Author: Andrew Rogers

Massive Attack have removed their catalogue from Spotify in protest at founder Daniel Ek’s €600m (£520m) investment in military AI company Helsing. The band cited a “moral and ethical burden” placed on artists, arguing that revenue from their work ultimately funds lethal technologies. Helsing develops AI software to analyse battlefield data and operates military drones. Ek’s venture capital firm, Prima Materia, led the company’s latest funding round, and Ek serves as chairman. Spotify said Helsing is a separate company and its technology is only deployed in Europe for defence against Russian aggression in Ukraine. Massive Attack’s action coincides with the…

Donald Trump announced on Friday that Chinese president Xi Jinping had agreed to approve a deal over TikTok, though no specifics of the agreement or signing timeline were disclosed. The announcement followed a phone call between the two leaders, their first direct contact since June, amid heightened tensions over trade and technology. Trump said earlier this week that Washington and Beijing had reached a deal to place TikTok’s US operations under American control, with Oracle among the investors in talks to take a significant stake. Reports suggest the framework is still incomplete, and negotiations continue over compliance with laws passed…

A major Swedish trial has found that a daily low dose of aspirin can cut the risk of colorectal cancer returning by more than half in patients with specific genetic mutations. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute tested more than 3,500 patients who had undergone tumour removal, with 1,103 found to carry mutations in the PI3K pathway. Those who took 160mg of aspirin daily for three years were 55% less likely to see their cancer return compared with patients on a placebo. Prof Anna Martling, who led the Alascca trial, said the results could change clinical practice, stressing the importance of…

A new trial suggests that a daily pill could help people lose up to a fifth of their body weight, offering a more convenient alternative to injections. The drug, called orforglipron and developed by Eli Lilly, targets GLP-1 receptors in the same way as jabs such as Mounjaro and Wegovy. In a 72-week study involving more than 3,000 adults with obesity but no diabetes, one in five participants taking the highest dose lost at least 20% of their body weight. On average, those on the top dose shed about 11%. Patients also saw improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol, and waist…

Sky has placed 900 UK roles at risk as it adapts to the streaming era, with about 600 jobs expected to go and 300 redeployed. The cuts will mainly affect technology, product, and corporate teams, as the Comcast-owned broadcaster shifts from traditional satellite pay-TV toward internet-based services. Sky has shed nearly 3,500 roles since early 2023, bringing its UK workforce back to around 23,000, the same level as when Comcast bought the company in 2018 for £31bn. Over 90% of new subscriptions now come through products such as Sky Glass and Sky Stream. The company said it is focusing on…

US and Chinese officials have reached a framework agreement to transfer TikTok to US-controlled ownership, resolving a long-running dispute. US trade representative Jamieson Greer confirmed the deal after talks in Madrid, while Chinese negotiator Li Chenggang said both sides agreed on a basic framework. The agreement follows years of national security concerns in Washington over TikTok’s Chinese parent ByteDance. Legislation signed by Joe Biden in 2024 required ByteDance to sell TikTok within nine months or face a ban, with Donald Trump repeatedly extending the deadline. Previous acquisition attempts by Microsoft, Walmart, and Oracle collapsed, though Oracle has remained TikTok’s US…

Former members of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee (MPC) have urged governor Andrew Bailey to scale back or halt the central bank’s bond-selling programme, warning it is worsening pressure on government borrowing costs. Britain’s long-term borrowing costs are at their highest in 27 years, adding strain on chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of the autumn budget on 26 November. While global factors such as Donald Trump’s trade war have been blamed, the Bank acknowledged its £100bn quantitative tightening (QT) plan is also pushing up yields. The Bank is expected to hold its base rate at 4% this week but…

Fitch Ratings has cut France’s credit rating from AA- to A+, warning that persistent political instability and rising debt are undermining the country’s fiscal outlook. The downgrade adds pressure on President Emmanuel Macron and newly appointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, who faces the challenge of steering a fractured parliament toward fiscal reform. The US agency cited the collapse of successive governments since the 2024 snap elections and the failure of outgoing PM François Bayrou’s austerity-driven budget as key reasons for the downgrade. Fitch forecasts France’s debt will climb from 113.2% of GDP in 2024 to 121% by 2027, with little…

AstraZeneca has halted a £200m expansion at its Cambridge research site, stalling the entire £650m UK investment package.The project was expected to create 1,000 jobs, but the company confirmed the expansion is now paused without further comment.Earlier this year, AstraZeneca scrapped a £450m plan for its vaccine facility in Merseyside, citing reduced government support.While pausing UK investments, the drugmaker pledged $50bn in the US by 2030, including new facilities and lab expansions.The move follows other setbacks: Merck canceled a £1bn London research centre, cutting 125 jobs, and Eli Lilly froze a £279m project.Sanofi also warned it would halt major UK…

The European Central Bank left its key deposit rate unchanged at 2%, as expected by analysts.The rate, last cut in June 2024, remains at its lowest level in more than two years.The ECB also kept refinancing and lending facility rates steady at 2.15% and 2.40%.President Christine Lagarde said inflation projections show stability near the 2% target in the medium term.Eurozone prices rose 2.1% in August, following 2% in June and July.Despite stable inflation, the bloc faces political turmoil in France and weak global demand.The EU-US trade agreement eased risks, but growth prospects remain modest.Oxford Economics forecasts 0.8% eurozone growth in…