Imagine a bustling airport. Flights take off and land all day, yet behind this smooth choreography lies a constant rhythm of activity — refuelling, boarding, taxiing, waiting. Now, imagine trying to understand how long each of these tasks truly takes. That’s precisely what Activity Time Distribution Analysis seeks to do for business processes: to uncover where time flows, pauses, and sometimes gets lost in turbulence.
Through statistical visualisation techniques such as density plots, analysts can reveal inefficiencies that remain invisible in raw data. This story unfolds in patterns and peaks, showing how time breathes through a process.
The Rhythm of Processes: Seeing Time Beyond Numbers
Every organisation has its rhythm — a heartbeat shaped by the time employees spend completing tasks. Yet, this rhythm often hides behind spreadsheets and averages. Looking only at mean completion times is like listening to a symphony through a single note.
When businesses conduct time distribution analysis, they open a portal into the shape of their processes — how often an activity lingers or rushes by. By studying these shapes, process analysts identify deviations, patterns, and delays that may indicate bottlenecks. This is where data storytelling begins — transforming time logs into insights that drive smarter operations.
Professionals who undergo Data Analytics training in Chennai often learn to interpret these temporal dynamics, mastering how to translate raw timestamps into meaningful efficiency narratives.
Density Plots: The Storytellers of Time
A density plot is not merely a chart; it’s a landscape of probability. Each hill and valley reflects how frequently specific durations occur. A steep peak might signal repetitive short tasks, while a broad plateau could indicate inconsistent performance or multi-stage approvals.
Unlike bar charts or histograms, density plots provide smooth, continuous curves. They reveal nuances — like the difference between consistent five-minute checks versus sporadic half-hour delays. Analysts can overlay density plots from different teams or time periods to visually compare operational changes.
For instance, imagine comparing “invoice approvals” before and after an automation initiative. The shrinking of a peak from 40 minutes to 15 paints a success story — one told entirely through curves and contours.
Discovering Process Variability Through Distribution Patterns
In the theatre of process mining, variability is both a villain and a clue. Processes rarely unfold identically — one purchase order might close in two hours, another in two days. Analysing the spread of these durations provides context about performance stability.
A narrow, sharp density curve suggests consistent execution, a sign of control and predictability. A broad or multi-peaked curve, on the other hand, signals inconsistency — perhaps some users skip steps, or specific cases demand exceptions.
These insights empower decision-makers to investigate root causes rather than symptoms. For example, if one department consistently shows longer activity tails, it could point to workflow interruptions or unclear handoffs. This is where statistical exploration transitions into actionable process improvement.
Professionals equipped with Data Analytics training in Chennai often leverage such analytical visualisations to separate noise from meaningful variation, enhancing both process quality and governance.
Bringing Context into Visual Analysis
Visualising activity duration isn’t only about statistical beauty — context gives it purpose. Analysts often overlay additional dimensions, such as case types, departments, or time-of-day patterns. By colouring density plots or faceting them by category, they reveal new insights.
Consider a customer service centre. Plotting call handling times for weekdays versus weekends might reveal striking differences. Response times slow after 6 PM or peak during holidays. These visual layers transform mere distributions into diagnostic tools that guide operational staffing, training, or automation decisions.
Moreover, integrating this with process mining tools allows companies to connect visualised data directly to specific process paths. Analysts can zoom into anomalies — for instance, why certain cases linger far longer than others despite similar starting conditions.
The Future of Time Analysis: From Visuals to Predictions
While density plots describe what has happened, advanced analytics looks toward what will happen next. Predictive models trained on time distribution data can forecast expected completion durations for ongoing cases. This enables proactive interventions—sending alerts when an activity is likely to breach its SLA (Service Level Agreement).
Modern process intelligence platforms even combine these statistical visualisations with machine learning algorithms to simulate process outcomes. Businesses can model “what-if” scenarios — such as reducing manual approvals or redistributing workloads — and observe how the density curves would reshape.
In this way, activity time distribution analysis becomes a foundation for digital transformation — not just for diagnosing inefficiencies but also for anticipating and preventing them.
Conclusion: The Art and Science of Process Time
Understanding time is understanding truth. Behind every KPI and dashboard lies a river of seconds and minutes that shape customer experiences and operational outcomes. Activity Time Distribution Analysis offers organisations a way to listen to this rhythm — to see how work truly flows, where it hesitates, and where it soars.
Through density plots and statistical storytelling, analysts can turn the abstract idea of “efficiency” into something tangible and actionable. Just as an airport manager uses flight schedules to choreograph a smooth day, business leaders can use these visualisations to orchestrate better performance.
By embracing this analytical artistry, professionals not only learn to measure time but to master it — a skill increasingly honed through structured programmes like Data Analytics training in Chennai, where the science of numbers meets the poetry of processes.
Human resources plays a critical role in shaping organizational culture, employee engagement, and overall productivity. Knowing what are HR-related roundtable discussion topics is essential for creating sessions that are engaging, insightful, and actionable. These discussions provide HR professionals with opportunities to share experiences, learn from peers, and explore innovative strategies to address workforce challenges. Effective topics focus on current trends, employee needs, and organizational priorities, ensuring that the conversation remains relevant and practical for all participants.
One important area among roundtable discussion topics for HR is talent acquisition and retention. Organizations are constantly seeking ways to attract top talent while maintaining engagement among existing employees. Executives can discuss strategies for optimizing recruitment processes, developing employer branding, and creating programs that retain high-performing staff. These conversations often highlight emerging best practices, enabling HR professionals to benchmark their efforts and identify innovative approaches to talent management.
Employee development and learning are also critical subjects in what are HR-related roundtable discussion topics. Continuous training and professional growth opportunities are essential for keeping the workforce skilled, motivated, and adaptable. Topics can include leadership development programs, upskilling initiatives, mentoring strategies, and creating personalized learning paths. By sharing experiences and success stories, HR leaders can gain insights into effective ways to enhance employee capabilities while fostering engagement and satisfaction.
What are HR-related roundtable discussion topics?
Workplace culture and employee well-being are another vital focus in roundtable discussion topics. HR professionals are increasingly responsible for creating environments that promote inclusion, equity, and work-life balance. Conversations may explore strategies to enhance mental health support, build inclusive policies, and encourage collaboration across teams. Such discussions allow participants to exchange ideas on how to cultivate a positive workplace culture that aligns with organizational goals while supporting employee satisfaction and retention.
Performance management and recognition systems also feature prominently in what are HR-related roundtable discussion topics. Evaluating and improving these systems is crucial for motivating employees and ensuring alignment with organizational objectives. Topics may include designing fair evaluation processes, implementing continuous feedback mechanisms, and creating recognition programs that inspire productivity and loyalty. These discussions help HR leaders identify innovative methods to strengthen employee engagement and enhance overall performance.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become indispensable elements of roundtable discussion topics for HR executives. Sessions can focus on strategies for improving representation, reducing unconscious bias, and fostering a culture of equity and inclusion. By discussing challenges and sharing successful initiatives, HR professionals gain actionable ideas to implement within their organizations, helping to create workplaces that are not only fair but also more innovative and collaborative.
In conclusion, what are HR-related roundtable discussion topics encompass talent acquisition, employee development, workplace culture, performance management, and DEI initiatives. Thoughtfully chosen topics ensure discussions are relevant, engaging, and valuable for all participants. When HR roundtables address these areas, they transform from ordinary meetings into strategic forums where leaders exchange insights, solve challenges collaboratively, and develop actionable strategies to improve workforce effectiveness and organizational success.
Dayananda Sagar University (DSU), established in 2014, builds on the legacy of Dayananda Sagar Institutions (1960s). The School of Law, approved by BCI, offers:
BA LLB (Hons.), BBA LLB (Hons.), LLB, LLM, and PhD programmes.
Interdisciplinary curriculum with focus on innovation, law & technology, STS, and industry exposure.
About University of Staffordshire
Known for modern courses and real-world learning. Ranked 3rd in UK for career prospects (Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2025). Strong focus on simulated learning, placements, and international connections. LLM International Law with focus on human rights, migration, cross-border regulation.
Theme & Sub themes
Theme: Global Transition: Contemporary Legal Challenges Shaping Society
Key focus areas:
Digital transformation & law (AI, automation, cybersecurity, IP)
Environmental sustainability & law (climate litigation, sustainable development, indigenous rights)
Human rights in globalized world (migration, gender equality, freedom of expression)
Declaration of originality required (UGC Anti-Plagiarism rules apply).
Abstract: 300–500 words.
Full Paper: 4000–6000 words.
Formatting: Times New Roman, size 12 (main), size 10 (footnotes), Bluebook 20th edition citations.
Max 10% plagiarism allowed (excluding footnotes/bibliography).
How to Submit?
Interested candidates can submit entries via the link given at the end of the post.
Fee
PhD Scholars & Students: ₹1000
Academicians/Advocates/Professionals: ₹2000
International Participants: $50
DSU Faculty & Students: No fee (but registration mandatory). Bank Details: Name – Dayananda Sagar University A/c No – 100044771729 IFSC – INDB0000166 Bank – IndusInd Bank, Malleshwaram, Bangalore
Important dates
Abstract submission: 25th Sept 2025
Intimation of acceptance: 30th Sept 2025
Full paper submission: 31st Oct 2025
Last date of payment: 31st Oct 2025
Conference presentation: 22nd Nov 2025
Certification
All participants receive certificate of participation.
Best paper (faculty & student tracks) awarded certificate + merit award.
Selected papers may be published in SCOPUS/ISBN-edited book (with fee).
Venue
Venue: DSU City Innovation Campus, Kudlu Gate, Hosur Road, Bengaluru – 560 068 School of Law, Dayananda Sagar University
Contact
Email: [email protected] Coordinators: Dr. G. Sahil – +91 85277 47077 Dr. Hamza Khan – +91 89720 70127
Disclaimer: WEF April, 2021, Lawctopus will not publish any ‘Call for Papers/Blogs’ by journals that charge money at the time of submission. If you find any journal doing so, please intimate us at tanuj.kalia[at]lawctopus.com
Make your Navratri vrat exciting with Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s golden, crunchy sabudana vadas, packed with flavour and perfect for nine-day celebrations.
Navratri is the perfect time to enjoy delicious, vrat-friendly meals that are both wholesome and satisfying. One festive favourite is sabudana vada, a crispy, flavorful snack made with sago and peanuts. Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s recipe takes it to the next level, making it a must-try during the nine-day celebrations. So put on your chef’s hat and get ready to whip up this tasty treat. (Also read: Chef Sanjeev Kapoor shares 3 delicious recipes you can make in just 10 minutes: From ullipaya pakodi to Madras bhurji )
Celebrate Navratri with Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s crispy sabudana vada and chutney.
Sabudana vada
Ingredients:
1½ cups sago (Sabudana), soaked
For chutney
½ cup scraped fresh coconut
½ cup fresh coriander leaves
1 green chilli
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsps roasted peanuts
Salt to taste
Sweetened Yogurt
½ cup chilled yoghurt
1½ tbsps powdered sugar
A pinch of salt
For vada
3 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
2 tsps ginger-green chilli paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp cumin seeds
¾ cup roasted and crushed peanuts
½ lemon
Oil for greasing + for deep frying
Method
1. To make the chutney, put coconut in a mixer jar, add coriander leaves, green chilli, cumin seeds, roasted peanuts, salt and ¼ cup water and grind to a fine paste.
2. To make sweetened yoghurt, take the yoghurt in a bowl. Add powdered sugar and salt and mix well.
3. To make the vada mixture, take soaked sago in a large plate. Add potatoes, ginger-green chilli paste, salt, cumin seeds, peanuts and squeeze the juice of lemon and mix till well combined.
4. Grease your palms with oil, take a portion of the vada mixture, shape it into a ball and slightly flatten it to shape like a vada.
5. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai.
6. Gently slide in the vadas into the hot oil and deep fry till golden brown and crisp. Drain on an absorbent paper.
7. Serve hot with prepared chutney and sweetened yoghurt.
Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. Explore now!.
Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. Explore now!.
Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
News / Lifestyle / Recipes / Chef Sanjeev Kapoor shows how to make crispy sabudana vadas for Navratri vrat: Check out his step by step easy recipe
A new biotechnology startup is launching with plans to challenge some of the world’s best-selling eye medicines, armed with a pair of prospects already in, or approaching, clinical testing.
Called Ollin Biosciences, the startup emerged from stealth on Wednesday with $100 million in financing and medicines it aims to prove are superior to Roche’s vision loss drug Vabysmo and Amgen’s thyroid eye disease treatment Tepezza.
Ollin’s lead prospect, dubbed OLN324, is being developed as part of a collaboration with Shanghai, China-based Innovent Biologics. The drug is a bispecific antibody that blocks a pair of proteins, VEGF and Ang2, involved in the progression of age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. They’re also the targets of Vabysmo, which was approved in 2022 and has since taken market share from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals’ blockbuster eye drug Eylea.
Ollin claims that, because of its design, OLN324 could be more potent and have longer-lasting effects than Vabysmo. It also aims to show in testing that OLN324 could offer patients greater relief from long-term health problems associated with AMD and DME.
“We see how quickly physicians switched from say, Lucentis to Eylea back in the day, and from Eylea to Vabysmo now,” said CEO Jason Ehrlich. “So therapies that offer further improvement in treatment outcomes and disease control for patients are really desired by the market and physicians.”
The company has completed enrollment in a 150-patient, randomized Phase 1b study testing OLN324 directly against Vabysmo. Results are expected in the first quarter of 2026.
Ollin licensed its other top candidate, named OLN102, from another Shanghai-based drugmaker called VelaVigo earlier this year.
Like Tepezza, the drug inhibits IGF-1R, which helps drive inflammation in thyroid eye disease. But OLN102 also simultaneously blocks a second target, TSHR, associated with disease progression. Ehrlich said impacting both at the same time may have “synergistic benefits” and minimize some of the known side effects of Tepezza. Ollin hopes to show it could be administered subcutaneously, too, instead of via an infusion like Tepezza. Human testing should start next year.
Ollin is building a drug portfolio through deals, rather than in-house research. It’s leaning on a team of experienced leaders and advisers in ophthalmology drug development, hoping that expertise will enable it to spot and advance next-generation medicines for multiple eye conditions.
“There are relatively few of those types of company builds in ophthalmology,” Ehrlich said. “It seemed like there was an opportunity to put something like that together.”
Arch Venture Partners, Mubadala Capital and Monograph Capital co-led Ollin’s financing.
The average Aussie will change careers twice in 20 years – not just jobs, but whole professions.
AI, demographics & economic shifts are reshaping industries faster than ever.
The winners will be those who embrace lifelong learning & human skills like creativity, empathy, and adaptability.
Employers that invest in reskilling will keep their best people—and thrive.
A non-linear career path is no longer a weakness—it’s a competitive advantage.
Imagine this: you’ve built a career, perhaps even become an expert in your field, and yet in the next 10 or 15 years, you will find yourself doing something entirely different.
Not just working for a new boss or switching companies, but stepping into a completely new career.
That’s not science fiction, it’s the forecast for the average Australian worker.
On current trends, we’ll completely change occupations more than twice in the next 20 years.
This raises some important questions: what’s driving this shift? How can we prepare for it?
And perhaps most importantly, how can we ensure these changes become opportunities rather than disruptions?
For weekly insights subscribe to the Demographics Decoded podcast, where we will continue to explore these trends and their implications in greater detail.
Subscribe now on your favourite Podcast player:
Why this matters
Once upon a time, work was predictable.
You studied, entered a profession, stuck with it for decades, and retired with a handshake and maybe a gold watch.
Today, that idea looks as outdated as a typewriter.
As Simon Kuestenmacher, leading demographer and my co-host on Demographics Decoded, points out:
“Change is a good thing. It is scary, which is why we don’t do it. But ultimately, as individuals, we’re cheating ourselves out of opportunities when we avoid it. And as a country as a whole, we’re cheating ourselves out of productivity.”
This is about more than personal careers, it’s about national competitiveness.
If Australians can adapt, reskill, and reinvent, our economy thrives.
If we resist change, we risk falling behind.
What’s driving career change?
Several powerful forces are reshaping the world of work:
1. Technology and AI
Automation is already replacing routine tasks in industries from banking to retail.
Roles like data entry clerks, postal workers, and even some accounting jobs are shrinking rapidly.
At the same time, entirely new roles are emerging: AI specialists, big data analysts, fintech engineers, and developers in fields we haven’t even named yet.
Simon draws the parallel to the Internet revolution:
“In the late 90s, everyone had an email address, but we hadn’t conceptualised social media or online retail yet. We are now at this point with AI. We know it’s big, but we don’t yet know all the jobs it will create.”
2. Demographics
Australia’s workforce is ageing.
As baby boomers retire, they’ll leave a huge vacuum of roles to be filled.
With fewer younger workers coming through, industries will increasingly welcome career shifters.
Healthcare and aged care, for example, are doubling in size and will need vast numbers of new workers, many of them transitioning from other industries.
3. Economic Shifts
As the economy restructures, workers must follow the opportunities.
The decline of manufacturing and fossil fuels contrasts with the rise of renewable energy, logistics, and technology.
Career pivots aren’t optional, they’re survival.
4. Globalisation & Migration
Changes to global supply chains, plus Australia’s migration policies, will continue to shape the job market.
If managed well, migrants can fill skills shortages while locals pivot to new roles.
But if handled poorly, it can create unnecessary competition and tension.
The barriers holding Australians back
Ironically, even though the economy needs more labour mobility, Australians are less likely to change jobs today than in the 1990s.
Why? Housing affordability.
“In the past, changing jobs often meant changing cities,” Simon explained. “But with housing being so hard to come by, and people being stuck in mortgages for 30 years, we’re less willing to take risks.”
Add to that the fact that most households now rely on two incomes.
Moving cities doesn’t just mean one person finds a new job; it means two people do. That level of uncertainty keeps many families locked in place.
So while technology is pushing us towards change, structural realities are pulling us back.
Preparing for the future of work
The message is clear: career change is no longer the exception; it’s the rule.
Here’s how to prepare:
1. Adopt lifelong learning
Gone are the days when a degree set you up for life.
Workers need continuous, bite-sized upskilling.
Simon argues for “micro-trainings and bootcamps” that let workers pivot quickly without taking years out of the workforce.
2. Develop Human Skills
Technical knowledge expires quickly.
The real differentiators are human skills: adaptability, communication, creativity, problem-solving, empathy, and proactive time management.
“Always double down on human-centric skills,” Simon advised. “Figure out what humans do better than machines, and focus on those.”
3. Combine Disciplines
The most valuable workers will be those who can bridge industries, bringing medical expertise into tech, for example, or combining data analytics with social sciences.
These hybrids stand out.
4. Leverage AI for Learning
Rather than fearing AI, we should use it.
Schools and companies are already experimenting with personalised learning journeys tailored to each student or employee.
This will make reskilling faster, cheaper, and more effective.
Who risks being left behind?
Not everyone is equally prepared for this future.
Workers in regional towns, those with lower formal education, and older workers are at greater risk of being stranded as industries evolve.
Simon doesn’t sugarcoat it:
“If a certain kind of industry becomes obsolete and you don’t pivot, you sit there economically unproductive, frustrated, and left behind. You must change.”
That’s why governments, employers, and education providers need to work together to smooth transitions.
A fragmented system that leaves mid-career workers without quick reskilling options will only deepen inequality.
The role of employers
At Metropole, I’ve always said our biggest asset is our people.
Employers must invest in their teams, not just for productivity, but for retention.
Some worry about training staff who might leave.
My view is the opposite: I’d rather train them and give them a culture worth staying for.
As Simon put it:
“If improving your staff makes them want to leave, that doesn’t speak well for your organisation.”
In today’s tight labour market, being an employer of choice is no longer optional, it’s survival.
The upside of career change
For all the fear around disruption, there’s a strong silver lining.
Many people who’ve been forced into a new career later admit it was the best thing that ever happened to them.
Younger generations, shaped by the pandemic, are arguably more resilient and adaptable than ever.
They expect change, and that mindset may prove to be their greatest asset.
And perhaps most importantly, employers and society are beginning to value non-linear career paths.
Having a zigzagging resume is no longer a weakness, it’s a strength.
Final thoughts
The future of work in Australia will be defined by movement, between roles, industries, and even entire professions.
It’s no longer realistic to expect a straight-line career.
The real question is: will you resist the shift and risk being left behind, or will you embrace it as a chance to reinvent yourself?
Because while career change may be unavoidable, it doesn’t have to be negative.
With the right mindset and preparation, it could well be the best thing that happens in your working life.
If you found this discussion helpful, don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast and share it with others who might benefit.
Subscribe now on your favourite Podcast player:
About Michael Yardney Michael is the founder of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He’s once again been voted Australia’s leading property investment adviser and one of Australia’s 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media.
I don’t know about you, but I hate watching TV with my phone nearby. Every few minutes, I’d check it, lose my place, and get distracted for far longer than I intended. Sure, I could put it away, but then I’d be constantly guessing what each buzz or ping might be. That anxious “what did I miss?” feeling never really goes away.
It’s not such a problem when I’m working, since I already connect my phone notifications to the PC with Phone Link. Well, guess what? With the Tv Overlay Remote app, you can do the same thing on your TV, and it’s a total game-changer. With it, you can mirror notifications for calls, emails, WhatsApp messages, and more directly onto your TV.
Keeping up with phone notifications while binge-watching
Stay in the loop without ever picking up your phone
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Nothing kills the flow of a binge session like constantly checking your phone. You pause the show, unlock your device to check notifications, and suddenly you’ve lost track of the plot. The same goes for gaming. If you’re like me, pausing every few minutes to check for messages can be incredibly annoying.
Putting your phone’s notifications on the TV can save you from constantly reaching for your device. You get a subtle pop-up in the top right corner, so you can glance at it, decide if it’s urgent, and keep watching or gaming if it’s not. It’s that simple.
Tv Overlay Remote is an app that lets you display your Android phone’s notifications on your TV. This includes everything from phone calls and messages to app alerts and even system notifications. If you don’t want to be bombarded by every alert that comes in, you can customize what appears. With this setup, I can binge an entire season, play through long gaming sessions, or watch movies without that nagging fear that I’m ignoring an important alert.
Setting up Tv Overlay Remote
Get it running within minutes
Getting started with Tv Overlay Remote is quite easy. First, you need to download the app on your TV and follow the prompts to allow a few necessary permissions—things like showing over other apps, adjusting battery optimization, and a couple of small settings to make sure notifications flow smoothly. Once the initial setup is done, a QR code will appear on your TV screen.
Next, download the Tv Overlay Remote app on your phone. Open it and use your phone’s camera to scan the QR code on the TV. Make sure both your phone and TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network—this is crucial for the notifications to sync.
Once everything is paired, any notifications you receive on your phone will instantly appear on your TV. By default, they show up in the top-right corner, but you’re free to move them anywhere—top-left, bottom-left, or bottom-right.
The app also lets you choose the notification layout. The Default layout shows all the information from the alert, the Minimalist layout trims it down to the essentials, and the Only Icon layout displays just the app icon for privacy.
Each notification appears for five seconds by default, but you can easily adjust the duration to suit your preference. Tv Overlay Remote isn’t just about notifications. When there aren’t any alerts, you’ll see a tiny clock in the top-right corner of your screen. And if you don’t want it, you can hide it with a single toggle.
See only the alerts that matter
Never get distracted by useless notifications again
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Being able to mirror phone notifications to your TV is great, but let’s be honest—most of the alerts on our phones aren’t urgent. Social media likes, app updates, or random newsletters can certainly wait while you’re enjoying your downtime.
That’s where the Tv Overlay Remote really shines. You get full control over what appears on your screen. You can choose to allow notifications from specific apps while ignoring the rest. For example, I’ve set mine to only show alerts for calls, WhatsApp messages, Gmail, and Slack. This way, I never miss something important but avoid constant distractions from irrelevant notifications.
The free version of the app already offers all the essential features, so I haven’t felt the need to upgrade. But if you want a few extra perks, the premium version is affordable too, with a one-time fee of around $5.
With it, you can mirror notifications to multiple TVs, customize the clock and notification backgrounds, and even create presets to save your preferred setup. If you have multiple TVs or want more control over how alerts appear, the premium version is a solid deal. You can check out all the available customization options on the app’s GitHub page.
Putting your phone’s notifications on your TV might sound over the top at first, but once you try it, it’s hard to go back. Now I can enjoy watching TV or gaming whether my phone is on silent, charging in another room, or buried in my bag. I don’t have to keep reaching for it or worry about missing an important call or alert.
As early autumn arrives in Yancheng, east China’s Jiangsu Province, herds of wild Pere David’s deer frolic and forage across the Tiaozini Wetlands, while flocks of migratory birds soar overhead. Located along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, one of the world’s major migratory bird routes, it welcomes countless birds each year to rest, breed and overwinter.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-16/Wild-Pere-David-s-deer-thrive-in-Jiangsu-wetlands–1GIjVTdkfny/img/3fd399fd0dc34b5ea4a17c3c91eb37c3/3fd399fd0dc34b5ea4a17c3c91eb37c3.jpeg'Wild Pere David’s deer are pictured at the Tiaozini Wetlands in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province on September 13, 2025. /VCG
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-16/Wild-Pere-David-s-deer-thrive-in-Jiangsu-wetlands–1GIjVTdkfny/img/3fd399fd0dc34b5ea4a17c3c91eb37c3/3fd399fd0dc34b5ea4a17c3c91eb37c3.jpeg'Wild Pere David’s deer are pictured at the Tiaozini Wetlands in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province on September 13, 2025. /VCG
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-16/Wild-Pere-David-s-deer-thrive-in-Jiangsu-wetlands–1GIjVTdkfny/img/3fd399fd0dc34b5ea4a17c3c91eb37c3/3fd399fd0dc34b5ea4a17c3c91eb37c3.jpeg'Wild Pere David’s deer are pictured at the Tiaozini Wetlands in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province on September 13, 2025. /VCG
The Tiaozini Wetlands, with its well-preserved environment, has become an ideal habitat for Pere David’s deer and a key stopover for migratory birds.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-16/Wild-Pere-David-s-deer-thrive-in-Jiangsu-wetlands–1GIjVTdkfny/img/1bc204af6df94dcabaef99faad4e1386/1bc204af6df94dcabaef99faad4e1386.jpeg'Wild Pere David’s deer are pictured at the Tiaozini Wetlands in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province on September 13, 2025. /VCG
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-16/Wild-Pere-David-s-deer-thrive-in-Jiangsu-wetlands–1GIjVTdkfny/img/1bc204af6df94dcabaef99faad4e1386/1bc204af6df94dcabaef99faad4e1386.jpeg'Wild Pere David’s deer are pictured at the Tiaozini Wetlands in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province on September 13, 2025. /VCG
The wetlands are designated as the core area of the “Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase I),” a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List in July 2019.
MEXICO CITY — It was pouring buckets of rain at the Estadio GNP Seguros on Saturday night, when Oasis played one of two sold-out reunion shows in Mexico City.
Lined at the entrance were tents stuffed with bootleg tour merch and fans seeking respite from the water. You could hear the sloshing of wet socks and Adidas Sambas as they price-checked knockoff memorabilia emblazoned with the Gallagher brothers’ iconically muggy faces.
For 200 pesos, you could get a T-shirt with Noel and Liam Gallagher as fighting cats, or characters from “Peanuts” and “The Simpsons.”
While a downpour isn’t the ideal weather condition for an outdoor concert — my Bohemian FC x Oasis collab football jersey went unseen under a fashionable rain parka — it was certainly fitting for a band thatroutinely, perhapsobsessively, singsaboutrain. Yet for Mexican fans of Oasis who’ve anxiously waited years to finally see the brothers reunite, it was all sunsheeeeIIIIIINE.
Outside the entry gates, father and son Santiago and Omar Zepeda, both sporting bucket hats, had a palpable buzz radiating off them as they eagerly waited to enter the stadium. It was a multigenerationally significant day for them.
“I came for the first time with my dad in ’98 at the Palacio de Deportes to see Oasis, and now I get to bring my son,” said Santiago, who came from Guadalajara with his 14-year-old in tow. “There was a moment that I said we’ll just go without tickets and see what we do. We’ll get in because we’ll get in. I feel incredible to be able to have done what I did with my father 27 years later now with my son.”
Omar Zepeda, left, and his father, Santiago Zepeda, right, attended the Oasis reunion in Mexico City on Saturday, September 13, 2025.
(Alex Zaragoza/For De Los)
In August of last year, the Manchester-bred Gallagher brothers — who had been openly feuding for decades — declared that war was over on the 30th anniversary of their 1994 juggernaut debut, “Definitely Maybe.”
“The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over,” they announced. As reunion tour dates opened, and two Mexico City stops were announced, Mexican fans expressed pure elation and flooded Ticketmaster once the sale went live. As you can imagine, it was online bedlam.
Waiting in the Ticketmaster queue filled Esteban Ricardo Sainz Coronado, 24, and Sara Pedraza, 25, with dread. The young couple came in from Monterrey, Nuevo León, but it was uncertain whether they’d make it to what Coronado called “a collective reunion that’s cultural and transcends more than music history.”
Pedraza waited three hours in Ticketmaster’s virtual line, almost missing school and her chance to secure seats as she kept getting bumped off the site. “I stubbornly kept trying and after I don’t know how many attempts, it worked,” Pedraza said. “It was such a huge relief.”
Like Coronado and Sainz, the reunion tour is millions of fans’ first opportunity to see Oasis play live, as they would have been far too young or not even born yet during their heyday. For longtime Oasis heads, it was a chance to once again be in community with their favorite band.
British bands have long had a foothold in Mexico’s alternative scenes, with fans of all ages still packing bars and venues to hear Primal Scream, Blur, Pulp and, of course, Morrissey and the Smiths. These groups have had an enduring, impassioned following that has been explored in books, articles and films, with Mexicans often feeling a spiritual and cultural connection to the U.K.’s music scene stemming back to the Beatles. Oasis could have sold out shows across Mexico 10 times over.
After acrimoniously (and unsurprisingly) breaking up in 2009, the hope to ever see the Gallaghers fill a stadium with the staple of acoustic jam sessions worldwide, “Wonderwall,” dimmed. The brothers’ endless swipes at each other in the media post-breakup didn’t give fans hope they’d get back to “living forever.” Mexican fans even prayed to La Virgen de Guadalupe that the infamously combative brothers wouldn’t break up again even hours before showtime.
“As long as they don’t fight!” said Hector Garduño, who came to the show with his partner, Sofia Carrera, from Querétaro. “That’s what we want, for them not to fight.”
Hector Garduno, left, who came to the show with his partner, Sofia Carrera, from Querétaro, attended the Oasis reunion in Mexico City on Saturday, September 13, 2025.
(Alex Zaragoza/For De Los)
Gracias a la virgencita, the tour has seemingly been all love. The skies eventually cleared up on Saturday, and the stadium indeed filled with Oasis’ soaring, anthemic bangers for 2 ½ hours. For days leading up to the Mexico City date, fans in my orbit and social feeds debated how the show would compare with the crowd at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, where Oasis played the previous weekend.
“[Mexican audiences are] on another level,” said Garduño. “I think these dudes are going to be taken by surprise. I expect jumping, screaming, crying; the emotion of hearing those songs that really move you.”
Mauri Barranco, who came to the show with her best friend, said “I feel like we give a lot of ourselves. That’s why so many artists like coming to Mexico.”
Meanwhile, Alberto Folch, from Mexico City, saw his own audience participation as a challenge. “With all the vibes, with all the emotion, we’re ready to jump, to show them what Mexico is made of,” he said. “Tonight we’re rock ‘n’ roll stars.”
The 65,000 fans in attendance undoubtedly showed up sobbing and screeching with unbridled elation. Liam Gallagher played to the locals, donning a sombrero de charro during “Wonderwall” and the show closer “Champagne Supernova.” The band sounded as if no time had passed since its salad days, with the members’ vocals and musicianship arguably tighter than ever — perhaps a positive side effect of pulling back from the rock star lifestyle now that they’re in their 50s. The sound reverberated clean across the stadium as well (shoutout to L-Acoustics, who provided the sound for the reunion tour), and was praised nonstop by fans I spoke to throughout the weekend. I heard a lot of emphatic cries of “el sonido, güey!”
I pogo’d along with my fellow “madferits” as we turned away from the stage and linked arms to do the Poznań: a signature move at every show, borrowed from Manchester City F.C. fans. During “Cigarettes & Alcohol,” we shouted every lyric and were sprayed by flying beers thrown in raucous excitement.
I’ve never felt more giddy to get splashed with spit-riddled beer — and seemingly neither did anyone around me, who shouted joyful obscenities in Spanish. Three men behind me even sobbed into each other’s chests during “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and the stadium filled with cellphone lights as Noel Gallagher crooned “Talk Tonight.”
The rain didn’t fall again, but even if it had, it would have still felt like the sun.
Microsoft and Nvidia have unveiled plans to invest up to $45 billion dollars into the UK economy, in a move that will bolster the building of more data centers as well as research and development into artificial intelligence.
The investment comes as US president Donald Trump travels to Britain, where he is expected to announce a US-UK tech deal alongside UK prime minister Keir Starmer.
As part of the agreement, Microsoft has committed to invest $30 billion in AI infrastructure over the next four years. The company claims this is the largest financial commitment it has ever made in the UK and will make up more than two thirds of the total investment announced into the UK this week, timed to Trump’s visit.
“We are focused on British pounds, not empty tech promises,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chair and president, told journalists in a virtual briefing ahead of the announcement today. “We will be good for every cent of this investment.” Half of the money will go to capital expansion— “all new money, all new investments,” Smith claimed—whereas the other half will go to efforts like a partnership with the data center business Nscale, to finance and use its facilities.
Nvidia, for its part, has pledged to spend up to $15 billion on AI-related R&D efforts in the UK. The chipmaker will not invest directly into building out the infrastructure, instead acting through its partners CoreWeave and Nscale.
This announcement comes alongside a new joint venture from Nvidia, Nscale, and OpenAI today, which plans to “strengthen the UK’s sovereign compute capabilities” through an AI infrastructure partnership called Stargate UK. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang traveled with Trump to the UK during his state visit this week.
“Stargate UK ensures OpenAI’s world-leading AI models can run on local computing power in the UK, for the UK,” said OpenAI in a statement. OpenAI will provide up to 8,000 GPUs in the first quarter of 2026 with the potential to scale to 31,000 GPUs over time. As part of the agreement, OpenAI says Nscale is set to significantly expand its capacity across a number of sites in the UK, including Cobalt Park in Newcastle, which will be part of a newly designated AI Growth Zone in the northeast.
“This historic commitment from Nscale shows how the UK can build the future of AI, together with our partners from the US,” Nscale CEO Josh Payne said in a statement. “It’s only by building world-class AI infrastructure that we will stay competitive in the global race.”
When asked to characterize Microsoft’s relationship with Nscale, Smith said simply, “We write the check, and they spend the money.”
Smith was quick to claim that the company did not get a request from the Trump administration to make an investment announcement. “We have had many conversations with the UK government, including with folks at Number 10, as you would expect, and those have been going on for months,” he said.
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OpenAI today announced upgrades to ChatGPT search that aim to deliver more accurate, reliable, and useful results.
What’s new. OpenAI’s updates to ChatGPT search focused on three areas:
Factuality: ChatGPT search produces fewer hallucinations, improving the accuracy of answers, OpenAI said.
Shopping: Search is now better at detecting when users want product recommendations, keeping results focused on intent.
Formatting: Answers are presented in cleaner, easier-to-digest formats without sacrificing detail.
Why we care. ChatGPT’s search is increasingly being positioned as an alternative to traditional engines like Google – and adoption of AI search tools is growing. Just remember that even though AI search is booming, it drives less than 1% of referrals.
Next month, Splinter Cell’s Sam Fisher is coming out of retirement in a new Netflix animated series, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch. While the show will feature a new story that’s not adapted from the games, the latest trailer for Deathwatch reveals that one of the primary adversaries is someone with a link to Sam’s past.
The previous trailer for Deathwatch had a quick glimpse of a gravestone for Douglas Shetland, who was a character in the Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory games. Douglas was also one of Sam’s closest friends, but when he turned against his country, Sam felt there was no other choice but to kill him.
This trailer briefly revisits the final moments of Doug’s life before jumping back to his grave. Sam’s decision appears to be coming back to haunt him, now that Douglas’ daughter, Diana Shetland, has emerged as the CEO of Xanadu, the corporation that’s pulling the strings of a new crisis.
Liev Schreiber is stepping into the role of Sam for the series. Michael Ironside has voiced Sam in most of the Splinter Cell video games to date, but the role was also played by Eric Johnson in Splinter Cell: Blacklist, the most recent game in the series. The Sandman’s Kirby Howell-Baptiste is voicing a new agent, Zinnia McKenna, alongside Janet Varney as Anna “Grim” Grímsdóttir, and Joel Oulette as Thunder.
John Wick co-creator Derek Kolstad is the head writer and producer for Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, and the animation was provided by Sun Creature Studio and Fost. Netflix will debut the series on October 14.
On the video game front, there is a Splinter Cell remake in development, but there hasn’t been many updates about that game since it was announced in 2022. Earlier this year, Ubisoft added Steam achievements to Splinter Cell: Blacklist, which was released in 2013.
New research being presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (September 15-19) shows that some individuals who are taking Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro find that foods taste sweeter or saltier than before.
About one in five of those participating in the real-word study, published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, perceived sweetness more intensely and a similar number were more sensitive to salt – and these changes were linked to a reduction in appetite.
“Incretin-based therapies such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are widely used for weight management but their effect on taste perception has been unclear,” says Othmar Moser, of University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany, who led the research.
“If changes in taste are linked to greater appetite control and weight loss, this could help clinicians better select therapies, provide more tailored dietary advice and improve long-term treatment outcomes for patients.”
To find out more, Professor Moser and colleagues from the Medical University of Vienna surveyed hundreds of individuals with overweight and obesity who were taking Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro for weight loss about their sense of taste and appetite.
Of the 411 participants (69.6% female), 148 were on Ozempic, 217 were on Wegovy and 46 were taking Mounjaro.
Median duration of treatment was similar for the three groups (Ozempic: 43 weeks; Wegovy: 40 weeks; and Mounjaro: 47 weeks), with all of the participants receiving treatment for at least three consecutive months. The average BMI before starting treatment was 34.7 kg/m2 (Ozempic), 35.6 kg/m2 (Wegovy) and 36.2 kg/m2 (Mounjaro).
The participants, who were recruited online, were asked if their sense of taste (perception of sweetness, saltiness, sourness and bitterness) had changed since starting treatment.
They were also asked about changes to appetite, satiety and food cravings, as well changes to lifestyle factors, such as smoking, and for self-reported data on height and weight before and during treatment.
Reductions in BMI, adjusted for duration of treatment, dose, baseline BMI, age and sex, were 17.4% with Ozempic, 17.6% with Wegovy and 15.5% with Mounjaro.
Around a fifth of the participants said that food tasted sweeter (21.3%) or saltier (22.6%) than before. Their perception of bitterness and sourness did not change.
Some 26.7% of participants in the Wegovy group reported that food tasted saltier than before, compared with 16.2% in the Ozempic group and 15.2% in the Mounjaro group. Increases in sweetness were reported at similar frequencies in all groups (Wegovy 19.4%, Ozempic 21.6%, Mounjaro 21.7%).
More than half of the participants (58.4%) reported they were less hungry in general, i.e. their appetite had decreased (Ozempic: 62.1%, Wegovy: 54.4%, Mounjaro: 56.5%).
Almost two-thirds of the participants (63.5%) reported increased satiety i.e. they felt full sooner Ozempic: 58.8%, Wegovy: 66.8%, Mounjaro: 63.1%). Food cravings were also reduced, with 41.3% of Mounjaro users reporting a strong reduction in cravings, i.e. their cravings were much less intense that before, compared with 34.1% of those taking Wegovy and 29.7% of those taking Ozempic.
Further analysis revealed links between changes to sense of taste and appetite and satiety.
Participants who reported that food tasted sweeter since starting incretin-based therapy were twice as likely to report increased satiety, compared with participants who said their perception of sweetness had not changed.
Those with an increase in the perception of sweetness were also 67% more likely to report a reduction in appetite and 85% more likely to report a reduction in cravings, compared with those whose perception of sweetness was unchanged.
Similarly, participants who said food tasted saltier than before were about twice as likely (2.17 times) to also reported increased satiety, compared with those whose perception of saltiness was unchanged.
Professor Moser says: “These drugs act not only in the gut and brain areas that control hunger but also on taste bud cells and brain regions that process taste and reward. This means they can subtly change how strong flavours, like sweetness or saltiness, are perceived. This, in turn, may affect appetite.”
However, there was no link between changes in taste perception and reduction in BMI. The researchers speculate this is because sense of taste is just one of many factors involved in weight loss.
Professor Moser explains: “Shifts in taste may affect how satisfying or appealing food feels in the moment, which influences appetite control. However, weight loss depends on many other factors – like metabolism, long-term eating patterns, and activity – so changes to taste alone may not be enough to directly drive body weight reduction.”
The study’s limitations include inability to prove causation, the self-reporting of data and the possibility that the participants weren’t representative of the patient group as a whole.
Professor Moser concludes: “Drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro may alter sense of taste, making foods seem sweeter or saltier and helping people feel full sooner and less hungry. For clinical practice, this suggests that monitoring patients’ taste changes could provide useful clues about treatment response, even though taste alone does not directly drive weight loss.
“For example, tracking changes in taste could help gauge whether the treatment is working beyond weight loss.
“It could also perhaps be used to tailor dietary advice, for example by helping patients find alternatives to foods with flavours that have become overwhelming or less appealing.”
Available research on the intersection of law with humanities and social sciences remains focused on and originates from the Global North. Perspectives from the Global South remain marginal to such discussions.
MNLU Mumbai’s Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Collective seeks to redress this imbalance by providing platforms for expression and exchange of ideas that craft and critique interdisciplinary approaches from a Global South perspective.
About the Symposium
The LHSS International Symposium is a two-day virtual event that brings together scholars, students, and legal professionals to explore the dynamic interplay between law and social sciences.
Building on the success of the first two editions, this edition of the competition, being held on 11th – 12th October 2025, aims to foster a deeper understanding of crises faced by law.
Over the period of two days, this symposium would feature some of the prominent voices in the field. The LHSS Collective hereby invites abstracts for the paper presentation at the Symposium.
The topic chosen must explore the intersection of law and humanities or social sciences. For further details regarding submission guidelines and registration portal, please refer to this brochure.
Themes
Biometrics and surveillance as a tool of tracing citizenship.
Marginalised identities, citizenship and the politics of exclusion.
Citizenship and identity in the Global South, as compared to the Global North.
Arbitrariness and abuse in detention centres.
Identities and Parochialism in India in the context of linguistic and son of the soil regionalism.
Statelessness and refugee identities in a globalised world.
Media portrayals of ‘desirable’ and ‘undesirable’ migrants.
General Guidelines
The Symposium will be conducted virtually.
Abstracts can be submitted with up to 250 words.
Co-authorship of up to 2 authors is permissible.
Guidelines for the paper will be furnished post abstract selection.
Selected abstracts for the symposium, on completion to full papers, can be considered for publication in the LHSS Journal. The publication is subject to editorial discretion.
Important Dates
Extended Deadline for Abstract Submission: 20th September, 2025
Decision on Abstracts: 25th September, 2025
Dates of Symposium: 11th and 12th October, 2025
How to Submit?
Interested candidates can submit entries via the link given at the end of the post.
Fee
The registration fee for selected presenters is INR 500/-. Detailed registration and payment form will be shared with participants selected for the paper presentation.
Contact
For any query, please feel free to email us at [email protected] or call Mitul Bhushan at +91 8273961758 or Vedika Kulkarni at +91 7666478100.
Disclaimer: WEF April, 2021, Lawctopus will not publish any ‘Call for Papers/Blogs’ by journals that charge money at the time of submission. If you find any journal doing so, please intimate us at tanuj.kalia[at]lawctopus.com
Neuroscientist Robert W.B. Love says eating a specific food before meals may curb appetite, prevent blood sugar spikes and support weight loss.
A simple dietary tweak could help boost weight loss and improve overall health. Neuroscientist Robert W.B. Love shares in his September 14 Instagram post why eating a specific food right before meals may aid weight loss and offer surprising health benefits.
Neuroscientist reveals what to eat before meals to boost weight loss and health. (Shutterstock)
Which food should you eat for weight loss
Robert explains in his post, “Eat this food immediately before a meal and this will reduce your blood sugar spikes. This can help prevent blood sugar spikes. It can reduce appetite and, bonus, it’s even great for your brain.”
He adds, “So the food I’m talking about is walnuts. Walnuts are rich in fibre. This helps fill up your gut, which is really good, and your gut bacteria love fibre. That’s excellent for gut health.”
“Walnuts, the fibre in walnuts, will also help prevent blood sugar spikes by slowing down the absorption of food. You feel fuller, so you’ll eat less at your meal, which can help with weight loss. And as a bonus, walnuts are great for your brain. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Your brain, outside of water, is made primarily of fat, so eating walnuts or other foods with a lot of healthy fat is really great for brain health,” he concludes.
What science says
According to a study published in February 2020 in the journal Nutrients, regular walnut consumption may enhance memory and learning abilities, improve motor coordination, and boost overall physical activity. The study also found that walnuts could help reduce anxiety levels, indicating potential mood-stabilising benefits, making them a valuable addition to a brain-healthy diet.
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
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News / Lifestyle / Health / Neuroscientist says ‘eat this immediately before meals to lose weight’; reveals surprising health benefits
Under the terms announced Tuesday, CSL agreed to pay VarmX stockholders $117 million up front and fully fund the Phase 3 trial of VarmX’s lead medicine, VMX-C001, designed to treat and prevent episodes of internal bleeding for patients taking blood thinners. CSL will also handle manufacturing costs and other expenses associated with pre-launch activities.
In return, CSL will receive an exclusive option to buy VarmX, which could be exercised after seeing results from the Phase 3 trial. VarmX shareholders are eligible to receive another $388 million in payments before a potential commercial launch and as much as $1.7 billion based on how well the drug sells if it reaches the market.
Dive Insight:
CSL’s restructuring plans include laying off as much as 15% of its workforce, streamlining corporate functions and spinning off its vaccine business, Seqirus. The company expects the moves to eventually produce annual savings of as much as $550 million that can be used to help fund new business development deals, CEO Paul McKenzie told investors in August.
“We want to look at opportunities to enhance our clinical and commercial portfolios,” he said.
VarmX’s work fits well with CSL’s mission, McKenzie said in a statement announcing the new deal. CSL’s Behring business, which sells a variety of drugs for bleeding disorders, brings in most of the company’s revenue. And VarmX’s lead drug has the chance to “address a significant unmet need,” he said.
VMX-C001 is designed to reverse the effects of popular blood thinners known as Factor Xa inhibitors that include Xarelto and Eliquis. Factor Xa drugs have proven highly effective in reducing the risk of blood clots and will be taken by about 30 million people in the U.S., Europe and Japan by 2030 to treat conditions such as atrial fibrillation and deep vein thrombosis, according to VarmX.
But the drugs also carry a risk of life-threatening bleeding for a small portion of patients. VarmX says its medicine offers a chance for a single-dose reversal of the bleeding, restoring coagulation without posing an additional risk of thrombosis, or blood clots.
The safety profile, if it holds up in the Phase 3 trial, will be important because a higher risk of thrombosis helped tank another reversal agent sold by AstraZeneca’s Alexion division. AstraZeneca decided to stop promoting the medicine, known as Andexxa, after an FDA advisory panel raised safety questions about it in 2024. The drug’s original developer, Portola Pharmaceuticals, had also had trouble building a market for it.
Other companies are taking a different approach to dealing with the bleeding risk for Factor Xa medicines, trying to develop next-generation blood thinners that might be safer. Regeneron late last year announced plans to advance two experimental anticoagulants into Phase 3 trials. Bristol Myers and Johnson & Johnson are testing a similar medicine.
A new apartment complex planned for Oxford Street in Bondi Junction should be a textbook example of smart city development.
The Bondi Junction project is exactly the kind of housing Australia needs: well-located, near transport, jobs, schools, shops, and open space.
Yet it faces delays from complex approval processes, including both NSW planning rules and the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
Sydney lost over 41,000 residents in 2023–24, many young people leaving due to unaffordable housing.
Without more supply in high-demand areas, inequality will deepen and cities risk losing their younger generations.
A new apartment complex planned for Oxford Street in Bondi Junction should be a textbook example of smart city development.
Sixteen storeys of housing, right next to a train line and bus routes, within walking distance of Centennial Park, Bondi Beach, shops, jobs, schools, and even the harbour.
On a site currently occupied by a car rental yard, it would convert low-value land into dozens of homes where people actually want to live.
And yet, this project is shaping up to be a case study in why Australia struggles so badly to build enough homes.
The approvals maze
Despite there being no historic or cultural heritage concerns on the site, the developer still has to secure approval not just from the NSW planning system, but also the Federal Government under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
Environment Minister Murray Watt has acknowledged the Act is cumbersome and outdated, promising reform by year’s end.
At last count, around 30,000 housing and construction projects were waiting on approvals under this federal law.
That’s tens of thousands of homes delayed while Australia faces a rental crisis, soaring house prices, and widespread affordability pressures.
NIMBY pushback from wealthy areas
The second major hurdle is local opposition.
Sydney’s eastern suburbs are among the wealthiest in the country, but they’re also among the most resistant to change.
Residents argue the towers will cast shadows over Centennial Park and hurt local character.
Former Sydney Morning Herald editor Darren Goodsir, now a senior university executive, submitted that such developments “favour profit-driven ventures” and risk creating a housing market for the wealthy.
But let’s be blunt: Sydney’s eastern suburbs are already one of the wealthiest housing markets in Australia.
Blocking new housing there doesn’t create affordability, it entrenches exclusivity.
The official custodians of Centennial Park themselves said the impact would be minor: a sliver of extra shadow for about an hour on one winter morning. Hardly a biodiversity crisis.
The YIMBY response
This fight has triggered a sharper response from Sydney’s emerging YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) movement.
Their argument, backed by economists like former RBA researcher Peter Tulip, is straightforward: every new home helps.
Even if a new apartment isn’t cheap, the person who moves in frees up another home for someone else.
Over time, that chain reaction eases pressure across the whole market.
Limiting supply, on the other hand, only drives up prices and rents further.
As one Sydney YIMBY post put it: “Step 1: Engineer a housing crisis by blocking new homes. Step 2: When somebody proposes building homes, complain they’re not affordable. It’s just so unbelievably self-serving.”
Governments are still fuelling demand
The supply bottleneck wouldn’t be so severe if governments weren’t simultaneously pouring fuel on the demand side.
Recently the federal government brought forward its first-home buyer subsidy program.
What was once capped and income-tested is now open-ended, no income test, no limit on places.
That means more buyers with extra purchasing power competing for the same stock of housing.
In fact, it is suggested that 70,000 new first-home buyers will take advantage of this scheme in the first year.
And as economist Saul Eslake dryly observed, governments keep doing this because voters want house prices to rise faster than incomes.
It’s a political cycle: homeowners vote for higher property values, governments deliver, and affordability for younger generations slips further out of reach.
The social cost of Nimbyism
The bigger picture is stark. Sydney lost over 41,000 residents last financial year, many of them young people priced out of their birthplace.
They’re moving to more affordable parts of the country, taking their skills and spending power with them.
Meanwhile, councils like Woollahra continue to oppose densification, even arguing that new apartments would be “unaffordable.”
But refusing to build more homes in high-demand areas ensures prices stay elevated everywhere.
As NSW Premier Chris Minns put it, too many communities have embraced a “culture of no.”
The result is fewer people living in well-connected suburbs than in the 1970s, despite decades of population growth.
Some final thoughts
The Bondi Junction saga highlights everything wrong with our housing system: over-regulation, self-interested local opposition, and political incentives that prioritise rising values over affordability.
If we’re serious about fixing the housing crisis, we can’t just throw subsidies at buyers or leave planning power in the hands of those who already own homes in exclusive postcodes.
We need planning reform, faster approvals, and a willingness to build more homes in the places where people want to live.
Because without change, Sydney and other capitals will keep losing their young people, and with them, their future.
About Chris Dang Chris Dang is an accountant by training and has worked in the Financial Planning industry for many years. Chris brings together property, accounting, and financial planning experience to help clients of Metropole Wealth Advisory create a holistic plan for their wealth.
The Windows 11 taskbar may look modern, but it’s surprisingly rigid. Beyond a few basic tweaks, Microsoft gives you very little room to personalize, even less than in previous versions of Windows. Windhawk is a Windows customization platform that changes all of that.
I’ve been using it for a few weeks, and it offers modules to fix almost everything I find annoying about the taskbar, from its lack of styling options to missing features that used to be standard. You can make the taskbar transparent, change its position, resize it, add new tricks, and turn the Windows 11 taskbar into something that actually works the way you want.
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Resize the taskbar with freedom
Make it taller or shorter
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
The default Windows 11 taskbar is reasonably sized, but unlike Windows 10, there’s no built-in option to resize it. It’s strictly one size fits all—and if that size doesn’t work for you, too bad.
Windhawk’s Taskbar height and icon size module lets you overcome this limitation. You can adjust not only the taskbar’s height but also the size of the icons on it. Whether you prefer a compact, space-saving strip or a taller bar with larger, easier-to-click icons, the module lets you fine-tune the layout without affecting other elements.
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Bring back the vertical taskbar
Move it to the side like in the good old days
One of the most jarring changes in Windows 11 is the loss of a true vertical taskbar. Unlike Windows 10 and earlier, you can’t just drag the taskbar to the left or right side of the screen for a more classic, space-saving layout.
Windhawk’s Vertical taskbar for Windows 11 module restores that missing feature. With it, you can move the taskbar to either the left or right edge of your display, just like in older versions of Windows. You also get control over its width so you can make it as slim or roomy as you like.
If you’re running a dual-monitor setup, it gets even better: you can keep the taskbar on the left side of one monitor and the right side of the other.
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Plenty of style options
From transparency to color tweaks, make it truly yours
When it comes to customizing the taskbar, Windows 11 itself doesn’t offer much beyond tweaking the search icon, hiding the Widgets button, or showing app labels. But with Windhawk’s Windows 11 taskbar styler, you get plenty of options that let you go far beyond Microsoft’s defaults.
You can make your taskbar semi-transparent with TranslucentTaskbar, give it a macOS-like dock appearance with DockLike, or go for a super-clean minimalist look with SimplyTransparent. And if you’re feeling nostalgic, you can even revive classic designs from Windows 7, Vista, or Windows XP, complete with their distinctive buttons and color schemes.
3
Hide unwanted icons from the taskbar
Show only what matters
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
By default, the Windows 11 taskbar displays several system icons like network, battery, volume, and more. It even adds microphone and camera indicators when an app is using them. While some of these indicators can be helpful, others just add clutter.
Windhawk’s Taskbar tray system icon tweaks module gives you complete control over what appears in the corner of your taskbar. You can selectively hide system icons you don’t need for a cleaner, less distracting look.
For instance, I find the input-language icon redundant, and I rarely use the notification icon since the Win + N shortcut opens the same panel. With this module, I can either hide the notification icon completely or have it appear only when there’s an actual alert.
2
Middle-click to instantly close apps from the taskbar
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
The Windows 11 taskbar already offers a couple of ways to close apps. You can hover over an app’s icon and click the X on its thumbnail, or right-click and choose End task if you’ve enabled that option for unresponsive programs.
Windhawk’s Middle click to close on the taskbar module makes the process much faster. With it, you simply hover over any running app on the taskbar and press the middle mouse button to close it instantly. You can fine-tune its behavior, choosing to close all instances of an app or just the active window. And if you need to force-close a stubborn program, hold down the Ctrl key while middle-clicking its icon.
1
Add important performance metrics on taskbar
Watch CPU, RAM and network usage at a glance
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
The Windows 11 taskbar is sleek, but it’s not very informative. To check your PC’s performance, you normally have to open Task Manager or a separate monitoring app. That’s a few extra clicks when all you want is a quick glance at your system’s health.
Windhawk solves this with its Taskbar clock customization module. It lets you pin real-time system stats like CPU usage, RAM consumption, or network speed directly onto your taskbar. You can also add extras such as the weather, the day of the week, or even news headlines for quick, at-a-glance updates.
Your Windows 11 taskbar is something you look at more than almost any other part of the interface, so it makes sense to make it both beautiful and functional. Windhawk’s modules fill the gap left by Microsoft and let you style the taskbar exactly how you want it. And the best part is, it’s completely free to use.
Quietly situated in the oasis north of the Turpan basin, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Jiaohe Ruins once served as a major transportation hub along the ancient Silk Road, bearing witness to the long history of the Chinese civilization.
The Jiaohe Ruins are the best-preserved, longest-lasting and largest relics of a clay-built city worldwide. For years, the country has put effort in reinforcement and preservation work of the Jiaohe Ruins, while also integrating it with cultural tourism to share the charm of this historical wonder with a wider audience.
Owing to its vital historical value, the Jiaohe Ruins were designated in 1961 as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. In June 2014, the Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor, a joint effort by China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Sixty years ago the British invasion was in full swing — beyond the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, bands like the Kinks, the Dave Clark Five, Herman’s Hermits and the Animals were all touring across America.
The Who were a late arrival, not reaching these shores until 1967 despite a slew of destined-to-be-classic singles. But the band — despite singing “Hope I die before I get old,” being famously fractious, and enduring the deaths of two key members — are still out there rocking.
More than four decades after their “farewell” tour, the band returns one (last?) time to the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday and Friday. It’s part of their “The Song Is Over” tour, which is an actual farewell tour … Kind of … Probably.
Guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend says that for now he wants to savor the moment. “I want to enjoy doing the best work I can on stage and to celebrate the music.”
While he and lead singer Roger Daltrey have been discussing this final tour, health issues and potential for future projects in one interview after another, they relished the chance to look back at what America and California have meant to them since that first trip.
“It came quite late for us but it was something we’d longed for and a huge adventure,” Townshend said in a recent interview, featuring long, thoughtful and detailed recollections of those early days.
“We were born in the Second World War, 1944 and we had rations — we were living on suet and you were living on steak here,” Daltrey said in his own interview. “For anyone born in those years, their whole dream was to have success in America. It was our dream world. In our early days, all the music we were playing was coming from America — we were mimicking it.”
The Who’s classic lineup of bassist John Entwistle, from left, singer Roger Daltrey, drummer Keith Moon and guitarist Pete Townshend perform on stage circa 1973.
(Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Townshend agrees (this doesn’t happen often), saying that both as music lovers and musicians “we owed so much to America —the blues, the Motown scene, the New Orleans scene, the jazz scene, the folk music scene and then the Beach Boys with the miraculous ‘Pet Sounds’ album was out and shaking the walls.”
The Who made two American visits in 1967, playing New York in early spring and then returning for a full tour during the Summer of Love that included multiple shows in California.
“Being in New York, staying in a fancy hotel called the Drake that was quite posh with filet steak for fifty bucks felt like the high life,” Townshend says. “It felt like a different world to us.”
The band was playing four shows a day and were on the same bill as Cream so Townshend hung out with Eric Clapton — “he was with the beautiful girls, of course. Roger was too. Keith [Moon] was busy blowing things up.”
Townshend said he made lifelong friends in those two weeks and that “to this day New York feels like a second home.”
Then came the “fantastic indoctrination into the West Coast scene,” Townshend says of hanging out with Jimi Hendrix and the Mamas and the Papas. “It was so different from what was going on in the UK.”
Roger Daltrey speaks during the 39th Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
(Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP)
They played the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco in June and then smashed up everything at the Monterey Pop Festival; they played in Anaheim that September shortly before they became a sensation with an explosive — literally — performance on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.” Keith Moon, conspiring with the Smothers Brothers’ stagehands, loaded his drum kit with a charge of explosives (equivalent to a stick of dynamite) and set them off at the end of the performance. Townshend later blamed that incident for his hearing loss and tinnitus.
Daltrey says “the days of flower power and hippies” was an eye-opening experience, but the biggest impact was the drug culture. “It was a big change in my life because the others [Townshend, Moon and bass player John Entwistle] took quite a liking to the drug culture and someone had to keep them in order, which fell on my shoulders.”
That November they returned for their first show at the Hollywood Bowl as part of the Festival of Music. It was a memorable one. It started on a high because they were supporting the Everly Brothers, Daltrey says. “Their harmonies had been with us from when we were teenagers, so that was exciting.”
Then, as was typical with the Who, things got amped up.
“When I was smashing my guitars, we liked to pretend that everything was catching fire, so Bob Pridden, our road manager and sound man, would set off smoke bombs,” Townshend says.
But, Daltrey notes, they didn’t understand that its location meant the city took safety precautions seriously. “Imagine all this smoke coming up out of the canyon,” he says. “The fire marshal came in and arrested Bob and took him to jail for the rest of the day.”
Additionally, he says, there was a moat in front of the stage (where there are now seats) and in a moment of, call it inspiration, Moon “threw his drums in there and then jumped in after them. It was quite a Hollywood Bowl debut.”
Both Daltrey and Townshend say they’ve retained a romantic view of America since that first trip.
“America has always been so good to us,” Daltrey says. “No matter how many times you hear America being criticized now, it’s still better than most places — every country’s got their problems.”
And while Townshend notes that franchises and chains have made many smaller cities feel alike, he still loves cities like L.A., “where you can walk down Sunset and it’s pretty much as it was years ago — the vibe hasn’t changed. I keep coming back to the word ‘romantic.’ It has a romantic feeling to it.”
Pete Townshend
(Yui Mok / Press Association via AP Images)
Townshend says the Bowl has vastly improved its sound over the years, and that he also likes playing the Greek but also feels indebted to Angel Stadium, where they played before 55,000 people in 1976, which he says marked an important step in rock’s transition from arena to stadium tours.
The band played Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on that first farewell tour in 1982, which Townshend knew in his heart wasn’t a farewell from the start.
Townshend says what he really needed was a hiatus. He’d been in “bad shape, having trouble giving up booze.” (One tactic was using hard drugs. Didn’t help.) He was also finding it easier to write solo material like “Rough Boys” or “The Sea Refuses No River” than Who songs.
“But we had a big record deal — I think if you quantify for inflation, it’s equal to something like $300 million today,” he says. “Probably one of the biggest deals that’s ever been done. I’m sounding like Donald Trump. Sorry. I wasn’t going to mention his name. Anyway, where was I?”
So the band was going to tour to promote “It’s Hard,” which he was dreading as he tried to get clean. He wrote a letter in a British magazine saying he was leaving the band. There was no public reaction, which at first “disappointed” him. But then the marketing folks used it to bill the tour as the Who’s final one. “And then we were selling out f—ing everywhere.”
But it created a false impression. “I should have said I’m going to take a sabbatical, because I had no idea what was going to happen in the future,” Townshend says. “I really just needed 18 months.”
The future is obviously much shorter when you’re an octogenarian, but Townshend, 80, and Daltrey, 81, are still managing to send a few mixed messages about the farewell this time around.
One thing they’ve emphasized is that this is the final tour but not the end of the Who as a live act.
“Touring has become so expensive and it’s incredibly grueling, so it’s hard to justify now,” Daltrey says.
Townshend agrees, saying that in addition to writing songs and prose, he also needs “time and space to just go off with a sketchbook and draw birds or something. Space is really important. And when you tour, you don’t have any space.”
But they will reunite, he adds. “We’ll definitely work together, we’ll do charity shows together.”
Daltrey echoes that idea, which is no surprise. He snuck in some solo shows between Who gigs this summer and still loves performing live. “Music is one of the last true great freedoms we really have but you have to play it live,” he says, even as he acknowledges that he doesn’t know how much longer he can meet his own standards. “That’s the insecurity of the artist–you never know when it’s going to end. My voice is great at the moment, but it could go tomorrow.”
And while the band already postponed two shows early in the tour because of an unspecified illness, they sound astonishingly loud and fresh still, adding new vocal and instrumental flourishes and accents to classics like “Behind Blue Eyes.”
Townshend, who has long been sparing in praise for his partner, calls Daltrey’s voice “amazing.” “He has perfect pitch and he’s singing so great, where he gets the power I don’t know.”
(Meanwhile the guitarist had a knee operation this year and “like every f—ing rock star in the world, I got addicted to oxytocin;” he got depressed but found help and is now “feeling quite chipper.”)
But when Daltrey says “We’re not stopping being a band” it’s clear the two don’t see their future the same way.
Townshend acknowledges this, predicting during our conversation, “Roger will refute everything I say.”
Daltrey responds by saying, “You’ve got to keep him on his toes. Otherwise he’ll just sleep on his yacht.”
And then he starts refuting. Townshend says of the decision to ditch long-time drummer Zak Starkey, “Roger didn’t want him in the band– they’re still good friends, so I don’t know what’s going on;” while Daltrey, in dismissing rumors of a feud with Starkey, avers that “both Pete and I decided we needed to freshen up our sound and Zak didn’t quite fit into that.” (Then, because a Who farewell tour needs some friction, after saying it wasn’t personal and that Starkey is “like a son to me,” he adds “Zak didn’t help matters….He can be a bit of a loose cannon, you know.”)
Daltrey and Townshend were never as close as, say, John Lennon and Paul McCartney; Townshend says they were just too dissimilar and never really socialized much. (On stage now, they banter about their differences but joke about journalists who can’t understand their true connection.)
“He was my protector and he was my first boss,” Townshend says. “ I’ve tried to serve him with great songs and support though I may have been a bit of a bully sometimes.”
Now, he’s curious to see if (mostly) retiring The Who can change the dynamic. “Maybe it’s time to let go of the Who brand,” he says. “It hasn’t belonged to us for many years– it belongs to the industry, the press, the fans. I wonder whether Roger and I will find something new with the Who legacy being lifted from us.”
To that end, he’d gladly write songs for Daltrey to sing as a solo artist. “It’s not difficult for me to write songs for Roger, but I think it’s difficult to write songs for Roger under the Who banner– they’ve got to be as good as “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Behind Blue Eyes” and “Baba”–f—ing “O’Riley,” he says. “And that’s not easy.”
While Daltrey is quick to say, “I love the man,” he’s also not having any of that, saying if Townshend wants to write for him, it would be for the band. “Listen, I started The bloody Who. I’m entitled to keep it going as long as I want.”
They could make another Who album if only Townshend would collaborate with him, Daltrey insists. “I can write songs. They’re just not Pete Townshend songs but if Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey wrote songs together, they might be something special.”
He is even changing some of Townshend’s lyrics to “The Song is Over,” which he also cut down for the tour. “It never worked on stage as a complete song, and the lyrics had to move on,” Daltrey says.
In other words, when it comes to The Who, both in terms of fighting and music, the song is not over.
My evidence that we’re onto something is we’ve seen a handful of content deals, and the company that has gotten the best deal by far is Reddit. We know from their public filings that last year they got close to $140 million a year from Google and OpenAI.
Hmm.
If you compare that with a similar deal that was done for The New York Times, they got about $20 million. So Reddit got seven times more than The New York Times. Why? Well, maybe it’s crazy …
I think I know where you’re going, and I’m gonna agree with you, but [$140 million compared to $20 million is] a wildly different number.
Yeah. But 20 minutes ago we both, I think, agreed that we’re nostalgic for the quirky internet …
Oh, I love Reddit.
… and there’s nothing that represents that more than Reddit. The New York Times is amazing, but if you have data from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, like how much real difference is there? Basically the facts stay the same between those, whereas Reddit is this unique content, and so we already have some evidence that the business model of the AI-driven web is going to be one that rewards the Reddits of the world more.
All right. I gotta figure out what hole in the Swiss cheese I’m gonna fill.
You know, the scariest meeting I’ve had in the last little bit was coffee with Anna Wintour. My wife was like, “You have to wear a suit.” And I’m like, “I don’t have anything.”
Wait. This is really important. What did you wear, Matthew?
It was in New York and it was a hundred degrees outside, a hundred percent humidity. The only suit I had was this light blue, fall, relatively heavy suit. So, I wore the suit.
Oh boy.
Anna probably rolled her eyes at this. But I also was just a sweaty mess. So I think it was a pretty embarrassing meeting.
This is a shocking visual. I’m sure she thought it went great. The thing about my boss is that she’s actually really, really nice. So there you go.
She was incredibly, incredibly lovely, and so thoughtful about the whole content and media industry. So I really appreciated the opportunity to get to pick her brain.
That’s really funny.
Even though my sartorial sense is pretty …
Trust me, so is mine. I know the feeling.
Before we end, I wanna play a little game we came up with. It’s called Control, Alt, Delete. What piece of tech would you love to control? What piece would you alt, so alter or change, and what would you delete? What would you vanquish from the Earth if given the opportunity?
So, delete. I’d probably say TikTok. Zero protein, very low-value content, I think, is really dangerous and damaging.
Um, control. I feel super privileged in terms of what we do at Cloudflare, so I would love to have significant influence in thinking through what the next business model of the web looks like. I don’t necessarily wanna control it, but I would love to at least control making sure that we’re rewarding filling the holes in the cheese.
Then, alt. I’m still longing for a home automation system that doesn’t suck. Because I showed up at my house in Austin and the light switches didn’t work and I couldn’t turn the TV on. You know, a smart home that was a little bit smarter.
How to Listen
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Here are just a handful of the difficulties that small businesses face when advertising on Google Ads compared to bigger brands:
Rising costs: With CPCs on the rise, it’s becoming more expensive for small businesses to drive potential customers to their websites.
With their Google Ads budgets no longer stretching as far as they once did, smaller businesses are missing out on opportunities to generate customers, while bigger brands are more likely to have the flexibility to increase their spend.
Data volumes: Google Ads features such as automated bid strategies and RSAs (Responsive Search Ads) work more effectively when sufficient data is running through the account.
However, for smaller businesses with modest campaign budgets, lower data volumes can result in it taking much longer for the system to learn. This means that they need to be more patient when waiting to see results, often needing to wait months before their account runs more effectively, a privilege that not all small businesses can afford.
Account management: Using the correct bid strategy, implementing best practices while building an account unique to your business, navigating keywords and match types… There is an endless list of things to consider in order to run an efficient Google Ads campaign.
While bigger brands are likely to have an expert on hand (if not a whole team or department), smaller businesses are less likely to have these skills in-house or be able to afford to have an agency run campaigns on their behalf. As such, many small businesses are not using Google Ads to its full potential.
Brand awareness: Even with the best product or service in the market, brand awareness can make or break PPC efforts.
Bigger brands typically benefit from stronger brand awareness among their target audience. and this recognition can drastically improve their click-through rate and conversion rate. People are more likely to purchase from brands that they are already familiar with.
In comparison, smaller businesses often do not have a strong level of awareness or visibility, leaving potential customers unaware of their existence. They therefore face an uphill battle of building awareness, trust, credibility and recognition, to persuade people to engage with them, and not the market leader.
Despite these challenges, there is still hope for small businesses.
While the PPC playing field favors bigger brands, small businesses can still compete, as long as they do so with well-rounded strategies, smart targeting, and a willingness to adapt to and keep up to date with platform developments.
Or as Hana Kobzová puts it – small businesses just need to outsmart, not outspend.
A screenshot of a comment on LinkedIn from Hana Kobzová
Dig deeper. The Google Ads mistakes costing SMBs time and money
Let’s look at three ways smaller businesses can outsmart bigger brands.
1. Focus on quality traffic over quantity
Where is the value in generating 10,000 clicks in a single day if it’s an irrelevant audience, who are not a right fit for the product or service?
Smaller businesses can benefit from focusing on a smaller segment of people, who are more closely aligned with the wants, needs and interests of their target audience, rather than casting a wide net and driving anyone to their site.
For example: If a business only provides catering services for weddings, then their keyword list, ad copy, ad assets (extensions) and landing page need to be specifically chosen to resonate with someone planning their wedding.
This will likely lead to a decrease in metrics such as Impressions and Click volume, especially if the initial targeting methods were more broad. However, the more relevant the traffic, the higher the likelihood of conversion and monetary value being driven through PPC.
2. Make every click count with accurate tracking
If businesses don’t implement Conversion tracking, then they can not accurately understand how their PPC campaigns are performing. And without understanding how their PPC campaigns are performing, then they can’t optimise them accordingly.
All businesses need to ensure that they have accurate conversion tracking, but for smaller businesses where every single penny counts, they need to ensure that their campaigns are generating real value.
3. Create winning ads without big budgets
With tools like Asset Studio now appearing in most Google Ads accounts, it’s never been easier for small businesses to create and edit images and videos for their campaigns.
A screenshot of Google Asset Studio
Small businesses no longer need to allocate budget towards costly asset production to make their ads stand out, they can create new visuals and videos directly in the Google Ads platform, saving them both money and time.
Whilst the limitless capabilities of AI are compelling – who doesn’t want to see what a unicorn with the face of a pug jumping over a rainbow would look like – small businesses should still keep to their brand guidelines and ensure that the assets they create are an authentic representation of their brand.
Expand beyond Google to reach your audience
Small businesses struggling on Google Ads have plenty of other platforms to explore.
Microsoft Advertising is an excellent alternative to Google Ads for many small businesses. Most verticals have lower CPCs and can deliver strong performance for industries that favor an older, more professional audience. It offers a similar interface and experience to Google Ads, but ads run across the Microsoft and partners network, including Bing and Yahoo.
Social media platforms, such as Meta and TikTok, offer small businesses valuable opportunities outside of the Google network. You can reach your target audience on the websites and apps they frequent.
How smaller brands can compete on Google Ads
Smaller businesses can achieve meaningful success on Google Ads by outsmarting larger competitors through:
Sharper targeting that prioritizes quality over quantity of traffic.
More robust conversion tracking.
Using the creative tools on Google Ads.
Bigger brands may benefit from sizable budgets and strong brand awareness. However, smaller brands can still be competitive on Google Ads.
It is by no means easy, but it is possible.
Dig deeper. Google Ads for SMBs: How to maximize paid search success
The next Hollow Knight: Silksong patch is on the way, as developer Team Cherry is now focused on polishing the game up further with post-launch updates. The studio says that while the first patch was focused on dealing with critical issues–and making a few boss fights a little easier—a few bugs still remain. Additionally, Team Cherry is looking to address several issues around specific tools in the game.
There’s no release date yet for the patch, but it is being tested in the public-beta branch of Silksong, and overall, you can expect tweaks and fixes across the board. For example, the Savage Beastfly in Far Fields won’t be tempting fate by being too close to lava, a softlock issue that occurred with Shaman Binding has been fixed, and an issue with the break-counter not working for certain multi-hitter tools has also been resolved. Players can also visit the Silksong help site to see what the temporary solutions are for critical bugs.
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Now Playing: I Played 10 Hours Of Silksong In One Day To Make This Video
Silksong has been a big hit since it launched earlier this month, and according to GamerDiscoverCo’s estimates, the metroidvania has sold 6 million units so far–up from initial estimates of 5 million sales shortly after launch. The firm estimates that 3.2 million sales are on Steam alone, with sales mostly focused in the US and China. If you’re looking to jump in and play the challenging game, you can check out the best Silksong PC mods to fine-tune the difficulty and out GameSpot’s Hollow Knight: Silksong guides hub for several helpful features.
Silksong Patch 2 notes
Added Dithering effect option in Advanced video settings. Reduces colour banding but can slightly soften the appearance of foreground assets. Defaults to ‘Off’.
Updated Herald’s Wish achievement description to clarify that players must both complete the wish and finish the game.
Fixed Savage Beastfly in Far Fields sometimes remaining below the lava.
Fixed rare cases of Shrine Guardian Seth getting out of bounds during battle.
Added catch to prevent Lugoli sometimes flying off screen and not returning during battle.
Further reduced chance of Silk Snippers getting stuck out of bounds in Chapel of the Reaper battle.
Fixed various instances of dying to bosses while killing them causing death sequences to play messily or out of sync.
Fixed Shaman Binding into a bottom transition causing a softlock.
Cocoon positions in some locations updated to prevent it spawning in inaccessible areas.
Fixed Liquid Lacquer courier delivery not being accessible in Steel Soul mode.
Fixed some NPCs not correctly playing cursed hint dialogues in certain instances.
Fixed Pondcatcher Reed not being able to fly away after singing.
Fixed Verdania memory orbs sometimes replaying layered screen-edge burst effects.
Fixed the break counter not working for certain multihitter tools eg Conchcutter.
Fixed Volt Filament damage multiplier not applying for certain Silk Skills.
Fixed Cogflies and Wisps inappropriately targeting Skullwings.
Fixed Cogflies incorrectly resetting their HP to full on scene change.
Fixed Curveclaw always breaking on the first hit after being deflected.
Fixed Plasmium Phial and Flea Brew sometimes not restoring as intended at benches.
Young children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder often receive medication just after being diagnosed, which contravenes treatment guidelines endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, a Stanford Medicine-led study has found.
The finding, published on Aug. 29 in JAMA Network Open, highlights a gap in medical care for 4- and 5-year-olds with ADHD. Treatment guidelines recommend that these young children and their families try six months of behavior therapy before starting ADHD medication.
But pediatricians often prescribe medication immediately upon diagnosis, according to an analysis of medical records from nearly 10,000 young children with ADHD who received care in eight pediatric health networks in the United States.
“We found that many young children are being prescribed medications very soon after their diagnosis of ADHD is documented,” said the study’s lead author, Yair Bannett, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics. “That’s concerning, because we know starting ADHD treatment with a behavioral approach is beneficial; it has a big positive effect on the child as well as on the family.”
In addition, stimulant medications prescribed for the condition cause more side effects in young patients than they do in older children, Bannett said. Before age 6, children’s bodies don’t fully metabolize the drugs.
“We don’t have concerns about the toxicity of the medications for 4- and 5-year-olds, but we do know that there is a high likelihood of treatment failure, because many families decide the side effects outweigh the benefits,” he said. Stimulant medication can make young children more irritable, emotional and aggressive.
ADHD is a developmental disorder characterized by hyperactivity, difficulty paying attention and impulsive behavior.
“It’s important to catch it early because we know these kids are at higher risk for having academic problems and not completing school,” Bannett said. Early identification and effective treatment for ADHD improve children’s academic performance. Research has shown that good treatment also helps prepare individuals with ADHD for many aspects of adulthood, such as maintaining employment, having successful relationships and avoiding trouble with the law.
Complementary treatments
Behavioral therapy and medication, the two mainstays of ADHD treatment, have different purposes.
“Behavioral treatment works on the child’s surroundings: the parents’ actions and the routine the child has,” Bannett said. The therapy helps parents and kids build skills and establish habits compatible with how the child’s brain works.
The evidence-based behavioral treatment recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics is called parent training in behavior management. The training helps parents build strong, positive relationships with their children; offers guidance in rewarding a child’s good behaviors and ignoring negative behaviors; and recommends tools that help kids with ADHD, such as making visual schedules to help them stay organized.
In contrast, medication relieves ADHD symptoms such as hyperactivity and inattentiveness, with effects that wear off as the body breaks down each dose of the drug.
Both approaches are needed for most kids with ADHD to do well. But previous studies of preschoolers diagnosed at age 4 or 5 show that it’s best to start with six months of behavioral treatment before prescribing any medication.
Rapid prescriptions
The researchers analyzed data from electronic health records for children seen at primary care practices affiliated with eight U.S. academic medical centers. They began with 712,478 records from children who were 3, 4 or 5 years old and were seen by their primary care physician at least twice, over a period of at least six months, between 2016 and 2023.
From these records, the scientists identified 9,708 children who received an ADHD diagnosis, representing 1.4% of the children in the initial sample. They found that 42.2% of these children — more than 4,000 kids — were prescribed medication within a month of their ADHD diagnosis. Only 14.1% of children with ADHD first received medication more than six months after diagnosis. The researchers did not have access to data on referrals to behavioral therapy, but since young children are supposed to try the therapy alone for six months before receiving medication, any who were prescribed medication sooner were likely not being treated according to academy guidelines. A smaller study of recommendations for behavior therapy, published in 2021, found only 11% of families got the therapy in line with guidelines.
Children who were initially given a formal diagnosis of ADHD were more likely to get medication within the first 30 days than those whose medical charts initially noted some ADHD symptoms, with a diagnosis at a later time. But even among preschoolers who did not initially meet full criteria for the condition, 22.9% received medication within 30 days.
Barriers to behavioral treatment?
Because the study was based on an analysis of electronic medical records, the researchers could not ask why physicians made the treatment decisions they did. However, Bannett’s team had informal conversations with physicians, outside the scope of the study, in which they asked why they prescribed medication.
“One important point that always comes up is access to behavioral treatment,” Bannett said. Some locales have few or no therapists who offer the treatment, or patients’ insurance may not cover it. “Doctors tell us, ‘We don’t have anywhere to send these families for behavioral management training, so, weighing the benefits and risks, we think it’s better to give medication than not to offer any treatment at all.'”
Bannett said he hopes to educate primary care pediatricians on how to bridge this gap. For example, free or low-cost online resources are available for parents who want to learn principles of the behavioral approach.
And while the study focused on the youngest ADHD patients, behavioral management therapy also helps older children with the diagnosis.
“For kids 6 and above, the recommendation is both treatments, because behavioral therapy teaches the child and family long-term skills that will help them in life,” Bannett said. “Medication will not do that, so we never think of medication as the only solution for ADHD.”
Researchers contributed to the study from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of Colorado, and Nemours Children’s Hospital. `
This work was supported by the Stanford Medicine Maternal and Child Health Research Institute; the National Institute of Mental Health (grant K23MH128455); and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (grant K23HL157615). The study was conducted using PEDSnet, A Pediatric Clinical Research Network. PEDSnet was developed with funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
The world’s fondness for matcha is about to be tested by steep price increases.
Global demand for the powdered tea has skyrocketed around the world, fueled by consumer interest in its health benefits and by the bright green matcha lattes bubbling up on social media. In the U.S., retail sales of matcha are up 86% from three years ago, according to NIQ, a market research firm.
But the matcha market is troubled. In Japan, one of the biggest matcha producers, poor weather reduced this year’s harvest. Matcha is still plentiful in China, another major producer, but labor shortages and high demand have also raised prices there.
For Americans, there’s the added impact of tariffs. Imports from China are currently subject to a 37.5% tariff, while the U.S. has a 15% tariff on imports from Japan. It’s not clear if tea will be exempted from tariffs because it’s a natural product that’s not grown in significant quantities in the U.S. — an accommodation that the Trump administration has made for cork from the European Union. The Commerce Department and the U.S. Trade Representative didn’t respond to messages left by The Associated Press.
Are you passionate about law, creativity, and creating impact through digital media?
The National Legal Rights Consortium (WICCI) is inviting applications for its Social Media Internship, aimed at spreading legal awareness, organizing digital campaigns, and building public engagement through accessible legal content.
What you’ll do?
Design carousels, reels, and awareness posts on legal rights
Create content for Instagram, LinkedIn, and similar platforms
Support live webinars and digital campaigns
Learn legal outreach, media strategy, and public communication
Eligibility
Students, graduates, or young professionals
Anyone interested in law, social media, or digital advocacy
Familiarity with Canva, Adobe Spark, or similar tools is preferred
Assessment Task (Choose Any One)
You must submit one of the following:
A 5–7 slide carousel on: “Legal Rights Every Indian Citizen Should Know”
A 60-second reel explaining a legal term (e.g., Bail, FIR, PIL, LegalAid)
Use any tool (e.g., Canva) and upload your file via the form.
Duration
Oct to Dec 2025
Minimum 3-month commitment
Perks
Certificate of Internship
Recognition for outstanding interns on NLRC platforms
Opportunity to grow with a national legal awareness network
How to Apply?
Interested candidates can apply online via the link given at the end of the post.
Disclaimer: Charging money from students for internships or from job applicants is unethical and can result in blacklisting. We strongly discourage requesting any kind of payment from interns, including processing fees or charges for certificates. If you have any concerns, please contact us at [email protected]
If a jungle safari is on your travel wishlist soon enough, make sure you follow this planning checklist for a memorable journey.
Planning a wildlife safari is thrilling, as you see the animals in their natural surroundings. It is a heart-pounding moment when a majestic animal, like a member of the cat family, such as a leopard or tiger, walks by the jeep, or a massive herd of elephants trumpeting in unison. The wild animals that you have only seen on screens or in zoos become truly goosebump-worthy when you see them in their natural habitats, up close.
Make sure you follow the dos and don’ts of jungle safari. (Representational image: AI generated picture from Freepik)
ALSO READ: Wildlife photographer Hardik Shelat shares stories behind his most iconic shots: ‘Waited 8 hours for rare lion photo’
This is why your wildlife safari preparation needs to be top-notch, so that the moments leading up to the animal spotting, and even during national park landscape exploration by car, you stay calm and collected. If you don’t plan and prepare beforehand, you may face unnecessary hassles, such as a last-minute booking rush or long check-post wait, and risk missing peak sighting times.
Gajendra Singh Rathore, managing director at Jungle Camps India, shared with HT Lifestyle the value of proper planning for a wildlife safari visit. According to him, the experience for those who plan well in advance is very ‘rewarding.’
He said, “A wildlife safari in India can be a very rewarding experience for travellers who are prepared, patient and respectful to the natural rhythm of life in forests. Taking the time to plan adds more to the experience as India’s ancient and beautiful forests and indigenous fauna are closely linked to the country’s myths, epics and folklores.”
As he said, if you make your itinerary detailed and take care of all the essentials, the journey becomes far more immersive because you are not distracted.
Here are the top tips Gajendra shared, which cover all the essentials, from time to visit to what to wear:
1. Best time to plan a visit
National parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India are generally off-limits during the monsoon season, so avoid planning your trip from July to September.
From October to March, the weather is generally pleasant with sunny days and is ideal for exploring the lush wilderness.
The summer months between April and June are the most opportune for animal sightings, especially in and around the watering holes.
2. Safari timing
Parks are open from sunrise to sunset and have fixed departures and set routes.
Opt for an open jeep or canter bus safari, depending on your preference and be prepared for some waiting time at the check-post.
To maximise sighting of animals like tigers, it is advised to take both safaris – morning and evening, because of better spotting chances of big cats.
3. What to wear
Footwear: Always wear comfortable shoes and sandals suited to the activity. Closed-toe shoes and sturdy boots are not necessary as you won’t be walking much.
Clothes:Light cotton clothes in summer and extra woollen layers, including caps, scarves and gloves for winter, are recommended.
Colour of outfit: Pick neutral coloured clothes to blend in with the surroundings.
Additional precautions: Riding an open jeep in the morning and evening can get chilly, so prepare accordingly. For occasional rains, carry a raincoat/windbreaker. Use of sunscreen, sunglasses, and a wide-brimmed hat is advisable, especially during the summer months. Carry a mask and insect repellent as they can come in handy, especially during the summer to retreating monsoon months.
4. Equipment to carry
To make the most of your safari, carry binoculars for better viewing and cameras with telephoto lens in case you would like to document the experience. The drives are usually 3-4 hours long and may have one stop for using restrooms and drinking water.
Carry a power bank if needed.
Avoid: Flash photography and stepping out of the vehicle are strictly not allowed. Using loudspeakers in the forest is prohibited. Loud music in the vicinity of the forest, in camps or lodges, is also strongly discouraged.
6. Essential documents
Travellers, including children, should always carry photo identity cards with them as per government regulations.
7. Booking
Always pre-book your stays during peak seasons or during long weekends.
Safaris can be booked the night before.
8. Transport
Jeep safaris are most common and suitable for small groups. Canter/bus safaris are available in some parks for larger groups.
But, jeeps offer a truly immersive experience even though they are costlier than group tours.
9. Where to stay
India’s national parks and wildlife sanctuaries have a sufficient number of lodges, resorts and camps that offer a peaceful and immersive stay.
Whether located within the forest or in the buffer zones, these unique retreats will make your holiday a memorable experience.
When not on a jungle safari, visitors can explore nearby villages or spend the day partaking in the number of activities that are usually offered at the accommodations.
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News / Lifestyle / Travel / Planning a jungle safari? 8 tips you should know: What to wear, when to visit and more
AllRock Bio, a biotechnology startup founded by a team of former CinCor Pharma executives, launched Tuesday with $50 million to advance an experimental drug licensed from Sanofi.
The drug, ROC-101, is a so-called pan-ROCK inhibitor the company is developing for people with pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension with interstitial lung disease. AllRock gained drug rights from Sanofi, which had acquired the drug when it bought Kadmon in 2021. Phase 2 testing could start by the end of the year.
AllRock’s launch comes just under three years after AstraZeneca acquired CinCor for a blood pressure drug it had brought into advanced testing. Its Series A round was co-led by Versant Ventures and WestlakeBioPartners. David Allison, now a managing director at Westlake BioPartners, was a partner at 5AM Ventures when the firm invested in CinCor.
Dive Insight:
AllRock’s journey began just after the ink had dried on AstraZeneca’s acquisition of CinCor. To hear AllRock CEO Catherine Pearce tell it, the team “let me take the weekend off, and then on Monday, we started looking again for drugs.”
That search led the team to a drug they’d coveted when they were running CinCor. It had been part of Kadmon’s portfolio before the Sanofi acquisition, and was just “sitting behind” the asset at the center of that deal, she said.
Catherine Pearce is the CEO and co-founder of AllRock Bio.
Permission granted by AllRock Bio
The drug, ROC-101, blocks a target known as rho-associated protein kinase or “ROCK” and that impacts a variety of cellular functions. Kadmon’s graft-versus-host disease drug, Rezurock, targets a component of the ROCK pathway, as does a marketed medicine for glaucoma and experimental treatments being developed by other biotech companies.
As a “pan” inhibitor affecting two types of ROCK enzymes, though, ROC-101 could be different. Pearce noted how a similar type of drug has been used off-label in Japan for years to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, or PAH, a condition that causes heart and lung damage. ROC-101 is “potentially more potent” than that drug, she said.
Bill Marshall, the company’s chief scientific officer, added that a pan-ROCK inhibitor might be particularly helpful treating PAH because it attacks the “inflammatory and fibrotic pathways” that effectively clog up a patient’s pulmonary arteries.
The Phase 2a study that AllRock plans to launch by the end of the year will test ROC-101 as a complementary therapy to standard treatment for PAH as well as PAH with interstitial lung disease.
AllRock is the most advanced spinout from JucaBio, a privately held biotech Pearce also oversees. JucaBio is one of many “hub-and-spoke” biotechs, or centralized companies that own a group of drugmaking subsidiares. Its goal is to form startups around assets that may not meet the criteria for advancement at other pharmaceutical or biotech companies.
“We can evaluate them critically and say, ‘well, it might not be a match to go into this particular portfolio company, but we could set up a separate entity and then concentrate the expertise in that portfolio company,’” Pearce said.
The funds announced Tuesday will carry the company through the end of Phase 2 testing, according to Pearce. AllRock may take ROC-101 further than that if a pharmaceutical partnership doesn’t arise.
“We’re laser-focused on generating the data that might be appealing to a potential partner, but we’re prepared to go the full distance,” Pearce said.
Median apartment rents across Australian capitals are forecast to rise 24% between 2025 and 2030.
By 2030, 92% of 2-bed apartments will cost more than $700/week, with one-third topping $1,000/week.
Renters will continue to face affordability challenges as demand heavily outstrips supply.
Median apartment rents are likely to grow by 24% between 2025 and 2030, across Australian capital cities, according to the latest report by International Property Consultancy, CBRE.
By 2030, 92% of 2-bed apartments are forecast to have rents exceeding $700/week (33% exceeding $1000/week).
CBRE expect that capital city vacancy rates will fall further to 1.1% by 2030 from 1.8% in 2025.
These tight conditions will endure as vacancy stays at around half of the previous decade’s average of 2.5%.
The report highlights how newly built apartments trade at a premium to older vintages.
For example, newly built two-bedroom apartments are at a 30% price premium to older apartments.
High construction costs and better amenities have also put upward pressure on rents for new builds.
Over the next 10 years, demand for housing is expected to benefit from a triple boost: rising population (+4.1 million), rising jobs (+2.8 million), and rising income (+$39k).
CBRE estimates around $960 billion of additional income in the system to support mortgage, rent, and other living expenses.
According to the report, after accounting for on-costs such as municipal rates and strata fees, it is cheaper to rent in all precincts across Australia.
Monthly rents are 30-40% cheaper than alternative buy options at current prices.
CBRE forecasts the future supply of apartments is likely to hover around 60,000 p.a. over 2025-30.
However, Australia’s projected population growth necessitates an apartment supply of approximately 75,000 annually to prevent further declines in vacancy rates.
Sydney: Apartment delivery will average 11,700 p.a. over 2025-30, well below 30,000 p.a. demand for total housing stock. Vacancy rates are set to fall from 2.0% to 1.2%.
Melbourne: Apartment delivery to average 9,000 p.a. over 2025-30, nearly 25% below Sydney. Demand for housing stock (apartments and communities) is expected to average 38,000 units per annum over the next five years. This should continue to drive down city-wide vacancy from 2.1% to 1.4%.
Brisbane: Apartment delivery to average 4,600 per annum over 2025-2030. Demand for housing stock (apartments and communities) is likely to average 16,000 p.a., which will drive down city-wide vacancy from 1.1% to 0.7%.
About Leanne Jopson Leanne is National Director of Property Management at Metropole and a Property Professional in every sense of the word. With 20 years’ experience in real estate, Leanne brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to maximise returns and minimise stress for their clients.
I love a good thriller, especially ones that linger long after the credits roll. These are the films that kept me awake, replaying every twist and turn, making me question reality and trust. The thrillers I’ve chosen maintain their tension, pulling you deeper into each scene.
If you enjoy watching movies that last with you, these five emotionally powerful films could be a good fit for you.
Have you ever woken up from a dream so real that it took a moment to remember where you were? Shutter Island taps into that feeling and doesn’t let go, slowly luring you into a world in which nothing feels certain. U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) arrives at a remote psychiatric hospital with his partner to investigate a missing patient.
What starts as a routine investigation soon feels like a trap. A violent storm cuts off the escape. The staff stay guarded, and patients offer cryptic answers that only make the case more confusing.
As Teddy digs deeper, the investigation stops being just a case and starts consuming him. Clues lead him in circles, the island grows more hostile, and every answer only raises new questions. When it ends, you share Teddy’s confusion, unsure if he uncovered the truth or walked into a trap. It still sparks debate, and some call the ending disappointing. That divide is part of what makes it so memorable.
Memento turns memory loss into a ticking clock. Leonard (Guy Pearce) can’t form new memories, so he relies on Polaroid photos, scribbled notes, and tattoos to hold on to the truth. Every decision feels urgent because he might forget why he made it moments later. His entire life revolves around a single mission: finding the man he believes killed his wife.
Christopher Nolan tells this story in a way that mirrors Leonard’s fractured mind. Most scenes play in reverse, revealing outcomes before causes, while a second timeline moves forward until the two finally meet. Each scene reshapes what you think you know, making you question who to trust and whether Leonard’s story is true.
A missing child turns Thanksgiving into a nightmare. Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) is a father whose daughter and her friend vanish that day, leaving him desperate for answers. When police detain a suspect but release him for lack of evidence, Keller takes matters into his own hands, convinced time is running out.
Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) chases every lead as they twist into dead ends, and the pressure builds with each passing day. Neighbors begin to look suspicious, the quiet streets feel hostile, and every decision carries the weight of being right or devastatingly wrong. The film makes you sit with that fear, asking what you might have done in Keller’s place.
In Gone Girl, the disappearance of Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) explodes into a media circus that overtakes the town. Reporters gather on the lawn, cameras capture Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) stumbling through interviews, and the public dissects his every move. What starts as a search for a missing woman quickly becomes a trial by public opinion, where Nick’s innocence is questioned long before the truth is clear.
The turning point comes when investigators uncover Amy’s diary, revealing a version of their marriage that collides with Nick’s story. The deeper the film goes, the more you realize neither side can be trusted at face value. Rosamund Pike delivers an unsettling and magnetic performance, pulling you into Amy’s world until you cannot look away. It leaves you weighing every reveal and asking whose truth you’ve been watching.
The Handmaiden is a story where nothing is what it seems. Love, loyalty, and even the truth keep shifting as the story unfolds. Set in the 1930s Korea under Japanese rule, it follows Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri), a young pickpocket hired to serve Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee), an heiress living under her uncle’s suffocating control. Sook-hee secretly works with Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo) on a scheme to trick Hideko into marriage so he can claim her inheritance.
Inside the mansion, Sook-hee finds a world of velvet and cruelty. Hideko is forced to read her uncle’s collection of erotic books to wealthy guests, a ritual that keeps her isolated and afraid. The longer Sook-hee stays, the more her mission collides with her growing feelings for Hideko, and the plan spirals into something far more dangerous. New layers keep emerging, and every turn raises the stakes in a game of trust and betrayal.
The stories that stay with me
These thrillers remind me of why I keep coming back to this genre. They pulled me in, made me notice every detail, and left me glued to the screen. Watch them when you can give them your full attention, because they are at their best when you let them take over completely.
Welcome to Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang, China, a place where football runs deep in the veins, and sweetness grows on trees.
In the village of Yikesak in Artux City, football isn’t just a game – it’s a century-old tradition. Since 1908, locals have played with handmade cotton-stuffed leather balls on one of China’s oldest pitches. From kids to the elderly, the love for football is as warm and enduring as the Pamir sunlight.
Then there’s Azihan Village – known as the “Home of Chinese Figs” – where over 6,200 mu (about 413 hectares) of fig orchards produce the sweetest, most sugar-rich figs in the country. The village has turned this natural gift into a thriving industry: from fresh figs to jam, dried treats and even fig mooncakes, all shipped nationwide via cold-chain logistics.
Surprise! The 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival lineup is out and it’s topped by pop stars.
Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G will headline the twin weekends of the festival, which return to the Empire Polo Club in Indio April 10-12 and 17-19, 2026.
Other notable acts include elder statesmen such as Iggy Pop, David Byrne and Devo, rock acts including the Strokes and Turnstile, pop star Addison Rae, jazz pop prodigy Laufey, EDM superstar Kaskade, rapper Young Thug and dozens of others.
The bottom of the festival poster also announces something called “The Bunker Debut of Radiohead Kid A Mnesia.” The British rock band Radiohead recently announced European tour dates.
Also at the bottom of the poster, which has become a place for the festival to announce special engagements, is the world premiere of Anyma’s “Æden.” Anyma, the project of producer and artist Matteo Miller, was the first electronic act to headline Sphere in Las Vegas.
At the top of the poster for Friday, listed between the XX and Disclosure is an act called Nine Inch Noize. German producer Boys Noize joined Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails’ on the band’s recent tour and also labeled a live collaboration as Nine Inch Noize System on Instagram.
Since its inception in 1999, Coachella has included a diverse range of musical styles, but also less-than-expected acts, such as the colorful monsters of the show Yo Gabba Gabba! and the L.A. Phil earlier this year. For 2026, another beloved L.A. institution is on the bill: Bob Baker Marionettes, of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, are listed on the poster for Friday.
Coachella has given a spotlight to some of the world’s biggest K-pop and J-pop acts in recent years and in 2026 acts including Bigbang, Fujii Kaze, and Taemin.
The 2026 edition is also a makeup show of sorts for FKA Twigs, who had to cancel her 2025 North American tour, including stops at Coachella, due to visa issues. Promoter Goldenvoice has traditionally released the festival’s lineup in January, three months or so before the event.
Tickets start at $649 for a three-day pass for Weekend 1 and $549 for Weekend 2. (If you buy a 4-pack of tickets you can save $10 per pass.) VIP passes for Weekend 1 start at $1,299 and are $1,199 for Weekend 2.
New for 2026 is a group camping option, which allows people who want to camp together to arrive at different times. There’s a 10-spot minimum and a 20-spot maximum. Each camping spot is $160.
Passes go on sale to the general public at 11 a.m. Pacific on Friday, Sept. 19 at www.coachella.com.
New Delhi, September 15: India has now surpassed Japan to become the third-largest automobile market globally, and the government is targeting the No. 1 position within the next five years, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, said on Monday. Unveiling an ambitious roadmap to position India as the world’s leading hub for automobile manufacturing, green mobility, and infrastructure innovation at the ‘International Value Summit 2025’ here, the minister said all major global automobile brands are now present in India.
“Their focus has shifted from merely assembling to exporting vehicles from India to the world,” he said. Gadkari emphasised that India’s two-wheeler sector alone exports over 50 per cent of its production, showcasing the country’s growing global footprint. He highlighted India’s leadership in electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel, and alternative fuels. “We have already launched hydrogen trucks, and pilot projects are underway across ten routes. Our aim is to lead the world in green mobility,” stated Gadkari. ‘My Brain Is Worth INR 200 Crore a Month, I Don’t Stoop Low’: Nitin Gadkari’s Sharp Retort to E20 Fuel Detractors.
With support from the private and public sectors, the government has provided Rs 600 crore in grants to fast-track hydrogen infrastructure. He also noted advancements in new fuel options like isobutanol and bio-bitumen, which are currently under active trials. India’s road infrastructure has also seen transformative progress. “India now has the second-largest road network in the world. We’ve brought travel times down drastically — Panipat to Delhi Airport now takes just 35 minutes instead of three hours,” the minister noted. Ethanol Blending in Petrol: Nitin Gadkari Defends E20 Policy, Calls Controversy ‘Paid Politically Motivated Social Media Campaign’ (Watch Video).
Key projects such as the Chennai-Bengaluru expressway and the Rs 23,000 crore Bengaluru Ring Road are set to redefine connectivity and ease urban congestion, he added. “We are converting waste into wealth. Over 80 lakh tonnes of waste from Ghazipur landfill have been used in road construction. We’ve reduced the height of the mountain by seven metres already,” said the minister. He pointed to successful trials of bio-bitumen made from rice straw, which has shown better performance than petroleum-based bitumen and helps reduce stubble burning.
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In an increasingly divided world, one thing that everyone seems to agree on is that artificial intelligence is a hugely disruptive—and sometimes downright destructive—phenomenon.
At WIRED’s AI Power Summit in New York on Monday, leaders from the worlds of tech, politics, and the media came together to discuss how AI is transforming their intertwined worlds. The Summit included voices from the AI industry, a current US senator, a former Trump administration official, and publishers including WIRED’s parent company, Condé Nast. You can view a livestream of the event in full below.
Livestream: WIRED’s AI Power Summit
“In journalism, many of us have been excited and worried about AI in equal measure,” said Anna Wintour, Condé Nast’s chief content officer and the global editorial director of Vogue, in her opening remarks. “We worry about it replacing our work, and the work of those we write about.”
Leaders from the world of politics offered contrasting visions for ensuring AI has a positive impact overall. Richard Blumenthal, the Democratic senator from Connecticut, said policymakers should learn from social media and figure out suitable guardrails around copyright infringement and other key issues before AI causes too much damage. “We want to deal with the perfect storm that is engulfing journalism,” he said in conversation with WIRED global editorial director Katie Drummond.
In a separate conversation, Dean Ball, a senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation and one of the authors of the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan, defended that policy blueprint’s vision for AI regulation. He claimed that it introduced more rules around AI risks than any other government has produced.
Figures from within the AI industry painted a rosy picture of AI’s impact, too, arguing that it will be a boon for economic growth and would not be deployed unchecked.
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OpenAI and Harvard economist David Deming today released a large study about ChatGPT usage. The analysis of 1.5 million conversations shows that the chatbot is no longer a niche tool:
Adoption is broadening globally.
Gender gaps are closing.
Most people use it for everyday tasks like writing, information-seeking, and practical guidance.
While 30% of chats are work-related, ChatGPT is used daily in personal and professional life.
Who’s using ChatGPT. In January 2024, 37% of ChatGPT users had typically feminine names. By July 2025, it was 52% – mirroring the adult population.
Usage of ChatGPT in low-income countries grew 4x faster than in high-income countries.
What people use ChatGPT for. Everyday tasks dominate – 3 in 4 chats are about writing, information-seeking, and practical guidance. Patterns of use:
Asking (49%): Advice, information.
Doing (40%): Drafting, planning, programming.
Expressing (11%): Reflection, exploration, play.
Work vs. life. Thirty percent of consumer usage is work-related, 70% is non-work.
Writing is the top professional use; coding and self-expression remain niche.
Decision support (guiding decisions and streamlining tasks) is a key way people use ChatGPT.
Why we care. ChatGPT isn’t just for work – it’s becoming part of everyday life (like Google has been for many of us since the mid-2000s). ChatGPT’s spread across demographics and geographies makes it look less like a niche tech fad and more like a core technology shaping how people think, work, and live.
Los republicanos insisten en que los recortes del presidente Donald Trump a Medicaid buscaban reducir el fraude y poner a trabajar a más adultos beneficiarios del programa. Pero los efectos secundarios pueden incluir menos atención médica para niños enfermos.
Algunos hospitales infantiles podrían perder miles de millones de dólares en ingresos una vez que se aplique por completo la amplia ley fiscal y de gasto de Trump, conocida por los republicanos como la One Big Beautiful Bill, según la Asociación de Hospitales Infantiles.
Los niños representan casi la mitad de los inscritos en Medicaid —el programa estatal y federal de atención médica para personas de bajos ingresos y con discapacidades— y en el Programa de Seguro Médico para Niños (CHIP).
La ley reducirá el gasto federal en Medicaid en aproximadamente $900.000 millones durante una década.
Ese recorte “no se consigue sin afectar directamente la cobertura y atención para los niños de Arizona, especialmente los más vulnerables”, advirtió Robert Meyer, director ejecutivo de Phoenix Children’s, un sistema hospitalario pediátrico. Alrededor de la mitad de los ingresos del sistema provienen de Medicaid.
La ley de Trump encaja con su agenda nacional, que incluye una dura aplicación de las leyes de inmigración y la extensión de recortes de impuestos que en su mayoría benefician a los estadounidenses más ricos. Se espera que los recortes a Medicaid compensen parcialmente el costo de estas prioridades presidenciales, que aumentarán en más de $3 billones el déficit nacional, según la Oficina de Presupuesto del Congreso (CBO, en inglés). Esta oficina estima que unos 7,5 millones de personas perderán la cobertura de Medicaid para 2034 como resultado de la ley.
Durante los debates sobre la medida, los republicanos afirmaron que los recortes a Medicaid afectarían únicamente a los adultos sin discapacidad inscritos en el programa y que no trabajan, así como a inmigrantes sin estatus legal en el país. “Nuestra legislación protege Medicaid, lo fortalece para las personas que realmente lo necesitan y lo merecen”, dijo Mike Johnson, presidente de la Cámara de Representantes, en el programa “Meet the Press” de NBC News, el 1 de junio. “Y vamos a eliminar el fraude, el despilfarro y el abuso”.
Pero Meyer advirtió que, a menos que se reviertan algunos de los recortes, Phoenix Children’s perdería cerca de $172 millones al año en pagos complementarios que refuerzan los ingresos regulares del sistema provenientes de Medicaid, por la atención a niños de bajos recursos cubiertos por el programa. En general, Medicaid paga tarifas más bajas que los seguros privados o Medicare, el programa federal para personas mayores de 65 años.
Estos pagos, conocidos como pagos dirigidos por el estado (“state-directed payments”), se financian en gran parte con impuestos federales a través de complejos arreglos fiscales adoptados por casi todos los estados. Según Meyer, esos pagos han permitido al sistema de Phoenix abrir más clínicas para niños, aumentar el personal de salud mental y realizar evaluaciones para detectar maltrato infantil y otros traumas.
Una disposición de la ley de Trump impondrá un tope al monto que los estados pueden pagar a cualquier hospital, incluidos los hospitales infantiles. Pero ese límite, que entrará en vigor en 2028, se implementará gradualmente durante una década. Y los hospitales ya están haciendo lobby para evitarlo. Días después de votar a favor de la ley de Trump, el senador Josh Hawley, republicano de Missouri, presentó un proyecto de ley para eliminar las disposiciones que recortan los pagos de Medicaid a hospitales.
Si no se modifica la ley, al menos 29 estados tendrían que reducir sus pagos, según un análisis de KFF, una organización sin fines de lucro dedicada a brindar información sobre salud, que incluye a KFF Health News.
En promedio, estos fondos adicionales de Medicaid representan más de un tercio de los ingresos por Medicaid de los hospitales infantiles y alrededor del 14% de sus ingresos operativos totales, de acuerdo con la Asociación de Hospitales Infantiles.
Richard Park, director en la agencia de calificación crediticia Fitch Ratings, advirtió que los recortes al financiamiento de Medicaid representan un “obstáculo a largo plazo” para los hospitales pediátricos. Según directivos hospitalarios, si se eliminan esos pagos y los estados no compensan los fondos perdidos, podrían verse obligados a reducir personal y servicios.
“Los servicios que requieren hospitalizaciones más largas o que generan menos ingresos estarán, sin duda, en la mira”, dijo Park.
Los hospitales infantiles son especialmente vulnerables a los cambios en Medicaid porque dependen del programa para aproximadamente la mitad de sus ingresos, un porcentaje mucho mayor que los hospitales generales.
Aun así, la mayoría de los hospitales infantiles mantienen una buena situación financiera, porque tienen poca competencia —Es raro que haya más de uno o dos en cada área metropolitana— y reciben un fuerte respaldo filantrópico. Además, los recortes no afectarán a todos los hospitales infantiles del país.
En 2023, Phoenix Children’s tuvo un superávit de $163 millones sobre ingresos totales cercanos a los $1.500 millones, según su declaración de impuestos ante el IRS.
Según la nueva ley, los pagos complementarios en el Distrito de Columbia y en los 40 estados que expandieron Medicaid bajo la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio (ACA) se limitarán a las tarifas de pago de Medicare. Los 10 estados que no expandieron Medicaid podrán pagar hasta el 110% de las tarifas de Medicare.
La administración Biden había permitido a los estados pagar hasta el promedio de las tarifas de los seguros privados, lo cual equivale a unas 2,5 veces la tarifa de Medicare, según KFF.
Las tarifas tradicionalmente bajas de Medicaid para proveedores de salud pueden hacer que médicos, dentistas y otros especialistas se muestren reacios a atender a pacientes del programa.
Brian Blase, presidente del conservador Paragon Health Institute y uno de los arquitectos clave de los cambios a Medicaid incluidos en la nueva ley, dijo que es justificable recortar los pagos dirigidos por el estado, ya que los estados no deberían pagar más por la atención a pacientes de Medicaid que lo que se paga por Medicare. A diferencia de los pagos regulares de Medicaid por servicios específicos, los hospitales no siempre tienen que rendir cuentas sobre cómo usan esos fondos extra, señaló.
Blase afirmó que los pagos dirigidos a hospitales infantiles y otras instituciones constituyen una forma de “subsidio corporativo”, que en muchos casos ayuda a que instituciones sólidas financieramente se enriquezcan aún más.
Agregó que los estados tienen pocos incentivos para reducir esos pagos, ya que la mayoría del dinero proviene de los contribuyentes federales.
En Norfolk, Virginia, el hospital infantil Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters depende de más de $11 millones anuales, en pagos dirigidos por el estado, para compensar lo que considera una brecha entre las bajas tarifas de Medicaid y el costo de ofrecer atención médica avanzada.
Los recortes a Medicaid incluidos en la ley de Trump “tendrán consecuencias graves y de gran alcance sobre nuestros servicios, programas y pacientes”, dijo la vocera Alice Warchol a KFF Health News. “La financiación complementaria de Medicaid nos ayuda a pagar a los médicos especializados en pediatría médica, quirúrgica y psiquiátrica que se necesitan para atender a cada niño que requiere nuestros servicios”.
En el año fiscal 2023, King’s Daughters tuvo un superávit de $24 millones sobre ingresos de $646 millones, según su declaración de impuestos federal.
Warchol explicó que el hospital ha usado los fondos adicionales de Medicaid para ampliar los servicios de atención a niños maltratados o abandonados, y para fortalecer los servicios de salud mental.
La forma en que los estados contabilizan estos pagos adicionales varía. Por ejemplo, Jennifer Strohecker, directora de Medicaid en Utah, dijo que su estado no hace seguimiento sobre cómo se gasta ese dinero.
En otros estados, como Texas, el dinero se utiliza como incentivo para que los hospitales mejoren la calidad de la atención. Allí se evalúa el desempeño de las instalaciones cada año y los resultados se publican en informes públicos.
Matthew Cook, presidente y CEO de la Asociación de Hospitales Infantiles, señaló que incluso con los fondos adicionales, Medicaid no cubre el costo total del tratamiento de sus pacientes.
Si bien algunos hospitales infantiles tienen balances sólidos gracias a la filantropía, no todos están en esa situación, advirtió Cook. Además, los recortes a Medicaid se suman a otras reducciones en fondos federales, como los destinados a la formación de médicos y la investigación.
En Phoenix Children’s, según Meyer, la pérdida de esos fondos adicionales reduciría la atención a los niños y el crecimiento de su fuerza laboral. El hospital espera que el Congreso retrase o revierta los recortes; pero no cuenta con ello, dijo.
“Vemos este período de gracia como una bendición para prepararnos y cerrar la brecha de financiación”, afirmó.
SpongeBob has gone on plenty of video game adventures, and on October 31, you can grab a physical edition of the SpongeBob SquarePants: Bundle that collects two of SpongeBob’s best games–Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated and The Cosmic Shake–into a single physical release. Preorders for the two-game collection are available at Amazon for just $35–that’s a 50% price cut compared to the digital version of the bundle that’s already available for $70 on the Switch eShop.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Bundle includes SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake on a single Switch game cartridge. The full game data for both titles is included on the cart. While it’s only getting a Switch release, it’s also playable on Switch 2.
The other game in the bundle, Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, earned similar reviews, giving nostalgic fans a massive version of the underwater town to roam around as SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Bundle
Gallery
This new Switch physical edition bundle isn’t the only way to get your SpongeBob fix. Fans can preorder the next SpongeBob game, Titans of the Tides, which puts you in the middle of a conflict between the Flying Dutchman and King Neptune. It launches for $40 on November 18 for Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. If you’re playing on Xbox Series X or PS5, check out the digital Bikini Bottom Bundle that includes The Cosmic Shake, Titans of the Tide, and Battle for Bikini Bottom for $90.
SpongeBob will also appear as a playable character in the upcoming Nicktoons Dice of Destiny family-friendly action-RPG adventure that sees up to three other players team up and hack and slash their way throughout a cross-over world featuring numerous fan-favorite Nicktoons. The game launches on September 30 for Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Physical console edition preorders are available for $50. There’s also an $80 Collector’s Edition available for $80 on PS5 and Switch that features the base game plus extra in-game content, a set of physical trading cards, a poster, a sticker sheet, and more.
For something different, check out The Patrick Star Game or Krusty Cook-Off. The former sees the lovable starfish getting his very own physics-based adventure, while the latter has you cooking up delicious meals to serve hungry customers. It’s radically different from the 3D platformers in the upcoming SpongeBob SquarePants: Bundle, so give it a look if you want something unique to help bide your time.
Against the backdrop of high market demand for effective anti-ageing cosmetics, a team of Chinese researchers assessed the clinical effectiveness of a 0.1 % pterostilbene-containing skincare emulsion against a control emulsion over 28 days with 31 participants.
The study employed a double-blind, split-face design, comparing the left and right sides of the face and using advanced instruments along with subject self-assessments. The set of instruments used, together with the findings, is reported in the team’s published article in the Journal of Dermatologic Science and Cosmetic Technology.
“Our results indicated that the pterostilbene emulsion remarkably improved skin elasticity, firmness, and reduced wrinkles, such as forehead, undereye, and Crow’s feet wrinkles, shares co-author Zhiyuan Chen, Founder of Guangzhou Luanying Cosmetics Co., Ltd. “It also increased the thickness of the epidermis layer, enhanced collagen and elastic fibers, and minimized skin pores.”
Compared to the control emulsion, the pterostilbene emulsion brought about statistically significant improvements, and all subjects expressed higher satisfaction with the pterostilbene emulsion. These results collectively demonstrated the superior anti-aging efficacy of the pterostilbene emulsion through multiple mechanisms.
According to corresponding author Xueping Chen, the findings advance our understanding of pterostilbene’s role in skincare by providing evidence of its potent anti-ageing effects and supporting its use as an active ingredient in cosmetics. “It also offers a new perspective on natural compounds’ applications in the skincare industry,” says Chen. “The significant improvements in various skin parameters and the subjects’ positive feedback highlight the effectiveness of pterostilbene, which may change the way we approach anti-ageing skincare formulations.”
The authors propose a longer study period to fully understand the impact of pterostilbene.
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Google Gemini’s latest AI feature, Nano Banana, has kicked off yet another viral photo trend. After vintage saree looks and Garba-inspired edits, the tool is now being used to create dazzling Durga Puja looks. Social media users are experimenting with AI to reimagine themselves in traditional attire, bold jewellery, and dramatic goddess-style backdrops.
Visual created using the viral Google Gemini trend.(HT.com)
The process is simple and only requires the Gemini app. Users can upload their photos, type in a prompt describing the festive look they want, and let the AI generate a stunning portrait.
Here’s how you can hop on the viral trend:
Step 1: Download the Gemini app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
Step 2: Sign in using your Google account.
Step 3: Upload the pictures of yourself.
Step 4: Enter a prompt. You can either write your own or use ready-made prompts that are circulating online.
Step 5: Tap the send button, and Gemini will generate your image. You can then download and share it.
Here are a few Durga Puja AI prompts you can try:
Prompt 1: Create a 4K HD realistic Durga Puja portrait. Woman wearing a red and white saree with traditional jewellery and festive makeup. Background should have diyas and a temple-style backdrop with soft golden lighting. Add subtle film grain for a cinematic effect.
Prompt 2: Create a retro vintage grainy but bright image of the reference picture draped in a perfect off white saree with red border with little red prints on the saree. It must feel like a 90’s movie with straight wavy hair and windy environment. Background should have Durga maa statue in a pandal and contrast drama, creating a mysterious and artistic atmosphere. I want same face as l uploaded no alteration.
Prompt 3: Create a 4K HD portrait of a woman in traditional saree during Durga Puja. She is wearing intricate gold jewellery, with a red bindi, and holding a decorated plate with flowers. Background should include blurred Durga maa statue with lights and diyas.
Prompt 4: Generate a cinematic Durga Puja look. Woman wearing a saree with red and gold patterns, styled hair, and festive makeup. Background should have a durga puja pandal with warm glowing lights. Add soft film grain and slight blur for realism.
Prompt 5: Create a 4K HD portrait capturing the spirit of Durga Puja. Woman in a red and white saree with gold borders, adorned with simple jewellery. Background filled with durga puja decorations. Keep background plain, retro-textured with subtle film grain for cinematic effect.
An experimental drug from biotechnology company aTyr Pharma missed its main goal in a Phase 3 trial, failing to help people with an inflammatory lung condition called pulmonary sarcoidosis significantly cut down on their use of steroids after nearly a year of treatment.
The drug, called efzofitimod, is aTyr’s only clinical-stage prospect, and the company believed it might help reduce the inflammation and accompanying steroid use in people with pulmonary sarcoidosis. ATyr is also testing the drug in a Phase 2 trial in systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease.
ATyr’s shares lost more than 80% of their value on the news, changing hands on Monday morning at just over $1 apiece. That stock drop leaves aTyr with a value roughly equivalent to its cash reserves, a $113 million balance Leerink Partners analyst Faisal Khurshid estimated in a client note to be worth around $1.15 per share.
Dive Insight:
ATyr staked its future on efzofitimod seven years ago when it canceled a cancer-focused project and restructured around a drug it then called ATYR1923. With the latest setback, aTyr now finds itself in a similar position, as its stock price is again flirting with a record low.
The trial in pulmonary sarcoidosis focused on reducing reliance on steroids, which some people with the disorder need to reduce inflammation. Prolonged use of high doses of steroids — which many of the volunteers in its study were taking — can cause serious side effects, requiring use of other drugs like methotrexate or Rituxan.
At the highest dose tested in the clinical trial, a monthly infusion of efzofitimod equal to 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, trial participants were able to cut steroid use to an average of 2.79 milligrams a day, compared with 3.52 milligrams a day for placebo recipients.
That difference didn’t meet the trial’s threshold for statistical significance. In a research note ahead of the readout, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Prakhar Agrawal estimated that the difference between the two groups needed to be at least 2.5 milligrams daily to meet that objective.
According to aTyr, around 53% of the enrollees taking efzofitimod went off steroids, compared with 40% of those who got a placebo. That result also fell short of expectations, as Agrawal wrote on Monday that physicians his team had consulted with were looking for at least a 20 percentage point difference to change practice.
ATyr said it plans to meet with the Food and Drug Administration to review the results and determine a potential path forward, citing the drug’s impact in the study on certain quality of life measures. But “we think it will be difficult for [aTyr] to make their case” given the “unclear relevance” of those benefits, wrote Khurshid, of Leerink.
Agrawal also warned that aTyr may have a tough time bouncing back with the ongoing trial in scleroderma-related lung disease, as that condition is in “an even riskier indication.”
Agrawal and Khurshid downgraded their ratings on aTyr shares to “neutral” and “market perform,” respectively.
Corgis are easily recognizable with their short legs, long bodies, and expressive faces. These intelligent, loyal dogs have earned a devoted following around the world. But if you’re thinking of bringing a Corgi into your home or already have one, a question that naturally comes up is: how long do Corgis live?
On this page, we’ll take a deep look into the lifespan of Corgis, including what affects their life expectancy, common health problems, tips to extend their healthy years, and what to expect as they age. We’ll also cover mobility issues many Corgis face, and how tools like dog wheelchairs from Walkin’ Pets can support their quality of life.
What is the average lifespan of a Corgi?
The average lifespan of a Corgi is 12 to 15 years. This range applies to both recognized Corgi breeds: the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. With proper care, it’s not uncommon for some Corgis to live into their late teens.
The slight differences between the two breeds don’t drastically affect lifespan. Cardigans tend to be a bit sturdier, while Pembrokes are more popular in the U.S., but both have fairly similar life expectancies.
What factors affect a Corgi’s life expectancy?
Several key factors play a role in how long a Corgi lives. Some are genetic, while others depend on the care they receive throughout their life.
1. Genetics
Corgis from responsible breeders who prioritize health are more likely to live longer, healthier lives. Poor breeding practices, especially in high-demand environments, can lead to inherited conditions that shorten life expectancy.
2. Weight and diet
Corgis are prone to obesity, which can shorten their lifespan significantly. Excess weight puts strain on their spine, joints, and internal organs. Feeding them a balanced, portion-controlled diet is critical for long-term health.
3. Exercise and activity
Despite their small size, Corgis are highly active and need regular physical and mental exercise. Staying active helps prevent obesity, supports joint health, and improves overall well-being.
4. Preventive veterinary care
Regular checkups, vaccinations, dental cleanings, and early screenings can catch health issues before they become serious. Preventive care plays a major role in a Corgi’s quality and length of life.
5. Mobility support as they age
Corgis are prone to back and joint problems due to their long spine and short legs. As they age, mobility issues can arise. Without support, these problems may lead to a decline in health and quality of life. Mobility aids like Walkin’ Pets dog wheelchairs can keep aging or disabled Corgis active, improving both longevity and happiness.
What are common health issues in Corgis?
While Corgis are generally healthy, there are some health conditions that they are more prone to. Early detection and good care can help manage many of these conditions effectively.
Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD)
IVDD is one of the most common issues in Corgis. Their long spine makes them more vulnerable to disc problems, which can lead to pain, nerve damage, or paralysis. Maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding jumping on and off furniture can help reduce the risk.
If IVDD does occur, rest, medication, or surgery might be needed. In cases where mobility is affected, a dog wheelchair can be used to help the Corgi stay active during recovery or permanently if full recovery isn’t possible.
Hip dysplasia
This is a condition where the hip joint doesn’t fit properly, leading to arthritis or pain over time. While more common in larger breeds, it does occur in Corgis. Managing weight and providing joint supplements early can help reduce symptoms.
Degenerative myelopathy
Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a progressive spinal condition that affects older dogs. It starts with mild weakness and leads to paralysis in the back legs. DM is not painful, but it severely impacts mobility. There is no cure, but supportive care and mobility aids like rear support dog wheelchairs can help maintain independence and quality of life.
Obesity-related conditions
Due to their body shape and love for food, Corgis gain weight easily. Obesity increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and mobility problems. Keeping them at a healthy weight is one of the most important things an owner can do.
At what age is a Corgi considered a senior?
Corgis are generally considered seniors at around 8 years of age. At this point, you may notice changes in energy level, vision, and movement.
Senior Corgis benefit from:
More frequent veterinary checkups
Adjustments to their diet and activity levels
Support for joints and mobility
Comfortable, low-access sleeping areas
Assistance with stairs or steep inclines
This is also the age where conditions like arthritis, IVDD, or DM may begin to show. Being proactive with health care and mobility tools becomes especially important.
How can you help a Corgi live a longer and healthier life?
Helping your Corgi reach their full lifespan potential isn’t complicated, but it does take consistency. Here’s what makes the biggest difference:
Maintain a healthy weight
Avoid giving table scraps and measure meals carefully. Use high-quality dog food that meets your dog’s age, size, and activity level.
Keep them active
Daily walks, play sessions, and mental challenges like puzzle toys are all important. Even older Corgis benefit from light activity.
Provide joint and spine support
Use ramps to avoid jumping. Offer an orthopedic bed to reduce pressure on joints. If mobility becomes difficult, consider a Walkin’ Wheels dog wheelchair to keep your dog moving safely and comfortably.
Schedule regular vet visits
Catch health issues early. Bloodwork, dental checks, and physical exams are essential, especially for seniors.
Watch for early signs of mobility decline
If your Corgi starts dragging a paw, having trouble climbing stairs, or seems wobbly, don’t wait. These can be signs of nerve or spinal issues. Early support, including physical therapy or a wheelchair, can extend their mobility and comfort.
Are Corgis prone to paralysis?
Corgis are one of the breeds most at risk for hind leg paralysis. IVDD and degenerative myelopathy are the two main causes.
In cases where a Corgi loses the use of their back legs, recovery may be possible with surgery, rehab, and rest. However, if paralysis is permanent, they can still live fulfilling lives with the right support.
Walkin’ Pets dog wheelchairs are often recommended by veterinarians and rehab specialists for paralyzed Corgis. These wheelchairs are designed to fit small breeds like Corgis and can be adjusted as the dog’s needs change. Many dogs quickly adapt and enjoy full, active lives with their wheels.
Can a paralyzed Corgi live a full life?
Yes, a paralyzed Corgi can still live a happy, active life with proper care. While the condition can be emotional for both the dog and the owner at first, dogs adjust well when given the right tools and support.
Along with a wheelchair, it’s important to keep your Corgi clean, comfortable, and mentally stimulated. They still enjoy walks, playtime, and quality time with their families. Many owners are surprised at how resilient and happy their dogs are, even after losing mobility.
Keeping your Corgi thriving for years to come
Corgis may be small, but they pack a lot of personality and heart into their years. With a typical lifespan of 12 to 15 years, and many living even longer, there’s a lot of time to build a close bond with your Corgi. Still, their unique body structure means they need a little extra attention when it comes to mobility and spinal health.
By staying on top of their weight, encouraging regular activity, keeping up with vet visits, and offering mobility support when needed, you can help your Corgi stay healthy and active well into their senior years.
For Corgis facing mobility challenges, tools like Walkin’ Pets dog wheelchairs offer freedom and independence that greatly improve quality of life. Whether your dog is recovering from injury or living with a lifelong condition, mobility support can make a lasting difference.
With the right care, your Corgi can enjoy every year to the fullest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do Pembroke Welsh Corgis live on average?
Pembroke Welsh Corgis typically live between 12 and 15 years when well cared for. Some can live even longer, reaching 16 to 17 years in rare cases.
Their lifespan is influenced by several factors, including genetics, diet, exercise, and access to veterinary care. Because Pembrokes are prone to back and joint issues like intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) and hip dysplasia, maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding strain on the spine is critical. Early detection of health issues and consistent preventive care can also extend their life expectancy.
Owners should prioritize a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and routine checkups starting from a young age. Keeping your Pembroke’s spine supported and monitoring mobility as they age can also help maintain quality of life well into their senior years.
What’s the difference in lifespan between Cardigan and Pembroke Welsh Corgis?
There is very little difference in the lifespan between Cardigan Welsh Corgis and Pembroke Welsh Corgis. Both breeds generally live 12 to 15 years, although individual dogs may live longer with proper care.
Cardigans tend to be slightly larger and have a different bone structure, which may make them less prone to certain spinal issues compared to Pembrokes. However, both breeds are at risk for conditions like degenerative myelopathy and hip dysplasia, especially as they age.
What makes a bigger difference in lifespan is not the breed variation but the quality of care the dog receives. Regular vet visits, weight management, and mobility support when needed all contribute to longer, healthier lives in both Corgi types.
What are signs that my Corgi is getting old?
Corgis usually start showing signs of aging around 8 years of age. Common signs include:
Decreased energy or reluctance to exercise
Stiffness or limping, especially after rest
Changes in weight, either gain or loss
Greying around the muzzle
Cloudiness in the eyes or vision changes
Increased sleep or rest time
Difficulty climbing stairs or jumping
Behavioral changes like confusion or anxiety may also develop in senior years. These could be signs of cognitive decline or discomfort.
As your Corgi enters its senior stage, it’s important to adjust their lifestyle. Provide joint support, reduce high-impact activity, and schedule more frequent veterinary checkups.
Can Corgis live a happy life with mobility problems?
Yes, many Corgis live full, happy lives even with mobility issues such as partial paralysis or rear leg weakness. With the right care, they can stay active and maintain their mental well-being.
Conditions like IVDD or degenerative myelopathy can cause hind leg weakness or paralysis, but that doesn’t mean the end of a dog’s active life. Dog wheelchairs like the ones offered by Walkin’ Pets are specially designed for Corgis and help them walk, play, and explore even when their back legs aren’t functioning fully.
Dogs adjust very quickly to wheelchairs, and many show a noticeable improvement in mood and energy after being fitted with one. Keeping them mentally stimulated, well-groomed, and comfortable at home are also key parts of long-term care.
How do I prevent back problems in my Corgi?
To help prevent back issues in your Corgi, focus on spine safety, weight control, and joint support. Corgis are more prone to spinal issues due to their long body and short legs.
Here are specific steps you can take:
Maintain a healthy weight. Extra weight puts stress on the spine.
Avoid jumping on and off furniture or stairs. Use ramps instead.
Support the spine during lifting by placing one hand under the chest and the other under the hips.
Use orthopedic beds to reduce joint pressure during rest.
Exercise regularly, but avoid high-impact activity.
Also, be on the lookout for signs of discomfort or stiffness. Early veterinary treatment can prevent worsening symptoms. If IVDD is diagnosed, conservative treatments or surgery may be recommended, depending on severity.
What is the leading cause of death in senior Corgis?
The most common causes of death in senior Corgis are cancer, neurological diseases like degenerative myelopathy, and complications from obesity-related conditions.
Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is especially common in older Corgis and progresses gradually. It starts with rear leg weakness and can eventually lead to full paralysis. While DM is not painful, it does impact a dog’s quality of life.
Other leading causes include:
Organ failure (kidneys or liver)
Heart disease
Severe arthritis or spinal injuries
Cancer, including lymphoma and hemangiosarcoma
Prompt veterinary care, mobility support, and weight management throughout life can help reduce risk and prolong healthy years.
What are the best ways to keep my senior Corgi active?
Keeping your senior Corgi active involves gentle exercise, mental stimulation, and mobility support. Senior dogs often slow down, but staying active improves circulation, joint health, and mood.
Try these strategies:
Go on short, frequent walks rather than long ones.
Use puzzle toys and scent games to keep their mind sharp.
Encourage low-impact play like tug-of-war or soft fetch.
Introduce water therapy or swimming if recommended by your vet.
For dogs with weakness, use a dog wheelchair to reduce strain and allow for movement.
Activity should always be adjusted based on your dog’s physical condition. If your Corgi has arthritis or a spinal issue, check with your vet before starting new routines.
How can I tell if my Corgi needs a wheelchair?
Signs that your Corgi might benefit from a wheelchair include:
Dragging back paws or knuckling
Difficulty standing or walking unassisted
Rear leg weakness or trembling
Wobbling or unsteady gait
Sudden loss of mobility after injury or illness
Diagnoses like IVDD, degenerative myelopathy, or spinal trauma
Wheelchairs provide stability and support that allows your dog to move safely and comfortably. They are especially helpful for dogs with partial or full rear leg paralysis.
A veterinarian or canine rehab therapist can help determine the right time to start. In many cases, early use of a wheelchair can extend mobility and prevent secondary issues like muscle loss or pressure sores.
Have you ever wondered why some property investors seem to build multi-million-dollar portfolios while others never get past their first property—or worse, sell up within five years?
It’s not about luck. It’s not about earning six figures. And it’s definitely not about being born into money.
In today’s podcast, I explore the common myths surrounding wealth creation and property investment with Brett Warren
You’ll learn that most people are trapped by money myths – false beliefs about wealth, investing, and financial security that sound logical but quietly sabotage their success.
So we explore 15 of the most common wealth myths holding Australians back.
If you’re serious about building financial freedom, this episode will challenge the way you think about money and give you the insights to move forward with confidence.
Takeaways
Many people are held back by limiting beliefs about money.
Taking action is crucial for financial success.
Financial independence requires understanding and planning, not just a high income.
Debt can be a tool for wealth creation if managed properly.
Investing is a process that requires strategy and knowledge.
Mindset plays a significant role in achieving financial goals.
There are always opportunities in the property market, regardless of timing.
Diversification can lead to average outcomes; focus on mastering one area first.
Home equity can be leveraged to invest in additional properties.
Having a support team can enhance your investment journey.
Also, please subscribe to my other podcast Demographics Decoded with Simon Kuestenmacher – just look for Demographics Decoded wherever you are listening to this podcast and subscribe so each week we can unveil the trends shaping your future.
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About Michael Yardney
Michael is the founder of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He’s once again been voted Australia’s leading property investment adviser and one of Australia’s 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media.
iOS 26 is here, and while everyone’s buzzing about Liquid Glass and big-ticket features like call screening, live translation, and Spatial Scenes, there’s so much more. Sure, those upgrades are flashy and useful, but they don’t tell the whole story. This update also quietly fixes some of the iPhone’s most frustrating behaviors.
Many of these improvements are easy to miss because they haven’t been talked about much. From estimated charging times and improved spam message detection to custom ringtones and smarter call history, iOS 26 is packed with thoughtful changes that address some of the long-standing annoyances.
8
See estimated charging time
Know when your iPhone will be ready to go
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Charging your iPhone is something most of us do every day, sometimes multiple times. And every time you plug it in, one thing you want to know is how long it’ll take to be ready.
iOS 26 quietly solves this daily frustration by showing an estimated charging time right on your lock screen. You can also go to Settings > Battery to see when your iPhone will reach 80 percent and then 100 percent.
Android users have had this feature for years, and it’s easy to see why it’s so useful. It helps you avoid leaving your iPhone plugged in longer than necessary and shows when you’re using a slow charger.
7
Better spam message detection
Enjoy a clean inbox
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Another iOS 26 feature that’s been on Android phones for some time is spam message filtration. Spam texts are always a nuisance and can appear at the worst possible moments with annoying promotions or suspicious links. iOS 26 makes this problem far less frustrating by improving how it filters unwanted messages.
Now, when a text arrives from someone who isn’t in your contacts, your iPhone automatically moves it to a separate folder. These messages don’t even trigger notifications or appear on your lock screen. This way, your main inbox only shows important conversations.
You can open the Unknown Senders folder in the Messages app to view them anytime. From there, you can mark a sender as known if it’s someone you want to hear from, or simply delete the message without a second thought.
6
Easily select specific text within a message
Focus on the important stuff
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Sometimes, you don’t need to copy an entire message, just a small piece of it. Maybe it’s a key detail in a long text, a snippet of an address, or a single sentence you want to translate. Until now, long-pressing a message only let you copy the whole bubble, which could be frustrating when all you needed was a tiny portion.
iOS 26 fixes this with a simple update. Now, when you long-press a message, you’ll see a Select option appear alongside Copy. Tap it to highlight exactly the text you want within the bubble. From there, you can easily copy it, translate it, or even search the web for more information.
5
View call history for a single contact
Track all calls with the people who matter most
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Previously, viewing the call history for a specific contact meant endlessly scrolling through your entire call log. However, that’s no longer the case with iOS 26.
Now, if you want to check how many times you called a friend, family member, or colleague, it’s easy. Simply open the contact’s card, tap Call History, and you’ll see a complete list of incoming, outgoing, and missed calls, all neatly organized with dates and times. It’s a small change, but one that makes it easy to keep track of your call logs.
The Phone app now uses a unified layout, but if you prefer the old style, just tap the three horizontal lines and select Classic.
4
Disable “tap recents to call”
Stop accidental calls
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
You know those moments when you’re scrolling through your call history and your iPhone suddenly starts dialing someone you didn’t mean to call? It has certainly happened to me more times than I can count. iOS 26 fixes this by letting you disable the “Tap Recents to Call” feature entirely.
Head to Settings > Apps > Phone, and you’ll see the Tap Recents to Call toggle. Turn it off, your iPhone will no longer start a call when you tap a number or contact in Recents. Instead, you’ll see the contact’s information, from where you can call, message, or FaceTime. This simple tweak can save you from plenty of awkward moments.
3
Set a custom ringtone
Finally…without complicated workarounds
If you have ever tried setting your favorite song as a ringtone on your iPhone, you know how cumbersome the process was. You either had to use Apple’s GarageBand app and deal with complicated file conversions or buy the tone from the iTunes Store. For something as simple as setting a ringtone, that’s far too much work.
With iOS 26, that’s no longer a problem. You can now set any MP3 or M4A audio file under 30 seconds as your ringtone. To do this, download the ringtone for your iPhone, open the Files app on your iPhone, and locate the file. Long-press it, tap Share in the pop-up menu, and choose Use as Ringtone. It’s that simple.
Once you do this, the audio will appear as an option in your iPhone’s Ringtone settings alongside the default tones. If you ever want to remove it, simply swipe left on it and tap Delete.
2
Get a dirty lens warning
Sometimes, it’s the small things we overlook
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to take a photo only to end up with a blurry, smudged mess instead of the crisp image you expected. Your iPhone, which once captured stunning shots, suddenly seems average.
More often than not, the culprit is a dirty camera lens. It might sound obvious, but something as simple as cleaning the lens can turn a so-so photo into something spectacular.
iOS 26 now helps you avoid this headache with a simple but clever feature. If your iPhone detects that the lens is obstructed by fingerprints, dust, or grime, it alerts you before you snap the photo. This small heads-up keeps your images sharp and saves you from frustrating retakes or endless post-editing fixes. To enable it, go to Settings > Camera and turn on Lens Cleaning Hints.
1
Customize alarm snooze options
Wake up your way with flexible snooze settings
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Alarms are meant to wake you up, not frustrate you. Yet, for years, iPhone users had to deal with a single default 9-minute snooze option. Interestingly, there’s a historical reason for the odd duration: when the snooze feature was first added to alarm clocks decades ago, designers had to fit the new mechanism into existing clock designs. Nine minutes was the longest interval they could manage without altering the mechanics, and the tradition stuck.
iOS 26 finally breaks free from this legacy limitation. You can now customize your snooze interval to match your morning routine. Open the Clock app, set your alarm, tap Snooze Options, and pick your preferred interval anywhere from 1 to 15 minutes. The default is still 9 minutes, but you can easily change it to whatever works best for you.
iOS 26 comes packed with headline-making features, but the real magic lies in the small, quiet improvements, details that long-time iPhone users will truly appreciate. It’s proof that Apple isn’t just chasing flashy upgrades; they’re also focusing on the things that matter most.
Step into Liuxing Street in Ili and you’ll instantly feel the heartbeat of Xinjiang. People of various ethnic groups, including Uygurs, Kazakhs, Hans, Mongolians and Russians, all live side by side, sharing stories, music and laughter. It’s not just about the food; it’s the vibe, the mix of cultures and the way life flows here in harmony. Every corner has a story and everyone you meet brings a piece of Xinjiang’s rich culture. Liuxing Street isn’t just a street – it’s a living, breathing snapshot of Xinjiang’s diverse spirit. Follow CGTN’s Wang Tao to discover the unique charm of Xinjiang.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s widow Tenisha Warner has confirmed her identity and addressed the public for the first time since “The Cosby Show” actor’s death.
Tenisha Warner, who married Malcolm-Jamal Warner in 2017, posted a wedding photo and a statement on Instagram on Friday, which was the eve of their wedding anniversary.
“Thank you for holding us in so much love during this tender time,” Warner wrote in the caption. “For the first time, I’m sharing a glimpse of the love that began it all. I can still hear my husband’s laugh, still feel the way he made room for every part of me — every tear, every dream.”
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who portrayed Theo Huxtable on the beloved family sitcom for eight seasons, died in July at age 54. Warner drowned at the beach while on vacation with his family in Costa Rica.
The Television Academy tapped Warner’s TV mom Phylicia Rashad for a tribute to the one-time Emmy nominee to kick off the “In Memoriam” segment at the 77th Emmy Awards on Sunday.
“He was a beloved teenager in an iconic television series who the world watched grow into manhood,” Rashad said onstage at the Peacock Theater, “and like all our friends and colleagues who transitioned this past year, Malcolm-Jamal Warner remains in our hearts.”
Although he was happy in his marriage, Warner had kept the identities of his wife and daughter private prior to his death.
“We’ve been together almost 10 years,” he said during a podcast appearance in May. “We’ve never had a fight, an argument, a raised voice or a harsh word. Not that we’ve always agreed. We’re just at a point where we have a way of communicating.”
Tenisha Warner said in her Instagram statement that River & Ember is about carrying that love they shared forward.
“River & Ember was born … from my own journey with grief and love,” she wrote about her new company. “Through story and ritual, I hope to offer families the same gifts he gave us: a sense of being held, and a reminder that even in life’s changing seasons, our inner light is worth tending.”
River & Ember will offer seasonal toolkits of stories, rituals and art for parents and children. The Warner Family Foundation will offer scholarships to young artists.
Gurugram, September 15: BMW Motorrad India has launched the all-new BMW S 1000 R in India via the CBU (completely built-up unit) route. The new BMW motorcycle comes with a roadster design mated with a superbike. It has an aggressive design, bold aesthetics and powerful performance in the segment. The BMW S 1000 R bookings open at BMW Motorrad India dealerships starting today.
BMW S 1000 R price in India starts at INR 19,90,000 (ex-showroom), inclusive of GST and compensation cess. Additional charges, including Road Tax, RTO statutory taxes/fees, other local tax/cess levies and insurance, will be levied. According to BMW Group India President and CEO Mr. Hardeep Singh Brar, “The new BMW S 1000 R is where dynamic roadster design meets the heart of a superbike. It is aggressive, agile, engineered for pure performance and is a machine that is as thrilling as it is to look at. With its bold aesthetics, razor sharp precision and adrenaline packed DNA, the ‘Single R’ is built for those who live for the rush. It is not just a motorcycle – it’s a statement.” 2026 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R Launched in India With INR 99,000 Price Hike, Lower Performance Than 2025 Model; Check Specifications, Features and Price.
BMW S 1000 R Specifications and Features
The BMW S 1000 R features a 999cc oil/water-cooled four-cylinder engine producing 170 hp and 114 Nm torque, accelerating 0–100 km/h in 3.2 seconds with a top speed of 250 km/h (electronically limited). It comes with a 6.5-inch TFT display, BMW Motorrad multi-controller, and supports the Connectivity App. It also includes Headlight Pro with daytime lights, M Quick Throttle, MSR, riding modes (Rain, Road, Dynamic) with Hill Start Control, USB charging, full LED lights, and a six-axis sensor box with ABS Pro and Dynamic Traction Control (DTC).
The new BMW S 1000 R is available in Blackstorm Metallic, Bluefire/Mugiallo Yellow (Style Sport), and Light White Uni/M Motorsport (M package). Its roadster proportions, Splitface LED headlight, and integrated rear lights create a sporty, aggressive look. The Style Sport and M package options further enhance its racing-inspired design with dynamic paint schemes and sporty accents. Auto Dealers Instructed To Show GST Price Cut Posters With PM Narendra Modi’s Photo; Congress Slams Move As Industry Estimates INR 20–30 Crore Cost.
Riders can opt for the Dynamic, Comfort, or M Sport packages. The Dynamic Package adds Dynamic Damping Control, Pro riding modes, Shift Assistant Pro, and an engine spoiler. The Comfort Package includes Keyless Ride, cruise control, heated grips, and tyre pressure control. The M Sport Package features M colours, M Sport seat, M fuel cap, lightweight battery, sports silencer, M Endurance chain, M GPS-Laptrigger, and M forged wheels.
Rating:5
TruLY Score 5 – Trustworthy | On a Trust Scale of 0-5 this article has scored 5 on LatestLY. It is verified through official sources (Official Website of BMW Motorrad India). The information is thoroughly cross-checked and confirmed. You can confidently share this article with your friends and family, knowing it is trustworthy and reliable.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 15, 2025 06:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
A renewed focus on robots would suggest that OpenAI believes reaching artificial general intelligence (AGI)—AI that exceeds human intelligence—may require developing algorithms that are capable of interacting with the physical world.
OpenAI did notable robotics research in its early years, including developing an algorithm capable of solving a Rubik’s cube using a humanlike hand in 2019. The company shuttered its robotics effort in 2021, however, to focus on algorithms including the large language models that have driven recent breakthroughs such as ChatGPT. OpenAI restarted work on robots last year, and The Information reported in December 2024 that the company was considering developing its own humanoid robots.
Stefanie Tellex, a roboticist at Brown University, says that building more effective robots will involve designing and training AI models capable of “processing high-frame-rate, high-dimensional perceptual input, and producing high-frame-rate, high-dimensional physical outputs”—meaning models that can see and act with high fidelity. Tellex is not familiar with OpenAI’s plans specifically, however.
Despite already having industry-leading models for conversation, reasoning, coding, and image and video generation, OpenAI will be racing a series of strong competitors as it seeks to develop the algorithms for more capable humanoid robots. A handful of humanoid startups, including Figure, Agility, and Apptronik, have emerged over the past few years, and some major AI companies, including Tesla and Google, are also investing in developing and testing humanoids. “I don’t see them having any magical advantage over anyone else,” says Tellex.
Humanoids are becoming increasingly popular as the hardware and software needed to build functioning prototypes becomes more common. While humanoids are still expensive and difficult to develop, new kinds of motors and other components have made it cheaper and easier to put together functioning systems. Software such as Nvidia’s Isaac robot development platform have also made it simpler to write the code needed to control and train humanoid systems.
While humanoids can perform impressive feats like dancing, they still lack the intelligence required to operate in complex and unpredictable, or “unstructured,” environments. To acquire this, they will need algorithms that go beyond a large language model’s understanding of the physical world. These systems must be able to control limbs and grippers in order to walk and manipulate physical items. Some research groups are starting to demonstrate progress in developing more generally capable AI models for robots.
At the same time, it is becoming increasingly clear that new ideas may be needed to push AI forward. The recent disappointment of OpenAI’s GPT-5 is part of a broader realization that reaching humanlike intelligence will require new avenues of research.
“They’ve asymptoted on GPT-5,” says Tellex. “They need to move towards the physical world.”
You don’t have permission to access “http://www.gadgets360.com/cryptocurrency/news/us-president-donald-trump-fed-cuts-lisa-cook-9281981” on this server.
Google added a new section to Google Search Console to show your “achievements” in the Search Console interface. This was previously only emailed as part of the receive Insights experience emails you received monthly but now there is a dedicated report for these achievements.
How to access it. You can access the “achievements” section on the bottom left of the menu bar or by clicking here and selecting the domain property.
What it looks like. Here is a screenshot of the new achievements report in Search Console:
We’re happy to bring Achievements into Search Console as a new report. Up until now, you’d receive achievements via email, and it was part of our previous Insights experience. We know users love the milestones, so we thought we’d create a place where you can check them inside Search Console. We hope you like it and reach MANY milestones.
Why we care. This is a cute way to track the progress of your site’s performance in Google Search. Google will give you these little icons and awards for hitting various milestones.
This won’t replace the reporting you need to provide to your stakeholders but they may make you smile from time to time.
Mega Man fans haven’t seen Capcom’s iconic hero in his own game since since Mega Man 11 in 2018, but the franchise hasn’t been forgotten. 2026 will mark the 20th anniversary of the Mega Man Star Force games, and Capcom is celebrating by bringing all seven titles together in the Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection.
In 2006, Mega Man Star Force was the follow-up to the Mega Man Battle Network games. Star Force introduced players to a young boy named Geo Stelar who became a new Mega Man after merging with an alien, Omega-Xis, two hundred years after the final Battle Network game. Their adventures unfolded in seven action-RPG games before concluding in Mega Man Star Force 3: Red Joker in 2008.
The seven Star Force games in the Legacy Collection are listed below:
Mega Man Star Force Pegasus
Mega Man Star Force Leo
Mega Man Star Force Dragon
Mega Man Star Force 2 Zerker x Ninja
Mega Man Star Force 2 Zerker x Saurian
Mega Man Star Force 3 Black Ace
Mega Man Star Force 3 Red Joker
Since these games were originally designed for the Nintendo DS, the Legacy Collection will feature a dual-screen style that features both screens on a single TV screen. The Legacy Collection will also have an “enhanced experience” and allow players to trade card and battle each other online.
Capcom hasn’t set a specific date for Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection beyond a vague 2026 release window. The game will be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.
Earlier this year, Capcom reiterated that Mega Man is one of its most important franchises. While there isn’t any word about a new game, the original Mega Man animated series is coming to Blu-ray on October 28.
Everybody develops presbyopia as they age – a difficulty in focusing on near objects and text – and often have to resort to reading glasses. However, the solution might be as simple as using special eye drops two or three times a day.
A retrospective study of 766 patients presented on September 14 at the 43rd Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) [1], found that the majority could read an extra two, three or more lines on the eye chart used for testing near visual acuity (the Jaeger chart) after using specially formulated eye drops. This improvement was sustained for up to two years.
Dr Giovanna Benozzi, director of the Center for Advanced Research for Presbyopia, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, said: “We conducted this research due to the significant unmet medical need in presbyopia management. Current solutions such as reading glasses or surgical interventions have limitations, including inconvenience, social discomfort, and potential risks or complications. There is a group of presbyopia patients who have limited options besides spectacles, and who are not candidates for surgery; these are our primary focus of interest. We sought to provide robust clinical evidence supporting an innovative pharmacological solution to offer patients a non-invasive, convenient and effective alternative.”
The eye drops, developed by Dr Benozzi’s father, the late Dr Jorge Benozzi of the same centre, contain a combination of two active agents: pilocarpine, a drug that constricts the pupils and contracts the ciliary muscle, which is a muscle controlling the eye’s accommodation for seeing objects at varying distances, and diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that reduces inflammation and the discomfort that pilocarpine often causes.
Patients administered the eye drops twice a day, usually on waking and again approximately six hours later, with an optional third dose if symptoms recurred or additional visual comfort was needed. The group of patients (373 women and 393 men, with an average age of 55) were divided into three groups to receive one of three eye drop formulations. Each formulation had a fixed dose of diclofenac but concentrations of pilocarpine were 1%, 2% and 3%.
The researchers assessed the improvement in how well patients could read the Jaeger chart without reading glasses (uncorrected near visual acuity) one hour after the first administration of the drops, and they followed up the patients for two years.
Dr Benozzi told the Congress: “Our most significant result showed rapid and sustained improvements in near vision for all three concentrations. One hour after having the first drops, patients had an average improvement of 3.45 Jaeger lines. The treatment also improved focus at all distances.
“Impressively, 99% of 148 patients in the 1% pilocarpine group reached optimal near vision and were able to read two or more extra lines. Approximately 83% of all patients maintained good functional near vision at 12 months. Importantly, no significant adverse events like increased intraocular pressure or retinal detachment were observed.”
In the 2% group, 69% of 248 patients were able to read three or more extra lines on the Jaeger chart, and in the 3% group, 84% of 370 patients could read three or more extra lines.
The improvement in the patients’ vision was sustained for up to two years, with a median duration of 434 days. Adverse side effects were mild, with the most common being temporary dim vision, which occurred in 32% of cases, irritation when the drops were instilled (3.7%) and headache (3.8%). No patients discontinued the treatment.
Common adverse side effects of pilocarpine can also include eye redness, watery eyes, blurred vision, dim or dark vision, sensitivity to light or problems changing focus between objects, seeing flashes of light or “floaters” in vision, and, in rare cases, detached retinas.
Dr Benozzi continued: “Nearly all patients experienced positive improvements in near visual acuity, although the magnitude of the improvement depended on the status of their vision before treatment at baseline. Our study revealed that optimal pilocarpine concentrations could be individualized depending on the baseline severity of presbyopia as assessed by the initial Jaeger scores. Patients with less severe presbyopia responded best to 1% concentrations, while those with more advanced presbyopia required higher 2% or 3% concentrations to achieve significant visual improvement.”
She concluded: “These results suggest this combination therapy offers a safe, effective, and well-tolerated alternative to traditional presbyopia management. It significantly reduces dependence on reading glasses, providing a convenient, non-invasive option for patients, although these eye drops may not eliminate the need for glasses in all individuals.
“Importantly, this treatment is not intended to replace surgical interventions, but rather to serve as a valuable solution for patients who need safe, effective, and personalised alternatives and seek freedom from the inconvenience of eyewear. Eye care professionals now have an evidence-based pharmacological option that expands the spectrum of presbyopia care beyond glasses and surgery.”
Besides the group of patients in this study, Dr Benozzi has other patients who have received the treatment for more than ten years. Dr Benozzi plans further research to measure improvements in patients’ quality of life, and to explore the underlying physiological mechanisms of the eye drops.
Strengths of the study include the large number of patients included and the long follow-up time. It is the first systematic evaluation comparing three different pilocarpine concentrations in combination with diclofenac. A limitation is that it is a retrospective, single-centre study, which could limit the generalizability of the findings and introduce selection bias.
ESCRS President-Elect, Professor Burkhard Dick, chair of the ophthalmology department at the University Eye Hospital Bochum, Germany, was not involved in the research. He commented: “While surgery for age-related near vision loss has advanced, some patients are not candidates. The single-centre retrospective study by Dr Benozzi suggests that eye drops containing pilocarpine and diclofenac may improve near vision for up to two years, but the limited design means the results may not apply to everyone. Long-term pilocarpine use can sometimes cause side effects such as reduced night vision, dimmer vision in low light, eye strain, irritation and, in rare cases, retinal detachment, while prolonged topical NSAID use may pose corneal risks. Broader, long-term, multi-centre studies are needed to confirm safety and effectiveness before this treatment can be widely recommended.”
Notes
Abstract number: ESCRS25-FP-3944, ‘Dose-dependent efficacy and safety of pilocarpine-diclofenac eye drops for presbyopia: a real-world single-center study,” by Giovanna Benozzi et al. Free paper session on ‘Miscellaneous topics in cataract and refractive surgery’, 16:30-18:00 hrs CEST, Sunday, September 14, https://pag.virtual-meeting.org/escrs/escrs2025/en-GB/pag/presentation/570375
From razors to clothes, deodorants to dry cleaning, women often end up paying more than men for nearly identical products and services. This hidden cost, known as the Pink Tax, quietly drains women’s finances and reinforces everyday inequality. It’s an issue that deserves more than silence, it deserves voices, stories, research, and collective questioning. That’s where Her Opinion Circle comes in.
What is the Her Opinion Circle?
The Her Opinion Circle is a unique women-only space where voices meet – students, writers, researchers, professionals, and everyday observers to reflect on critical issues that shape women’s lives. Unlike a formal seminar or a one-sided lecture, it’s an inclusive dialogue where every perspective is valued.
This time, we gather to talk about the Pink Tax: its presence in our daily lives, its impact on women’s economic independence, and what we can do to challenge it.
Why Should You Join?
This is not just another discussion, it’s an opportunity to:
Voice your perspective in a safe, empowering environment.
Learn and exchange ideas from peers who have researched, written, or personally experienced the effects of the Pink Tax.
Get featured! Selected insights and write-ups may be published on Her Opinion’s platforms, with full credits.
Network with changemakers – meet students, researchers, and thinkers passionate about gender equality and social justice.
Spark new thinking – because sometimes, one voice can shift the conversation in powerful ways.
Earn a Certificate of Participation valuable for students to add to their CVs and LinkedIn profiles.
Event Details
Date: 21 September 2025
Time: 11:00 AM
Venue: Virtual (Link will be shared with the participants via email after registration)
Who Can Join?
Students curious about gender issues
Writers, bloggers, and researchers with published or unpublished work
Young professionals and change-seekers
Anyone who has ever wondered why being a woman costs more
Whether you’ve published papers, written blogs, or simply noticed the unfairness at the checkout counter – your opinion belongs here.
How to Register?
Interested candidates can register online via the link given at the end of the post.
The history of diversity in clinical trial populations tells a stark story about medical research in America. Despite decades of regulatory pressure, clinical trials too often exclude some of the very populations they’re meant to serve. Women, members of racial and ethnic minority groups, rural patients, and older adults remain significantly underrepresented in studies that determine whether new drugs and devices work — and for whom.
Under traditional methods, when cancer treatments are studied mainly in urban academic medical centers, the needs of rural patients might never be reflected in life-saving therapies. And when a cardiovascular drug is tested primarily on white men in their 50s, doctors don’t know how it might work for a 70-year-old Latino woman with diabetes.
It’s not only a matter of selective recruitment. “Some groups are just far less likely to participate in clinical trials,” said Rachel Richesson, a clinical professor of learning health sciences at the University of Michigan Medical School. “They might be less trusting of the system. They might have fewer resources. They often can be more time limited. They might have transportation issues. And our drug development processes haven’t yet figured out how to clear those obstacles.”
To overcome those longstanding challenges, pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations (CROs) — which conduct clinical trials for companies that develop medications and medical devices — are turning to new technologies configured for clinical trials. The trend is nascent but decidedly promising, for patients and pharmaceutical companies alike.
Solutions are now being fine-tuned for clinical trials, to help overcome this fundamental public-health problem. The technology can integrate information from a variety of disparate sources, such as patient registries, claims data, electronic medical records, population health platforms, and device-specific data feeds, to name just a few. And once that information is pulled together, AI tools can enable the organizers of clinical trials to make strategic use of what might otherwise be a welter of bewildering data.
A more inclusive setup would be an AI-powered integrated clinical trial platform connecting the healthcare ecosystem so that “as a pharma company I come in, design my clinical trial protocol, I design my data-gathering forms and execute my trials with holistic visibility,’’ said Siddhartha Bhattacharya, who specializes in healthcare operations, AI, design and product management at the management consultancy PwC. “It would be a huge benefit,” Bhattacharya said, “because it can give pharma companies visibility into the overall process and enable healthcare providers and patients’ flexibility to participate in a trial.”
Historical barriers to clinical trial diversity
For decades, researchers have defaulted to recruiting from easily accessible populations — typically white, male, urban patients who could regularly visit major medical centers. In the past, there was a bias against including women on grounds that menstrual cycles could complicate the findings. And abusive research like the federal government’s 40-year “Untreated Syphilis Study at Tuskegee” had made many Black Americans wary of medical studies.
Economic pressures have compounded the problem. Getting new drugs from the laboratory to market takes between 10 and 15 years, and costs more than $2.5 billion on average, creating incentives to prioritize efficiency over inclusivity.
“If a drug is second to market in its target indication, it can mean a significant dropoff in revenue potential for the pharma company, ” explained Sharmin Nasrullah, General Manager of Life Sciences Clinical Development at Salesforce. “Being first in this race maximizes market share and provides a longer period of exclusivity.”
Starting up each clinical site also costs millions of dollars, pushing companies toward familiar, high-performing locations rather than venturing into new communities. The result is a self-perpetuating cycle: Trials too often fail to represent real-world patient populations, limiting evidence for how treatments worked across different groups.
Another challenge: Reaching a prospective patient pool representative of the broader population.
“One of the hardest parts of recruiting patients is raising awareness among historically underrepresented patient groups about the existence and value of clinical trials,’’ said Ali Ahmed, Salesforce Global Head of Industry Innovation for Pharmaceuticals and Therapeutics. That’s why recruitment for clinical trials, he said, should use the same digital techniques that consumer-products companies now rely on to reach the broadest audience.
“We can create opportunities to engage with a whole new demographic of patients,” Ahmed said, “whether it’s through social media or mobile or digital capabilities that, traditionally, pharmaceutical companies just didn’t even think about.”
Overcoming disconnected data
Another major obstacle to clinical trial diversity is data fragmentation. Clinical trial operations today rely on disconnected systems, each holding pieces of the recruitment puzzle but unable to communicate with others to piece it all together.
“The clinical trial and marketing platforms are often disconnected from each other,” said Magon Mair, Director of Solution Engineering for Wilco Source, a company that helps pharmaceutical companies implement clinical trial and other life sciences industry solutions using Salesforce technologies. The phone systems are separate. The websites are separate. Their email isn’t connected to their CRM.”
”Even when potential clinical trial participants do express interest,” Mair said, responses typically “take one to three days with some CROs right now” as a result of those disjointed data systems. “As a patient,” she said, “my expectation is to get an email back quickly while I’m excited and interested.”
Not only do these disconnected systems cause delays, Mair said, but they also prevent recruiters from answering basic questions about potential recruits: Do they prefer texts or phone calls? What’s their preferred language? What other trials might they qualify for? The data exists somewhere. But when scattered across platforms, it remains practically useless.
The AI advantage
Unified data also improves AI outputs. For example, by drawing up-to-date information from a variety of an organization’s systems, an AI agent can more effectively synthesize information to match participants with the right trials or identify the best sites for a given study.
Mair has customized multiple Salesforce Life Sciences Cloud to help CROs do just that. “They can take all those different forms of data wherever it’s coming from — be it a form, a phone call, an email, even a piece of paper — and consume that information and make it meaningful,” she said.
The impact can be immediate. Mair demonstrated how CROs can reduce the participant response time to 15 minutes from three days. For patients dealing with serious illnesses, that responsiveness can mean the difference between enrollment and a missed opportunity.
Likewise, if a patient from an underrepresented ethnic group “screens out” of one trial — say, a diabetes study that excludes smokers — AI tools can immediately identify other research opportunities, like a hypertension study that needs smokers from that patient’s ethnic group.
With the latest patient data, AI systems can also analyze recruitment patterns in real time, proactively flagging demographic imbalances to trial operators before they become problems, Mair said. This capability, in particular, is embedded in Salesforce’s Agentforce platform, which helps healthcare and life sciences companies build and deploy AI agents that automate tasks.
“The AI can pull information that says, ‘We’ve got too many people on this trial who are 40 to 50 years old,’” she said. “Go find people who are 20 to 40 who qualify, so we can balance this out.'”
Meeting patients where they are
The most promising applications combine technological efficiency with a deeper understanding of human behavior and community needs — right down to local logistical challenges. Clinical trials conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that the studies could extend beyond traditional medical centers to include telehealth visits, home-based care, and partnerships with local healthcare providers.
This decentralized approach has created new opportunities for inclusion, but also additional data integration challenges: Information now flows from wearable devices, home visits, local clinics, and community health centers.
Platforms like Life Sciences Cloud and Agentforce can not only absorb and synthesize data from these previously inaccessible sources. They can use it to autonomously gather previous generations of clinical trial recruiters could only dream of — like identifying patients at risk of dropping out and identifying the obstacles they are facing. Then AI agents can proactively solve those problems on the patient’s behalf.
Take, for instance, a patient who lives in a neighborhood where buses typically run late on weekday afternoons. Life Sciences Cloud’s recruitment technology can identify that as a risk factor for patients in that neighborhood who rely on public transportation to get to their appointments on time, and arrange for an Uber or Lyft to pick them up instead (at no expense to the patient).
The patient gets notified of the arrangement via email or text — again, depending on their preference — and their risk of dropping out plummets. “This is the kind of personalized patient engagement that’s needed to meet patients where they are,” Nasrullah said.
Richesson, of the University of Michigan, sees potential for sophisticated community-based applications of the technology as well. “You could potentially look across the system and see how people reached out to participants, like how many contacts it took a research coordinator to reach someone,” she said. “You might have to make 15 calls to recruit someone from a particular geographic area or patient population.”
By analyzing these patterns and combining them with community data, the technology could help researchers develop community-engagement strategies for different populations, she added. “Connection-building and trust are paramount,” Richesson said. “This is still fundamentally a human problem. We’re asking people to give up their time and take a risk for us.”
Trending in the right direction
Early results suggest the industry’s adoption of data-and AI-driven technologies is paying off. Mair, for instance, noted that schedule-to-show rates — how often patients keep their appointments — can improve by 25 to 50% when patients receive automated reminders. And she cited how CROs are leveraging new technologies to double the number of study sites the organization could manage without increasing staff.
Such results could foretell even greater investments among CROs and pharmaceutical companies in the future. For an industry that has long struggled with competing demands of scientific rigor, economic pressure, and social responsibility, integrated, AI-powered technology platforms offer a path toward clinical trials that are both more efficient and more inclusive.
Rather than treating diversity as a regulatory checkbox, these tools make it possible to design trials that are more fully representative from the outset. That’s the best way to ensure the next generation of medical treatments will work for all patients, not just the ones who are the most convenient for researchers to recruit.
“Because people are inherently diverse in all kinds of different ways – across demographics, wealth, race, education — to crack the code on recruitment, we actually have to offer multiple methods of recruitment and meet patients where they are,” Nasrullah said. “Patients are diverse. Therefore, recruitment methods must be diverse.”
The Monash Institute of Transport Studies found the Gold Coast is operating 14% above its ideal capacity, making it the nation’s most overpopulated city.
Other overstretched areas include the NSW Central Coast (13%) and Murray Bridge in South Australia (12%)
Researchers defined a city’s ideal size based on capital city status, job access, service mix, and connectivity.
Cities within 4% of their “just right” size save renters an average of $1,560 per year, reduce car dependence, and allow more people to walk to work.
Rents are among the least affordable in Queensland, with almost no options for low-income earners or those on income support.
Despite stress, demand remains strong due to lifestyle appeal, hybrid work, migration, and upcoming Olympic investment.
Prices are likely to continue rising, but affordability challenges and infrastructure strain present risks that investors must factor in.
Investors will find better long-term opportunities in Brisbane.
What happens when your dream holiday destination turns into a staging ground for gridlock, sky-high rents, and near-invisible housing options?
Welcome to the Gold Coast—a city fighting to catch up with its own popularity.
It was once known for its glittering beaches, holiday resorts, and laid-back lifestyle, but today, the Gold Coast has earned a very different title: Australia’s most overpopulated city.
The study measured 655 Australian cities and found that the Coast is currently sitting at around 14% above its sustainable capacity.
In practical terms, that means clogged highways, longer commutes, skyrocketing rents, and a housing market that’s almost outpacing Sydney.
What was once Australia’s playground has now become a city under strain.
What makes a city “too big”?
The researchers weren’t just counting heads.
They looked at four factors that make cities tick:
Whether it’s a capital city,
Access to jobs,
The mix of services available,
And how well-connected the city is.
They found that when a city grows too big, the warning signs are obvious: traffic jams, overcrowded services, and housing that becomes unaffordable for the very people who keep the city running.
But interestingly, cities that were closer to their “just right” size delivered tangible benefits.
Renters saved an average of $1,560 a year, more people could walk to work, and hundreds of thousands of households needed fewer cars.
So, it’s not about size alone; it’s about balance.
Growth outrunning infrastructure
On the Gold Coast, demand has simply run ahead of supply.
Population growth, fuelled by lifestyle demand and interstate migration, has outpaced the infrastructure meant to support it.
Property prices tell the story clearly.
The median house price on the Gold Coast has surged to $1.32 million; the only regional market in Australia where prices outstrip its capital city.
Over the past year, prices have jumped nearly 9%, more than double the pace of Sydney.
And it’s not just buyers feeling the squeeze. Renters are under severe stress too.
A recent report revealed “close to zero affordable options” for low-income earners, with conditions deteriorating further over the past 12 months.
Note: The Gold Coast is now the least affordable rental market in Queensland.
Why this matters beyond the Gold Coast
You might be thinking: “Well, that’s the Gold Coast, what about the rest of the country?”
But the truth is, this isn’t just a local problem.
Other areas like the NSW Central Coast, Murray Bridge, Sydney, Melbourne, and even the Sunshine Coast are all over capacity according to the report. .
Meanwhile, Perth and Port Pirie are closer to their “ideal size.”
This tells us something important about urban growth: Australia’s population distribution is increasingly lopsided.
Some cities are bursting at the seams, while others aren’t reaching their potential.
What needs to change?
Associate Professor Liton Kamruzzaman, who led the study, suggests practical solutions:
Smarter transport links to reduce congestion,
Better balance of jobs across regions (not just clustered in one CBD),
Fairer land-use rules that encourage sustainable development.
In other words, we need policies that don’t just encourage growth but also manage it.
If we get it right, we can build cities that are big enough to thrive, but not so big that they collapse under their own weight.
What it means for property investors
For property investors, the Gold Coast remains a market underpinned by strong demand and limited supply; a combination that usually pushes prices higher.
With the Olympics on the horizon, infrastructure investment underway, and interstate migration still flowing, it’s hard to see demand easing anytime soon.
But affordability pressures, rental stress, and liveability challenges are flashing red lights.
Investors are likely to find better investment options in Brisbane where significant growth potential remains, without the same structural pressures.
But, as always, will need to be selective, focusing on locations that benefit most from infrastructure upgrades and lifestyle demand.
If you’re like many property investors, you’re probably wondering what’s the right thing to do at present.
Should you buy, should you sell, or should you just wait?
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Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced investor, at times like we are currently experiencing you need an advisor who takes a holistic approach to your wealth creation and that’s exactly what you get from the multi-award-winning team at Metropole.
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About Brett Warren Brett Warren is National Director of Metropole Properties and uses his two decades of property investment experience to advise clients how to grow, protect and pass on their wealth through strategic property advice.
I love high-quality television as much as the next person, and we certainly live in an era where there are a lot of fantastic prestige shows to watch. From Severance to The Bear, I will always seek out that next big hit that will win every award under the sun. Sometimes, though, my brain just can not handle the heavy themes and dramatic plots that leave you feeling emotionally raw.
So, like anyone else, I turn to less demanding content when I just can not be bothered to watch that latest episode of Silo. Luckily, there are still a lot of options out there for television that can just exist and entertain without scarring you for life, or even shows that are perfect for background noise while you do something else entirely.
Ah, a good old murder mystery show with a fun, modern twist. PokerFace tells of the adventures of Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) as she travels across the country, solving murders. As with any quirky detective series, Cale has her own little special ability that gives her the edge: She can always tell when someone is lying. It’s not so much a mystery of who did it, but how Cale will prove it.
Think Columbo, but set in the modern era with a character you equally wouldn’t expect to be out there solving crimes, albeit for different reasons than Columbo. What really makes Poker Face work so well is Lyonne’s performance and the whip-smart writing. Sure, it’s about murder, and there are some overarching storylines, but Poker Face is fun and low-key above everything else.
Sometimes I want to watch a show like Friends, but with a little bit more of a modern setting (and less bigotry). This is where New Girl comes into play. Starring Zooey Deschanel as Jessica Day, this charming little sitcom focuses on Jessica as she moves into a new apartment with three men. What follows is seven whole seasons of relatively low-stakes viewing, fueled by a great cast that includes the likes of Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris, Max Greenfield, and Damon Wayans Jr.
You won’t find anything you haven’t seen in other sitcoms here, and that’s perfectly okay. I love the unpredictability of prestige television, but sometimes I just want to turn a show on and know exactly what I’m tuning into. New Girl is that show to a tee.
No matter how many times I throw on Arrested Development, I can’t help but get lost in the dysfunctional hilarity of the Bluth family. Anchored by Jason Bateman’s performance as Michael Bluth, Arrested Development never lacks ambition throughout its five-season run. Even when that ambition doesn’t necessarily work, especially in later seasons, you can’t help but appreciate what it’s trying to do.
Plus, the ensemble central cast is truly next-to-none when it comes to comedic talent. Jessica Walter, David Cross, and Michael Cera are just a few of the main players that you will come to know throughout, and they’re worth every second. Even when the plot starts to fall apart, you’ll stick around for the ensemble cast. Arrested Development is a sitcom that you could watch forever without getting bored.
Ah, who can forget USA Network’s Blue Sky era of television? Shows that didn’t require a lot of attention, and often came with a comedic twist in the pitch. While many might point to Psych or Monk as premiere examples, for good reason, Burn Notice was that perfect show if you’re looking for something in the espionage genre, but without the violence or heavy themes.
Following former spy Michael Weston (Jeffrey Donovan), Burn Notice balances Weston’s search for why he was fired from his agency with case-of-the-week stories where he uses his skills to help people in Miami as a private investigator. It’s exactly the kind of low-stakes action that you think it is, and thank goodness for that. I was sad when USA Network moved away from shows like this, because in an age where every network is trying to find that next big prestige hit, they’re kind of few and far between.
Workplace comedies can be surprisingly calming, given their setting, and Superstore is no different. Like The Office, this sitcom takes place primarily in a place of work, namely Cloud 9, a fictional store not unlike Walmart. As you can probably guess, Superstore centers on the employees of Cloud 9, though the early seasons focus mainly on Jonah Simms (Ben Feldman), who is hired in the first episode.
While it would be easy to compare it with The Office or Parks and Rec, Superstore is a show all its own, with characters that really start to grow on you as the series progresses. It also deals with some real-world events, and it’s amazing just how right it gets things. Almost scary, actually. Ultimately, however, Superstore is a relaxing watch, and something you can easily throw on after a hard day’s work. If you’re interested in watching others work, that is.
Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from prestige television
Looking at all the prestige television out there now, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by it all. For me, I mainly watch television to relax and feel entertained, and sometimes, you just don’t get the former when watching serious dramas all the time. So these shows really scratch that itch for me. But if you are looking for some captivating, slow-burning thriller series that scratches the prestige itch, we have some ideas for you.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-14/Jinsha-Site-A-glimpse-into-China-s-ancient-Shu-civilization-1GF6Jtjriw0/img/3ba1b2b0e40942109c85a11ad865dcd6/3ba1b2b0e40942109c85a11ad865dcd6.jpeg'Artifacts on display at the Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. /CGTN
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-14/Jinsha-Site-A-glimpse-into-China-s-ancient-Shu-civilization-1GF6Jtjriw0/img/3ba1b2b0e40942109c85a11ad865dcd6/3ba1b2b0e40942109c85a11ad865dcd6.jpeg'Artifacts on display at the Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. /CGTN
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-14/Jinsha-Site-A-glimpse-into-China-s-ancient-Shu-civilization-1GF6Jtjriw0/img/3ba1b2b0e40942109c85a11ad865dcd6/3ba1b2b0e40942109c85a11ad865dcd6.jpeg'Artifacts on display at the Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. /CGTN
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-14/Jinsha-Site-A-glimpse-into-China-s-ancient-Shu-civilization-1GF6Jtjriw0/img/3ba1b2b0e40942109c85a11ad865dcd6/3ba1b2b0e40942109c85a11ad865dcd6.jpeg'Artifacts on display at the Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. /CGTN
As one of the major archaeological discoveries of the 21st century in China, the Jinsha Site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province showcases a civilization dating back about 3,200-2,600 years. It shares a cultural lineage with the Sanxingdui civilization, both being integral parts of the ancient Shu Kingdom. The site was discovered in 2001, and a museum was established on site in 2007.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-14/Jinsha-Site-A-glimpse-into-China-s-ancient-Shu-civilization-1GF6Jtjriw0/img/42ba7f8de9a94531b1e7d16a40c4a7cd/42ba7f8de9a94531b1e7d16a40c4a7cd.jpeg' alt='The Sun and Immortal Birds Gold Ornament can be seen on display at the Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. /CGTN'
The Sun and Immortal Birds Gold Ornament is the most iconic artifact of Jinsha. The center of this circular ornament is hollowed out into a vortex with twelve serrated rays, surrounded by four carved birds flying counterclockwise, symbolizing the Sun and Immortal Birds in ancient Chinese mythology. The pattern of the gold ornament has been designated as the emblem of China’s cultural heritage and also serves as the primary element of Chengdu’s city logo.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-14/Jinsha-Site-A-glimpse-into-China-s-ancient-Shu-civilization-1GF6Jtjriw0/img/be472e4f16244b0b9807a547b564f77d/be472e4f16244b0b9807a547b564f77d.jpeg' alt='The Gold Mask can be seen on display at the Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. /CGTN'
Similar cultural relics to those unearthed at Sanxingdui can also be found in the Jinsha Site Museum. The Gold Mask on display there is the largest and best-preserved from its period ever discovered in China, while the Bronze Standing Figure bears a strong resemblance to the large bronze standing figure excavated at Sanxingdui.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-14/Jinsha-Site-A-glimpse-into-China-s-ancient-Shu-civilization-1GF6Jtjriw0/img/12d77422554f4b83ae9e6902c3dd373b/12d77422554f4b83ae9e6902c3dd373b.jpeg' alt='The Bronze Standing Figure can be seen on display at the Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. /CGTN'
Visitors can also explore the excavation site of Jinsha at the museum’s Relic Hall, immersing themselves in the riverside sacrificial ceremonies of the ancient Shu Kingdom 3,000 years ago and learning about the meticulous archaeological excavations carried out since 2001.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-14/Jinsha-Site-A-glimpse-into-China-s-ancient-Shu-civilization-1GF6Jtjriw0/img/21c386e4051d4122ac97dbc07b538e89/21c386e4051d4122ac97dbc07b538e89.jpeg'A pit at the excavation site at the Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, where an elephant tusk, thousands of wild boar tusks and deer horns, as well as pieces of stone, jade, bronze, and pottery artifacts were discovered. /CGTN
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-14/Jinsha-Site-A-glimpse-into-China-s-ancient-Shu-civilization-1GF6Jtjriw0/img/21c386e4051d4122ac97dbc07b538e89/21c386e4051d4122ac97dbc07b538e89.jpeg'A pit at the excavation site at the Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, where an elephant tusk, thousands of wild boar tusks and deer horns, as well as pieces of stone, jade, bronze, and pottery artifacts were discovered. /CGTN
The Jinsha Site, together with the Sanxingdui Site and the Joint Tombs of Boat-shaped Coffins, is listed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Tentative List.
There were two questions the 77th Emmy Awards, held Sunday night at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, had to answer, other than who would win what. (It’s an honor just to be nominated.)
One was how the show, a glittery evening devoted to the most popular of popular arts, would play against a world gone mad. The other, not distinct from the first, was how first-time host Nate Bargatze would do.
The ceremony is hosted by a round robin of the major networks, and this year the honor fell to CBS, whose corporate overlord, Paramount, has come to represent capitulation to the Trump administration, settling a baseless lawsuit in what is widely viewed as a payoff to grease the wheels of its merger with Skydance and promising to eliminate its DEI protocols. Executive interference in the news department amid an apparent rightward turn has led to the resignations of “60 Minutes” producer Bill Owens and CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon. And there’s the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show,” the timing of which some have found suspicious.
But if your goal was to avoid insulted celebrities, social media outrage or petulant notes from the White House, you could have done no better than to hire Bargatze, a clean, calm, classical, noncontroversial, nonpolitical, very funny, very successful comedian. Bargatze, who has been in comedy since 2002, saw his career explode over the last few years; his appeal is not so much mainstream, which is to say soft-edged, as it is broad — something for everybody.
The show opened quite brilliantly — perhaps confusingly, if you had missed Bargatze’s “Washington’s Dream” sketches on “Saturday Night Live” on which the routine was closely modeled, including the presence of Mikey Day, Bowen Yang and James Austin Johnson — with the host as Philo T. Farnsworth, “the inventor of television,” foreseeing the medium’s less than sensible future. First presenter Stephen Colbert followed immediately to a standing ovation and chants of his name. “While I have your attention, is anyone hiring? I have 200 very qualified candidates with me tonight who will be available in June.”
Emmys host Nate Bargatze, right, and Bowen Yang appear in an opening sketch at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Then the host introduced his much publicized, one would say quintessentially Bargatzean, gimmick. To keep acceptance speeches short, he would donate $100,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America; $1,000 per second would be deducted for anyone going over the allotted 45 seconds. Money would be added to the pot for anyone running short. (J.B. Smoove, a former Boys Club member, was a sort of co-sponsor, in the audience with a young boy and girl.) This efficiency made professional sense, though it had the potential to put a lid on what is usually the most interesting, unruly, moving, unpredictable part of the show. (If anyone had thought for a second, it also spelled trouble: Try talking for what you imagine is 45 seconds. You will be wrong.)
As it happened, the state of the world was addressed, sidelong and directly. Presenter Julianne Nicholson said of living in a post-apocalyptic bunker in “Paradise,” “compared to headlines that’s positively feel-good TV.” Jeff Hiller, winning supporting actor in a comedy series for “Somebody Somewhere,” thanked the Duplass brothers “for writing a show of connection and love in this time when compassion is seen as a weakness.” “Last Week Tonight” senior writer Daniel O’Brien dedicated their second award to “all writers of political comedy while that is still a type of show that is allowed to exist.” And in a generational echo of their “Hacks” characters, fourth-time winner Jean Smart (who has won seven Emmys overall) ended her acceptance speech saying, “Let’s be good to each other, just be good to each other,” while co-star and first-time winner Hannah Einbinder, finished with, “I just want to say: Go Birds, f— ICE, and free Palestine.” Going way over the 45-second limit, she promised to pay the difference on the tote board.
Hannah Einbinder accepts the award for supporting actress in a comedy series for “Hacks” during the show at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
After Einbeinder, the most direct acknowledgment of current bad events came from Academy Chair and CEO Cris Abrego, speaking of the Governors Award given the week before to the Corp. for Public Broadcasting. In a highly quotable speech, he noted how “Congress had voted to defund it and silence yet another cultural institution.” He continued, “In a time when division dominates the headlines, storytelling still has the power to unite us … In times of cultural regression [it reminds] us what’s at stake and what can still be achieved,” and he rattled off a number of much loved shows that challenged the status quo. “In a moment like this, neutrality is not enough. … Culture does not come from the top down, it rises from the bottom up. … Let’s make sure that culture is not a platform for the privileged but a public good for all.” The stars in the audience nodded approvingly.
There were also some pure delights among the bedrock of desultory scripted banter and unimpressive tributes to old shows (“Law & Order: SUV,” “The Golden Girls”). Reunited “Everybody Loves Raymond” co-stars Ray Romano and Brad Garrett, presenting the award for comedy series, recaptured the essence of their television brotherhood. Jennifer Coolidge, presenting the award for lead supporting actress in a comedy, sounded like she’d walked in from a Christopher Guest film. “Between us, I was actually hoping to be nominated for you tonight for my work on this season of ‘The Pitt.’ I played a horny grandmother having a colonoscopy during a power outage and I had to play a lot of levels. I even had to do my own prep.” She went on, after a while, to tell the nominees that winning “is not all it’s cracked up to be. It’s really not… I thought I had gotten really close with my fellow nominees especially after I won but I’m pretty sure they removed me from the group chat.”
The inevitable losses incurred by Bargatze’s charity gimmick provided a sort of running joke at the host’s expense, which he managed quite well, while some winners made a game of trying to put money back on the board. But the longer it went on, the more pressure it put on the winners to be short. Eventually, the show found its natural level, as winners said what they needed to, or much of it, and the count dropped tens of thousands of dollars past zero. For everyone but the bean counters, the least important thing about an awards show is it running on time; in any case, it was only a few minutes over.
And, as one might have expected, Bargatze — who made it through the three hours in a way that served the event and his own down-home ethos — paid the originally promised $100,000 and added a $250,000 tip.
New Delhi, September 14: Kawasaki has introduced its latest model, the 2026 Ninja ZX-10R, with a price hike of INR 99,000 over the 2025 model, which was launched at INR 18.50 lakh (ex-showroom). With the Indian government bringing in new GST 2.0 norms, the sudden price increase may cause confusion among customers. However, the company has clarified that the hike is not related to the upcoming GST implementation in India.
The 2026 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R not only comes with a higher price but also reduced performance compared to its predecessor. Kawasaki India will offer this new motorcycle in Lime Green / Ebony / Pearl White Biizzard White and Metallic Graphite Gray/Metallic Diablo Black shades. Auto Dealers Instructed To Show GST Price Cut Posters With PM Narendra Modi’s Photo; Congress Slams Move As Industry Estimates INR 20–30 Crore Cost
2026 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R Specifications and Features
The new Ninja ZX-10R delivers slightly lower performance, producing 204–205 hp and 112 Nm torque, compared to the 2025 version’s 213 hp and 114.9 Nm. This decrease in output may push buyers to prefer the older version, which is both more powerful and less expensive.
Besides, Kawasaki India is offering an INR 1.50 lakh discount on the 2025 model, available until September 30, 2025. As a result, many customers may find the older model more appealing than the new 2026 version. Overall, the bike remains unchanged, apart from a reduction of 7 hp and 2.9 Nm torque. Yamaha Motor Announces Discontinuation of Motorcycle Manufacturing in Pakistan.
The 2026 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R continues to feature dual-channel ABS, a TFT console with mobile connectivity, traction control, launch control, riding modes, cruise control, and engine brake control. Besides, the latest model retains high-performance suspension hardware with Showa BFF forks at the front and a Showa BFRC rear monoshock. Braking duties are handled by dual 330mm front discs and a single 220mm rear disc, while an Öhlins electronic steering damper further enhances stability.
Rating:5
TruLY Score 5 – Trustworthy | On a Trust Scale of 0-5 this article has scored 5 on LatestLY. It is verified through official sources (Official Website of Kawasaki India). The information is thoroughly cross-checked and confirmed. You can confidently share this article with your friends and family, knowing it is trustworthy and reliable.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 14, 2025 12:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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AI-powered search platforms are growing fast, but still account for less than 1% of referral traffic, according to new data from enterprise SEO platform BrightEdge.
By the numbers. From January to August, AI-driven search referrals accounted for less than 1% of traffic.
Organic search remains the primary driver of conversions across industries.
AI search usage is still growing fast – with some platforms showing triple-digit month-over-month gains – but traffic isn’t translating into transactions.
Why we care. There’s been a lot of pressure to chase shiny new AI platforms. However, these numbers highlight the massive difference between hype and impact. AI search looks more like a research channel, while organic search drives conversions and growth.
What they’re saying. BrightEdge co-founder Jim Yu said:
“AI search is the fastest-growing channel we’ve ever tracked. But growth and quality are two different things. Organic search continues to outperform on conversions and remains the engine of digital growth. The most successful marketers aren’t choosing one over the other – they’re adapting for AI while doubling down on the organic strategies that have always driven results.”
About the data. BrightEdge’s analysis is based on thousands of search queries and top-performing websites – including many Fortune 100 brands – from January through August.
This bundle is essentially replacing the Mario Kart World launch bundle, which has always been listed as a limited-time bundle expiring this fall. An exact end date for the Mario Kart Switch 2 bundle hasn’t been revealed, but it seems likely that it’ll be gone when the Pokemon bundle hits store shelves on October 16.
Just like with the Mario Kart bundle, this bundle saves you money versus buying the $450 console and $70 game separately. You’re getting a $20 discount by opting for the bundle. But unlike Mario Kart World, Pokemon Legends isn’t a Switch 2 exclusive; the game will also be available on the original Switch for $60.
Nearly 12% of Americans have used GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, including about one-fifth of women aged 50 to 64, according to a new RAND report.
Surveying a nationally representative sample of 8,793 Americans, researchers found that 11.8% have used GLP-1 agonists and 14% say they are interested in using the drugs. Meanwhile, 74% say they do not plan to take the medications.
Among those who have used GLP-1 drugs, about half report they have experienced nausea and about one-third experienced diarrhea — the two most-common side effects associated with the medications.
The report is the most-recent and largest survey to date that estimates how many Americans have used the drugs that have revolutionized weight loss care. The report outlines use of GLP-1 drugs by both age and sex.
The use of Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications has increased sharply in recent years since studies demonstrated the drugs can help people significantly aid weight loss. Since 2020, the number of prescriptions for the drugs has more than tripled.
RAND researchers surveyed participants of the RAND American Life Panel to ask about use of GLP-1 drugs and their experiences with side effects. The survey was performed during April and May of 2025.
The results show that women tend to use GLP-1 drugs at higher rates than men, although there is considerable variability within age groups.
Use of GLP-1 drugs is most common among those between the ages of 50 and 64, with the highest rate of use found among women in the age group. Among those 65 and older, use of GLP-1 drugs is somewhat higher for men than for women. Conversely, among those between the ages of 30 and 49, women are more than twice as likely to have used a GLP-1 than their male peers.
The RAND American Life Panel is a probability sample-based survey panel of about 11,000 active, regularly interviewed respondents aged 12 and older. The panel was developed by RAND in 2006.
The report, “New Weight Loss Drugs: GLP-1 Agonist Use and Side Effects in the United States,” is available at www.rand.org. Authors of the report are Robert Bozick, Shannon Donofry and Katherine M. Rancaño.
The publication is the first in what is planned to be a series of brief reports that highlights topline descriptive findings from surveys run on the RAND American Life Panel.
The RAND Education and Labor division is dedicated to improving education and expanding economic opportunities for all through research and analysis.
If a plate could tell tales, Omny Kitchen would be its Scheherazade. Helmed by the celebrity Chef Vicky Ratnami, Omny Kitchen feels like a cruise ship docked on dry land. The food reflects Ratnani’s three decades of experience with cruise ships, and other global culinary escapades.
Food: The menu isn’t just sweeping; it’s downright nomadic, gathering bits and pieces of inspiration from Spain, Sindh, Kerala, and beyond. Take the ceviche, for instance, a zesty convergence of seabass and tuna drenched in citric Leche de Tigre and a playful twist of jal jeera. It’s a dish that sits on the edge of boldness. Lotus stem pakoras crunch like tiny edible artifacts. The Aloo Tukk Bravas—Sindhi-style potatoes dressed up as Patatas Bravas are a homage to Ratnani’s Spanish ties. The soft Sindhi lamb shanks, paired with Kashmiri morel pulao, feels almost forbidden. Mixologist Varun Sudhakar curates liquid art teeming with wanderlust. Smoke and Vine marries smoky Mezcal with briny pickled grapes. End on a sweet note with their blissful Berry Basque cheesecake.
Established in 2010, Amity University Madhya Pradesh (AUMP) is part of the globally recognized Amity Education Group. Located in Gwalior, the 102-acre campus offers industry-oriented, research-driven programs that blend academic rigor with ethical values. AUMP focuses on producing employable professionals and contributing to regional and national growth.
About the Organizers
Amity Law School, established in 2013 as part of AUMP, is dedicated to excellence in legal education through innovative teaching, moot courts, debates, and a strong ADR culture. To further this vision, the Mediation & ADR Cell was founded in 2021 to promote awareness and practice of mediation, negotiation, arbitration, and conciliation.
The Cell provides students with practical exposure through workshops, simulations, and competitions, equipping them with vital skills for modern legal practice and professional growth.
Details about the 5th National Mediation Competition
The 5th National Mediation Competition (NMC 5.0) is being organized by the Mediation & ADR Cell, Amity Law School, Amity University, Madhya Pradesh. The event aims to promote Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practices among law students and provide a platform for showcasing skills in mediation, negotiation, and client-counsel representation.
Eligibility
Open to undergraduate law students enrolled in 3-year or 5-year LL.B. programs at recognized law universities/colleges in India.
Each team shall consist of 3 members – one mediator and a pair of counsel-client (negotiating team).
Location
Hybrid Mode:
Preliminary Rounds – Online (29–30 September 2025).
Semi-Finals & Finals – Offline at Amity University Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior (14–15 October 2025).
Registration/Submission Procedure
Interested teams must register through the official Linktree portal mentioned at the end of this post.
Registration shall be confirmed only after successful submission of the registration form along with the payment of the fee.
The slots are limited and shall be filled on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Fee Details
Registration Fee: ₹4,500 per team.
Accommodation Fees: ₹2,000 (Per Person, only on qualifying).
Payment to be made through the details provided in the registration form.
Prizes
Pool Prize of ₹80,000.
Deadlines
Last Date of Registration: 19 September 2025.
Preliminary Rounds (Online): 29–30 September 2025.
Semi-Finals & Finals (Offline): 14–15 October 2025.
Do you think if the sun hides behind grey clouds, your skin is safe from sun rays? A senior dermatologists warns that skipping sunscreen during the monsoon can be one of the biggest skincare mistakes you can make. Ultraviolet rays penetrate clouds and even bounce off rain-soaked surfaces, which can silently damaging your skin. These may lead to skincare risks.
Dermatologist says sunscreen should be a part of your monsoon skincare routine.(Freepik)
Dr Rishi Parashar, Senior Consultant Dermatologist, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, tells Health Shots: “One of the often most ignored area of monsoon skin care is optimal sun protection. That is because many people think that the rain and cloud cover during this season saves our skin. But the truth is that the clouds don’t block UV rays, and if we don’t protect ourselves, it may harm our skin in the long run. Even on cloudy days, up to 80 percent of UV radiation is still transmitted to the Earth’s surface.”
According to the expert, UVA rays penetrate deeply, breaking down collagen and elastin. This may contribute to 80-90 percent of visible skin ageing, per dermatological research. UVB rays, on the other hand, affect the surface of the skin. This may cause sunburn and increase skin cancer risk.
“Heat and humidity can also dehydrate the skin, disrupting its moisture barrier and resulting in a dull or flaky appearance. These changes require a tailored approach to protect skin and maintain its health,” adds Dr Parashar.
How to choose sunscreen for monsoon?
Sunscreen is critical for shielding skin from UV damage even in monsoon season. The dermatologist suggests you should go for a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 50 or higher to protect against both UVA and UVB rays.
“Apply approximately one teaspoon to the face and two tablespoons to the body 15-20 minutes before sun exposure, reapplying every two hours or after swimming or sweating. Reapply every two hours because the humidity and moisture in the air can make the sunscreen wear off. Mineral-based sunscreens containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are effective for sensitive skin, as they physically reflect UV rays,” shares Dr Parashar.
Stabilized broad-spectrum protection
Some sunscreens incorporate advanced formulations to enhance UVA protection stability. For example, certain technologies stabilize ingredients like avobenzone, which can degrade under UV exposure, ensuring consistent broad-spectrum coverage. Look for products with proven, stable ingredients to maximize efficacy.
Not all SPF are the same
SPF measures UVB protection, but not all sunscreens offer adequate UVA coverage. Broad-spectrum labelling indicates protection against both ray types, which is essential for comprehensive defense. Higher SPF (50 vs 30, for example), provides slightly better UVB protection but doesn’t inherently ensure UVA efficacy.
When it comes to choosing between mineral sunscreen and chemical sunscreen, here’s how to make the choice. “Mineral sunscreens reflect UV rays. Chemical ones absorb them. So, it is best to choose based on skin needs (mineral for sensitive skin, chemical for oily). Water-resistant options are useful for prolonged outdoor activities, but still require reapplication. Understanding these differences helps in selecting effective products, asserts the expert.
Choose lighter products
In monsoon, go for lightweight gel-based products. Using heavy products may increase oiliness and lead to clogged pores in monsoon.
Gel-based, lightweight non-comedogenic products, such as cleansers and moisturizers, are better suited for monsoon. The expert says gel cleansers with ingredients like salicylic acid help manage oil and prevent breakouts. Gel moisturizers with hyaluronic acid hydrate skin without leaving it greasy.
Additionally, products with added electrolytes will enable better ingredient absorption into the skin. These lightweight options absorb quickly, supporting skin balance for oily, combination, or acne-prone types,” explains the doctor.
Novo Nordisk on Wednesday announced plans to lay off about 11% of its workforce as competition for top-selling medicines Ozempic and Wegovy eats into its profits.
The cuts will affect about 9,000 of the company’s 78,400 employees, with 5,000 of the jobs eliminated in Novo’s home country of Denmark. The drugmaker intends to move ahead with the layoffs immediately, working within local labor rules.
Novo expects the moves to save 8 billion kroner, or about $1.26 billion annually by the end of 2026. But one-time restructuring costs will reduce income this year, and Novo cut its operating profit growth estimate to between 4% and 10%, down from a previous forecast of 10% to 16%.
Dive Insight:
New CEO Mike Doustdar is moving quickly to revive profit growth at the company after taking over last month. Novo employees need “a shift in our mindset and approach so we can be faster and more agile,” he said in the statement announcing the layoffs.
Novo’s introduction of semaglutide, sold as Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for obesity, revolutionized the treatment of obesity. The company began raking in billions of dollars in sales alongside Eli Lilly, which later won approval for a similar medicine in the GLP-1 class. But neither company could keep up with demand, and cheaper, compounded versions moved in to pick up the slack.
Although the shortages are over and the Food and Drug Administration has put legal restrictions on knockoff versions back in place, compounders have continued to market their products as “personalized” and are drawing market share away from Novo. The drugmaker’s attempts at fighting back, including more than 130 lawsuits, have so far had little effect on the bottom line.
Novo’s shares have lost more than half their value in a year, hurt by the increased competition and the resulting reductions in profit and sales guidance. The company has been working to shore up future growth by expanding the approved uses of its drugs and by looking outside for acquisitions and development deals.
But ultimately, Novo has to evolve as it faces a “more competitive and consumer-driven” obesity market, Doustdar said. “This means instilling an increased performance-based culture, deploying our resources ever more effectively, and prioritizing investment where it will have the most impact — behind our leading therapy areas,” he said.
The biggest fortunes in property are created before the main boom, when smart investors act while others hesitate.
It’s about positioning early, not chasing growth once it’s obvious.
We’re entering a period of prolonged property price growth, not necessarily a short-lived boom.
Despite negative headlines around affordability, productivity, and the economy, opportunities are emerging now.
Over the last 50 years in property, I’ve seen this play out time and time again…
The real fortunes in property aren’t made during the boom.
They’re made before the main property boom by investors who recognise the signs, trust the process, and have the courage to act while everyone else is sitting on their hands.
Right now, we’re at the beginning of a new property Super Cycle. I’m not suggesting this will be a boom, but a period of prolonged property price growth.
It might not feel like it – there’s still a lot of noise, headlines about Australia’s economic problems, affordability issues, productivity issues, and a heap of mixed economic messages.
But experienced investors know… this is when the real opportunities emerge.
Looking back, I’ve noticed something interesting.
The most successful property investors didn’t just work hard, or time the market perfectly, or get every decision right.
They got lucky—and they were ready to take advantage of it.
Now, luck in property might look like stumbling across the right property at the right price, meeting the right advisor at the right time, or having the discipline to hold onto an asset others were too nervous to buy.
But that’s not the luck that made them wealthy.
It was their ability to see the opportunity and take action—even when others were hesitating.
I’ve watched this unfold at the start of every property cycle.
Some investors wait and worry… others prepare and pounce.
Guess which group ends up looking like geniuses five years later?
So here’s the mindset shift: Don’t wait for perfect conditions—they don’t exist. Get clarity. Get a strategy. Get in position.
Because the new cycle has already begun earlier this year when interest rates started to fall, and this is exactly when the next generation of property millionaires quietly start building their wealth.
Now’s the time to get ready for your next move.
And if you’re unsure where to begin—or want a second opinion on your strategy – why not organise a complimentary Wealth Discovery Chat with our team at Metropole?
We’ll help you cut through the noise, identify your opportunities, and create a personalised plan to build lasting wealth—safely and strategically.
Click here and lock in a time for your chat with a Metropole Wealth Strategist
Remember: the luck will come.
The real question is… will you be ready to act on it?
About Michael Yardney Michael is the founder of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He’s once again been voted Australia’s leading property investment adviser and one of Australia’s 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media.
Last Tuesday, I woke up in the middle of the night and grabbed my iPhone to check the time. Immediately, it turned on the flashlight at full brightness and jolted me fully awake. There’s a specific iPhone feature behind these random activations: Back Tap.
Back Tap lets you tap your phone’s back to perform quick actions, including enabling the flashlight. The frustrating part is that it fails miserably when you intentionally try to use it, yet it activates randomly throughout the day. I’ve dealt with this nonsense on my iPhone 13 Pro Max and now my iPhone 16 Pro Max, but there’s actually a simple fix.
What is Back Tap, and how does it work?
The hidden accessibility feature most people don’t know about
Jonathon Jachura / MUO
You’ll find Back Tap hiding in Settings > Accessibility > Touch. Think of it as turning your iPhone’s back into one big touch button. Apple introduced this with iOS 14 to give people quick access to screenshots, Control Center, flashlight controls, and other functions.
The feature lets you assign two different actions: one for a double-tap and another for a triple-tap. The available actions include system controls, accessibility features, and custom shortcuts from the Shortcuts app. Setting the flashlight as a Back Tap action seems like a great idea until you actually live with it.
Unfortunately, Back Tap’s sensitivity is maddeningly unpredictable. When you deliberately try to activate it in a dark hallway, it often ignores your taps completely. But set your phone down normally or shift your grip, and suddenly you’re blinded by an LED spotlight.
Why Back Tap keeps triggering your flashlight accidentally
The sensitivity problem that Apple hasn’t quite solved
Jonathon Jachura / MUO
The core issue isn’t hardware—it’s software sensitivity that behaves erratically across all compatible iPhone models. Normal phone handling becomes a minefield of potential triggers. Just placing your phone on a surface, slipping it into your jeans pocket, or adjusting your grip while texting can make the sensor think you meant to activate something.
Nighttime activations are the worst. Your phone rests on the nightstand when something minor—maybe a notification buzz or your furniture settling—sets off the Back Tap sensor. Next thing you know, you’re squinting at what might as well be a tiny flashbang at 3 AM.
Cases don’t fix the problem either. I’ve tried different case thicknesses and materials, but the detection system stays just as unreliable. This frustrating inconsistency spans iPhone models and accessories—it’s a fundamental software issue.
How to check if Back Tap is causing your flashlight issues
Finding the culprit in your iPhone settings
Screenshot by Jonathon Jachura; no attribution required
Screenshot by Jonathon Jachura; no attribution required
Screenshot by Jonathon Jachura; no attribution required
Head to Settings, then Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap. You’ll find Double Tap and Triple Tap settings here. Check what each one does by tapping on it.
Look for Flashlight listed under either option. When this is active, double or triple tapping your phone’s back will turn on the flashlight. Don’t stress if you can’t remember setting this up—it sometimes gets turned on during phone setup or when you’re poking around in the settings.
Your options for fixing the random flashlight problem
Three ways to stop the unexpected light show
Screenshot by Jonathon Jachura; no attribution required
Screenshot by Jonathon Jachura; no attribution required
Screenshot by Jonathon Jachura; no attribution required
Disable Back Tap Completely
The nuclear option: set both Double Tap and Triple Tap to None. This eliminates any possibility of accidental activation, since the feature becomes inactive. You lose the shortcut capability but gain peace of mind.
If both settings show None, but flashlight surprises keep happening, you’re looking at either another accessibility setting or a hardware issue. Try troubleshooting your iPhone’s flashlight further.
Change to a Less Disruptive Action
Alternatively, keep Back Tap active, but assign it to something harmless like taking screenshots. Accidental activation just creates an extra photo you can delete—no more surprise light shows. Other benign options include opening Control Center or triggering a custom shortcut that does something innocuous. You can even set the double and triple taps to trigger productivity tools.
Move Flashlight to Triple Tap Only
If you actually use the flashlight shortcut, assign it to Triple Tap while setting Double Tap to None. Triple taps require more deliberate action and rarely trigger accidentally during normal phone handling.
Alternative ways to quickly access your iPhone’s flashlight
Better methods that won’t surprise you at 3 AM
Jonathon Jachura / MUO
Control Center remains the most reliable flashlight access method. On modern iPhones, swipe down from the upper-right corner; on older models with Home buttons, swipe up from the bottom. Then tap the flashlight button. This approach never lets me down.
The Lock screen offers another dependable route. Look for the flashlight symbol in the bottom-left corner and press down hard until it lights up. The force requirement prevents accidental bumps from triggering it.
Siri handles voice requests reliably—just say “Hey Siri, turn on the flashlight.” This works great when you’re carrying something or trying to navigate in pitch-black conditions.
Take back control of your iPhone’s flashlight
Random flashlight activations almost always trace back to Back Tap’s flashlight setting. This accessibility feature suffers from inconsistent sensitivity that makes it more annoying than useful. The good news is that fixing it takes seconds—disable Back Tap entirely, change its action to something harmless, or move the flashlight to triple-tap.
With reliable alternatives like Control Center and lock screen shortcuts readily available, you can ditch the problematic Back Tap feature and finally sleep soundly without unexpected illumination ruining your night. I also recommend looking into useful accessibility features on your iPhone that work much better.
Every midsummer, vast fields of safflowers in Yumin County, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, reach their peak blooming season. With a safflower cultivation history of more than 60 years, Yumin County has become one of the major safflower-producing areas in Xinjiang and even across the country.
With abundant sunshine, wide temperature differences between day and night, pure water sources and fertile soil, the county provides an ideal environment for safflower growth. The planting area has reached 200,000 mu (about 13,333 hectares) in the county.
Today, Yumin County is working to build a strong brand and promote the high-quality development of the entire safflower industry chain, helping drive rural revitalization.
An anime film slayed its Hollywood competition at the box office this weekend.
“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle,” already a big hit in Japan, was the highest-grossing movie domestically, beating new films “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” “The Long Walk” and “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.”
The film distributed by Sony Pictures and Crunchyroll opened with a better-than-expected $70 million in ticket sales from the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates, making it the biggest anime opening ever. It’s also the highest-grossing domestic debut of the year so far for an animated film.
Its global weekend for Sony, which owns the Crunchyroll anime brand and streaming service, totaled $132.1 million, which includes 49 international markets.
Globally, “Demon Slayer” had already made more than $272 million in box office revenue, with $213 million in Japan alone, according to data from Box Office Mojo.
The success of “Demon Slayer” is a relief to theater owners at a time when other genres are struggling, including superheroes, comedies and original animation. It’s the latest evidence of anime’s growing global clout.
The new “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” is part of a larger popular anime franchise.
It’s the first installment of a planned trilogy that will span the final showdown between the Demon Slayer Corps and the monstrous creatures the secret organization was created to defeat. A previous theatrical film, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Movie: Mugen Train,” was a box office hit in 2020.
The new “Downton Abbey” film from Focus Features launched with $18.1 million in ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada, which was good enough for third place behind the second weekend of New Line’s “The Conjuring: Last Rites.” Lionsgate’s “The Long Walk,” based on a Stephen King novel, opened in fourth with $11.5 million domestically.
“Spinal Tap II,” a sequel to the 1984 mockumentary comedy classic, opened with a weak $1.7 million.
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Performance Max has evolved dramatically since its 2021 launch.
If you’re still running campaigns like it’s 2023, you’re leaving serious performance gains behind.
With Google rolling out enhanced reporting and creative controls this year, the optimization playbook looks very different heading into 2026.
These strategies will help you maximize Performance Max in Q4 and beyond – whether your goal is lead generation or ecommerce growth.
Before diving in, remember: Performance Max requires historical data to succeed.
Aim for at least 30-50 conversions per month, with established Search campaigns already running. It works best as a complement to – not a replacement for – your core campaigns.
4 pillars of Performance Max success
It’s crucial to understand the four core optimization areas that have proven most effective:
Budget control and segmentation: Control where Google allocates your budget across different products or service categories.
Audience and keyword targeting: Manage keywords, audiences, demographics, locations, and devices that trigger your ads.
Creative assets and landing pages: Optimize creative assets and destination pages for maximum conversion.
Smart Bidding strategies: Leverage automated bidding effectively while maintaining control. Choose Target ROAS when you have consistent conversion values and sufficient data, or Maximize Conversions when building initial volume with at least 30 conversions per month.
This structured approach helps solve the distinct challenges of optimizing Performance Max.
The 5-minute Performance Max health check
Every week, run through these five diagnostic questions to catch issues before they become expensive problems:
Is my spend distribution above 80/20 (80% going to top 20% of products/asset groups)?
Have any placements exceeded 15% of total spend?
Are my best performing assets from auto-generation or uploaded?
Did my Search campaign CPCs increase after launching Performance Max?
Am I seeing conversions from unexpected geographic locations?
Are more than 30% of my conversions coming from brand terms despite exclusions?
Has my asset group performance rating dropped below “Good” for more than 7 days?
If you answer “yes” to two or more, immediate optimization is needed.
Use this framework to know when to optimize versus when to trust the algorithm.
Tailored strategies for different campaign goals and industries
For lead gen campaigns
In lead generation, businesses that see strong results use Performance Max as a customer acquisition engine.
The key is bidding exclusively on new customers while applying comprehensive brand exclusions, ensuring campaigns complement rather than compete with Search.
Proper segmentation has driven significant cost-per-conversion improvements.
Instead of oversegmenting, focus on a few high-quality asset groups.
While some advertisers test different messaging angles across asset groups, Google recommends consolidation to give the algorithm more flexibility and data.
This level of granular control wasn’t available in earlier versions of Performance Max but is now essential for optimization.
Dig deeper:How to use Performance Max for high-value customer acquisition and retention
For ecommerce campaigns
For ecommerce campaigns, brands face unique challenges with Performance Max, especially when managing large product catalogs.
A common issue is uneven spend distribution:
Some products get no impressions despite strong potential.
Others convert well but receive little budget relative to their performance.
Google recommends campaign consolidation for optimal machine learning.
But many advertisers find success segmenting high-volume categories into separate campaigns.
Test both approaches – consolidated vs. segmented – to see what fits your catalog and budget.
Strategic segmentation forces Google to allocate spend to overlooked product groups, helping brands scale profitable products that previously received minimal impressions.
When implemented correctly, this structure can unlock significant growth while maintaining efficiency targets.
Ecommerce success with Performance Max also depends on feed optimization.
Product titles should include key attributes like brand, product type, and features.
Use custom labels to segment by margin, seasonality, or performance tiers.
These optimizations give Performance Max stronger signals to match products with relevant searches.
Industry-specific considerations
Different industries require distinct approaches to Performance Max optimization in 2025:
B2B services
Focus on URL exclusions to prevent budget waste on blog posts and informational content.
Prioritize high-intent landing pages that align with bottom-funnel search behavior.
Retail
Leverage Google’s enhanced asset testing capabilities introduced in 2025.
Retail campaigns benefit significantly from the new image optimization features that automatically enhance product imagery.
Healthcare and professional services
Implement geographic targeting and scheduling adjustments.
These industries often see better performance with conservative audience signals rather than broad targeting.
Travel and hospitality
Take advantage of Performance Max’s new channel performance reporting to understand which networks drive bookings versus research behavior.
Leveraging PMax’s latest game-changing features
Enhanced search term visibility
One of the biggest 2025 improvements was expanded search term reporting.
Advertisers can now spot and exclude irrelevant queries that were previously hidden.
Access this data through predefined Google Ads reports, focusing on terms with high spend but low conversions.
Advanced creative controls
Google’s recent updates also introduced greater control over creative assets.
While Performance Max still auto-generates headlines, advertisers now see performance data at the asset level.
Track conversion rates and click-throughs for individual headlines, but remember: machine learning often creates combinations you didn’t provide directly.
Dig deeper:Google’s image optimization features for Performance Max
Negative keyword implementation
With expanded negative keyword limits rolled out, advertisers can now implement more comprehensive exclusion lists.
This capability is valuable for brands wanting to separate brand and non-brand traffic between Performance Max and traditional search campaigns.
Landing page analysis is now critical for Performance Max success.
Use the predefined landing page report to identify pages that spend budget without driving conversions.
Common culprits include:
Blog posts.
Career pages.
Other informational content that attracts top-funnel traffic.
That said, test what works for your business.
Some advertisers see strong results from blog traffic via remarketing, and exclusions can limit the algorithm’s ability to find converters.
To apply exclusions, go to Campaign settings > Asset optimization, then add URL exclusions under the text section.
This simple adjustment often delivers immediate improvements in cost per conversion.
2. Test your campaign structure
While Google recommends consolidated campaigns for better machine learning, test what works for your account.
Consider these segmentation options if your budget and conversion volume support multiple campaigns:
For ecommerce brands:
Product categories or profit margins.
Customer lifetime value tiers.
Seasonal product demand patterns.
Best-selling vs. long-tail products.
For lead gen:
Service categories or keyword themes.
Lead quality tiers (enterprise vs. SMB).
Geographic service areas.
Conversion actions (form fills vs. phone calls).
This segmentation provides greater control over budget allocation and allows for more targeted optimization strategies.
3. Optimize asset groups ruthlessly
Monitor asset group performance weekly, keeping the 2-3 week learning period in mind.
Look for groups with:
Spend but no conversions.
Declining performance over 30 days.
Cannibalizing traffic from stronger performers.
Pause or restructure weak groups so budget flows to proven performers.
4. Refresh creative assets regularly
Test and rotate your creative elements to combat ad fatigue and improve performance:
Headlines and descriptions
Review asset performance metrics weekly in your asset group’s View details section.
Replace headlines marked as Low performance after 14 days of data.
Test different value propositions – promotional vs. feature-focused vs. benefit-driven.
Maintain at least 10-15 headlines for optimal rotation.
Images and videos
Swap out underperforming images monthly.
Test lifestyle imagery vs. product-only shots (for ecommerce).
Add seasonal creative before peak periods.
Leverage Google’s image optimization features to auto-enhance existing assets.
When to update
Any asset with Low performance rating after sufficient impressions.
When CTR drops below the account average for two consecutive weeks.
Before major sales periods or seasonal shifts.
When launching new products or services.
Because Performance Max auto-generates combinations, supplying diverse, high-quality assets ensures more winning variations.
5. Leverage audience signals strategically
While Performance Max uses audience signals as suggestions rather than strict targeting, providing high-quality signals significantly impacts campaign performance. Focus on:
Customer match lists for similar audience modeling.
High-intent in-market audiences relevant to your offerings.
Custom segments based on search behavior and website interactions.
Dig deeper:Auditing the Performance Max black box: A strategic approach
Common PMax pitfalls to avoid in 2026
Over-optimization
PMax campaigns require patience.
Avoid making frequent changes, as the algorithm needs time to learn and optimize.
Limit major adjustments to once every two weeks unless addressing critical issues.
Don’t ignore cross-campaign cannibalization. Performance Max can pull traffic from your other campaigns, especially brand search terms.
Even with brand exclusions, monitor your Search campaign performance after launching Performance Max.
Add campaign-level negative keywords to your Search and Shopping campaigns to protect Performance Max from internal competition.
Neglecting traditional campaigns
Performance Max should complement your search and shopping campaigns.
Many marketers report Performance Max performing better when it’s the only campaign type running, avoiding internal competition.
Borderlands games are all about chasing down rate loot, and for Borderlands 4, players can once again expect to plug in some Shift codes to grab an instant high-caliber upgrade. Borderlands 4 supports Shift codes, and the ones that can be redeemed for Golden Keys will let you open the unique Golden chests found in Belton’s Bore, The Launchpad, Carcadia, or The Lockaway.
We’re still betting that each code you redeem will still give you Golden Keys that can be used to unlock a treasure chest of rare goodies in the game or new cosmetics that you can apply to your Vault Hunter. We’ll be keeping track of Shift codes and the games you can redeem them in, so you can check back often for updates.
Borderlands 4 Shift Codes
THRBT-WW6CB-56TB5-3B3BJ-XBW3X (1 x Golden Key) [Expires September 20]
T9RJB-BFKRR-3RBTW-B33TB-KCZB9 (1 x Golden Key) [Expires October 1]
THRBT-WW6CB-56TB5-3B3BJ-XBW3X (1 x Golden Key) [Expires September 30]
WHWJB-XH3SX-39CZW-H3BBB-BTF55 (1 x Golden Key) [Requires linked My2K Games account, expires October 1]
How to redeem Shift codes
To redeem your Shift code, you’ll first need to create a Shift account on the Gearbox website. This is quick and easy to do, and you can then activate your Shift codes on the same website or via the in-game Social menu or via Borderland 4’s Social menu at launch. The other thing to note about Shift codes is that they typically have expiration dates, so it’s a good idea to redeem one as soon as possible.
From there, you can bank the rewards if they turn out to be Golden Keys, or splurge and use all of them to grab some new gear in one go.
One important note: The rewards contained within these chests scale to your current level, so you may want to consider waiting to use a Golden Key. Otherwise, using one early in the game will net you low-level gun as opposed to one you can use long-term.
For more on Borderlands 4, you can see how Gearbox plans to keep you looting and shooting after launch, how to get a free Borderlands 4 gun skin, and this deep dive into every Vault Hunter in the game.
Chronic insomnia — trouble sleeping at least three days a week for three months or more — could speed up brain aging.
People with chronic insomnia were 40% more likely to develop dementia or mild cognitive issues than people without insomnia.
Insomnia with perceived reduced sleep was associated with lower cognition comparable to being four years older.
Better sleep isn’t just beauty rest — it might protect your brain health.
People with chronic insomnia may experience faster declines in memory and thinking skills as they age — along with brain changes that can be seen on imaging scans — than people who do not have chronic insomnia, according to a study published in the September 10, 2025, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The study found that people with chronic insomnia — trouble sleeping at least three days a week for three months or more — had a 40% higher risk of developing mild cognitive impairment or dementia than those without insomnia, which is the equivalent of 3.5 additional years of aging. The study does not prove that insomnia causes brain aging, it only shows an association.
“Insomnia doesn’t just affect how you feel the next day — it may also impact your brain health over time,” said study author Diego Z. Carvalho, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “We saw faster decline in thinking skills and changes in the brain that suggest chronic insomnia could be an early warning sign or even a contributor to future cognitive problems.”
The study tracked a group of cognitively healthy older adults — 2,750 people with an average age of 70 — for an average of 5.6 years. Of participants, 16% had chronic insomnia.
At the start of the study, participants were asked whether they had been sleeping more or less than usual during the past two weeks. They also took yearly thinking and memory tests, and some had brain scans to look for white matter hyperintensities — areas where small vessel disease may have damaged brain tissue — and for amyloid plaques, a protein that can build up and is linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
During the study, 14% of the people with chronic insomnia developed mild cognitive impairment or dementia, compared to 10% of those who did not have insomnia.
After accounting for factors like age, high blood pressure, use of sleep medications and a diagnosis of sleep apnea, they found that people with insomnia were 40% more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment or dementia than those without insomnia. They also had faster declines on tests measuring different thinking skills.
Among those with insomnia, researchers determined the type: those getting less sleep than usual in the past two weeks; or those getting more sleep than usual in the past two weeks.
People who reported getting less sleep than usual were more likely to have lower cognitive test scores at the beginning of the study, comparable to being four years older. They also had more white matter hyperintensities and amyloid plaques. For amyloid, the effect was similar to what is seen in people with the APOE ε4 gene, a known genetic risk factor.
People who reported getting more sleep than usual, on the other hand, were more likely to have fewer white matter hyperintensities at the start of the study.
Some groups were especially vulnerable. Participants who carry the APOE ε4 gene — linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk — showed steeper declines in memory and thinking skills.
“Our results suggest that insomnia may affect the brain in different ways, involving not only amyloid plaques, but also small vessels supplying blood to the brain,” Carvalho said. “This reinforces the importance of treating chronic insomnia — not just to improve sleep quality but potentially to protect brain health as we age. Our results also add to a growing body of evidence that sleep isn’t just about rest — it’s also about brain resilience.”
A limitation of the study was that insomnia diagnoses came from medical records, which do not capture undiagnosed cases or reflect how severe symptoms are.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, GHR Foundation, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, and a grant from Sleep Number Corporation to the Mayo Clinic.
Evening settles over Phobjikha Valley like a silk shawl, its rolling meadows bathed in the quiet glow of the fading sun. Inside her snug homestay kitchen, Kumbu Lhamo tips a shallow wooden bowl, grinning into its cloudy depths. The sip is warm, smoky, faintly chewy; the taste of Bhutan itself. This is ara, the country’s most guarded home-brew, as beloved and unmistakably Bhutanese as ema datshi.
Ara is not found on supermarket shelves or glossy menus; it is born in kitchens and courtyards. Lhamo, like most Bhutanese women, distils hers in copper stills behind her farmhouse. Rice, barley, maize, or millet transform with time, instinct, yeast discs and inherited wisdom. Each household swears theirs is best: honeyed here, peppery there, always unique. A recipe carried through generations, like a secret handshake between the past and the present.
To drink ara is not just to taste Bhutan, but also to belong, if only for a moment, to its living story. Bhutan is not alone. Across Asia, once-obscure brews are slipping out of their clay jars and bamboo flasks, demanding global attention. In Nagaland, zutho, a rice beer with a tart, cider-like kick, turns festivals into song. In the hill tracts of Myanmar, khaung yay, brewed from sticky rice and passed around in bamboo tubes, carries the warmth of community itself. From the Indonesian island of Flores, the potent palm spirit sopi fuels ceremonies with both fire and camaraderie. And in China’s Guizhou province, the hauntingly fragrant mijiu of the Miao people—a sweet-sour rice wine steeped in wild herbs—remains a drink of ritual and rebellion.
The Students for the Promotion of International Law (SPIL), Mumbai or SPIL Mumbai, is a student-run organisation based out of Government Law College, Mumbai, dedicated to fostering dialogue and scholarship in international law.
Over the years, our events, notably our flagship event- the GLC International Law Summit has witnessed participation of distinguished personalities such as the Hon’ble Judges of the Supreme Court of India and the Bombay High Court, eminent Senior Advocates and international jurists.
This legacy and credibility is further exemplified by our association with organisations like the World Trade Organisation and International Law Students Association, among others.
About the Competition
The SPIL Mumbai, National Legal Article Writing Competition, 2025 (“Competition”) provides a distinguished platform for the expression of scholarly excellence, academic rigour, and diverse perspectives on pressing issues in International Law. The primary objective of this esteemed Competition is to stimulate intellectual curiosity and foster academic growth among participants.
Theme to be followed
In light of ongoing transformations and discussions in global trade policy, cross-border regulation, digital commerce, and multilateral negotiations, we are proud to announce “International Trade Law” as the theme for the Competition.
Topics
The Role of International Trade Law in Global Food Security and Agricultural Subsidies
Sanctions and Export Controls: Analysing the Weaponisation of International Trade Law
Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) in Trade Agreement: Balancing State Sovereignty and Foreign Investment
Trade, Development, and Inequality: Assessing the WTO’s Special and Differential Treatment Regime for the Global South
International Trade and Human Rights: Labor Standards and Trade Agreements
The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and WTO Compatibility
Trade and Public Health: Revisiting TRIPS, Vaccine Access, and Global Health Equity Post-COVID
The participants are required to choose from one of the above topics. These topics will NOT be given any preference.
Merit and Prizes
The pinnacle of achievement lies in the recognition of the Best Article, the Second-best Article, and the Third-best Article, all of which may be chosen for publication in the prestigious GLC-SPIL International Law Journal, subject to the discretion of the Board of Editors.
Best Article: INR 7,000/-
Second Best Article: INR 5,000/-
Third Best Article: INR 3,000/-
How to Submit?
Interested participants can submit their essays using the link provided at the end of this post.
Eligibility
The Competition is open to all law students currently enrolled in recognised 3-year LL.B or 5-year integrated LL.B courses.
Participants must be pursuing their studies at any recognised institution in India. Participants can participate individually or co-author in a team of a maximum of two members.
Winners of previous editions of the Competition are not eligible to participate.
Registration Fees
A non-refundable registration fee of Rs. 200 for a single-authored submission and Rs. 300 for a co-authored submission must be paid online before submission of the Registration Form.
Participants must first make the payment of the registration fee towards the Bank Account mentioned herein, and upload a screenshot of the proof of payment in the Registration Form.
Account Details
Account Holder: SPIL Government Law College Mumbai
Account Number: 35514475304
Account Type: Current Account
IFSC: SBIN0004283
Branch: PBB CHURCHGATE, MUMBAI
Submission Deadline
30th September 2025, 11:59 PM IST
Contact
Incase of any queries, write to us at [email protected] or contact the undersigned.
Exercise is crucial for maintaining liver health. The importance is indispensable. Even hepatologist Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, known on social media as ‘The Liver Doc’, reiterated this. In a May 27 Instagram post, he emphasised the value of exercising.
The doctor advised that staying active is the priority. (Shutterstock)
ALSO READ: Hepatologist shares his patient lost 40 kg in 6 months using weight loss drug Mounjaro: ‘Obesity did not allow him…’
He explained, “If a physician is not prescribing exercise for fatty liver reduction or prevention, but only a bunch of (ineffective) pills, then it’s time to change your doctor.” This suggests that medicines alone may not be effective in supporting liver health. Relying solely on pills is not sufficient.
The liver doctor further shared an ‘exercise prescription’ for fatty liver disease management. For the uninformed, fatty liver disease occurs when excess fat builds up in the liver.
Here are the exercise tips he recommended:
1. 150 minutes of exercise
The hepatologist recommended at least 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic work, such as brisk walking. According to him, this ‘dose’ can triple the chances of reducing liver fat below 30 per cent on MRI, a mark that reflects good changes in the liver, similar to what is seen in a biopsy.
2. Pattern
Next, he talked about the exercise pattern, which commonly involves around 3 to 5 sessions per week with 40 minutes each. This is to be continued for 12 weeks or more to see noticeable benefits.
3. Resistance training
The next recommendation on his ‘exercise prescription’ is progressive resistance training, 2-3 times a week, performing 8-12 reps for 2-3 sets. This targets the major muscle group, reduces liver fat, liver enzymes, liver inflammation and insulin resistance.
4. Aerobic exercise + resistance training
The fourth suggestion of the liver doctor is to combine both aerobic and resistance training for 45-60 minutes, 3 days a week. This, in turn, reduces liver fat by approximately 10 per cent within 16 weeks, with better health benefits than either type of exercise alone.
5. HIIT
HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training exercises are on Dr Cyriac’s exercise list. As per the hepatologist, it involves doing 1- 5 rounds of 2- 4 minutes at near-maximum effort, with 2- 3 minutes of rest between each, performed 3 times a week. HIIT has many benefits as it lowers liver fat by 3 per cent and has many similar advantages to moderate continuous exercise, making it ideal for those who may have limited time.
6. Moderate vs vigorous intensity
While now one may think that the harder they exercise, the more liver fat will be reduced. But this is not true, as the liver doctor revealed that increasing intensity beyond moderate levels does not provide any additional liver-fat-lowering benefits.
7. Particular duration of exercising
To gain the optimum liver health benefits from exercise, there’s a particular duration of exercise one needs to focus on. As per Dr Cyriac, high-quality meta-regression studies show that the minimum effective dose for reducing liver fat is about 135 minutes of moderate exercise per week. If you exercise less than this, then you may not receive the complete benefits. Hence, noting the duration is as important.
8. Simply staying active is enough
While one may think that only dropping numbers on the scale may make their liver healthy by Dr Cyriac assured that this is not always the case. The benefits of exercise on liver fat, according to him, are ‘independent of weight loss.’ This means that the liver fat can actually go down even if you don’t see any visible weight changes. So, following good lifestyle habits benefits the liver, despite the absence of any drastic weight loss.
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
Today, a brief rundown of news involving Kriya Therapeutics and Odyssey Therapeutics, as well as updates from Amgen, Regeneron and Merck & Co. that you may have missed.
Kriya Therapeutics raised $320 million in a Series D round that ranks as one of the biopharmaceutical sector’s largest private financings this year. The funding, co-led by Patient Square Capital and Premji Invest, will support clinical testing of gene therapies Kriya is developing for chronic conditions such as geographic atrophy, Type 1 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. Kriya is run by Shankar Ramaswamy, the brother of former presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy. It’s now raised more than $900 million since its inception in 2019.
Three months after withdrawing an initial public offering, immune drug developer Odyssey Therapeutics has secured new funding from the private markets. The $213 million Series D announced Wednesday involved all of Odyssey’s existing investors as well as a half dozen other firms, among them Dimension Capital and Jeito Capital. Led by serial biotech entrepreneur Gary Glick, Odyssey is advancing targeted medicines for multiple autoimmune diseases, led by an inflammatory bowel disease drug in mid-stage testing.
Shannon Turley has left Genentech to join Amgen, where she’ll oversee the company’s oncology and immunology work as vice president of research and co-head of research biology. Saptarsi Haldar will broaden his existing role to become Amgen’s other research biology co-leader, where he’ll run the firm’s cardiometabolic and rare disease research, a spokesperson told BioPharma Dive in an email. The moves are part of Amgen’s plans to revamp research under R&D chief Jay Bradner and top scientist Howard Chang, who came to Amgen in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Shares of Dianthus Therapeutics have climbed about 50% since the release on Monday of Phase 2 data supporting a drug it’s developing for generalized myasthenia gravis. The results showed treatment with two different dose levels of Dianthus’ drug, claseprubart, led to statistically significant and “clinically meaningful” improvements on an assessment of patient symptoms after 13 weeks. The findings position Dianthus as “a contender” in the large and growing market for myasthenia gravis drugs, while “derisking” studies in other conditions, Stifel analyst Alex Thompson wrote in a note to investors. Dianthus quickly capitalized by raising $251 million in a stock offering on Tuesday.
About half of the participants in a Phase 2 study in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer responded to an experimental antibody-drug conjugate co-developed by Merck & Co. andDaiichiSankyo. The results, presented at the World Conference on Lung Cancer, will support ongoing discussions with global health regulators regarding an approval in previously treated patients with the disease, the companies said Sunday. Merck and Daiichi have been developing the drug, ifinatamabderuxtecan, as part of a wide-ranging ADC alliance. The “strong” study findings could support both an accelerated approval and “significant first-to-market commercial advantage” over other emerging ADCs carrying similar tumor-killing payloads, wrote Leerink Partners analyst Daina Graybosch.
Middle-ring suburbs are evolving due to state-led rezoning, medium/high-density housing, and the rise of 20-minute neighbourhoods.
These changes aim to reduce urban sprawl, increase housing supply, and make better use of existing infrastructure.
Whether you own a home, hold apartments, or are eyeing development sites, Australia’s middle-ring transformation is creating new upside.
Rather than seeing urban transformation as a threat, it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
Australia’s middle-ring suburbs are undergoing a significant transformation, driven by a combination of state-led rezoning initiatives, the introduction of medium- and high-density developments, and a strategic shift towards creating “20-minute neighbourhoods.”
This evolution presents both opportunities and challenges for existing homeowners and investors.
Embracing the ‘missing middle’ in urban planning
The term “missing middle” refers to the lack of medium-density housing options, such as townhouses, duplexes, and low-rise apartments, that bridge the gap between single-family homes and high-rise towers.
Historically, Australia’s housing landscape has been characterised by either low-density outer suburban sprawl or large-scale apartment blocks in urban cores, resulting in a stark divide in housing availability and affordability.
To correct this imbalance, various state governments – particularly in New South Wales Victoria, and the ACT – are introducing planning reforms that encourage medium-density infill housing in established suburbs designed to unlock underutilised land near existing infrastructure, create more housing choice, and reduce urban sprawl.
However, not everyone is on board.
Local councils, under pressure from vocal constituents who don’t want their neighbourhood character to change, are often pushing back against these proposals.
These constituents – often labelled NIMBYs (Not In My Backyard) – fear increased traffic, parking shortages, loss of privacy, and changes to the “leafy” character of their streets.
In turn, councils are implementing height restrictions, design overlays, and delaying rezoning approvals in an effort to appease existing residents.
This tension between state government objectives and local council resistance continues to slow down the rollout of much-needed housing diversity across our middle-ring suburbs.
Nonetheless, the push for the missing middle is gaining traction, as the need for more housing and better land use intensifies, especially in suburbs well served by transportation and amenities.
The rise of 20-minute neighbourhoods
The concept of the 20-minute neighbourhood is central to contemporary urban planning strategies, particularly in Melbourne’s “Plan Melbourne 2017-2050.”
The idea is to create communities where residents can access most of their daily needs, such as shops, schools, parks, and public transport, within a 20-minute walk or cycle from their homes.
This approach promotes local living, reduces reliance on cars, and fosters healthier, more connected communities.
Pilot programs in suburbs like Strathmore, Croydon South, and Sunshine West have demonstrated the potential of this model to enhance liveability and sustainability.
Implications for property owners
1. Increased Land Value Through Rezoning
Properties located near transport hubs or shopping strips that are rezoned for higher density will experience significant value appreciation.
Developers often seek to amalgamate such sites for larger projects, offering premiums to current owners.
2. Enhanced Local Amenities and Gentrification**
New developments often bring improved infrastructure, retail outlets, and public spaces.
This influx will revitalise neighbourhoods, making them more attractive to a diverse demographic, thereby increasing demand and property values.
3. Rising Demand for Established Apartments
With construction costs escalating, new apartments are entering the market at higher price points.
This scenario makes well-maintained existing family friendly apartments more appealing due to their relative affordability, potentially boosting their market value.
Challenges to consider
There is no doubt that the middle ring suburbs of our capital cities will look very different over the next decade, and while this will bring many benefits, there will also be challenges.
1. Potential Oversupply in Certain Areas
Rapid development can lead to an oversupply of apartments in specific locales, potentially stabilising or even reducing prices in the short term.
We saw this during the property construction group of 2014 – 17, when some locations just had too much speculative development.
While it’s likely new apartment development will roll out more slowly this time round, investors should monitor local development pipelines and vacancy rates to make informed decisions.
2. Impact on Low-Density Residences
Homes adjacent to new high-density projects might experience increased traffic, noise, and reduced privacy.
However, properties slightly removed from these developments will benefit from improved amenities without the immediate drawbacks.
3. Necessity for Property Upgrades
To remain competitive, owners of older apartments will need to consider renovations to match the appeal of newer constructions.
There’s nothing new about this – modernising interiors and amenities enhances rental yields, gives you a wide selection of potential tenants and improves the value of your property.
A golden opportunity for strategic investors
While some homeowners may worry about the changes medium- and high-density developments bring to their suburbs, strategic property investors see the bigger picture, and it’s full of upside.
Rezoning in middle-ring suburbs is creating significant opportunities.
Properties close to transport hubs and vibrant local centres are becoming development hotspots.
As land becomes more valuable, savvy investors are acting decisively, unlocking the potential of these areas by buying older homes on sizeable blocks and building two townhouses where there was once just an old home.
But here’s the key difference: they’re not doing it to flip for short-term profit – they are holding onto these new townhouses as part of a long-term “build-to-hold” strategy.
This approach allows them to manufacture equity through development while also benefiting from growing rental yields, long-term capital growth, and depreciation benefits.
And because many of these projects are in gentrifying suburbs with improved amenity, growing populations, and increased demand for quality housing, the long-term upside is incredibly compelling.
This is exactly the sort of strategy Metropole has specialised in for decades- guiding clients from property selection, through development feasibility, planning approvals, and construction, all the way to managing the end investment.
We’re not in the business of selling properties – we’re in the business of helping our clients build lasting wealth.
In this new phase of urban transformation, where the ‘missing middle’ is finally being built and the 20-minute neighbourhood becomes a reality, the investors who understand the power of location, timing, and strategic development will be the ones who benefit most.
Even if you’re not sitting on a development site, these changes are driving more people into previously overlooked suburbs, breathing new life into local economies and increasing demand for well-located established properties.
And with construction costs still high, the price gap between new and existing apartments will remain wide, pulling the value of quality older stock upwards.
In short, Australia’s urban evolution isn’t a threat—it’s an invitation.
For those who understand the trends and invest with strategy, the next wave of growth will come not from chasing hotspots, but from riding the structural shifts reshaping our cities.
So rather than resisting the changes sweeping through our suburbs, the question investors should be asking is: how can I ride this wave of transformation to build intergenerational wealth.
About Michael Yardney Michael is the founder of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He’s once again been voted Australia’s leading property investment adviser and one of Australia’s 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media.
Science fiction is a great genre for hiding critiques of social issues and posing big questions that extend beyond the mere speculation of whether aliens exist. And through the medium of movies, there’s an opportunity to use imagery to further convey those questions and, hopefully, offer a solution or answer.
As someone who frequently watches sci-fi movies, I want to be moved by these ideas and twisted into a philosophical pretzel. I’m not necessarily looking for a feel-good movie, either. When I walk away questioning my existence or seeing a fresh point of view, I know that the movie did something right.
What is a soul? Is it even real? When you have two copies of the same person, with the same memories, are they two different people? And if you could clone people, to what extent would the power be abused when in the wrong hands? Mickey 17 asks a lot of questions that keep me awake at night (and inspire me to write my own short stories, too).
The same way Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite had me grappling with wealth disparity and class divides in real life, Mickey 17 had me wrestling with the concept of disposability. I felt a lot of empathy and anxiety watching Mickey get abused and die over and over again for the sake of his job. There’s a kinship there that hits a little too close to home.
5
Blade Runner
Watch Blade Runner on Amazon Prime Video
Blade Runner is a bit of a unique case among my picks, and it comes down to which version of Blade Runner you watch. Both versions—the Final Cut or the original—have distinct differences that offer their own existential crisis. I won’t argue which is better because I like both for different reasons.
In the original cut, in whatever form that is, the movie highlights Roy and the question of whether or not he’s a “real boy,” despite being an android. What does it mean to be human? Is it even possible for a machine with enough advancements in technology to reach consciousness? In the other version—the director’s cut, essentially—adds to the discussion of Deckard possibly being an android as well.
Most of my entries are dark, somewhat brooding stories, but Interstellar is unique in that it’s a more hopeful story. Sure, the planet becoming uninhabitable is a bummer, but the movie focuses on the strengths of humanity and how we can overcome our weaknesses through love. What Interstellar does best is take real scientific knowledge and facts (with just a dash of science fiction) to create a mind-bending story.
It’s one thing to know black holes bend space and time, but it’s another to see how you’ll be affected in a real-world scenario, like Cooper experiencing time dilation on a planet close to a black hole. Once you realize a lot of the science checks out—thanks to theoretical physicist Kip Thorne being involved—it completely shatters your reality.
Not only did Annihilation freak me out because of its story, the nature of the Shimmer was kaledioscopic—alien, and yet familiar. It had me feeling like I was on a completely different planet, especially with the strange and bizarre ambient music that would definitely have a place on a list of movies with the most underrated soundtracks. The Shimmer was freaky in its own right, but what had me questioning my own reality was the characters and their self-destructive tendencies.
You want to imagine yourself making the right decision in these scenarios, but they’re so painfully human, you wonder if it’s simply in our nature to implode. And of course, the nature of consciousness on display here is the kind of existential crisis I like to chew on, especially when we’re dealing with alien life. I like to imagine humanity’s flavor of consciousness may not apply to life on other worlds.
2
Blade Runner 2049
Watch Blade Runner 2049 on Amazon Prime Video
You’d think Blade Runner has said everything it could on consciousness and identity, or that a sequel would only tread the same ground, but Blade Runner 2049 has a whole new kind of philosophy to grapple with. Now we follow the life of a replicant, who is also a blade runner, following clues that point to another replicant somehow giving birth.
Once again, Blade Runner 2049 contends with what it means to be human, the tricky nature of memories, free will, and the line between man and machine becoming almost indistinguishable. Despite being a replicant, K experiences human emotion, and because of that, I’d have a hard time arguing against him being conscious.
With its constant use of body horror, Crimes of the Future is not for the squeamish, I can tell you that much. In a future where humans are experiencing rapid evolution, no matter how minor the transformations are, the movie had me wondering what the future of human evolution would look like. After all, we may think ourselves static now, but in a few thousand years, it’s impossible to imagine how we’d behave or even look.
What’s most fascinating about the film is how the strange machines humans use to merely function, like the chair Saul sits in to help him digest, are merely tools of conformity. In a sense, the chair is a detriment to Saul’s identity and prevents him from truly evolving. Once the credits rolled, Crimes of the Future had me wondering what technology was stunting my own growth.
I adore movies that challenge reality and conventional thinking, like an exercise in philosophy and critical thinking. Often, they’re the most emotionally powerful movies too, and who doesn’t love a good cry? If and when you do check these movies out, bring a friend or two. They’re perfect for discussions!
People-to-people exchanges serve as an important tool for cross-cultural understanding and collaboration. Each small step helps build global consensus on development, share opportunities for a prosperous future and contribute to weaving a shared future for humanity.
Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists on Friday elected “The Lord of the Rings” actor Sean Astin to be its national president as one of Hollywood’s most powerful labor unions faces new challenges in a changing film and TV industry.
Astin, known for portraying Frodo’s loyal hobbit friend, Samwise Gamgee, in the Peter Jackson-directed fantasy trilogy, now finds himself headed to a different kind of stage.
The 54-year-old actor will become leader of the 160,000-person performers union as it prepares to enter negotiations next year for a new contract with the major studios at a time when the entertainment industry faces consolidation, productions moving overseas and artificial intelligence.
“I feel proud and I feel determined,” Astin said in an interview. “People keep saying to me, ‘I hope you have time to celebrate’ and celebrating feels like a foreign thought. This doesn’t feel like a moment for celebration. It feels like a moment to say thank you and get to work.”
Astin garnered 79% of the votes cast in the election, according to the actors guild’s data. Voting closed on Friday. Astin beat his opponent Chuck Slavin, a background actor and performer in independent movies.
Slavin on Friday said in a statement that “while the outcome is disappointing, my commitment to advocating for transparency and member rights remains unshaken.”
Astin succeeds outgoing president Fran Drescher, who led the union through a 118-day strike during the last contract negotiations in summer 2023. Under that contract, the union secured AI protections and streaming bonuses based on viewership numbers. Some actors felt the contract didn’t go far enough and hope for more gains during next year’s talks.
Astin told The Times in an interview earlier this month that he is hopeful about securing a fair deal with the studios.
“I have a very good feeling about going into this next negotiation, because it’s clear to me that it’s in both parties’ interest to achieve a good deal,” Astin said.
In general, “the truth is that no union and no management should ever want a strike — that is the tool of last resort,” Astin said.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the major studios, said it looked forward to working with Astin “to address the issues most important to SAG-AFTRA performers while promoting stability and opportunity across our industry.”
Astin’s strategy for negotiations was more moderate than that of Slavin. Slavin said that, if elected, he would call a strike authorization vote before meeting with the studios as a way to help boost the union’s leverage during negotiations.
Astin’s running mate, Michelle Hurd, was elected as secretary-treasurer of the union, receiving around 65% of the vote. Hurd has acted in shows such as “Star Trek: Picard” and movies including the romantic comedy “Anyone But You.”
Astin said he would push for more AI protections in the next contract and work with government leaders to keep productions in the U.S.
Astin ran under a group called “The Coalition,” which featured candidates from Membership First and Unite For Strength, two political groups within SAG-AFTRA. Slavin ran as an independent.
Voter turnout for this year’s national election was lower than in 2023, when Drescher was re-elected president. In 2023, roughly 23% of the ballots were returned, compared to this year’s 17%, according to SAG-AFTRA data. In 2021, when Drescher was first elected national president, 26% of the ballots were returned, according to the union.
Astin received a key endorsement from outgoing president Drescher, who he says has been a “constant source of support and guidance” and said he was “eager to help protect her legacy.” Astin’s mother, Academy Award-winning supporting actor Patty Duke, was a past president of the actors’ union.
Astin said that he will begin his term poring over information, meeting with SAG-AFTRA staff and doing outreach to members, including visiting the various locals.
“Now is the time for the optimism,” Astin said on Friday. “When you elect a new president, it’s a new chapter and a new page is turned. There is no reason not to charge forward as a union with our members.”
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As I watched Live with Search Engine Land: SEO, AIO, GEO! on Aug. 11, which featured four top SEO experts discussing how to adapt as search shifts in the AI era, I had the strangest feeling I’d seen this movie before.
I remember feeling the same way back in 2011, when social media was shaking the foundations of search.
The industry was being forced to adapt overnight – much like Hollywood pivoting from silent films to talkies in “Singin’ in the Rain.”
The question is clear: who will thrive as AI reshapes search?
The answer lies in adapting your skills, breaking silos, mastering new metrics, and collaborating across teams.
Realign your career path with the new customer journey
Organizations can’t afford to keep cranking out silent movies if the public is flocking to talkies.
Optimizing video content and text is essential if you want to be the star of a talking picture.
Why video?
Video combines sight, sound, and motion, making it more engaging, memorable, and shareable than text.
It’s a powerful way to convey complex ideas and build emotional connections.
Research backs this up. In Think with Google, Celia Salsi tells us why video now plays a central role in how people shop and make decisions.
The challenge for brands isn’t just getting noticed, but being chosen – especially for considered purchases that require deeper trust.
YouTube plays a key role here.
It’s a top destination for shoppers researching and comparing products, with more than 35 billion hours of shopping-related content viewed last year.
Ads shown on connected TVs also drove over 1 billion conversions.
Salsi also reveals:
“There’s no one way to shop online. New research decodes multifacted shopping journeys.”
A study of 2,000 online shoppers in the U.S. identified seven distinct shopping journeys based on different needs and motivations. They are:
Impulse: Shoppers are triggered by something that catches their eye, but these journeys rarely end in a purchase.
Passion pursuit: These shoppers are already experts in a product category and will wait for the right item at the right price.
Vision to reality: Driven by style and self-expression, these shoppers use video to find products that will help them achieve a desired look.
Rookie: New to a category, these shoppers seek ideas, advice, and recommendations to help them decide.
Quest for the best: These shoppers do extensive research to feel confident in their purchase decisions.
Buy and try: Shoppers in this category compare a few options and often buy multiple items with the intention of returning some.
Quick-fire: This journey, which has the highest purchase rate, is for shoppers who need a low-cost replacement or a household staple and know exactly what they want.
Although most online shopping behavior is deliberate, Salsi reveals:
“YouTube’s influence cuts down the average online video shopper’s journey by six days.”
Get out of your comfort zone and organizational silo
You’ll also want to take a close look at “How to get cited by AI: SEO insights from 8,000 AI citations.”
As Search Engine Land contributor James Allen reported, YouTube was the most cited domain in AI Overviews, followed by blogs like Zapier and news sites such as PCMag and Forbes, which together accounted for more than half of citations.
Websites with detailed, specialized deep content are favored over homepages, and sites known for expertise, particularly in finance and healthcare, tend to be cited, while community sites like Reddit and Quora are cited less often.
It’s time to get out of your comfort zone and organizational silo if you want to connect with people in video marketing and digital PR.
Together, you’ll need to build new teams that can balance multiple disciplines – from content and social to analytics and PR.
To adapt and succeed as search changes in the AI era, you’ll need to measure outcomes alongside organic traffic.
These outcomes fall into two categories that align with video campaign goals:
Brand awareness and consideration.
Website traffic, leads, and sales.
Brand awareness and consideration
In a zero-click world, you may be tempted to use a new marketing metric called share of model.
It measures how effectively a brand is represented by large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT.
This newfangled metric quantifies how well the LLM understands and recommends a brand, based on its identity, products, and reputation.
However, share of model may turn out to be a vanity metric, just like ranking for low-intent keywords, low-quality backlinks, impressions, gross rating points (GRPs), social media followers, and advertising value equivalency (AVE).
Instead, use a different set of metrics to measure brand awareness and consideration: the brand lift study.
Over half a dozen major social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, provide brand lift studies to advertisers who meet specific spending requirements.
These studies gauge the impact of ad campaigns on brand awareness, brand association, and consideration by surveying groups of users who were exposed to the campaign versus those who were not.
Brand lift studies measure changes in awareness, consideration, and intent – giving you hard data on how campaigns shape perception over time.
Using these metrics as key performance indicators (KPIs) makes far more sense to senior executives than betting your credibility on experimental metrics like share of model, which may not align with share of search or market share.
Website traffic, leads, and sales
For more than two decades, SEOs have tracked organic search traffic as a primary metric.
But with zero-click searches on the rise, it’s time to re-examine how you read Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
In one recent case, a marketer noticed a 28% year-over-year increase in new users.
But a closer look revealed organic traffic down 32%, while “direct” traffic had spiked nearly 47%, now making up three-quarters of all new users.
The culprit?
When their content appeared in Google’s AI Overviews, clicks weren’t passing referrer data to GA4 – making search-driven traffic look like “direct.”
Here’s how to adapt:
Pay less attention to default channel groups and more to top landing pages within “direct” traffic. If many are recent blog posts, that spike may be AI-driven.
Use campaign tagging strategically: Add parameters with Google’s Campaign URL Builder to links you share on platforms like LinkedIn. That way, you can measure the impact of your organic content and social posts even when GA4 hides the source.
Collaborate to generate successful campaigns
If you lead a marketing department or agency, you can easily subcontract skills like YouTube SEO, Reddit marketing, digital PR, or brand lift surveys.
After a few projects, you may even decide to bring some of those capabilities in-house.
If you’re an SEO manager or marketing professional, the path looks different. You might:
Start by analyzing Tubular Labs leaderboards to see which brands are winning attention across YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
Invest in workshops and online courses to expand your own skills – a step I’ve recommended before when talking about upskilling and reskilling.
And why push yourself to do this now?
Because as soon as this fall, senior marketers will be scanning the horizon of a shifting search industry.
Many will call for more creative collaboration, reorganize teams, or review agency relationships to realign with new customer journeys.
The SEOs and marketers who’ve already broken out of their silos – and built connections across video, PR, and social – will be ready to take the lead.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game celebrated its 15-year anniversary on August 10, 2025. Below, we speak with the developers of the original game about how it came to be and its enduring legacy.
Trust an elder millennial on this one: The longer you live, the more you start to see the media of your youth reflected in a weird, recursive funhouse mirror. The old Grandpa Simpson “It’ll happen to you!” meme is not just a perfect reaction to have here, but a perfect example. It’s a famous meme, born from a show that is now mostly known by younger generations as an infinite meme factory, from a scene that was directed at Gen-Xers with nostalgia for the 1970s, by a character lamenting how he was cool in the ’50s, and nostalgia for the ’40s being the actual intended joke.
Scott Pilgrim now occupies a similarly strange place in pop culture. Back in the mid-2000s, the original graphic novels were to old-school video games, anime, and Canadian indie bands what Kevin Smith’s worship of Star Wars and Marvel comics were to Gen X. Plenty of readers could latch onto the story of a nerdy slacker–the titular Scott–dating Ramona Flowers, a much cooler person with a checkered past, and Scott having to reckon with said checkered past by fighting her seven evil exes. The emotional honesty injected into the story by its creator, Bryan Lee O’Malley made it appeal to the folks who may never have picked up a controller, the folks who simply saw an extremely well-drawn, well-written fantastical slice-of-life indie book. Scott still had to deal with getting a job, paying his rent, and generally having to become an adult. He just happened to do so while speaking to nerds in a whole other secret language of nostalgic metaphors.
This is ultimately the thing that made Edgar Wright probably the only reasonable pick to handle a film adaptation. Wright had been speaking the same language through his work since the early 2000s with Spaced, Shaun of the Dead, and Hot Fuzz. This is a man who staged a climactic argument between roommates on Spaced as a round of Tekken 3, had Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now as the backdrop for a zombie getting beaten with pool cues, and used the classic tropes of both zombie films and big Hollywood action movies to examine the whole idea of how men evolve within the world.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game
There’s an art to using pop culture as shorthand. In Ready Player One author Ernest Cline’s hands, it’s cheap and meaningless, because it’s the validation of obsession, rather than saying anything about the people obsessed. In Wright’s hands, it’s charming and effective, because it’s using pop culture to accentuate the emotions that are already there.
And thus we got Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in theaters in 2010, a still-incredible piece of work, not just as a faithful adaptation of the novels, but a still-staggering achievement in audiovisual storytelling altogether. Its closest visual analogue is the Wachowski Sisters’ Speed Racer. You can probably count everything else in that particular echelon on one hand, and two of those slots are Spider-Verse movies. Unfortunately, that’s for good reason. Despite the incredible filmmaking, the zeitgeisty non-stop comedy, a fantastic indie rock soundtrack, the heartfelt story, a rock-solid critical reception, and a cast that would go on to become some of the most acclaimed and recognized actors of a generation, the film was actually a major flop. It opened to a $10 million opening weekend and ended at $30 million, only barely making back half its $60 million budget. It was dead on arrival. Turns out, the film has more in common with the Wachowskis’ Speed Racer than the visual language. It was hard sell to an unsavvy casual audience unaccustomed to hyperkinetic maximalist storytelling. Universal’s marketing department clearly felt the same; the film was sold as a musical with fights instead of songs. It’s not a wrong representation of the film, but it’s still difficult to sell.
At the same time Scott Pilgrim: The Movie was floundering in theaters, in real-life Canada, Scott Pilgrim was fighting a different fight in a different medium.
Jean-Francois Major is one of the co-founders of Tribute Games, the folks behind a slew of old-school pixel art throwback titles such as Mercenary Kings, Panzer Paladin, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, and the upcoming Marvel Cosmic Invasion. But back in 2010, he was part of a development team at Ubisoft that decided to make the company take a big risk.
“We mostly focused on Game Boy Advance titles: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Open Season, Star Wars, mostly licensed games,” Major said, in a brief interview with Gamespot over Zoom. “At some point we found out there was gonna be a movie made on Scott Pilgrim. And we thought, why doesn’t Ubisoft make a game based on the [intellectual property]. So we decided to make a pitch and get it cleared through Universal. That was actually the last pixel art game Ubisoft tackled. We kept it retro-looking, kind of a follow up to our Game Boy Advance games.”
For reference, the bigger games that Ubisoft would release around that time included Splinter Cell: Conviction, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, and Ubisoft’s first go-around with a game based on James Cameron’s Avatar. The closest thing to a retro game in Ubisoft’s portfolio at that time is an entirely forgettable TMNT: Turtles In Time remake. So how did Major and his team manage to slip a pixel art 2D game into the company’s slate at the time?
“I don’t know how to answer this politely,” Major said with a laugh. “I think it wasn’t really a project that was fully understood at Ubisoft. Luckily, they kind of let us do what we wanted, and didn’t ask too many questions. They were more focused on their bigger titles. Ubisoft was shifting away from [pixel art games], and that was kind of our last go. Our whole team was sent to work on more AAA games, and that wasn’t really our passion. It was why we ended up founding Tribute.” Bryan Lee O’Malley had similar mixed feelings, saying in our brief interview that “they didn’t really give us the budget to do everything we wanted to do,” and noted that the finishing touches for the game were ultimately farmed out to Ubisoft’s Chinese studio.
Still, as the film was in production, Majors and his team got to work on what would become Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game, which was, indeed, a rare sight in 2010: a side-scrolling 2D beat-’em-up that felt more like River City Ransom on NES or the original Turtles In Time than the character-action titles of that moment in time. The art style–which had Bryan Lee O’Malley dividing his time between working on the film and providing original artwork embellished by famed pixel artist Paul Robertson–would take most of its cues from the original graphic novels, while still recreating specific beats from the film, including a very cute pixel art version of Edgar Wright directing Lucas Lee’s movie at Casa Loma. In return, pixel art Scott would get a cameo on the big-screen. The game character appeared as the icon for Scott’s 1-Up after defeating the Katayanagi Twins, as well as in a post-credit bit with Pixel Scott getting to throw a few brick-busting punches, a shout-out that was a complete surprise to Majors and his team.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game
The game also had an extra ace in the hole with its amazing, eclectic soundtrack from chiptune band Anamanaguchi.
“Our style was a natural fit for the general vibe,” said lead songwriter Peter Berkman in an interview with PlayStation Blog back in 2021, “but it was a lot of fun to flex and adapt for certain moments that a ‘band playing shows’ doesn’t normally get to do. Like a bossa nova shop theme, or boss songs.”
His co-writer, Ary Warnaar, agreed. “There were a handful of prompts that took us out of our comfort zones,” Warnaar said. “Some of those styles were definitely just for the game, but others started to shape sounds that became a bit more normal to us. Dance-tempo four to the floor tracks were a pretty new thing to us back then!”
The game was at least more of a success story than the film, selling nearly 150,000 copies within its first year, according to research firm FADE. The problem there was that the success would be, unfortunately, short-lived. Licensing problems aren’t new for video games–even as much as the industry loves its remakes and remasters, there are licensed games across the expanse of the medium that may never see the light of day ever again because of either the cost or logistics of nailing down the IP. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was no different, and in 2014, the game was delisted from the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade because of a complete mess of licensing problems between Ubisoft, Universal Pictures, and ABKCO Music, who owned the rights to Anamanaguchi’s soundtrack.
“We didn’t have Limited Run back then, or smaller physical publishers to make sure we have a physical copy that can be resold and kept alive,” said Majors. “There was also no release on Steam, that was also an issue.”
That could have been game over in terms of Scott Pilgrim’s full-court press into culture at large. But there was a continue attached to that failure.
There’s a famous story Edgar Wright tells about finding out the film flopped on opening weekend: “Monday morning, [Universal’s chief of marketing] Michael Moses sent an email with three words. It was one of the sweetest emails I’ve ever gotten from anybody in the industry. It said, ‘Years, not days.'”
That email should be nailed to the door, Martin Luther-style, of anyone daring to make art in the 21st Century. Yes, smash hit, immediate success is good, especially as far as the people who bankroll art these days are concerned. But immediate success is a flower. Lasting impact, legacy, and culture are trees.
Despite the film’s initial failure in theaters, it soon became a cult classic in the making through word of mouth, with numerous high profile creators singing its praises. The film quickly became a midnight-movie mainstay at Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly theater in Los Angeles. The home release in 2011 was also a minor hit, managing to be the first film to knock Christopher Nolan’s Inception off the top of the sales charts. More than that, the film’s visual language–incorporating elements from video games, comics, and manga– starts becoming commonplace in media not long after. That particularly shows in Edgar Wright’s own work moving forward, with the effects-heavy production playing a big influence in how he’d handle effects in The World’s End and editing around music in Baby Driver. Ultimately, the film cracked open a door that Marvel in particular would kick down entirely in the years that followed, leaning heavier on embracing the wilder and weirder aspects of comic book storytelling, compromising less towards Hollywood conventions of four-quadrant blockbusters. The kinetic wall-of-visual-stimulation style of storytelling that nerds had been immersed in for years is now very much mainstream.
For the game’s part, Scott Pilgrim was already riding a wave of nostalgia for 8- and 16-bit style aesthetics, and the game’s eventual disappearance from storefronts only drove its popularity further. But also, while there had been occasional blips on the radar as far as old-school beat-’em-ups, Scott Pilgrim showed there was still plenty of life in the genre. Not long after, titles like Double Dragon Neon, Dragon’s Crown, and Charlie Murder joined the side-scrolling beat-’em-up roster, paving the way for the true renaissance of the genre when the likes of River City Girls and Streets of Rage 4 hit the scene.
The story is, indeed, “years, not days.” In 2020, the film’s popularity warranted an outright media blitz celebrating its modern classic status. The original cast reunited during the COVID pandemic to do a read-through of the entire script, only emphasizing the now-accumulated star power of its cast. The popularity of the stream–currently sitting at over 3 million views on Youtube. The film got a high-profile theatrical re-release in 2021 just before a 4K Blu-Ray dropped. That same year, a miracle happened: Whatever licensing problems had been keeping the game off shelves had been resolved, and it was re-released that January, with a physical release from Limited Run selling 25,000 copies in the first three hours after its announcement.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game
It’d be easy to chalk all that up to nostalgia becoming a cottage industry on a scale even previous generations could never imagine. But something very different was happening with Scott Pilgrim in those early days of the pandemic.
“I’d moved on to other things, but Scott Pilgrim keeps calling me back,” said O’Malley. “The fanbase just keeps growing. They’re getting younger. I feel like I owe them more and more each year.”
That sense of responsibility led to what eventually became Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. Except the nostalgia is a little different here. In 2010, Universal promoted the Scott Pilgrim film with a 4-minute short on Adult Swim, with Michael Cera, Mae Whitman, and Jason Schwartzman voicing a fully animated scene from the graphic novel. It was a perfect fit on the same network that quietly introduced a generation to Naruto and Cowboy Bebop. It would also only air once, the night before the film was released.
In 2023, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off became a 10-episode anime splashed across the front page of the world’s biggest streaming platform, sharing promo space with the absurdly popular Delicious In Dungeon, and an anime adaptation of Castlevania. In 2025, it’s one of the first things Netflix recommends after K-Pop Demon Hunters rolls credits. Scott Pilgrim is no longer a nostalgia trip; it’s part of the zeitgeist.
“You’d expect the audience for Scott Pilgrim would be all 45-year-olds at this point,” O’Malley said, “but I have an influx of 15-year-olds coming to conventions these days, and they don’t see the references the same way… They’re more interested in the characters themselves, and they’re the flashpoint, the thing they connect to most.”
It’s with that angle in mind that Scott Pilgrim Takes Off forges its own path. The first episode is the animated adaptation of the graphic novel everyone expected, right up until the fight with Ramona Flowers’ first Evil Ex, Matthew Patel. Scott fights him…and loses.
The rest of the series then becomes Ramona Flowers’ story. Her guilt about “dabbling in being a bitch” costing a new partner his life guides the series into a very different direction from the original, a direction that can only come from 15 years of hindsight and maturity. As opposed to most plays for nostalgia, Scott Pilgrim hasn’t just grown up with its audience, but adapted to a changing world, while ensuring that even the people who have no attachment to the graphic novels or film have an entry point.
That entry point turns out to be one far more interested in Ramona being fascinatingly messy, Scott being frozen in time, and how pathetic that stagnation can be if left unchecked. Scott Pilgrim is no longer a reflection of the past, but a living examination of it. As the show ends up proving, nostalgia can be good, but a version of a person that’s still open to change and growth is absolutely the most healthy version of that person.
That same need for growth and change wound up leading Jean Majors and the folks at Tribute Games to the next step in Scott and Ramona’s journey: Tribute Games’ Scott Pilgrim EX.
“[Bryan and I] have been friends ever since the original game, and when we started Tribute we always kept in contact,” Majors said. “Over the years, after Mercenary Kings, we would reach out and ask if we could have a second stab. Things didn’t pan out, but over the years, we kept harassing him. When the anime was announced, we gave it another go…and that’s when the discussions became more serious.”
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game Complete Edition – Official Launch Trailer
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A simple sequel to the Scott Pilgrim game would be an easy slam dunk in today’s marketplace, given how successful the re-release was and the ubiquity of retro beat-’em-ups these days, but that same change and growth that guided Scott Pilgrim Takes Off extended to the new game.
“When we first pitched Scott Pilgrim EX, we shared our vision of the target audience, and Bryan told us, ‘You need to revisit those, I don’t think that’s totally accurate,'” Majors said. “We [initially] targeted older [audiences], because retro games have an easier reach for people who lived through it, but that’s no longer true. We noticed with [TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge] that it reached this massive audience that was younger, because the people who grew up playing Turtles In Time wound up playing it with their kids. We were missing out on the younger audience who grew up with the series and movie getting its second wind, and we saw it with the direction the animated series went. “
With that in mind, Majors said, much like Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, EX will grow up a little more. That especially pertains to where the challenge for the new game will be coming from this time around.
“The production [on the original Scott Pilgrim game] was so short we didn’t second-guess [the difficulty],” he said. “We did some minor playtesting, but we probably should’ve done a better job making sure it wasn’t too hardcore. One thing we’re improving is listening to the feedback from the original game, because one of the things they thought dragged the game down was the grinding.”
“[Another thing] that will surprise people is it’s not a sequel, or even a simple beat-’em-up either,” Majors continued. “We’re kind of starting from scratch, thinking about how to structure the game the way we wanted the original to be. It’s not as linear, it’s more open-ended, Link to the Past-style. You have to [explore the world] a bit more to complete quests. We’ve adopted more of a River City Ransom structure.”
For his part, Bryan Lee O’Malley is still heavily involved with EX.
“I just wanna make a video game,” he said, laughing. “Just, something new that reminds me of all the games I played growing up.”
Not that there’s anything wrong with that at all. But O’Malley is more than aware of the ride Scott Pilgrim has gone on, from a little black-and-white indie comic born of nostalgia and a love of the games, movies, and bands of his youth, to a longtime favorite for multiple generations of nerds and weirdos who have grown up and out over time–a fond memory born of fond memories.
“If they’re 20 now, they were born around the time all this was starting, when I was obsessed with the late ’70s, early ’80s,” he said. “I feel like every generation has that ’20 years behind you’ nostalgia, ‘What was the world like before the one I was born into?’ To them, Scott Pilgrim’s become this sort of rosetta stone. It’s a map to an older version of pop culture.”
Approximately 30% of the global population is affected by metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD), a condition that previously lacked targeted treatments. In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have identified a genetic factor that exacerbates the disease, and remarkably, the FDA-approved drug that most effectively targets this factor is vitamin B3.
A collaborative research team led by Professor Jang Hyun Choi from the Department of Life Sciences at UNIST, in partnership with Professor Hwayoung Yun from the College of Pharmacy and Research Institute for Drug Development at Pusan National University (PNU), and Professor Neung Hwa Park from Ulsan University Hospital (UUH), has, for the first time globally, elucidated the role of microRNA-93 (miR-93), which is expressed in the liver, as a key genetic regulator in the development and progression of MASLD.
MiR-93 is a specialized RNA molecule expressed in hepatocytes that functions to suppress the expression of specific target genes. The team observed abnormally elevated levels of miR-93 in both patients with fatty liver disease and animal models. Through molecular analysis, they demonstrated that miR-93 promotes lipid accumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis by inhibiting the expression of SIRT1, a gene involved in lipid metabolism within liver cells.
In experiments utilizing gene editing techniques to eliminate miR-93 production in mice, researchers observed a marked reduction in hepatic fat accumulation, along with significant improvements in insulin sensitivity and liver function indicators. Conversely, mice with overexpressed miR-93 exhibited worsened hepatic metabolic function.
Furthermore, screening 150 FDA-approved drugs revealed that niacin (vitamin B3) most effectively suppresses miR-93. Mice treated with niacin showed a significant decrease in hepatic miR-93 levels and a notable increase in SIRT1 activity. The activated SIRT1 restored disrupted lipid metabolism pathways, thereby normalizing liver lipid homeostasis.
The research team explained, “This study precisely elucidates the molecular origin of MASLD and demonstrates the potential for repurposing an already approved vitamin compound to modulate this pathway, which has high translational clinical relevance.”
They added, “Given that niacin is a well-established and safe medication used to treat hyperlipidemia, it holds promise as a candidate for combination therapies targeting miRNA pathways in MASLD.”
This research was supported by various including the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) and the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB). The findings were published online in the prestigious biomedical journal, Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental. Participants include Dr. Yo Han Lee and Kieun Park from UNIST, along with Professor Joonho Jeong from Ulsan University Hospital and Jinyoung Lee from Pusan National University, as co-first authors.
The Manuscript titled “The Specific Relief (Amendment) Act, 2018” of IJLMH is recently Cited by 2-Judge Bench of Hon’ble Delhi High Court in Page 36 of the Judgement.
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The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday issued draft recommendations for drugmakers interested in developing new non-opioid options to treat chronic pain.
The document lays out the agency’s expectations for clinical trials and includes recommendations for seeking broad indications for pain that cover multiple conditions instead of just one. It also details how drugmakers should test their experimental medicines to see if they can help patients reduce or replace opioids or avoid starting on the drugs altogether.
Agency officials are open to offering expedited clearance pathways to spur the development of non-opioid medicines, according to the guidance. Still, the FDA warned that it may be difficult to use the accelerated approval program because pain is so personal that it’s “difficult to envision how surrogate or intermediate endpoints could be used to predict analgesic effect.”
Dive Insight:
While their addictive properties are now well known, opioids remain commonly prescribed because they are effective at neutralizing pain and often available in cheap, generic form. About one out of every five adults suffering from chronic pain takes opioids, according to the FDA.
Efforts to develop alternatives have been hampered by the significant challenges in pain research. Scientists don’t fully understand the mechanisms behind pain and analgesia, and two people with the same injury can have completely different experiences. In addition, compounds that look promising in laboratories often fail to translate to safe and effective medicines for people.
The FDA is hoping to kickstart more research by making “regulatory pathways more predictable for innovators and drug developers,” with the guidance, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a statement accompanying the guidance. “Physicians need more alternatives.”
There are signs of promise in the industry. Vertex Pharmaceuticals in January won approval for Journavx, a first-of-its-kind, non-opioid medicine to treat acute episodes of pain, often experienced after an accident or surgery. Several other biotechs are looking to develop similar treatments.
The FDA guidance should help spur more interest in the industry, Jefferies analyst Andrew Tsai said in a note to clients. “We sense a high degree of FDA interest in helping sponsors develop non-opioid approaches,” Tsai wrote. He said he expects companies, including Xenon Pharmaceuticals and Rapport Therapeutics, to consider exploring the FDA’s expedited pathways for review.
The agency issued the guidance to meet a requirement in the SUPPORT Act, a law designed to help patients and communities coping with the opioid crisis.
Let’s be honest—playing the lottery feels like harmless fun. A couple of bucks for a shot at financial freedom, right?
But here’s the problem: it’s not harmless when people actually believe it’s a strategy to build wealth.
It’s not. It never was. In fact, I’d argue that playing the lottery is just a tax on people who don’t understand maths.
As someone who’s spent decades teaching Australians how to achieve financial independence through property and smart money habits, it pains me to see people throw away their dreams chasing scratchies and Powerball fantasies.
Tip: Believe it or not…You’re more likely to be crushed by a vending machine than win the lotto!
So let’s have a bit of fun and reality-check this.
The Odds Are Wildly Against You
You know the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot in Australia? 1 in 134,490,400.
Let me repeat that. One in 134 million.
You are literally more likely to do just about anything else in life—including some things that sound like plot points in a bad movie—than win the lottery.
Here Are 20 Things That Are More Likely Than Winning the Lottery
Being struck by lightning – Odds are about 1 in 1.6 million in your lifetime. It’s rare—but still nearly 100 times more likely than winning Powerball.
Becoming a billionaire – According to Forbes, your odds are about 1 in 409,000. You’re over 300 times more likely to become a billionaire than win the lottery.
Dying in a plane crash – About 1 in 11 million. Still more likely than winning.
Getting attacked by a shark in Australia – Around 1 in 3.7 million. (So yes, go ahead and swim at Bondi, you’ve still got a better shot than winning lotto.)
Crushed by a vending machine – Around 1 in 112 million. Silly? Sure. But still a higher probability.
Becoming a movie star – The odds? About 1 in 1.5 million. In other words, Hollywood is more accessible than your dream lotto lifestyle.
Bowling a perfect 300 game – About 1 in 11,500 for regular league bowlers.
Becoming an astronaut – NASA accepts about 1 in 12,000 applicants. Start training!
Dating a supermodel – Depending on how you define it (and your charm), studies suggest it’s around 1 in 88,000.
Being dealt a royal flush in poker – 1 in 649,740. Vegas is calling.
Having identical quadruplets – About 1 in 15 million. Not impossible.
Writing a New York Times bestseller – About 1 in 220,000 if you finish your book. Better odds than lotto!
Finding a four-leaf clover on your first try – 1 in 10,000.
Becoming Prime Minister of Australia – Around 1 in 8.9 million. Even that’s more achievable.
Getting hit by a meteorite – 1 in 74 million.
Winning an Olympic gold medal – 1 in 662,000 (if you train full-time from a young age).
Solving a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded – 1 in 50 for serious cubers. Still easier than picking the winning numbers.
Becoming a professional AFL player – Roughly 1 in 89,000.
Being born with 11 fingers or toes – Happens to about 1 in 500 babies. No ticket required!
Living past 100 – Around 1 in 5,000. Better start eating your veggies.
But Michael, What If I Win?
Yes, someone eventually does win. That’s how the system keeps running.
But here’s the catch: most lottery winners lose their money anyway.
A 2010 study from the National Endowment for Financial Education in the US found that 70% of people who suddenly receive a windfall – like lottery winners- lose it within a few years.
Why?
Because money doesn’t make you financially free. Financial literacy, discipline, and smart investing do.
What You Should Be Doing Instead
If you’re hoping for a better financial future, don’t rely on a system designed to take your money.
Instead:
Educate yourself about finance and the psychology of money
Invest in assets that grow in value (like residential property)
Surround yourself with good advisors, not lucky tickets
So, Is the Lottery Really Just a Tax?
Yes. And here’s the kicker: it’s a tax on those who can least afford it.
Lower-income earners are statistically more likely to buy lotto tickets, hoping for a miracle. That’s heartbreaking.
But wealth isn’t built on miracles. It’s built on mindset, strategy, and time.
Final Thoughts
There’s nothing wrong with a bit of fun.
If you want to throw a few bucks at a Powerball ticket every now and then, go for it. Just treat it as entertainment, not a wealth plan.
But if you’re serious about becoming financially independent, forget the lotto. It’s time to stop hoping—and start planning.
Because while you may never win the lottery, you can absolutely build a life that feels like you did.
About Michael Yardney Michael is the founder of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He’s once again been voted Australia’s leading property investment adviser and one of Australia’s 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media.
With the lack of a Home button, modern iPhones are more gesture-based than ever before. Everyone knows about swiping up to go back to the Home screen or dragging down from the top-right corner to access Control Center, but there are lots of other iPhone gestures Apple doesn’t make so clear.
Whether they make common actions faster or unlock entire shortcuts you didn’t know were present, these gestures are worth learning. There aren’t as many gestures as the iPad offers, given the smaller screen, but they’re powerful all the same.
Drag and drop between apps
Dragging files, images, and other data between apps is easy with a mouse, but have you ever tried it on your iPhone? While it’s a bit clunkier with your fingers, it still works.
To drag and drop content between different iPhone apps, press and hold on an image, bit of text, link, or whatever else you want to reuse. While holding it with that finger, use another finger to go back to the Home screen, then open another app. Inside that app, keep using the second finger to navigate, then drop what you’re holding into the applicable spot.
Try using this to move text between group chats quickly, share links, or share an image from the web without downloading it first.
Hold the spacebar for a trackpad
Screenshot by Ben Stegner; no attribution required
Screenshot by Ben Stegner; no attribution required
Screenshot by Ben Stegner; no attribution required
Did you know your iPhone has a trackpad hiding in the keyboard? It’s a great utility, as it provides a more precise way to move the cursor instead of trying to tap the exact right spot.
To activate this, press and hold the spacebar while your phone’s keyboard is open. Once the keys turn blank, slide your finger around the keyboard area as needed to freely control the cursor.
Try it next time you need to correct a voice-typed message or navigate around a lot of text.
Three-finger swipe to undo/redo
Screenshot by Ben Stegner; no attribution required
Screenshot by Ben Stegner; no attribution required
Screenshot by Ben Stegner; no attribution required
By default, shaking your iPhone undoes the last action you took. However, I’ve long found this to be unreliable, plus it’s not always easy to perform. There’s a better way to undo and redo with a quick gesture.
To undo your last action, place three fingers on the screen and slide them to the left. If you want to redo that undo, swipe three fingers to the right instead. You’ll see Undo or Redo text at the top to confirm it was successful.
For example, if you accidentally delete a paragraph of text in Notes or Messages, perform the undo action to bring that text back. This is much easier than flailing your device around.
Three-finger pinch to copy, cut, and paste
Screenshot by Ben Stegner; no attribution required
Screenshot by Ben Stegner; no attribution required
Having three fingers on the screen unlocks yet more gestures you might not have known about. While you can perform standard cut, copy, and paste actions by selecting text and using the resulting tooltip, this isn’t the fastest method.
Instead, pinch with three fingers (in the same way you zoom in with two fingers) to copy the currently selected text. To cut instead (removing the text from its current position), perform this three-finger pinch gesture twice.
Then, once you’ve navigated to where you want to paste that snippet (and placed the cursor in the text box accordingly), reverse the three-finger gesture by “pinching out” (spreading). If you do it right, your copied or cut text will appear in its new home.
If you have trouble selecting the exact text to copy or cut, or placing the cursor to paste, the trackpad tip mentioned above will help.
While not strictly gesture-based, there are also lots of little iPhone typing tricks that will also save you time.
Two-finger multi-selection
Screenshot by Ben Stegner; no attribution required
Screenshot by Ben Stegner; no attribution required
Next time you need to select a bunch of items in a row, don’t tap them one by one. Instead, adding a second finger lets you select lots of emails, message conversations, files, or other data.
For example, in the Mail app, use two fingers to press the first email, then immediately swipe down. Once you do this, you’ll see selection circles appear on the left side. Continue to slide your fingers down over the next items to swiftly select them.
If you hold your fingers at the bottom of the screen once you reach it, it will continue to scroll as long as there’s more. You can also select non-consecutive items by lifting your fingers, scrolling to the next area you want to select, then performing the gesture again.
The hidden shortcuts on your lock screen
Screenshot by Ben Stegner; no attribution required
Screenshot by Ben Stegner; no attribution required
Even the iPhone’s Lock screen hides a couple of gestures you might have missed or forgotten about.
Swiping in from the right side opens the camera; knowing this allows you to replace the redundant default Camera widget at the bottom-right. Customizing your Lock screen lets you replace that with something else, like the Calculator or a Shortcut.
Swiping in from the left opens the Today View, which is a collection of iOS widgets. If you haven’t taken the time to customize this, it’s worth setting it up so you can access this info without unlocking your phone.
Smaller gestures are all around iOS
There are lots of little gestures that aren’t as major as the above, but still help you navigate your iPhone faster. Try these out:
When you start scrolling on a long page, touch the scroll bar that appears on the right side of the screen. Slide this to scroll much faster; this saves effort compared to making repeated huge swipes.
In Safari, you can jump to the tab overview page by performing the two-finger “pinch out” gesture (used to zoom out) when already zoomed out.
In many apps, press and hold on a link to open a small preview of it. This lets you see what’s linked without opening a new tab or switching apps.
In apps that show the Back menu at the top-left, you can press and hold on the text to show the breadcrumb trail, then let go to select. For example, if you’re two pages deep in Settings, this lets you go back to the main Settings page without tapping twice.
Screenshot by Ben Stegner; no attribution required
Screenshot by Ben Stegner; no attribution required
Tap the top-center center of your iPhone’s screen (around the Dynamic Island on modern iPhone models) to scroll to the top of the page. This is a huge time-saver when you’ve scrolled to the bottom of a massive page.
If you’re into gestures, you also shouldn’t forget about Back Tap, which lets you run two different actions of your choosing by tapping your finger on the back of your phone.
Go on a mysterious adventure in Aksu Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region!
The Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon, located in Kuqa County, is one of the representations of Aksu Prefecture’s natural wonders which carved into the red sandstone cliffs of the southern Tianshan Mountains. Stretching about 5.5 kilometers from east to west, it was formed by the wind and water erosion, creating a spectacular landform.
As sunlight shifts throughout the day, the canyon reveals a stunning interplay of colors, light and shadow. The ever-changing views lend the landscape an enchanting and mysterious atmosphere, making it a paradise for photography enthusiasts.
In “Am I Roxie?,” a world premiere one-woman-show at the Geffen Playhouse, Roxana Ortega, a working actress and alum of the Groundlings Theatre’s Sunday Company, revisits the period in her life when she was the caregiver for her mother, whose memory was unraveling.
When Ortega’s father died of a sudden heart attack outside the post office, she was unprepared for the consequences. He had been protecting the family from her mother’s decline.
An immigrant from Peru who had relinquished her dreams of acting to raise a family, Carmen had a special bond with Ortega. When little Roxana was growing up in Fullerton, her mother would improvise operas while fixing breakfast. Together, they dreamed theatrical dreams.
Carmen has many sisters — “Picture the Housewives of Beverly Hills, but in Canoga Park” — but none were able to take her in. Ortega’s siblings, married with children, were similarly unable.
Not having kids of her own deprived Ortega of the one excuse her family would have recognized. Yet she still wanted to have kids, though not before she found the right husband and made some headway in a career marked by small triumphs, such as booking commercials and webisodes. Was she really going to put her life on hold for a few years?
Finding a painful compromise, she decides to move her mother to an assisted-living facility near her in L.A. Taking this step requires her to go to war with her “inner Latina critic,” who reminds her of the code of her blood: “We take care of our own.” She adds an expletive to the end of this pronouncement, but no emphasis is needed for a daughter who has already indicted herself for selfishness, the one unpardonable sin for a Latina.
“Am I Roxie?,” performed by Ortega with unflagging ebullience in an athletic-wear jumpsuit designed for comfort rather than style, brings to the exhausting, guilt-inducing grind of eldercare her own cultural spin. The subject is relatable, as lifespans have extended while health insurance only seems to contract. Ortega is an agreeable guide through the thicket of problems, such as choosing between senior facilities that resemble “sad Marriotts” or “sad La Quinta Inns.”
The show is more of a personal essay composed for the stage than a deeply imagined performance work. Ortega’s approach is friendly and wryly conversational. She’s bearing witness to a human dilemma our culture would prefer to keep under wraps, but Ortega might just as easily be doing an audio essay or podcast. The one character who comes vividly to life is her own.
There’s a rich tradition of performance artists bringing difficult personal stories to public light. “Am I Roxie?” seems disconnected from the work of Lisa Kron, Deb Margolin and Marga Gomez. Soloists who can populate the stage with uncurtailed ambition.
Thematically, “Am I Roxie?” is structured around the “Circle of Life” song from “The Lion King.” Ortega knows this reference is corny, but it’s also inescapably apt. The person who gave her life now needs her help as she nears the end.
Roxana Ortega in “Am I Roxie?” at Geffen Playhouse.
(Jeff Lorch)
Birth and death weigh heavy on Ortega’s mind, as she ponders her own lifespan, the diminishing window for motherhood and the confused and sometimes angry helplessness of Carmen, who comes to believe that her daughter is her sister. Eventually, Carmen will wonder if she herself is Roxie, an existential dilemma that Ortega refuses to understand as a mere symptom of Alzheimer’s disease.
She’s reluctant at the start to name her mother’s condition. How can she reduce a loved one to a medical diagnosis? Even at Carmen’s most exasperating, she could still surprise Ortega with a simple, poignant question: “How are you doing in your life, Roxie?”
Ortega begins to understand that, though her mother has been transformed, she can still connect with her if she accepts her as she is. By speaking to her mother in the nonsense language she falls into and by playing games of pretend as if they were back in her childhood home, Ortega reaches her mother, if only for fleeting moments.
The production, directed by Bernardo Cubría, seems to have adopted a medical oath of first doing no harm. A set piece is every now and again mechanically (and somewhat quizzically) moved in or out, and there are projections offering illustrations of Fullerton and Ortega’s mental health adventure scaling the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
But “Am I Roxie?” doesn’t depend on scenic frills. Ortega is the show — not just her story but her rapport with the theatergoers, with whom she confides as if to old friends. She shares her fears that she might have occasionally failed her mother, but this confession is just another example of her generous humanity.
‘Am I Roxie?’
Where: Gil Cates Theater at Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave., L.A.
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Google has released a comprehensive “Understanding Product Pricing” guide to help merchants navigate the complex rules and options for pricing in Shopping ads and free listings.
Core concepts. The guide breaks down the fundamentals merchants need to get right:
Price: The standard product price without discounts or promotions.
Sale price: A temporary lower price shown with annotations highlighting both the original and discounted prices.
Price drop annotations: Signals when a product’s price has decreased significantly, making deals easier to spot.
What else is new. Beyond the basics, the guide outlines advanced pricing capabilities:
Automation: Automatic price updates to fix discrepancies, AI-powered automated discounts across inventory, and currency conversion for international reach.
Special programs: Options for regional pricing, promotion-based discounts, and loyalty-specific pricing to reward members.
Flexible payments: Merchants can showcase subscription costs or installment breakdowns to give shoppers more choice.
Why we care. Pricing is one of the most visible — and competitive — aspects of Shopping ads. With multiple formats like sales, promotions, and loyalty discounts, ensuring accuracy and clarity can directly impact click-throughs and conversions.
The bigger picture. Many of these features display as annotations directly on ads and free listings, giving consumers immediate visibility into deals, discounts, and payment flexibility. That transparency not only builds trust but also improves ad performance.
The bottom line. Google’s new pricing guide arms merchants with a roadmap for using every available lever — from sale price annotations to AI-driven discounts — to keep Shopping ads accurate, competitive, and consumer-friendly.
This week’s hour-long Nintendo Direct was filled with exciting announcements, including brand-new reveals like Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 and long-awaited release date confirmations such as Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. We now know that Nintendo has six big game launches in a two-month span starting with the Mario Galaxy collection on October 2 and ending with Metroid Prime 4 December 4. In between, we’re getting Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, and Kirby Air Riders–plus a wide assortment of third-party titles like timed-exclusive Hades II, which is published by Nintendo.
We’ve rounded up all of the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 (and original Switch) games and accessories from the Nintendo Direct that you can preorder now at Amazon. This roundup also includes Nintendo-published games and first-party accessories for Switch 2 that are already available. If you don’t own Nintendo’s new console, Amazon opened preorders for the Switch 2 Pokemon Legends: Z-A Bundle on September 12. It’s the first time you can simply buy the console from Amazon without an extra step. To purchase the Mario Kart World Bundle and standalone console from Amazon, you need to request an invite.
Upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch exclusives
Mario Kart World’s $80 price led many Nintendo fans to believe this would be a common price point for Switch 2 exclusives. It turns out that’s not the case–at least not yet. Metroid Prime 4, Hyrule Warriors, Kirby Air Riders, and all of the other Switch 2 games in Nintendo’s popular franchises are $70. Original Switch editions of Pokemon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond are $60. The outlier here is Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2. The lone physical edition is an original Switch game that’s priced at $70. The collection has a free upgrade pack for Switch 2.
Note: A couple of the games in the list below aren’t exclusive to Switch 1/2–Dragon Quest VII Reimagined and Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade–but they were part of the September Nintendo Direct. Hades II is a timed console exclusive published by Nintendo, but it will also be available on PC at launch.
Nintendo Direct (September 2025) – Switch 1/2 Game Preorders
Nintendo Switch 2 Exclusives Available Now
Nintendo Switch 2 Amiibo preorders
Metroid Prime 4’s trio of Amiibo figures have two release dates and price points. The large Samus & Vi-O-La motorcycle figure is $40 and launches alongside the new $30 Samus Aran Amiibo on November 6. An Amiibo version of Sylux hits store shelves the same day as Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. The two Kirby Air Riders Amiibo are $50 each, which makes them the priciest Amiibo figures yet. It’s not very surprising, though, as the Warp Star and and Winged Star Machines shown above are separate figures, so these are more like double packs. Super Mario Galaxy fans will have to wait until April 2026 to add the new Mario and Rosalina Amiibo figures to their collections. Each figure is $40, though the character stands are more elaborate than we typically see with Amiibo.
The seven new Amiibo join an existing lineup of eight Zelda, Street Fighter, and Donkey Kong Switch 2 Amiibo figures. Amazon and other major retailers are offering discounts on most of the Amiibo figures that launched alongside the Switch 2.
Nintendo raised the prices of select first-party accessories at the beginning of August. Not all of the official Switch 2 accessories were impacted, but the Pro Controller and Joy-Con 2 each increased by five bucks. The list below also includes a couple of the most popular officially licensed third-party accessories like Samsung’s 256GB microSD Express Card and Hori’s Piranha Plant Camera, which looks cool but isn’t a good piece of tech.
A molecule made by bacteria in the gut can hitch a ride to the kidneys, where it sets off a chain reaction of inflammation, scarring and fibrosis — a serious complication of diabetes and a leading cause of kidney failure — according to a new study from researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Mie University in Japan.
After finding high levels of corisin — a small peptide produced by Staphylococcus bacteria in the gut — in the blood of patients with diabetic kidney fibrosis, the researchers used computer simulations and tissue and mouse experiments to track how corisin affects the kidneys, how it gets there from the gut, and a possible method of countering it with antibody treatment.
“Our earlier studies showed corisin can damage cells and worsen tissue scarring and fibrosis in other organs, so we suspected it might be a hidden driver of kidney fibrosis,” said Illinois animal sciences professor Isaac Cann, who led the study with Mie University immunology professor Dr. Esteban Gabazza. Cann and Gabazza are affiliates of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at Illinois. “Our new findings suggest corisin is indeed a hidden culprit behind progressive kidney damage in diabetes, and that blocking it could offer a new way to protect kidney health in patients.”
The researchers published their findings in the journal Nature Communications.
Diabetic kidney fibrosis is a major cause of kidney failure worldwide, yet the key drivers of it have remained a mystery, and no treatments can stop the process, said Dr. Taro Yasuma of Mie University, a medical doctor and the first author of the manuscript.
“Many people with longstanding diabetes eventually develop kidney fibrosis, and once it progresses, there are limited options beyond dialysis or kidney transplantation. Current treatments mainly focus on controlling blood sugar and blood pressure, but there’s no cure that stops or reverses the scarring or fibrotic process,” Yasuma said.
The researchers began by screening the blood and urine of patients with diabetic kidney disease. They found that patients had significantly more corisin than their healthy counterparts, and that the amount of corisin in the blood correlated with the extent of kidney damage.
Upon seeing the same results in mice with kidney fibrosis, the researchers tracked what corisin was doing in the kidneys of the mice. They found that corisin speeds up aging in kidney cells, setting off a chain reaction from inflammation to cell death to a buildup of scar tissue, eventually resulting in the loss of kidney function and worsening fibrosis.
But how was corisin getting from the gut to the kidneys? Cann and Gabazza’s groups collaborated with U. of I. chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Diwakar Shukla’s group to produce computer simulations and laboratory experiments to follow corisin’s journey from the gut to the bloodstream. They found that corisin can attach to albumin, one of the most common proteins in blood, and ride it through the bloodstream. When it reaches the kidneys, corisin detaches from the albumin to attack the delicate structures that filter blood and urine.
To confirm that corisin was the main culprit behind the kidney damage, the researchers gave the mice antibodies against corisin. They saw a dramatic reduction in the speed of kidney damage.
“When we treated the mice with an antibody that neutralizes corisin, it slowed the aging of kidney cells and greatly reduced kidney scarring,” said Gabazza, who also is an adjunct professor of animal sciences at Illinois. “While no such antibody is currently approved for use in humans, our findings suggest it could be developed into a new treatment.”
Next, the researchers plan to test anticorisin treatments in more advanced animal models, such as pigs, to explore how they could be adapted for safe use in humans. The U. of I. and Mie University have a joint invention disclosure on corisin antibodies.
“Our work suggests that blocking corisin, either with antibodies or other targeted therapies, could slow down or prevent kidney scarring in diabetes and thus enhance the quality of life for patients,” Cann said.
This study was supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the Takeda Science Foundation, the
Japan Association for Diabetes Education and Care, the Eli Lilly Japan Innovation Research Grant, the Daiwa Security Foundation and the Charles and Margaret Levin Family Foundation. Cann is also a professor of microbiology and nutritional sciences and a member of the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies at Illinois.
The Indian Journal of Integrated Research in Law, ISSN: 2583-0538, is an online bi- monthly journal that promotes research in the field of law as an integrated subject. IJIRL strives to provide a platform where everyone related to the field of law can contribute their research work on any topic related to law and allied subjects and further our goal of creating a quality-driven platform open to students and professionals alike which can be utilized to foster the growth of law as a discipline in the contemporary era while instilling a sense of curiosity for legal research.
Perks of Getting Published with IJIRL
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IJIRL accepts submissions of manuscripts in the following categories:
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Badshah attended Alexander Wang’s show ‘Matriarch’ at New York Fashion Week 2025, rocking an easy-going, casual look with a hint of bejewelled affair. The Indian rapper is making denim-on-denim style cool for casual menswear with his latest look. But this time, with an added luxe twist, integrating your regular streetwear signature denim with couture-like meticulous detailing. Let’s dive into the look and take a closer glimpse.
Badshah attended Alexander Wang’s show at New York Fashion Week.
While front-row energy often tiptoes into overtly avant-garde styles with sculptural silhouettes and experimental designs, Badshah’s outfit, however, hit home, being both understated and head-turning in the same breath. Badshah has now become the first Indian rapper to be part of New York Fashion Week.
Closer look at his denim look
The denim hoodie and jeans included brooches for the added charm to the otherwise casual look.
He was styled by New York–based Shipra Sharma for this look. The ensemble includes a light-blue, washed-denim, oversized zip-up hoodie and matching jeans. Badshah further wore Alexander Wang’s black chunky-sole boots.
But this is where the outfit gets interesting: the base denim pieces were elevated with brooches from handcrafted statement brooches by luxury accessories house Deepa Gurnani. The designs featured animal motifs like alligator, jay, goat, and elephant, each piece meticulously crafted in India by master artisans. The addition of brooches made the casual look exude a big front-row energy, capturing high fashion glam with the casualwear. For accessories, he carried a black clutch, Richard Mille RM 74-02 timepiece and Oakley Metal Jacket sunglasses in matte black.
All in all, the look, despite appearing familiar, is still experimental and avant-garde, with futuristic sunglasses, brooches on the jacket, and a statement clutch.
Style inspo from this look
Does this hail a new era of casualwear for men, where denim is set to dominate? Only time will tell. But until then, fashion enthusiasts, take note: one takeaway from the denim-on-denim style (layering two or more denim pieces together) is that it works just as stylishly even when all pieces have the same wash. While you might think contrasting washes is the ground rule for denim pairing (like stonewashed with raw denim), a uniform wash also works, giving you that stunning monochrome denim look, appearing cleaner and more cohesive.
So, denim fans suit up head to toe in blue, as sometimes the best contrast is none at all, devoid of all the mix-and-match drama. If you think it’s too plain, add sparkle or statement with accessories like brooches or cyber punk sunglasses.
ALSO READ: Gigi Hadid to Kriti Sanon: Celebs have a soft spot for denim-on-denim, know the 4 rules for styling
More about Alexander Wang’s NYFW show
Alexander Wang is returning to New York Fashion Week after a seven-year break. At NYFW, he is presenting his collection ‘Matriarch,’ which blends personal stories with innovative AI design and minimalist-rebellious styles. To mark his twentieth anniversary, the designer transformed 58 Bowery, a former financial building, into an immersive creative space, announcing the collection.
What could GLP-1 drugs, known for their powerful weight loss benefits, have to do with oncology? Potentially “everything,” according to Deborah Phippard, chief scientific officer at the clinical research organization Precision for Medicine.
Popular drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound have such versatile effects that they could play a role treating not only diabetes and obesity, but cancer too, Phippard said.
“These are some of the most complicated drugs I’ve seen in my career because they do so many things,” Phippard said. The receptor these drugs bind to “is at the top of so many different pathways, and there are so many downstream effects that feed back in.”
The August U.S. approval of Wegovy for the liver disease metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, is a testament to the widespread impact a GLP-1 drug might have, as even the Food and Drug Administration acknowledged that the medicine was able to treat the condition through mechanisms that are not “fully understood.”
For the same reasons, GLP-1s could impact cancer patients as well, Phippard said. A large study in 1.6 million people with Type 2 diabetes found that those receiving GLP-1s had lower risk of developing many related cancers.
“If you’re obese and diabetic, you are at higher risk of any number of cancers, which is well-documented,” Phippard said. “Pancreatic, endometrial, ovarian and colorectal cancers in particular have been found to be driven by insulin resistance, so controlling obesity should theoretically take cancer incidents down.”
Beyond the benefits of weight loss to reduce cancer risk, the Swiss-army knife nature of GLP-1s could overlap with different pathways that govern how cancer forms and spreads from an immunological standpoint, she said.
“Looking at the function of specific T cells, NK cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, all of those functions you can demonstrably show change with a GLP-1 agonist,” Phippard said. “The MAP kinase pathway, the NF-kappa B pathway, VEGF — GLP-1 is upstream of all of these.”
The data around these pathways and the health risks associated with them is “messy,” Phippard acknowledged, but understanding clinical outcomes for patients being treated for cancer who are also on a GLP-1 could reveal actual effects.
GLP-1s and cancer therapy
Early research has shown that GLP-1s could potentially help overcome chemotherapy resistance, which would theoretically improve outcomes for cancer patients, though Phippard again noted the exact mechanism “isn’t brilliantly well understood.”
And with the drugs’ known effects on the immune system, they may also boost the effects of cancer immunotherapies like Merck & Co.’s Keytruda or Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo, Phippard said.
“If you look at immune cells in an obese person, they don’t work that well and aren’t very healthy, but a GLP-1 can help,” Phippard said. “I’m always a little hesitant at that because the immune system is very complicated and massively redundant, but we should explore these areas further.”
Earlier research had raised some concerns of a link between GLP-1 drugs and thyroid or pancreatic cancer arose, according to the MD Anderson Cancer Center. But subsequent studies haven’t confirmed that connection.
Still, physicians so far are being careful with GLP-1s in oncology, particularly with pancreatic cancer patients or those already suffering from gastrointestinal problems that a weight loss drug could exacerbate. Muscle loss is also associated with long-term GLP-1 use, which could make patients more frail over time.
“Pancreatic, endometrial, ovarian and colorectal cancers in particular have been found to be driven by insulin resistance, so controlling obesity should theoretically take cancer incidents down.”
Deborah Phippard
Chief scientific officer, Precision for Medicine
Ongoing and future clinical studies for cancer could provide important clues. With nearly 12% of all Americans having taken a GLP-1, the odds of patient overlap with clinical trials are growing, Phippard said, and researchers need to better understand those implications to ensure accurate data.
“We’re right at the beginning of how we work this out, but I think you’ve got to run a clinical study looking at this with a separate statistic even in its own right,” Phippard said. “I don’t think we’ll ever be able to pull it entirely apart, but I’m not planning on retiring anytime soon.”
A standalone oncology treatment?
The idea of using GLP-1s to treat cancer, on their own, is a ways away, Phippard said.
“We are not remotely close to a GLP-1 alone for cancer treatment,” she said. “There may be one or two patients who start a GLP-1 for whatever reason, and their immune system picks up, but that’s an anecdotal n of 1.”
But the drugs may be useful as a combination treatment alongside chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
Currently, “combo therapies are happening by accident” with patients both on a GLP-1 and undergoing cancer treatment at the same time, Phippard said. And companies like Lilly, which sells drugs for cardiometabolic diseases as well as cancer, could start thinking about pairing them up in oncology trials without having to buy new assets.
“I’m expecting to see this coming out at all the big cancer meetings over the next five to 10 years,” Phippard said. “This is starting to buzz in the community.”
Many predictions about real estate markets and property prices are just educated guesses or misleading information.
Rather than trying to time the market, investors should adopt a long-term perspective for their property investment.
There is no “best” time or “worst” time to buy property because property investment is a process, not just an event.
Attempting to time the market could lead to missed opportunities, and waiting for the “perfect” moment to invest may result in a more competitive market and potentially higher prices.
Planning is crucial for property investment, and a well-executed plan can help investors achieve their financial goals and maximise their wealth creation through property.
A Strategic Property Plan should contain several components, including an asset accumulation strategy, a manufacturing capital growth strategy, a rental growth strategy, an asset protection and tax minimisation strategy, a finance strategy, and a living off your property portfolio strategy.
I don’t know about you, but I’m seeing a lot of so-called “experts” on social media confidently forecasting the direction of our real estate markets and property prices for the balance of 2025 and well into next year.
However, if they really knew how to predict our markets, these individuals would likely be enjoying a luxurious lifestyle, reaping the rewards of their market insights.
The reality is that most predictions are, at best, educated guesses and, at worst, misleading information.
Now it’s not just the social media experts.
Just look at those failed predictions from bank economists, financial institutions and research houses over the last few years.
And what about the interest rate cliff or the unemployment cliff or all those other dire press that didn’t eventuate?
For instance, during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, some predicted a significant market downturn, which didn’t materialize.
Then many predicted price falls of 20 to 30% because of rising interest rates and that didn’t happen.
Sure we’ve just experienced a year of falling property prices when the interest rates started rising, but almost anyone who bought a well-located property over the last couple of years ago is sitting on some significant equity gains.
So what should an investor do?
For the majority of us mere mortal investors who don’t have a crystal ball, rather than trying to time the market it’s essential to adopt a long-term perspective for your property investment.
There is no “best” time or “worst” time to buy property because property investment is a process, not just an event.
So rather than just talking about going out and buying a property in 2025 or 2026, the right time for you to consider investing is when you have all your ducks in a row.
For some of you who are reading this right now will absolutely be the worst possible time you could consider buying a property.
For others there is a window of opportunity because it’s likely when looking back next year, many will recognise the the market boomed as falling inflation, increasing consumer confidence, lower interest rates, and first homeowner grants were a stunning combination that fuelled the flames of our housing market.
Many people who mistimed the last upswing missed out on profitable opportunities.
They are now cashed up and ready to buy and will hop into the market as the media changes its message.
This means attempting to time the market could lead to missed opportunities.
Investors who wait for the “perfect” moment to invest may find themselves competing with other buyers who return as the market slowly picks up.
Remember the fundamental economic principle of supply and demand?
If you wait for the market to “improve,” you’ll likely face a more competitive market, making it harder to find a quality property in a desirable location, and potentially at a higher price.
Isn’t it too early to get into the market?
Throughout the years, countless investors have regretted not purchasing high-quality properties earlier.
All the major research houses, are now suggesting significant property price growth over the next two years.
Here is what ANZ Bank forecasts for house prices:
These are Domain’s property price forecasts.
You need to plan
So while the property markets will create significant wealth for many Australians, statistics show that 50% of those who buy an investment property sell up in the first five years.
And of those who stay in the investment game, 92% never get past their first or second property.
That’s because attaining wealth doesn’t just happen, it’s the result of a well-executed plan.
Planning is bringing the future into the present so you can do something about it now!
Just to make things clear…buying an investment property is NOT a strategy!
It’s important to start with the end game in mind and understand what you need and what you want to achieve.
And then you have to build a plan, a strategy to get there.
The property you eventually buy will be the physical manifestation of a whole lot of decisions that you will make, and they must be made in the right order
That’s because property investment is a process, not an event.
If you’re a beginner looking for a time-tested property investment strategy or an established investor who’s stuck or maybe you just want an objective second opinion about your situation, I suggest you allow the team at Metropole to build you a personalised, customised Strategic Property Plan.
When you have a Strategic Property Plan you’re more likely to achieve the financial freedom you desire because we’ll help you:
Define your financial goals;
See whether your goals are realistic, especially for your timeline;
Measure your progress towards your goals – whether your property portfolio is working for you, or if you’re working for it;
Find ways to maximise your wealth creation through property;
Identify risks you hadn’t thought of.
And the real benefit is you’ll be able to grow your wealth through your property portfolio faster and more safely than the average investor.
Your Strategic Property Plan should contain the following components:
An asset accumulation strategy
A manufacturing capital growth strategy
A rental growth strategy
An asset protection and tax minimisation strategy
A finance strategy including long-term debt reduction and…
A living off your property portfolio strategy
Click here now and learn more about this service and discuss your options with us.
About Brett Warren Brett Warren is National Director of Metropole Properties and uses his two decades of property investment experience to advise clients how to grow, protect and pass on their wealth through strategic property advice.
I love Spotify Wrapped, as do most Spotify users. The stats are fun to look at, and it’s great to compare your data with your friends and family. When Wrapped rolls out towards the end of November each year, my socials are filled with people comparing their most listened-to tracks and artists, or marveling at how Spotify classifies genres, with some truly wild word-salad combos.
But it’s just not enough.
I wanted to know about all of my Spotify stats; just how much Spotify have I listened to since I created my account? That’s where Spotigraph, the Spotify Data Visualizer, comes in.
The Spotify Data Visualizer is the ultimate version of Spotify Wrapped
It’s time to see everything you’ve listened to, ever
nar by Gavin
Most Spotify users have had the question once: how many minutes of music have I streamed on Spotify, ever? Or, what was my favorite album and song a decade ago?
Spotigraph is the solution you’ve been waiting for. It takes your extended Spotify listening history and turns it into a customizable graph spanning the ages, letting you delve into that giant Spotify nostalgia pool you’ve been dying to dive into.
Download your extended Spotify Account data
This process can take a few days to complete
NAR by Gaivn
The Spotify Data Visualizer requires your full Spotify listening history. Depending on how long you’ve been using Spotify, this can take a day or two to prepare. You also need to request this data through your Spotify account in a web browser. It’s not accessible through the Spotify desktop or smartphone app.
Then, head to Account > Security and Privacy > Account Privacy.
Scroll down to Account Data and select Select Account data.
Next, underneath, select Select Extended streaming history. Note that this section warns “Preparation time 30 days,” but mine was delivered within 48 hours.
Once selected, scroll down and select Request data.
You’ll receive an email on your linked Spotify profile when the data is ready. Download the file, and you’re ready to go.
You don’t need to extract the data from the archive for the next part of the process to work.
How to use the Spotify Data Visualizer to see everything you’ve ever listened to
You’re about to step back in time—I hope you had good taste
Once you have your data, head over to the Spotify Data Visualizer. This is where the fun really begins.
Drag your Spotify data file into Spotigraph and drop it onto the area marked Click to upload or drag and drop.
The magic starts almost immediately, as your entire listening history begins to whizz past your eyes. Spotigraph’s bars start populating the screen, starting from the moment you created your Spotify account. I’ve been using my Spotify account for 14 years, so there is a fair amount of music to trawl through, though I was a more sporadic user in the early years, before I had a Premium account. The video below shows my entire history from start to finish.
It also highlights how I get really stuck on certain songs, or where they are typically placed in playlists, often at the top. One of my top listened-to songs, Raphael Treza’s Noizy Birdz, is the first track on my go-to Spotify concentration playlist, so it gets played all of the time. My absolute top track (which I wasn’t expecting), Todd Terje’s Inspector Norse features on several of my go-to playlists, frequently appears on Spotify’s Daylists, and is served up by Spotify’s AI DJ.
I find my all-time listening stats for artists interesting, too. Like the songs, specific artists capture moments in your life, and it’s nice to look back on that. Really, though, it shows that over time, my listening has become more siloed into fewer genres, and I’m probably not as experimental as I once was.
For me, it also shows that I used to listen to albums more thoroughly; these days, I tend to use Spotify’s various playlists and listen to many different single tracks, rather than sitting down and really engaging with the music properly. In itself, that’s telling. I was at a tech show with a friend, and he talked about listening to music as a specific activity, rather than as the side-dish to your daily life. It’s something I haven’t done for a long while, and Spotigraph is a great way to try and visualize how to fix it.
Fair warning, though, the artist data takes much longer to run than the songs. It took around 13 minutes for mine to complete. I’d guess that’s because the number of artists listened to on Spotify is really quite vast, especially if you use a lot of different playlists, genres, and so on. Still, it’s worth the wait. I’m genuinely blown away that I’ve listened to Kolsch for 62 hours.
Oh, and if you’re worried it’ll show all podcasts, don’t: the developer has specifically filtered out podcast content to show you just the music.
It’s not just about the all-time Spotify listening stats
What did you listen to on those big days?
I don’t know if the original creator of Spotigraph envisioned this, but one way I really like to use this data is to find out what I was listening to during some of the important moments in my life. Like, what tracks was I listening to on the day my kids were born? How about the day I got married, or when I turned 30 a few years back?
It’s a cool way to glimpse your musical past, when figuring out these small details are easily lost to time.
Give Spotigraph a try, and you’ll see your musical past
What will you uncover?
I’ve tried quite a few different apps that promise to reveal your full Spotify listening history, but Yobeast’s (the developer) is the first I’ve found that gives such a detailed view.
With that said, there are some improvements that would be super useful.
Export the top 15 tracks and albums to a new Spotify playlist
Show the artist for each song
Scroll down to see more data. Once it’s gone from the screen, you can’t see it anymore, but it’s still being processed.
Maybe something that shows us specific genres of music
Overall, Spotigraph is a great way to visualize your entire Spotify history. It’s almost like Spotify Wrapped cranked up to 11, and it really makes me wonder why Spotify hasn’t bothered rolling out a tool like this. It would be an instant hit!
China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration says that the Huangyan Dao National Nature Reserve, located in Sansha City, Hainan Province, primarily protects coral reef ecosystems. The reserve covers 3,523.67 hectares, including a 1,242.55-hectare core zone and a 2,281.12-hectare experimental zone.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-12/China-s-Huangyan-Dao-reserve-safeguards-coral-reef-ecosystem-1GBHp7CZW7e/img/663c9a01825747b681829ff1e85d7efd/663c9a01825747b681829ff1e85d7efd.jpeg' alt='Functional zoning map of the Huangyan Dao National Nature Reserve /National Forestry and Grassland Administration'
According to a report titled “The Investigation and Assessment Report on Marine Ecology and Environment Status of Huangyan Dao,” released on July 10, 2024, the waters surrounding the Huangyan Dao area remain in excellent condition, with the coral reef ecosystem assessed as healthy. Researchers documented 109 species of hard corals, noting that the coral communities exhibit strong resilience and tolerance to rising sea temperatures – an encouraging sign under global climate change. The findings underscore Huangyan Dao’s role as a vital habitat and refuge for reef-building corals and associated marine life in the South China Sea.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-12/China-s-Huangyan-Dao-reserve-safeguards-coral-reef-ecosystem-1GBHp7CZW7e/img/58305bc989b84ff4b6c8aa08a31efd37/58305bc989b84ff4b6c8aa08a31efd37.jpeg'A photo shows the coral reefs in the coastal waters of Hainan Province. /VCG
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-12/China-s-Huangyan-Dao-reserve-safeguards-coral-reef-ecosystem-1GBHp7CZW7e/img/58305bc989b84ff4b6c8aa08a31efd37/58305bc989b84ff4b6c8aa08a31efd37.jpeg'A photo shows the coral reefs in the coastal waters of Hainan Province. /VCG
At a press conference on September 10, 2025, China’s Minister of Natural Resources Guan Zhi’ou highlighted that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the health rate of China’s typical marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, has risen to over 60 percent, reflecting steady progress in high-quality marine conservation.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-12/China-s-Huangyan-Dao-reserve-safeguards-coral-reef-ecosystem-1GBHp7CZW7e/img/2f0c64e4ae7c491c8b3641e2f74fee02/2f0c64e4ae7c491c8b3641e2f74fee02.jpeg' alt='A photo shows the coral reefs in the coastal waters of Hainan Province. /VCG'
Although coral reefs occupy only 0.1 percent of the global oceans, they support about 25 percent of all marine species. Protecting the coral reefs of Huangyan Dao National Nature Reserve is not only vital for preserving marine biodiversity in China’s South China Sea but also holds significant importance for the global ecological environment.
New York — It was a quiet, while not quite silent, morning for the“Table of Silence Project” Thursday, on the plaza of Lincoln Center and in front of David Geffen Hall, home of the New York Philharmonic. Commemorating the 24th anniversary of 9/11, white-robed members of the Buglisi Dance Theatre circled the plaza, a few with megaphones for chants, an occasional violin joining in, mellowing even the sounds of background traffic roaring down busy Broadway.
On this solemn but beautiful New York day and after more than two years in waiting, Gustavo Dudamel took charge, at least in practice, of the New York Philharmonic. Six decades ago, during the Leonard Bernstein era, America’s oldest and most celebrated orchestra had the city’s (and much of the nation’s) full attention in a way it hasn’t since. Could that happen again?
When Dudamel announced in early February 2023 that he would leave the Los Angeles Philharmonic to become music and artistic director of the New York Philharmonic in the fall of 2026, he became instant celebrity news here. A New York Philharmonic player gives Dudamel a cheesecake, and the New York Times writes a story.
This season Dudamel gains his first official title: music and artistic director designate. But the orchestra is basically his baby now. His photo is plastered on the orchestra’s posters and publicity. And on Thursday night, Dudamel, for the first time, opened the New York Philharmonic’s new season. After two weeks this month, he will have a sizable presence later winter and in spring, while also closing out his last L.A. Phil season with major programs.
Dudamel arrived in New York on Tuesday, having spent two weeks conducting the Simon Bolivar Orchestra of Venezuela, his homeland orchestra, to open Coldplay’s concerts at Glastonbury in England, just as the newly named U.S. Department of War immediately began to live up to its name by sending warships to Dudamel’s native Venezuela and threatening regime change.
But here in New York, Dudamel paid tribute to a new city in his life with Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Charles Ives’ Symphony No. 2. In 1945, Bartók, having fled Nazi-invaded Hungary, wrote his final piano concerto in a New York apartment on 57th Street, a block west of Carnegie Hall. Bernstein led the New York Philharmonic premiere of Ives’ Second — the first great American symphony — at Carnegie, then the New York Philharmonic’s home, six years later.
Still, the first orchestral sounds that emanated from the Dudamel designated directorship turned out to be barely heard, while not silent, percussion stirrings. Following a season-opening tradition he began when he became music director of the L.A. Phil, Dudamel began the program with a world premiere.
For this, he directed New Yorkers’ attention westward. In “of light and stone,” Leilehua Lanzilotti sets the sonic stage for an evocation of Hawaii, where she resides, before statehood. She makes references to King Kalakaua, Queen Lili’uokalani and other Hawaiian nobility few in a mainland audience are likely to know. There are fragments of Hawaiian song, a dance of the wind.
Nothing settles in this four-part, 15-minute song of a land, a score that falls somewhere between history lesson and color-field sonic landscape. A whisp of a canorous clarinet or a rumbling rattle is all it takes for a kind of instant transport to a far-off time and place. New York Philharmonic audiences can be cool, but they’ve demonstratively taken to Dudamel at Geffen, and an ethereal performance appeared to open ears.
The young Korean pianist, Yunchan Lim, who became instantly hot after winning the Van Cliburn competition three years ago, was soloist in Bartók’s Third Piano Concerto. Lim will be a soloist with Dudamel and the L.A. Phil this season as well as give a solo recital in Walt Disney Concert Hall. He is an exceptional pianist. He too opens ears and can transport a listener to a distant land. And Lim’s case is far more distant or far less knowable than Hawaii.
Lim’s Bartók exists in a world of the pianist’s own. Every phrase is for him an oddity, as if he had found some weird object in an imaginary world and was figuring out what he might do with it. His tools were rhythm, accents and dynamics, each a quirky new toy. The New York Philharmonic produced beauty and excitement, but Lim went his own way that wasn’t quite imaginative enough to improve on Bartók. Here we go again with an exceptional young soloist being pushed into the limelight too soon.
The New York Philharmonic owns Ives’ Second. Written in the first decade of the 20th century, the symphony offered a whole new way of thinking about American and European music and it sat dormant for some four decades before Bernstein premiered it. But that 1951 performance had a huge effect on how to transform folk music, popular music, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and what-not, twisted, transformed and tacked together. Bernstein later recorded it twice with the New York Philharmonic. The first time full of beans that revived it for good. The second time in 1987 as a glorious spiritual exercise. Hearing that performance live left me in a state of rapture.
Dudamel has made a specialty of the symphony himself, conducting it with the Vienna Philharmonic, recording it with the L.A. Phil and now going to the source. His performance Thursday night did not try to follow in Bernstein’s footsteps or necessarily Dudamel’s own. The performance flowed with exquisite lyricism and mustered a thrilling finale.
In Vienna, Dudamel was more robust. At Disney, Dudamel found exceptional expression in every little detail. That was the Dudamel that we last saw at the Hollywood Bowl this summer when he conducted Mahler’s First more vividly than ever.
That is not, quite yet, the Dudamel for New York. Here his Ives seemed to be laying the groundwork, letting his new orchestra show him what it can do before he begins, as he surely will, digging deeper.
It took a once controversial effort for Bernstein to transform an uptight virtuosic New York Philharmonic into a tight but electric one. Now it’s Dudamel’s turn for transmogrification, and he’s made a promising beginning.
A billion dollars isn’t what it used to be—but it still focuses the mind. At least it did for me when I heard that the AI company Anthropic agreed to an at least $1.5 billion settlement for authors and publishers whose books were used to train an early version of its large language model, Claude. This came after a judge issued a summary judgment that it had pirated the books it used. The proposed agreement—which is still under scrutiny by the wary judge—would reportedly grant authors a minimum $3,000 per book. I’ve written eight and my wife has notched five. We are talking bathroom-renovation dollars here!
Since the settlement is based on pirated books, it doesn’t really address the big issue of whether it’s OK for AI companies to train their models on copyrighted works. But it’s significant that real money is involved. Previously the argument over AI copyright was based on legal, moral, and even political hypotheticals. Now that things are getting real, it’s time to tackle the fundamental issue: Since elite AI depends on book content, is it fair for companies to build trillion-dollar businesses without paying authors?
Legalities aside, I have been struggling with the issue. But now that we’re moving from the courthouse to the checkbook, the film has fallen from my eyes. I deserve those dollars! Paying authors feels like the right thing to do. Despite the powerful forces (including US president Donald Trump) arguing otherwise.
Fine-Print Disclaimer
Before I go farther, let me drop a whopper of a disclaimer. As I mentioned, I’m an author myself, and stand to gain or lose from the outcome of this argument. I’m also on the council of the Author’s Guild, which is a strong advocate for authors and is suing OpenAI and Microsoft for including authors’ works in their training runs. (Because I cover tech companies, I abstain on votes involving litigation with those firms.) Obviously, I’m speaking for myself today.
In the past, I’ve been a secret outlier on the council, genuinely torn on the issue of whether companies have the right to train their models on legally purchased books. The argument that humanity is building a vast compendium of human knowledge genuinely resonates with me. When I interviewed the artist Grimes in 2023, she expressed enthusiasm over being a contributor to this experiment: “Oh, sick, I might get to live forever!” she said. That vibed with me, too. Spreading my consciousness widely is a big reason I love what I do.
But embedding a book inside a large language model built by a giant corporation is something different. Keep in mind that books are arguably the most valuable corpus that an AI model can ingest. Their length and coherency are unique tutors of human thought. The subjects they cover are vast and comprehensive. They are much more reliable than social media and provide a deeper understanding than news articles. I would venture to say that without books, large language models would be immeasurably weaker.
So one might argue that OpenAI, Google, Meta, Anthropic and the rest should pay handsomely for access to books. Late last month, at that shameful White House tech dinner, CEOs took turns impressing Donald Trump with the insane sums they were allegedly investing in US-based data centers to meet AI’s computation demands. Apple promised $600 billion, and Meta said it would match that amount. OpenAI is part of a $500 billion joint venture called Stargate. Compared to those numbers, that $1.5 billion that Anthropic, as part of the settlement, agreed to distribute to authors and publishers as part of the infringement case doesn’t sound so impressive.
Unfair Use
Nonetheless, it could well be that the law is on the side of those companies. Copyright law allows for something called “fair use,” which permits the uncompensated exploitation of books and articles based on several criteria, one of which is whether the use is “transformational”—meaning that it builds on the book’s content in an innovative manner that doesn’t compete with the original product. The judge in charge of the Anthropic infringement case has ruled that using legally obtained books in training is indeed protected by fair use. Determining this is an awkward exercise, since we are dealing with legal yardsticks drawn before the internet—let alone AI.
Obviously, there needs to be a solution based on contemporary circumstances. The White House’s AI Action Plan announced this May didn’t offer one. But in his remarks about the plan, Trump weighed in on the issue. In his view, authors shouldn’t be paid—because it’s too hard to set up a system that would pay them fairly. “You can’t be expected to have a successful AI program when every single article, book, or anything else that you’ve read or studied, you’re supposed to pay for,” Trump said. “We appreciate that, but just can’t do it—because it’s not doable.” (An administration source told me this week that the statement “sets the tone” for official policy.)
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The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Google and Amazon misled advertisers by failing to properly disclose terms and pricing for ads on their platforms, according to people familiar with the matter.
Driving the news:
The FTC’s consumer protection unit is examining Google’s internal ad pricing processes and whether it raised costs without informing advertisers.
Amazon’s real-time ad auctions are under scrutiny, including whether it disclosed reserve pricing — minimum price floors for sponsored listings.
Both investigations build on prior antitrust actions against Google’s ad business and Amazon’s marketplace practices.
Why we care. Digital advertising is a multi-hundred-billion-dollar industry, with Google leading the market and Amazon quickly rising as the third-largest player. Lack of transparency in how ads are priced and placed could mean advertisers are paying more than they realize.
Context:
Judges in two Justice Department cases have already ruled Google maintains illegal monopolies in search and ad tech.
Amazon’s ad business generated $56 billion in revenue last year, but the company faces separate FTC trials on antitrust and consumer protection grounds.
Google has previously acknowledged tweaking ad auctions to meet revenue targets without always disclosing changes to advertisers.
New moms all over social media are breaking down their incredibly expensive hospital bills after giving birth. So why is giving birth so pricey in the U.S.? And given the Trump administration’s anti-abortion, pro-natalist policies, is anything on the table to make having a child more affordable?
KFF Health News video producer Hannah Norman spoke with Stephanie Hastings, a physician and an assistant program director at the Cambridge Health Alliance, and Malini Nijagal, an OB-GYN and a clinical professor at the University of California-San Francisco.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
The Legend of Zelda fans don’t have to wait too much longer to return to the world of Tears of the Kingdom. As announced during the September Nintendo Direct, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment launches November 6 exclusively on Switch 2. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment preorders are starting to open at major retailers. Like most Switch 2 games published by Nintendo so far, Age of Imprisonment is priced at $70.
Nintendo-published games rarely have preorder bonuses, but it’s possible we’ll see exclusive Zelda-themed trinkets at major retailers in the coming weeks.
$69
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment’s physical and digital versions retail for $70. For the physical edition, the full file is stored on the Switch 2 Game Card. This has been the case with all exclusives, but it’s worth repeating here because of the game’s file size. Age of Imprisonment is 44.9GB, according to the eShop store page, so it will take up roughly 20% of the console’s usable space if you purchase the digital version.
Age of Calamity is the third game in Koei Tecmo’s Dynasty Warriors and Zelda crossover series. Like the previous two entries, Age of Imprisonment is a hack-and-slash action game that can be played solo or cooperatively with another player. It features a large cast of playable characters, led by Princess Zelda. This means that the two most recent Legend of Zelda games have actually starred Zelda. Last year, the heroine was the lead protagonist in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, the first mainline entry led by any character beyond Link.
Just as Age of Calamity served as a prequel to Breath of the Wild, Age of Imprisonment takes place before the events depicted in Tears of the Kingdom. The story revolves around Demon King Ganondorf’s previous attempt to take control of Hyrule. This invasion is referenced in Tears of the Kingdom, and now fans will get to see how it all went down. Other playable characters beyond Zelda include King Rauru, Mineru, and other Sages. Most importantly, you can play as a Korok.
Age of Imprisonment supports GameShare on Switch 2, so you can play with a friend over local wireless with only one copy of the game. All Zelda Amiibo figures are compatible with the new game. Scanning Amiibo figures will drop crafting materials and other items.
If you haven’t played Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, it’s worth noting that anyone with a save file on their console will get the High Guard’s Claymore weapon in Age of Imprisonment. You’ll also get the High Guard’s Sword if you have a Tears of the Kingdom save file.
Hyrule Warriors and Zelda Games for Switch 1/2
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition / Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition / Age of Calamity
If you want to catch up or revisit the previous Hyrule Warriors games ahead of Age of Imprisonment’s release, Woot has physical editions of Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition and Age of Calamity for $50 each. These are international editions, but the Switch and Switch 2 are region-free, so the only tangible difference will be the ratings board logo on the cover. Walmart has US editions for $55.
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Even though Age of Imprisonment takes place before Tears of the Kingdom, you will almost certainly get more out of the story if you’ve played the brilliant open-world adventure. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is available for $79, or you can grab the Switch version for $59 and purchase a $10 Switch 2 Upgrade Pack from the eShop. We’ve included a list of all of the mainline Zelda games with physical editions for Nintendo Switch and/or Switch 2 below.
A major study has investigated the relationship between walking and the risk of developing chronic lower back problems. The findings could save the healthcare system significant amounts of money while also alleviating many people’s back pain – if we just follow the simple advice provided.
The results are clear: People who walk a lot have less back pain than people who do not walk much – and the volume is what matters most, not the intensity.. It is better to walk a lot than to walk fast.
“People who walk more than 100 minutes every day have a 23 per cent lower risk of lower back problems than those who walk 78 minutes or less,” said Rayane Haddadj.
He is a PhD candidate at the Department of Public Health and Nursing at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and is part of a research group that specifically studies musculoskeletal disorders.
The results of the new study were published in the JAMA Network Open journal. The article has already received a lot of attention.
Even leisurely strolls are beneficial
It probably comes as no surprise that physical activity is good for your back, but until now we have not actually known whether the amount of low-intensity walking we do also helps.
“Intensity also plays a role in the risk of long-term back problems, but not as much as the daily amount of walking,” emphasized Haddadj.
A total of 11,194 people participated in the study, which is part of the Trøndelag Health Study (The HUNT Study). What makes this study unique is that the volume and intensity of daily walking were measured using two sensors that participants wore on their thigh and back for up to a week.
The results may be important in relation to preventing chronic back problems. Until now, there has been little research on the prevention of these types of musculoskeletal problems. It is well known that physical activity can prevent a wide range of illnesses and ailments. This study is important because it confirms that physical activity, and especially daily walking, can help prevent long-term lower back problems.
Back pain is a very common ailment
“The findings highlight the importance of finding time to be physically active – to prevent both chronic back problems and a number of other diseases. Over time, this could lead to major savings for society,” said Paul Jarle Mork, a professor at NTNU’s Department of Public Health and Nursing.
Back and neck problems cost society several billion kroner every year. Musculoskeletal disorders are likely the largest expense within the Norwegian healthcare system.
Back pain is one of the most common health problems in Norway. Depending on what you include, between 60 and 80 per cent of us will experience back problems at some point in our lives. At any given time, around one in five Norwegians has back trouble.
The causes are many and complex, but the solution might be as simple as putting on your shoes and going for a walk – each and every day.
Recognizing that a comprehensive appreciation of the technicalities, complexities and patterns of criminal law are indispensable for realizing the goals of the law, Gujarat National Law University established GCRCJS in 2019. It is a Centre dedicated towards carrying out research in the niche area of Criminal Law. The Centre provides a platform for a holistic research environment and aims to further knowledge and academic discussions about the multifaceted dimensions of criminal science.
About the Competition
The competition aims to provide a platform for students in the fields of Law, Criminology, Public Administration, Sociology, and related fields to engage with critical issues facing India and the world’s criminal justice system.
Themes
The main theme of the Competition is Transcending Boundaries in Criminal Justice: From Local Realities to Global Imperatives.
The competition will focus on the following sub-themes:
Financial Crimes and Global Regulatory Standards
Victim-Centric Approaches to Justice
Juvenile Justice: Reform, Deterrence, and Protection Balance
Challenges in Cross-Border Criminal Investigations
Criminal Law and Environmental Offenses: Addressing Climate Change Crimes
Evolving Frameworks for Witness Protection Across Different Criminal Jurisdictions
Universal Jurisdiction in International Criminal Law
Submission Guidelines
The name of the Author(s) or any other form of identification must not be mentioned in the Essay.
Co-authorship is limited to a maximum of two (2) authors.
Word limit: 1500-2000 words, excluding the Footnotes.
Font style – Times New Roman.
Font size – 14 for Headings, 12 for Body, 10 for Footnotes.
Line Spacing – 1.5 for Body, 1.0 for Footnotes.
Citation Style – OSCOLA.
Margins – 1 inch (i.e., 2.54 cm) on each side.
Note: Speaking footnotes are allowed in the submissions but are not mandatory. If included, speaking footnotes should be limited to a maximum of 50 words each.
The plagiarism limit is 10% following UGC Guidelines.
Use of Artificial Intelligence for submissions is strictly prohibited and highly discouraged.
How to Register?
Interested candidates can register online via the link given at the end of the post.
Registration Process
A non-refundable fee of ₹100 is to be paid for each submission as registration fees.
The registration fee must be paid online through the link provided below. Participants are advised to retain a copy of the payment receipt for future reference.
The submission must be made through the provided Google Form link only.
The name of the document should be in the following format for both Word Document and PDF: <Title of the Paper – EssayComp>
Last Date for Submission is 21stOctober 2025.
Awards
All essays that meet the plagiarism requirements and comply with the prohibition on AI use shall receive a Certificate of Participation.
The top five entries will be published on the GCRCJS Crime & Justice Blog along with a Certificate of Merit.
The top three entries will receive the following cash prizes:
1st Prize: ₹7,000
2nd Prize: ₹5,000
3rd Prize: ₹3,000
Contact
Participants may reach out to us at [email protected]. For any further queries or assistance, please contact: Mr. Vatshal Raval, Student Convener, +91 92653 84215 Mr. Shivam Agrawal, Student Convener, +91 94130 29413 Mr. Shubh Naik, Student Advisor, +91 98243 30830
Even everyday kitchen items can hide health risks. AIIMS gastroenterologist highlights 3 common household products that should be discarded immediately.
Even in clean, well-kept homes, hidden health hazards can lurk in everyday items. Some seemingly harmless products may irritate your gut or affect overall wellness. Dr Saurabh Sethi, a gastroenterologist trained at AIIMS, Harvard, and Stanford Universities, shares in his September 12 Instagram post 3 toxic household items to throw away immediately. (Also read: AIIMS gastroenterologist warns ‘don’t spend more than 10 minutes on toilet’; shares 8 simple tips for healthy gut )
Gastroenterologist highlights toxic household items to avoid for better health. (Shutterstock)
1. Regular scented candles
“Many of these contain phthalates, which can disrupt hormones, and paraffin wax, which can release soot and VOCs when burned,” says Dr Saurabh. He adds, “These chemicals can aggravate allergies, respiratory issues, and even impact gut health over time.” Quoting some better options, he suggests, “unscented soy, coconut, or beeswax candles, which are cleaner-burning and safer for daily use.”
2. Plastic cutting boards
“Knife marks can shed tiny plastic particles into your food. The risk builds up over years of use,” says Dr Sethi. He explains that these microplastics can accumulate in the body and potentially affect long-term health. Better options, he adds, are well-maintained wood or bamboo boards. “Glass is hygienic but dulls knives quickly, so it’s not always practical,” he notes.
3. Scratched or chipped non-stick pans
“Older pans often use PFOA, which is linked to reproductive and hormonal issues. Modern non-stick pans are PFOA-free but scratches can still release microscopic coating particles plus any additives trapped inside,” says Dr Sethi. He recommends safer alternatives, sharing, “Stainless steel, cast iron, or pure ceramic cookware are much better options for everyday cooking and long-term health.”
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
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Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. Explore now!.
Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
News / Lifestyle / Health / AIIMS gastroenterologist shares 3 everyday household items to throw away immediately: Scented candles to non-stick pans
Today, a brief rundown of news involving Takeda Pharmaceutical and Maze Therapeutics, as well as updates from Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Soleno Therapeutics and Avidity Biosciences that you may have missed.
Takeda on Thursday said Rhonda Pacheco will become head of its U.S. business unit on Sept. 29. Pacheco has been at Eli Lilly for more than a decade and, since 2023, has been the group vice president of the pharmaceutical company’s cardiometabolic health unit, where she oversaw the lucrative launches of Lilly’s GLP-1 drugs. At Takeda, she’ll succeed Julie Kim, who was selected this year to take over for retiring CEO Christophe Weber in June 2026 and will serve as “interim” head of the company’s global portfolio ahead of the transition. — Ben Fidler
Shares of Maze Therapeutics climbed more than 50% on early data supporting a medicine it’s developing for the inherited disease phenylketonuria. The Phase 1 results announced Thursday found that an oral medicine codenamed MZE782 was well tolerated at all doses, with no severe adverse events reported. Notably, treatment resulted in urine levels of an important amino acid that surpassed investor expectations. The findings “support the potential for a best-in-class profile” in phenylketonuria as well as chronic kidney disease, wrote Leerink Partners analyst Joseph Schwartz. Maze raised $150 million in a private stock offering announced alongside the results. — Ben Fidler
Intercept Pharmaceuticals will withdraw its liver disease drug Ocaliva from the U.S. market at the request of the Food and Drug Administration, the company, now a subsidiary of Italy’s Alfasigma, said Thursday. The FDA has also ordered the suspension of all clinical trials involving Ocaliva, which was approved for primary biliary cholangitis in 2016. Concerns over Ocaliva’s safety have grown, leading the FDA to impose a black box warning on its use in 2018 and last December to caution of additional liver injury risk. The agency has also turned back Intercept’s attempts over the years to win approval of Ocaliva in the metabolic disease MASH. Intercept sold to Alfasigma in 2023. — Ned Pagliarulo
Soleno Therapeutics’ stock fell nearly 20% after the company revealed the death of a patient who received its Prader Willi syndrome drug Vykat was reported to the FDA’s adverse event reporting system, or FAERS. In a Wednesday regulatory filing, Soleno stressed the treating physician didn’t believe Vykat to be related, that a FAERS report doesn’t establish causation and that the patient, who died from a blood clot that traveled to the lungs, had a history of health conditions. The details “provide strong support that it’s not drug-related,” wrote Stifel analyst James Condulis, whose team was “surprised” by the stock move. Soleno shares have lost about one-third of their value since last month, when short-selling activist firm Scorpion Capitalpublished a report alleging serious safety concerns with Vykat, the first approved drug for the insatiable hunger associated with Prader-Willi. — Ben Fidler
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticalsescalated a patent fight with Ionis Pharmaceuticals over rival drugs the two companies have been developing for the same rare disease. Ionis claimed Arrowhead’s experimental drug for familial chylomicronemia syndrome, which is currently under FDA review, infringes on an Ionis patent and threatened legal action. Arrowhead on Thursday responded by asking a Delaware District Court to declare Ionis’ patent invalid or not infringed on. Ionis’ therapy, Tryngolza, was approved last year for familial chylomicronemia syndrome. Arrowhead’s suit is a “strategic move” meant to “clear patent obstacles” before its competing medicine, known as plozasiran, arrives, wrote Jefferies analyst Maury Raycroft. — Ben Fidler
Investors deserted Avidity Biosciences this week, selling off shares after the company announced plans to raise $500 million by issuing new stock. The news seemed to deflate optimism that Avidity might get bought by a large pharmaceutical company like Novartis, which a report in the Financial Times earlier this month had linked to the biotech. Avidity, which specializes in RNA medicine, said it plans to use the funds to advance its late-stage drug candidates and prepare for commercialization. After selling off by double digits Thursday, Avidity stock regained some of those losses on Friday. — Ned Pagliarulo
It now takes the median-income household over 8 years to save for a 20% deposit, compared to just 6 years in the early 2000s.
This “deposit gap” has become the single biggest hurdle for first-home buyers.
A typical new home loan consumes around 54% of household disposable income—the highest level in at least 20 years.
Home ownership rates for Australians under 34 have dropped sharply across every state, particularly in NSW and Victoria.
Those born in the late 1980s and early 1990s are significantly less likely to own a home compared to Baby Boomers, highlighting a structural intergenerational inequality.
The decline in young home ownership is not unique to Australia—it’s also seen in the UK, US, and Europe.
Contributing factors include insecure work, later marriage, and fewer children, which reduce the urgency or ability to buy a home.
Remember when owning a home was considered a rite of passage? A marker of stability and success?
Today, for many Australians, that milestone feels more like a distant fantasy than a realistic goal.
What was once seen as the cornerstone of financial security has become an uphill battle, with soaring property prices, stricter lending rules, and wages that simply haven’t kept pace.
Owning a home has always been the cornerstone of the Australian dream.
But for younger generations, that dream is slipping further out of reach.
“Affordable” homes are becoming unaffordable
According to research by Domain, houses priced in the 25th percentile – typically purchased by first home buyers – have increased in price at a greater rate than premium houses (those in the 75th percentile) across most major capitals since 2022 – as the figures below show.
Cumulative difference in house price growth for entry-level homes compared with premium homes:
Sydney: 4.1 ppts
Melbourne: 6.9 ppts
Brisbane: 13.6 ppts
Adelaide: 18.7 ppts
Perth: 19.8 ppts
The deposit mountain
The biggest barrier for first-home buyers isn’t servicing the loan—it’s scraping together the deposit.
According to Domain, a median-income household now needs more than eight years to save for a 20% deposit, compared to just six years in the early 2000s.
Dr Nicola Powell, Domain’s Chief of Research and Economics, says this has reshaped the entry point into the market:
“The time it takes to save a deposit has blown out dramatically.
For many first-home buyers, it’s not the repayments that keep them out of the market, it’s the sheer challenge of getting a foothold with such a large upfront cost.”
Mortgage stress at record highs
Even once buyers leap the deposit hurdle, they face much tougher repayments.
A typical new loan now consumes around 54% of disposable household income, the highest level in more than 20 years.
This shift has been driven by the double blow of rapidly rising property prices and the sharp lift in interest rates after 2022.
While rate cuts in 2025 offered some relief, prices kept surging, offsetting much of the benefit.
Dr Powell notes:
“We’ve moved into a world where home ownership is becoming more exclusive.
Lower interest rates in recent years did help with repayments, but because prices rose even faster, the affordability equation actually worsened for many.”
A widening generational divide
The impact is starkest among younger Australians.
Home ownership rates for under-34s have dropped across every state, with the sharpest falls in New South Wales and Victoria.
Search trends reveal more Australians now looking for “dual”, “granny” and “duplex” properties, reflecting rising interest in higher-density and more affordable housing options.
What needs to change?
The affordability challenge is structural, not cyclical.
It’s not just about where interest rates sit today.
Barriers like stamp duty, restrictive lending standards, and surging deposit requirements are locking more people out each year.
Potential reforms flagged by Domain include:
Replacing stamp duty with a broad-based land tax, to reduce upfront costs and improve mobility.
Expanding shared-equity and low-deposit schemes, to bridge the deposit gap for first-home buyers.
Reviewing lending standards, to strike the right balance between stability and access to credit.
Dr Powell concludes:
“If we want to restore the Australian dream of home ownership, we need coordinated reform.
Without it, the divide between the housing haves and have-nots will only deepen.”
Final thoughts
The numbers are clear: affordability has reached breaking point.
For first-home buyers, the challenge isn’t just paying off a mortgage, it’s finding a way to even get in the game.
And unless structural reforms are made, home ownership risks becoming a privilege for the few, rather than the foundation of financial security it has long been in Australia.
About Brett Warren Brett Warren is National Director of Metropole Properties and uses his two decades of property investment experience to advise clients how to grow, protect and pass on their wealth through strategic property advice.
I didn’t expect a note-taking app to change how I work. Apple Notes had always been “good enough”—free, simple, and built right into my iPhone. But one of my biggest frustrations was the lack of a proper Windows version. Sure, you can access Apple Notes through a web browser, but it’s far from the seamless experience I wanted.
That’s not the only limitation, but it was the one that finally pushed me to look for an alternative notes app. Once I discovered Craft, I realized what I was missing. It gave me everything I liked about Apple Notes and then some. So much so that it’s now impossible for me to go back.
Why Craft feels different
And beautiful
When you open Craft for the first time, its clean interface may remind you of Apple Notes, but it’s in a different league. Beyond simply storing your thoughts, the app encourages you to shape, connect, and present them in ways that feel deliberate and polished.
The first thing that draws you into Craft isn’t a feature but the overall experience. From the moment you start typing, the clean design, elegant typography, and subtle animations make organizing ideas feel satisfying instead of tedious.
One of my favorite features is the ability to drag and drop elements anywhere on the page. Whether it’s a paragraph, table, or image, there’s no need to cut and paste. You simply grab it and drop it where it fits best. It feels natural, almost like the app anticipates what you want to do.
And then there’s the styling. Craft gives you all the options you’d expect and more. You can add colorful highlights, gradients, and different backgrounds, while the Decorations feature lets you format text in Blocks or Focus mode to make key ideas stand out.
The little features that make a big difference
Craft isn’t just a pretty face
Craft is packed with features that make your workflow smoother. One of the useful ones is notes within notes. Instead of juggling separate files or endless scrolling, you can nest ideas inside each other. For example, you might keep a main note for a project and then nest meeting notes, research snippets, or brainstorm ideas right inside it.
Another handy feature is AI-powered note assistant. With it, you can brainstorm ideas, summarize long notes in seconds, or even tweak your text for tone and style. It’s perfect for turning rough thoughts into polished sections without rewriting everything from scratch.
Craft plays nicely with the tools you already use. You can import all your reminders from Apple Reminders at once, pulling tasks, deadlines, and to-dos directly into Craft. This way, you don’t have to jump between apps or copy information manually.
Craft also lets you undo and redo changes even after you’ve saved and come back days later. I use this constantly when tweaking a project outline or experimenting with layouts, and being able to roll back to an earlier version takes the stress out of creative work.
Collaboration, cross-device availability, and export options
Perfect for teams and sharing
Image Credit: Pankil ShahPankil Shah/MakeUseOf
Collaboration is another area where Craft excels. Its Spaces feature lets you work with others in real time. You can share entire projects, brainstorm together, or build structured notes as a team. Changes appear instantly, which keeps everyone on the same page.
One thing you can’t compromise on when choosing a note-taking app is cross-platform availability. Craft works on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, and even in a web browser. I use a Windows PC for work, and the PC version of the app is just as capable and smooth as its mobile counterparts.
While I usually don’t need to export notes, Craft has that covered too. When the occasion arises, you can export notes as Word (DOCX), PDF, or Markdown, which is perfect for sending polished documents to colleagues, publishing content, or backing up important projects.
The free version may not be enough
The only downside
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Craft’s free plan is generous enough to give you a taste of what the app can do. You can create up to ten documents, enjoy 1GB of cloud storage, and even collaborate in real time. It’s perfect for testing the waters, seeing how notes feel in the app.
However, once you start using Craft regularly, the free plan may not be enough. Ten documents fill up faster than you’d think, especially as you begin nesting notes, adding images, or experimenting with layouts. And if you want to go beyond the basics and use advanced features like custom branding or an option to publish notes with a custom domain, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan, which starts at $8 a month.
If Apple Notes is a dependable notepad, Craft feels like a full creative studio for your thoughts. By the time you finish your first note, you realize Craft has done something Apple Notes never did: it makes you want to write, structure, and revisit your ideas. Of course, paying for a note-taking app isn’t worth it for everyone, but if you rely on your notes daily for work, Craft is worth every penny.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-12/Labubu-greets-visitors-at-China-s-service-trade-fair-1GBN4MFFyrC/img/6d06dcfd68884cdfb057e0834c1a7768/6d06dcfd68884cdfb057e0834c1a7768.jpeg'Pop Mart toys, including its Labubu and Molly series, greet visitors at the ongoing 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, capital of China, September 11, 2025. [Photo: VCG]
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-12/Labubu-greets-visitors-at-China-s-service-trade-fair-1GBN4MFFyrC/img/6d06dcfd68884cdfb057e0834c1a7768/6d06dcfd68884cdfb057e0834c1a7768.jpeg'Pop Mart toys, including its Labubu and Molly series, greet visitors at the ongoing 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, capital of China, September 11, 2025. [Photo: VCG]
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-12/Labubu-greets-visitors-at-China-s-service-trade-fair-1GBN4MFFyrC/img/6d06dcfd68884cdfb057e0834c1a7768/6d06dcfd68884cdfb057e0834c1a7768.jpeg'Pop Mart toys, including its Labubu and Molly series, greet visitors at the ongoing 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, capital of China, September 11, 2025. [Photo: VCG]
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-12/Labubu-greets-visitors-at-China-s-service-trade-fair-1GBN4MFFyrC/img/6d06dcfd68884cdfb057e0834c1a7768/6d06dcfd68884cdfb057e0834c1a7768.jpeg'Pop Mart toys, including its Labubu and Molly series, greet visitors at the ongoing 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, capital of China, September 11, 2025. [Photo: VCG]
The Labubus have arrived at the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing! With their furry looks, pointed ears and quirky serrated teeth, these playful characters from Chinese toy maker Pop Mart have already won hearts online. Now, the elf-like figures – along with other Pop Mart series – are stepping into the spotlight at China’s premier service trade fair.
It’s the end of “Downton Abbey.” No, really — this time, it’s right there in the title, “The Grand Finale.” After six seasons, five Christmas specials, three movies and a partridge in a pear tree, this is the end, until the next time writer and creator Julian Fellowes is struck with inspiration.
All joking aside, “The Grand Finale” is a fine send-off for the beloved British costume drama, which follows the ups and downs of the aristocratic Crawley family — and their staff — while navigating the tumultuous beginnings of the 20th century.
While the previous “Downton” film, 2022’s “A New Era,” saw the Crawleys venturing to France and hosting a movie crew at their Yorkshire estate, the key to “The Grand Finale” is that Fellowes doesn’t venture into unfamiliar territory. He keeps us grounded in the smaller social and familial dramas, with a few fun guest stars that nod to the year in which the story takes place: 1930.
What Fellowes has done so well with “Downton” is offer an escape to the past, while using the period setting to comment on issues of contemporary relevance. He produces an appealing tension in the simultaneous presentation of archaic cultural norms alongside issues that feel as urgent as ever. In “The Grand Finale,” there’s the tabloid scandal that swarms the divorce of Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) as well as the ongoing struggle that is Lord Grantham’s unwillingness to pass on management of Downton Abbey to the next generation. (Returning again to the role of the patriarch is Hugh Bonneville.)
We can titter at the shock and horror that some of the characters display at even being in the same room as a divorced woman — Lady Mary is rudely escorted from a ball and asked to hide under a staircase lest she come into contact with a royal — and also empathize with the frustration of a new generation that desperately wants to take over from the old guard and maybe even shake things up a bit. It sounds a lot like the complaints that Gen X and millennials have with the boomers. Some things never change, even if divorce is no longer grounds for social expulsion.
Fellowes isn’t exactly subtle with the messaging in his final chapter. American uncle Harold (Paul Giamatti) declares it’s more comfortable to live in the past. Fellowes gets even more self-reflective with the character of Molesley (Kevin Doyle), who progressed from footman to screenwriter in the last film and now demands the recognition that he believes he deserves. You have to laugh when Molesley declares to camera that screenwriters are more important than even movie stars. (Heard, Lord Fellowes, an Oscar winner for his original script to “Gosford Park.”)
“The Grand Finale” brings back old friends from “A New Era,” such as film actor Guy Dexter (Dominic West), now in a quiet relationship with former Downton footman Barrow (Robert James-Collier), and their pal, theater attraction and playwright Noel Coward (Arty Froushan), representing the new wave of media celebrities. In a truly delightful, star-making performance, Froushan delivers mischievous double entendres as Coward, practically licking his chops at all the juicy material he finds at Downton for his new plays, whether it’s Lady Mary’s love woes or the inner workings of the “downstairs” Downton staff.
With the late Dame Maggie Smith no longer delivering her usual barbs, Simon Russell Beale has stepped in to represent the traditionalist ways of thinking. Playing Sir Hector who contends with Lady Isabelle (Penelope Wilton) over the planning of the county show, he mightily resists change and isn’t afraid to let her know about it. He also delivers one of the most spectacular line readings of the phrase “beekeepers and bottling fruit,” so don’t worry — the spirit of the Dowager Countess lives on.
In other subplots, the Crawleys need to manage both a financial pickle related to the American stock market crash and a smooth-talking scam artist who goes by Gus Sambrook (Alessandro Nivola), who has inveigled Harold into an Argentine currency grift and Lady Mary into a rebound tryst. He is ultimately merely a device to illustrate Lady Edith’s mannered English claws when she scares him off with threats to his social standing, and a way to urge the Crawleys into new management of their assets, but he’s a fun fly in the ointment nevertheless.
With its mix of old characters and new, worldly upheaval and small-town drama, Fellowes illustrates what “Downton” has always done best, which is a social examination of how much things have changed and how they haven’t changed at all. While some of the character work doesn’t quite develop or deepen our understanding of them, or even take them on new journeys, it’s simply a pleasure to visit one last time — or at least until the next one. (Why pretend otherwise?) World War II is only a few years away. Wouldn’t you like to see how the Crawleys tackle that?
Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.
‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’
Rating: PG, for suggestive material, smoking and some thematic elements
Another TikTok video Degeling shared with WIRED showed a slow-motion, close-up angle of the bullet hitting Kirk’s neck. The tone of the video was conspiratorial: The user who uploaded it added spooky music and a digitally narrated voice, asking, “What is the black thing on his shirt and why did it move like this before he got shot?” As of Thursday morning, the video was still online. It had been up for eight hours and had more than 900 comments (with many saying the “black thing” was a microphone).
As of Thursday morning, on Instagram, a search for “Charlie Kirk shot” surfaced a close-up video of the incident as the first result. The video autoplays as a thumbnail, without warning. At the time of writing, the video had 15.3 million views.
Not only are the Kirk shooting videos spreading rapidly, but some are in clear violation of the platforms’ social media policies. For example, TikTok’s terms of use state that the company does not allow “gory, gruesome, disturbing, or extremely violent content.”
“We are saddened by the assassination of Charlie Kirk and send our deepest condolences to his wife Erika, their two young children, and their family and friends,” TikTok spokesperson Jamie Favazza said in a statement. “These horrific violent acts have no place in our society. We remain committed to proactively enforcing our Community Guidelines and have implemented additional safeguards to prevent people from unexpectedly viewing footage that violates our rules.”
On other platforms, the Kirk video falls into a gray area. Meta’s overarching policy is to age-restrict certain content, require warning labels, and remove some graphic depictions of violence.
A spokesperson for Meta said that, per the company’s Violent and Graphic Content policies, it’s applying a “Mark as Sensitive” warning label to footage of the Kirk shooting, and are age-gating it to users 18 and older. The spokesperson also said that the company has 15,000 people reviewing content for Meta—though it did not say whether these are employees or contractors—and that it does not allow videos that glorify, represent, or support the incident or perpetrator.
Meta also states in its online Transparency Center that it does not allow content of “terrorist attacks, hate events, multiple-victim violence or attempted multiple-victim violence, serial murders, or hate crimes perpetrator-generated content relating to such attacks; or third-party imagery depicting the moment of such attacks on visible victims.” Still, the widely circulated footage of Kirk being shot, for now, is allowable. It will get a warning label and be age-gated, but not removed from Meta platforms unless determined to be in clear violation of the “glorified content” policy.
X tells users that they “may share graphic media if it is properly labeled, not prominently displayed and is not excessively gory or depicting sexual violence.” The platform notes that content that is “explicitly threatening, inciting, glorifying, or expressing desire for violence” is not allowed.
Mahadevan, from the Poynter Institute, says that he saw the Kirk shooting video without his consent multiple times on X on Wednesday, likening it to a version of “4Chan turned into a mainstream social media platform.” (He also says he opened up Facebook on Thursday morning and immediately saw a video of Kirk being shot.)
X did not reply to requests for comment or questions about whether the Kirk video was considered “excessively gory” by X’s standards.
But X appears to have another content moderation problem: A few hours after Kirk was pronounced dead, the AI chatbot Grok, which runs on X, insisted that Kirk was “fine and active as ever.” X did not reply to further questions from WIRED about Grok’s misinformation about the Kirk shooting.
Bluesky has said it’s suspending accounts that encourage violence and taking down close-up videos of the event.
For now, the videos of Charlie Kirk’s shooting continue to spread online.
“This is all psychologically damaging to our society in ways we don’t understand yet,” Mahadevan said. “We’re seeing posts on X of people saying, ‘Congratulations, you’ve radicalized me.’ And part of that is because they’re seeing the video of Kirk being killed. They’re not just reading about it. They’re actually seeing it.”
Additional reporting by Kylie Robison.
Updated: 9/11/2025 4:00 pm EST: This story has been updated with comment from TikTok and to reflect the current institutional affiliation of a researcher.
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A majority of Americans are using AI in daily life – 87% read AI summaries in search, and 84% turn to AI for shopping. That’s according to new survey data shared exclusively with Search Engine Land by digital marketing firm Centerfield.
By the numbers:
87% of U.S. adults read AI-generated summaries in search results.
50% say they read the summary but then look for additional info elsewhere.
41% read and then click on a source link; 34% stop at the summary alone.
89% of adults report using AI tools or chatbots.
84% have used AI in their shopping journey — across all generations.
How shoppers use AI:
Getting answers to product questions (46%)
Comparing products or brands (35%)
Getting product recommendations (35%)
Summarizing customer reviews (29%)
Finding the best prices or deals (29%)
Why we care. AI tools are reshaping how people research and make purchase decisions. That means brand visibility in AI summaries and answers isn’t optional – it’s where consumers are already paying attention.
Bottom line. Consumers are moving fast, so marketers must keep up. AI adoption is going mainstream among shoppers, but most brands are still figuring out how to optimize for the AI-driven future of search. And many are unprepared for GEO.
About the survey: The Centerfield Gen-AI Consumer Survey was an online poll of 4,604 U.S. adults conducted in July 2025, with a ±1.5% margin of error at the 95% confidence level. The sample was nationally representative by age, sex, ethnicity, income, and housing, following U.S. Census benchmarks.
FDA leaders under President Donald Trump are moving to abandon a decades-old policy of asking outside experts to review drug applications, a move critics say would shield the agency’s decisions from public scrutiny.
The agency “would like to get away” from assembling panels of experts to examine and vote on individual drugs, because “I don’t think they’re needed,” said George Tidmarsh, head of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. He relayed the message Tuesday at a meeting of health care product makers and Wednesday to an FDA advocacy group.
In addition to being redundant, Tidmarsh said, advisory meetings on specific drugs were “a tremendous amount of work for the company and for the FDA. We want to use that work and our time to focus on the big questions.”
The FDA’s advisory committees were created in their current form by a 1972 law aimed at expanding and regulating the government’s use of experts in technical decisions. They’re periodically summoned for advice, including to review evidence and vote on whether the FDA should approve drugs, vaccines, and medical devices, often when FDA officials face a difficult decision.
FDA actions have traditionally aligned with committee votes. A departure can provoke controversy and public debate, as was the case with the split 2021 decision on whether to approve the Biogen drug Aduhelm to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
The FDA approved the drug despite a “no” vote from its advisory committee, whose members felt the medicine did little to treat the disease. The conflict over Aduhelm laid bare the FDA’s struggle to reconcile pressure from industry and desperate patients with its rigorous evaluation of drug risks and benefits.
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Tidmarsh said the committees would still be consulted on general issues like how to regulate different classes of drugs. But meetings on specific drugs, in which experts plow through piles of studies and hours of testimony from FDA and company officials, were mainly useful, he said, because they allowed the public to see how the FDA worked.
This month the FDA began publishing the “complete response letters” it sends to companies when it declines to approve their products. Releasing the letters, which previously required filing requests under the federal Freedom of Information Act, promotes a level of transparency akin to the advisory meetings’, Tidmarsh said.
Advisory committee meetings on individual drugs “are redundant when you have the complete review letters,” he told KFF Health News in a brief interview after appearing at the health care products conference.
Former FDA officials and academics who study the agency disagree. The meetings help FDA scientists make decisions and increase public understanding of drug regulation, and abandoning them doesn’t make sense, they said.
Tidmarsh’s reasoning is “hard to follow,” former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told KFF Health News. “It’s extremely useful for people inside FDA to find out what other experts think before they make their final decisions. And it’s important to do that in a way that enables the public to understand the points of view.”
“Experts might ask questions of the company or FDA that neither of them thought of on their own,” said Holly Fernandez Lynch, an associate professor of bioethics and law at the University of Pennsylvania. “The public has few other opportunities to comment about FDA decisions.”
Spokespeople for FDA and the Health and Human Services Department did not respond to repeated requests for elaboration on Tidmarsh’s comments.
Califf at times disagreed with advisory committees as commissioner of the agency and once floated the idea that it might be better if they deliberated but did not vote on products. Still, while “maybe someone can come up with a better one, I always thought it was an amazing system,” he said.
The FDA is not obliged to ask the outside experts to review drugs and usually hasn’t. It calls on them mainly for important new types of medications or when a decision is especially tricky because of high demand for a product that may have limited value, Aduhelm being a classic example.
The advisory committees are “an important resource” for the FDA, said Sarah Ryan, a spokesperson for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. “They can play an important part of the rigorous human drug review process we have in the U.S.”
The committees are often asked to help settle disagreements within the FDA about how to move forward on a regulatory decision, said Reshma Ramachandran, a health services researcher and clinician at the Yale School of Medicine.
She and other researchers and former FDA officials praised FDA Commissioner Marty Makary’s decision to publish the complete response letters.
But the letters don’t obviate the need for committee meetings, said Peter Lurie, a former associate FDA commissioner who heads the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
“A disclosed complete response letter tells the public that a company’s application was rejected and why,” Lurie said. “An advisory committee meeting says to outside experts and the public, ‘Here’s what we’re thinking of doing and we’d love your input before we decide.’ Plainly, those are not equivalent.”
The changes Tidmarsh described are already playing out on the ground. The FDA has held only seven advisory committee meetings since Trump reentered the White House, compared with 22 over the same time frame last year. Officials say they will now release complete response letters as they are sent, and published a batch of 89 earlier in September.
Diana Zuckerman, a critic of the drug industry, attended the July hormone replacement therapy panel that considered the FDA’s black-box warning listing dangers of the treatment. Makary had wanted the warning removed and packed the panel with like-minded experts.
The event was hastily called with no opportunity for the public to review discussion materials or comment on them, she said.
“All that was transparent was that they didn’t want to hear from anyone who disagreed with them,” said Zuckerman, who leads the National Center for Health Research.
Before becoming commissioner, Makary pushed for more advisory committee meetings. In early 2022, he blasted the FDA’s decision to approve covid boosters for children ages 12 to 15 without consulting its Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. Makary posted on the social platform X at the time, “It is a slap in the face to science for @US_FDA to circumvent the standard convening of the expert advisory board.”
But Tidmarsh seems to disagree.
Instead of asking an advisory committee to vote in favor of or against a Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug, for example, he said the FDA would be better served by a committee studying the best way to evaluate such drugs, such as which outcomes, or end points, to measure. “Is this end point correct for Duchenne muscular dystrophy? That’s an important question that cuts across many different companies,” he told KFF Health News.
FDA official Vinay Prasad canceled a planned July advisory committee meeting to discuss a Duchenne drug made by the biotech company Capricor Therapeutics. The FDA later published its rejection, or “complete response letter,” to Capricor, which then published its own letter of response to the FDA. Prasad was later pushed out and rehired with fewer powers.
An advisory committee meeting could have worked through the drug’s risks and benefits in a calmer, public, less politicized atmosphere, Ramachandran said.
The FDA usually agrees with the votes of its several dozen advisory committees. A 2023 study found that the FDA agreed with 97% of “yes” votes and 67% of “no” votes.
That’s why Tidmarsh’s comments “come as a complete surprise,” said Genevieve Kanter, an associate professor of public policy at the University of Southern California, who wrote commentary accompanying the study. The FDA has postponed a lot of meetings this year, but “everyone thought it was temporary, with the transition and all the firings.”
“Another theory is that this decision is strategic,” she said, “in terms of consolidating power in the agencies so that you are no longer accountable to outside experts or the public.”
We’d like to speak with current and former personnel from the Department of Health and Human Services or its component agencies who believe the public should understand the impact of what’s happening within the federal health bureaucracy. Please message KFF Health News on Signal at (415) 519-8778 or get in touch here.
As Valve changes the way it handles adult content on Steam, it’s been revealed that games containing “mature themes” will no longer be accepted for Steam Early Access. The update comes as anti-porn lobbyists continue to put pressure on adult games, working through the payment processors that storefronts like Steam and Itch.io rely on.
Dammitbird, the developer behind adult action RPG Heavy Hearts, revealed on X that their game had been rejected from Early Access due to its adult themes. “Your app has failed our review because we’re unable to support the Early Access model of development for a game with mature themes,” the rejection message from Steam, as shared online by Dammitbird.
“Due to current events, I panicked and contacted my publisher to help me get on Steam Early Access,” Dammitbird said to GamesMarkt about their application. “The general rule is that your game should be about 65% done before doing EA. Well, we are about 70% done so the time was right anyway. But now, all of a sudden and without a policy announcement, the rules have changed and now I can’t join Steam EA.”
Heavy Hearts, which contains explicit sexual content alongside its traditional RPG gameplay, also fell victim to Itch.io’s delisting of adult games earlier this year. “Heavy Hearts is still available on Itch, but you’ll never be able to search it, because it is de-indexed,” they explained. “I made a free demo page that you can find though. Itch.io was 50% of my games revenue. It’s how I paid my artists and other partners. I still have Patreon and Subscribestar, they are keeping the game afloat, but it won’t be enough in the long run.”
Dammitbird added that Patreon is now their most reliable source of support for Heavy Hearts, but the platform also has an uneasy history with adult content creators, leaving them open to the risk of being deplatformed there as well.
Gamers and developers, including industry body International Game Developers Association, have spoken out against the arbitrary censorship of adult games, calling out the lack of transparency and clear guidelines in the process. Itch.io is also seeking its own solutions, which included re-listing free NSFW content, and searching for alternative payment processors to handle adult content purchases.
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People with operable diffuse pleural mesothelioma may benefit from immunotherapy before and after surgery, based on results of a clinical trial exploring the sequence of treatment and the role of surgery for this difficult to treat cancer.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that affects the tissue that lines many organs of the body. Approximately 30,000 cases are diagnosed every year worldwide, most of them in the pleura, or lining of the lungs. It occurs most often in people who have been exposed to asbestos.
“Mesothelioma is a difficult tumor to treat,” said the study’s lead author Joshua Reuss, MD, a thoracic medical oncologist with Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Our study demonstrated the feasibility and safety of using immunotherapy before surgery for patients who have tumors that can potentially be removed surgically.
“Immunotherapy is making substantial contributions to extending the lives of patients with lung cancer and many other solid tumors. This is an important step in identifying mesothelioma patients who could benefit from immunotherapy in the perioperative period, meaning right before or after their surgery and in choosing patients who are actually candidates for that surgery,” said Reuss, who is also an attending physician at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
Reuss designed the clinical trial during fellowship training at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, the primary site where the study was conducted. He presented the results of the phase II study, Neoadjuvant Nivolumab or Nivolumab plus Ipililumab in Resectable Diffuse Pleural Mesothelioma, at the 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer in Barcelona, Spain on September 8 and is lead author of the study published concurrently in the journal Nature Medicine (DOI 10.1038/s41591-025-03958-3).
Phase II clinical trials are designed to assess whether it is possible to deliver innovative treatments to specific patient populations, and whether the potential benefits of the therapy outweigh any adverse effects that patients experience.
“When looking at patient outcomes to date, the issue of whether any mesothelioma is truly resectable is controversial,” said Reuss. “Several major studies have not shown improvement in survival when surgery is incorporated into systemic therapy for mesothelioma. This study incorporates immunotherapy into the treatment of patients who might benefit from surgery.
“Since they occur in the tissue that lines the lungs, mesotheliomas don’t grow and spread like other cancers.” Reuss said. “They don’t typically form solid masses or nodules. These tumors are more fluid, or diffuse throughout the lining of the lung. That makes it more difficult to use our usual methods to determine how extensive a tumor is or to measure whether a treatment is effective by standard imaging assessments.”
In this study, the clinical team worked closely with scientists in the laboratory to test a novel approach studying circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in their patient’s blood. Tumors frequently shed cancer DNA into the blood stream. Oncologists can test the blood to detect the presence of this ctDNA, but their role in clinical decision-making is an evolving area of interest. This is particularly challenging in mesothelioma, a tumor type that has a low number of cancer mutations that can be detected by traditional ctDNA techniques.
“Imaging doesn’t always capture what’s happening with mesothelioma, especially during treatment,” said the study’s senior author, Valsamo Anagnostou, MD, PhD, the Alex Grass professor of oncology and co-director of the upper aerodigestive cancers program at Johns Hopkins. “By using an ultra-sensitive genome-wide ctDNA sequencing method, we were able to detect microscopic signs of cancer that imaging missed and predict which patients were most likely to benefit from treatment or experience relapse.”
“This approach may give us a baseline to monitor the efficacy of that treatment,” Reuss said. “If the ctDNA decreases or disappears, it is a good indication that the therapy is working, If not, it indicates a change in therapy may be warranted.” Reuss added that further validation of this methodology is required before it can routinely be incorporated into clinical practice.
“These analyses contribute to our understanding of which patients with mesothelioma may be candidates for surgery,” Reuss said. “Up until now, ctDNA assessments have not been part of the clinical landscape in the management of diffuse pleural mesothelioma, but our analyses suggest this may be nearing a change in the future.”
Phase II clinical trials are not designed to measure the clinical efficacy of treatment options but both arms of this trial showed improvements in the time from treatment to when the tumors began to grow again and overall length of survival.
Reuss cautions against drawing conclusions about that data, but notes that the results do provide positive signals about the potential value of neoadjuvant immunotherapy for mesothelioma patients with tumors that can be surgically removed and point the way to future studies.
“This is a small study,” he said, “and it does not tell us whether neoadjuvant immunotherapy will improve outcomes for these patients, but it does open windows of opportunity. We need to take what we learned and do further studies, dig deeper so that we can develop better therapies for patients with mesothelioma.”
The study was conducted across multiple academic cancer centers. The trial was sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb. The research was supported in part by the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs grant CA190755, the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center NCI Support Grant NCI CCSG P30 CA006973, the US Food and Drug Administration grant U01FD005942-FDA, National Institutes of Health grant CA1211113, the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, the ECOG-ACRIN Thoracic Malignancies Integrated Translational Science Center Grant UG1CA233259, the Robyn Adler Fellowship Award, the Commonwealth Foundation, the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, and the Florence Lomax Eley Fund.
Reuss reports receives research funding through Georgetown University from Genentech/Roche, Verastem, Nuvalent, Arcus, Revolution Medicines, Regeneron, Amgen, DualityBio, and AstraZeneca, and serves in a consultant/advisory role for AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, Seagen, Gilead, Janssen, Novocure, Regeneron, Summit Therapeutics, Pfizer, Lilly, Natera, Merck, EMD Serono, Roche Diagnostics, and OncoHost. Anagnostou reports receiving research funding from Astra Zeneca and Personal Genome Diagnostics, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Delfi Diagnostics, is an advisor to Astra Zeneca and Neogenomics and receives honoraria from Foundation Medicine, Guardant Health, Roche and Personal Genome Diagnostics. Other author disclosures are included in the manuscript.
Additional authors include Paul K. Lee, Reza J. Mehran, Chen Hu, Suqi Ke, Amna Jamali, Mimi Najjar, Noushin Niknafs, Jaime Wehr, Ezgi Oner, Qiong Meng, Gavin Pereira, Samira Hosseini-Nami, Mark Sausen, Marianna Zahurak, Richard J. Battafarano, Russell K. Hales, Joseph Friedberg, Boris Sepesi, Julie S. Deutsch, Tricia Cottrell, Janis Taube, Peter B. Illei, Kellie N. Smith, Drew M. Pardoll, Anne S. Tsao, Julie R. Brahmer, and Patrick M. Forde.
The National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS), established by Act 27 of 2005 of the Kerala State Legislature, is a National Law University in Kochi, India for undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate legal education. NUALS strives to advance and disseminate learning and knowledge of the law, judicial processes and encourages research activities under dedicated Centres of Research.
About CCLP
The Centre for Competition Law and Policy (CCLP) is a Centre for Research, set up with the objective of encouraging study and research in Competition Law and Policy. It focuses on disseminating ideas and promoting scholarship and research in competition law through a large network of competent professionals such as regulators, academicians, practitioners, industry experts, and students.
About the Seminar
In an increasingly interconnected world, the digital economy transcends geographical borders, posing unprecedented challenges for market regulation. Jurisdictions grapple with issues related to cross-border trade, competition law, taxation, consumer protection, media and entertainment regulation, and data governance. This seminar aims to create a platform for students, researchers, academicians, practitioners, and policymakers to explore the complexities of regulating digital markets across borders.
Theme
Theme 1: Digital Markets, Competition Law, and Cross-Border Regulation
Theme 2: Media, Entertainment, and Competition Law in the Digital Era
Theme 3: Data Governance, Privacy, and Cross-Border Data Flows
Theme 4: Taxation and Consumer Protection in the Digital Economy
Theme 5: Future of Market Regulation in Emerging Digital Sectors
The themes suggested are indicative and not exhaustive, and contributors are welcome to submit papers on any other relevant areas that fall within the aforementioned broad themes.
Who can participate?
Students (UG & PG)
Research Scholars
Academicians
Legal Practitioners
Policy Analysts and Anyone Interested in the Field
Submission & Formatting Guidelines
All submissions are to be made in .doc/.docx. format. PDF submissions are not accepted.
All submissions (both Abstract and Full Paper Submission) shall be accompanied by a cover letter containing the author/(s) full name, a brief profile of the author/(s), designation, institutional details, category of the participant (Category A/B/C), theme of submission (Theme 1/2/3/4/5), mobile number of the author/(s), and email address the author/(s). Submissions lacking this information will not be taken into consideration.
Participants are required to limit their abstracts to a maximum of 300 words and provide exactly five keywords connected to the central theme of the seminar. The list of sub-themes is merely suggestive and participants may explore other relevant areas as well.
Every abstract must clearly indicate the author’s full name, designation, institutional details, category of the participant (Category A/B/C), mobile number, and email address. Submissions lacking this information will not be taken into consideration.
The body of the manuscript must be according to the following specifications:
Font – Times New Roman
Font size – 12
Line spacing – 1.5
Submissions must follow the Bluebook (20th edition) style of citation.
Footnotes must be in Times New Roman, font size 10 with single line spacing.
The word limit for a research paper is 4000-6000 words (including all citations and references).
Note: Co-authorship up to a maximum of two authors is allowed payable after the acceptance of abstract. In case co-authors from two different heads of category, then respective registration fee shall be paid individually.
Plagiarism: Only original and non-plagiarized work will be accepted. The plagiarism level must be below 10%.
Publication: Selected papers may be published in an edited book following the conclusion of the event. Authors will be notified accordingly. Further details regarding publication requirements will be provided in due course.
Review: All submitted papers will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure impartiality and maintain high academic standards.
How to Submit?
All submissions are to be made via e-mail as Word documents to [email protected]
Important dates
Abstract Submission Deadline: September 20, 2025
Notification of Acceptance of the Abstract: September 25, 2025
Last date for registration & payment (Early bird): September 27, 2025
Last date for registration & payment (Late bird): October 3, 2025
Full Paper Submission Deadline: October 3, 2025
Dates of Seminar: October 9-11, 2025
Fee
The registration fee is to be paid online after the acceptance of the full paper and before the seminar.
Category A: Industry Experts / Academicians / Professionals: ₹ 2,500
Category B: Students / Research Scholars: ₹ 1,000
Category C: Participation without Presentation – ₹ 800
Prizes
Best Research Paper
Best Presentation
Top 5 Papers will receive a Certificate of Merit.
All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation.
Disclaimer: WEF April, 2021, Lawctopus will not publish any ‘Call for Papers/Blogs’ by journals that charge money at the time of submission. If you find any journal doing so, please intimate us at tanuj.kalia[at]lawctopus.com
Capsida Biotherapeutics has suspended a recently begun clinical trial of an experimental gene therapy after the first participant in the study died following treatment.
Capsida disclosed the death in a letter Wednesday to the patient community for the rare neurodevelopmental disease its gene therapy is designed to treat. In it, the biotechnology company noted it has informed the Food and Drug Administration and will soon provide regulators a full report of the patient’s death.
“We understand this devastating news will raise questions and uncertainty, and we are working with urgency to gather information and find answers,” Capsida wrote in its letter.
Dive Insight:
Capsida shared few specifics Wednesday, noting that it is working to understand the “root cause” of the patient’s death. It’s unclear whether Capsida’s treatment was directly to blame.
The news, however, follows patient deaths over the past year in clinical trials of gene therapies for two types of muscular dystrophy and a rare neurological disorder, and will therefore likely draw significant scrutiny.
Capsida received a green light from the FDA to begin its clinical trial just four months ago, in May. Its gene therapy, which uses a specially engineered virus to reach the brain, is designed to treat developmental and epileptic encephalopathy related to mutations in the syntaxin-binding protein 1, or STXBP1, gene.
The company needed to custom design its viral vector, as the types of the naturally occurring viruses gene therapy developers typically co-opt for their therapies’ delivery don’t adequately saturate brain neurons.
Capsida aimed to enroll around 12 children with STXBP1-related disorders into its trial, which had opened recruitment at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.
People with STXBP1-related disorders usually experience seizures beginning in their first year of life. But symptoms can range wider, including development delays, decreased muscle tone, and difficulty walking and speaking. There is also a risk of sudden death in epilepsy.
Typically, children who are diagnosed with the condition will be treated with anti-seizure medicines to control their convulsions.
Capsida’s therapy, dubbed CAP-002, aims to make up for deficient levels of a vital protein encoded by the STXBP1 gene that helps pass messages between nerves.
“On behalf of everyone at Capsida Biotherapeutics, we extend our heartfelt sympathies to the patient’s family and loved ones,” Capsida CEO Peter Anastasiou said in a statement emailed to BioPharma Dive. “We are working with the appropriate parties and will share information with the medical and patient communities as soon as we can.”
“While we do not have … answers yet, we are in close contact with the study sponsor and investigators and will share verified updates as the formal safety review progresses,” the STXBP1 Foundation, a nonprofit patient advocacy group, added in a separate community note.
Capsida is also developing gene therapies for Parkinson’s disease and Friedreich’s ataxia. The former program was cleared in June to begin human testing, but it’s not clear whether any patients have been treated yet.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comment from Capsida.
Australians rarely talk openly about money, yet most wonder: “Am I doing okay financially?”
Comparing across generations reveals both challenges and opportunities.
Once a large “middle,” Australia’s wealth distribution now looks more like a U-shape.
Many households are either asset-rich or asset-poor, with fewer in between.
Policy shifts increasingly target the top and bottom, leaving the middle less influential.
It’s human nature to compare.
We compare homes, cars, holidays, and yes, we compare wealth.
But most Australians don’t talk openly about money, so it’s hard to know where we really stand.
Have you ever caught yourself thinking: “Am I doing okay financially?”
Whether you’re a Baby Boomer enjoying retirement, a Gen Xer in your prime earning years, a Millennial juggling work and family, or a Gen Z just starting out, it’s only natural to want to know how you stack up.
So in this episode of Demographics Decoded, leading demographer Simon Kuestenmacher and I take a closer look at the wealth profiles of each generation in Australia.
The numbers may surprise you, but more importantly, the lessons they reveal can help you chart your own financial future.
For weekly insights subscribe to the Demographics Decoded podcast, where we will continue to explore these trends and their implications in greater detail.
Subscribe now on your favourite Podcast player:
The disappearing middle
Once upon a time, we thought of Australia as a land of three clear groups: the rich, the poor, and a big, stable middle class.
But as Simon Kuestenmacher explains in our latest episode of Demographics Decoded, that’s no longer the case:
“Instead of the old bell curve of wealth with a big bulge in the middle, today we see a U-shape. There are plenty of households with relatively low wealth, plenty with high wealth, but fewer in between.”
That shrinking middle has real consequences.
In the past, governments could design policies for “the middle class” and reach most Australians.
Today, policies tend to tilt either to the lower-income or higher-income groups.
The middle doesn’t carry the same weight it once did.
Baby Boomers: the asset-rich generation (born 1946–1964)
Boomers have had time on their side.
They bought homes when property prices were modest relative to incomes, benefited from decades of growth, and have ridden the long bull run in property and shares.
On average, boomer households today hold:
$1.3 million in property assets
$641,000 in superannuation or business assets
$206,000 in shares
$240,000 in cash savings
That totals around $2.3 million in net wealth, with relatively little debt (about $82,000).
Boomers hold roughly half of Australia’s housing wealth, much of which will flow to younger generations in the coming decades.
As Simon reminds us:
“We’re heading into a once-in-a-lifetime wealth transfer. In the next 10 to 15 years, somewhere between $3 and $6 trillion will shift from boomers to their children, mostly millennials. But not every millennial will inherit, so the divide between those who do and those who don’t will widen further.”
Gen X: the sandwich generation (born 1965–1980)
If you’re a Gen Xer, you’re probably in your 40s or 50s, earning well, but also carrying some heavy financial burdens.
Gen X households average:
$1.3 million in property assets
$586,000 in superannuation
$256,000 in shares
$176,000 in cash
That equates to $1.88 million net wealth, but with close to $450,000 in debt.
They’re called the “sandwich generation” for a reason.
Many are still supporting kids at home (often into their 20s), while also helping ageing parents.
Add in big mortgages taken on during the pandemic’s ultra-low interest rate period, and Gen X feels the squeeze.
Simon points out the risks:
“This is the cohort banks are most worried about. They borrowed heavily during the boom, and now, with higher rates, some jobs at risk of automation, and households relying on two incomes, it could become fragile.”
Yet the future looks brighter. Within a decade, many of these pressures will lift.
Children will move out, mortgages will be paid off, and parents will pass on inheritances.
Gen X may move from stress to surplus almost overnight.
Millennials: playing catch-up (born 1981–1996)
Millennials are often the most frustrated generation.
They’ve worked hard, studied harder, and many are raising families, yet feel locked out of the financial security their boomer parents enjoyed.
Their averages:
$750,000 in property
$260,000 in superannuation
$51,000 in shares
$104,000 in cash
That gives them a net wealth of about $757,000, well below Gen X and boomers.
Millennials make up 15% of households, but hold only 5% of Australia’s wealth.
It’s not hard to see why they’re frustrated.
Property is far more expensive relative to incomes than it was for their parents.
University, once a ticket to a secure and high-paying job, now often comes with years of debt.
As Simon explains:
“Millennials compare themselves to their boomer parents and feel left out. Their parents could buy a house on a single income. Today, you need two incomes and still stretch to the limit. So millennials look for alternatives: ETFs, shares, even crypto.”
But that search for shortcuts comes with risk.
“Most millennials holding crypto are what I call ‘squiggly line investors’ – hoping a few thousand dollars will magically turn into millions. A few got lucky with Bitcoin, but it’s speculation, not strategy.”
The positive? Millennials still have decades ahead to grow wealth the traditional way, step by step, year by year, through disciplined investing.
Gen Z: just getting started (born 1997–2012)
Gen Z is only just entering the workforce, yet already has an average net wealth of $96,000, largely thanks to compulsory super contributions, which start accumulating even in teenage jobs.
But they also carry around $49,000 in debt, mostly student-related.
As Simon notes:
“It’s too early to judge. They’re still at the starting line. Their challenge will be getting onto the property ladder, which is tougher than ever.”
Many will look to alternative investments, but as always, the fundamentals of wealth creation remain the same: spend less than you earn, invest wisely, and give it time.
The bigger picture
So what can we learn from all this?
Averages hide as much as they reveal. You’re not your generation’s average. Some will be far ahead, while others will be far behind. Don’t fall into the comparison trap.
Wealth takes decades to build. Baby Boomers didn’t get rich overnight; they accumulated wealth steadily. Millennials and Gen Z can too.
Lifestyle inflation is the real enemy. More income is meaningless if you simply spend more.
Property remains Australia’s cornerstone of wealth. Our residential property market is valued at around $11.4 trillion, with debt totalling just $2.4 trillion. That’s why real estate, combined with superannuation, continues to underpin household net worth.
And as Simon wisely says:
“Don’t be discouraged. The key is to be deliberate and strategic – in how you earn, spend, and invest. That’s what’s in your control.”
Final thoughts
If you’re ahead of the averages, well done.
Just remember: preserving wealth is as important as creating it.
If you’re behind, don’t panic.
The best time to start was 20 years ago. The second-best time is today.
At Metropole, we help Australians of all generations build, protect, and pass on their wealth safely and strategically.
With the right plan, you can set yourself up not just to “stack up” against your generation, but to move ahead of the curve.
If you found this discussion helpful, don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast and share it with others who might benefit.
Subscribe now on your favourite Podcast player:
About Michael Yardney Michael is the founder of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He’s once again been voted Australia’s leading property investment adviser and one of Australia’s 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media.
Hostage is a classic Netflix limited series. Full of tensions, twists, and turns, with some explosive (literally) moments to keep you attempting to figure it all out.
My only gripe is that it ended too soon, and as a limited series, there won’t be a follow-up. The clue is, of course, in the name.
So, if you’re like me, you’ll want to know exactly what to watch once you finish enjoying Hostage. Thankfully, there are heaps of British thrillers to keep you watching for weeks—and on the edge of your seat.
The BBC’s biggest modern thriller, Line of Duty, is built on one simple question: who can you really trust?
Following the work of AC-12, the anti-corruption unit, every season dives into a new case of police misconduct, except nothing is ever straightforward. The series is famous for shocking reveals, interrogation scenes that feel like high-stakes chess matches, and cliffhangers that keep viewers glued.
Across six seasons, Line of Duty mastered the art of long-term mystery and explosive payoff, making it the gold standard for British thrillers. However, I’ll throw in one caveat to this series: it also made my most disappointing TV show endings list, too.
But even with that sobering point, there is some good news about Line of Duty. Series 7 is due to hit screens in 2026, and could finally resolve who the mysterious “H” is (because we all know the person revealed in Series 6 is just not the one!).
I’m fairly certain I’ve watched every one of Netflix’s dramatizations of Harlan Coben’s thrillers. Missing You is the latest addition to the long-running series, and it’s definitely up there with the best.
Detective Kat Donovan’s (Rosalind Eleazar) life is thrown upside down when she spots her long-lost fiancé on a dating app—the same man who vanished more than a decade earlier. That discovery rips open old wounds, including the unsolved murder of her father, and drags her into a conspiracy that blurs the line between past and present.
Like all of Coben’s dramatizations, Missing You blends emotional rawness and depth with twists, suspense, and considerable intrigue. There are multiple layers to unpack here, and as soon as one is revealed, more arrive to darken the waters again.
With only five fast-paced episodes, it’s a binge you can knock out in a weekend, but the story lingers thanks to its mix of heartbreak, betrayal, and Coben’s trademark “just one more episode” cliffhangers.
Luther is a proper British police thriller, with some really dark and violent moments to keep you pulled in.
Idris Elba’s portrayal of DCI John Luther is unforgettable. A brilliant detective with a mind for catching killers, but a soul weighed down by obsession and rage. Across its five seasons, the series explores what happens when a detective blurs the line between justice and vengeance, often breaking rules in pursuit of criminals who are as intelligent as they are terrifying.
And then there is the sociopathic presence of Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson), a constant in the show who becomes both Luther’s nemesis and his confidant. Their wild, twisting relationship adds a whole extra level to what’s already a deeply engrossing, “just one more episode” crime show.
If you love Luther and want more, you should check out Luther: The Fallen Sun on Netflix. It features Elba as Luther once again, with some seriously dark, morally ambiguous moments. I’d love another Luther series, or at the very least, another film. In 2024, Screen Rant reported that Elba thought there was a good chance of another film, and that’s something I’ll have to cling to.
Vigil takes the classic police thriller format and places it in one of the most claustrophobic settings imaginable: a nuclear submarine. When a sailor’s mysterious death puts DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) on board to investigate, she finds herself navigating not just a crime scene but also military secrecy, Cold War politics, and the ever-present danger of being trapped underwater.
It felt dark and dingy, constantly cold, and like every turn is a new trap, waiting to happen. It evokes a strong sense of atmosphere that strongly contributes to Vigil’s suspense, which only builds. As Silva digs deeper, she uncovers a conspiracy that reaches far beyond the submarine, connecting to national security and political interests back on land, ending in a dramatic tying of tales to give you some closure.
But then, Vigil returned with a second series, this time focusing on the Royal Air Force rather than the Royal Navy. It can be difficult for a series to keep the same pacing and style and maintain its intrigue, but Vigil pulls it off well. What I like is that some of the headline moments from Vigil feel like they could come straight from the front page of a newspaper on a given day, giving the show some real modern relevance in this complicated world.
The newest British thriller on the list is Dept. Q, an adaptation of a series of Danish novels written by Jussi Adler-Olsen.
Set in Edinburgh (instead of Copenhagen), it introduces us to DCI Carl Mørck (Matthew Goode), a detective reeling from a traumatic shooting that left one colleague dead and another paralyzed. As a form of damage control, he’s assigned to Department Q, a newly formed unit tasked with solving long-cold cases. What begins as a desk job quickly spirals into something much darker as Carl discovers that some of these forgotten cases are very much alive.
The British public loves a Scandi-noir crossover, and Dept. Q duly delivers, melding the dark storytelling with the pacing and style of a classic British thriller. Mørck is a complex character, haunted and abrasive, but unwilling to let victims be forgotten (in this, he reminds me a little of Bosch in some ways). He’s paired with Akram Salim (Alexej Manvelov), a newcomer who brings both cultural clashes and fresh energy to the department.
With its mix of personal trauma, unsolved mysteries, and conspiracies that refuse to stay buried, Dept. Q feels like the perfect next step after Hostage. It’s dark, layered, and addictive, with enough twists to keep even seasoned thriller fans on edge—and with a second season already confirmed, it’s only getting started.
British thrillers will keep you wanting more
I’m obviously biased, being from England, but British thrillers are some of the best TV you can watch. The balance of grit, tension, and intelligence makes it some of the best TV in the world, and with suspense built through character, dialogue, and a sense of realism, every twist hits harder.
Of course, there are plenty more British thrillers that could have (and maybe should have!) made this list. Bodyguard is one of the best in recent years, and really sets the standards high, while Marcella takes it a different direction with an unpredictable lead detective.
Then there are each of Netflix’s dramatizations of Harlan Coben’s books, which now stands at 11 and counting. It’s hard enough pinning down the best of those, let alone among other thrilling TV shows.
That’s the beauty of British thrillers: there’s always another gem waiting to be discovered—and whichever one you choose next, you’re in for a ride.
Cambodia’s Techo International Airport officially opened on September 9, 2025, marking a new milestone in the country’s aviation development. Located in Kandal Province, about 19 kilometers from downtown Phnom Penh, the airport spans roughly 2,600 hectares.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-11/Cambodia-s-Techo-Int-l-Airport-opens-emphasizes-green-design-1GAkwSNiDbW/img/66a8d94128434feea9befaa52f698d4a/66a8d94128434feea9befaa52f698d4a.jpeg' alt='A view of the Techo International Airport, Cambodia. /CCTEB'
The project was invested by Cambodia Airport Investment Co., Ltd. and constructed by China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd. (CCTEB). Work began in January 2020 and took more than five years to complete.
As the largest steel-structure project under construction in Cambodia in terms of volume and area, the airport features a steel-structured roof spanning 216 meters in width and 360 meters in length. Dome components weighing more than 11,000 tonnes, highlights the use of advanced construction techniques.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-11/Cambodia-s-Techo-Int-l-Airport-opens-emphasizes-green-design-1GAkwSNiDbW/img/f88d983c9ade4de180e20fcdcd49a6ad/f88d983c9ade4de180e20fcdcd49a6ad.jpeg' alt='A view of the Techo International Airport, Cambodia. /CCTEB'
The project also emphasizes environmental sustainability. The airport’s new energy center houses Cambodia’s largest-capacity chiller system, while more than 1,000 solar panels have been installed, generating up to 120 million kWh annually and cutting carbon emissions by about 100,000 tonnes per year.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-11/Cambodia-s-Techo-Int-l-Airport-opens-emphasizes-green-design-1GAkwSNiDbW/img/4fb95490b0a747b49944656c18c346c9/4fb95490b0a747b49944656c18c346c9.jpeg' alt='A view of the Techo International Airport, Cambodia. /CCTEB'
The opening of Techo International Airport is expected to ease pressure on Cambodia’s existing airports, strengthen the country’s air transport capacity, and inject fresh momentum for tourism and economic growth.
(Cover: A view of the Techo International Airport, Cambodia. /CCTEB)
Charlie Kirk, the conservative millennial influencer who galvanized young Americans to support the GOP and was assassinated this week in Utah, was the most influential modern-day catalyst of shifting voting trends among fledgling voters, according to Republican and Democratic strategists.
Kirk founded the nonprofit Turning Point USA in 2012 at the age of 18, and it grew into a force that promoted conservative views on high school and college campuses across the nation.
“He found something among young people that none of us identified,” said Shawn Steel, a member of the Republican National Committee from Orange County who knew Kirk for nearly a decade and invited him to speak before the RNC’s conservative steering committee.
“He found an entire movement in America that conservatives were not even aware they could find. Not only that, he nurtured and created an entire new generation of conservative activists,” said Steel, the husband of former Rep. Michelle Steel. “His legacy will endure.”
The admiration for Kirk’s political organizing skills and mental acuity cut across political lines.
“Whether you agreed with him or not — and to be clear, I didn’t — he was one of the most brilliant political organizers of his generation, and probably generations before that,” said Stephanie Cutter, a veteran Democratic strategist who served as an advisor to Presidents Obama and Clinton, First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris. “He could be controversial, but he struck a nerve with people who were likely disengaged in politics prior to Turning Point and built a powerful movement.”
In addition to appealing to young voters about the economic headwinds they faced as they sought to climb the career ladder and tried to buy a house, Kirk also espoused sharply conservative views.
Beyond espousing traditional conservative views — being anti-abortion, pro-gun rights and dubious of climate change — Kirk was critical of gay and transgender rights, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, saying last year that if he saw a Black airplane pilot, he hoped he was qualified. He was accused of being an antisemite because of repeated comments about the power of Jewish donors in the United States, and of being Islamophobic because of comments such as describing “large dedicated Islamic areas” as “a threat to America.”
Kirk, 31 and a father of two, died Wednesday after being shot in the neck while speaking at Utah Valley University. Kirk’s assassination was the latest instance of political violence in an increasingly politically polarized country.
In June, Democratic Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed, while state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife survived a shooting at their home, roughly five miles away, the same day. In 2022, a home invader bludgeoned the husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco). In 2017, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) was shot during a practice session for an annual congressional baseball game. In 2011, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) barely survived an assassination attempt as she met with constituents in a Tucson strip mall.
President Trump survived two assassination attempts in 2024 as he successfully sought reelection to the White House.
Kirk’s “mission was to bring young people into the political process, which he did better than anybody ever, to share his love of country and to spread the simple words of common sense on campuses nationwide,” Trump said Wednesday.
On Thursday, Trump told reporters on the White House’s South Lawn that Kirk was partly responsible for his victory in the 2024 presidential election and repeated that he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Turning Point USA, created a month before Kirk graduated from high school, became the new face of conservatism on college campuses and had chapters at more than 800 schools. Prominent conservatives heavily funded the group; in the fiscal year that ended in June of 2024, Turning Point reported $85 million in revenue.
Longtime GOP activist Jon Fleischman, the former executive director of the California Republican Party and the former chairman of the state’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom in the early 1990s, said Kirk was pivotal to Trump’s election.
“Charlie Kirk was probably the single most prominent and successful youth organizer in the Trump movement,” Fleischman said, adding that Kirk superseded any other GOP organizer he knew at increasing conservative prospects among young voters.
“As somebody who cut their teeth as a youth organizer, I have nothing but awe for the level of sophistication he brought to that field of work,” he said.
Support for Trump among young voters exponentially increased in the 2024 presidential election, according to data compiled by Tufts University. While President Biden had a 25-point edge over Trump among voters ages 18 to 29 in the 2020 election, Harris had a four-point advantage among this cohort last year.
“This last election was the best performance Republicans have had with the youth vote, particularly male voters, in 20 years, maybe even going back to the ’80s,” said Steve Deace, a conservative radio host in Iowa who had known Kirk for a decade.
He gave credit for that success partly to work Kirk did on the ground at colleges across the country, notably being willing to amicably debate with people who disagreed with his beliefs.
“Charlie was basically a Renaissance man who was comfortable in a lot of settings. He wasn’t hoity-toity,” he said.
Deace and others added that this moment could be a turning point for the nation’s democracy and the split between the left and the right.
“We’re going to have a real conversation about whether we can share a country or not. The answer may be we can’t,” Deace said. “We have to decide if we are capable of the fundamental differences between us being adjudicated at the ballot box…. We have to decide if we can share a country. If we truly want to, we’ll figure it out. If we don’t, we won’t. That’s the conversation that needs to happen.”
Bombastic conservative commentator Roger Stone went further, arguing that modern-day Democrats are a greater threat to the nation than terrorists, drug cartels and foreign spies.
“The rot is too deep to reverse our course with mere rhetoric,” Stone wrote to supporters. “Sept. 10, 2025 was the day we crossed the Rubicon, lost our innocence and realized only one path remains to ensure humanity’s survival. The time for American renewal is at hand, and the tree of liberty shall germinate in warp speed with Charlie Kirk serving as the martyr of our glorious refounding.”
New Delhi, September 11: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Thursday hit back at what he called a “paid politically motivated social media campaign” against the government’s ethanol-blended petrol programme, which actually succeeded in increasing the incomes of farmers and reduced pollution in the country.
Speaking at the annual convention of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) here, Gadkari said all tests had confirmed there were no issues with the rollout of 20 per cent ethanol-blended (E20) petrol. The minister said that production of ethanol from sugarcane, maize and rice had led to an increase in the prices of these crops which, in turn, had resulted in higher incomes for farmers. Ethanol Blending in Petrol: Supreme Court Dismisses PIL Challenging E20 Policy Rollout and Seeking Ethanol-Free Petrol Option.
He pointed that in the case of maize alone, farmers had earned Rs 45,000 crore due to the higher demand and increase in price of the crop after it was allowed to be used as input for the production of ethanol. The minister also highlighted that ethanol-blending had led to a reduction in pollution and the issue had figured at the G20 conference as well which shows that the awareness of the success has been acknowledged worldwide.
Nitin Gadkari on Ethanol-Blended Petrol
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has claimed that there was a “paid campaign” against him during the E20 fuel rollout. He also said that the political campaign had been “proven false”. His remarks come after the SC rejected petitions challenging the E20 implementation programme… pic.twitter.com/O7HEWKIrSI
Gadkari further stated that the Supreme Court has also rejected petitions challenging the legality and safety of the E20 fuel. The Supreme Court recently dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) against E20 blending. The petition had claimed that most vehicles on Indian roads were not compatible with E20 fuel, raising risks of material degradation, safety hazards, mileage loss, and denial of insurance claims. Government Dismisses Reports on Potential Negative Impact of 20% Ethanol Blending in Petrol.
Rejecting the plea, the apex court backed the government’s stand highlighting the benefits for sugarcane farmers, reduction in the country’s oil imports which had resulted from the E20 programme. The minister also mentioned studies that showed high pollution levels were leading to a reduction in the life expectancy of people.
He noted that recent fears over engine damage and warranty issues had been proven false. “All testing agencies have confirmed there is no problem with implementation,” he said, reaffirming the government’s push for cleaner fuels. Gadkari also urged the auto industry to pass on the benefits of the scrapping policy to consumers by offering them discounts on the purchase of new cars. He said that this would lead to a reduction in pollution and benefit auto manufactures as sales would increase.
He also highlighted the GST cut which would boost sales of automobiles, terming it a gift from the Prime Minister. India’s auto sector has grown from the seventh spot to the third rank in the world which reflects the growing strength of the country’s manufacturing sector as it moves toward Atmanirbhar Bharat, the minister added.
Rating:4
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A trove of internal documents leaked from a little-known Chinese company has pulled back the curtain on how digital censorship tools are being marketed and exported globally. Geedge Networks sells what amounts to a commercialized “Great Firewall” to at least four countries, including Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Myanmar. The groundbreaking leak shows in granular detail the capabilities this company has to monitor, intercept, and hack internet traffic. Researchers who examined the files described it as “digital authoritarianism as a service.”
But I want to focus on another thing the documents demonstrate: While people often look at China’s Great Firewall as a single, all-powerful government system unique to China, the actual process of developing and maintaining it works the same way as surveillance technology in the West. Geedge collaborates with academic institutions on research and development, adapts its business strategy to fit different clients’ needs, and even repurposes leftover infrastructure from its competitors. In Pakistan, for example, Geedge landed a contract to work with and later replace gear made by the Canadian company Sandvine, the leaked files show.
Coincidentally, another leak from a different Chinese company published this week reinforces the same point. On Monday, researchers at Vanderbilt University made public a 399-page document from GoLaxy, a Chinese company that uses AI to analyze social media and generate propaganda materials. The leaked documents, which include internal pitch decks, business goals, and meeting notes, may have come from a disgruntled former employee—the last two pages accuse GoLaxy of mistreating workers by underpaying them and mandating long hours. The document had been sitting on the open internet for months before another researcher flagged it to Brett Goldstein, a research professor in the School of Engineering at Vanderbilt.
GoLaxy’s main business is different from Geedge’s: It collects open source information from social media, maps relationships among political figures and news organizations, and pushes targeted narratives online through synthetic social media profiles. In the leaked document, GoLaxy claims to be the “number one brand in intelligence big data analysis” in China, servicing three main customers: the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese government, and the Chinese military. The included technology demos focus heavily on geopolitical issues like Taiwan, Hong Kong, and US elections. And unlike Geedge, GoLaxy seems to be targeting only domestic government entities as clients.
But there are also quite a few things that make the two companies comparable, particularly in terms of how their businesses function. Both Geedge and GoLaxy maintain close relationships with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the top government-affiliated research institution in the world, according to the Nature Index. And they both market their services to Chinese provincial-level government agencies, who have localized issues they want to monitor and budgets to spend on surveillance and propaganda tools.
GoLaxy didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from WIRED. In a previous response to The New York Times, the company denied collecting data targeting US officials and called the outlet’s reporting misinformation. Vanderbilt researchers say they witnessed the company remove pages from its website after the initial reporting.
Closer Than They Seem
In the West, when academic scholars see opportunities to commercialize their cutting-edge research, they often become startup founders or start side businesses. GoLaxy seems to be no exception. Many key researchers at the company, according to the leaked document, still occupy spots at CAS.
But there’s no guarantee that CAS researchers will get government grants—just like a public university professor in the US can’t bet on their startup winning federal contracts. Instead, they need to go after government agencies like any private company would go after clients. One document in the leak shows that GoLaxy assigned sales targets to five employees and was aiming to secure 42 million RMB (about $5.9 million) in contracts with Chinese government agencies in 2020. Another spreadsheet from around 2021 lists the company’s current clients, which include branches of the Chinese military, state security, and provincial police departments, as well as other potential customers it was targeting.
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Meta used its Brand Building Summit to unveil updates aimed at helping advertisers tap into cultural moments across its apps, with new ad formats, trending placements, and AI-powered targeting.
What’s new:
Reels trending ads are opening up to more advertisers after closed beta. The format places brands alongside the most popular Reels, with early tests showing a 20% boost in unaided awareness — on par with YouTube Select and above TikTok Pulse.
Threads ads now support carousel formats, 4:5 single image and video rendering, and simplified campaign setup. With 400 million monthly active users, Meta is pitching Threads as a growing space for authentic brand conversations.
Value rules for awareness and engagement extend AI-powered audience prioritization beyond sales campaigns. Tests show advertisers doubled high-value conversions compared to business-as-usual setups.
Landing page view optimization helps brands without direct pixel access (like CPGs) reach users more likely to load their destination site, cutting cost per view by 31%.
Why we care. Brands are under pressure to stay relevant where culture happens. The expansion of trending Reels ads means brands can align themselves directly with cultural moments, driving proven lifts in awareness and recall.
At the same time, AI-powered tools like value rules and landing page optimization give marketers more precise control over who sees their ads and how those ads perform, which should lead to stronger conversions and lower costs.
The big picture. With Reels seeing over 4.5B daily shares and more than half of Instagram time spent in the format, Meta is positioning itself as the place where culture spreads — and where brands can insert themselves seamlessly into the conversation.
The Ultimate Final Fantasy 14 Cookbook Vol. 1 was released several years ago, giving fans of Hydaelyn a chance to bring its best virtual dishes to their real-life dining table. With recipes for all skill levels and meals that run the gamut from snacks to desserts, it simplified the process of preparing Final Fantasy 14’s best delicacies. This year, you’ll get to dive into The Ultimate Final Fantasy 14 Cookbook Vol. 2, which is up for preorder ahead of its October 21 release. Much like the first volume, this one includes nearly 200 pages of recipes–only it now focuses on dishes found in the Shadowbringers and Endwalker expansions.
Written by Victoria Rosenthal, the author and chef responsible for Volume 1, we’re expecting Volume 2 to once again be packed with creative meals. You’ll find more than 70 recipes within its pages, including Alligator Salad, Knight’s Bread Reprise, Tandoori Raptor, and even fun drinks like Carrot Coffee and Hyper-Potion.
Recipes are joined by images of the final product, plus detailed instructions highlighting exactly how to bring the meal to life. It also includes the difficulty of the recipe–ensuring newbie chefs don’t bite off more than they can chew.
Beyond recipes and mouthwatering images, The Ultimate Final Fantasy Cookbook Vol 2. Includes an exclusive foreword by game director Naoki Yoshida. Combined with its premium hardcover design and colorful artwork, it should be a lovely addition to most kitchens.
If you don’t mind waiting a bit longer, a fun Gift Set featuring the cookbook arrives on December 9. Along with the hardcover volume, it includes a metal stand featuring Mogria and Gyohan. That should make it easier to read through the book’s recipes while cooking–and it’ll lift it off your countertops, ensuring it doesn’t get messy with food.
This cookbook joins a long list of other cookbooks inspired by video games, TV shows, movies, and other pop culture icons. Meals from Avatar: The Last Airbender to World of Warcraft have all been given a similar treatment–many of which are available as gift sets. The World of Warcraft Cookbook, for example, is bundled with an apron, while the Star Wars Galactic Baking Set comes with a spatula. Beyond World of Warcraft, other notable gaming cookbooks include Pokemon, Minecraft, and Fallout.
More Cookbooks
The Enyclopedia Eorzea series is also a great companion for the upcoming Final Fantasy 14 Cookbook Vol. 2. Three hardcover books are available in the series, each one covering different aspects of the game’s lore, development, and design. All three are currently on sale, dropping their prices from $50 to less than $31 each.
Ingredients of our daily diet – including caffeine – can influence the resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. This has been shown in a new study by a team of researchers at the Universities of Tübingen and Würzburg led by Professor Ana Rita Brochado. They discovered bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) orchestrate complex regulatory cascades to react to chemical stimuli from their direct environment which can influence the effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs.
In a systematic screening, Brochado’s team investigated how 94 different substances – including antibiotics, prescription drugs, and food ingredients – influence the expression of key gene regulators and transport proteins of the bacterium E. coli, a potential pathogen. Transport proteins function as pores and pumps in the bacterial envelope and control which substances enter or leave the cell. A finely tuned balance of these mechanisms is crucial for the survival of bacteria.
Researchers describe phenomenon as an ‘antagonistic interaction’
“Our data show that several substances can subtly but systematically influence gene regulation in bacteria,” says PhD student Christoph Binsfeld, first author of the study. The findings suggest even everyday substances without a direct antimicrobial effect – e.g. caffeinated drinks – can impact certain gene regulators that control transport proteins, thereby changing what enters and leaves the bacterium. “Caffeine triggers a cascade of events starting with the gene regulator Rob and culminating in the change of several transport proteins in E. coli – which in turn leads to a reduced uptake of antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin,” explains Ana Rita Brochado. This results in caffeine weakening the effect of this antibiotic. The researchers describe this phenomenon as an ‘antagonistic interaction.’
“Caffeine triggers a cascade of events starting with the gene regulator Rob and culminating in the change of several transport proteins in E. coli – which in turn leads to a reduced uptake of antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin.” Ana Rita Brochado
This weakening effect of certain antibiotics was not detectable in Salmonella enterica, a pathogen closely related to E. coli. This shows that even in similar bacterial species, the same environmental stimuli can lead to different reactions – possibly due to differences in transport pathways or their contribution to antibiotic uptake. President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. (Dōshisha) Karla Pollmann emphasizes: “Such fundamental research into the effect of substances consumed on a daily basis underscores the vital role of science in understanding and resolving real-world problems.”
The study, which has been published in the scientific journal PLOS Biology, makes an important contribution to the understanding of what is called ‘low-level’ antibiotic resistance, which is not due to classic resistance genes, but to regulation and environmental adaptation. This could have implications for future therapeutic approaches, including what is taken during treatment and in what amount, and whether another drug or food ingredient – should be given greater consideration.
About the School of Law, Pandit Deendayal Energy University
Welcome to the School of Law, Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU) – an emerging centre of excellence in holistic and future-ready legal education.
With a vision for nurturing the art of advocacy, innovation and leadership, PDEU School of Law provides a dynamic ecosystem of academic offerings that prepares students not only for courtrooms but for various legal and policy-making landscapes in the 21st century.
Why Choose PDEU School of Law?
Accredited & Recognised Programs
PDEU is conducting a 5-year Integrated B.A. LL.B. and 3-year LL.B. programs as approved by the Bar Council of India (BCI) and assures that the academic and professional standards meet the highest standards.
The university has a restricted intake policy of 60 seats per program to ensure an intimate student/teacher ratio and personalised mentoring.
Experiential and Practical Approach to Learning
Moot Courts: The state-of-the-art Moot Court set-up replicates the Real Courtroom environment where the students undergo rigorous legal research, drafting, and advocacy exercises.
Legal Clinics: Students engage in community outreach through legal clinics that provide real-life problem-solving experiences and encourage access to justice and social responsibility.
Internships: Structured rural, corporate and litigation internships offer practical experience and exposure, helping students gain an understanding of various legal settings and learn key professional skills.
Faculty Exchange: Collaboration with eminent national and international law schools for creating academic diversity and curriculum enrichment.
Distinguished Faculty
PDEU School of Law boasts highly qualified faculty with national and global exposure, with a vision to mentor students in nuanced legal theory, research and effective lawyering.
Various initiatives undertaken by the faculty include the facilitation of interdisciplinary research, Facilitation of experiential learning through seminars, workshops and moot competitions.
Cutting-Edge Infrastructure
The ICT-enabled modern law library covers an area of more than 256 square meters and contains a major collection of legal texts, journals, databases and digital resources which are accessible to students and faculty.
Classrooms equipped with attractive and advanced learning technologies promoting interactive and collaborative education.
On-campus residential facilities foster a lively student community and facilitate holistic development.
Multidisciplinary and Industry-Integrated Curriculum
The following are some of the characteristics: – Fresh approach to learning law: – Emphasis is on multidisciplinary learning with the introduction of electives, apart from basic law, in developing new areas of law, encouraging students to develop other supporting skills in governance, technology, environment and energy sectors.
Active partnerships with industry experts, legal practitioners and policymakers bring real-world insights to the curriculum.
By supporting innovation and entrepreneurship through dedicated incubation and innovation centres.
Vibrant Student Life with Development Opportunities
Over 40 student activity clubs and professional body chapters offer leadership, networking, and cultural opportunities to prepare students for careers in various fields within law and allied professions.
Regular events, seminars, and moot court competitions are held to ensure continued academic and extra-curricular development.
Promising Career Paths
Graduates of PDEU School of Law are well equipped for the jobs of:
Judiciary and Litigation
Government and Civil Services
Corporate Legal Departments
Legal Journalism and Media
Policy Think Tanks and International Legal Bodies
Human Rights Advocacy Non-Governmental Organisations
Admission Details for 2025
Eligibility Criteria
B.A.LL.B.: Candidates must have passed 10+2 in any stream with a minimum of 45% aggregate marks (relaxation is also available for reserved categories).
LL.B.: Graduation in any discipline with minimum marks as per the norms of the University
Admission Process
Interview Selection: Selection is done through Interviews by the faculty at PDEU.
Tips: – Candidates are required to apply online at the official admission portal.
Accepting applications till 20th September.
Join PDEU School of Law and Mould Your Legal Future
With extensive academic programs, hands-on training, and a conducive learning environment, PDEU School of Law is a gateway to a successful and impactful legal career.
Whether you want to be a courtroom advocate, policy innovator, or corporate legal expert, PDEU provides you with the skills and knowledge to make a difference at the national level and beyond.
Apply today and join a growing community for excellence in legal education and advocacy.
Friday, September 12 promises to offer loads if you wish to explore the culture of Delhi-NCR. Before you plan your day, must check out HT City Delhi Junction!
Senior Food and Drug Administration official Vinay Prasad has reclaimed a role as the agency’s top doctor and scientist six weeks after his dramatic departure and one month after his surprising return to lead the regulator’s biologics medicine division.
On the FDA’s website, Prasad, a physician and prolific researcher, is now listed as the agency’s chief medical and scientific officer in addition to his role as director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, or CBER. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA’s parent agency, confirmed via email Prasad’s reappointment to his former role.
Prasad had held both titles before he was embroiled in controversy over the FDA’s handling of safety concerns surrounding gene therapies developed by biotechnology company Sarepta Therapeutics. His role leading the agency’s hard-line response drew conservative criticism, and overlapped with a pressure campaign waged against him by right-wing activist Laura Loomer.
Prasad resigned in late July, but rejoined the FDA less than two weeks later after agency head Martin Makary and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly advocated to the White House on his behalf.
As head of CBER, Prasad oversees the agency’s regulation of vaccines, cell and gene therapies and some blood products. On the former front, he’s played a major role in reshaping the FDA’s standards for approving COVID-19 shots. He’s also intervened to overrule staff in vaccine reviews and, according to Stat News, was involved in the agency’s decision to reject a therapy developed by Capricor Therapeutics.
Already a key deputy for Makary, Prasad will hold more power with the restoration of his additional title. His leadership page on the FDA website notes that, as chief medical and scientific officer, Prasad will advise Makary on “cross-cutting” issues and provide input on “trans-center” initiatives, medical policy and regulatory decisions.
It is constantly taking in sensory data and information that is below the radar of the conscious mind.
As a result, it knows things the conscious mind does not.
It exists to not only help you survive but also to thrive.
You need to listen to your gut.
Those who do find luck.
About Tom Corley Tom is a CPA, CFP and heads one of the top financial firms in New Jersey. For 5 years, Tom observed and documented the daily activities of wealthy people and people living in poverty and his research he identified over 200 daily activities that separated the “haves” from the “have nots” which culminated in his #1 bestselling book, Rich Habits – The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals.
To be honest, building a spreadsheet from scratch can feel like you’re staring at a blank canvas with no idea where to begin. You know you need something to track your expenses, plan a project, or maintain a calendar, but the endless formatting, formulas, and fiddling often eat up more time than the task itself.
That’s why many people turn to ready-made Excel templates. After trying them myself, I realized I don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time I launch Excel. Templates save hours and spark ideas for layouts you wouldn’t have thought of on your own.
Now, instead of grimacing at a blank sheet all the time, I have a small library of favorites I use repeatedly.
Simple loan calculator and amortization table
Stop guessing loan payments
This template is exactly what it promises — simple. It has just a single sheet, and you only need to fill in four details: the loan amount, annual interest rate, loan period in years (use decimals for months — e.g., 0.5 for six months), and start date of the loan (today’s date is set by default, but you can change it).
Once you’ve entered the numbers, Excel does the rest. The template generates a clean payment schedule that shows exactly how much you’ll owe each month.
The figures are formatted in USD by default, but it’s easy to switch. Just select the cells (hold the Ctrl key to grab multiple at once) and expand the Number group on the Home tab. From there, choose Accounting, pick your preferred currency symbol, and click OK.
With this template, you don’t need to create or adjust formulas yourself. Everything is already built in, so after entering the numbers, you instantly get a straightforward breakdown you can understand at a glance.
Any year custom calendar
Build a calendar that fits your year
Screenshot by Ada
If you like having a calendar you can print, customize, and actually write on, this template is a gem. It comes with 13 sheets — one about page and 12 monthly sheets. The About page isn’t just instructions; it’s the engine that drives the whole calendar. Here, you’ll enter the year and pick your preferred starting day of the week (Sunday is 1, Monday is 2, and so on). Don’t delete this sheet, because the rest of the calendar depends on it.
Once you’ve set those options, the 12 monthly sheets automatically rearrange to match. Each month is neatly formatted and ready for printing. You can also change the look of the calendar by going to Page Layout –>Themes, or you can keep the default design. Either way, the layout is clean, professional, and easy to use.
I find the boxes big enough to jot down bills, deadlines, or daily reminders. You can even add notes directly inside the sheet, like typing in cell C6 for extra details, before printing the sheets. That makes it just as useful as a wall calendar, but with the bonus of being customizable and diary-like.
Monthly budget tracker
Keep your spending in check
This is the template I use the most. Every month, I compare my planned budget with what I actually spent, and this sheet makes that process far less painful. It comes with two tabs: a start sheet (basically an about page) and the tracker sheet, which is where all the action happens.
The Start sheet gives a quick overview of how the template works and explains some hidden notes built into the Tracker. Personally, I like leaving those instructions hidden because the layout looks cleaner that way. If you’re curious, you can just scroll through column A, and Excel will display the hidden text in the input bar. Alternatively, you can unhide the column, as it’s quite easy to do.
What I love most about this template is the organization. The spending categories make sense, and each one has a tidy set of rows underneath. You can edit them to fit your own expenses, but I’ve never needed to add more.
At the end of one month, I enter my projected income (in cells E4 and E5) and my projected costs (across the categories) for the coming month. As the new month goes on, I update my actual income (in cells E8 and E9) and plug in my actual costs. The template then calculates three numbers for you: your projected balance (projected income minus projected cost), actual balance (actual income minus actual cost), and the difference between the two.
I think it’s really cool to see your budget hits and misses at the end of the month in one fell swoop. I can’t say it’s helped me perfect my finances, but it definitely keeps me honest, and it pushes me to keep improving month after month.
Sales invoice tracker
Take the stress out of invoicing
Invoicing is one of those tasks that always seems harder than it should be. Between tracking customers, keeping invoices organized, and making sure the math is right, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. This template reduces the stress by only requiring you to add your customers and their purchases.
The workbook comes with five sheets, each with its own job:
Sheet name
What it’s all about
About This Invoice Tracker
A guide with tips for filtering and navigation.
Invoice
This is the star of the show. Pick an invoice number in cell G6, and Excel fills in your customer details, items, and totals automatically. Just add in your company info (name in B1, details in rows 4–5, footer in B41) and you’re one click away from a polished invoice you can print or email.
Customers
Your client list lives here (ID, name, address, etc.).
Invoices – main
A master log that keeps one row per invoice, with filters to track dates, clients, and payment status.
Invoice details
This sheet breaks each invoice into line items (up to 25 per invoice). For instance, if invoice #3-456-2 has 12 products, the Invoices –main sheet shows one row, while the Invoice details sheet shows 12.
Here’s how I usually work with this template:
Add or update customer info in the Customers sheet by right-clicking the last filled row and selecting Insert.
Add or update rows in the Invoices – main sheet, assign an invoice number to each row, and select the client for each invoice from the dropdown list.
Head to the Invoice details sheet to enter the products or services tied to that invoice. Update the Invoice # column for each product or service by selecting an invoice number from the dropdown list.
Once you’ve filled in these three sheets (in the above sequence), the Invoice sheet updates automatically once you select an invoice number. If you need to record more than 25 items for an invoice, you’ll have to split the items across two or more invoices. However, in most cases, 25 items are enough.
Since this is Excel, you can also brand the template to match your business. Go to Page Layout –>Themes, pick a palette, and instantly make the whole thing look more on-brand.
Why start from scratch?
If you search Excel’s online template library, you’ll find almost anything — checklists, family trees, semester calendars, and even an online QR code generator template. The four I’ve shared here are simply the ones I use most often, but there’s no shortage of options.
These days, it’s rare for me to start with a completely blank spreadsheet. Sure, there are times when building something custom makes sense, but most of the time, I don’t have to. With thousands of ready-made templates just a few clicks away, Excel gives you a head start on almost any task and saves you from wasting time reinventing the wheel.
Some say Xinjiang is nothing but dust and desert, with no blue skies. But stand by the shores of Sayram Lake, watch the deep blue waters ripple in the breeze, and you’ll realize Xinjiang is far more than what you’ve been told. Here, you’ll see people deeply connected to their land, with cultures blending naturally into everyday life. No filters. No retouching. Just raw, honest beauty, captured as it truly is. Along the way, CGTN digital reporter Wang Tao spoke with travelers visiting Xinjiang for the first time. Let’s hear their impressions and see if their stories sound different from the ones you’ve heard before.
Political analyst Matthew Dowd lost his contributor role at MSNBC because of comments he made about Charlie Kirk after the young right-wing activist was murdered Wednesday.
Shortly after Kirk was shot to death while speaking on stage at Utah Valley State University, Dowd told MSNBC anchor Katy Tur that “hateful thoughts lead to hateful words which then lead to hateful actions.”
The angry reaction on social media was immediate after Dowd’s comments suggested that Kirk’s history of incendiary remarks led to the shooting.
MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler issued an apology Wednesday night.
“During our breaking news coverage of the shooting of Charlie Kirk, Matthew Dowd made comments that were inappropriate, insensitive, and unacceptable,” Kutler said in a statement. “There is no place for violence in America, political or otherwise.”
The network then severed ties with Dowd, according to a person briefed on the decision who was not authorized to comment.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Charlie Kirk,” Dowd later wrote on his Bluesky account. “I was asked a question on the environment we are in. I apologize for my tone and words. Let me be clear, I in no way intended for my comments to blame Kirk for this horrendous attack.”
Dowd is a political consultant who served as the chief strategist for George W. Bush’s successful 2004 presidential reelection campaign. Dowd broke away from the Republican party due to his unhappiness with Bush’s handling of the Iraq war.
Dowd previously served as a political analyst for ABC News.
New Delhi, September 11: Royal Enfield on Tuesday reportedly announced that it will pass on the full benefit of the recent Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate cut for its customers. The company is said to apply the revised pricing across its entire range, including motorcycles, service, apparel, and accessories. The new rates will come into effect from September 22, 2025, following reforms introduced by the GST Council earlier this month. The development will make Royal Enfield products more affordable.
Following the government’s announcement of a revised GST slab for two-wheelers, all models under 350cc are taxed at 18 percent instead of the earlier 28 percent. The company is said to make its 350cc range cheaper, which has been a key part of Royal Enfield’s portfolio. The price reduction is expected to attract a larger number of riders. As per a report of The Economic Times, Royal Enfield has announced the price cuts across multiple categories to be effective from September 22, 2025. GST Rate Cuts: Mahindra & Mahindra Offers GST Reduction Benefits on SUVs to Customers up to INR 1.56 Lakh Starting Today.
Royal Enfield Classic 350, Royal Enfield Hunter 350, and Royal Enfield Bullet 350 are set to get a price cut. While the company has not disclosed the new prices for these bikes, it is said that the updated rates will be announced on September 22, 2025. B Govindarajan, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Enfield, reportedly said, “The Government of India’s latest GST reform will not only make motorcycles under 350cc more accessible but will also excite the first-time buyers. Royal Enfield is delighted to announce that we are passing the full GST benefit of the price revision directly to our consumers.” GST Rate Cut: Tata Motors To Pass Full GST Reduction Benefit to Customers, List of Cars and SUVs That Will See Price Drops.
Several leading automakers have already announced that they will pass on the benefits of the recent GST reduction to their customers. Mahindra & Mahindra is said to offer price cuts of up to INR 1.56 lakh on its SUV range. Tata Motors is also reducing prices on passenger vehicles by INR 75,000 to INR 1.45 lakh starting September 22. Renault is also cutting prices by up to INR 96,000 on models like Kwid, Triber, and Kiger, while Kia India will apply the GST reduction across its entire ICE portfolio from September 22, 2025.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 11, 2025 11:51 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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Quarterly business reviews can be stressful, especially for agency teams.
They’re meant to showcase your impact and align on future strategy – but too often, they turn into 45-minute monologues packed with PPC metrics and little engagement.
Having worked across multiple agencies, I’ve seen firsthand that there’s no single “right” way to run a QBR – but there are plenty of ways to make them better.
In a digital marketing landscape that’s evolving faster than ever, you can’t afford to waste the rare opportunity to have stakeholders’ full attention.
My agency has refined our approach to QBRs to make them more engaging, forward-looking, and valuable for clients.
The result: clearer communication, stronger alignment, and a sharper focus on business goals.
This article covers the key improvements we’ve made, including:
Better readability.
Audience alignment.
Building a narrative.
Proactivity and forward motion.
Aim for readability
This applies to any presentation, but it’s especially crucial for QBRs where there’s a lot to cover: keep the pace brisk and the key messages clear.
In deck format, that means:
Leverage your slide titles (your most important real estate)
Use the title to specify the main takeaway, not just the topic. For example, instead of “UGC on Meta,” say “UGC on Meta drives 95% completion rates.”
Include numbers and impact where possible.
Use verbs, not labels.
Streamline text
Replace long blocks with concise, bullet-format summaries.
Make slides easier to skim and present live.
Lean on visual call-outs
Use bold font, simple iconography, or strategic positioning to highlight key stats.
Replace select tables with charts or key numbers. Don’t make the audience hunt for the takeaway.
Because a big part of readability comes down to presenter pacing, make sure your team:
Is well-practiced.
Doesn’t spend more than a minute on each slide.
Uses the speaker notes section, hyperlinks, and an index to include details that would make the main slides too busy.
Dig deeper: How to deliver PPC results to executives: Get out of the weeds
Align your QBR content with your audience’s needs
Even if only your usual team of day-to-day client contacts will be in the room (or Zoom) for your QBR, you need to account for the fact that higher-ups and executives will have very different priorities for results, metrics, and next steps.
Whether you’ll be presenting directly to company leaders or enabling your regular contacts to relay information, QBRs should include an executive summary of more high-level material:
Achievements.
Focus areas.
Next steps/tests.
Performance against top-line goals.
Dig deeper: How to set and manage PPC expectations for teams and stakeholders
One of the common brand complaints about agencies is that they aren’t aligned with the brand’s business goals.
Many still report on shallow metrics like CTR and CPC without tying those to business outcomes.
A QBR is a great place to put that reputation to bed by focusing on the key business goals you’re helping your clients address.
Keep those goals at the forefront of your QBR framing, and tie every data point, insight, and go-forward recommendation back to them.
This might even mean that you can’t focus as much as you like on some of the achievements you view as the biggest from the last few months.
For instance, let’s say you finally got under your CPA goal in your Meta campaigns thanks to some valuable testing insights.
That’s a win, but if the client’s top priority is improving the conversion rate of MQLs to SQLs, it shouldn’t be the centerpiece of your QBR.
Instead, you’ll be better served by focusing on your success with down-funnel growth and showing how you plan to build on that progress in the quarters ahead.
Dig deeper: How to approach weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual PPC reporting
Establish forward motion
Early in my career, I sat through too many QBRs that recapped the goings-on and results from the last quarter and left it at that.
Instead, make sure you go into the QBR knowing the top-line goals for the next quarter.
Spin every result and insight into a recommendation for how to address those goals – essentially, going from “what happened and what we learned” to “what we do now.”
This is the difference between reporting “AOV dropped 10% quarter over quarter” to “AOV dropped 10% quarter over quarter, which highlights the opportunity to test value-based bidding.”
This framework also provides context for what we call “tactical opportunities.”
By that, we mean the resources needed – or the obstacles that must be removed – before we can act on those next steps.
This might mean:
A request for a dedicated in-house contact for CRM questions to clean up data issues.
A standard of one business day to get client feedback for P1 initiatives.
Or a recommendation to be flexible with margin goals if there’s a chance to unlock scale in the process.
Forward motion in the form of next steps is essential, and you can enforce the momentum in the way you deliver your presentation, specifically by:
Leading with the main point instead of building up to it.
Letting key stats breathe before moving on.
Previewing the next slide before you move on.
Using connector phrases to keep the flow tight.
Aiming for 30 to 60 seconds per slide. If you can’t get under a minute, split the slide.
Turning QBRs into growth opportunities
Instead of dreading the QBR process, reframe it as a chance to set yourself and your client up for success.
Yes, the reporting piece is important. But it’s far more valuable if you can pull out learnings and next steps from the past quarter’s results – and deliver them with a focus on what matters most to the people in the room.
Ideally, you’ll leave with both sides energized about what you’ve accomplished together – and, more importantly, aligned on how you’ll build on that growth moving forward.
Dig deeper: Agency-grade PPC audits: How to turn reports into growth roadmaps
With a career record of 113 losses and no wins, racehorse Haru Urara became an unintentional pop culture icon in Japan and beyond. The beloved race-losing horse inspired one of Umamusume: Pretty Derby’s horse-girl characters, and her death this week has been marked by many well beyond the racing sphere.
After making her debut in 1998, racehorse Haru Urara became famous for her reliable losing streak, becoming a household name across Japan and for some a kind of patron deity for losers who nevertheless refuse to give up.
Former racehorse Haru Urara, known for an impeccable 113 race loss record, and as the inspiration for the Umamusume: Pretty Derby character of the same name, has died aged 29. pic.twitter.com/HXvdijrj1G
Haru Urara lends her name and trademark losing streak to one of the characters in Umamusume: Pretty Derby, a game and anime franchise centered around anthropomorphised horse-girls who double as racers and idols. Though the racehorse Haru Urara retired in 2006, the Umamusume character made more people aware of her quirky background, with the anime and game seeing a trend of fans coming to visit the horse where she was spending her retirement at Matha Farm.
Haru Urara died at the age of 29, Eurogamer reports, but her legacy will live on in the form of an unlucky but endlessly positive anime horse girl in a surprisingly popular gacha game.
Umamusume was first announced as a gacha game back in 2016, but due to delays the anime adaptation released first in 2018. While the free-to-play game was released in Japan in 2021, it didn’t see a release outside of Asia until June this year. Umamusume’s worldwide Steam release proved popular with gamers, with the game hitting a peak of over 87,000 concurrent players in its first month of release. The game is also available globally on iOS and Android.
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In an era where the boundaries between legal theory and scientific practice are rapidly dissolving, we stand at the precipice of a justice revolution. The criminal justice system of tomorrow demands more than traditional approaches, it requires the bold fusion of jurisprudence with criminology, forensic science with psychology, penology with digital innovation, and victimology with therapeutic intervention.
Justice in the 21st century is no longer confined to the courtroom, it emerges from the interplay of law, science, human psychology, and evolving social values. We live in an era where a crime scene can be a laboratory, a trial can hinge on brain scans, and justice can be shaped as much by philosophy as by forensic evidence.
Modern justice challenges cannot be solved by any single discipline working in isolation. When neuroscience questions the very foundations of criminal responsibility, when technology transforms evidence analysis and judicial decision-making, and when restorative practices prove more effective than traditional punishment, we must embrace an interdisciplinary future that transcends academic silos. The questions we face today transcend disciplinary boundaries: Can justice truly be served when we compartmentalize human experience? How do we bridge the gap between therapeutic jurisprudence and constitutional rights? What happens when genetic research challenges criminal responsibility, or when cultural betrayal trauma theory reimagines victimology?
We invite original, analytical, and thought-provoking blog submissions for our upcoming interdisciplinary series, Beyond Boundaries: Rethinking Justice through Law, Mind, Science and Society.
Theme & Sub themes
Title:Beyond Boundaries: Rethining Justice through Law, Mind, Science & Society
Submission Categories (indicative, not exhaustive):
Sub-Themes (Indicative, not exhaustive)
Neurocriminology, Biosocial Justice & Future of Criminal Responsibility
Alignment: Headings should be center-aligned; the article text should be justified.
Submissions: Send your pitch in .doc or .docx format (Word file).
Citations: Use hyperlinks for references wherever possible. For cases or sources without URLs, adhere to a uniform citation style for the entire document.
Eligibility
We invite original, non-plagiarised submission with minimal to no usage of AI generated content from law students, scholars, professors, researchers, professionals and experts in the field of law.
How to Submit?
Email your submission to [email protected] with the subject line: “Submission for Virtuosity Legal.”
Attach your article in .doc or .docx format (Word file).
Title of the document file should be the same as the title of the article.
In the email body please include:
A short abstract (100–200 words).
A declaration that the work is original and has not been published elsewhere.
A short bio.
Submissions that fail to meet these guidelines may not be considered.
Authors of selected articles will be notified via email within 3-5 working days.
If you do not hear from us within 3-4 working days, kindly consider your manuscript rejected. Please feel free to pitch it elsewhere.
The author(s) shall be conveyed via email if the reviewing team considers some changes in the submitted article. The author(s) shall reserve the right to make the due changes or withdraw the submission altogether. Comments highlighting changes do not preclude selection of the article.
Declaration: Please include the following declaration in the email:
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Deadline
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For queries regarding the call for blogs or Virtuosity Legal, please feel free to reach out to us at: [email protected]
Please mention the subject of the email as ‘submissions for Virtuosity Legal’ or ‘query for virtuosity legal’. You can also reach out to us on our social media handles: @virtuositylegal (on Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Threads).
Feeling youthful, energetic, and healthy isn’t just about hitting the gym or following the latest skincare routine. What you eat can have a profound impact on your body, mind, and overall vitality. Certain foods can boost energy, improve immunity, support brain health, and even slow down the effects of ageing.
Eat these 10 foods to boost energy, immunity, and fight ageing, says fitness coach. (Instagram/@danfounder)
In a September 1 Instagram post, fitness coach Dan Go reveals 10 foods that help him feel stronger, healthier, and even 10 years younger. (Also read: Fitness coach shares ‘Japanese eating rule’ Hara Hachi Bu to stay lean and shredded without ever dieting )
1. Collagen boosters
Eggs, grapefruit, pumpkin seeds, and bone broth. Collagen is “Nature’s Botox.” It keeps skin firm, joints flexible, and bones strong. After 30, your body produces less, these foods help bring the bounce back.
2. Antioxidant powerhouses
Swiss chard, pomegranates, blueberries, grapes. Free radicals are like tiny burglars that damage your cells. Antioxidants act like security guards, protecting skin, preventing wrinkles, and slowing ageing.
3. Cellular nourishers
Green tea, olive oil, beans. Your cells are like overworked employees. Without fuel, they burn out. These foods support repair, lower disease risk, and keep your body running like a well-funded startup.
4. Omega-3 rich foods
Salmon, sardines, chia seeds, walnuts. Think of them as an internal moisturizer. They calm inflammation, hydrate skin, and support heart and brain health.
5. Gut-healers
Sauerkraut, garlic, asparagus, and kimchi. Your gut controls skin, immunity, and mood. A healthy gut = glowing skin, stronger immunity, and better digestion.
Bonus tip: Hydration
“If you eat well but still feel like a raisin, you’re dehydrated. Water (with electrolytes) hydrates cells, flushes toxins, and makes skin glow. Simple, but powerful,” says Dan.
How to make these foods work:
Combine different food groups in each meal
Eat colourful fruits and veggies daily
Pair collagen-rich foods with vitamin C
Mix prebiotics + probiotics for gut health
Stay consistent, benefits are cumulative
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
LB Pharmaceuticals raised $285 million in an initial public offering on Wednesday, marking the first sizable new stock offering for a young biotechnology company in more than half a year.
The company, which is developing a drug for schizophrenia, priced 19 million shares at $15 apiece, more than it hadprojected in a regulatory filing earlier this week. It will start trading on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “LBRX” on Thursday.
LB’s offering is the year’s biggest so far and breaks an extended drought for large biotech IPOs. Though a trio of companies have priced small offerings over the last several months, the last IPO exceeding $25 million was Aardvark Therapeutics’ $94 million offering in February, according to BioPharma Dive data. A July report from the investment bank William Blair noted that the dry spell was the longest of its kind in the last 15 years — a funding standstill catalyzed by economic and regulatory uncertainty.
With the proceeds, LB aims to advance an oral drug called LB-102 that completed mid-stage testing earlier this year. LB-102 is a derivative of amisulpride, an antipsychotic medicine that’s marketed by Sanofi as Solian and approved in more than 50 countries. In its IPO prospectus, LB claimed its drug is designed to address amisulpride’s limitations with a “differentiated therapeutic profile” and, if approved, has a chance to become a “mainstay of psychiatric practice.”
Phase 2 data presented at a medical meeting earlier this year showed patients with acute schizophrenia and treated with LB-102 improved, compared to placebo recipients, on a widely used scale measuring symptom severity. The company expects to start a Phase 3 trial in people with schizophrenia, as well as a mid-stage study in bipolar depression, in the first quarter of 2026.
LB is also developing an injectable form of LB-102 it believes may improve compliance among patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Prior to its IPO, LB raised more than $120 million in private financing, most of which came via a $75 million Series C round that issued shares between August 2023 and January 2024. But the company had less than $15 million in cash and cash equivalents at the end of June, according to its prospectus.
Large pharmaceutical companies have made multiple notable acquisition bets on neuropsychiatric medicines over the past two years, among them Bristol Myers Squibb’s $14 billion purchase of Karuna Therapeutics and AbbVie’s $9 billion acquisition of Cerevel Therapeutics.
But the field remains a risky investment. While Cobenfy, the drug at the center of Karuna deal, was approved for schizophrenia, it failed a study that could’ve broadened its use. Emraclidine, the focus of AbbVie’s buyout of Cerevel, fell short in a pair of critical trials as well.
Spondylosis in dogs is a degenerative condition that affects the spine, most often seen in aging or senior pets. While the condition can sound alarming to many dog owners, it is usually manageable with the right care, monitoring, and treatment. Understanding what spondylosis is, how it develops, and what options are available can help owners make informed decisions about their dog’s health and mobility.
This guide answers the most important questions about spondylosis in dogs. Whether your dog has recently been diagnosed or you’re trying to learn more about this spinal condition, you’ll find clear and expert-backed insights below.
What is spondylosis in dogs?
Spondylosis deformans, commonly referred to as spondylosis, is a degenerative condition that affects the spine. It occurs when bony spurs, called osteophytes, form along the edges of the vertebrae. These bone spurs develop as a response to instability or wear in the spine, and their goal is to create more stability in an area that’s weakened or degenerating.
Over time, the spurs can grow larger and may even bridge the gaps between vertebrae. In some cases, they stay small and don’t cause much trouble. In others, especially when they grow near nerve roots or in sensitive areas, they may cause pain, reduced mobility, or other neurological symptoms.
Spondylosis is most commonly found in the lumbar (lower back), thoracic (mid-back), or lumbosacral region of the spine. While many dogs with spondylosis show no symptoms, others may need medical treatment, physical therapy, or supportive tools like dog wheelchairs to maintain their quality of life.
What causes spondylosis in dogs?
Several factors can contribute to the development of spondylosis in dogs:
1. Aging and natural wear-and-tear
The most common cause is aging. As dogs get older, the cartilage and soft tissues between their vertebrae naturally begin to wear down. This leads to micro-instability in the spine, prompting the body to form new bone as a stabilizing mechanism.
2. Genetics
Some breeds are more likely to develop spondylosis than others. Large breeds, such as German Shepherds, Boxers, and Rottweilers, are especially prone due to their size and the strain placed on their joints and spine.
3. Previous spinal injuries
A history of spinal trauma, such as a fall, accident, or back surgery, can lead to the early development of spondylosis. Any structural damage to the spine may trigger bone spur formation as part of the body’s healing response.
4. Joint diseases or abnormalities
Conditions like arthritis or intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) can also increase the risk of spondylosis by placing added stress on the spine. Over time, this stress can lead to chronic changes in the vertebrae and surrounding tissues.
What are the symptoms of spondylosis in dogs?
Many dogs with spondylosis have no obvious symptoms, especially in the early stages. In fact, the condition is often discovered incidentally during X-rays for unrelated issues. However, when symptoms do occur, they may include:
Stiffness, especially after resting
Difficulty rising from a lying position
Reluctance to jump, climb stairs, or be active
Changes in posture or gait
Pain when the back is touched
Loss of coordination or hind limb weakness
Muscle atrophy in the back or hind legs
In severe cases, incontinence
If your dog is showing any of these signs, it’s important to consult your veterinarian. An early diagnosis can help slow the progression of the condition and improve your dog’s comfort and mobility.
How is spondylosis in dogs diagnosed?
A diagnosis typically starts with a physical exam and detailed history of your dog’s symptoms. Your veterinarian may observe your dog’s posture, gait, and reflexes. If spondylosis is suspected, the next step is usually diagnostic imaging.
X-rays
This is the most common tool used to confirm spondylosis. Bone spurs are usually visible on standard radiographs, especially in the more advanced stages.
MRI or CT scan
In cases where neurological symptoms are present, advanced imaging like MRI or CT scans may be recommended to assess whether the bone spurs are pressing on spinal nerves or the spinal cord.
What treatment options are available for spondylosis in dogs?
There is no cure for spondylosis, but there are many effective ways to manage the condition and improve your dog’s quality of life.
1. Pain management
Veterinarians may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), pain relievers, or muscle relaxants to reduce inflammation and discomfort. In chronic or severe cases, more targeted pain medications may be required.
2. Physical therapy
Canine rehabilitation is one of the most helpful tools for managing spondylosis. Controlled exercise, underwater treadmill therapy, massage, and stretching can reduce stiffness and improve strength.
3. Weight management
Excess weight increases pressure on the spine. Keeping your dog at a healthy weight can help minimize symptoms and prevent further deterioration.
4. Mobility support
When spondylosis leads to hind-end weakness or coordination issues, mobility aids can make a significant difference. A dog wheelchair, such as those offered by Walkin’ Pets, can help dogs maintain their independence, reduce strain on the spine, and prevent muscle atrophy. These wheelchairs are fully adjustable and designed to support a dog’s natural movement, whether for short walks or extended use throughout the day.
5. Surgery (rarely needed)
Surgery is rarely required and is typically only considered if the bone spurs are causing severe nerve compression. In such cases, a veterinary neurologist may recommend spinal decompression.
Can dogs with spondylosis live a normal life?
Yes, many dogs with spondylosis can live comfortable, active lives with the right management. While the condition itself cannot be reversed, its symptoms can be controlled with lifestyle adjustments, medication, and supportive care.
Early detection and proactive management are key. Dogs that receive appropriate treatment often continue to enjoy their daily routines, regular walks, and even playtime.
What is the life expectancy for dogs with spondylosis?
Spondylosis itself does not shorten a dog’s lifespan. Most dogs live out their natural lives as long as their condition is well-managed. However, complications can arise if the condition goes untreated or if it is paired with other mobility-limiting diseases like arthritis or IVDD.
Maintaining your dog’s mobility, comfort, and overall well-being will have the biggest impact on life expectancy. Regular vet check-ups, monitoring for pain, and using mobility aids when needed can help preserve both the quality and duration of your dog’s life.
What can I do at home to support my dog with spondylosis?
Owners play a critical role in supporting their dog’s health. Here are a few simple but effective ways to help:
Provide a soft, orthopedic bed to relieve pressure on the spine.
Use ramps instead of stairs when possible.
Keep your dog’s nails trimmed to improve traction.
Maintain a consistent, low-impact exercise routine.
Use a harness that supports the chest and back.
Consider mobility aids such as slings or wheelchairs to help with daily movement.
Small changes can go a long way in reducing discomfort and maintaining your dog’s activity levels.
Empowering your dog’s mobility and comfort
Spondylosis in dogs may sound complex, but it is a condition that many pets live with successfully for years. With the right approach, your dog can stay active, engaged, and happy well into their senior years. Devices like a Walkin’ Wheels Dog Wheelchair can make a meaningful difference in maintaining mobility and independence, especially for dogs experiencing hind-limb weakness or difficulty walking.
By understanding the condition, recognizing the signs early, and using supportive resources, dog owners can give their pets the highest quality of life, every step of the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can spondylosis in dogs cause paralysis?
Yes, but it’s rare. Spondylosis in dogs can lead to paralysis if bone spurs grow in a way that compresses the spinal cord or major nerve roots. This usually happens in advanced cases where the bone overgrowth becomes severe. Signs of nerve compression may include weakness, loss of coordination, or dragging of the hind limbs. If left untreated, it could potentially result in partial or full paralysis.
If your dog shows signs of neurological decline, contact your veterinarian immediately. Early intervention may prevent permanent nerve damage.
What is the difference between spondylosis and arthritis in dogs?
Spondylosis and arthritis are both degenerative conditions, but they affect different parts of a dog’s skeletal system. Spondylosis is the formation of bony spurs along the spine, typically on the edges of the vertebrae. Arthritis, or osteoarthritis, affects the joints and involves cartilage loss, inflammation, and joint pain.
While both conditions can coexist, they have different causes, symptoms, and treatment approaches. If your dog is showing mobility issues, a proper diagnosis is key to managing both conditions effectively.
Is spondylosis painful for dogs?
It can be. While many dogs with spondylosis show no outward signs of pain, others may experience stiffness, discomfort, or even nerve pain if the bone spurs irritate nearby nerves. Pain may worsen with activity or after long periods of rest. Symptoms can vary widely depending on the location and size of the bone growth.
If your dog seems reluctant to move, shows sensitivity when touched, or has a hunched back, a vet visit is recommended. Pain management and supportive therapies can significantly improve comfort.
How fast does spondylosis progress in dogs?
Spondylosis typically develops slowly over time. It’s a chronic condition, meaning changes in the spine often occur gradually as part of the natural aging process. Some dogs may show signs in their senior years, while others never develop noticeable symptoms at all.
The speed of progression depends on factors like age, breed, weight, past injuries, and overall joint health. While the condition itself cannot be reversed, early diagnosis and consistent management can help slow its impact on mobility.
What breeds are most likely to get spondylosis?
Larger and heavier dog breeds tend to be more at risk. Breeds like German Shepherds, Boxers, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and Labrador Retrievers are commonly diagnosed with spondylosis. Their size puts more strain on the spine, and some may also have a genetic predisposition to joint and spinal issues.
However, spondylosis can occur in dogs of any breed or size, especially as they get older. Regular vet exams and watching for early signs of stiffness can help with timely intervention.
Can a dog with spondylosis still go for walks?
Yes, and daily walks are often encouraged. Moderate, low-impact exercise like walking can help keep the spine flexible and muscles strong. It also helps prevent weight gain, which can worsen symptoms. However, walks should be shorter and slower than usual if your dog has mobility issues or stiffness.
Avoid high-impact activities like jumping, running on hard surfaces, or rough play. Use a harness instead of a collar to reduce spinal strain. If your dog struggles to walk, a dog wheelchair may help maintain mobility safely.
How do I know if my dog’s spondylosis is getting worse?
Signs of worsening spondylosis may include increasing stiffness, limping, loss of coordination, or reluctance to move. You may also notice muscle wasting in the hind legs or a change in your dog’s posture. If your dog begins to drag their legs, trip often, or shows signs of incontinence, it could indicate nerve involvement.
Regular checkups and imaging (like X-rays) can track the progression. If symptoms change suddenly or dramatically, see your veterinarian as soon as possible to adjust the treatment plan.
Are supplements helpful for managing spondylosis in dogs?
Yes, certain supplements can support spinal and joint health in dogs with spondylosis. Common options include glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), omega-3 fatty acids, and turmeric. These ingredients may reduce inflammation, improve joint function, and support cartilage maintenance.
However, supplements are not a standalone treatment. They work best when combined with other therapies like weight management, physical therapy, and medication. Always consult your vet before starting new supplements to ensure they are safe and appropriate for your dog.
Should I consider a dog wheelchair for spondylosis?
A dog wheelchair can be very helpful for dogs with spondylosis, especially if they show signs of hind-limb weakness, dragging their back legs, or difficulty walking. A properly fitted wheelchair helps reduce strain on the spine and allows dogs to remain active without pain or fatigue.
Using a wheelchair also helps prevent muscle atrophy by allowing dogs to move naturally. It’s not just for dogs who are fully paralyzed; many pets use one part-time for exercise and relief during flare-ups.
How can I make my home more comfortable for a dog with spondylosis?
Making simple changes at home can greatly improve your dog’s comfort and safety. Use ramps instead of stairs, and place rugs or non-slip mats on slippery floors. An orthopedic dog bed provides better support for the spine. Keep food and water bowls raised to avoid unnecessary bending. Also, limit jumping on and off furniture.
For dogs who need extra help with movement, supportive harnesses or mobility slings can assist with getting up or going outside. Creating an environment that reduces strain on your dog’s spine is one of the best ways to manage spondylosis long-term.
Each round of rate cuts since 2015 has benefited entirely different segments of the housing market, depending on affordability, demographics, and economic conditions.
Rate cuts alone don’t guarantee growth everywhere. The winners shift based on affordability, stimulus, and buyer profiles.
Smart investors look beyond history and focus on who stands to gain in the current environment.
If there’s one thing property investors learn over time, it’s that no two cycles are ever the same.
The past decade has reminded us of this lesson again and again.
Since 2015, Australia has been through three major interest rate cutting cycles.
Each of these has played out very differently, with entirely different market segments benefiting depending on the broader economic backdrop and who was active in the market at the time.
And the way buyers respond to interest rate cuts is shaped just as much by affordability and demographics as it is by the cost of money itself.
Let’s take a look at a recent report by Nerida Conisbee explaining how these cycles unfolded—and more importantly, what lessons we can draw for the future.
The First Cycle (2015–2016): coastal lifestyle markets rise
When the RBA eased rates from 2.25% down to 1.50% between May 2015 and May 2016, the biggest winners weren’t blue-chip suburbs but affordable coastal lifestyle locations close to Sydney.
The Central Coast was the standout, with Avoca Beach–Copacabana (8.0%), Wamberal–Forresters Beach (8.2%), and The Entrance (8.9%) all showing strong growth.
Conisbee explains:
“This was when the lifestyle shift really began.
People were seeking coastal living within commuting distance, and cheaper borrowing costs made that possible well before COVID accelerated the trend.”
These markets, priced between $800,000 and $1.2 million at the time, highlight how rate cuts can amplify emerging lifestyle preferences.
The Second Cycle (2019–2021): premium Sydney suburbs surge
The next phase was far more aggressive according to Conisbee.
From mid-2019 through the pandemic, rates plunged from 1.50% to just 0.10%.
This time, the response was concentrated in Sydney’s premium suburbs.
Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills West–Bella Vista, and Northern Beaches areas like Collaroy and Freshwater all recorded double-digit growth.
Baulkham Hills West–Bella Vista alone swung from -7.2% to +12.4% growth, a 19.6 percentage point acceleration.
According to Conisbee:
“Ultra-low rates and fiscal stimulus created a pronounced wealth effect.
Established property owners, particularly in Sydney’s premium markets, were able to upgrade or expand their portfolios.
It wasn’t first home buyers driving this cycle, it was the affluent.”
This was a clear reminder that rate cuts don’t always make property more accessible, they can just as easily amplify demand where wealth is already concentrated.
The Third Cycle (2024–2025): affordable outer suburbs take the lead
Fast forward to today, and we’re in another cutting cycle; this time from the highest interest rates seen in over a decade.
But instead of boosting premium markets, affordability has become the driving factor.
Perth’s Midland–Guildford (15.6%), Mandurah (15.5%), and Balga–Mirrabooka (15.4%) are leading national growth.
In Adelaide, Smithfield–Elizabeth North is up 14.4%.
These are outer suburban markets priced between $550,000 and $750,000—very much first home buyer territory.
Conisbee notes:
“Unlike the COVID cycle, today’s cuts are most effective for buyers on the margins of borrowing capacity.
Affordable outer suburbs are where interest rate reductions translate directly into stronger demand.”
In other words, the affordability crisis has fundamentally reshaped who benefits when monetary policy loosens.
The consistent performers
While the beneficiaries have shifted from lifestyle seekers, to wealthy upgraders, to first home buyers, some regions have shown enduring sensitivity to rate cuts.
Conisbee highlights:
“The Central Coast is fascinating. Across all three cycles, it’s shown consistent growth.
That tells us some markets retain a structural advantage, whether that’s lifestyle appeal, location, or ongoing affordability relative to Sydney.”
Key lessons for investors
What should investors take away from this decade-long story?
Each cycle has its own winners. As Conisbee says, “We can’t assume that because one group benefited in the past, they’ll benefit again.”
Affordability now matters more than ever. Today’s rate-sensitive suburbs are not the million-dollar enclaves, they’re the $550k to $750k markets.
Some markets have lasting resilience. Places like the Central Coast show that structural appeal can cut across multiple cycles.
Context is everything. Fiscal stimulus, global shocks like COVID, and demographic shifts shape how rate cuts flow through the market.
Final thoughts – a new window of opportunity
The past decade of rate cycles proves just how dynamic and unpredictable Australia’s property market really is.
Conisbee sums it up well:
“Every cycle is different.
The beneficiaries shift depending on affordability, economic conditions, and who’s active in the market.
Understanding that context is critical for investors.”
As we look ahead, it’s clear that today’s easing is delivering the greatest benefits to outer suburban, affordable markets.
That’s a profound shift from the wealth-driven gains of the COVID cycle, and a reminder that strategy, not just timing, is what separates smart investors from the rest.
However, one thing is clear: there’s currently a window of opportunity for property investors with a long-term focus.
Right now, we’re seeing what some would call a “perfect storm” of fundamentals that are aligning to support strong property markets in the years ahead:
Continued rapid population growth is putting pressure on housing.
An acute undersupply of dwellings,
A chronic shortage of skilled labour, making new development slower and more expensive.
Inflation has moderated, now sitting within the RBA’s target range.
Interest rates will keep falling – bringing more buyers into the market
Government first homebuyer incentives will pour fuel on the flames of our undersupplied housing market.
As interest rates keep falling and confidence returns among both buyers and sellers, we’ll enter the next phase of the property cycle.
And historically, this stage has delivered some of the best capital growth for those who act early.
Are you clear on how to take advantage of these market conditions — or are you still waiting for “certainty”?
If you’re like many property investors, you’re probably wondering what’s the right thing to do at present.
Should you buy, should you sell, or should you just wait?
You can trust the team at Metropole to provide you with direction, guidance, and results.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced investor, at times like we are currently experiencing you need an advisor who takes a holistic approach to your wealth creation and that’s exactly what you get from the multi-award-winning team at Metropole.
We help our clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through a range of services including:
Strategic property advice – Allow us to build a Strategic Property Plan for you and your family. Planning is bringing the future into the present so you can do something about it now! Click here to learn more
Buyer’s agency – As Australia’s most trusted buyers’ agents we’ve been involved in over $4Billion worth of transactions creating wealth for our clients and we can do the same for you. Our on the ground teams in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane bring you years of experience and perspective – that’s something money just can’t buy. We’ll help you find your next home or an investment-grade property. Click here to learn how we can help you.
Property Development – We enable you to become an “armchair developer” and get all the benefits of property development without getting your hands dirty. We take the hassles out of your investment by assisting you with all the expertise you need, from concept to completion, including construction. Click here to see if it’s the right way for you to grow your portfolio.
Property Management – Our stress-free property management services help you maximise your property returns. Click here to find out why our clients enjoy a vacancy rate considerably below the market average, our tenants stay an average of 3 years, and our properties lease 10 days faster than the market average.
About Brett Warren Brett Warren is National Director of Metropole Properties and uses his two decades of property investment experience to advise clients how to grow, protect and pass on their wealth through strategic property advice.
The default Google TV interface feels slick and modern at first glance. You get rows of recommendations, trending shows, and colorful banners clearly designed to help you discover new content. The problem is, these suggestions often don’t feel personal. Much of the screen is dominated by ads for shows you never asked to see or, worse, services you don’t even subscribe to. It feels less like your TV and more like a billboard you happen to own.
That’s exactly why I switched to Projectivity Launcher, and honestly, I don’t see myself going back. It wipes out the ads, speeds up navigation, offers deep customization options, and even adds handy features that the stock launcher simply doesn’t provide.
Google’s apps-only mode is good but not enough
It’s not without limitations
Image Credit: Pankil ShahPankil Shah/MakeUseOf
Google does offer an Apps Only Mode that cleans things up, but it’s really just a band-aid solution. Sure, turning it on scrubs away the sponsored content, but the trade-off is steep. You get a cleaner screen, but you lose the features that make a smart TV feel smart: voice commands stop working, installing new apps becomes impossible, and live TV integration disappears.
For something as central as the TV you use every day, that’s not a great set of choices. You can either live with a cluttered, ad-heavy experience or settle for a barebones interface that leaves out core features. Neither choice feels like a win.
Projectivity Launcher wipes out annoying ads
No more banners or unwanted promotions
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
One of the best things about Google TV is the freedom it gives you to switch things up. Unlike some locked-down platforms, you’re not stuck with the default experience if you don’t want it. That means you can install a third-party app like Projectivity Launcher and change the way your Google TV feels in just a few minutes.
Projectivity Launcher doesn’t waste your screen with giant banners, sponsored shows, or nagging promos for services you never asked for. Instead, you’re greeted with a clean, functional interface that puts your apps front and center. Right below that, you’ll find the Inputs menu, your Continue Watching section, and a few simple controls. That’s it.
But the benefits go beyond aesthetics. With Projectivity Launcher, your Google TV actually feels faster. And the reason is simple. The home screen isn’t wasting time pulling in ads or crunching recommendation algorithms.
It’s all about customization
Take full control
Google TV’s stock interface is basically one-size-fits-all, and if that size doesn’t fit you, too bad. Projectivity Launcher solves that problem by giving you the freedom to design the experience around your own habits.
The customization goes well beyond shuffling app order. You can decide whether you want everything in a single row or a grid layout, and even in grid mode you get to choose how many apps appear per row. If you have too many apps, you can organize them into categories like Favorites, Video, Music, and Games. Each category appears as a separate section on your home screen, and of course, you can rearrange them however you like for quicker access.
Another small but powerful touch is the ability to hide apps. Maybe there’s a service you rarely use, or one you’d rather not see on your main screen. With Projectivity Launcher, you can tuck it away just like you would on your phone.
If you dive into the Projectivity Launcher settings, you’ll find options to customize the status bar, resize the clock, change the wallpaper, and fine-tune other details until the interface feels just right. This level of control lets you configure your TV exactly the way you want.
Where Projectivity really pulls ahead
The bonus features you didn’t know you needed
Having used Projectivity Launcher for a while, the idea of switching back to the stock Google TV interface feels unthinkable. It’s not just about removing ads or clearing clutter, but also about the extra features that make everyday use much more seamless.
One of the most useful options is the ability to auto-open an app on boot. For instance, if Netflix, YouTube, or Plex is the first thing you launch every time you power on your TV, you can set up Projectivity Launcher to open the app automatically.
There’s also built-in support for sideloading apps directly. Instead of transferring the APK file manually from your phone to TV, you can install apps by entering the URL. And then there’s the parental control option. With a simple lock, you can secure the launcher’s settings and layout so nothing gets rearranged or deleted by accident.
When you add it all up, Projectivity Launcher isn’t just a replacement for Google TV’s default interface—it puts you back in control of your experience. The best part is that most of these features are available in the free version. If you want extra perks like custom icons and display profiles, you can upgrade to the premium version for a one-time fee of around $8.
A martial artist is seen practicing in a forest clearing. By training among trees, far from the distractions of the outside world, he can immerse himself fully in the traditional Chinese martial art of Bajiquan. Decades of daily commitment have ingrained every movement into his being and imbued every strike with a powerful force and elegant rhythm.
Nearly two decades after the fact, Anna Wintour is finally giving her review of “The Devil Wears Prada,” the 2006 Anne Hathaway comedy built around the onetime Vogue editor in chief’s notorious style of leadership.
And although Wintour is more than fashionably late, she’s showing up in time for the sequel.
The film “had a lot of humor to it, it had a lot of wit, it had Meryl Streep,” Wintour said recently on the New Yorker Radio Hour. “[The cast] were all amazing. And in the end, I thought it was a fair shot.”
The famed editor, who stepped down from the Vogue gig this summer, said she went into the premiere of the original film wearing Prada but not knowing what the movie was about. Wintour said people in the fashion industry had expressed concerns about the Miranda Priestly character, worrying she would be played as a caricature of Wintour. But those fears were unfounded.
“First of all, it was Meryl Streep, [who is] fantastic.”
“The Devil Wears Prada” is based on the 2003 bestselling novel of the same name by Lauren Weisberger, who worked as a personal assistant to Wintour. The film follows a writer played by Hathaway who gets a job at a fashion magazine managed by a highly demanding boss, played by Streep.
The actor who played the no-nonsense editor in chief earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance.
Wintour announced in June that she would step down as editor in chief of the magazine after 37 years at the helm. She will continue to oversee Condé Nast, the global media company that publishes Vogue among other publications including the New Yorker, GQ, Vanity Fair and Wired.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” is in production with a release date set for May 2026. Streep, Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci will all reprise their roles; Adrian Grenier, who played Hathaway’s boyfriend in the original film, will not appear. New cast members include Kenneth Branagh, Justin Theroux and Lucy Liu.
Mustafa Suleyman says that designing AI systems to exceed human intelligence—and to mimic behavior that suggests consciousness—would be “dangerous and misguided.”
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Reddit is giving media brands new ways to track and share their stories on its platform.
Why we care. As search and referral traffic patterns shift, publishers are looking for alternative distribution channels. With 110 million daily active users, Reddit is a potential driver of engagement and traffic.
What’s new. Reddit is rolling out a beta of Reddit Pro for Publishers, part of its free Reddit Pro suite. The new tools that live inside a new Links tab in Reddit Pro include:
Article insights: Track which stories are shared, where they appear, and metrics like views, clicks, and upvotes.
Auto-import: Sync RSS feeds to make articles instantly shareable.
Community recommendations: AI-powered suggestions for where stories might resonate.
What it looks like. Here’s a screenshot from Reddit:
Who’s in: Early testers include The Atlantic, The Hill, NBC News, and the Associated Press. Publishers in the alpha saw Reddit emerge as a top referral source, Reddit said.
Also new: Reddit is testing an updated link-viewing experience inside its app. Users can read an article, then swipe up to view comments and join discussions.
What’s next. Beta signups open today. Reddit expects a broader rollout next year.
Los pacientes comienzan a hacer fila antes del amanecer en Operación Salud Fronteriza, una clínica de salud gratuita que se realiza cada año durante cinco días en el Valle del Río Grande de Texas. Muchos residentes de esta región predominantemente latina, ubicada en la frontera con México, no tienen seguro médico, por lo que esta feria de salud ha sido durante más de 25 años un recurso clave de atención médica gratuita en el sur de Texas.
Hasta este año.
El plan de la administración Trump de retirar más de $550 millones en fondos federales para salud pública y pandemias en Texas hizo que se cancelara el evento, justo antes de su inicio programado para el 21 de julio.
“Hay personas que vienen todos los años y dependen de este evento”, dijo Dairen Sarmiento Rangel, directora del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos del condado de Hidalgo. “Algunas personas incluso acampan afuera de Operación Salud Fronteriza para ser las primeras en recibir servicios. Este evento es muy importante para nuestra comunidad”.
Los gobiernos estatales y locales ya han tenido que hacer dolorosos recortes a sus programas, luego de importantes reducciones en la financiación federal para salud que ya han entrado en vigor. Ahora, se preparan para enfrentar los golpes financieros que están por venir —algunos no ocurrirán hasta finales del próximo año o incluso después— como resultado de la ley fiscal y de gasto aprobada por los republicanos en el Congreso en julio, conocida como la One Big Beautiful Bill, que pone en marcha gran parte de la agenda nacional del presidente Donald Trump.
Texas, por ejemplo, anticipa una reducción de hasta $39.000 millones en fondos federales para Medicaid durante los próximos 10 años debido a nuevas barreras para la inscripción, como revisiones de elegibilidad más frecuentes, según un análisis publicado en julio por KFF.
En conjunto, estas reducciones representan un cambio radical en la forma en que se financian y se ofrecen los programas estatales de salud. En la práctica, la administración está trasladando una parte importante de los costos de salud a los estados. Esto obligará a sus líderes a tomar decisiones difíciles, ya que muchos presupuestos estatales ya están presionados por la disminución en la recaudación de impuestos, la desaceleración del gasto federal por covid y la incertidumbre económica.
“Es casi inevitable que los estados recorten varios servicios de salud debido a la presión fiscal”, dijo Wesley Tharpe, asesor principal en política fiscal estatal del Centro para Prioridades Presupuestarias y Políticas (CBPP), una organización de tendencia progresista.
Algunos estados tratan de suavizar el impacto de forma proactiva.
En Hawaii, los legisladores se han propuesto ayudar a organizaciones sin fines de lucro que ya enfrentan disminución en fondos federales. Repartirán $50 millones en subvenciones a organizaciones de salud, servicios sociales y otras que hayan sufrido recortes. Para acceder a los fondos, deben demostrar que su financiación fue eliminada, reducida o afectada por los recortes.
“No es justo que organizaciones dedicadas a ayudar al pueblo de Hawaii se vean obligadas a reducir sus servicios por los recortes federales”, declaró el gobernador demócrata Josh Green en un comunicado.
Otros estados recortan proyectos para enfrentar la situación.
El gobernador de Delaware, Matt Meyer, demócrata, supo en marzo que la administración Trump retiraría $38 millones en fondos de salud pública al estado. Como consecuencia, un mes después, los líderes legislativos estatales frenaronun proyecto para renovar y ampliar el complejo del Capitolio estatal.
“Reconocimos que los recortes federales irresponsables a la red de protección social de miles de habitantes de Delaware nos obligaban a ahorrar recursos para proteger a los más vulnerables”, dijo David Sokola, presidente temporal del Senado estatal.
En Nuevo México, el estado con el mayor porcentaje de residentes inscritos en Medicaid, un grupo bipartidista de legisladores votó a favor de crear un fondo fiduciario para reforzar el financiamiento del programa. Según algunas estimaciones, aproximadamente el 10% de los más de 800.000 residentes que están cubiertos por Medicaid y el Programa de Seguro Médico para Niños (CHIP, en inglés) podrían perder su cobertura bajo esta nueva ley federal.
Algunos líderes estatales advierten a sus comunidades que lo peor está por venir.
En un evento realizado el 18 de agosto en un hospital del sur del Bronx, en la ciudad de Nueva York, la gobernadora demócrata Kathy Hochul subió al escenario junto a trabajadores de salud para criticar la nueva ley de Trump.
“Lo que los republicanos en Washington han hecho con la ‘Ley Más Horrible’ que he visto es, literalmente, perjudicar a los neoyorquinos”, dijo. El sistema de salud del estado se prepara para enfrentar recortes cercanos a los $13.000 millones al año.
El presidente Donald Trump firma la llamada One Big Beautiful Bill, rodeado de senadores y representantes republicanos, el 4 de julio.(Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
En California, los legisladores analizaron el impacto de los recortes en una audiencia del comité de la Asamblea General el 20 de agosto, donde algunos legisladores demócratas señalaron que programas estatales como los de salud reproductiva estaban en peligro.
“Nos hemos preparado para esta realidad: la llamada ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ del presidente Trump ahora es ley”, dijo el legislador demócrata Gregg Hart durante la audiencia, calificándola como “un ataque directo a los programas fundamentales de California y a nuestros valores”.
“Lamentablemente, la realidad es que el estado no tiene la capacidad para compensar todos estos recortes federales draconianos con el presupuesto actual”, agregó. “No podemos simplemente firmar un cheque y hacer que esto desaparezca”.
La radical ley presupuestaria, que fue aprobada sin apoyo demócrata, reducirá el gasto federal en Medicaid en aproximadamen $1.000 millones durante la próxima década, según estimaciones de la Oficina de Presupuesto del Congreso (CBO). Las reducciones en el gasto vienen en gran medida de la imposición de un requisito laboral para las personas que obtuvieron Medicaid con la expansión promovida por la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio (ACA), además de otras nuevas barreras para acceder a la cobertura.
Según la CBO, más de 7,5 millones de personas perderán la cobertura de Medicaid y quedarán sin seguro, mientras se extienden recortes fiscales para personas ricas que, según los demócratas, no los necesitan.
Por su parte, los republicanos y el presidente Trump afirman que el paquete fiscal y los recortes en los programas son necesarios para evitar el fraude y el despilfarro, y para garantizar la sostenibilidad de Medicaid, un programa federal-estatal que brinda cobertura a personas con discapacidades y de bajos ingresos.
“La One Big Beautiful Bill elimina a los inmigrantes ilegales, aplica requisitos laborales y protege a Medicaid para los verdaderamente vulnerables”, anunció la Casa Blanca en un comunicado del 29 de junio.
Los recortes a Medicaid no comenzarán hasta después de las elecciones legislativas de mitad de mandato en noviembre de 2026, pero ya se han aplicado otros recortes.
La administración Trump ha intentado recuperar $11.000 millones en fondos federales de salud pública destinados a los estados durante la pandemia, lo que provocó una batalla legal con una coalición de estados gobernados por demócratas. También recortó unos $1.000 millones en subvenciones federales para servicios de salud mental en las escuelas y detuvo los fondos de los Institutos Nacionales de Salud (NIH) que financiaban a más de 90 universidades públicas.
Un análisis de KFF Health News demuestra que las cancelaciones han afectado a todo el país, sin importar la afiliación política o la ubicación geográfica. De las organizaciones que sufrieron recortes en el primer mes, aproximadamente el 40% se encuentran en estados que Trump ganó en noviembre.
La secretaria de prensa del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos (HHS), Emily Hilliard, dijo que la agencia prioriza las inversiones que respalden el mandato de Trump de enfrentar las enfermedades crónicas. Defendió algunos de los recortes y afirmó, erróneamente, que la nueva ley no reduce Medicaid.
“La pandemia de covid-19 ya terminó, y elHHS no seguirá desperdiciando miles de millones de dólares de los contribuyentes en una crisis que los estadounidenses superaron hace años”, dijo.
Líderes estatales señalan que los fondos federales por la pandemia, que la administración busca recuperar, se habían destinado a otras medidas de salud pública, como la vigilancia de enfermedades emergentes, la respuesta ante brotes y la contratación de personal. En mayo, fiscales estatales ganaron una orden de restricción temporal contra la administración.
“Lo que estamos viendo ahora es que los estados anticipan grandes recortes a Medicaid, pero también enfrentan una serie de recortes federales más pequeños, pero significativos, en programas de salud pública”, dijo Larry Levitt, vicepresidente ejecutivo de políticas de salud en KFF. (KFF Health News es uno de los programas de KFF)
Parte del desafío para los estados es simplemente entender los cambios.
“Creo que es justo decir que hay preocupación, confusión e incertidumbre”, afirmó Kathryn Costanza, experta en Medicaid en la Conferencia Nacional de Legislaturas Estatales.
Los estados intentan entenderlo todo, creando grupos asesores para seguir los cambios federales, presentando demandas para intentar bloquear los recortes y reasignando fondos.
En Colorado, los legisladores aprobaron una ley que permite que fondos estatales de Medicaid se usen para servicios de salud —excluyendo abortos— en clínicas de Planned Parenthood of America, después de que la nueva ley de Trump prohibiera la financiación federal para este tipo de atención. Aún está por verse si esa prohibición se mantiene en los tribunales.
La legislatura de Louisiana asignó $7,5 millones a universidades estatales para compensar los recortes en financiación federal para la investigación, gran parte de ella relacionada con temas de salud.
Y en Dakota del Sur, el banco de alimentos más grande del estado pidió a los legisladores que destinen $3 millones para compensar recortes en fondos del Departamento de Agricultura de Estados Unidos.
Los estados deben equilibrar sus presupuestos cada año, por lo que los recortes ponen en riesgo muchos servicios si los legisladores no están dispuestos a aumentar impuestos. El trabajo comenzará en serio en enero, cuando muchos estados inicien sus nuevas sesiones legislativas.
Y es probable que las decisiones difíciles continúen. Los republicanos en la Cámara de Representantes del Congreso consideran nuevas leyes que podrían traer más recortes, como la reducción al generoso financiamiento federal que actualmente reciben 20 millones de adultos inscritos en Medicaid gracias a la expansión de ACA.
Como resultado, algunos estados revertirán sus expansiones de Medicaid y recortarán aún más programas de salud.
From Software’s games tend to be challenging for most players, and the developer is making things even harder with Elden Ring Nightreign’s new Deep of Night mode. Before that launches later this week, Elden Ring Nightreign has received patch 1.02.2 with new bug fixes and gameplay tweaks. From Software has also shared a video that breaks down some of the changes coming in Deep of Night.
One of the ways Deep of Night will keep players on edge is that they won’t know which Night Lord they’re actually facing until the battle begins. Flexibility is going to be the key to overcoming those battles, and the video suggests preparing relic presets before going into those fights.
More powerful enemies will appear throughout Deep of Night, and players will have the opportunity to pick up weapons that can dispatch them. However, those weapons will have a detrimental effect on player characters that may make battles even more grueling. As players go deeper into Deep of Night, their enemies will become increasingly difficult.
In the patch notes, From Software indicated that Everdark Sovereign Libra may be a little easier going forward because his Condemned warriors will now have less damage negation and they will drop items that can help players in-battle.
Guardian class heroes will be receiving increased strength and dexterity when leveling up, as well as a larger range for their ultimate art’s attack. The patch also appears to penalize players who drop out of matches, even if their connection was disrupted. But players can remove the penalty if they rejoin the session.
Deep of Night will go live on September 11. The full notes for Elden Ring Nightreign version 1.02.2 are included below.
Balance Changes and Feature Updates
Nightfarers Adjustments
Wylder
Increased Poise while casting Claw Shot.
Increased Stamina damage dealt by Claw Shot to blocking enemies.
Guardian
Increased Strength and Dexterity gain when leveling up.
Increased the Steel Guard passive ability angle range.
Increased the range of the Wings of Salvation Ultimate Art’s weapon portion.
Increased the attack power of Halberd guard counters.
Duchess
Increased Dexterity gain when leveling up.
Increased the attack power of some Dagger attacks.
Decreased the two-handed Dagger’s second heavy attack damage.
This change does not affect charged attacks.
Increased the duration of the Finale Ultimate Art.
Raider
Increased the Greataxe’s and Great Hammer’s ability to stagger enemies with attacks.
Increased the attack range of the Retaliation skill.
Revenant
Adjusted the transparency of Revenant’s summoned spirits.
Players can now pass through Revenant’s spirits Helen and Frederick.
Recluse
Increased the offensive spells attack power of Magic Cocktail.
Decreased the time required to cast spells using Magic Cocktail.
Executor
Increased attack power while Cursed Sword is in use.
Increased the attack power of the Cursed Sword weapon skill when the skill is in use and the blade is in its unleashed state.
Increased the attack power of some attacks while Aspects of the Crucible: Beast is active.
Weapons, Passive Effects, and Special Effects Adjustments
Increased the stagger damage with dual-wielded jump attacks for some small and medium weapons..
Decreased the stagger damage with dual-wielded jump attacks for some large weapons.
Increased the potency of the death status ailment applied by the weapon skill Death Flare of Eclipse Shotel.
Set a cap on the cumulative effects of the Power of Vengeance and Power of House Marais passive effects and adjusted their potency accordingly.
Adjusted the stagger effect of the “Guard counters trigger holy bursts” passive’s explosion to ensure that it doesn’t reset the enemy’s posture break state.
Relic Effects Adjustments
Adjusted the effect “[Wylder] Standard attacks enhanced with fiery follow-ups when using Character Skill (greatsword only)” to consume stamina when performing follow-up attacks.
Increased the attack power of the “[Wylder] Art activation spreads fire in area” burn effect.
Adjusted the effect “[Wylder] Art activation spreads fire in area” so that the burn effect’s attack power does not vary between one-handed and two-handed weapon wielding.
Increased the duration extension of the “[Ironeye] Extends duration of weak point” effect.
Increased the potency of the “Continuous HP Recovery” effect.
Increased the potency of the “HP restored when using medicinal boluses, etc” effect.
Increased the potency of the “[Recluse] Activating Ultimate Art raises Max HP” effect.
Changed the “[Recluse] Activating Ultimate Art raises Max HP” effect so that the HP increase persists until an attack is received, even after the art’s duration ends.
Increased the amount of Runes obtained through the “Critical Hits Earn Runes” effect.
Increased the potency of the “HP Restoration upon (specific weapon type) attacks” effect.
Increased the potency of the effect “FP Restoration upon (specific weapon type) attacks” effect.
Reduced the duration of the “Improved Poise & Damage Negation When Knocked Back by Damage” effect.
Other Nightfarers Adjustments
Adjusted the visibility of the “Rykard’s Rancor” sorcery.
Everdark Sovereign adjustments
Everdark Sovereign Sentient Pest
Increased attack and stamina attack power against guarding Nightfarers while possessed by Animus, Ascendant Light.
Adjusted and modified the attack actions of Animus, Ascendant Light, Gnoster, Wisdom of Night, and Faurtis Stoneshield.
Reduced the stagger duration when Nightfarers is hit by some attacks of Animus, Ascendant Light.
Everdark Sovereign Equilibrious Beast
Adjusted the effect granted to summoned condemned Nightfarers so that it can be dispelled by Law of Regression.
Increased the enhancement granted by the light dropped by defeated condemned Nightfarers.
Reduced the attack power of the condemned Guardian.
Removed the effect that increased damage negation upon re-summoning condemned.
Reduced the death status effect resistance of condemned Nightfarers.
Adjusted the reaction of condemned Nightfarers to player character’s ranged attacks.
Adjusted the targeting priority of condemned Nightfarers under specific combat rules.
Note: We have confirmed an issue where condemned Nightfarers summoned during this fight may not be rendered under specific conditions. This will be addressed in a future update.
Everdark Sovereign Darkdrift Knight
Increased the HP and stamina attack power against guarding Nightfarers for Fulghor, Champion of Nightglow.
Increased the attack power of some attacks from Fulghor, Champion of Nightglow.
Other Enemies
Adjusted the reaction to player character’s ranged attacks of condemned Nightfarers that appear during events.
Added a stagger reaction when strong attacks, such as Ultimate Arts, hit the Red Wolf of the King Consort boss.
Fixed a bug where some attacks of the Marionette Soldiers were less likely to hit player characters.
Limveld Adjustments
Increased the Night’s Tide damage after defeating the second night boss.
Adjusted the spawn locations of Sentient Pest incursions so they are less likely to occur far from player characters.
Menu Adjustments
Adjusted the design of the Holy attribute icon.
Regarding Penalties for Disconnecting from Online Sessions
Adjusted the penalties rate for session disconnection.
Disconnecting from a session due to network issues or quitting the game during a session in progress will result in penalties, which may limit multiplayer capabilities. Rejoining the session you left will remove the penalty imposed upon disconnection.
Bug fixes
Fixed a bug where the post-attack delay for right-handed Greatswords when handled by Wylder was shorter than expected when using Sorceries or Incantations with a left-hand weapon right after attacking.
Fixed a bug where Guardian’s Wings of Salvation Ultimate Art could be interrupted by enemy attacks or other factors during its activation.
Fixed a bug where Guardian’s Wings of Salvation Ultimate Art could be deflected and interrupted.
Fixed a bug where backstepping as Duchess did not accept pre-inputs for skill commands.
Fixed a bug where spells cast through using the Magic Cocktail skill could be casted again under certain conditions.
Fixed a bug where allied player characters could clip through tombstones when Totem Stella was used.
Fixed a bug where spirits summoned by Revenant did not revive if their HPs were depleted.
Fixed a bug where special effects applied to spirits summoned by Revenant would appear above Revenant.
Fixed a bug where Executor could not perform critical hits using the Cursed Sword while holding a weapon in the right hand that cannot land critical hits.
Fixed a bug where the Relic Effect “HP Restoration upon Thrusting Counterattack” did not apply to the attacks of Executor’s Cursed Sword.
Fixed a bug where Executor could not use pre-inputs for actions after deflecting an enemy attack with the Cursed Sword under certain circumstances.
Fixed a bug where accumulated effects of Power of Vengeance and Power of House Marais Passive Effects would disappear when opening the large door and moving to the final battle area by using the “Open the door” action prompt in the Spirit Shelter.
Fixed a bug where the rarity of weapons placed directly on the field from Dormant Power might not be displayed correctly.
Fixed an issue where Passive Effects triggered by walking did not activate during horizontal movement with precision-aimed shots using “Bow” and “Crossbow”.
Fixed an issue where the player character could become unresponsive for several seconds after performing an attack from a stance with certain Skills.
Fixed an issue where the passive effect “Improved Charged Sorceries” was not applied to the sorcery “Shattering Crystal”.
Fixed an issue where the status ailment “Frostbite” could be inflicted on the player character due to the accumulation of the frostbite status ailment from some enemy attacks while using an Ultimate Art.
Fixed an issue in the battle with the Everdark Sovereign “Equilibrious Beast” where “Libra, Creature of Night” could move below the ground under certain conditions.
Fixed a bug where levels would decrease without healing from flasks when False Blessing occured during the battle against Everdark Sovereign Equilibrious Beast.
Fixed a bug where the player would level down if the False Blessing effect was activated during the battle against Everdark Sovereign: Equilibrious Beast, even if the action was interrupted by an enemy attack before the HP recovery effect occurred.
Fixed a bug where blessings would become usable again after defeating the second night boss.
Fixed a bug where the player character could perform unintentional moves when using the Spectral Hawk.
This addresses issues that were not fully resolved in App Ver. 1.02.
Fixed a bug where the player might not be correctly transported to the battle area if they died from falling during the cutscene while moving to the final battle area in the Spirit Shelter.
Fixed a bug where Dormant Power might not appear upon defeating an enemy under unstable network conditions.
Fixed a bug where the effect of an used Wending Grace could activate when rejoining a session after a disconnection.
Reduced rendering load for some attacks of the Everdark Sovereign Tricephalos on PS4 and Xbox One.
PC-Only Adjustments
Fixed a bug where it was difficult to switch targets with a diagonal input.
Improved game stability in some environments.
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Analytical chemists from Stellenbosch University (SU) have provided the first evidence of a rare class of phenolics, called flavoalkaloids, in Cannabis leaves.
Phenolic compounds, especially flavonoids, are well-known and sought after in the pharmaceutical industry because of their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties.
The researchers identified 79 phenolic compounds in three strains of Cannabis grown commercially in South Africa, of which 25 were reported for the first time in Cannabis. Sixteen of these compounds were tentatively identified as flavoalkaloids. Interestingly, the flavoalkaloids were mainly found in the leaves of only one of the strains. The results were published in the Journal of Chromatography A recently.
Dr Magriet Muller, an analytical chemist in the LC-MS laboratory of the Central Analytical Facility (CAF) at Stellenbosch University and first author on the paper, says the analysis of plant phenolics is challenging due to their low concentration and extreme structural diversity.
“Most plants contain highly complex mixtures of phenolic compounds, and while flavonoids occur widely in the plant kingdom, the flavoalkaloids are very rare in nature,” she explains.
“We know that Cannabis is extremely complex – it contains more than 750 metabolites – but we did not expect such high variation in phenolic profiles between only three strains, nor to detect so many compounds for the first time in the species. Especially the first evidence of flavoalkaloids in Cannabis was very exciting.”
For her postgraduate studies in SU’s Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, she developed powerful analytical methods combining comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry for the detailed characterisation of phenolic compounds.
“We were looking for a new application for the methods that I developed, after successfully testing them on rooibos tea, grapes and wine. I then decided to apply the methods to Cannabis because I knew it was a complex sample, and that Cannabis phenolics have not been well characterised,” she explains.
According to Prof. André de Villiers, her study leader and main author on the paper, he was blown away by the chromatographic results that Muller obtained: “The excellent performance of two-dimensional liquid chromatography allowed separation of the flavoalkaloids from the much more abundant flavonoids, which is why we were able to detect these rare compounds for the first time in Cannabis.” He leads the analytical chemistry research group in SU’s Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science.
Prof. De Villiers says it is obvious there is still much to gain from studying Cannabis, as the bulk of research in this field to date has been focused on the pharmacological properties of the mood-effecting cannabinoids.
“Our analysis again highlights the medicinal potential of Cannabis plant material, currently regarded as waste. Cannabis exhibits a rich and unique non-cannabinoid phenolic profile, which could be relevant from a biomedical research perspective,” he concludes.
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Losing weight can be a challenging journey, filled with trial and error, fad diets, and sometimes unhealthy shortcuts. Many people learn important lessons only after facing setbacks or unexpected results. A woman named Kate Daniel, who successfully lost over 70 kgs, shares in her Instagram post 7 things she will never do again for weight loss, offering valuable insights for anyone trying to shed pounds safely and sustainably. (Also read: Woman who lost 70+ kgs shares 5 daily habits that helped her lose weight and keep it off: ‘The real challenge was…’ )
Kate shares 7 things she’ll never so again on her weight loss journey.(Instagram/@bariatric_chic)
Kate opens up about her long struggle with weight loss. “I spent years stuck in the same cycle, starting a new diet every Monday, telling myself this time would be different, only to end up right back where I started. I tried everything, every diet, tracking every calorie, punishing myself with workouts, obsessing over the scale, and none of it worked long term,” she says.
She adds, “It wasn’t just about eating less, it was about relearning how to think about food, movement, and my body. Here are 7 things I’ll never do again and why it changed everything.”
Let’s take a look at her recommendations:
1. Stopped the ‘start over Monday’ mentality
Kate says, “One off meal doesn’t erase progress. Every choice is a chance to move forward, not a reason to restart. Letting go of all-or-nothing thinking changed everything.”
2. Ate to fuel, not deprive
She shares, “After bariatric surgery, it’s about giving my body what it needs, not punishing it. No more strict diet rules, just food that makes me feel good.”
3. Moved for strength, not punishment
According to Kate, “Movement became something I get to do, not have to do. It’s about feeling strong, energised, and capable, not just burning calories.”
4. Freed myself from scale
She explains, “The number doesn’t define me. I measure progress through energy, confidence, and how I feel in my body, not a fluctuating number.”
5. Trusted hunger and fullness cues
Kate adds, “I stopped ignoring my body. No more eating because it’s ‘time’ or stopping because an app says so. I trust my own hunger and fullness signals.”
6. Took action despite overthinking
She says, “I used to wait for the perfect moment. Now, I act even when it’s messy and progress beats perfection every time.”
7. Embraced lifelong learning
Kate explains, “Weight loss isn’t a finish line. My body, mind, and needs keep evolving. Thriving means staying open, learning, and growing constantly.”
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
The treatment, which J&J will sell as Inlexzo, is a medical device that releases the chemotherapy gemcitabine into the bladder. It’s approved for use in people whose disease hasn’t yet spread but doesn’t respond or stopped responding to a commonly used immunotherapy. Historically, those patients have had have their bladders surgically removed.
J&J executives have predicted Inlexzo will achieve blockbuster sales, and highlighted how the company’s internal sales estimates are more than three times higher than Wall Street’s predictions. “We really think that we’ve got a winner there,” Jennifer Taubert, the head of the company’s pharmaceuticals business, said on a conference call in July.
The deal gave J&J a treatment it says could change way the “non-muscle invasive” form of bladder cancer — when cancer cells haven’t yet spread beyond the bladder’s inner lining — is treated. Patients with this disease typically receive a type of immunotherapy known as BCG. But there are limited options for those who don’t respond or see their cancers return. Many have their bladders removed.
Inlexzo could help patients avoid that outcome. Doctors insert Inlexzo with a catheter into the bladder, where it releases the chemotherapy gemcitabine. After three weeks, the device is removed and replaced with a new one that lasts up to six months. Afterwards, newer devices are implanted every 12 weeks for up to 18 months.
In clinical testing, Inlexzo eliminated tumors in 82% of people enrolled in a clinical trial. About half maintained that response for at least one year. In a similar setting, Merck & Co.’s Keytruda — which is also approved for non muscle-invasive bladder cancer — drove away tumors in 41% of people who got it, although the two products haven’t been tested head-to-head.
“The data that we’ve presented there looks fabulous,” Taubert told analysts during the July conference call. “We’ve really designed this product by urologists, for urologists to seamlessly fit into routine clinical practice.”
In a client note that month, Leerink Partners analyst David Risinger wrote that the company’s ambitious revenue projections suggest J&J believes Inlexzo will record $2.4 billion in sales in 2028.
But Inlexzo faces competition. Since 2020, the FDA has approved Keytruda, a gene therapy from Ferring Pharmaceuticals as well as treatments from ImmunityBio and UroGen Pharma. A type of oncolytic virus treatment from CG Oncology also succeeded in Phase 3 testing. CG has said it hopes to begin submitting an FDA approval application by the end of 2025.
Single-person households are the fastest-growing household type in Australia.
This isn’t a short-term shift but a long-term demographic trend reshaping the housing market, economy, and community design.
Smaller households increase housing demand, not reduce it, because one person needs almost as much infrastructure as a family.
Supply is mismatched: we keep building large family homes on the fringe while demand is growing for smaller, well-located dwellings.
One of the biggest shifts quietly reshaping Australia is the rise of people living alone.
While our headlines are dominated by talk of housing shortages, migration, and interest rates, the reality is that who lives in those homes, and how, is just as important as how many homes we need.
Today, single-person households are the fastest-growing household type in the country.
And this isn’t just a temporary blip; it’s a deep demographic trend that will have ripple effects across the property market, the economy, and even how we build our communities.
For weekly insights subscribe to the Demographics Decoded podcast, where we will continue to explore these trends and their implications in greater detail.
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Why living alone is on the rise
Several forces are driving this trend, and together they’re reshaping what a “typical” household looks like.
We’re living longer lives. Australians enjoy some of the longest life expectancies in the world.That means more widows and widowers living alone for 10, 20, even 30 years after their partner passes away. What once might have been just a few years in older age has stretched into decades of solo living.
Marriage and children are delayed. Young Australians are waiting longer to settle down.In decades past, the life cycle was straightforward: leave your parents’ home, get married, start a family.Today, there’s often a 10–15-year gap during which people live on their own, either in shared houses that evolve into solo apartments or directly in single-person dwellings.
“It’s not just that more people are living alone; it’s that they’re living alone for longer stretches of their lives. The traditional life cycle of moving from your parents’ house straight into a family home just doesn’t apply anymore.”
Lifestyle preferences are changing. Independence, privacy, and personal freedom are valued more highly than ever.Many Australians simply prefer living alone, and that choice is easier now thanks to technology, delivery services, and digital social connections.
The housing market impact
Here’s the paradox: even though our household sizes are shrinking, demand for dwellings actually increases.
A single-person household consumes as much housing stock as a family, sometimes more.
Two singles living apart need two kitchens, two bathrooms, two laundries, and two sets of bills.
This is why smaller households drive more housing demand, not less.
And it’s why we’re seeing a structural undersupply in certain types of dwellings.
The biggest areas of demand will be:
Compact apartments and townhouses in desirable, walkable locations.
Downsizer-friendly homes for older Australians who want less maintenance but still need space for family visits.
Well-designed studios and one-bedroom apartments that aren’t just “cheap entry-level” stock, but genuinely liveable, high-quality homes.
The suburban four-bedroom home still has its place, of course, but it no longer fits the fastest-growing demographic.
Simon highlights the structural mismatch:
“We keep building family-sized homes on the urban fringe, but demand is increasingly for smaller, more central dwellings. If we don’t realign supply with reality, affordability and accessibility will only worsen.”
Social and economic implications
Living alone isn’t only a housing story, it’s also a social one.
As more people spend extended periods of their lives without a partner or housemates, the risks of loneliness and social isolation increase.
This has knock-on effects for health, well-being, and even productivity.
Neighbourhood design will matter more than ever.
We’ll need communities that strike a balance between privacy and opportunities for connection; think mixed-use precincts with cafés, libraries, gyms, and green spaces that encourage people to leave their homes and engage with others.
Technology will help, but it can’t fully replace human interaction.
Governments, developers, and investors all need to think not just in terms of “roofs over heads” but also about fostering livable, supportive, connected communities.
What it means for property investors
For investors who understand how demographics drives our housing markets this is an opportunity.
The challenge is that many of our existing dwellings don’t fit future demand.
The opportunity lies in anticipating what tomorrow’s buyers and renters actually want.
The key characteristics of in-demand properties will include:
Smaller, efficient homes with clever design to maximise comfort for one or two people.
Locations that prioritise lifestyle: proximity to cafés, shops, healthcare, and public transport.
Properties suitable for ageing in place, particularly those that appeal to downsizers who want to stay in their local area.
Quality over quantity: one-bedroom apartments that are well-designed and in the right location will outperform cookie-cutter high-rise stock.
The future property winners will be those who match these lifestyle shifts, not just the raw numbers of population growth.
The bigger picture
Australia is still in the midst of strong population growth, but demographics aren’t just about how many people we have; they’re about how those people live.
And as more Australians live alone, the property market will need to evolve.
To me, the bottom line is this: investors who understand these shifts will be better positioned to own the kinds of properties that remain in demand, no matter how our lifestyles change.
As Simon Kuestenmacher wisely said:
“The rise of single-person households isn’t a problem, but it is a challenge. It requires us to rethink how we design housing, cities, and services to ensure these Australians live well, not just alone.”
Australia’s property market has always adapted to change, from the post-war boom to the rise of dual-income households and the apartment surge of recent decades.
The rise of solo living is the next frontier. And those who anticipate it will be the ones who thrive.
If you found this discussion helpful, don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast and share it with others who might benefit.
Subscribe now on your favourite Podcast player:
About Michael Yardney Michael is the founder of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He’s once again been voted Australia’s leading property investment adviser and one of Australia’s 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media.
Apple has always struggled with how to bridge the gap between its Pro and base iPhones. While models like the iPhone 5c and XR were clearly budget versions, the bridging attempts really started with the Mini models in the iPhone 12 and 13 series, offering a smaller, more affordable option. Then came the Plus models with the iPhone 14, giving a bigger screen without pushing you into the Pro lineup.
Now, in its latest attempt, Apple has introduced the Air branding to the iPhone. It’s easily one of the most puzzling iPhones I’ve ever seen. On paper, it’s a technical marvel, but I’m still not sure who it’s meant for.
The iPhone Air is Apple’s newest gamble on form over function
It’s like Jony Ive never left
Apple seems to have taken a trip down memory lane this year by putting design front and center once again, instead of focusing on genuinely useful features. The entire pitch for the iPhone Air is that it’s insanely light and thin; I’ll admit that, from an engineering standpoint, it is impressive. At just 5.6 millimeters (0.22 in) thick, it’s even thinner than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and weighs only 165 grams (5.8 oz).
It also gets all the fancy features from the higher-end models, like the smooth ProMotion screen, an always-on display, and even the upgraded selfie camera. It comes with the latest A19 Pro chip found in the iPhone 17 Pro, though with one less GPU core. Combined with the all-new design and these features, it looks like a compelling package on paper.
It reminds me of Steve Jobs introducing the original MacBook Air by pulling it out of an envelope. This feels like the smartphone version of that moment, where Apple is all about making something impossibly thin and sleek.
But at the same time, this is also a familiar story. Apple has a history of prioritizing form over function, which usually comes with major compromises. A great example of this from the past is the iPhone 7, which was the first model to remove the headphone jack. One of the reasons given for that decision was to achieve a thinner profile.
For starters, the iPhone Air only comes with one camera, which is the same as the main camera on the standard iPhone 17. It’s a Fusion camera, so you can still zoom in and take 2x photos by cropping from the 24MP sensor down to 12MP without losing much quality.
Where it really lets you down is the missing ultrawide lens. That’s a feature that’s pretty important for many people, and what makes it even worse is that you can’t shoot macro photos on this iPhone either.
Battery life is another area where you might have to compromise. During the keynote, Apple mentioned that the iPhone Air can get 40 hours of video playback, but that’s with the new $99 iPhone Air MagSafe Battery. It didn’t inspire much confidence when the battery life had to be advertised with an external accessory.
There are even smaller corners cut that you won’t find on the product pages. For example, the iPhone Air only has one speaker, meaning you miss out on stereo sound, and it also lacks mmWave 5G support. But what really kills the deal for me is the $999 price tag.
The other iPhones are better deals
You’ll get more bang for your buck
Screenshot by Raghav -> No attribution needed Source: https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/
All those compromises are something you might be able to live with, but what really bothers me is that the other iPhones seem like a better deal. The iPhone 17 starts at the same base price of $799 and offers a lot more.
For starters, you get the same main camera along with a 48MP ultrawide lens. That means you also don’t have to settle for missing out on macro shots, and you can also shoot videos using Cinematic mode.
It also comes with a bigger battery, plus slightly faster MagSafe charging, better speakers, mmWave 5G, and more for $200 less. In the end, you’re getting more features at a lower price. Even the display is the same, with the only difference being that the iPhone Air is 0.2 inches bigger.
The irony is that the iPhone 17 has an aluminum body instead of the titanium body used in the iPhone Air. Since aluminum has a lower density than titanium, the Air only manages to be 12 grams (0.42 oz) lighter. So the only real advantage it offers is how it feels in your hand and its design.
The titanium frame is mainly for durability, but it comes with another downside: thermals. That makes it a good lead into the iPhone 17 Pro. After two years with titanium, Apple switched the Pro iPhones back to an aluminum unibody frame for better heat management, along with a newer vapor chamber. These are features the iPhone Air doesn’t have, even though it shares the same A19 Pro chip.
Even setting these issues aside, the iPhone 17 Pro is just $100 more and offers a lot more compared to the iPhone Air. It has better cameras, a larger battery, and improved thermals. The value clearly leans toward the Pro and the base iPhone 17.
A gorgeous phone that asks for some sacrifices
I do believe the Air is the most visually stunning iPhone Apple has ever made, but it still hasn’t been enough to convince me to give up other features for the look and feel. That said, if you can live with the trade-offs and you prioritize design, the iPhone Air is the perfect phone for you.
What I feel is that the iPhone Air is Apple’s new testing ground. It’s a way to experiment with how this design could trickle down to other iPhones. It’s also likely laying the groundwork for something bigger down the line, such as a foldable iPhone.
The technique used for drying crimson snapper is a traditional way of preserving fish in Danzhou, Hainan Province. The raw material, crimson snapper, is descaled, gutted, cleaned, and salted before being sun-dried. The final product is convenient and can be stored for a long time. The drying technique was included in Danzhou’s list of municipal-level intangible cultural heritage in May 2022, and continues to play an important role in the local marine food culture.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-10/Danzhou-dried-snapper-bask-in-the-sun-in-celebration-of-the-harvest-1GyqdxhpmHm/img/cbcda034bb9a479aab2fad71cd33cb56/cbcda034bb9a479aab2fad71cd33cb56.jpeg'With the arrival of autumn, it is common to see crimson snapper being dried in Danzhou, Hainan Province. /Photo provided to CGTN
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-10/Danzhou-dried-snapper-bask-in-the-sun-in-celebration-of-the-harvest-1GyqdxhpmHm/img/cbcda034bb9a479aab2fad71cd33cb56/cbcda034bb9a479aab2fad71cd33cb56.jpeg'With the arrival of autumn, it is common to see crimson snapper being dried in Danzhou, Hainan Province. /Photo provided to CGTN
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-10/Danzhou-dried-snapper-bask-in-the-sun-in-celebration-of-the-harvest-1GyqdxhpmHm/img/cbcda034bb9a479aab2fad71cd33cb56/cbcda034bb9a479aab2fad71cd33cb56.jpeg'With the arrival of autumn, it is common to see crimson snapper being dried in Danzhou, Hainan Province. /Photo provided to CGTN
This drying technique reflects the survival wisdom of Hainan fishermen as they adapted to their natural environment. The product itself has also become an important ingredient in festive gifts and home-cooked dishes.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-10/Danzhou-dried-snapper-bask-in-the-sun-in-celebration-of-the-harvest-1GyqdxhpmHm/img/dc992b4c582d4be9b77ec857a58d476e/dc992b4c582d4be9b77ec857a58d476e.jpeg' alt='With the arrival of autumn, it is common to see crimson snapper being dried in Danzhou, Hainan Province. /Photo provided to CGTN'
With the arrival of autumn, it is common to see crimson snapper being dried in Danzhou, Hainan Province. The local people have a deep affection for the fish. Every year during the festive season, dried crimson snapper is a must-have item for New Year’s celebrations. Giving someone snapper is considered the ultimate gift, symbolizing a heartfelt wish for prosperity and good fortune.
Fox News is launching a new Sunday program with its senior White House correspondents Peter Doocy and Jacqui Heinrich, the network announced Wednesday.
The new Washington-based program called “The Sunday Briefing” will replace “MediaBuzz,” the long-running media criticism show hosted by Howie Kurtz that airs at 11 a.m. Eastern.
Heinrich and Doocy will rotate as solo hosts of the “The Sunday Briefing.” Both have covered the White House for Fox News since 2021.
In a statement, Fox News said the new program, which debuts Sept. 21, “will tackle all facets of the White House beat, including the President of the United States’ national and international moves as well as the key issues impacting the administration.”
The son of “Fox & Friends” host Steve Doocy, Peter Doocy, 38, gained notoriety for his combative questions in the White House briefing room during the Biden administration.
Fox News senior White House Correspondent Peter Doocy.
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Heinrich, 36, is a highly respected Washington correspondent known for straight reporting on the conservative-leaning network. Her fact-driven approach has occasionally annoyed the Trump administration and opinion hosts at the network who ardently support the president.
Kurtz has anchored “MediaBuzz” since 2013. He will remain at the network as a political media analyst and continue to host a podcast. His final TV program is Sunday.
Kurtz came to Fox from CNN, where he was the original host of “Reliable Sources.” The media criticism program was canceled in 2022 when it was hosted by Brian Stelter.
Fox News is also adding a new weekend program with former Trump White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. “Saturday in America with Kayleigh McEnany” will air for two hours at 10 a.m. Eastern.
McEnany joined Fox News in March 2021 as a commentator and was later named as a co-host on the daily daytime talk show “Outnumbered.” She will continue in that role.
Fox News also named Griff Jenkins as the new co-host of the weekend edition of “Fox & Friends.” The program has used rotating co-hosts since Pete Hegseth departed to join the Trump administration as Secretary of Defense.
Jenkins, a Fox News correspondent since 2003, will sit alongside current “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-hosts Rachel Campos-Duffy and Charlie Hurt.
Fox News also named conservative commentator Tomi Lahren and Iraq war veteran Johnny Jones as permanent co-hosts for its weekend panel program “The Big Weekend Show.”
New Delhi, September 10: The Congress party has strongly criticised the BJP after the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) directed automobile companies to display posters at all dealerships highlighting vehicle price reductions following the recent GST rationalisation. The directive, issued through the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), also requires the posters to feature Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph.
The Congress Kerala unit, posting on X, accused the BJP of misusing government machinery for political propaganda. “Modi has made it mandatory for car companies to display his photo along with old and new price list. We request all companies to put Modiji’s photo on left side, who was responsible for implementing the old, high GST rates. Footwear companies and undergarment companies are replanning to put Modi’s photos on their products before waiting for the orders to be issued,” the party said. GST Rate Cut: Tata Motors To Pass Full GST Reduction Benefit to Customers, List of Cars and SUVs That Will See Price Drops.
Congress Slams BJP Over Mandatory GST Price Cut Posters With PM Narendra Modi’s Photo
Modi has made it mandatory for car companies to display his photo along with old and new price list.
We request all companies to put Modiji’s photo on left side, who was responsible for implementing the old, high GST rates.
Meanwhile, Business Standard quoted industry sources as saying that they estimate the automobile sector may collectively spend INR 20–30 crore to design, print, and distribute these posters nationwide. Car and two-wheeler companies have already begun preparing versions for approval by the ministry. A key concern is whether regional language posters will need separate clearances or if a single English version will suffice. Another unresolved issue is whether costs will be borne by manufacturers, dealers, or shared between them. GST 2.0: What Gets Cheaper and Costlier? New GST Rates Announced for Cars, Cigarettes, Life Insurance and More – List Here.
Luxury carmakers have been exempt from the directive, which focuses entirely on the mass-market segment. Posters are expected to be on display at dealerships by the end of the week.
The GST Council recently reduced tax on small cars to 18% from 29–31% and cut rates on larger cars to 40% from 50%, scrapping the compensation cess. Automakers including Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors, Mahindra, Toyota, and Kia have already announced price cuts.
While industry is treating the directive as compliance, Congress insists the government is blurring lines between governance and political promotion.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 10, 2025 05:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
The United Arab Emirates has released an open source model that performs advanced reasoning as well as the best offerings from both the United States and China—one of the strongest signs so far that the nation’s big investments in artificial intelligence are starting to pay off.
The new model, K2 Think, comes from researchers at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) located in the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi. The model—one of the first so-called sovereign AI models that incorporates technical advances needed for reasoning—is being made available for free by G42, an Emirati tech conglomerate backed by Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth funds. G42 is running the model on a cluster of Cerebras chips, an alternative to Nvidia’s hardware.
K2 Think is one of the UAE’s contributions to the global race to demonstrate prowess in a technology widely expected to have huge economic and geopolitical implications. The US and China are considered the dominant players in this contest. But many smaller nations, especially ones with considerable wealth to invest, are also racing to develop their own “sovereign” AI models.
K2 Think is relatively modest in size, with 32 billion parameters. It is not a complete large language model but rather a model specialized for reasoning, capable of answering complex questions through a simulated kind of deliberation rather than quickly synthesizing information to provide an output. For such tasks, the researchers say it performs on par with reasoning models from OpenAI and DeepSeek, which have more than 200 billion parameters.
“This is a technical innovation or, in my opinion, a disruption,” Eric Xing, MBZUAI’s president and lead AI researcher, told WIRED ahead of today’s announcement.
Xing says the model demonstrates a particularly effective combination of a number of recent technical innovations. These include fine-tuning on long strings of simulated reasoning, an agentic planning process that breaks problems down in different ways, and reinforcement learning that trains the model to reach verifiably correct answers. Other innovations allow the model to be served very efficiently on Cerebras chips.
“How to make a smaller model function as well as a more powerful one—that’s a lesson to learn, if other people want to learn from us,” Xing said.
Xing adds that K2 Think was developed using several thousands of GPUs (he declined to give a precise number), and the final training run involved 200 to 300 chips. The plan is to incorporate K2 Think into a full LLM in the coming months. MBZUAI has open sourced the model and published a technical report that details how different innovations were combined to create it.
Other nations in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, are also investing heavily in AI infrastructure and research. President Donald Trump traveled to the region in May to announce numerous AI deals involving US tech companies.
The UAE’s leadership has invested billions to establish itself as a strategically important research hub. The country has already revealed some cutting-edge AI research and established an outpost in Silicon Valley. The UAE has lessened its ties to China in return for access to the US silicon needed to train frontier models.
Peng Xiao, CEO of G42, and a MBZUAI board member, said in a statement: “By proving that smaller, more resourceful models can rival the largest systems, this achievement shows how Abu Dhabi is shaping the next wave of global innovation.”
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AI Overviews haven’t just shifted how Google presents search results; they’re already reshaping the economics of paid search.
When AI Overviews appear on your most valuable queries, they:
Intercept attention.
Push ads down the page.
Erode click-through rates.
For advertisers, that means revenue leakage even when ads are positioned well.
But it’s not all bad news.
By understanding where and how AI Overviews appear, PPC teams can adapt their strategies, capture more real estate where AI Overviews are weak, and sharpen positioning where they’re strong.
The real question isn’t if AI Overviews will impact your campaigns, it’s whether you’re monitoring and adapting quickly enough to stay ahead.
The AI Overviews challenge: Pain points every PPC team faces
When AI Overviews dominate high-value queries, the effects ripple across every metric that matters. You still get impressions, but CTR can decline, meaning fewer clicks and, ultimately, less revenue.
The danger is also competitive. While you absorb the impact, rivals may adjust their strategies, become more aggressive on queries dominated by AI Overviews, or expand into those with low AI Overview presence to gain visibility more easily.
The hidden opportunities
Yet, AI Overviews don’t appear everywhere, and where they do, their impact isn’t uniform.
In categories where AI Overviews penetration is still low, advertisers can double down on capturing SERP real estate.
Where AI Overviews are prominent, the battle shifts: bidding more aggressively to secure more visibility, expanding reach to capture more revenue, and adjusting ad copy strategy becomes vital.
Device-specific behaviors also create opportunities. In many industries, the frequency of AI Overviews varies between desktop and mobile, offering smart teams a chance to redirect spending to where visibility is clearer.
Perhaps the most powerful lever is intent. AI Overviews do not treat every query equally. For example, informational queries may trigger summaries, while transactional queries still leave space for ads to close the deal.
Industry AI Overviews landscape: What the data reveals
Financial services: Why intent splits matter
Adthena’s Search Landscape showing AI Overviews frequency changes over the last 7 weeks in the US financial services market.
Adthena’s AI Overviews Dashboard reveals AI Overview Frequency, Complex Query Frequency, Search Intent Distribution, and individual search term breakdown for the US financial services market.
Financial services show a stable presence of AI Overviews, but the real insight lies in the intent breakdown. Around 17% of queries are investigational, with users seeking information or context, while 14% are problem-solving, where searchers want specific answers or solutions.
For advertisers, this rules out a one-size-fits-all approach. Problem-solving queries call for strong, direct ad placements to capture conversions, while investigational queries require a different strategy: competing where AI Overviews provide context but stop short of delivering the final answer, and positioning ads as the natural next step.
Retail: Discount terms as a hidden goldmine
Adthena’s Search Landscape showing AI Overviews frequency changes over the last 7 weeks in the UK Retail market.
Adthena’s AI Overviews Dashboard reveals AI Overview Frequency, Complex Query Frequency, Search Intent Distribution, and individual search term breakdown for the UK Retail market.
Adthena’s AI Overviews Dashboard for Retail UK shows a lower AI Overviews presence, with frequency reaching 6% for discount search terms.
Despite low AI Overviews coverage, the search term “discount” is purely transactional, capturing users with high intent. That means ads positioned just below the AI Overviews block can still intercept high-value traffic at the moment of purchase.
Travel: A pure opportunity sector
Adthena’s Search Landscape showing AI Overviews frequency changes over the last 7 weeks in the AU travel market.
Adthena’s AI Overviews Dashboard reveals AI Overview Frequency, Complex Query Frequency, Search Intent Distribution, and individual search term breakdown for the AU travel market.
In travel, the picture looks different. If we look at the search term “last-minute deals,” AI Overviews appear only 32% of the time, and every one of those queries signals transactional intent.
This makes the stakes crystal clear: AI Overviews intercept users who are ready to convert.
This creates urgency for travel brands. Protecting visibility through top ad placements is not optional; it’s essential for the remaining part of the booking funnel.
The relative scarcity of AI Overviews also suggests that travel remains one of the industries with the greatest headroom for paid search to thrive, as we previously outlined in our Search Engine Land article, How Google AI Overviews are changing the PPC game.
However, it’s worth noting that niche or specialist travel brands might experience a more significant impact from AI Overviews on their specific, high-value queries.
Healthcare: Elevated but logical AI Overviews presence
Adthena’s Search Landscape showing AI Overviews frequency changes over the last 7 weeks in the US healthcare market.
Adthena’s AI Overviews Dashboard reveals AI Overview Frequency, Complex Query Frequency, Search Intent Distribution, and individual search term breakdown for the US healthcare market.
Healthcare stands apart, with AI Overviews appearing on more than half of all queries for the search term “treatment,” the highest penetration across industries. This makes sense given the nature of user behavior: 87% of healthcare queries are problem-solving in intent, and Google has leaned on AI Overviews to provide quick informational answers.
Healthcare advertisers should re-evaluate ad copy based on funnel stage and query type. For high AI Overviews queries, more targeted lower-funnel messaging that emphasizes trusted solutions, professional care, or product options will resonate once the informational need is met. On queries with lower AI Overviews presence, upper and mid-funnel ad copy can continue to capture attention earlier in the journey.
Automotive: A wide open landscape
Adthena’s Search Landscape showing AI Overviews frequency changes over the last 7 weeks in the UK Automotive market.
Adthena’s AI Overviews Dashboard reveals AI Overview Frequency, Complex Query Frequency, Search Intent Distribution, and individual search term breakdown for the UK Automotive market.
Automotive is perhaps the most surprising category. Despite being heavily research-driven, AI Overviews are almost absent, appearing on just 11% of any buying-related queries. For now, consumers are still moving through the research and purchase funnel without major AI disruption.
For car dealers and manufacturers, this represents a significant opportunity. By investing in paid visibility now, brands can lock in market share before the adoption of AI Overviews expands more aggressively into the sector.
Cross-industry insights
Search is evolving fast, and the presence of AI Overviews varies by industry and location.
While some sectors see relatively low coverage, others experience higher visibility, highlighting the need for advertisers to monitor trends closely and adapt strategies to maintain performance.
How do I know if AI Overviews are impacting me?
Review your CTR
While a decline in CTR doesn’t necessarily mean the presence of AI Overviews, it could be a signal, especially if nothing else has changed in your campaigns.
Differentiate with smarter ad copy
Many AI Overviews underrepresent brand nuances and emotional triggers. Ads that highlight trust, guarantees, or speed can stand out against AI’s generic summaries.
Another tactic is creating ad copy variants that counter the narratives of AI Overviews. For example, for the search term “best credit cards for students,” dynamic keyword insertion could help you serve a message like “Rated #1 by Students—Compare Offers Today.”
Get ahead with new intelligence
If you’d like to see how AI Overviews are disrupting different industries, our free Market Share reports will soon include insights similar to those shown above.
In the meantime, you can already use the existing reports to spot trends and competitor movements shaping your market.
Adthena’s AI Overviews Dashboard: Intent-based intelligence
These sample insights only scratch the surface. Adthena’s AI Overviews Dashboard reveals the intent patterns behind AI Overviews appearances and that’s where strategy becomes actionable.
Each advertiser gets a completely tailored view of their competitive landscape. You can select specific search terms or categories and even see how AI Overviews impact the terms your competitors bid on.
Where other solutions only capture snapshots of AI Overviews once a week or a month, Adthena continuously indexes search results multiple times per day. This gives advertisers far more accurate and timely visibility into AI Overviews frequency, essential for those relying on Google Ads as a revenue driver, especially as ads begin surfacing directly within AI Overviews.
Unlock advanced AI Overviews intelligence
By tying AI Overviews visibility to intent, advertisers can prioritize spend, messaging, and positioning with precision.
Without visibility into how AI is disrupting your PPC campaigns, revenue forecasts will be disrupted, performance gaps will remain unexplained, and brands will be left behind while competitors adapt faster.
Want to see how AI Overviews are impacting you? Book a demo today to see these insights tailored to your brand.
Republicans insist that President Donald Trump’s cuts to Medicaid were aimed at reducing fraud and getting more of its adult beneficiaries into jobs. But the side effects may include less care for sick kids.
Some children’s hospitals collectively stand to lose billions of dollars in revenue once Trump’s wide-ranging tax and spending law, which Republicans called the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” is fully enacted, according to the Children’s Hospital Association. Kids account for nearly half of enrollees in Medicaid, the state and federally financed health program for low-income and disabled people, and its related Children’s Health Insurance Program.
The law will cut federal Medicaid spending by about $900 billion over a decade.
The reduction “cannot be achieved without directly affecting coverage and care for Arizona’s kids, especially the most vulnerable among them,” said Robert Meyer, chief executive of Phoenix Children’s, a pediatric hospital system. About half of the system’s revenue comes from Medicaid.
Trump’s law locks into place much of his domestic agenda, including a massive expansion of immigration enforcement and an extension of tax cuts that largely benefit the wealthiest Americans. The cuts to Medicaid are expected to partially offset the cost of the president’s priorities, which will add more than $3 trillion to the nation’s deficit, according to the Congressional Budget Office. About 7.5 million Americans will lose Medicaid coverage by 2034 as a result, the CBO estimates.
Throughout debates over the measure, Republicans insisted the Medicaid cuts would affect only nondisabled adults enrolled in the program who don’t work and immigrants living in the U.S. without legal status. “Our legislation preserves Medicaid, strengthens Medicaid for the people who actually need it and deserve it,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said June 1 on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” “And we’re going to get rid of the fraud, waste, and abuse.”
Meyer, though, warned that unless some cuts are reversed, Phoenix Children’s would lose about $172 million a year in payments that supplement the health system’s regular Medicaid revenue, for treating low-income children covered by the program. Medicaid typically pays lower rates for care than commercial insurance or Medicare, the federal program for people age 65 and older.
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The supplemental payments, known as state-directed payments, are financed largely by federal taxpayers through complicated tax arrangements adopted by nearly all states. The payments have helped the Phoenix system open additional pediatric clinics, increase mental health staffing, and screen children for abuse and other trauma, Meyer said.
A provision of Trump’s law would cap the amount of directed payments states could make to any hospital, including those for children. But the cap, which doesn’t take effect until 2028, will be phased in over a decade — and hospitals are already lobbying to ensure that never happens. Days after voting for Trump’s law, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced legislation that would eliminate provisions of the measure cutting Medicaid payments to hospitals.
If the law isn’t changed, at least 29 states would need to reduce their payments, according to an analysis by KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.
The extra Medicaid funds, on average, make up more than a third of children’s hospitals’ total Medicaid revenue and about 14% of their operating revenue overall, according to the Children’s Hospital Association.
Richard Park, a director at Fitch Ratings, a credit rating agency, said the Medicaid funding cuts present a “long-term headwind” for children’s hospitals. Hospital officials say that if the payments are cut and states don’t replace the funding, they could be forced to cut staff and services.
“Services the hospitals provide that require longer admissions or bring in less revenue are going to be in the crosshairs, for sure,” Park said.
Children’s hospitals are especially vulnerable to changes in Medicaid because they count on the program for about half their revenue — a much higher proportion than general acute-care hospitals do.
Most children’s hospitals are in good financial condition, however, because they face little competition — there are seldom more than one or two in a metropolitan area — and strong philanthropic support. And the funding cuts won’t affect all the nation’s approximately 200 children’s hospitals.
In 2023, Phoenix Children’s had a $163 million surplus on nearly $1.5 billion in revenue, according to its 2023 IRS tax return.
Under the law, the extra payments in the District of Columbia and 40 states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act would be capped at Medicare payment rates. The 10 states that didn’t expand would be able to pay up to 110% of Medicare rates.
The Biden administration had allowed states to pay up to their average commercial insurance rates. That’s generally about 2.5 times the Medicare rate, according to KFF.
Medicaid’s traditionally low fees to health providers can make doctors, dentists, and other specialists reluctant to treat patients in the program.
Brian Blase, president of the conservative Paragon Health Institute and a key architect of Medicaid changes in the new law, said cutting state-directed payments is justified because states should not pay hospitals more to treat Medicaid patients than they do for Medicare patients. Unlike regular Medicaid payments for specific health services, hospitals are not always held accountable for how they spend the extra money, he said.
He said state-directed payments to children’s hospitals and other facilities amount to “corporate welfare,” often helping financially strong institutions get richer.
Blase said states have little incentive to pay hospitals less because the money from state-directed payments comes mostly from federal taxpayers.
In Norfolk, Virginia, Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters depends on more than $11 million annually in state-directed payments to make up for what it says is a shortfall between Medicaid’s low reimbursement rates and the cost of advanced care.
The cuts to Medicaid in Trump’s law “will have serious and far-reaching consequences to our services, programs, and patients,” spokesperson Alice Warchol told KFF Health News. “Medicaid supplemental funding helps us pay for the highly specialized pediatric medical, surgical, and psychiatric physicians that are needed to care for every child who needs our services.”
In fiscal 2023, King’s Daughters had a $24 million surplus on $646 million in revenue, according to its federal tax return.
King’s Daughters has used the extra Medicaid money to expand treatment for abused and neglected children and mental health services, Warchol said.
How states account for the extra payments made to hospitals varies. For instance, Utah Medicaid Director Jennifer Strohecker said her state does not track how the money gets spent.
Other states, such as Texas, use the money as an incentive for hospitals to improve their performance in treating patients. They track how well the facilities do each year and publish the findings in public reports.
Matthew Cook, president and chief executive of the Children’s Hospital Association, said that even with the extra funding, Medicaid doesn’t cover the full cost of treatment for its patients.
While some children’s hospitals have strong balance sheets, boosted by philanthropy, that is not the case for all, Cook said. And the Medicaid funding cuts come on top of reductions in other federal payments, including for training doctors and research, he said.
At Phoenix Children’s, Meyer said, the loss of extra funding would curtail expansions of care for children and growth of the hospital’s workforce. The hospital hopes Congress delays or reverses the cuts — but it’s not counting on it, he said.
“We see this grace period as a godsend to get ourselves ready to close the funding gap,” he said.
In 2020, a remake of Sega’s Panzer Dragoon was released on modern consoles by Forever Entertainment. Now, a remake of Panzer Dragoon 2 Zwei is on the horizon from Forever Entertainment and developers MegaPixel Studio and Storm Trident. It may even be coming sooner than expected.
Gematsu shared the announcement that Panzer Dragoon 2 Zwei: Remake will make its public debut September 25-28 at the Rainy Frog booth at the 2025 Tokyo Game Show. The publisher didn’t share a release date, but the game will be available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.
Panzer Dragoon 2 Zwei was originally released in 1996 on Sega Saturn as a prequel to the first game. Players assume control of Jaen Jaqeue Lundi, a young man who defies convention by raising and training a dragon named Lagi. The dragon is the players’ means of transport and their primary weapon in the game, as Lagi and Jaen face an onslaught of deadly enemies while uncovering secrets of lost civilizations.
Like the original, Panzer Dragoon 2 Zwei: Remake will be a rail shooter. It will also have some modern touches, including branching routes and an evolution of Lagi’s powers that depends upon players’ performance and play style. Additionally, players can utilize a berserk attack and replay mission variants after the campaign is finished.
Fans who buy Panzer Dragoon 2 Zwei: Remake will have the option of choosing between classic and modern controls. The game will also feature modernized graphics as well as a remastered version of the soundtrack included alongside the original score.
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Himachal Pradesh National Law University (HPNLU), Shimla, is launching the Fifth Volume of its annual publication, HPNLU LAW JOURNAL (HLJ) (ISSN:2582-8533). In this regard, submissions under different categories are invited from interested faculty members, research scholars, judges, professionals, and students.
The volume is not restricted to any particular theme and submission of manuscripts with an interdisciplinary perspective on contemporary socio-legal issues, theories, and developments, awaiting scholarly treatment are encouraged.
Submission Categories
Lead or Special Articles – 10000-15000 words
Articles – 6000-8000 words
Case Comments – 4000-6000 words
Notes including Legislative Comments – 4000-6000 words
Book Reviews – 2000-4000 words
Themes
There are no specific or particular theme(s) or topic(s) for the Volume. All submissions, whether relating to the legal developments directly or otherwise, are welcome.
Submission Guidelines
All contributions have to be submitted in electronic form. The paper should be processed in MS Office and the following guidelines must be followed –
Paragraphs should be double-spaced.
Margin on the left and the right-hand side for the paragraphs should be one and a half inches.
Font should be in type – Palatino Linotype and size – 11, throughout the paper.
Footnotes should be in font size 10.
Use of italics, bold font, and single inverted commas is suggested for the manuscript.
Abstract of the paper in 250-300 words should be sent along with the electronic submissions.
Author(s) must send a covering letter mentioning the title of the paper, name, designation, and details of the author(s) as well as institutional affiliation. The author is compulsorily required to make a solemn declaration about the originality of the manuscript and that the same has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere.
Deadline
The last date for submission is December 15, 2025.
Disclaimer: WEF April, 2021, Lawctopus will not publish any ‘Call for Papers/Blogs’ by journals that charge money at the time of submission. If you find any journal doing so, please intimate us at tanuj.kalia[at]lawctopus.com
Cases of fatty liver are on the rise, largely fueled by poor dietary habits and processed foods. While the condition can have serious long-term consequences, simple changes to what you eat can significantly reduce fat accumulation in the liver and lower the risk of liver disease.
According to Dr. Saurabh Sethi, sugary drinks and processed foods are detrimental to liver health.(Unsplash)
Also Read | Gastroenterologist says these 10 everyday foods are more dangerous for your liver than sugar
Gastroenterologist Dr Saurabh Sethi, trained at AIIMS, Harvard and Stanford universities, is breaking down the role of unhealthy nutrition choices that contribute to the accumulation of fat in the liver. In an Instagram video posted on September 9, the gut doctor revealed three common food choices that are detrimental to your liver health and should be avoided in order to protect your liver, stressing that simple dietary changes make a big difference.
Sugary drinks
According to Dr Sethi, sugary drinks like sodas and juices “are loaded with empty calories and can severely damage your liver, contributing to fatty liver disease.” Sugary drinks, especially those containing high-fructose corn syrup, contribute to insulin resistance and liver fat accumulation by overwhelming the liver’s ability to process fructose, leading to fat buildup and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, according to a study published in Hepatology Communications.
The gastroenterologist dubs soft drinks as “liquid poison” and recommends sticking to water, sparkling water, tea or coffee, as they are much healthier choices.
Deep-fried foods
Second on Dr Sethi’s list are deep-fried foods. He states, “deep-fried foods, especially those cooked in unhealthy oils, should be avoided,” to reduce liver fat because they are high in unhealthy trans fats and saturated fats, which lead to fat accumulation, inflammation, obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, according to Chennai Liver Foundation.
Also Read | Hepatologist ‘The Liver Doc’ reveals why people must take weight loss drug Mounjaro and who should avoid it
Ultra-processed foods
Lastly, Dr Sethi explains, “Items like chips, candies, sugary cereals, hot dogs, and instant noodles are highly processed and detrimental to liver health.” Ultra-processed foods are high in unhealthy fats, added sugars, and artificial additives that strain the liver, as per Hepatitis NSW, and can contribute to liver inflammation and disruption of the gut microbiome.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
Novartis on Tuesday said it will pay $1.4 billion to acquire the New York-based biotechnology company Tourmaline Bio and its experimental cardiovascular disease drug.
Per deal terms, the Swiss pharmaceutical company will pay $48 per Tourmaline share, a 59% premium to the biotech’s stock’s closing price Monday of about $30.
At the center of the deal is Tourmaline’s anti-inflammatory drug pacibekitug, which the biotech is developing for people with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In May, Tourmaline read out Phase 2 study results that showed pacibekitug reduced levels of a biomarker tied to heart risk. While the stock sold off, analysts viewed the data favorably: Leerink Partners’ Thomas Smith described the drug as “differentiated” in a market he views as having multi-billion dollar potential.
Dive Insight:
Tourmaline went public in 2023 via a reverse merger with the struggling cell therapy developer Talaris. The deal gave Tourmaline funds to develop pacibekitug, an antibody that targets interleukin-6, a protein scientists have linked to systemic inflammation.
Tourmaline had licensed the drug from Pfizer the year before, and set to work developing it for both atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which is caused by the build up of plaque on artery walls, and thyroid eye disease.
Should development in cardiovascular disease succeed, pacibekitug could compete with an rival IL-6 inhibitor, ziltivekimab, that’s being advanced by Novo Nordisk. Tourmaline claims its drug could have an edge against Novo’s drug, which is dosed via monthly subcutaneous injection. By comparison, pacibekitug can be administered quarterly.
In a recent interview with PharmaVoice, Tourmaline CEO Sandeep Kulkarni said a longer interval between dosing could help with treatment adherence and patient outcomes.
Novartis seems to agree: “With no widely adopted anti-inflammatory therapies currently available for cardiovascular risk reduction, pacibekitug represents a potential breakthrough in addressing residual inflammatory risk in ASCVD with a differentiated mechanism of action targeting IL-6,” Shreeram Aradhye, Novartis’ head of development and chief medical officer, in a statement.
The companies expect the acquisition to close in the fourth quarter of this year.
Many investors believe that being “hands-on” means they’re in control.
But the harder they try to manage every detail, the more overwhelmed and ineffective they actually become.
Over-involvement leads to errors, burnout, and missed opportunities, it feels like control, but it’s actually chaos.
Here’s a strange truth that trips up many well-intentioned investors…
The more you try to control every aspect of your property portfolio, the less influence you actually end up having.
Yes, I know—it sounds completely backwards.
Most people believe the secret to building a successful portfolio is being hands-on. After all, if you want things done right, shouldn’t you be the one doing them?
It’s an appealing idea. But also a dangerous one.
Let me explain.
When “hands-on” becomes handcuffs
This is how many smart, ambitious property investors begin their investment journey: with sleeves rolled up and calendars packed to the brim.
Weekends are filled with open homes.
Lunch breaks become frantic calls to agents.
After dinner? Time to fire up Domain or Realestate.com.au and hunt for deals.
I get it. That was me, too, early on.
And to be honest, at first it feels great. You’re in charge. Every decision is yours. You feel like you’re making progress.
But soon enough, the cracks appear.
That ‘perfect’ property you saw during a rushed inspection turns out to have structural issues you didn’t catch.
That suburb you skimmed in a 10-minute Google search is plagued with oversupply.
That tenant you approved between meetings starts missing rent.
And here’s what’s really going on -every new property adds a disproportionate load.
One investment might be manageable, but two or three, perhaps just barely.
But beyond that? You’re not building a portfolio. You’re building yourself a second job.
And spoiler alert: it doesn’t pay nearly as well as your first one.
Real control is strategic, not operational
The big mindset shift for me came when I realised that doing everything yourself isn’t control—it’s chaos.
The kind of control that leads to success is strategic.
It means knowing what levers move the needle on your wealth, and having the clarity and mental bandwidth to pull them.
For example:
Instead of inspecting 20 properties, you assess the pre-vetted opportunities from a trusted buyer’s agent like the team at Metropole.
Instead of dealing with leaky taps and late rent, you review monthly reports from your property manager like the professional team of Metropole Property Management.
Instead of chasing tasks, you make time for decisions – big picture decisions like where to invest next, when to refinance, or whether to diversify.
That’s where the real gains come from.
The delegation transformation
Here’s a reframe that changed everything for me:
Stop being the person who does everything. Start being the person who decides what matters most.
You don’t need to be on the tools. You need to be on the strategy.
You’re not negotiating leases – you’re setting your team’s standards for tenant selection, rental returns, and customer service.
You’re not running spreadsheets every night – you’re deciding on the financial metrics that guide your growth and risk appetite.
The irony? This “hands-off” approach tends to lead to better results.
Why? Because you’re not bogged down in the weeds.
You’re free to zoom out, see the full picture, and act with purpose.
And when your team is made up of trusted professionals – a property strategist, buyers’ agents, property managers, finance strategists, accountants – you’re not letting go of control.
You’re exercising it more effectively.
Busy professionals: this is your secret weapon
Look, I work with high-performing professionals every day -lawyers, doctors, business owners, entrepreneurs.
They’re used to being in control. But they also realise their time is their most valuable asset.
The most successful ones?
Note: They build wealth in property without burning out because they delegate the execution but own the strategy.
They’re not chasing shiny objects.
They have a plan, a team, and a rhythm that lets them make smart decisions without micromanaging every detail.
That’s why they scale faster, avoid costly mistakes, and actually *enjoy* the process.
So how do you make this work?
Here’s a simple framework to put this into practice:
1. Build your “property A-team”
Start with a property strategist who truly understands your goals – not just someone flogging stock.
Add a property manager who treats your property like a business. Bring in a savvy mortgage broker and a proactive accountant.
2. Set your investment criteria in stone
Your strategic property plan will become the compass for your team.
This clarity reduces decision fatigue and keeps you focused.
3. Systemise reviews, not tasks
Don’t get caught in day-to-day admin. Schedule regular portfolio performance reviews strategy, say annually for major decisions like refinancing or acquiring.
4. Own the decisions that matter
Let your team handle the 80% of activity that delivers 20% of results.
You focus on the 20% of decisions that drive 80% of your outcomes.
Doing less isn’t laziness—it’s leverage
You don’t need to see every property.
You don’t need to take every tenant call.
You don’t need to read every council report or run every rental appraisal yourself.
What you do need is vision, discipline, and the right people around you.
If you get that right, you’ll find something powerful happens…
You’ll build more wealth by doing less.
That’s the control paradox – and it’s the secret to winning at property without losing your life in the process.
Your next steps:
So, if you’re ready to step out of the daily grind and take control of your financial future the smart way – not by doing more, but by focusing on what truly matters – then now’s the time to act.
At Metropole, we’ve helped thousands of investors just like you build high-performing property portfolios without sacrificing their careers, families, or sanity.
Why not start with a complimentary, no-obligation Wealth Discovery Chat with one of our experienced Wealth Strategists?
We’ll help you clarify your goals, assess your options, and map out a personalised plan to grow, protect, and pass on your wealth.
Click here now to book your free Wealth Discovery Chat, and let’s take the first step together.
About Adam Hubbard Adam Hubbard is a senior Wealth Strategist at Metropole and his many years of real estate and wealth creation experience gives him a holistic perspective with which he helps his clients safely grow their wealth through property.
Every time I see a flat-panel TV installed without a soundbar, I ask myself, “Why?” They’re sleek, relatively inexpensive, easy to install, and far more powerful than built-in TV speakers. However, while most sound good right out of the box, your soundbar can perform much better with just a few quick adjustments.
While a soundbar will significantly improve the audiovisual experience without the bulk of a full home theater system, with a few simple placement tweaks and some fine-tuning, it’s possible to unlock its full potential. Whether you’re watching movies, gaming, or listening to music, optimizing your soundbar will help you achieve clearer dialogue, deeper bass, and a more immersive soundscape overall.
5
Position your soundbar correctly
Achieve clearer dialogue and a more balanced soundstage
Image by Jack Mitchell – no attribution required.Jack Mitchell/MakeUseOf
Placement plays an important role in sound quality. If your soundbar is blocked by furniture, positioned too low, or pushed against a wall, it won’t project sound effectively. Ideally, your soundbar should sit at ear level and centered in the room; however, this is often not practical, as your TV should be at eye level.
Placing your soundbar directly below the TV is usually fine, but consider angling it slightly upwards for optimal projection. If you are wall-mounting it, ensure that it doesn’t sit too high above the viewing position. Be aware that placing it inside a cabinet or enclosure can cause muffled audio or distort the bass. Proper positioning enables sound waves to travel freely, resulting in clearer dialogue and enhanced surround sound and spatial audio.
4
Adjust your TV and soundbar settings
Dive into your hidden features for sharper, more customized audio
Image by Jack Mitchell – no attribution required.Jack Mitchell/MakeUseOf
Most soundbars include some form of audio enhancement, such as sound modes, equalizers, or dialogue enhancement, that should be tweaked to suit your viewing habits and living space. You should also check your TV’s audio output and ensure it’s set to “auto,” “bitstream,” or “passthrough” rather than “PCM” to allow the soundbar to handle the audio processing, rather than your TV.
Changing your soundbar’s preset modes, such as “Movie,” “Music,” and “Game,” can make a significant difference. I often toggle between these if my audio sounds flat, or, if necessary, manually tweak my soundbar’s EQ to boost its clarity. Many models also offer a dedicated voice or dialogue mode that enhances speech, making it easier to follow conversations without needing to increase the volume.
3
Use HDMI ARC or eARC instead of optical
Experience higher-quality sound formats with improved connectivity
It may not be the first solution that comes to mind, but the type of audio connection is a crucial factor in determining sound quality. Optical cables are good enough, but if you really want to optimize your sound quality, consider using HDMI ARC or eARC connectivity. These provide a superior signal path that supports advanced audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
An HDMI ARC or eARC connection ensures that your soundbar receives uncompressed audio from your TV or media device. To achieve the best performance, eARC typically needs to be enabled in your TV’s audio settings. It’s also a good idea to spend a little extra on HDMI cables, and switching to HDMI ARC can make a big difference by unlocking more immersive sound.
2
Add a subwoofer or surround speakers
Create deeper bass and a truly immersive surround experience
Image by Jack Mitchell – no attribution required.Jack Mitchell/MakeUseOf
Many soundbars, including my own, are sold as part of a package that includes a subwoofer. If yours supports expansion, consider adding one, as this will significantly improve your sound quality by deepening the bass response, making action scenes, low-end atmospherics, and sound effects more dynamic.
Rear speakers, on the other hand, create a true surround sound effect, dramatically improving the immersive experience and giving your home a theater-like feel. While these can be tricky to install, wireless options are available, or you could opt for a soundbar that delivers 3D spatial audio, such as DTS:X, or Dolby Atmos, as a compromise.
1
Reduce interference and room echo
Enjoy cleaner, more natural sound tailored to your room
This last suggestion is often overlooked, but your room’s acoustics significantly affect how soundbars perform. Hard surfaces reflect sound, so placing it close to bare walls, glass tables, and tiled floors can create echoes and muffled dialogue. To counter this, keep your soundbar clear of solid obstructions and place it in proximity to soft furnishings, such as curtains, rugs, or wall hangings.
Some soundbars offer room calibration via a built-in microphone or companion app. In this instance, ensure you run it to tailor the audio output to your living space. If you change the layout of your room or reposition large objects, be sure to recalibrate your device. Reducing interference and improving acoustics are among the most effective ways to enhance your soundbar’s audio quality without incurring additional costs.
Don’t settle for a “good enough” sound
You don’t need to be a technical wizard or make expensive upgrades to significantly improve your soundbar’s performance. It might be as simple as adjusting the audio mode, repositioning the unit, or selecting the correct audio connection. Expanding with a subwoofer and/or satellite speakers can make a real difference to your sound, albeit at a cost. Meanwhile, reducing echo and calibrating your soundbar to your room will ensure that your setup remains optimized.
These steps can transform your soundbar from a “good enough” system to a true sonic powerhouse that will revolutionize your audiovisual experience with added clarity and real immersive impact.
On the eastern bank of Ulungur Lake in Xinjiang stretches around five kilometer long Yardang landform, a surreal masterpiece sculptured by wind and time. Viewing from other sides of the lake, this geological wonder looks as a floating ghost city from with rise intensive sandcastles and stone forests.
Actor Raymond Cruz was held in custody for five hours on Monday after a sudsy spat with three women in his Los Angeles neighborhood.
Cruz — who portrayed the drug lord Tuco Salamanca on “Breaking Bad” — was washing his car on the street in front of his Silver Lake-area home when another car with three female occupants parked inches away from him, said Raphael Berko, his agent with Media Artists Group.
Cruz asked the women, who appeared to be in their 30s, to move their car at least a foot away so it wouldn’t get wet, according to Berko.
“The women were very rude to him and said no,” Berko said, adding that ample parking was available elsewhere on the street.
Instead, the women took out their phones and started to record Cruz, Berko said.
The actor, who also played detective Julio Sanchez in “The Closer” and its spin-off series “Major Crimes,” became uncomfortable and turned around, hose in hand, to tell them to “stop recording,” Berko said.
In doing so, Berko says some water may have inadvertently splashed on the women. But the women — one of whom was the daughter of a housekeeper on the block — said Cruz intentionally sprayed them, and they called the police to report an alleged assault.
Cruz was handcuffed by the Los Angeles Police Department and taken into custody for five hours, but Berko said he and his client expect the case will be dropped.
Berko characterized the incident as a misunderstanding, and said Cruz doesn’t have a criminal record.
The actor has a court hearing scheduled for Oct. 1, but online records do not show any charges as of Tuesday afternoon.
Then there’s Eric Chong, a 37-year-old who has a background in dentistry and previously cofounded a startup that simplifies medical billing for dentists. He was placed on the “machine” team.
“I’m gonna be honest and say I’m extremely relieved to be on the machine team,” Chong says.
At the hackathon, Chong was building software that uses voice and face recognition to detect autism. Of course, my first question was: Wouldn’t there be a wealth of issues with this, like biased data leading to false positives?
“Short answer, yes,” Chong says. “I think that there are some false positives that may come out, but I think that with voice and with facial expression, I think we could actually improve the accuracy of early detection.”
The AGI ‘Tacover’
The coworking space, like many AI-related things in San Francisco, has ties to effective altruism.
If you’re not familiar with the movement through the bombshell fraud headlines, it seeks to maximize the good that can be done using participants’ time, money, and resources. The day after this event, the event space hosted a discussion about how to leverage YouTube “to communicate important ideas like why people should eat less meat.”
On the fourth floor of the building, flyers covered the walls—“AI 2027: Will AGI Tacover” shows a bulletin for a taco party that recently passed, another titled “Pro-Animal Coworking” provides no other context.
A half hour before the submission deadline, coders munched vegan meatball subs from Ike’s and rushed to finish up their projects. One floor down, the judges started to arrive: Brian Fioca and Shyamal Hitesh Anadkat from OpenAI’s Applied AI team, Marius Buleandra from Anthropic’s Applied AI team, and Varin Nair, an engineer from the AI startup Factory (which is also cohosting the event).
As the judging kicked off, a member of the METR team, Nate Rush, showed me an Excel table that tracked contestant scores, with AI-powered groups colored green and human projects colored red. Each group moved up and down the list as the judges entered their decisions. “Do you see it?” he asked me. No, I don’t—the mishmash of colors showed no clear winner even half an hour into the judging. That was his point. Much to everyone’s surprise, man versus machine was a close race.
Show Time
In the end, the finalists were evenly split: three from the “man” side and three from the “machine.” After each demo, the crowd was asked to raise their hands and guess whether the team had used AI.
First up was ViewSense, a tool designed to help visually impaired people navigate their surroundings by transcribing live videofeeds into text for a screen reader to read out loud. Given the short build time, it was technically impressive, and 60 percent of the room (by the emcee’s count) believed it used AI. It didn’t.
Next was a team that built a platform for designing websites with pen and paper, using a camera to track sketches in real time—no AI involved in the coding process. The pianist project advanced to the finals with a system that let users upload piano sessions for AI-generated feedback; it was on the machine side. Another team showcased a tool that generates heat maps of code changes: critical security issues show up in red, while routine edits appear in green. This one did use AI.
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Google updated reporting for Demand Gen campaigns, giving advertisers more granular visibility into how YouTube placements perform.
Why we care. Until now, Demand Gen reporting lumped all YouTube traffic together, making it hard for advertisers to know whether Shorts, In-Feed, or In-Stream placements were driving results. The new segmentation means marketers can finally align creatives with the formats that convert best.
What’s new.
Network Segment update: Demand Gen campaigns now show separate KPIs for:
YouTube In-Stream
YouTube In-Feed
YouTube Shorts
Campaign-level visibility: No extra setup needed – the breakdown is available directly in the campaign view.
The big picture. For many advertisers, Google Discover has been the strongest Demand Gen placement. But with YouTube usage shifting heavily toward Shorts and mobile-first formats, having clear performance data across each placement could reshape creative strategies and budget allocations.
First seen. This update was first spotted by Georgi Zayakov, senior consultant at Hutter Consult AG.
Eleven years after P.T. was released, the delisted Silent Hills demo is an example of a project that could have become a great horror game if it hadn’t been canceled by Konami. Resident Evil 2 and Devil May Cry director Hideki Kamiya counts himself among P.T.’s fans, and he wants Hideo Kojima to make another game like that. And if Kojima won’t revisit the horror of P.T., then perhaps Kamiya will tackle it himself.
In a post shared on X (translated by IGN), Kamiya said, “If it’s impossible to resurrect P.T., Kojima should make a new game in the same style. if Kojima doesn’t do it, maybe I’ll give it a go. I hate horror though, so it wouldn’t be horror… Plus, I have no ideas.”
Kamiya has previously shared his admiration for P.T., while adding that he finds the game too scary to play alone. He also noted that the Japanese horror title, The Exit 8, taps into the desire for more P.T., but he felt it was a “lite” version of P.T..
Although P.T. is no longer available to readily play, someone figured out how to track the movements of Lisa, the malevolent spirit in the demo. The legacy of P.T. has lived on since its release, and it’s even been remade by fans in Halo Infinite.
One of Kojima’s upcoming titles, OD, appeared to pay homage to Silent Hills in an early trailer. That game is believed to be a horror title that’s exclusive to Xbox Series X|S, but Kojima has yet to share firm details about what the game is about.
Exposure to high concentrations of air pollution may worsen Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by accelerating the buildup of toxic proteins in the brain and speeding up cognitive decline. For the first time, post-mortem tissue from people with AD revealed that those who lived in areas with higher concentrations of fine particulate matter in the air even just one year had more severe accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles — hallmarks of Alzheimer’s pathology — compared to those with less exposure. These individuals also experienced faster cognitive and functional decline, including memory loss, impaired judgment, and difficulty with personal care, according to research published today (September 8) in JAMA Neurologyfrom the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
“This study shows that air pollution doesn’t just increase the risk of dementia — it actually makes Alzheimer’s disease worse,” said Edward Lee, MD, PhD, co-director of Penn’s Institute on Aging. “As researchers continue to search for new treatments, it’s important to uncover all of the factors that contribute to the disease, including the influence of the environment in which they live.”
Health risks from tiny air particles
Air pollution is made up of fine particulate matter, or the tiny, inhalable particles, ranging from 10 micrometers to less than 2.5 micrometers wide, about half the width of a single strand of spider web. It can come from wildfire smoke, car exhaust, construction site debris, or combustion from factories. Particulate matter 2.5 micrometers and smaller (PM2.5) is so small that when inhaled, the particles can be absorbed into the blood stream and cause health concerns. Previous research has linked air pollution containing PM2.5 with dementia, loss of cognitive function, and accelerated cognitive decline.
The researchers examined brain samples from over 600 autopsies from the Penn Medicine Brain Bank. Using data from satellites and local air quality monitors, the researchers modeled the amount of PM2.5 in the air based on where each person lived. They found that for every increase of 1 microgram per cubic meter of PM2.5, the risk for worse Alzheimer’s disease amyloid and tau buildup increased by 19 percent.
Further, when they examined the clinical records of these individuals, researchers found that those who lived in areas with high concentrations of PM2.5 with advanced pathology also had greater cognitive impairment and more rapid onset of symptoms, including memory loss, difficulty with speech, and diminished judgement, compared to people who lived in areas with lower concentrations of air pollution.
While this study focused on exposures to PM2.5 based on geographic location, researchers acknowledgethat they could not account for individual-specific exposures to air pollution, such as exposure to second-hand smoke in the home, or working with potentially dangerous chemicals.
“In the United States, air pollution is at the lowest levels in decades, but even just a year living in an area with high levels of pollution can have a big impact on a person’s risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease,” said Lee. “It underscores the value of environmental justice efforts that focus on reducing air pollution to improve public health.”
This research is funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (P30AG072979, P01AG066597, U19AG062418, P01AG084497, and P30ES013508).
The Updated Law Society, in collaboration with Jayasree Publications, is inviting contributions for an edited book. The Society aims to promote legal scholarship by encouraging interdisciplinary and contemporary research. Jayasree Publications is a reputed academic publisher known for bringing out quality legal and interdisciplinary works.
About the Call for Chapters
The proposed edited volume titled “Law in Transition: Contemporary Challenges and Interdisciplinary Perspectives” seeks to compile original, unpublished chapters that critically examine the evolving role of law in addressing pressing contemporary issues across social, technological, environmental, and global dimensions.
Themes
Law in Transition: Contemporary Challenges and Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Suggested Sub-Themes (Indicative, Not Exhaustive)
Law and Technology (AI, Data Privacy, Cybercrime)
Human Rights, Justice, and Social Change
Corporate Law, Trade, and Regulation
Environmental Law and Climate Change
Criminal Justice and Emerging Trends
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Legal Education and Reform
Who is it for/eligibility
This opportunity is open to:
Scholars and Academicians
Legal Practitioners and Researchers
Students of Law and Social Sciences
Interdisciplinary Researchers
Submission Procedure
Interested contributors must submit an abstract of 250–300 words.
Abstracts must be submitted through the submission link (attached at the end of the post)
Upon acceptance of the Abstracts, Authors are required to submit their full chapters.
Only one Authorship is allowed.
Fee Details
No processing fees or publication fees are applicable.
Prizes/Recognition
All accepted chapters will be published in the edited book with an ISBN.
The book will be available in print format across different e-commerce marketplaces.
Important Dates
Abstract Submission Deadline: 30 September 2025
Notification of Acceptance: 31 October 2025
Full Chapter Submission: 15 November 2025
Formatting Guidelines
Full Chapters Word limit: 3,000–3,500 words
Referencing Style: OSCOLA
Formatting: MS Word, Times New Roman, 11-point, 1.5 spacing
Disclaimer: WEF April, 2021, Lawctopus will not publish any ‘Call for Papers/Blogs’ by journals that charge money at the time of submission. If you find any journal doing so, please intimate us at tanuj.kalia[at]lawctopus.com
Eli Lilly will give small biotechnology companies a chance to use artificial intelligence models trained on years of the pharmaceutical company’s research, launching Tuesday a new platform its says could help young startups a leg up in discovering new drug molecules.
Called TuneLab, the platform incorporates data Lilly’s obtained developing “hundreds of thousands of unique molecules.” Biotechs can access these datasets and the AI models trained on them using a distributed system designed to protect proprietary information. In return, Lilly can refine its AI models and use data contributed by participating companies.
According to Aliza Apple, head of TuneLab, about a dozen startups have joined up so far, including Insitro, which was already collaborating with Lilly and in a separate announcement Wednesday touted plans to collaborate on machine learning models.
“These models have the potential to be a game-changer by giving researchers an elegant and powerful way to zero in on drug-like chemical structures at the earliest stages,” said Philip Tagari, Insitro’s chief scientific officer, in a statement.
Others include Circle Pharma, a cancer drug developer; Firefly Bio, which is making degrader-antibody conjugates; and Superluminal Medicines, which is developing AI technology of its own as well as medicines that target proteins known as GPCRs.
To qualify for participation, startups must have advanced into preclinical development with either a small molecule or an antibody drug candidate, according to Apple.
Lilly enlisted Rhino Federated Computing, a startup using Nvidia technology, to protect Lilly’s and participating companies’ data using what’s known as a “federated system.” Essentially, Lilly’s AI models are distributed to “nodes,” where they are trained on local data. Updates to the models based on this work are shared with a central server, improving what Lilly can then offer other companies.
AI promises to speed up many aspects of drug discovery and development, although its impact to date in the sector has been more modest and scattershot than its loudest proponents claim.
While several AI-discovered drugs have made it into clinical testing, one of the first to read out results — a Recursion Pharmaceuticals medicine for a neurovascular condition — fell short of expectations.
Still, AI models can speed up how quickly companies are able to vet drug compounds and winnow them down to identify the most promising candidate to advance into preclinical experiments. They may also help scientists test hypotheses they otherwise might not have explored. All this might help companies spend less time and resources in the laboratory.
With TuneLab, Lilly is trying to get creative in how it partners with young biotechs. The new platform is part of Lilly’s broader investment in early-stage life sciences under its “Catalyze360” program. Lilly also invests directly in startups through its Lilly Ventures arms, provides lab space at its Gateway Labs and what the company describes as “drug development expertise” through its ExploR&D initiative.
Earlier this year, Lilly also partnered with venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz to launch a new biotech investment fund.
“It’s not just these big alliances or you have to culminate in M&A or a big partnership that has many, many zeroes after the dollar sign,” Nisha Nanda, head of Catalyze360, told BioPharma Dive in an interview in July.
“Our North Star is being present and the partner of choice,” she said.
When it’s time to start looking for your next property purchase, you’ll come across a lot of jargon you might not have heard before.
Saving for a deposit or house hunting is time-consuming enough, so when it comes to deciphering some of the real estate market code and industry lingo you could probably do with a little help.
Here is an A to Z of all the real estate jargon terms that you need to know before embarking on your next purchase.
Absentee landlord
An owner or sub-lessor who does not reside in the place or area in which he/she owns real estate from which he/she derives rental income.
Abstract of auction
A summary of the auction advertisements which appear on the property page of a newspaper.
Abstract of title
A chronological summary of conveyances, mortgages or leases and other deeds giving the names of the parties and the description of the land, arranged to show the continuity of ownership of general law land not under the Torrens system.
Acceleration clause
A clause in a mortgage document that requires the immediate repayment of the entire balance due under the said mortgage at any given time should there be a breach of the conditions of the mortgage e.g. repayment default.
Accessible housing
A dwelling designed to allow easier access for physically disabled or vision impaired persons.
Acquiring authority
A government department, local authority or other body empowered by statute to acquire land compulsorily.
Adjustments
Apportionment of rates, taxes, body corporate fees, rent, insurances etc up to the date of possession or settlement on a sale or letting.
Agent
A person authorised to act for another (usually for the owner) in the selling, buying, renting or management of a property.
Commonly used to refer to licensed real estate agents and real estate representatives.
Agents in conjunction
Two or more agents are employed by a principal to sell or let real estate and share commission.
Amortisation period
This is the length of time it would take to pay off a mortgage in full, based on regular payments at a certain interest rate.
A longer amortisation period means you’ll pay more interest than if you got the same loan with a shorter amortisation period.
Appraisal
A property appraisal is when a real estate agent determines and quotes the estimated sale price of your property based on their experience of the area, similar sales, and their knowledge of buyer demand.
It will typically take into consideration things like ‘street appeal’, the property’s interior and exterior, and the size of the land.
The real estate agent will compare these factors to similar homes that have recently sold in the area and give an estimated figure.
Appreciation
The appreciation is the amount the property value has increased over time.
Arrears
Arrears are unpaid debts.
Auction
An auction is a property sale held by an auctioneer and sold to the highest bidder.
These are usually done in public (either on- or off-site), virtually or on the phone.
Auction agency agreement
An agreement that the vendor must sign when a property is listed for auction.
Details the reserve price and the costs of the auction, including advertising and the agent’s commission.
Usually includes a condition that one agent will have the exclusive right to sell the property for a period during and after the auction.
Auctioneer
A professional who is licensed to sell, or offer for sale, real estate where persons become purchasers by competition, being the highest bidders.
Basis point
One per cent (1%) is the equivalent of 100 basis points.
Bid
A verbal or written offer to purchase.
Body corporate
This is the managing body that administers common property or common areas in multi-unit developments.
Common property or common areas can include things such as the driveway, facilities, foyer and stairwell, gym, pool or any other common area in the building.
By buying an apartment, townhouse, or duplex the owner is automatically part of the Body Corporate for that complex.
A treasurer, secretary, and chairperson are then elected, and these spots can be filled by any owner.
Bond
A bond is used for rental properties and acts as a security deposit to give landlords some financial security in the event that something is damaged or the rent isn’t paid.
The bond is usually 4 times the weekly property rent, paid upfront.
Bridging finance
A bridging loan bridges the gap between securing a mortgage for a new property before an existing property is sold.
They offer short-term access to funds at a sometimes higher rate of interest or more likely, just at the standard variable rate, with no discounts applied.
Your credit history will go a long way when it comes to securing a bridging loan with your lender but there are a number of other factors that will affect approval.
These factors include the risk associated with the loan, the value of the property you currently own, the amount of the one you’ll be purchasing and the amount of time the loan needs.
Building code of Australia (BCA )
Sets minimum community standards for buildings in terms of health, safety and amenity in buildings for regulatory purposes.
Produced by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), refer to www.abcb.com.au
Building inspector
An authorised person who is responsible for checking buildings in the course of construction and completed buildings to ensure that they have been constructed in accordance with building control provisions.
Building line
The setback from the site boundary is required by statutory authorities for buildings.
Building regulations
The Building Code of Australia and other regulations stipulated by local authorities relating to the design and construction of buildings.
Building restrictions
Planning and development controls that limit the use, size and location of buildings or other improvements on land.
Business broker
An estate agent licensed and certified to sell businesses.
Buyer’s agent
A buyer’s agent is a real estate professional who represents the buyer and helps secure them the right property at the lowest price.
This includes negotiating with the vendor or their agent.
Buyer’s market
A buyer’s market is simply a market condition where there is high supply and low demand, driving down prices in favour of the buyer.
Capital gains and capital gains tax (CGT)
A capital gain or capital loss on an asset is the difference between what it cost you and what you receive when you dispose of it.
You pay tax on your capital gains but not a separate tax by itself.
Instead, the capital gain you make is added to your assessable income in whatever year you sold the property.
Caveat
A caveat is a legal claim of interest on a property.
It’s a notice on the title which alerts you to the fact a party other than the owner has an interest in the property.
Caveat emptor
‘Caveat emptor means ‘buyer beware’ in Latin and alerts the buyer that the risk in a property transaction lies with them.
Certificate of title
A document issued under the Torrens System of Title, showing ownership and interest in a parcel of land.
Commission
A commission is a fee or payment, usually calculated as a percentage, made to an agent for their services in selling a property.
Typically it is only collected after a property sells.
Conveyancer
A solicitor who specialises in the property law of conveyancing.
They are licensed professional who ensures you meet all the legal obligations involved in your property transaction, including the settlement and title transfer process.
Conveyancing
The definition or meaning of conveyancing and conveyancing services is the part of the law involved with preparing documents for the conveyance of property.
In other words, it’s the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from the current owner (vendor or seller) to a new owner (purchaser or buyer).
Generally, a conveyancing transaction consists of three main stages:
Pre-contract
Pre-completion
Post-completion
These three steps include any work needed when buying or selling a property, subdividing land, updating a title, or registering or changing an easement.
This can include assisting the transfer of ownership, including home loans and any other conveyancing activity.
Contract of sale
This is an agreement about the sale of property, which lists the terms and conditions of sale.
Cooling off period
When you buy a residential property there is a five business-day (for NSW, although it may differ by state) cooling-off period after you exchange sale contracts.
During this period, which starts as soon as you exchange, you have the option to get out of or withdraw the offer with no legal repercussions – as long as you give written notice.
A cooling-off period does not apply if you buy a property at auction or exchange contracts on the same day as the auction after it is passed in.
Counteroffer
A counteroffer is a ‘new’ offer made in reply to a prior unacceptable offer – usually, the counter offer terminates the previous offer.
Deed
A document executed under seal. For example, a conveyance.
Deposit
Percentage of total consideration, or an agreed amount, paid on exchange of contract for the purchase of an asset.
Depreciation
Depreciation is the reduction in the value of an asset over time.
Development approval
Approval from the relevant planning authority to construct, add, amend or change the structure of a property.
Disbursements
Recoverable costs.
For example, in the case of real estate sales, expenses paid by an agent on behalf of an owner, such as advertising, rates and taxes.
Display home
A building that represents a completed example of a dwelling type offered for sale.
Equity
This is the value accrued on an asset over and above the debt owing.
Encumbrance
A charge or liability on a property; for example, a mortgage or a special condition on the use to which it may be put (e.g. easements, restrictions and reservations).
Eviction
Eviction is the action of expelling a tenant from a rental property.
Exchange of contracts
The legally binding part of the sale process is where two contracts are drawn up and signed by each party and then exchanged so the buyer has the contract with the vendor’s signature and vice versa.
A deposit is usually paid at this time.
Expressions of Interest (EOI)
An expression of interest is like a silent auction or bidding approach, in which the real estate agent will set a due date from the time the property is listed.
By that date, any interested parties are asked to submit their best offer, often with any conditions requested (e.g. the length of the settlement period).
First refusal (right of)
The right granted to a person to have the first privilege to buy or lease real estate, or the right to meet any offer made by another.
Fittings
Installed items that may be removed from real estate without causing irreparable damage to the land, structure or use of the premises.
Fixed interest rate
An interest rate that remains unchanged for a set period, for example, for the whole term of the loan, or the first year of a loan.
Fixtures
Those parts of a property are affixed to structures or land, usually in such a manner that they cannot be independently moved without damage to themselves or the property housing supporting or pertinent to them.
Fixtures are usually included in a sale and commonly include items such as carpets and awnings.
Guarantor
The person is liable to pay your loan if you default on the mortgage.
Gazumping
A situation where a vendor and buyer agree on a price but then the vendor sells to another party at a higher price/more favourable terms.
Interest
The amount paid by a borrower to a lender over and above the main amount borrowed ( also known as the ‘principal’).
The interest rate can be fixed, variable or a combination of the two.
Investment-grade property
An investment-grade property is a property that is suitable for investment.
The things I look for in any investment (including property) are:
strong, stable rates of capital appreciation;
steady cash flow;
liquidity – the ability to take my money out by either selling or borrowing against my investment;
easy management;
a hedge against inflation; and
good tax benefits.
Interest rate
The rate of return earned on an investment or charged by a lender is expressed in the form of a percentage per annum.
Investment property
Property (land or a building – or part of a building – or both) held (by the owner or by the lessee under a finance lease) to earn rentals or for capital appreciation or both.
Land tax
A tax payable annually in respect of the beneficial ownership of land, the rate of which is determined by the assessed valuation.
Usually based on the unimproved value of land.
Lease
A lease is a legally binding contract or rental agreement between the lessor (owner) and lessee (renter) where the lessee can occupy the lessor’s property for a set time in exchange for payment under certain terms.
Also known as a tenancy agreement.
Listing
(a) A term commonly used by agents for obtaining an instruction to sell or lease real estate;
(b) The recording of properties as being available for sale.
LMI
Lender’s Mortgage Insurance or LMI is a non-refundable, one-off fee added to your home loan in an instance where you’re wanting to borrow more than 80 per cent of your home’s value.
It protects the lender against higher-risk borrowers.
LVR
Loan to Value Ratio (LVR) is your loan amount relative to the value of your home.
For example, a $500,000 home loan secured against a property that is worth $1,000,000 = 50 percent LVR. The higher the LVR, the higher the risk for the lender (which is why when LVR is 80 per cent or more, you’ll be charged Lender’s Mortgage Insurance).
Market value
Market value is the estimated amount for which an asset should exchange on the date of valuation between a willing buyer and a willing seller in an arm’s length transaction after proper marketing, wherein the parties had each acted knowledgeably, prudently and without compulsion.
Median
The middle number is when data is arranged from the lowest to the highest in sequence.
If there are two median scores, they are averaged to provide the true median.
The median is also known as the 50th percentile.
Mediation
The process by which a third party assists two disputing parties to reach a mutually agreeable solution.
A recommendation made by the mediator is not necessarily binding on the parties.
Mortgage
A type of loan where real estate is used as collateral.
It allows the borrower to buy property or land and is a written and binding contract that provides security to the lender.
Mortgage protection insurance
Insurance is paid by the borrower to protect the lender in a situation where they may not be able to meet their repayments.
Negative gearing
When the expenses (including interest repayments) associated with an investment property are higher than the earnings from the property, it is considered ‘negatively geared’ and can reduce tax liability in Australia (for now).
Offer
The consideration offered to purchase or lease an asset.
Off-market
Property sold without public advertising.
On the market
A term used during an auction when the vendor’s reserve price has been reached and the property is now officially for sale to the highest bidder.
Passed-in
If a property is not sold at auction because the owner’s reserve price has not been reached, it is passed in.
Periodic lease
Where a tenant continues to rent/occupy the property after the lease has formally expired.
Planning approval
Approval from the relevant authority to use the property for a specified use.
Pre-approval
Also known as conditional approval, this is when a lender has agreed to loan you a particular amount in principle, but nothing has proceeded to final approval.
Pre-approval allows you to know how much you have to bid or offer on a home.
Private treaty
What we traditionally associate with a sale of a property, is where a seller sets their price and begins negotiating with potential buyers through their agent.
Cooling-off periods are part of private treaty sales unless the buyer removes this condition to secure the property.
Principal
(a) A term used in most Australian contracts in lieu of ‘client’ or ‘proprietor’;
(b) A licensed estate agent holding responsibility for an agency’s legislative compliance activities including legal responsibility for trust accounts.
Private sale
Where an owner offers a property for sale without engaging an agent.
Private treaty sale
A sale is negotiated directly between the parties or their agents.
Property manager
A person or firm who manages the upkeep of a property on behalf of its owner.
Reserve
The minimum price a vendor has agreed to accept during an auction but can be tweaked during the auction process.
Reverse mortgage
A mortgage over a residential property owned by a person (usually over 55 years of age), where repayments are not required until the property is sold or the last homeowner dies.
Seller’s market
A situation in which supply is scarce and demand for property is high, leading prices to remain high.
Settlement date
The date when the property sale is finalised and paid and the buyer becomes the official owner of the property.
Stamp duty
A government tax is applied to transfers of property and mortgages.
Calculated as a percentage of the contract value, stamp duty varies from state to state, and discounts are available for certain parties, including first-home buyers.
Strata title
Strata title is a method of facilitating individual ownership of part of a property – generally an apartment, unit, or townhouse.
Uniquely, strata title allows for individual ownership of an actual lot or unit whilst sharing ownership of the common grounds on which it is built.
Title
A property title holds a bundle of legal information about a piece of property, including details about the land and who owns it or has a mortgage on it.
Title deeds
Documents evidencing the ownership of property.
Torrent title
This is the title to land by registration.
Originating in South Australia under the stewardship of R.R.Torrens (later Sir Robert Torrens) and enacted in 1858.
The Torrens titles have superseded the ‘Common Law Title’ system throughout Australia.
Under the Torrens system dealings and ownership of land are managed by registration with the Titles Office.
Trust account
A separate bank account managed by a real estate agent where funds (such as deposits and rental income) are held on behalf of another party.
Unconditional offer
An offer for property not subject to any other conditions (things like building and pest inspections or organising finance).
The buyer accepts the property unconditionally. All auction sales are unconditional.
Under offer
When both parties have agreed on the purchase price and applicable terms and conditions, but the contract hasn’t yet been finalised, a property is ‘under offer’.
Once the conditions have been met, the property is unconditional and then sold.
Normally when a property is under offer no further offers can be made or accepted.
Valuation
A property valuation is a formal, detailed report undertaken by a certified practising valuer (CPV) that determines a property’s market value and examines the property beyond its size and location.
After a valuer inspects the property in person, they’ll compile a valuation report with details of the zoning, the condition of the property, a review of the property’s land title and identify easements or encumbrances, highlight the highest and best use of the property and address any adverse features about that property which might affect its value.
A big part of the valuation process includes risk ratings, which the bank relies on as part of its decision-making process.
Vendor
One who sells anything.
In real estate transactions, the person(s) or entity selling the property.
Vendor bid
A bid that is set by the auctioneer on behalf of the vendor during an auction, to establish a fair starting price.
Without reserve
An auction term signifying that a reserve price has not been set, such that the highest bid will prevail.
Yield
The derived percentage return of a property is assessed from the net income and the market value or price.
It is calculated by dividing the net income by the opening market value or price.
Zoning
A local planning tool to control the present and future development of land including residential, business and industrial uses.
About Brett Warren Brett Warren is National Director of Metropole Properties and uses his two decades of property investment experience to advise clients how to grow, protect and pass on their wealth through strategic property advice.
When I bought my Samsung phone, I didn’t think much about how much data it was sending out. By default, Samsung can link your account to ads, and Google can save your searches, locations, and app activity. These are some of the default Android settings that threaten your privacy and share more than you expect.
The good news is you don’t have to leave all of that running. A few setting changes can block many of the biggest tracking sources, and it takes only a few minutes.
Pause Google’s activity tracking
Keep your daily habits private
Google records a lot of what happens on your phone. Searches, the apps you open, your routes in Maps, and even the videos you watch on YouTube are stored in your account by default, adding to how much Google already knows. Over time, this builds a timeline of your daily habits.
To change this:
Open Settings on your Samsung phone, scroll down to Google, tap your Gmail ID, and select Manage your Google Account.
Go to Data and privacy.
Under History settings, you’ll see three options: Web & App Activity, Timeline, and YouTube History. Open each one and turn it off (or Pause, where shown). You can also clear your past Google activity if you want to remove what’s already saved.
Once you’ve done this, the new activity won’t be logged into your account. Maps and YouTube still work, but without the constant tracking behind the scenes.
Reset or delete your Google advertising ID
Remove the ID advertisers rely on
Every Android phone has a unique advertising ID. Apps use it to follow your activity across different services, building a profile even when you’re not signed in. It works in the background, tying together what you do in different applications.
To remove it:
Open Settings on your Samsung phone, go to Security and privacy, then More privacy settings.
Tap Ads and choose Delete advertising ID, then confirm.
From that moment, your phone no longer provides an ID for tracking. If you’d rather reset than delete it, choose Reset advertising ID. That clears the old one and creates a fresh ID, breaking the link to your past activity.
Turn off Samsung’s personalized ads
Remove ads tied to your account
Samsung includes a feature called the Customization Service that links your account activity to targeted ads and recommendations. It collects details from how you use Samsung apps and services, then tailors ads based on that behavior.
To turn it off:
Open Settings and tap your Samsung account at the top.
Go to Security and privacy, then Privacy, and open Customization Service. Toggle off the options you see there, and Samsung will stop using your account data to shape ads.
The ads themselves won’t disappear, but they’ll become generic instead of being tied to your specific habits.
Stop sending diagnostics to Samsung
Keep diagnostics data private
Samsung phones don’t just send advertising data. In the background, they can also share diagnostic reports that include crash logs, performance details, and general usage information. Samsung says this helps improve its software, but it also means regular reports leave your device without you noticing.
To check this:
Open Settings, go to Security and privacy, then More privacy settings.
Tap Send diagnostic data and turn it off. From then on, those reports won’t be shared automatically.
Turning this off doesn’t affect how your phone works day to day. All features keep working as usual, and if you ever need to, you can still submit a report manually through the Samsung Members app.
Control which apps know your location
Share location only when necessary
Location is one of the most sensitive permissions on any phone. Navigation or ride-hailing apps need it to work properly, but plenty of others request it even when it adds little value.
To review these permissions:
Open Settings, go to Security and privacy, then More privacy settings.
Choose Permission manager, select Location, and you’ll see every app that has asked for access.
For any apps you don’t fully trust, change the permission to While using the app or Don’t allow.
You’ll also find a toggle for Use precise location. Turning it off limits apps to your approximate area instead of your exact spot. With these adjustments, your location is shared only with the apps you trust, and only when you choose to do so.
Stop Google from collecting usage & diagnostics
Turn off hidden background sharing
Google collects more than just your searches and location. It also gathers usage and diagnostics data, including app performance, battery levels, and system activity. The company frames this as a way to improve Android, though it results in technical information leaving your phone regularly.
To review this:
Open Settings, go to Security and privacy, then More privacy settings.
In the Google section, tap Usage & diagnostics and toggle it off.
Your phone will stop sending any usage and diagnostic data once this is done.
Keep checking, stay private
These are the settings I changed to prevent my Samsung phone from sending more data than necessary. But privacy on your phone isn’t something you fix once and forget. It works best when you treat it as a habit, checking in periodically to ensure the right switches are still off.
Updates can quietly reset defaults, and new apps often request more access than they actually need. Taking a few minutes every couple of months to review your settings is a simple way to stay in control.
Tianjin wrestling expert Zhang Shaohua has embarked on a journey north with two young disciples to the vast grasslands of Inner Mongolia. They came not only to gain technical knowledge, but for a journey into tradition and culture. Under skies washed in blue and across carpets of green, galloping herds streaked the horizon. The young wrestlers breathed in the expanse of the steppe and witnessed firsthand the appeal of Mongolian Bökh.
Issa Rae, of “Insecure” fame, is an executive producer of (and a major figure in) a new two-part documentary, “Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television,” premiering Tuesday on HBO and streaming on HBO Max. Presented as a film by Giselle Bailey, with a directed by credit shared with Phil Bertelsen, it’s not a comprehensive accounting — any viewer who has watched much TV over the medium’s decades might have an opinion on what’s missing. But what’s here is always interesting, elegantly produced, sometimes exciting, often moving. Young viewers, whose historical and cultural interests might extend no further than their own births, may have their eyes opened, but even we who remember a time before “Julia” may learn a thing or two.
The first episode, “Seen,” begins with Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson in the green room waiting to go on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to celebrate the end of “black-ish,” after eight seasons — a Black-created, Black-run series on a major broadcast network — before jumping back to the white-written “Amos & Andy,” and a halting march into a better future. Though the thrust of the combined episodes is more than hopeful — the second episode, “Heard,” is a story of successes — it’s also one of struggle. And in a time when powerful forces want to erase struggle from history, it’s good to remember, or learn, that there was a time within the memory of people you’ll meet here, when Black people barely existed in television, in front of or behind the camera.
“Heard” is essentially a series of profiles in which major industry players tell their stories. “American Fiction” director Cord Jefferson, who left journalism to write for television (“The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore,” “The Good Place,” an Emmy for “Watchmen”), discusses generational trauma and talks with his father on Zoom about their anger issues (they both seem to be doing well); directors Deondray and Quincy LeNear Gossfield (working on Lena Waithe’s “The Chi”), visit Quincy’s family in suburban Chicago and talk about coming out after keeping their relationship secret for years. Tyler Perry gets emotional with Oprah, remembering the bad old days, and shows the filmmakers around his Atlanta studio complex, with soundstages named after Black stars, including Oprah (stage No. 1, naturally), Denzel Washington, Cicely Tyson, Whoopi Goldberg, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis. Oprah herself recounts her journey from rural poverty to “not good” TV news reporter to talk show host. (She wasn’t planning on becoming a media mogul, but she’s Oprah, after all.)
Directors Deondray Gossfield and Quincy LeNear Gossfield
HBO “Seen & Heard: The History Of Black Television”
(HBO)
Also appearing here are Debbie Allen, Shonda Rhimes, Wilmore, Waithe, Mara Brock Akil (creator of “Girlfriends” and “The Game”), Ava DuVernay, Justin Simien (“Dear White People”), trans actor Dominique Jackson (“Pose”), mogul Byron Allen, and Syreeta Singleton, promoted from a writer’s assistant on the first season of “Insecure” to showrunning the next Rae project, “Rap S—.” Stan Lathan went from directing Black-oriented news shows for public television to “Sanford and Son,” after the show’s star Redd Foxx insisted they hire Black directors and writers. (“Sanford was as honest as I could make him under the circumstances,” Foxx tells Barbara Walters in a clip.) The late Norman Lear, who produced “The Jeffersons” and “Good Times” alongside “Sanford,” sounds a little patronizing, or perhaps just defensive, on the subject of not using Black writers on his Black shows.
All these artists have their own styles and concerns but come together on the basic issues of diversity, visibility and control. (They’re not new issues, and they’re still issues.) “There’s a need to see black people in a variety of roles so as to underscore the importance of a diverse and inclusive society,” says USC professor Todd Boyd.
Diahann Carroll, TV’s first female Black lead in “Julia,” back in the late 1960s: “We’re Americans, we’ve been here all the time. We’re part of every walk of life. We should be part of the industry.”
Simien: “The more specifically Black characters can live in paradoxes, the more human we are.”
Esther Rolle, who left “Good Times” for a season over the emphasis on Jimmy Walker’s character, J.J. “Dynomite” Evans — it also drove John Amos from the show — is seen in a contemporary interview saying, “Until there is more participation behind the scenes we’re not going to be able to control what is before the camera.”
It’s a story about influence, about mentoring and being mentored, and torches passing. Debbie Allen remembers Akil as an intern (“She used to park my car”). Waithe, seen addressing a class of aspiring writers, named her production company for Hillman, the college in the “Cosby” spinoff, “A Different World.” (“They weren’t afraid to be complicated.”) Rae was all about “Living Single”: “I consider [Kim Coles] one of the original awkward Black girls.”
The documentary reflects on mentors and mentees, like Debbie Allen, who recalls when Mara Brock Akil, now a TV writer and producer, was an intern.
(HBO)
Bailey handles the unavoidable question of Bill Cosby with some aplomb, covering his fall from grace after allegations of sexual assault in a couple of voice-over headlines while not discounting the importance of “The Cosby Show” (Rae: “Sometimes I thought my mom watched Claire Huxtable to learn how to parent.”) or the salutary effect it had on NBC’s sagging fortunes. (It’s moving to see the late Malcolm Jamal-Warner, who still calls his old boss “Mr. Cosby,” looking so alive here.)
The series is discursive and selective, as it would have to be, given the size of the subject; it’s less about particular shows, most of which are touched on only lightly, than about cultural waves and the feast and famine cycles of Black TV. Donald Glover appears briefly in a scene from Rae’s web series, “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl,” which led to “Insecure,” but his own “Atlanta,” one of the greatest TV series of the century, isn’t mentioned. Tamera Mowry-Housley, co-star of “Sister Sister,” remembers Tim Reid, who played her father on the show, telling her how new networks would use Black shows to build an audience and then abandon them in favor of white shows; but you wouldn’t know, unless you already knew, that Reid co-produced and starred in one of television’s great lost series, the New Orleans-set “Frank’s Place” on CBS, or co-created the Showtime series “Linc’s,” set in a Washington, D.C., bar.
Yet it speaks in a way to the richness of the subject that some of the most interesting, which is not to say most successful, Black series of the modern era have been out of the mainstream or resist easy categorization — “The Vince Staples Show,” “Black Jesus,” “The Boondocks,” “I’m a Virgo” — none of which fit in this narrative. I was happy, however, to see Terence Nance, whose great surrealist-operatic HBO series “Random Acts of Flyness” is describable only at length, included. “It’s a colonial dynamic, larger corporations provide the money which creates a system of control,” he says of the TV business. “What’s valuable to me is spiritual values, cultural values, essentially [a] nonnegotiable value system inherited from ethereal realms. That will never be valuable to corporations.”
Wilmore is more optimistic. “We’re truly in the best time right now to create something specific that is for your point of view, that’s different,” he says. “Because there’s so many different types of people that are opening different doors.”
In the end, it’s all down to quality. “My goal is to be a really good television writer,” Waithe tells her class. “That was the mission. To be good at that. Nothing else mattered.”
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Social ads remain small businesses’ go-to play despite rising costs. New benchmark data from WordStream LocaliQ shows Facebook’s average cost per lead (CPL) climbed 21% year over year to $27.66. By comparison, Google’s average CPL is $70.11.
By the numbers. Traffic campaigns:
CTR: 1.71% average, up from 1.57% in 2024.
Highest: Shopping, Collectibles & Gifts (4.13%)
Lowest: Automotive repair (0.80%)
CPC: $0.70 average, down 6.7% YoY.
Lowest: Shopping, Collectibles & Gifts ($0.34)
Highest: Finance & Insurance ($1.22)
By the numbers – Lead campaigns:
CTR: 2.59% average, flat YoY.
Highest: Arts & Entertainment (3.92%)
Lowest: Dentists (1.05%)
CPC: $1.92 average, slightly up from $1.88.
Highest: Dentists ($9.78)
Lowest: Restaurants & Food ($0.74)
Conversion rate: 7.72% average, down from 8.67% last year.
Highest: Restaurants & Food (18.25%)
Lowest: Furniture (3.77%)
CPL: $27.66 average, up 21% YoY.
Highest: Dentists ($76.71)
Lowest: Restaurants & Food ($3.16)
Why we care. Advertisers should care because this data shows where Facebook is still delivering outsized value and where it’s slipping. Traffic campaigns are proving more efficient than ever, with cheaper clicks and stronger engagement. That makes them a smart play for driving awareness and site visits at scale.
On the flip side, lead-generation campaigns are becoming more expensive and less reliable, with conversion rates falling across most industries. For marketers, this means it’s no longer enough to simply run Lead Ads and expect strong ROI — success now depends on tighter targeting, smarter creative, and a sharper focus on lead quality.
The big picture. Traffic campaigns are improving (higher CTR, lower CPC), lead campaigns are weakening (higher CPL, lower CVR) and inflation/competition/privacy rules are squeezing advertisers.
The divergence reflects broader economic and competitive pressures. Inflation and tighter household budgets are likely depressing demand in categories like home improvement and personal care, where conversion rates fell sharply. At the same time, advertising costs are climbing across the board as more businesses fight for the same attention in a crowded digital landscape.
What they’re saying. “Although CPC, CVR, and CPL have all taken a hit this year, CTR improving in spite of higher costs means consumers are still engaging with ads — a good sign for businesses.” — Tyler Mask, Director of Optimization Strategy at LocaliQ
What’s next. Marketers will need to sharpen their strategies in 2025. Experts caution against chasing cheap clicks alone and suggest putting more weight on lead quality over quantity.
Meta’s AI-powered Advantage+ tools can help streamline campaigns, but should be used carefully to avoid wasted spend or poor-quality leads.
A balanced mix of campaign objectives — traffic, branding, and leads — is increasingly important.
Above all, advertisers are urged to keep their larger business goals in mind instead of optimizing for a single metric, since performance trends are shifting across industries.
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