving the United States authority to dictate faculty hiring, university hiring, admissions decisions, or the content of academic speech,' Shipman said. Last week, Columbia adopted a definition of antisemitism that equates it with opposition to Zionism. Critics argue anti-Zionism is not inherently antisemitic. Campus protesters demanded an end to U.S. support for Israel's military assault on Gaza after a deadly October 2023 attack by Palestinian Hamas militants, and a commitment that the university will cease investing any of its $14.8 billion endowment in weapons makers and companies that support Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories. The government has labeled pro-Palestinian protesters as antisemitic. Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say the government has wrongly conflated their criticism of Israel's actions with antisemitism and their advocacy for Palestinian rights with support for extremism. "We are not denying the very serious and painful challenges our institution has faced with antisemitism," Shipman said. REUTERS
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Hulk Hogan, who helped turn pro wrestling into billion-dollar spectacle, dies at 71
Hulk Hogan, the American sports and entertainment star who made professional wrestling a global phenomenon and loudly supported Donald Trump for president, has died at the age of 71, World Wrestling Entertainment said on Thursday. "WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away. One of pop culture's most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s," WWE said on X. It gave no cause of death. The bleach-blond, mahogany-tanned behemoth became the face of professional wrestling in the 1980s, helping transform the mock combat from a seedy spectacle into family-friendly entertainment worth billions of dollars. A key moment in that evolution came at the WrestleMania III extravaganza in 1987, when Hogan hoisted fellow wrestler André the Giant before a sold-out Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan for a thunderous body slam of the Frenchman. Hogan parlayed his wrestling fame into a less successful career in Hollywood, starring in films like "Rocky III" and "Santa With Muscles," but kept returning to the ring as long as his body would allow. In 2024, he appeared at the Republican National Convention to endorse the presidential bid of Trump, who in the 1980s had played host to Hulk-headlined WrestleManias. Hogan said he made the decision to support the Republican candidate after seeing his combative, fist-pumping reaction to an attempted assassination on the campaign trail. "Let Trumpamania run wild, brother!" Hogan bellowed to a cheering crowd, ripping off his shirt to reveal a Trump tank top. "Let Trumpamania rule again!" BECOMING 'HULK' Born Terry Gene Bollea in Augusta, Georgia, on Aug. 11, 1953, the future Hulk and his family soon moved to the Tampa, Florida area. After high school, he played bass guitar for area rock bands, but felt a pull to the red-hot wrestling scene in Florida in the 1970s. Many of the details of his career were showbusiness exaggerations, representative of the blurred lines between fact and fiction in wrestling. His first trainer reportedly broke Hogan's leg to dissuade him from entering the business, but he kept at wrestling, weight training, and - he later admitted - anabolic steroids. He gained in notoriety as his biceps turned into what he dubbed the "24-inch pythons." The "Hulk" moniker came from comparisons to the comic-book hero portrayed on TV at the time. He would end up paying royalties to Marvel Comics for years. "Hogan" was the invention of promoter Vincent J. McMahon, the owner of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), who wanted Irish representation among his stable of stars. His appearance as wrestler Thunderlips in "Rocky III," where he dwarfed leading man Sylvester Stallone, rocketed Hogan to the mainstream. Upon a return to the WWF, now controlled by McMahon's son Vincent K., he defeated the Iron Sheik in 1984 to claim the world championship, a belt he would hold for four years. Hogan became a household name, appearing on the cover of magazine Sports Illustrated and performing alongside pop culture stars like Mr. T. The WWF came to dominate wrestling, anchored by its annual WrestleMania pay-per-view events. FACING 'THE ROCK' Later, he joined competitor World Championship Wrestling, swapping his trademark yellow tights for black and taking on a persona as the villainous "Hollywood" Hogan, the head of a gang of rulebreakers known as the New World Order. The gimmick reinvigorated his career. Hogan eventually returned to the WWF, now known as WWE, and faced Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at WrestleMania in 2002. "I'm in better shape than him," Hogan told Reuters at the time, five months shy of his 50th birthday. "I'll stand next to The Rock and pose down with him if he wants to." The Rock ultimately won the match. Hogan was inducted twice into the WWE Hall of Fame, and referred to himself as the "Babe Ruth" of wrestling - after the New York Yankees' famed baseball player. But Hogan's support of Trump in 2024 did not go down well with all wrestling fans, and he also faced other controversies. Gossip website Gawker was shuttered after it posted parts of a sex tape between him and a friend's wife and Hogan sued on privacy grounds, winning a $140 million judgment. In 2015, he was suspended by the WWE after another surreptitious recording revealed that Hogan had used a racial slur. He was reinstated in 2018. He was married three times and had two children, who starred alongside him and first wife Linda in a 2005-2007 reality TV show, "Hogan Knows Best."
