Author: BBC

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine sceptic, has removed all 17 members of a committee that issues official government recommendations on immunisations.Announcing the move in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Kennedy said that conflicts of interest on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Acip) were responsible for undermining trust in vaccinations.Kennedy said he wanted to “ensure the American people receive the safest vaccines possible.”Doctors and health experts have criticised Kennedy’s longstanding questioning of the safety and efficacy of a number of vaccines, although in his Senate confirmation hearing he said he is “not going to…

Music superstars J Balvin, Doja Cat and Tems will perform a half-time show at the Club World Cup final in New Jersey next month, as football follows the example of the Super Bowl.Colombian singer Balvin, US rapper Doja Cat and Nigerian star Tems will cram their performances into the 15-minute half-time break.The line-up has been curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and the event will hope to emulate the success of the long-running Super Bowl half-time show, which has featured stars including Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna and The Weeknd in recent years.Teams including Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Paris St-Germain will…

A new round of talks aimed at resolving the trade war between the US and China is set take place in London on Monday.A senior US delegation including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will meet with Chinese representatives such as Vice Premier He Lifeng to resolve tensions between the world’s two largest economies, which is threatening global growth. Chinese exports of rare earths, which are crucial for modern technology, as well as Beijing’s access to US products, including computer chips, are expected to be high on the agenda. Last month, Washington and Beijing agreed a temporary truce over trade tariffs but…

Getty ImagesPlans being discussed by ministers include limiting the time children can spend on social media appsThe government is considering introducing tougher online safety measures to limit the amount of time children can spend on social media, the BBC understands.Proposals include a two-hour cap on the use of individual social media apps and a 22:00 curfew, as first reported by the Sunday People and the Mirror.Appearing on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said he was looking at the “addictive nature of some of the apps and smartphones”, when asked whether time limits would be…

The NHS has warned that it continues to face a “challenging” blood shortage, as it calls for 200,000 new donors to come forward.Concern over blood stocks prompted the health service to issue an “amber alert” last year, meaning supplies were running low enough to have an impact on patient treatment.Supplies have remained low ever since, with officials warning there is a “critical” need for more donors who have O negative blood, which can be given to the majority of patients.NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), the body that oversees England’s blood donation system, said the number of regular donors needs to…

This weekend, music fans have been soaking up the sun and the beats at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, one of Europe’s biggest festivals.Headlining the festival were three mega stars: Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter, also known as the “Powerpuff Girls” of pop.The stellar line-up also included Haim, Wolf Alice, Jamie xx and CMAT.If you weren’t lucky enough to get tickets, here’s a flavour of what the weekend looked like…Primavera SoundIt’s the Apple dance we never knew we needed. Chappell Roan was brought on as a surprise guest during Charli XCX’s set, and crowds erupted as she performed the…

Marc AshdownBusiness correspondentGetty ImagesAreas like Newport in Wales, home to the UK’s biggest semiconductor manufacturing facility, will be allowed to decide how investment is targeted in their communities.An £86bn package for the science and technology sector will help fund research into drug treatments and longer-lasting batteries, the government has said ahead of Wednesday’s Spending Review.The package also includes up to £500m for regions across the UK with local leaders having a say on how it is spent, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said.Chancellor Rachel Reeves, whose review will outline day-to-day departmental and investment budgets over the next…

Ione Wells visits the Rubin Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert.

Dawn French has taken down a video she posted on Instagram about the war in Gaza, saying she apologised “unreservedly” for it.The video sparked a backlash, with critics accusing the actress and comedian of appearing to “mock” the 7 October 2023 attack.On Saturday, French acknowledged on Instagram that the video “appeared one-sided”, and said she never meant to “mock, or dismiss, or diminish the horror” of that day.”I hope you will understand my intention was not to offend, but I clearly have. For which I am sorry and I have removed the video,” she added.In the 40-second video, posted earlier…

When Amanda and Nick learnt their son had a life-limiting condition, they had no-one in the same situation to turn to. Jack is only 11 months old but is one of only 16 children in the world with a genetic condition that is so rare it doesn’t have a name. “We are going to outlive our child, and knowing that his brothers and his sister may one day have to say goodbye to him… I can’t even begin to explain how difficult that is to process each day,” said Amanda. But the mum said finding a woman in Georgia, USA,…