Ever imagined what it’s like to be stopped for selfies in Mumbai, Paris, or even a random airport in Brazil? That’s Lee Jung Jae’s reality now, thanks to the Squid Game tidal wave. In his own words, “Wherever I go, people recognize me. It’s honestly so surprising and kind of surreal.” He’s not exaggerating-after Squid Game Season 3 dropped, the show hit number one in a jaw-dropping 93 countries. The world’s got Squid Game fever, and Lee Jung Jae is at the center of it all. He even joked about how, as Asians, we often hear that Westerners can’t tell Asian faces apart. But now? “They spot me instantly, even if I’m just walking by on the street. That’s when I realize just how massive Squid Game has become,” he said, still sounding a bit stunned. Imagine your local rickshaw driver recognizing a K-drama star-yep, that’s the level we’re talking about.Squid Game: Not Just a Show, But a Cultural Tsunami
What’s wild is that even people who haven’t watched Squid Game know about it. It’s become a global pop culture reference, like Harry Potter or Game of Thrones. Lee Jung Jae pointed out that Squid Game has made Korean content a global obsession. “People start with Squid Game, then end up watching more K-dramas. It’s boosted interest in all things Korean-music, food, fashion, you name it,” he explained. And honestly, who hasn’t fallen down a K-content rabbit hole at 2 a.m.?
For Indian youth, this is like when Sacred Games or Mirzapur suddenly made Indian stories cool on the world stage. But with Squid Game, it’s on steroids-K-content is now everywhere, and Lee Jung Jae is the face of that revolution.Fame Hits Different When It’s Global Being famous in your own country is one thing, but being recognized everywhere is next-level. Lee Jung Jae admits he still can’t fully process it. “It’s a huge experience. I’m just grateful for all the love and attention. Sometimes I wish I could take it all in a bit more slowly,” he shared. He’s gone from being a respected actor in Korea to one of the most famous Koreans on the planet-no exaggeration. And here’s the kicker: this fame isn’t just about him. Lee hopes the Squid Game effect keeps the doors open for more Korean creators and actors, so the world keeps tuning in to what Korea has to offer. “I hope this wave doesn’t fade away and that it brings good changes to not just culture, but all industries,” he said, sounding like a true ambassador for K-culture.
WIMBLEDON — Belinda Bencic returned to the Wimbledon fourth round for the fourth time after coming from a break down in the third set to edge Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-4, 3-6, 7-6[8] in 2 hours and 58 minutes.
Wimbledon: Scores | Order of play | Draws
The match was the second-longest of this year’s Championships so far, behind only Aliaksandra Sasnovich’s 3-hour, 24-minute 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-6[8] first-round win over Varvara Gracheva. Bencic has now reached the last 16 of both of her Grand Slam events since returning from maternity leave, having also made that stage of the Australian Open. She was forced to miss Roland Garros due to an arm injury, only returning to action in Bad Homburg last week.
This marks the 11th time that Bencic has made the second week of a Grand Slam — but she has only progressed past the fourth round three times, all at the US Open. At Wimbledon, she was denied at that stage by Victoria Azarenka in 2015, Angelique Kerber in 2018 and Iga Swiatek in 2023. The Swiss player will bid to overcome that hurdle against either No. 18 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova or Zeynep Sonmez.
More to come…
This year’s Fourth of July deals aren’t just about saving on big-ticket items. Though the official holiday is over, there are still plenty of discounts on some everyday tech, too. And they don’t get more everyday than this four-port USB-C charger that’s yours today for just $26, thanks to a limited-time 40% discount. This Baseus charger would normally sell for around $43, so this is a deal well worth taking advantage of.
This handy little charger offers three USB-C ports and a single USB-A port for charging all of your legacy devices. You can power phones, tablets and laptops thanks to a total 65-watt output. And you can charge your laptop at the full 65 watts when you use one of the two USB-C ports on the left-hand side.
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Other features worth calling out include a diminutive design thanks to the use of GaN technology as well as a collection of features designed to keep the charger cool when in use.
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You can never have too many USB-C chargers, and this one uses just one AC outlet to power four individual devices. That alone makes this a great option for travellers who want to be able to charge their stuff in a hotel room. At just $26, why not treat yourself to a handy dollop of convenience the next time you travel?
Twenty seven people are confirmed dead after flooding in Texas.
Eighteen are adults and nine are children, an official from Kerr County said.
“We are working hard to locate anyone who is still missing and ensure they are safe,” Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said.
Some 850 people have been rescued so far.
Key events
A drone video shows the scale of devastation left by the flash floods along the Guadalupe River in Texas on Friday.
City manager Dalton Rice acknowledged the number of those missing is likely to change throughout the day.
“The 27 missing are the children from Camp Mystic.
“As for unknown other missing, we do not have an accurate count, and we do not want to begin to estimate at this time.”
The news conference has now ended with a further update expected at around 8pm UK time.
Sheriff Larry Leitha told a news conference: “I want to tell you and assure y’all that we will not stop till every single person is found.
“We’ve got all the resources we need. We’re here for the long haul. As I said, numbers will be changing rapidly.”
A shelter has been set up for the general public who need assistance.
Representative Chip Roy said there are one thousand “boots on the ground” with 160 air rescues having taken place already.
Twenty seven people are confirmed dead after flooding in Texas.
Eighteen are adults and nine are children, an official from Kerr County said.
“We are working hard to locate anyone who is still missing and ensure they are safe,” Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said.
Some 850 people have been rescued so far.
In the last few minutes, the US president Donald Trump has posted this on his Truth Social platform: “The Trump Administration is working with State and Local Officials on the ground in Texas in response to the tragic flooding that took place yesterday. Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will be there shortly.
“Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
If you’re just joining us, here’s a quick summary of all the latest from the devastating floods in Texas.
At least 24 people are known to have died in flash flooding after the Guadalupe River burst its banks early on Friday
Up to 25 girls who had been attending a Christian summer camp near the town of Kerrville, north-west of San Antonio, are still missing
One 13-year-old girl who was evacuated by helicopter after being woken in the middle of the night said the “camp was completely destroyed”
Officials have said the floods were not predicted by forecasts and that the river rose by 26ft (8m) in just 45 minutes
Vice President JD Vance has called the deaths an “incomprehensible tragedy”, while First Lady Melania Trump said she was sending her “prayers for strength, comfort, and resilience” for those affected
Pictures from the ground show widespread destruction to homes, vehicles, and trees as well as ongoing rescue efforts
Warnings for flash flooding around the region remain in place
More rain has been forecast for Saturday and Sunday, with Texas Lt-Gov Dan saying the forecast for potential heavy rain and flooding covered a large area
Multiple flash flood warnings have been announced in the region around the Guadalupe River.
The National Weather Service for Austin and San Antonio said warnings were in place in the areas around the town of McSweeney and the city of Lockhart, both of which sit to the northeast of San Antonio.
It issued a further warning for the city of Georgetown, which sits to the north of Austin.
US Vice President JD Vance has described the deaths caused by the flooding in Texas as an “incomprehensible tragedy”.
At least 24 people are known to have died after the Guadalupe River burst its banks early on Friday, while more than 20 others are still missing.
“Our nation’s heart breaks for the victims in Texas and their families,” Vance wrote in a statement on social media. “Just an incomprehensible tragedy.
“I hope everyone affected knows they’re in the prayers of my family, and of millions of Americans.”
He also shared a prayer: “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
“and let perpetual light shine upon them.
“May the souls of all the faithful departed,
“through the mercy of God, rest in peace.”
Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which is collecting donations to help nonprofits responding to the disaster, said the area affected is known as “flash flood alley” because of the hills’ thin layer of soil.
“When it rains, water doesn’t soak into the soil,” Dickson told the Associated Press. “It rushes down the hill.”
River tourism industry is a key part of the Hill Country economy. Well-known, century-old summer camps bring in children from all over the country, Dickson said.
“It’s generally a very tranquil river with really beautiful clear blue water that people have been attracted to for generations,” he added.
More rain has been forecast for Saturday and Sunday, forecasters said.
A flood watch had been upgraded to a warning overnight on Friday for at least 30,000 people, the Associated Press reports.
Texas Lt-Gov Dan Patrick said the potential for heavy rain and flooding covered a large area.
“Everything was done to give them a heads up that you could have heavy rain, and we’re not exactly sure where it’s going to land,” Patrick said.
“Obviously as it got dark last night, we got into the wee morning of the hours, that’s when the storm started to zero in.”
Kerr county judge Rob Kelly, the county’s chief elected official, said: “We do not have a warning system.”
When pushed on why more precautions weren’t taken, Kelly said no one knew this kind of flood was coming.
The slow-moving storm stuck over central Texas is expected to bring more rain on Saturday, with the potential for pockets of heavy downpours and more flooding, said Jason Runyen, of the National Weather Service.
The threat could linger overnight and into Sunday morning, he said.
The sea spider, those spindly marine oddities that seem composed almost entirely of legs and claws, just given up their genetic secrets.
An international effort led by the University of Vienna and the University of Wisconsin–Madison has delivered the first chromosome-level genome for Pycnogonum litorale, a species common in North Atlantic tide pools.
Stretching across 57 pseudo-chromosomes and paired with extensive developmental transcriptomes, the assembly offers an unprecedented look at how an arthropod can evolve such an extreme body plan. This includes a nearly vanishing abdomen and internal organs that spill far into its limbs.
To achieve a genome this contiguous, the team combined long-read sequencing with Hi-C proximity data. Long reads captured tens of thousands of DNA bases at a stretch. This helped bridge the repetitive regions that routinely break short-read assemblies.
Hi-C, which measures how DNA folds inside the nucleus, then provided a “scaffolding” map that placed those long contigs into chromosomal order.
“The genomes of many non-canonical laboratory organisms are challenging to assemble, and Pycnogonum is no exception,” said first author Nikolaos Papadopoulos, a zoologist at the University of Vienna.
“Only the combination of modern high-throughput data sources made a high-quality genome possible. This can now serve as a stepping stone for further research.”
Because sea spiders are not standard lab animals, researchers collected specimens by hand, often prying them from kelp during low tide. They then rushed them back to the lab for nucleic acid extraction.
The payoff is a reference genome that joins spider, scorpion, mite, and horseshoe crab assemblies on public databases. Yet it lacks the duplications that mark other arachnid genomes, making it a vital baseline for evolutionary comparisons.
The analysis focused on Hox genes, key developmental regulators shared by animals from fruit flies to humans. One gene turned up missing: abdominal-A (abd-A).
In most arthropods, abd-A helps establish the rear-body segments that carry guts and reproductive organs. Sea spiders, with their virtually absent abdomens, appear to have dispensed with both the physical structure and its genetic architect.
“In arthropods, Hox genes play a central role in the correct specification of the different body segments, explained co-author Andreas Wanninger, who co-led the Vienna team. “In many other animal groups they are essential ‘master controllers’ during body plan development.”
The disappearance of abd-A mirrors patterns seen in mites and barnacles, two other arthropod groups that have independently shrunk or lost their hind segments.
Spiders and scorpions carry extra copies of almost every gene, relics of an ancient whole-genome duplication that likely fueled innovations such as silk glands and complex venom cocktails.
P. litorale shows no sign of that event. Because sea spiders sit at the very base of the chelicerate lineage, the simplest explanation is that the duplication occurred later. It likely arose within the spider-scorpion branch, rather than in the common ancestor of all chelicerates.
That finding reshapes timelines for when gene families expanded and may help researchers pinpoint which duplications underlie spider-specific traits.
Beyond raw sequence, the consortium generated RNA profiles from embryos and juveniles, capturing when each gene flicks on and off as new body segments form.
Those developmental datasets make the sea spider a promising model for studies of ancestral arthropod development, limb regeneration, and physiological resilience in cold, nutrient-poor seas.
Georg Brenneis, an expert in arthropod development at the University of Vienna, is a senior author of the study.
“From an evolutionary developmental perspective, sea spiders are very interesting: their mode of development may be ancestral for arthropods, but at the same time they boast multiple body plan innovations unique to themselves. Beyond this, they also possess remarkable regenerative abilities.”
“Now that we have the genome and comprehensive datasets on gene activities during development, we can systematically study all of these aspects on the molecular level,” he said.
With CRISPR editing becoming feasible in marine invertebrates, investigators can now ask how the remaining sea spider Hox genes choreograph eight elongated walking legs and a tubular trunk. They can also explore how the animals quickly regrow lost appendages.
Comparative physiologists might search the genome for stress-response genes that let sea spiders thrive in icy fjords, while ecological genomics teams could examine how gene flow operates across their wide geographic ranges.
Without the duplication, shared sea spider genes likely existed as single copies in the last common chelicerate ancestor.
Aligning those sequences will clarify where new venom toxins arose, when silk machinery evolved, and how immune genes diversified.
The genome also lets scientists investigate regulatory DNA – enhancers, promoters, and non-coding RNAs. These elements rewired a conventional arthropod blueprint into the minimalist sea spider form.
The authors envision expanding the catalog to additional sea spider species to test whether abd-A loss is universal. They also aim to map gains and losses of other developmental genes across the group’s 1,300 known species.
Such work could uncover genetic shortcuts to extreme morphological change – insights that extend far beyond any single marine arthropod.
For now, the P. litorale genome stands as a milestone: the first high-quality reference for the world’s most enigmatic chelicerates. It’s also a reminder that even life’s strangest branches follow molecular rules that genomics can finally reveal.
The study is published in the journal BMC Biology.
Image Credit: Richard Lord/ CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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“One recommendation that has worked very well for me, and that I give to all my patients, is to eliminate coffee as the first intake in the morning,” says de la Peña. “On a biochemical level, it exacerbates the natural cortisol spike that we all experience at the start of the day.”
Instead, consider a nutritious, slow energy-releasing breakfast, one you enjoy and that makes you feel good for both physical and mental wellbeing. If you drink your coffee even a little later, you’ll experience its benefits all while avoiding those spikes. “Coffee contains caffeine, which is a natural stimulant,” nutritionist Mugdha Pradhan, founder of iThrive, previously told Vogue. “This means it can boost your metabolism by increasing the body’s heart rate and energy expenditure. That’s why drinking coffee in the morning—about 90 minutes after waking up—works well, because it syncs up with the body’s natural cortisol rhythm.”
If you want to cut out coffee, you can choose herbal teas, chicory, or matcha instead.
These are certainly some pretty general recommendations for reducing cortisol, and the reality is that not everyone relaxes in the same way. A meditation session or yoga class can be an anti-stress balm for some, while for others, trying to focus on the present moment or doing the tree pose can be a challenge that actually destabilizes their cortisol levels.
Truth is, finding universal tips and tricks for keeping your cortisol levels stable first thing in the morning and when leaving the house is tough. “Recommendations depends a lot on what helps each person to calm their nervous system,” explains de la Peña. “Some people will do better listening to music with headphones, others reading, while some are so tired that they take advantage of the subway ride to sleep and relax. Everyone knows what works best for them to cope with the situation, but what is really important is their level of self-care.” Ultimately: You have to know what personally relaxes and de-stresses you, and consistently seek it out.
Still, there’s one very simple remedy: “When you realize you’re feeling high-stress and at speed, taking a deep breath is the best way to let our brain know that everything is okay,” she says. “It’s easy and free.”
Some people prefer to eat breakfast when they get to the office, or to practice intermittent fasting and do it later, but having a leisurely breakfast is one of the fundamental principles of slow mornings that help keep cortisol spikes at bay. “This way, you let your body know that there is nothing more urgent at that moment than to put the focus on you, to wake up calmly, to be thankful for another day, and to do whatever feels best for you in order to have a good day,” says de la Peña. “When I had high cortisol levels in the morning, I would feel so stressed I couldn’t even eat. Today, for me, breakfast is a sacred and symbolic act towards myself that sends an important message to my brain every morning: You come first, the rest can wait!”
Katy Perry has been left devastated to discover that Orlando Bloom was not her soulmate and her needs were not being met in the relationship.
The 40-year-old songstress recently parted ways with her partner of nine years and the couple released a joint statement this week.
The Roar hitmaker is currently dealing with heartbreak while she is on tour, and a source close to her told Page Six, “It breaks my heart with her having to go through another breakup because I know all she [Perry] wants is consistent love and to be heard and be felt.”
During this time when Perry has been under backlash for her latest album, 143, and the space travel controversy, the insider added, “Katy needs a win right now.”
Speaking about the Pirates of the Caribbean star’s recent viral pictures mingling with Sydney Sweeney, the source told the outlet, “It was probably good for Orlando to get away and enjoy some space from it all.”
In their joint statement about the split, the couple wrote, “Due to the abundance of recent interest and conversation surrounding Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry’s relationship, representatives have confirmed that Orlando and Katy have been shifting their relationship over the past many months to focus on co-parenting.”
Prostate cancer under the microscope: © heitipaves – stock.adobe.com
A new study led by Ryan Hankins, MD, urologist at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, suggests that rectal spacers used during prostate cancer radiation therapy may help reduce the long-term prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED). While rectal spacers are commonly used to protect the rectum from radiation exposure, this research offers the first large-scale real-world evidence that their benefits may extend to preserving sexual function in patients with prostate cancer.1
Rectal spacers have already been shown in clinical trials to reduce rectal toxicity during prostate radiotherapy (RT), improving overall treatment tolerance. However, until now, their impact on erectile function had not been explored using national real-world data. The new study evaluates the association between rectal spacer use and ED diagnoses among prostate cancer patients receiving RT, using a robust dataset spanning thousands of US counties.
The analysis drew on Medicare 5% and 100% standard analytic files, covering adult patients treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy, brachytherapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy, or proton therapy between 2015 and 2022. Researchers focused on the proportion of patients diagnosed with ED in the years following treatment, comparing it with the proportion of patients in each county who had received rectal spacers during RT 1 to 5 years prior.
The study included 247,250 patients with prostate cancer across 3132 US counties. On average, 1.3% of patients treated with RT were diagnosed with ED annually. Notably, rectal spacer use rose significantly during the study period, from just 2.9% in 2015 to 18.9% by 2022. Researchers used zero-inflated Poisson regression models to assess the association, controlling for various demographic and socioeconomic factors at both the patient and population levels.
After adjusting for these variables, the results showed that counties with higher rectal spacer usage saw significantly lower rates of ED diagnoses 4 to 5 years later. Specifically, a 10-percentage point increase in rectal spacer utilization was associated with a 7.7% reduction in ED diagnosis after four years (P <.001) and an 8.4% reduction after five years (P =.006), suggesting a delayed but meaningful protective effect.
“We do believe that the use of rectal spacers may actually decrease the incidence of being diagnosed with erectile dysfunction after treatment with radiation therapy,” explained Hankins in an interview with Targeted OncologyTM.
A close-up of a microscope lens capturing a vibrant blue cancer cell, symbolizing the groundbreaking findings: © catalin – stock.adobe.com
Future research will aim to better understand the biological mechanisms behind this time lag and explore the impact of rectal spacers in long-term, patient-level clinical trials.
In the interview, Hankins further discussed these findings supporting the long-term benefit of rectal spacing in preserving sexual function in patients with prostate cancer who are undergoing prostate RT.
Targeted OncologyTM: Can you discuss the rationale behind investigating the association between rectal spacer use during prostate radiotherapy and subsequent diagnosis of erectile dysfunction using this large dataset?
Hankins: We use rectal spacers to help prevent [adverse events] from radiation therapy for prostate cancer. The spacers [were] developed to help with rectal toxicity, primarily to prevent rectal toxicity from radiation therapy. We are seeing now that there may be other benefits
There have been some studies to show that there are benefits to bladder symptoms, but now we’re seeing that there may be benefits to erectile dysfunction diagnoses in patients treated for prostate cancer that have received rectal spacers, which is very interesting.
Your study utilized county-level data. What were the key considerations that led you to choose this approach rather than individualized patient-level analysis?
These are large datasets that are readily available. So, this is based on diagnoses that are reported—or really government-reported diagnosis codes. And so, we can dive into large datasets to see if we can find associations with improvement in these side effects. And that’s really why we used this information.
The study really was able to include 247,000 men, nearly a quarter of a million prostate cancer patients, that were treated with radiation therapy across over 3,000 US counties.
Were you surprised by the 4- to 5-year delay in ED reduction? What did you expect going into this?
We were very surprised when we saw this. With prostate cancer treatment using radiation therapy, we know that there can be a delay, sometimes, in treatment [adverse events]. But it was very surprising to see that there may be a delay in even benefit with regard to these treatment-related [adverse events].
How clinically significant is the 7% to 8% reduction in erectile dysfunction prevalence with increased spacer use?
There are various rates of erectile dysfunction after radiation therapy in the published literature, and it ranges somewhere between 20% and 37% or so. So, when you see somewhere around a 7% to 8% reduction in the incidence of the diagnosis of erectile dysfunction after the treatment of prostate cancer, I think that really is somewhat significant, or a very interesting thing that we should continue to look into.
What other findings were significant or important to note?
I think the most interesting issue is that of why there is such a delay that we see in the decreased incidence of the diagnosis of erectile dysfunction. It is important to note that using this diagnosis and county-level data, there is a possible association here. It does not necessarily mean that there’s causation or causative factors. We need to look into this a bit further. And I think personalized further research into this topic is warranted.
Which controlled factors most influenced your findings?
It is hard to know using this type of dataset what factors influenced these findings. But we know that this is a comparative study of patients that received rectal spacers in comparison to patients that don’t receive rectal spacers. We really cannot make a definitive comment on what findings led to this. However, we do believe that the use of rectal spacers may actually decrease the incidence of being diagnosed with erectile dysfunction after treatment with radiation therapy.
What is the main message for oncologists from this study?
I think we have great evidence now, and evolving evidence, that shows multiple benefits for the use of rectal spacers in patients that have prostate cancer and are planning or considering radiation therapy as a definitive treatment. I think it just adds to the body of literature that shows we do recommend patients receive a rectal spacer. It’s a minimally invasive procedure that’s done in the office under local anesthesia, and it can have significant benefits for patients.
We think that it’s an important thing patients should consider having done. I think that radiation oncologists and urologists should be versed in doing it and understanding the benefits.
And we saw that during this, just looking at this data, there was an increase in the utilization of spacers from between 3% 5 years prior, up to 20.9% by 2022. So, there’s an increase in the utilization year over year, and I think that will just continue to occur as physicians become more versed in placing rectal spacers and the benefits that it has.
What are the next steps for research?
Really looking into this, and ideally into long-term, prospective, comparative trials, that’s going to be the most important thing. This is a study looking at diagnosis codes and with available Medicare 5% and 100% standard analytic file datasets. However, more intense research and long-term studies on patients receiving treatment is really going to be warranted and needed to know and really parse out the details here.
