Flu

• TIME Magazine published its 2026 TIME100 Companies list highlighting top entertainment firms on April 28. • Apple leads for prioritizing streaming quality over quantity in its services. • Other notables include Beast Industries for building an empire from viral antics and Neon for championing foreign films.

Iran's foreign minister arrived in Russia on Monday, after a whirlwind weekend of diplomacy, seeking to gain political leverage and foreign backing as peace talks with the U.S. remain on hold.(Image credit: Dmitry Lovetsky)

Musician Chris Martin, tennis star Iga Świątek and footballer Robert Lewandowski join Piotr Garkowski in epic fundraiserA Polish social media influencer has raised more than £50m after a nine-day, non-stop online stream during which he was joined by a parade of celebrity guests to help a charity supporting children battling cancer.Streaming from a studio flat in right-bank Warsaw, social media influencer Piotr Garkowski, 23, nicknamed Łatwogang, listened to a charity song dedicated to children battling cancer on loop for nine days straight, filling time with entertaining dares and celebrity appearances. Continue reading...

Car bomb kills Sadio Camara at home during coordinated assaults by rebel groups including West African al-Qaida affiliateMali’s defence minister was killed in an attack on his residence, the government said on Sunday, a high-profile fatality during coordinated assaults staged the previous day by insurgents including the West African affiliate of al-Qaida.A car laden with explosives driven by a suicide attacker drove into Sadio Camara’s residence in the town of Kati, the spokesperson, Issa Ousmane Coulibaly, said in a statement read out on state television. A firefight ensued, and Camara sustained injuries from which he later died in a hospital, Coulibaly said, adding that Mali would observe two days of mourning. Continue reading...

Klaudia Zakrzewska, 32, was hit at about 4.30am six days ago in Soho in incident that left 58-year-man with life-changing injuriesA social media influencer has died six days after a car hit her and other pedestrians outside a nightclub in London, police said.Klaudia Zakrzewska, 32, was injured in Argyll Street, Soho, at about 4.30am on 19 April and was pronounced dead on Saturday. Continue reading...

• The CDC reported six more US children died from influenza last week, bringing the season's pediatric flu deaths to 149 as respiratory virus activity slows nationwide. • About 85% of deceased children with known vaccination status were unvaccinated, with flu positivity in labs dropping to 4.7% and hospitalizations falling to 1.3 per 100,000 people. • Influenza B now predominates after surpassing A viruses, with high wastewater levels of RSV, influenza B, rotavirus, and norovirus signaling ongoing risks.

Health secretary says ‘I had nothing to do with the measles outbreak’ and claims to support measles and MMR vaccinesHealth secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr faced intense questioning from several US senators on Wednesday during a hearing largely focused on how the administration has responded to the measles outbreak and the spread of vaccine misinformation.In his opening remarks to the Senate finance committee, the senator Ron Wyden criticized Kennedy’s messaging on vaccines, saying: “When it comes to vaccines, Robert Kennedy has used this once-in-a-lifetime platform to make parents doubt themselves and doubt their doctors,” before adding: “The secretary has ducked, bobbed and weaved without taking the responsibility of saying what needs to be said: vaccines save lives in America.” Continue reading...

Experts say regulation of child influencers sits in a legal grey area as children promote products on social media#ToddlerSkincare: the ‘dark and exploitative’ world of children’s beauty videos on TikTokIn a TikTok video a young girl – her age anywhere between 10 and 15 – sits unboxing package after package of products she says were sent to her by skincare brands. She calls it a “PR haul”.In another video, a 16-year-old opens a box of products she received from a well known brand. She says: “I know I have younger people watching,” before reading out a note from the brand that says: “Can’t wait for you to share your thoughts.” Continue reading...

State attorney general said inquiry will look into whether AI tool offered ‘significant advice’ to campus shooting suspectSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxFlorida’s top prosecutor is to launch a criminal investigation into how the tech company OpenAI and its software tool ChatGPT may influence users’ threats of harm to themselves or others, including whether it “offered significant advice” to a gunman accused of conducting a mass shooting in the state last year.State attorney general James Uthmeier said at a news conference on Tuesday that his office is expanding an examination of OpenAI, saying a “criminal investigation is necessary” and the state had issued subpoenas to the $852bn California-based tech firm. Continue reading...

Defense secretary Pete Hegseth makes announcement and calls military’s flu vaccine mandate ‘broad’ and ‘not rational’Members of the armed services will no longer be required to have an annual flu vaccination shot under a new policy announced Tuesday by Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary.In a video statement posted to social media, Hegseth described the mandate as “overly broad” and “not rational” and the decision to drop the vaccine requirement as “seizing this moment to discard any absurd overreaching mandates that only weaken our war fighting capabilities”. Continue reading...

Mara Flavia Souza Araujo drowns early on SaturdayRescue crews locate body after athlete vanishedA Brazilian fitness influencer has died after getting into difficulty during the swimming portion of an ironman event in Texas.Mara Flavia Souza Araujo was reported as a “lost swimmer” around 7.30am at the Ironman Texas in Lake Woodlands near Houston on Saturday. According to KPRC 2 News, safety crews could not immediately locate Araujo. The 38-year-old’s body was discovered around 90 minutes later in 10ft of water by divers. She was pronounced dead on the scene. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Home secretary understood to have withdrawn authorisation for speaker at Unite the Kingdom rally in MayA US-based anti-Islam influencer who had been authorised to attend a far-right rally in London has been blocked from entering the UK by the home secretary.Valentina Gomez, a self-styled Maga influencer, was given permission last week to enter via a UK electronic travel authorisation (ETA). Continue reading...

70 Up to conclude long-running show following group of children into adulthood, revisiting them every seven yearsAsif Kapadia will bring the long-running and influential ITV documentary series Up to an end, with a concluding instalment that will air later this year.The series, which began in 1964, was voted the most influential UK TV show of the last 50 years in 2024, followed a group of children from infancy via their teen years to adulthood, and now revisits them as they approach old age. Continue reading...

Patchy employment records, bankruptcies and allegations of wrongdoing blemish the records of several new recruitsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxRapid recruitment and expansion by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has led to an influx of employees with questionable qualifications, an investigation has found.The track records of some of the new recruits amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda stand out – and not in a good way. Continue reading...

Lifestyle influencer died while on vacation with boyfriend, who local officials say has since had his passport ‘withheld’Ashly Robinson, a US lifestyle influencer, died last week while on vacation in the Tanzanian islands of Zanzibar with her boyfriend, Joe McCann. Robinson’s death on 9 April, just days after her birthday and a marriage proposal from McCann, has sparked suspicion on social media, with users doubtful of the current narrative surrounding her passing.No arrests have been made, and police previously said that McCann was not suspected of wrongdoing. But officials in Zanzibar released a statement on 14 April saying that McCann’s passport has been “withheld”. Continue reading...

• NBC News reports a major study shows fluoride in U.S. drinking water has no impact on children's IQ or brain function, countering prior concerns. • The research, involving large-scale data analysis, confirms safety levels set by U.S. regulations pose no neurodevelopmental risks. • Findings matter as they support ongoing public fluoridation policies amid debates, potentially easing community health disputes.

• A Fred Hutch Cancer Center graduate student presented over 25,000 measurements of influenza-fighting antibodies to WHO scientists via videoconference last fall. • The dataset, published in Virus Evolution, offers near real-time tracking of human immune responses to current flu strains, improving seasonal vaccine composition. • This method addresses gaps in traditional surveillance, potentially enhancing vaccine effectiveness against evolving viruses.

• Influenza cases are peaking for a second time this season, with at least 41 states reporting high or very high flu activity. • This surge coincides with ongoing respiratory illness pressures documented by health authorities. • Increased hospitalizations strain healthcare systems, particularly affecting unvaccinated children and adults.

‘Predatory industry’ adept at pivoting quickly to target new mediums and markets, says independent senator David Pocock Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor’s plan for a partial ban on gambling advertising is ripe for exploitation, say experts and crossbench MPs, including David Pocock, warning rules applying to podcasters, social media platforms and influencers need to be tightened.But industry sources say podcast companies including Apple could consider removing all wagering advertising if there were no simple mechanism to work within the rules. Continue reading...

Panel’s decision a blow to progressives who are unhappy with group’s involvement in Democratic contestsUS politics – live updatesSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxWhen it comes to addressing how the party should deal with Israel, the Democratic establishment went to their favorite answer: no thanks.The Democratic National Committee’s resolutions committee voted on Thursday to kill a measure targeting the pro-Israel lobby group Aipac and deferred two further resolutions on Middle East policy to a working group that critics say exists mainly to avoid difficult decisions. Continue reading...

NSW follows Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia in offering free treatments for kids four and under, saving up to $70Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHundreds of thousands of children will be able to access a painless, needle-free flu vaccination for free as governments attempt to curb falling vaccine rates.New South Wales has become the latest state to offer a nasal spray flu vaccine to children for free, following Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. Continue reading...

• US stock indexes showed mixed performance on Monday morning with S&P 500 up 0.1%, Dow down 0.1% or 46 points, and Nasdaq up 0.3% amid ceasefire mediation efforts. • President Trump threatened to bomb Iranian power plants and bridges by Tuesday if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, stating 'you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH!' on social media. • Gasoline prices hit $4.12 per gallon nationally, up from below $3 before late February US-Israel attacks, pressuring the economy despite strong March jobs data.

• President Trump's hold on the Republican Party faces its first major test in 2026 with upcoming primaries and special elections in Indiana, Georgia, Louisiana, and Kentucky. • In North Georgia's special election runoff on April 7, Trump-backed Clayton Fuller competes against Democrat Shawn Harris in a district Trump won by nearly 70% in 2024, where a narrow win could signal waning GOP enthusiasm. • Efforts to unseat Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a vocal Trump critic, intensify with funding from Chris LaCivita's groups and the Republican Jewish Coalition targeting his Northern Kentucky district.

‘Looksmaxxer’ influencer and his girlfriend are suspected of involvement in attack on 19-year-old woman, officials saySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe social media influencer known as Clavicular has been arrested in Florida on battery charges.Braden Eric Peters, who maintains a controversial online presence among “manosphere” circles as a so-called “looksmaxxer”, was taken into custody on a warrant issued by the Osceola county sheriff’s office, according to local jail records and media reports. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Group says measures to curb harmful content will also help to tackle violence against women and girlsMen and boys need as much protection as women and girls from harmful influencers and “the worst parts of the internet”, a group of MPs have told Ofcom, as they called for the regulator to give specific guidance to online platforms.More than 60 Labour MPs have written to the Ofcom chief executive, Melanie Dawes, urging her to protect men and boys from “manosphere” influencers, who expose them to gambling, sextortion and violent pornography. Continue reading...

Workers are ‘in the middle of chaos from political games’ as Senate Republicans try to negotiate with Democrats to reopen DHSSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxWorkers with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are reeling from the White House’s deployment of immigration law enforcement into airports as TSA workers enter their sixth week without pay as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown continues.Over 400 TSA workers have quit since the shutdown began in February, with major US airports reporting high call-out rates among workers, leading to longer security wait times. On Sunday, over, 3,450 TSA officers called out of work, with as many as 40% of officers at some airports calling out that day, according to DHS data. Continue reading...

Critics say £15 toy designed for children aged two and over risks exposing them to ‘a very adult, performative world’Argos has ignited a debate among parents and child development campaigners after promoting a wooden “influencer kit” aimed at toddlers.Critics have warned that the play set could normalise the precarious world of digital labour and prematurely expose children to the pressures of online visibility. Continue reading...

Watchdog also fines PhotobookShop for editing a paid review from an influencer who had described process as ‘fiddly’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn online photobook retailer has been fined nearly $40,000 for asking social media influencers to not disclose they had been paid to post a review on Instagram.It marks the first time a penalty has been handed down to an Australian business for an influencer not disclosing paid post. Continue reading...