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  • Chinese premier holds symposium on economic situation

    Chinese premier holds symposium on economic situation

    Chinese Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, presides over a symposium on the economic situation, and listens to opinions and suggestions from experts and entrepreneurs on the country’s economy and relevant work, Oct. 14, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    BEIJING, Oct. 14 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday presided over a symposium on the economic situation, and listened to opinions and suggestions from experts and entrepreneurs on the country’s economy and relevant work.

    Since the beginning of the year, despite a complex external environment and challenges in economic operations, China has made continued efforts to sustain its economic recovery and advance high-quality development, Li said after hearing the speeches of experts and entrepreneurs.

    Li highlighted the importance of maintaining confidence and facing problems squarely, remaining focused on managing China’s own affairs well, and striving to accomplish the country’s annual economic and social development targets.

    He urged continued efforts to remove bottlenecks through reform, expand domestic demand, and strengthen domestic circulation. Greater efforts should be made to boost effective investment, stimulate market vitality, and address disorderly and irrational competition, he noted.

    Li also stressed the need to accelerate the application of scientific and technological achievements, stabilize foreign trade and foreign investment, and enhance the system of comprehensive overseas services.

    The premier expressed the hope that entrepreneurs will focus on innovation and make greater contributions to high-quality development. He also encouraged experts and scholars to offer valuable insights and advice to help improve China’s economic work and contribute to the country’s development in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) period.

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  • AECOM recommits four more years to supporting Great Barrier Reef’s resilience

    AECOM recommits four more years to supporting Great Barrier Reef’s resilience

    BRISBANE (October 15 2025) — AECOM, the trusted global infrastructure leader, today announced it has recommitted to its partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and will provide in-kind advisory and technical consulting services aimed at finding tangible Reef restoration and resilience solutions over four more years. This builds on AECOM’s long-standing commitment to the Reef, which began in 2018 when work for the Foundation commenced. It led to a formalised partnership in 2022 and AUD$1 million of in-kind support provided over the three successful years since. 

    AECOM has supported several projects for the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, including its Resilient Reefs Initiative, Roads to Reef Initiative, Reef Islands Initiative and Blue Carbon Program. 

    “It’s an honour to recommit AECOM to another successful four years of using our specialist water and environmental advisory skills for good; delivering practical solutions to help sustain our Reef ecosystems for generations, a commitment to our purpose of delivering a better world,” said Mark McManamny, chief executive of AECOM’s Australia and New Zealand region. “The goal of AECOM’s Sustainable Legacies strategy is straightforward; leave a lasting positive impact on our communities and our planet, and this continued partnership is the embodiment of that ambition.” 

    “The Great Barrier Reef Foundation has worked with AECOM to build the resilience of coral reefs across four iconic world heritage sites, improve water quality outcomes on the Great Barrier Reef, and explore nature-based solutions such as blue carbon,” said Anna Marsden, managing director of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. “We are delighted to continue this powerful partnership, which in this next phase will focus on prioritising large-scale coastal ecosystem protection and restoration. AECOM’s specialist skills and industry expertise will be vital in helping us achieve our future aims and address the most complex and challenging problems facing the Great Barrier Reef’s survival.” 

    Roads to Reef Initiative 

    Roads to Reef has been the primary initiative over the past three years of partnership. AECOM road and water engineers, along with resilience advisors, have been working with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and Local Government Association Queensland. The aim has been to develop decision-support tools to identify areas at high risk of unsealed road erosion within the Reef catchment, thereby helping to minimise water quality impacts. AECOM specialists have undertaken hydrologic and GIS modelling across thousands of kilometres of unsealed roads and drainage paths throughout the entire Reef catchment.  

    Key outcomes: 

    • Developed the first comprehensive model estimating how much fine sediment runoff from the entire unsealed road network is draining into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.  
    • Delivered the first model demonstrating that unsealed roads can contribute a significant portion of fine sediment runoff per unit area. 
    • Created a framework to test future interventions, including nature-based solutions, aimed at reducing sediment runoff from unsealed roads, supporting local governments and other road management authorities in securing funding for these interventions. 

    Reef Islands Initiative  

    Reef Islands Initiative is the primary initiative within the recommitted partnership. AECOM environmental advisors are supporting the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to develop a prioritisation process that would action multi-habitat restoration activity on and around the Great Barrier Reef islands. Advice is being provided on terrestrial and marine ecosystem restoration opportunities, supporting increased biodiversity and resilience, and First Nations and community partnerships. 

    Resilient Reefs Initiative 

    AECOM’s partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation builds upon its successful foundational collaboration on the Resilient Reefs Initiative that commenced in 2018. AECOM helped build reef resilience across UNESCO World Heritage-listed coral reefs, working with stakeholders on actionable resilience strategies. AECOM environmental advisors provided support for the release of the Ningaloo Coast, Rock Islands of Palau, Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System and the Lagoons of New Caledonia reef resilience strategies. 

    Key outcomes: 

    • Delivered the first fully integrated and transferable model, with priority actions and funding allocations, for building resilience of both coral reefs and the communities that depend on them, from planning to implementation. 

    Blue Carbon Program 

    AECOM and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation are developing a white paper to discuss unlocking existing regulatory barriers that prevent blue carbon projects in the Great Barrier Reef catchments. Blue carbon projects refer to conservation, restoration and management efforts that enhance coastal and marine ecosystems like mangroves, seagrass and saltmarsh to sequester and store carbon. The paper is intended to advocate for blue carbon-focused, nature-based solutions within regulatory frameworks as legitimate alternatives to traditional engineering solutions. It seeks to streamline the approvals process for these efforts and provide evidence of their value. 

    About AECOM  

    AECOM is the global infrastructure leader, committed to delivering a better world. As a trusted professional services firm powered by deep technical abilities, we solve our clients’ complex challenges in water, environment, energy, transportation and buildings. Our teams partner with public- and private-sector clients to create innovative, sustainable and resilient solutions throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm that had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2024. Learn more at aecom.com.  

    About the Great Barrier Reef Foundation 

    The Great Barrier Reef Foundation is creating a future for the world’s coral reefs by restoring reefs and coastal habitats and helping them adapt to the impacts of climate change. We’ve built a collaborative organisation to raise funds, invest in innovative ideas and design real-world, scalable conservation programs that are delivering breakthroughs in marine and terrestrial restoration. Walking in step with First Nations people and front-line communities, the Foundation is fast-tracking and deploying solutions around the world. 

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  • Press Briefing Transcript: Global Financial Stability Report, Annual Meetings 2025 – International Monetary Fund

    1. Press Briefing Transcript: Global Financial Stability Report, Annual Meetings 2025  International Monetary Fund
    2. Growth of Nonbanks is Revealing New Financial Stability Risks  International Monetary Fund
    3. IMF Issues a Warning. How Funds, Insurers, Could Trip Up Banks.  Barron’s
    4. Growth of nonbank financial firms poses financial stability risk, IMF says  MLex
    5. IMF warns on $4.5tn bank exposure to hedge funds and private credit  Financial Times

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  • Autism Is More Than One Condition, Study of Over 45,000 People Finds : ScienceAlert

    Autism Is More Than One Condition, Study of Over 45,000 People Finds : ScienceAlert

    New research suggests that those diagnosed with autism in late childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood are more likely to have a different type than those diagnosed in early childhood.

    “We found that, on average, individuals diagnosed…

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  • Starship Flight 11 achieves new milestones in return, re-entry and landing performance

    Starship Flight 11 achieves new milestones in return, re-entry and landing performance

    SpaceX has completed its eleventh integrated flight test of Starship, marking another leap forward in developing the world’s most powerful and fully reusable launch system.

    Launched from Starbase, Texas, the flight saw both the Super Heavy…

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  • Honda to Make Additional Investment in U.S.-based Helm.ai to Further Enhance Development of Next-generation AD/ADAS

    Honda to Make Additional Investment in U.S.-based Helm.ai to Further Enhance Development of Next-generation AD/ADAS

    TOKYO, Japan, October 15, 2025 – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that it has decided to make an additional investment in Helm.ai, a California-based startup, that has key strengths in AI technologies advanced through unsupervised learning*1. As Helm.ai raises additional funds for its continued growth, Honda will make an additional investment to further enhance its development of next-generation end-to-end (E2E) autonomous driving (AD) and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).

    Helm.ai is an AI software startup established in November 2016, and Honda and Helm.ai have been working in collaboration since 2019 through Honda Xcelerator*2, a global open innovation program of Honda. Through the initial investment Honda made in 2022, the two companies have strengthened collaboration and accelerated research and development of unique solutions that integrate advanced AI technologies of Helm.ai and Honda technologies.

    Moreover, in July 2025, the two companies signed a multi-year joint development agreement for the purpose of enhancing the development of next-generation AD/ADAS based on the E2E  AI architecture that controls everything from environmental perception to decision-making and vehicle actuation.

    The additional investment announced today will further strengthen the relationship between the two companies under this overarching direction of the joint development agreement. By leveraging the original Deep Teaching™*3 technology and generative AI of Helm.ai, Honda will accelerate its development of next-generation ADAS which will provide high-level driver assistance, including vehicle operations such as acceleration and steering, throughout the entire route to the destination, whether on expressways or surface roads. Honda is aiming to apply this new, next-generation ADAS to a broad range of key EV and HEV models Honda will launch in North America and Japan around 2027.

    Going forward, Honda will continue to accelerate the development of its original next-generation AD/ADAS based on cutting-edge AI technologies including E2E AI, and swiftly deliver highly reliable autonomous driving technologies to customers around the world, which will accelerate Honda initiative to achieve zero fatalities from traffic collisions involving Honda motorcycles and automobiles.

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  • Week 10 Results + Scorecards | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 9

    Week 10 Results + Scorecards | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 9

    Thus far in Season 9, there have been 41 contracts awarded, meaning that adding five more athletes to the roster this evening would equal the series record for contracts awarded in a season, and if six or more pique White’s interest, a new…

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  • Pixel 10 Pro Fold explodes after bend test, fails durability check

    Pixel 10 Pro Fold explodes after bend test, fails durability check

    Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold became the first smartphone to explode during a JerryRigEverything durability test, marking a shocking moment in YouTuber Zack Nelson’s decade-long history of stress-testing devices.

    Known for pushing phones to…

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  • Nikkei 225, Kospi, Hang Seng Index, Nifty 50

    Nikkei 225, Kospi, Hang Seng Index, Nifty 50

    SHANGHAI, CHINA – AUGUST 14, 2025 – Tourists are visiting the Bund in Shanghai, China on August 14, 2025.

    Cfoto | Future Publishing | Getty Images

    Asia-Pacific markets opened higher Wednesday, breaking ranks with Wall Street’s declines after U.S. and China exchanged blows in a renewed trade feud.

    U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday stateside criticized China for not buying soybeans, calling it an “an economically hostile act.” He also threatened “retribution” such as a cooking oil embargo.

    “Volatility remains elevated, and the best explanation is the strained relationship between the U.S. and China,” Veteran investor Louis Navellier wrote in a note published Wednesday.

    Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 0.3%, while the Topix added 0.75%. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 0.8%, while the small-cap Kosdaq added 0.83%.

    Australia’s ASX/S&P 200 was up 0.93%.

    Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was set to open higher, with its futures contract trading at 25,763, against the index’s previous close of 25,441.35.

    Investors will be keeping an eye on China’s inflation data for September coming out later in the morning.

    Overnight in the U.S., the S&P 500 closed down 0.2% to 6,644.31 in a wild day that saw the benchmark fall as much as 1.5% and gain 0.4% at its highs.

    The Nasdaq Composite was off by 0.8% to 22,521.70, although at one point it had fallen as much as 2.1%.The Dow Jones Industrial average closed up 0.4%, or 202.88 points, to 46,270.46 after gaining nearly 1% at one point.

    Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday suggested the central bank is nearing a point where it will stop reducing the size of its bond holdings, and provided a few hints that more interest rate cuts are in the cards.

    — CNBC’s Liz Napolitano and Fred Imbert contributed to this report.

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  • EU Approval Sought for Relacorilant in Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer

    EU Approval Sought for Relacorilant in Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer

    A marketing authorization application (MAA) for the use of relacorilant in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer has been submitted to the European Medicines Agency, according to an announcement from Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated.1

    The submission was supported by findings from the phase 3 ROSELLA study (GOG-3073/ENGOT ov72/APGOT-Ov10/LACOG-0223/ANZGOG-2221/2023; NCT05257408) and phase 2 studies, which showed that when the selective glucocorticoid receptor antagonist was paired with nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane), it improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) vs nab-paclitaxel alone. Relacorilant was also found to have favorable tolerability, in line with its known toxicity profile.

    “Our MAA submission brings us a step closer to our goal of delivering relacorilant to patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer,” Joseph Belanoff, MD, chief executive officer of Corcept Therapeutics, stated in a news release. “Better treatment options are urgently needed. Relacorilant has the potential to redefine how platinum-resistant ovarian cancer is treated.”

    Status of Relacorilant in Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer: Top Takeaways

    • Corcept Therapeutics has submitted a marketing authorization application to the EMA for relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, following positive phase 3 ROSELLA and other phase 2 data.
    • In ROSELLA, the combination improved median PFS to 6.54 months vs 5.52 months and OS to 15.97 months vs 11.50 months.
    • Relacorilant showed a manageable safety profile, requires no biomarker testing, and is an oral agent that could be easily integrated into current treatment practice.
    • A new drug application for relacorilant in this patient population is also under FDA review.

    What Was the ROSELLA Study Schema?

    The phase 3 trial enrolled patients (n = 381) with epithelial ovarian, primary peritoneal or fallopian tube cancer who experienced progression within 6 months after their last dose of platinum therapy.2 Patients had an ECOG performance status of 0 or 1, had previously received 1 to 3 lines of therapy, and had prior exposure to bevacizumab (Avastin).

    Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive 150 mg of relacorilant plus 80 mg/m2 of nab-paclitaxel or 100 mg/m2 (n = 188) of nab-paclitaxel alone (n = 193). Treatment continued until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. Stratification factors included prior lines of therapy (1 vs >1) and region (North America vs Europe vs Korea, Australia, and Latin America).

    The dual primary end points of the study were PFS by blinded independent central review and RECIST 1.1 criteria and OS. Secondary end points included investigator-assessed PFS, objective response rate (ORR), duration of response, clinical benefit rate (CBR), response by CA-125 Gynecologic Cancer Intergroup (GCIG) criteria, combined response by GCIG and RECIST criteria, and safety.

    The median patient age was 61 years (range, 26-85) in the relacorilant arm and 62 years (range, 33-86) in the nab-paclitaxel–alone arm. Most patients were White (72.3% vs 69.9%), and slightly more than half were from Europe (56.9% vs 56.5%). About one-third had an ECOG performance status of 1 or 2 (28.2% vs 32.6%), and around 12% had BRCA1/2 mutations (12.2% vs 12.4%). In the experimental arm, 8.0%, 48.9%, and 43.1% of patients received 1, 2, or 3 prior lines of therapy, respectively; in the control arm, these respective rates were 9.3%, 46.1%, and 44.6%. In the experimental arm, 6.9% of patients were primary platinum refractory, 35.6% had received at least 1 prior line of therapy in the platinum-resistant setting, and 4.3% had prior taxane exposure in the platinum-resistant setting; in the control arm, these rates were 6.7%, 42.5%, and 3.6%. Prior therapies received in the combination and monotherapy arms were bevacizumab (100%; 100%), taxanes (99.5%; 99.5%), pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (64.4%; 64.8%), and PARP inhibition (60.6%; 62.2%).

    What Were the Efficacy and Safety Data From ROSELLA?

    The median PFS with relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel was 6.54 months (95% CI, 5.55-7.43) vs 5.52 months (95% CI, 3.94-5.88) with nab-paclitaxel alone, translating to a 30% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.54-0.91; P = .0076). The hazard ratio for PFS per investigator assessment was 0.71 (P = .0030). The 6-month PFS rates in the respective arms were 52% and 42%; the 12-month PFS rates were 25% and 13%.

    At the time of the interim analysis, which had a data maturity of 50%, the addition of relacorilant to nab-paclitaxel was also found to improve OS over nab-paclitaxel alone, at a median of 15.97 months (95% CI, 13.47-not reached) and 11.50 months (95% CI, 10.02-13.57), respectively (HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.52-0.92; nominal P = .0121). The 12-month OS rates in the respective arms were 60% and 49%.

    The relacorilant combination elicited an ORR of 36.9% vs 30.1% with nab-paclitaxel monotherapy, translating to a 6.8% improvement (P = .17). The CBRs in the respective arms were 51.1% and 38.9%, translating to a 12.2% improvement (P = .016).

    In terms of safety, ascites was found to be less common in those given relacorilant vs not, with unadjusted incidence rates of 5% and 11%, respectively, for all-grade ascites; for grade 3 or higher, the rates were 3% and 5%.

    Treatment-emergent adverse effects (TEAEs) occurred in all patients who received the combination (n = 188) vs 99.5% of those who received the monotherapy (n = 190); they were grade 3 or higher for 74.5% and 59.5% of patients, respectively. Serious adverse effects (AEs) were reported in 35.1% of those in the combination arm and 23.7% of those in the monotherapy arm. AEs that resulted in treatment discontinuation for more than 2 patients were intestinal obstruction and paresthesia. No fatal AEs were tied to relacorilant.

    What Is the Significance of Relacorilant in Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer?

    In a past interview with OncLive®, Domenica Lorusso, MD, PhD, of Humanitas Hospital San Pio X in Milan and Humanitas University in Rozzano, Italy, discussed the clinical implications of the ROSELLA data.3 “[Nab-paclitaxel plus relacorilant] can be easily considered a new standard of care for our patients with platinum-resistant and refractory ovarian cancer,” she said. “[What was interesting about] the trial is that the comparator arm was nab-paclitaxel. According to the indirect trial comparison data we have, [this is] as effective as weekly paclitaxel, [which] we consider [to be] the most effective drug in the platinum-resistant setting. What we demonstrate with the ROSELLA trial is that when we add relacorilant to the best drug in the platinum-resistant setting, we further increase PFS.”

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