Author: Andrew Rogers

Researchers have reported strong early results for the experimental drug VIR-5500.The treatment shrank tumours in men with advanced prostate cancer. Prostate cancer remains the most common cancer in men in many countries.About 1.5 million new cases appear worldwide each year. VIR-5500 uses immunotherapy to direct the immune system against cancer.The engineered antibody links killer T-cells to tumour cells.It activates mainly inside the tumour, which limits harmful inflammation.This design may also reduce the number of required doses. Scientists tested the drug in 58 men who no longer responded to standard treatments.Most participants experienced only mild side effects. Researchers measured prostate-specific antigen…

Burger King is introducing an AI assistant in hundreds of US restaurants.The system connects to employee headsets and analyses customer interactions. The voice chatbot, called Patty, runs on OpenAI technology.It detects service phrases such as “welcome”, “please”, and “thank you”.Managers will use the data to identify overall service trends. The company says the tool supports coaching rather than surveillance.It does not score workers or enforce fixed scripts.Managers receive real-time insights to recognise strong performance. The platform also updates digital menus when items sell out.It guides staff through recipes during food preparation.The assistant can even flag bathrooms that need cleaning. The…

A new GLP-1 tablet helped people with type 2 diabetes lose more weight than oral semaglutide.Patients lost up to 8% of their body weight during the one-year study. Eli Lilly developed the drug orforglipron.It lowers blood sugar, slows digestion, and reduces appetite.Patients can take it without fasting. More than 1,500 adults joined the global phase 3 trial.Orforglipron also reduced average blood sugar more strongly than semaglutide. However, more participants stopped treatment because of stomach-related side effects. Experts see major potential for simple, low-cost tablet therapies.They stress the need for longer studies on safety and heart health. Researchers expect powerful weight-loss…

Aston Martin will cut up to 20% of its workforce in a bid to save about £40m. The move could affect around 500 employees. The luxury carmaker confirmed the plan after reporting deeper pre-tax losses for 2025. Losses rose to £363.9m from £289.1m the previous year. The company had already reduced 170 roles at the start of 2024. The group said it must restructure to match future needs. Chief executive Adrian Hallmark called the job cuts an important step toward a leaner business. He added that the measure alone will not solve all efficiency problems. Weak demand and higher US…

Unlicensed gambling companies could lose the right to sponsor Premier League clubs under new government plans. Ministers have opened a consultation after a series of controversies and regulatory concerns. Several top-flight teams, including Everton, Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers, currently display brands linked to online casinos or bookmakers without a British licence. Clubs have already agreed to remove all gambling sponsors from the front of shirts after this season. The voluntary ban will not cover sleeves or other commercial partnerships. This gap allows overseas operators to keep using Premier League exposure if they avoid British customers. The government now wants to…

The UK has suspended a clinical trial on puberty blockers after the medicines regulator raised safety concerns. The agency warned about unknown long-term biological risks and called for a minimum age of 14. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will meet King’s College London next week. They will review participant wellbeing and the study design. The Pathways trial will not recruit children until they resolve these issues. The study followed the Cass review on gender care for young people. The review found weak evidence for the benefits of puberty blockers. Dr Hilary Cass said a controlled trial was necessary…

The USA Hockey Olympic Gold story captured global attention as Team USA defeated Canada 2‑1 in overtime to claim the men’s ice hockey gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The victory ended a 46‑year wait for a gold medal in men’s Olympic hockey, marking a historic moment for American sports fans. The dramatic final took place in Milan‑Cortina, Italy, during the closing day of the Winter Games. The match remained tightly contested throughout, with both teams scoring once in regulation. The intense 3‑on‑3 overtime period ultimately decided the gold medal. Jack Hughes scored the game‑winning goal just 1 minute…

China has overtaken the United States as Germany’s top trading partner, with total trade reaching €251bn in 2025.The figure rose by 2.2% from the previous year. Germany imported €170.6bn worth of goods from China and exported €81.3bn in return.Trade with the US fell to €240bn, partly influenced by tariffs. Friedrich Merz will travel to Beijing for his first official visit as chancellor.He is scheduled to meet Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang for talks on trade, Ukraine and human rights. Germany’s car industry remains deeply tied to China.Companies such as Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz rely heavily on the Chinese market…

OpenAI has revealed it considered alerting Canadian police about an account later linked to a deadly school shooting.The company flagged the profile in June last year for “furtherance of violent activities”. At the time, OpenAI decided the activity did not meet its threshold for law-enforcement referral.That standard requires a credible and imminent risk of serious physical harm.The firm said it found no evidence of an immediate attack being planned. Months later, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar carried out a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.Eight people were killed before the attacker died from a self-inflicted gunshot.Victims included a teaching assistant…

Amazon’s cloud division reportedly suffered outages last year involving its own AI systems.One disruption in December lasted 13 hours after an AI agent deleted and rebuilt part of its environment.Another earlier incident affected a limited customer service. AWS said the problems were caused by user misconfiguration, not by artificial intelligence itself.The company added that the impact was small and core services were not disrupted. The reports come as Andy Jassy pushes efficiency gains from AI while cutting jobs.Amazon announced 16,000 layoffs in January after 14,000 reductions last year.The chief executive said the cuts reflect culture and strategy rather than direct…