LONDON - In a flurry of political fallout, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned Sunday over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the U.K. ambassador to the U.S., due to Mandelson's past ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The resignation came as Thailand held an early general election, and the Trump administration lauded a statement on transgender surgery for minors.
McSweeney took responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson, 72, to the prestigious diplomatic post in 2024, according to multiple reports from NPR. The decision sparked controversy, leading to McSweeney's departure.
Meanwhile, Thailand's early general election saw vote counting underway Sunday, with three main parties vying for power. The election was viewed as a three-way race, with competing visions of progressive, populist, and old-fashioned patronage politics, according to the Associated Press. The election took place against a backdrop of slow economic growth and heightened nationalist sentiment.
In other news, the Trump administration celebrated a recent statement from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, which recommends that doctors delay gender-related surgery until a patient is at least 19 years old. "Today marks another victory for biological truth in the Trump administration," wrote Deputy Health and Human Services Secretary Jim O'Neill in a press release, according to NPR.
These events unfolded as Asia grapples with significant healthcare challenges. The region, which accounts for 60% of the world's population, only accounts for 22% of global healthcare spending, according to Fortune. Developing Asian countries often spend just 2-3% of their GDP on health, with public funding sometimes less than $150 per person annually, far below OECD norms. Government procurement bottlenecks further exacerbate the situation, delaying nearly 40% of major health projects.
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