U.S. announces formal withdrawal from WHO

The White House formally informed the United Nations and Congress on Tuesday that the United States intends to withdraw from the World Health Organization, the public health arm of the U.N.

The withdrawal would take effect in July 2021.

Mr. Trump had announced earlier this year that the U.S. was pausing contributions to the global health organization before announcing in May that the United States would sever its ties to the group.

The president and others have criticized the WHO for too eagerly accepting the narrative from China, where the coronavirus was first discovered late last year, about the origin and potential dangers of the virus.