Author: Andrew Rogers

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…

An 18-year-old Brisbane teenager has faced court on Brisbane terrorism charges after police allegedly discovered extremist material, chemical substances, and data linked to violent activity during a major raid this week. The teenager, identified as Max Belter, appeared before Brisbane magistrates court on Thursday. He was arrested after a joint counter-terrorism taskforce carried out a search of his family home in The Gap, a suburb in Brisbane’s north. Investigators told the court that during Tuesday’s raid, officers seized electronic devices, chemicals, and documents that they allege point to a concerning level of extremist activity. Authorities claim Belter had videos and…

Larry Ellison overtook Elon Musk as the world’s richest person after Oracle shares surged more than 40% in early trading.Ellison’s 41% stake is now valued at $393bn, narrowly ahead of Musk’s $384bn fortune, Bloomberg reported.The jump marked Oracle’s biggest single-day increase and the largest wealth gain ever on Bloomberg’s index.The pair lead comfortably ahead of Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos in the global billionaire rankings.Ellison, 81, also holds stakes in Tesla, owns a Hawaiian island, a sailing team, and a tennis tournament.He invested $1bn in Musk’s Twitter purchase and previously sat on Tesla’s board.Musk has often described Ellison as a…

Apple will debut its slimmest iPhone on Tuesday at its Cupertino headquarters during its annual “awe-dropping” showcase.The iPhone 17 lineup will include standard, Pro, and Pro Max models, plus the new iPhone Air, the lightest flagship yet.Apple will also reveal the Apple Watch series 11 and new AirPods, possibly featuring live translation to rival Google.The company will announce launch dates for iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe during the highly anticipated event. Tariffs and AI Shape Apple’s Future Trump’s proposed tariffs threaten Apple’s supply chain, but Tim Cook has shifted production to India to reduce risks.Apple may face higher costs, but…