U.S. President Donald J. Trump said Washington will suspend its funding (FT) to the World Health Organization (WHO) while it reviews the WHO’s management of the coronavirus crisis. The move drew immediate and widespread criticism (Reuters) from world leaders and health advocacy groups.

The United States is the WHO’s largest funder, paying around $500 million annually, or around 10 percent of the organization’s operating budget. Trump accused the WHO (Politico) of covering up the coronavirus crisis and mismanaging its spread, downplaying his own administration’s decision to ignore strong warnings (NYT) about the crisis. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said “now is the time for the international community to work together,” and Bill Gates tweeted that halting WHO funding during a pandemic “is as dangerous as it sounds.”

The coalition backing South Korean President Moon Jae-in is expected to win (Yonhap) between 155 and 178 of parliament’s 300 seats in today’s election, according to exit polls. Moon’s approval rating has increased during the coronavirus crisis.
 
In Foreign Affairs, Victor Cha examines the success of South Korea’s coronavirus response.
 
Australia: The country’s High Court found that a June 2019 police raid and data seizure at the home of journalist Annika Smethurst was unlawful (SMH), but it did not order police to destroy the seized data. The goal of the raid was to identify sources of a story about government surveillance.

At least eighty-three Afghan civilians have been killed (TOLO) since the Taliban signed a peace deal with the United States, half of them by the Taliban, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission found. A Taliban spokesperson said the group made no immediate commitment to the Afghan government to reduce violence.
 
CFR’s Max Boot looks at the riskiness of the U.S. deal to leave Afghanistan.
 
India: The country extended its national lockdown (Times of India) to May 3, sparking protests (FT) by migrant workers in Mumbai who seek permission to return home.

Iraq’s media regulator suspended Reuters’s license for three months and fined it $21,000 after the news agency reported that the number of coronavirus cases in the country was higher than the official count. Iraqi President Barham Salih called the regulator’s decision “regrettable” and said he is working to revoke it.
 
Libya: The country’s UN-backed government in Tripoli announced it will not allow the entry (Guardian) of migrants rescued at sea.

UN food rations for 1.4 million refugees in Uganda have been cut by 30 percent (Guardian) due to a funding shortfall, with further cuts possible. The refugees are mainly from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan. 

Moscow is ready to enter talks on arms control (Reuters), including for hypersonic missiles, with Washington, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. Lavrov said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mentioned the resumption of talks during a recent phone call.
 
This CFR In Brief looks at the future of U.S.-Russia nuclear arms control.
 
France: A court ordered Amazon to limit deliveries to essential goods only or face a $1.1 million daily fine. The order comes amid claims that the company has failed to protect workers from the coronavirus (BBC).

Gilberto Aparecido dos Santos, thought to be the leader of Brazil’s most powerful drug gang, First Capital Command, was arrested (AFP) in a joint U.S.-Brazilian-Mozambican sting in Mozambique. Dos Santos had been on the run for twenty years.
 
Guatemala: U.S. deportation flights have resumed (AP) to the country after pausing because three deportees tested positive for the coronavirus. The United States failed to comply with Guatemala’s request to screen and adequately distance the deportees on the flights, and Guatemala’s health minister said the deportations were exacerbating (AP) the country’s outbreak.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects the global economy will contract by 3 percent in 2020, making the coronavirus crisis the worst recession since the Great Depression. If policy responses prevent widespread firm bankruptcies, job losses, and system-wide strains, the IMF says growth could rebound to 5.8 percent in 2021.