Author: Justin M. Larson

Brain cancer patients will not be able to use a new drug that slows or stops tumour growth after it was rejected for NHS use.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has turned down vorasidenib because of uncertainty in the economic data and a lack of clarity over whether the drug improves overall survival chances, according to draft guidance it has published.Vorasidenib is for people aged 12 or over who have had surgery for types of low-grade glioma with either the IDH1 or IDH2 genetic mutations.Current treatment includes surgery, followed by radiotherapy or chemotherapy, and patients who took…

Self-driving taxis could be on the streets of London from next year, according to autonomous taxi firm Waymo. The taxis have become a regular feature on San Francisco’s roads and recently launched in Tokyo. London, often associated with the famous black cab, will be the first European city to get the driverless taxis. Image: Black cab drivers in London are known for their extensive knowledge of the city. File pic: AP However, Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association which represents cab drivers in London, is not worried.”Will I be concerned in 25 years’ time? Maybe. I’m certainly…

Nscale, the UK-headquartered AI infrastructure provider.Courtesy: NscaleAI cloud company Nscale is eyeing an IPO, the company confirmed to CNBC Wednesday as it announced a $14-billion deal with U.S. tech giant Microsoft.The London-based company, which provides technology infrastructure to help AI scale, has “public market ambitions” which could be realized in the “back end of next year,” Chief Executive Josh Payne told the Financial Times on Wednesday.A company spokesperson declined to comment on where the company is considering listing.On Wednesday Nscale announced an “expanded partnership” with Microsoft, netting the younger company $14 billion, a figure first reported by the Financial Times…

President Ahmed al-Shara is making his first trip to Moscow, which backed the regime his rebels overthrew. Both sides have reasons to put the past aside. Source link

South Korea’s efforts are part of a widening international crackdown on criminal groups running online fraud schemes from Southeast Asia. Source link

France’s Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu speaks during his statement of general policy at the French National Assembly, France s lower house of parliament, in Paris, France, on October 14, 2025. Mathilde Kaczkowski | Afp | Getty ImagesFrench Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s decision to suspend a controversial pension reform has given markets some welcome relief Wednesday, with the move appearing to stave off another government collapse — at least for now.But the axing of the 2023 reform — a key part of President Emmanuel Macron’s legacy which would have seen the retirement age raised from 62 to 64 — and the…

Hamas has handed over the bodies of eight people, but says it is struggling to find the remains of others in Gaza after two years of war. Source link

At least one person was killed when a pick-up truck exploded outside a shopping mall in Ecuador’s largest city, Guayaquil, on Tuesday evening local time.Ecuador’s Interior Minister John Reimberg said police had found explosive devices inside the remains of the truck.Police also carried out a controlled blast after finding a second car containing explosives parked nearby, according Reimberg.The minister blamed criminal gangs for the deadly attack.”The devices were professionally manufactured by criminal groups aiming to sow chaos,” he wrote on X.The explosive-laden truck had been parked outside the city’s main shopping centre, Mall del Sol, in the north of the…

A Pony.ai AION robot taxi is displayed during the 21st Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai on April 23, 2025. Wang Zhao | Afp | Getty ImagesAutonomous driving firms Pony.ai and WeRide have received approval from China’s securities regulator for secondary listings in Hong Kong, as the companies look to raise funds and continue their global expansion. The China Securities Regulatory Commission announced Tuesday that both companies had filed to issue and list shares in Hong Kong. Chinese companies seeking a foreign listing are required to file an application with the CSRC in advance,…

A deep sense of unease has gripped Iran since American and Israeli airstrikes in June, but on a recent visit to the capital, we found that many Iranians seemed to be just trying to get by. Source link

This report is from this week’s CNBC’s The China Connection newsletter, which brings you insights and analysis on what’s driving the world’s second-largest economy. You can subscribe here.The big storyWhile tensions flare with the U.S., China is charting its course for the next five years.Chinese President Xi Jinping and the country’s top leaders, known as the Central Committee, will meet next week from Monday to Thursday for a planning meeting called the “Fourth Plenum.”The gathering reminds the U.S. government, on the verge of possibly its longest shutdown in history, that China is a big believer in planning. Beijing has held the strategy-setting meeting…

Workers assemble an Volkswagen’s ID.3 GTX FIRE+ICE electric car on a production line at the Volkswagen electric car factory on October 13, 2025 in Zwickau, Germany. Jens Schlueter | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesAutomotive industry groups have raised the alarm over the ramifications of China’s latest move to restrict critical rare earth exports, saying the measures could pave the way to a period of supply chain chaos.China’s Commerce Ministry last week announced expanded curbs on the export of rare earths and related technologies, seeking to prevent the “misuse” of minerals in the military and other sensitive sectors.Beijing has since…

Sulfite allergy is a high sensitivity to sulfite, a sulfur-based compound that occurs naturally in your body as well as foods like onions, cabbage, and apples. In people with sulfite allergy, the immune system overreacts when exposed to sulfite. This causes allergic reaction symptoms like wheezing, itching, and hives. Sulfite allergy can affect anyone. However, it is more common in people with asthma. About 1% of the United States population is estimated to be hypersensitive to sulfite. About 5% of this group has asthma. If you have a sulfite allergy and eat foods that contain sulfite, you may experience allergy…

So we’re here outside the U.S. embassy compound in Tehran. Here we have an apple with the CNN logo. The Twin Towers interspersed with the dollar sign. The Statue of Liberty. This is one of the most photographed walls, probably in all of Tehran. Americans know this as the former U.S. compound. But to Iranians, this is known as the “U.S. Den of Espionage Museum.” And of course, what happened here is at the root of the hostility between the U.S. and Iran for over four decades, a hostility that escalated recently. In June, Israel and the U.S. launched strikes…

Protesters say their anger reflects a lack of economic opportunity on a continent with the world’s youngest population. Source link

ChatGPT will soon write erotica for verified adults, according to OpenAI’s chief executive, as well as becoming more “human-like”.As part of the company’s policy to “treat adult users like adults”, the chatbot will be able to create sexual content once age verification is fully rolled out across the tool.”In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our ‘treat adult users like adults’ principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults,” said Sam Altman in a post on X.The announcement wasn’t popular with everyone.One X user asked Mr Altman: “Why do age-gates always…

A pivotal political leader who helped usher in multiparty democracy, he ran unsuccessfully for the presidency five times. Source link

A pedestrian walks past the window display of a Louis Vuitton store, operated by LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE.Ore Huiying | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesShares of LVMH popped 13% Wednesday after the French conglomerate posted growth for the first time this year and vowed to solidify its leadership in the global luxury space.In an update after European trading hours on Tuesday, LVMH — the world’s biggest luxury conglomerate and one of Europe’s most valuable companies — said organic growth for the third quarter came in at 1% year-on-year, marking a recovery from two consecutive quarters of declines. Revenue for…

Domingos passed his healthcare course too – and over the next few years, spent time in Spain with second-tier Basketmi Ferrol and top-flight Servigest Burgos, then followed his friend and mentor Bartolo to Portugal to join BC Gaia, all the while racking up international appearances for the country of his birth.”Spain’s the biggest league in the world,” Domingos said. “It’s the NBA of wheelchair basketball.”I played alongside two of the best players: Mateusz Filipski – he’s known as wheelchair basketball’s Steph Curry. He can shoot from everywhere. He’s a good leader, an amazing human. And I played alongside Lee Fryer,…

The US has struck another vessel off the coast of Venezuela on Tuesday, killing six people, President Donald Trump has said. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the vessel belonged to “narcoterrorists” and that it was “trafficking narcotics”. This is the fifth strike of its kind by the Trump administration on a boat accused of trafficking drugs on international waters since September. In total, 27 people have been reported killed, but the US has not provided evidence or details about identities of the vessels or those on board them.Some lawyers have accused the US of breaching international law,…

President Donald Trump has acknowledged that a $20bn (£15bn) US lifeline to help calm Argentina’s currency crisis is an attempt to sway legislative elections this month in the South American nation.Welcoming Argentina’s libertarian leader Javier Milei to the White House, Trump warned that the US would not “waste our time” with helping Argentina if Milei’s party did not prevail.Milei praised Trump for his peacemaking efforts and said the US president’s policies would lead to “prosperity”.Argentina’s financial turmoil comes ahead of national midterm elections on 26 October, seen as a test of voters’ desire to continue backing Milei’s cost-cutting, free-market reform…

Paul MellyWest Africa analystAFP via Getty ImagesSpain is kicking against the prevailing political mood among Western nations when it comes to migration and policies regarding the African continent.At a time when the US, the UK, France and Germany are all cutting back their development aid budgets, Madrid remains committed to continued expansion, albeit from a lower starting point.This week, the Spanish capital has been hosting an African Union-backed “world conference on people of African descent”. AfroMadrid2025 will discuss restorative justice and the creation of a new development fund.It is just the latest sign of how Spain’s socialist-led government is seeking…

Supporting your mental health is important, and you might be looking for ways to boost it. We asked our editors to name one habit that’s improved their mental health the most. Here’s what works for them—and what might work for you. I’ve stopped answering messages immediately if my reaction feels harsh, rash, or if I don’t know what to say. I’ve learned I feel better—and kinder—if I take a beat to respond to something tricky, whether that’s at work or in my personal life. -Anisa Arsenault I hate the classic mental health advice to “try yoga.” Then I tried yoga.…

A line of cars on a car assembly line at the Vauxhall car factory in Ellesmere Port, Wirral, U.K.Colin Mcpherson | Corbis News | Getty ImagesThis report is from this week’s CNBC’s UK Exchange newsletter. Like what you see? You can subscribe here.The dispatchFew things have captured the British public’s imagination more this century than compensation.The U.K. never used to have a compensation culture, but things began to change when, in June 1995, solicitors were allowed to charge on a “no-win, no-fee” basis for the first time.The thinking was that, with the courts really only open to the very rich or…