Trump administration releases files related to the MLK assassination
More than 240,000 pages related to the assassination of Pastor Martin Luther King Jr. have been released despite opposition from some members of the King family.
The United States has once again withdrawn from the UN UNESCO program. This is labelled “awakening” after the Trump administration previously rejected it due to suspicions of anti-Israel bias.
The move, which comes into effect at the end of 2026, continues Trump’s efforts to pull the United States out of international institutions he has long criticised.
White House spokesman Anna Kelly said UNESCO “advocates for the common sense policies and the completely gradual awakening of Americans in November, divisive cultural and social causes.”
In a statement to USA Today, UNESCO Director Audrey Azurey said Trump’s decision to withdraw was “unfortunate” and “contradicts the fundamental principles of multilateralism.”
Azurey said UNESCO is anticipating and preparing for a loss of US support and “doesn’t consider layoffs.” The US currently donates about 8% of UNESCO’s budget, Azurey said.
Based in Paris, UNESCO was founded after World War II to promote peace through international cooperation in education, science and culture. One of UNESCO’s core missions is the World Heritage Program, which protects historical and cultural sites. Many educational programs are also implemented.
Trump also withdraws the United States from UNESCO, which represents the organization of UN education, science and culture during his first administration, citing concerns about his approach to Israel. He also withdraws the United States from the World Health Organization, the United Nations Human Rights Council, the global climate change agreement and Iran’s nuclear deal.
After taking office in 2021, Joe Biden reversed those decisions and reverted the United States to UNESCO, WHO and climate agreements.
With Trump returning to the White House, the US is once again being drawn from these global organizations. He has already decided to withdraw the US from WHO and suspend funding for the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA as part of a review of participation in UN agencies, which is scheduled to be concluded in August.
UNESCO has been the focus of criticism for years.
The US stopped funding for UNESCO after voting in 2011 to include Palestine as a member.
The Reagan administration withdrew from the organization in 1984, but President George W. Bush returned the United States to the group in 2002.
There are 1,248 UNESCO World Heritage sites in 170 countries, including the Egyptian Pyramids, Notre Dame Cathedral in France, and Statue of Liberty in the United States.
Contribution: Reuters; Jim Michaels
