Author: BBC

18 hours agoBy Rumeana Jahangir, BBC News@kate_rackhamKate Rackham shared updates about her treatment on social mediaTributes have been paid after the death of a teacher who raised awareness of incurable secondary breast cancer.Kate Rackham was diagnosed with oestrogen-receptive breast cancer at the age of 39.The Manchester-based teacher, who shared updates on her life with her 17,000 followers on the X platform, helped set up the Fighting to be Heard charity to raise awareness of the condition and provide support for those with the condition.A post on the 46-year-old’s account on Thursday read: “If you’re reading this, it means I have died. But…

Pope Francis has met with more than 100 comedians from across the world, including Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock and Whoopi Goldberg, at the Vatican in Rome.The Pope said comedians have the “power to spread serenity and smiles” in a world where people are immersed in “many social and personal emergencies”. “You unite people because laughter is contagious,” he added.The entertainers were hosted in the Vatican hours before the pontiff was expected in Puglia for the G7 summit.During the audience with 107 comedians from 15 countries, the Pope praised their ability to make people smile.”You can also laugh at God, of…

39 minutes agoBy Jaroslav Lukiv, BBC News in London • Jean Mackenzie, BBC correspondent in KyivUkraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden sign bilateral security dealThe G7 has agreed to use frozen Russian assets to raise $50bn (£39bn) for Ukraine to help it fight invading Russian forces.US President Joe Biden said it was another reminder to Russia “that we’re not backing down”, but in Moscow President Vladimir Putin said the move was “theft” which would “not go unpunished”. Also at the G7 summit in Italy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Mr Biden signed a 10-year bilateral security deal between Ukraine and the US,…

The UK’s biggest retailer, Tesco, has said that confidence is beginning to return to shoppers after it reported “strong” sales growth.The supermarket reported an increase in UK sales of nearly 5% in the past three months, saying shoppers were putting more in their baskets and switching to Tesco from competitors.It saw strong sales in its premium food range, claiming consumers are opting to dine-in more.Tesco boss Ken Murphy has come under fire for his £10m pay package last year, which doubled following a bumper share award.According to the pressure group ShareAction, that is 430 times more than the average Tesco…

1 day agoBy Suzanne Bearne, Business reporterShepherd’s GrainJeremy Bunch, second right, is asking his farmers to use AI to guide their decisionsLike the bosses of many food companies, Jeremy Bunch is worried about the impact of climate change on his business.“Weather and the climate are maybe the number one risk to our company,” says the boss of US flour firm Shepherd’s Grain.Based in Idaho, the business sources wheat from farmers across the US Pacific northwest.As weather patterns become more unpredictable, Mr Bunch says: “I need to have a plan B, and plan C, in case plan A fails.”To help strengthen these plans,…

9 hours agoBy Steven McIntosh, Entertainment reporterCowlesFilmmaker Duncan Cowles says the idea of the “old-fashioned man” is still a “seductive idea” to someThe topic of male mental health has received much more prominence in the last decade – something many would argue is long overdue. But while the high rates of male suicide have put the topic firmly on the national agenda – huge numbers of men still find it difficult to be openly vulnerable and discuss their feelings. With suicide the biggest killer of men under 50 in the UK, a new film explores why many men still bottle up their…

15 minutes agoBy Yasmin Rufo, BBC NewsBBCMosley was an advocate for intermittent fasting diets, including through the 5:2 diet and The Fast 800 dietMichael Mosley has been remembered as “one of the most important broadcasters of recent decades” in a special tribute programme following his death.The final edition of his radio show Just One Thing, recorded live at the Hay Festival on 25 May, has been made available on BBC Sounds and will air on BBC Radio 4 at 11:00 BST. The recording was introduced by fellow TV doctor and presenter Chris van Tulleken, who praised the impact Mosley made and said…

With just hours to go before South Africa’s parliament meets for the first time since the governing African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority in last month’s elections, negotiations are still continuing over the formation of a new government. The ANC says it has made a “breakthrough” on forming a government of national unity but it was too early to give details.A spokesman for the main opposition Democratic Alliance, Solly Malatsi, told the BBC that the “major aspects” for a framework deal had been concluded but “we are not there yet.”One of parliament’s first duties is expected to be a…

10 hours agoBy Sam Gruet, Technology ReporterMovers+ShakersLilia Souri and AJ Pulvirent – hosts of the podcast Gen Z on Gen ZShopping habits have not been the same since the Covid pandemic and resulting lockdowns.For many, and particularly younger shoppers, it saw the lines blur between social media and e-commerce.Unable to shop in person, and with TikTok downloads soaring, a trend began that would go on to be described as a cultural phenomenon: #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt.The hashtag, where users post what they’ve bought thanks to recommendations about products on the app, has now been posted more than seven billion times.For Lilia Souri and AJ Pulvirenti…

Wells Fargo has conducted a rash of sackings in recent weeks after claims some of its employees were faking keyboard activity to fool the firm into thinking they were working. America’s third largest bank disclosed the decisions in broker filings with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra).The firm did not respond to questions about how the alleged issue was discovered, or whether it was related to remote work.New rules came into effect in the US this month that mean offices that brokers are using to work from home need to be inspected every three years. “Wells Fargo holds employees to…