Author: Andrew Rogers

The US and China have reached a final agreement on the sale of TikTok’s US operations, treasury secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on Sunday. Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, Bessent said the deal was completed in Madrid and will be formally approved when Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meet later this week in South Korea. The $14 billion agreement gives US and international investors about 65% ownership, with ByteDance and Chinese investors keeping less than 20%. Oversight of TikTok’s algorithm will pass to the new owners. Bessent described the deal as part of a broader US–China trade framework to be…

The Co-op has instructed staff to increase the visibility and promotion of vape products in its stores as part of a recovery plan following a major cyber-attack that severely affected sales earlier this year. An internal document titled “Powering Up: Focus Sprint: Cigs, Tobacco and Vape”, seen by The Guardian, reveals that the retailer is rolling out new vape displays, additional advertising, and expanding its range of vape and nicotine pouch products across its more than 2,000 UK grocery stores. According to the report, the Co-op estimates it is losing around £1m in weekly sales and has seen 100,000 fewer…

Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping the U.S. economy, driving growth and innovation across multiple sectors. Companies like Walmart are partnering with AI leaders to integrate advanced technologies into daily operations and consumer services. Walmart’s collaboration with OpenAI allows customers to make AI-driven purchases, streamlining the shopping experience and boosting efficiency. Analysts say such AI adoption is a key factor behind the current economic expansion in the country. Beyond retail, AI is transforming industries including finance, healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing. Businesses are using AI tools to optimize processes, reduce costs, and enhance decision-making. This technology is also helping companies respond faster…

Experts have called for cigarette-style cancer warnings on bacon and ham sold in the UK, warning that chemicals used in processed meats pose a proven risk of bowel cancer. The demand comes a decade after the World Health Organization (WHO) classified processed meat as carcinogenic to humans, placing it in the same risk category as tobacco and asbestos. Scientists say that since then, British governments have done “virtually nothing” to curb the use of nitrites, preservatives that give cured meats their pink colour and longer shelf life. Researchers estimate that 54,000 Britons have developed bowel cancer in the past decade…

The weight-loss drug semaglutide—best known as the active ingredient in Wegovy—reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death, even when patients lose little or no weight, according to the largest study of its kind published in The Lancet. The international SELECT trial, led by researchers at University College London, followed 17,604 adults aged 45 and over who were overweight or obese across 41 countries. Participants received either weekly semaglutide injections or a placebo. The drug was found to lower the risk of major heart events by 20%, regardless of the amount of weight lost. However, reductions in waist…

A large study led by researchers at King’s College London and the University of Oxford has found that different antidepressants can cause significantly different physical side-effects, including variations in weight gain, heart rate, and blood pressure. The review analysed data from 151 clinical trials involving more than 58,000 people, comparing 30 antidepressants over an average of eight weeks. The results showed that some drugs could cause as much as 2kg (4.5lbs) of weight gain, while others were linked to equivalent weight loss. For example, patients on maprotiline gained around 2kg on average, while those taking agomelatine lost up to 2.5kg.…

Pizza Hut has announced the closure of 68 restaurants across the UK after the company running its dine-in venues, DC London Pie, entered administration. The affected branches stretch nationwide, from Finchley Lido in London to Carlisle and Rhyl, while 11 delivery-only sites will also shut down. The closures put around 1,210 jobs at risk. Corporate finance firm FTI Consulting was appointed as administrator on Monday. In a pre-pack administration deal, Pizza Hut’s US parent company, Yum! Brands — which also owns KFC and Taco Bell — acquired the remaining UK restaurant operations, saving 64 restaurants and 1,276 jobs. FTI joint…

Millions of young people could miss out on effective treatments because so few take part in medical research, new data shows. In England, 18- to 24-year-olds make up 8% of the population but only 4.4% of medical trial participants, according to analysis of National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) data. Experts warn this underrepresentation means new therapies may be unsafe or unsuitable for younger people. “Young adults face unique health challenges, but treatments are often designed around older patients,” said Kirsty Blenkins of the Association for Young People’s Health. “That can lead to poorer outcomes and reduced trust…

A new “smart” injection has shown remarkable results in shrinking head and neck cancer tumours within six weeks, offering fresh hope for patients with few remaining treatment options. The drug, amivantamab, demonstrated strong early results in patients whose cancers had returned or spread after both chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Findings from the Orig-AMI 4 trial, presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology conference in Berlin, revealed that 76% of participants saw their tumours shrink or stop growing. “This could represent a real shift in how we treat head and neck cancer – not just in terms of effectiveness, but also…

Paramount Skydance will begin major layoffs in the US the week of 27 October, cutting about 2,000 positions as part of a $2bn cost-reduction plan under new CEO David Ellison, Variety reported. The cuts come just months after Skydance Media’s $8.4bn merger with Paramount Global, which was finalized in August. Additional international layoffs are also expected, with more details set to be announced in the company’s third-quarter earnings report on 10 November. Earlier reports suggested Paramount planned to eliminate between 2,000 and 3,000 jobs by early November. As of December 2024, the company employed nearly 18,600 full- and part-time workers,…