US says it's leaving UN cultural agency UNESCO again

The United States announced Tuesday its decision to pull out of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization two years after rejoining.

According to a statement by the U.S. State Department, the withdrawal was due to what Washington saw as the UN cultural agency's policy to "advance divisive social and cultural causes" over the Israel-Palestine conflicts.

"UNESCO's decision to admit the 'State of Palestine' as a member state is highly problematic, contrary to U.S. policy, and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization," the statement said.

The U.S. exit will take effect at the end of December 2026.

This will be the third time that Washington has left UNESCO, and the second time during a Trump administration. Since his second term in office started early this year, the Trump administration had announced its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Human Rights Council.

US says it's leaving UN cultural agency UNESCO again

US says it's leaving UN cultural agency UNESCO again

US says it's leaving UN cultural agency UNESCO again

Russia reported on Sunday that its forces had struck Ukrainian energy infrastructure facilities, while the Ukrainian forces on the same day claimed that they had launched attacks on a Russian defense industry enterprise over the past 24 hours.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in its daily report that over the past day, its troops had struck energy infrastructure facilities supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces, workshops producing long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, launch preparation sites, and temporary deployment points for Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries.

The ministry also said that Russia's air defense systems shot down 274 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.

On the same day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said they struck a defense industry enterprise in the city of Taganrog in Russia's Rostov region early in the morning, triggering a massive fire at the facility.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces also claimed that the strike would undermine Russia’s drone production capabilities.

Russia reports strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities, Ukraine claims hitting Russian military-industrial enterprise