Author: BBC

Annabelle LiangBusiness reporterGetty ImagesTo leave or not to leave? China, home to more than a billion consumers, is Apple’s second-largest market Every iPhone comes with a label which tells you it was designed in California.While the sleek rectangle that runs many of our lives is indeed designed in the United States, it is likely to have come to life thousands of miles away in China: the country hit hardest by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, now rising to 245% on some Chinese imports.Apple sells more than 220 million iPhones a year and by most estimates, nine in 10 are made…

Annabel RackhamCulture reporterJames WelshJames Welsh, 36, is a YouTuber with thousands of views on his Labubu unboxing videosJames’ reaction as he unboxes a rare, limited edition Labubu toy can only be described as pure, unadulterated joy.The YouTuber delightedly holds up a brown plush monster, which has been described by collectors as “cute”, “ugly”, “creepy” and everything in between.Labubus are furry snaggletoothed gremlins, which are designed by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung and sold by Chinese toy company Pop Mart.They’re almost always sold out online and long queues often form outside the selected shops that stock them. Labubus are also primarily…

RNIBAs well as an influencer, author, broadcaster and RNIB ambassador, Lucy Edwards is hoping to become a mum Blind content creator and TikTok star Lucy Edwards says she’s “so excited” to be on a health kick to undergo IVF for gene editing purposes, but reveals the dilemma she faced in deciding to screen out the very gene that made her blind.”I’m so broody,” the 29-year-old tells the BBC Access All podcast.Lucy and her husband Ollie married at Kew Gardens two years ago and are now ready to start a family – but there are complications to consider.Lucy has the rare…

DHL Express is suspending deliveries to the US worth more than $800 (£603) because of a “significant increase” in red tape at customs following the intruduction of Donald Trump’s new tariff regime. The delivery giant said it will temporarily stop shipments from companies in all countries to American consumers on Monday “until further notice”.It added that business-to-business shipments will still go ahead, “though they may also face delays”.Previously, packages worth up to $2,500 could enter the US with minimal paperwork but due to tighter customs checks that came into force alongside Trump’s tariffs earlier this month, the threshold has been…

Richard Irvine-Brown & Liv McMahonBBC NewsWicked JoyfulThese action figures may look like they were made by machine in a factory – but really they were hand-madeArtists and creatives are pushing back against a recent trend using artificial intelligence (AI) to generate “starter pack” images of people as toys – which they say may be in danger of risking their livelihoods.Since the start of April, thousands of people have uploaded their photos to generate images of themselves as dolls, despite warnings of damaging the environment, giving away personal information, and devaluing creativity.Nick Lavallee, who has made custom action figures for six…

Abigail TaylorBBC News NIGetty ImagesClodagh Rodgers came fourth in EurovisionClodagh Rodgers, who represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971, has died at the age of 78.Rodgers, from Warrenpoint, County Down, came fourth with the song Jack In The Box.She was chosen to represent the UK at the contest being held in Dublin, during the Troubles.Her son, Sam Sorbie, shared her death on social media “after battling an illness for the last three years”.”Mum has lived an incredible life, full of love and happiness,” Mr Sorbie said.”Her fantastic career performing, travelling the world, devoting her life to…

Members of the World Health Organization (WHO) have agreed the text of a legally binding treaty designed to better tackle future pandemics.The pact is meant to avoid the disorganisation and competition for resources seen during the Covid-19 outbreak.Key elements include the rapid sharing of data about new diseases, to ensure scientists and pharmaceutical companies can work more quickly to develop treatments and vaccines.For the first time, the WHO itself will also have an overview of global supply chains for masks, medical gowns and other personal protective equipment (PPE).WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the deal as “a significant…

Michael RaceEconomics reporter, BBC NewsGetty ImagesStock markets around the world have been relatively settled this week after a period of chaos, sparked by US trade tariffs.But investors are still closely watching a part of the market which rarely moves dramatically – the US bond market.Governments sell bonds – essentially an IOU – to raise money for public spending and in return they pay interest.Recently, in an extremely rare move the rate the US government had to pay on its bonds rose sharply, while the price of bonds themselves fell.The volatility suggests investors were losing confidence in the world’s biggest economy.You…

Emma Lynch/BBC”Be mindful about what you’re sharing, because once it’s online, it’s online forever,” says Lilly Sabri.The fitness influencer, who has six million followers on YouTube, has urged fans to heed her words as she plans to return to Instagram after a long absence.Two years ago she was living her dream, running two successful businesses helped by her explosion in popularity during the Covid lockdowns.But the physiotherapist went silent on Instagram in 2023 when a popular gossip podcast shared a story about a man who had allegedly cheated on his well-known fiancée – with enough clues to suggest the man…

Ryan Gosling is to star in a new Star Wars film, which is set to be released in two years’ time.The new Disney project is titled Star Wars: Starfighter, and will be directed by Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy.”The reality is that this script is just so good. It has such a great story with great and original characters,” said Barbie actor Gosling at a Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo.”It’s filled with so much heart and adventure, and there just really is not a more perfect filmmaker for this particular story than Shawn.”Gosling’s lifelong passion for the franchise was…