Author: BBC

1 hour agoBy Nick Triggle, Health correspondent, BBC News, @nicktriggle • Jim Reed, Health reporter, BBC NewsPAThe failures and weaknesses in the UK’s pandemic preparations are expected to be laid out in the first report published by the Covid inquiry.Baroness Hallett, who is chairing the public inquiry, will set out her findings at lunchtime.Her report will cover the state of the healthcare system, stockpiles of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the planning that was in place.It is the first of at least nine reports covering everything from political decision-making to vaccines and the impact on children.During the hearings for this module, last year, 69 experts and…

Manuel HarlanFrom causing seismic activity at Harry Styles concerts to Swifties boosting the UK economy during the Eras Tour, the power of teenage female pop fans shouldn’t be underestimated.For playwright Yve Blake, the danger of dismissing these youngsters is the inspiration behind her new comedy musical Fangirls.Following the life of 14-year-old Edna, who is obsessed with a boy band resembling One Direction, Fangirls explores “what it means to love something without apology”. The idea came to Blake in 2015 after she witnessed a pivotal moment in the lives of thousands of teenage girls – Zayn Malik left One Direction.Despondent and…

Just nowBy Farouk Chothia, BBC NewsGetty ImagesIn a sign of the seismic political changes in South Africa, John Hlophe, a once-celebrated judge whose career ended ignominiously with his impeachment just five months ago, has been parachuted into parliament to lead the official opposition. Dr Hlophe is expected to be in full flight on Friday, when he will open the debate in response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech on Thursday, setting out his new coalition government’s plans to tackle South Africa’s myriad problems – including an unemployment rate of 32%, high levels of crime, deteriorating infrastructure, and land ownership in a nation bedevilled…

A new law is set to prevent any future government from sidelining the UK’s independent forecaster from assessing its economic plans like former prime minister Liz Truss did for her short-lived mini-budget.Powers will be given to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to make judgements on any major taxation or spending announcements in a bid to deliver “stability”, the Treasury said.Ms Truss’s mini-budget saw her administration shun the OBR when it announced £45bn in unfunded tax cuts in September 2022, spooking financial markets and leading to mortgage rates soaring.The new Labour government hopes preventing such a move from happening again…

Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 and is suffering mild symptoms, the White House has said.Karine Jean-Pierre, his press secretary, said the US president is vaccinated and boosted. He has had Covid twice before.Mr Biden, 81, was seen earlier on Wednesday visiting supporters in Las Vegas and speaking at an event. He has cancelled a campaign speech in the city tonight.The illness comes as he faces increasing pressure to step aside because of his age following a poor debate performance at the end of June. Ms Jean-Pierre said the president planned to isolate at his home in Delaware while…

British Medical Association (BMA) leaders have met to discuss the approach being taken to children and young people struggling with their gender identity. The union’s senior doctors debated the Cass review on Wednesday at a meeting of its council – the BMA’s top decision-making body.Ahead of the meeting, a council member questioned the way the review was carried out and called the ban on puberty blockers “terrible”. Meanwhile, the New Statesman has reported that a motion proposing the BMA “publicly disavow” the review was to be debated.The BMA described the magazine’s claim as misleading but refused to release details of…

The daughter of Dubai’s ruler appears to have announced her divorce on social media.A post from the verified Instagram account of Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said she was ending her marriage, and reads: “I hereby declare our divorce.”The BBC has reached out to officials in the country to seek clarity on the matter.There has been no public comment from Sheikha Mahra’s husband, Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum, or her father.The post, which begins “Dear Husband”, concluded – “I divorce you, I divorce you, and I divorce you,” seemingly using the Islamic…

51 minutes agoBy PA Media, News Agency • Eleanor Lawson, BBC News, West MidlandsGetty ImagesBefore its website closed down, SK:N said it had “the largest network of specialist skin care clinics in the UK”One of Britain’s largest plastic surgery providers, which had more than 70 branches across the UK, has collapsed.Customers calling SK:N Clinics’ main office number on Tuesday were told: “Unfortunately as of July 17, the SK:N Group, including SK:N Clinics, the Harley Medical Group, Skinbrands, The Skin Experts and ABC Medical has ceased trading.”The Birmingham-based company previously said it had “the largest network of specialist skin care clinics in the UK”.Founded in 1990,…

At least six people have died following a fire at a shopping centre in the city of Zigong in China’s Sichuan province, according to state media. As of Tuesday evening, a rescue effort was ongoing with 30 people reported to have been saved so far. The fire at the 14-storey building has now been extinguished. Footage broadcast by China’s state media and on social media showed thick black smoke towering above the building. Source link

Kelly Tolhurst, the first former minister to give evidence to the current phase of the Post Office scandal inquiry, has described her “embarrassment” and “utter shame” when a judge found in favour of sub-postmasters wrongly accused of theft and false accounting.Ms Tolhurst was the minister responsible for the Post Office from July 2018 to February 2020.She told the inquiry on Wednesday that the Post Office had initially reassured her about the robustness of the Horizon computer system and its chances of winning a case brought by 555 sub-postmasters five years ago.But when Mr Justice Fraser handed down the first of…