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Monday, August 18, 2025

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https://nordictimes.com/world/argentina-leaves-the-who/

World

Argentina leaves the WHO

Published 7 February 2025
– By Editorial Staff
President of Argentina, Javier Milei (stock image 2023).
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The President of Argentina, Javier Milei, has decided to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO). The decision comes shortly after US President Donald Trump announced that the US has also started the process of leaving the organization.

According to Milei, the decision is due to deep disagreements on health issues.

Javier Milei has announced that he has instructed his Foreign Minister, Gerardo Werhin, to begin the process of withdrawal from the WHO and the decision was presented through a decree signed on February 5, 2025, La Nacion reports.

The Argentine president believes that the decision is based on deep disagreements between the country’s own health policy versus WHO guidelines, especially in the context of the coronavirus crisis. Milei, known for his libertarian and market liberal positions, further accuses the organization of being “an instrument of leftist ideology”, and not focusing on core medical issues.

 

The Argentine government has declared that it intends to follow formal procedures for an organized withdrawal. This process, assuming it goes smoothly, is expected to take between six and twelve months.

The decision means that Argentina formally ends its membership of an organization it has been affiliated with since 1948. The Mileis administration believes that the country can address international health challenges through bilateral agreements.

Following in the footsteps of the US

US President Donald Trump has also announced that the US plans to leave the WHO. Trump’s decision is partly based on what he sees as the deep injustice of the US paying too much to the WHO compared to China.

However, this is not the first time Trump has made such a decision. During his previous term, he initiated a similar process, which was later withdrawn by Joe Biden when he took office in 2021.

At the time of writing, neither the WHO nor Milei have made any official comment on the pledge.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/world/national-strike-and-mass-protests-in-israel/

World

National strike and mass protests in Israel

The situation in Gaza

Published today 9:21
– By Editorial Staff
Sunday's demonstrations in Israel are assessed to be the largest since the war began in October 2023.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Tens of thousands of people gathered on Sunday on the streets of Israel in a nationwide protest against the war in Gaza. Demonstrators blocked major highways and demanded an end to the conflict and the release of the remaining hostages.

Sunday’s massive protests were organized by families of hostages and activists demanding an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the swift release of the remaining hostages, reports Associated Press.

Over 300 demonstrations reportedly took place, from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and other cities, with the largest gatherings expected in Tel Aviv at the so-called Hostages Square.

Demonstrators blocked Highway 1 among other roads, where they set fire to tires and caused long traffic jams. Several dozen people were arrested for disturbing the peace. Many of the participants were relatives of hostages and reserve soldiers who have refused to participate in the war.

The demands are clear: an end to the war and a diplomatic solution to secure the return of Israeli citizens and soldiers being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.

Government representatives criticize the protests

Many private companies, universities and certain trade unions support the strike and urge employees to participate, while Israel’s largest trade union, Histadrut, has chosen not to participate officially. However, Histadrut has urged employers to allow staff to participate in the demonstrations without losing pay.

Government representatives have criticized the protests. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called them a harmful campaign that benefits Hamas, while Culture Minister Miki Zohar warned that blockades and disruptions harm the country’s security.

Sunday’s protests are the largest since last year’s escalation of the conflict and show growing domestic division in Israel over how the war should be handled.

The UN and other organizations warn of humanitarian consequences from the continued conflict in Gaza, where tens of thousands of civilians have already been killed or injured.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/putin-and-trump-agree-on-major-points-after-summit/

World

Putin and Trump agree on “major points” after summit

The new cold war

Published 16 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The two presidents during the joint press conference following the summit shortly after midnight Nordic time.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met overnight into Friday for a summit in Alaska, where the situation in Ukraine was at the center of discussions. No concrete ceasefire agreement was reached, but both leaders described the meeting as constructive and indicated that dialogue will continue.

At a joint press conference following the meeting, Trump described the talks as “extremely productive” and explained that the parties had agreed on “several major points,” although no final agreement was signed.

– So just to put it very quickly, I’m going to start making a few phone calls and tell them what happened. But we had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to. There are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there, said the American president.

Putin emphasizes bilateral relations

Putin opened the press conference by focusing on the relationship between the US and Russia. The Russian president expressed confidence that Trump will contribute to improved relations between the two superpowers.

– In general, me and President Trump have very good direct contact. We’ve spoken multiple times. We spoke frankly on the phone … Our advisers and heads of foreign ministries kept in touch all the time, and we know fully well that one of the central issues was the situation around Ukraine, Putin explained during the press conference.

Despite the ongoing war, Putin described Ukraine as a “brotherly nation,” which can be seen as an attempt to signal openness to diplomatic solutions.

Meeting concluded after midnight

The summit, which lasted just over two and a half hours, concluded shortly after midnight local time. Around 2 AM Central European Time, Putin headed to his plane for the return journey to Moscow.

Although no concrete results were presented, both leaders hinted that negotiations may continue. Trump’s statement that he will “start making some calls” suggests that diplomatic efforts will continue.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/trump-and-putin-shake-hands-first-summit-in-four-years-begins/

World

Trump and Putin shake hands – first summit in four years begins

The war in Ukraine

Published 15 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The two presidents took a firm grip during their greeting at the US air base before later beginning the tense negotiations concerning, among other things, the war in Ukraine.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are holding a summit today at the US military base Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. This is the first time Putin has visited the United States in approximately ten years, and the Ukraine conflict is expected to dominate the talks.

President Trump personally received his Russian counterpart on the airfield’s runway when Putin arrived shortly after Air Force One. A red carpet had been rolled out with a large sign marked ‘Alaska 2025’ at its end, while four American fighter jets were positioned on both sides of the carpet.

The initial talks will only include the presidents and their closest advisors, before the full delegations join later. After the negotiations, Trump and Putin plan to hold a joint press conference.

The meeting could last up to seven hours

The summit could last between six and seven hours, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. While the Ukraine conflict is widely expected to be the meeting’s central theme, the agenda will encompass significantly more than that, according to Moscow.

– Other topics the two presidents are slated to discuss include bilateral Russia-US relations, possible joint economic projects, and other regional and international issues, says Peskov.

High-level delegations from both sides

The Russian delegation includes, in addition to Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov and the president’s economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who has been a key figure in the Ukraine negotiation process.

From the American side, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Special Envoy to Ukraine and the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are participating, according to White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will also participate in an expanded bilateral meeting and lunch, the White House announced.

This is Putin’s eighth visit to the United States and the first in approximately a decade. The last time the Russian president was in America was in 2015, when he participated in the UN General Assembly in New York and held talks with then-President Barack Obama.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/vatican-back-in-hot-water-after-new-money-laundering-allegations/

World

Vatican back in hot water after new money laundering allegations

Published 15 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
St. Peter's Square in Vatican City with Catholicism's main church, St. Peter's Basilica - located in Rome, the capital of Italy.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Vatican finds itself once again in the spotlight for criticism following allegations that internal systems have enabled money laundering. A former high-ranking financial police officer within the Vatican claims that documented transactions may have been manipulated after the fact. The Vatican denies the allegations but says it takes them very seriously.

The Vatican’s economy has been shaken by new revelations about alleged irregularities in systems handling bank transfers, reports Politico.

The city-state’s former top financial police officer has claimed that its payroll office could change names and account numbers on transactions after they were made, which masked the identity of recipients and senders.

This meant that names and account numbers could be changed several days after a transfer was completed. The system is described as a “master key” that can be used to hide money moved to private accounts, which in turn provided ample scope for money laundering and regulatory violations.

Decades of controversies

The Vatican has condemned the allegations as technically impossible, but has simultaneously confirmed the importance of investigating the matter thoroughly.

The economics department under Pope Leo XIV is trying to strengthen the church’s reputation after decades of financial controversies, where the Vatican Bank (Istituto per le Opere di Religione, IOR) has been at the center of recurring scandals involving money laundering, embezzlement and corruption.

Despite the allegations, the Vatican’s latest annual report shows a decrease of approximately one-third in suspected financial transactions compared to the previous year.

During 2024, the Vatican’s own reports state that authorities have frozen several bank accounts totaling over €2 million and stopped three suspected transfers worth just over €1 million.

Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV. Photo: Vatican News/X

Impenetrable structure

Cooperation with international authorities, including the US tax service (IRS), has intensified to strengthen control and transparency. Recent years’ reforms have however met resistance, and the Vatican’s complex structures and certain automatic control mechanisms have been criticized for lacking efficiency.

A comprehensive legal process involving several high-ranking individuals within the Vatican’s financial administration, charged with money laundering, embezzlement and fraud among other things, is currently ongoing.

Historically, the Vatican’s economy has been impenetrable and lacked modern transparency, something Pope Leo XIV has worked to change since taking office.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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