It would be absurd to claim the UK has suddenly become a life-sciences leader thanks to the new pricing and tariffs pact

That’s gratitude, eh? It’s not even a fortnight since the government agreed to raise the prices the NHS pays for new medicines and here comes the boss of GSK, Britain’s second largest pharma firm, to extol the virtues of doing business in the US.

The US is “still the leading market in the world in terms of the launches of new drugs and vaccines”, said the chief executive, Emma Walmsley, in a BBC interview, explaining why GSK invests about three times as much over there as it does at home. Alongside China, the US is also “the best market in the world to do business development”.

Exclusive: Experts warn mixed messaging from Daniel Elkeles causes confusion and could undermine public faith in official guidance

• Should people wear a mask in public if they feel unwell with flu?

An NHS leader who said people with flu symptoms “must wear” a face mask in public risks causing “confusion” among the public over official guidance on how to fight the virus, health experts have warned.

The number of people in hospital with flu in England is at a record level for this time of year. At least six hospitals across the UK have told patients to stay away due to a surge in flu cases sweeping the country this week.

Cristina Dorador is on an urgent mission in the world’s driest desert, the Atacama in Chile. As the rise of drug-resistant superbugs kills millions per year, Cristina has made it her mission to uncover new, life-saving antibiotics in the stunning salt flats she has studied since she was 14. Against the magnificent backdrop of endless plains, microscopic discoveries lead her team of scientists to question how critically lithium mining is damaging the delicate ecosystem and impacting Indigenous communities