As it happened: Concerns grow over rise in UK Covid-19 cases - BBC News
Local authorities sound alarm as restrictions are extended in several cities in England and Wales.
Dr Tedros said he "didn't believe" the US's decision to withdraw from the WHO Image caption: Dr Tedros said he "didn't believe" the US's decision to withdraw from the WHO

President Donald Trump "doesn't have any good reason to withdraw" the US from the World Health Organization (WHO), its Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said.

President Trump announced the termination of the country's relationship with the WHO in May, accusing the UN agency of failing to hold China to account over the coronavirus pandemic.

“My first reaction was, to be honest, I didn’t believe it,” Dr Tedros said in an interview with Time Magazine . "Even now I believe that the US administration doesn’t have any good reason to withdraw from WHO."

In 2019, the US was the global health agency's largest single contributor, providing 15.18% of its total budget .

Dr Tedros said the impact of US withdrawal was uncertain, but stressed it was the country’s "global leadership" that mattered more to him than its financial contribution.

Nevertheless, Dr Tedros was hopeful co-operation would prevail over division, especially when vaccines against Covid-19 are distributed.

"The basic principle we're following now, in terms of distribution of the vaccines, is to give vaccines to some people in all countries, not all people in some countries," he said.