WHO Appoints Jeremy Farrar as Chief Scientist

The World Health Organization logo is pictured at the entrance of the WHO building, in Geneva, Switzerland, December 20, 2021. (Reuters)
The World Health Organization logo is pictured at the entrance of the WHO building, in Geneva, Switzerland, December 20, 2021. (Reuters)
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WHO Appoints Jeremy Farrar as Chief Scientist

The World Health Organization logo is pictured at the entrance of the WHO building, in Geneva, Switzerland, December 20, 2021. (Reuters)
The World Health Organization logo is pictured at the entrance of the WHO building, in Geneva, Switzerland, December 20, 2021. (Reuters)

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that Jeremy Farrar will become its new chief scientist as the agency prepares to cope with post-pandemic health challenges.

He will join the WHO in the second quarter of 2023, replacing Soumya Swaminathan, who departed in November ahead of a broader shakeup at the health agency.

Farrar's is the latest appointment as Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus's second term as the leader of the 74-year-old UN health agency gets underway amid private criticism by some donors that the management is too bloated.

"As chief scientist, Jeremy will accelerate our efforts to ensure WHO, its member states and our partners benefit from cutting-edge, life-saving science and innovations," said Tedros in a statement.

Farrar is a clinical scientist who most recently served as the director of the Wellcome Trust.



Acropolis Trims Hours Again Amid Greek Heatwave

A drone view of the empty Acropolis, after the authorities closed the site for the hottest part of the day, as a heatwave grips Athens, Greece, July 8,  2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas
A drone view of the empty Acropolis, after the authorities closed the site for the hottest part of the day, as a heatwave grips Athens, Greece, July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas
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Acropolis Trims Hours Again Amid Greek Heatwave

A drone view of the empty Acropolis, after the authorities closed the site for the hottest part of the day, as a heatwave grips Athens, Greece, July 8,  2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas
A drone view of the empty Acropolis, after the authorities closed the site for the hottest part of the day, as a heatwave grips Athens, Greece, July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas

The Acropolis in Athens will limit its operating hours for a second straight day because of heatwave conditions, the Greek culture ministry said Wednesday.

The ministry in a statement said the world-renowned site would be shut till 5:00 pm (1400 GMT) "for the safety of workers and visitors, owing to high temperatures."

The four-day heatwave confirmed by meteorologists began Sunday and is the second to grip Greece since late June.

Temperatures are expected to reach 41 Celsius (105.8 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, with a maximum of 37 Celsius in Athens, according to national weather service EMY.

The Greek civil protection authority has warned of high fire risk in the greater Athens area, in central Greece and the Peloponnese peninsula on Wednesday.

The heatwave will abate on Thursday.