US FDA grants standard approval of Eisai/Biogen Alzheimer’s drug

By Deena Beasley and Julie Steenhuysen LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Eisai and Biogen’s Leqembi won a coveted standard approval nod from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday, the first Alzheimer’s treatment to achieve that goal, clearing the way for wider insurance coverage of the drug. The FDA decision marks a new milestone for a…

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World breaks hottest-day record for third time this week – U.S. agency

By Jake Spring SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The world recorded its hottest day ever on Thursday, breaking previous highs set on Monday and Tuesday as global average temperatures continue to climb, according to data from the U.S. National Centers on Environmental Prediction. The global average temperature hit 17.23 degrees Celsius (63.01 Fahrenheit) on Thursday, according…

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China’s Alibaba and Huawei add products to AI frenzy

By Josh Ye and David Kirton HONG KONG (Reuters) -Alibaba Group Holdings and Huawei Technologies Co on Friday showcased new products, including an artificial intelligence (AI) image generator and an AI model upgrade, as Chinese companies jostle for position in the global AI race. Alibaba Cloud, an Alibaba subsidiary, presented at the World Artificial Intelligence…

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Explainer-Who is eligible for the new FDA-approved Alzheimer’s drug?

By Deena Beasley The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday granted standard approval to Eisai and Biogen’s Leqembi for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The FDA decision is expected to trigger broader coverage of the $26,500-a-year drug by the U.S. government’s Medicare health plan for people aged 65 and older. Leqembi was granted “accelerated” FDA…

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AI robots could play future role as companions in care homes

By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) – Nadine, a social robot powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) with human-like gestures and expressions, could have an important future role to play in tending to the sick and elderly, according to a professor who helped invent it. Nadia Magnenat Thalmann, a robot expert from the University of Geneva, who…

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World registers hottest day ever recorded on July 3

By Gloria Dickie Monday, July 3, was the hottest day ever recorded globally, according to data from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction.  The average global temperature reached 17.01 degrees Celsius (62.62 Fahrenheit), surpassing the August 2016 record of 16.92C (62.46F) as heatwaves sizzled around the world. The southern U.S. has been suffering under…

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Airbus trials new wing designs in technology race with Boeing

By Joanna Plucinska and Tim Hepher FILTON, England (Reuters) – Airbus is stepping up testing of radical new wing technology as the planemaker lays the foundation for a future successor to its best-selling A320 series, but faces a battle to bring down costs. British Industry Minister Nusrat Ghani inaugurated a wing technology plant in southwest…

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U.S. maternal mortality more than doubled since 1999, most deaths among Black women – study

By Nancy Lapid (Reuters) – The number of U.S. women who died within a year after pregnancy more than doubled between 1999 and 2019, with the highest deaths among Black women, researchers said on Monday. There were an estimated 1,210 maternal deaths in 2019, compared with 505 in 1999, according to a study published in…

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Europe’s Euclid space telescope launched on mission to explore ‘dark universe’

By Steve Gorman (Reuters) -A European-built orbital satellite was launched to space on Saturday from Florida on a mission to shed new light on the mysterious cosmic phenomena known as dark energy and dark matter, unseen forces scientists say account for 95% of the known universe. The telescope dubbed Euclid, named for the ancient Greek…

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Virgin Galactic completes first commercial rocket plane flight to space

By Jose Luis Gonzalez and Steve Gorman TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, New Mexico (Reuters) -A three-man crew from Italy soared more than 50 miles (80 km) above the New Mexico desert on Thursday aboard a Virgin Galactic rocket plane, the company’s first flight of paying customers to the edge of space since British billionaire Richard Branson…

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