The United States officially withdrew from the World Health Organization on Thursday, following a year of warnings that such a move would damage public health efforts both domestically and worldwide. Washington said the decision reflected what it described as failures by the UN health body in its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fraudulent claims for taxpayer funds during the COVID-19 pandemic cost the UK government £10.9 billion ($14.5 billion), according to a new independent report. Schemes like Bounce Back Loans and Eat Out to Help Out lacked safeguards against fraud, the report said.

An Australian court has ordered Qantas to pay A$90m (£43m; $59m) for illegally dismissing more than 1,800 ground staff during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Russian authorities confirmed on Wednesday that passenger rail service between Pyongyang and Moscow resumed on Tuesday following a five-year halt caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Chinese research team has identified a new coronavirus in bats that could potentially infect humans, similar to the virus responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic.

India and China agreed in principle on Monday to resume direct flights between the two countries, nearly five years after the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent political tensions led to their suspension, News.az reports citing foreign media.

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), an international body he has consistently criticized for its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

By Asif Aydinly

The global export of crude oil declined by 2% in 2024—the first drop since the COVID-19 pandemic—marking significant shifts in the global oil industry. Reuters, citing shipment data, notes that this decrease stems from weak demand growth, changes in refinery operations, pipeline disruptions, and the redistribution of global trade routes. These factors have exacerbated an already volatile global oil market. Geopolitical tensions remain a major factor influencing the market. The Russia-Ukraine war and escalating conflict in the Middle East have disrupted traditional supply chains. Sanctions and restrictive measures have redirected Russian exports from Europe to India and China.

Global crude exports saw a 2% drop in 2024, marking the first decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to shipping data.

World food commodity prices decreased by 2.1% in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to the FAO, but they remain significantly higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic.