World News: NHS England to be scrapped as role returns to government control

This is the World Now, bringing you the latest stories from around the globe.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a major shakeup of the country's public healthcare system by abolishing NHS England, the central body overseeing the National Health Service.

On Thursday local time, Prime Minister Starmer unveiled plans to scrap NHS England and integrate its functions into the Department of Health and Social Care, aiming to streamline healthcare administration.

NHS England was established in 2012 to grant the NHS operational independence and has 15,000 staff.

While the restructuring aims to eliminate bureaucratic repetition and redirect resources to frontline services, the announcement was met with mixed reactions, with the British Medical Association endorsing the move, hoping that it will improve staff retention and patient outcomes and the UK's largest healthcare union, Unison, voiced concerns over potential job losses.

The European Union and South Africa convened their first bilateral summit in 7 years on Thursday to strengthen economic and strategic ties.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Cape Town for the 8th EU-South Africa summit, where the EU announced a substantial investment package, to support South Africa's development initiatives.

They included a commitment to an investment package worth 5.1 billion U.S. dollars, to be allocated to key sectors, such as energy, and healthcare.

The summit also addressed the broader geopolitical context, particularly the escalating trade tensions with the U.S., including President Donald Trump's recent decision to impose a 200% tariff on European alcohol.

In Italy, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck a region near Naples in the early hours of Thursday local time with at least 11 people treated for minor injuries.

The quake's epicenter was near the coastal town of Pozzuoli, west of Naples, occurring around 1:25 A.M.

The earthquake caused minor structural damage, including cracks in buildings and the collapse of facades.

This was the strongest tremor in the area in 40 years.

Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation closely.

An American influencer in Australia is receiving scrutiny, after she posted a video of herself removing a baby wombat from its mother, causing public outrage and prompting Australian authorities to review her visa status.

The video, now deleted from her social media, shows Sam Jones picking up the baby wombat at night while its distressed mother chases after her.

Wildlife experts criticized the act as potentially harmful and illegal, under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

Australia's Home Affairs department is reviewing the conditions of Jones' visa, to determine if immigration laws were breached.

Choi Chi-hee, Arirang News.