Author: BBC

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…

Jim ReedBBC NewsReporting fromSupreme Court, LondonPamela TickellBBC News, North East and CumbriaPA MediaOther families who are involved in similar high-profile legal battles were also at courtDoctors in two end-of-life cases can be named, the Supreme Court has ruled, after the parents of two children said they wanted to “tell their story”.Isaiah Haastrup, aged 12 months, and six-year-old Zainab Abbasi were at the centre of life support treatment disputes at the High Court in London before their deaths in 2018 and 2019 respectively.During the proceedings, court orders were put in place barring doctors involved in the children’s care from being publicly…

The Trump administration has unveiled its plan to impose port fees on Chinese ships as it tries to revive shipbuilding in the US and challenge China’s dominance of the industry.The US Trade Representative’s (USTR) announcement is less severe than a plan floated in February to hit Chinese vessels with charges of up to $1.5m (£1.1m) for each American port they visit.It said the fees would start to be charged in 180 days time and would rise in the coming years.There have been concerns that the measures would further disrupt global trade amid US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. “China has…

Getty ImagesWith the meteoric rise of Nvidia, chief executive Jensen Huang has been nicknamed a tech “rock star” and the ‘Taylor Swift of tech’Computer chip giant Nvidia has once again found itself at the centre of US-China tensions over trade and technology.On Thursday Nvidia’s chief executive Jensen Huang flew to Beijing to meet senior Chinese officials, just after the US imposed new export controls on its chips.The California-based company will require licenses to export its H20 AI chip to China, a move which the US Commerce Department said was designed to safeguard “national and economic security”. Nvidia said federal officials…

Laura DevlinBBC News, SuffolkStuart BuckellThe poster design reflects Roy Hudd’s career and love of the theatre and music hall The widow of entertainer Roy Hudd has praised the “fantastic” theatre poster-style headstone placed at his grave.The comic and actor, who lived near Stowmarket in Suffolk, had a career spanning more than 60 years, including his long-running BBC Radio 2 show The News Huddlines.Debbie Hudd said she had been mulling over a fitting tribute since his death in March 2020, aged 83, and was “bowled over” by stonemason Stuart Buckle’s design.”I had to get it right for Roy and I wanted…

A scheme to help GPs provide care and advice to patients without them joining long NHS hospital waiting lists is being expanded in England, the government has said.GPs will work more closely with specialists to access expert advice quickly for patients with conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, menopause symptoms and ear infections.Backed by £80m of funding, its ambition is to help two million people receive faster and more convenient care in their local community by the end of 2025/26.Health Minister Karin Smyth said the scheme would “save time and stop masses of people having to head to hospital for…

Tom EspinerBusiness reporter, BBC NewsGetty ImagesThe UK government has brought in a temporary ban on holidaymakers bringing in cheese and meat products from the EU in a bid to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD).Travellers have not been allowed to bring back items such as cured meat and cheese, including in sandwiches, since Saturday due to the growing outbreak on the continent.The restrictions apply regardless of whether the goods are packed or packaged, or bought from duty free.It follows an earlier ban of similar products from Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria after rising cases of the cattle…