Starbucks China has attracted offers for a potential stake sale, valuing the coffee chain at up to $10 billion, three people familiar with the deal process told CNBC. Almost 30 domestic and foreign private equity firms in China have submitted non-binding offers, the sources said, adding that proposals on the table value the business between $5 billion and $10 billion, with bidding expected to settle toward the higher end of that range. As Starbucks’ market cap hovers around $108 billion with its China business generating over 8% of global revenue , a fair valuation would stand at around $9 billion, according to one person familiar with the matter. Starbucks is in the process of evaluating the offers, deal structure proposals and post-sale value creation pitches from bidders, according to people familiar with the matter, before shortlisting potential buyers. That shortlisting may be concluded in two months, but the entire deal is unlikely to be completed by the end of this year, the person said. In a statement to CNBC, a spokesperson for Starbucks said that the company plans to keep a “meaningful stake in the business.” “Any deal must make sense for Starbucks business and partners,” the statement said. “We see significant long-term potential in China and are evaluating the best ways to capture the future growth opportunities. We are looking for a strategic partner with like-minded values, who shares our vision to provide a premium coffeehouse experience. We remain committed to China and want to retain a meaningful stake in the business. Any deal must make sense for Starbucks business and partners.” — Starbucks There is a possibility of Starbucks retaining a 30% stake, with the rest split among a group of buyers each holding less than 30%, according to one person familiar with the deal process. Centurium Capital — majority shareholder of Luckin Coffee — Hillhouse Capital and U.S. private equity firms Carlyle Group and KKR & Co are among the contenders vying for a stake in Starbucks’ China business, according to people familiar with the matter. Asset managers are under mounting pressure to put dry powder to work, with limited dealmaking activity amid economic headwinds in China. “Securing a deal and deploying the idle capital is the top priority right now,” said a PE veteran familiar with the matter. “Everyone is trying to prove to their firms that they still have the ability to land transactions, even in this market environment. Just getting a seat at the table shows you can still make money for the firm,” the person said. That backdrop has made the Starbucks an attractive option and investors might be compelled to boost offer prices in order to win the deal, sending valuation even higher, the person said. Goldman Sachs is the financial adviser on this deal, leading the process, sources confirmed to CNBC. Despite all the interest, the coffee chain could still put off the bidding process, if the offers fail to match the valuation the company expects. “It’s a very dynamic process — not until the last day, you won’t be able to know for sure,” one person familiar with the matter said. Starbucks shares were trading 1.6% higher in Frankfurt. Not quitting China Starbucks’ potential stake sale is akin to McDonald’s offloading its Chinese business in 2017, industry experts said. McDonald’s sold a controlling stake of 52% in its mainland and Hong Kong operations to Chinese state-owned enterprise Citic Capital and a 28% stake to Carlyle in a deal valuing the business at $2.1 billion, while its Illinois-based owner retained the remaining 20%. The fast-food chain later increased its stake to 48% , buying back Carlyle’s 28% share in 2023, valuing the stake at $6 billion. Starbucks too will be inclined to retain a stake in the China business to ensure future gains from the company’s growth, allowing it to exert influence over the incoming partners, a Shanghai-based PE veteran said. It is not yet clear the amount of shares that Starbucks has put up for sale. A Starbucks spokesperson told CNBC last month that the company was not considering a “full sale” of its China operation. The company kicked off the formal sale process of its China operation late last year, a person familiar with the matter said, inviting preliminary proposals from potential suitors. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol told Financial Times last month that the company had received “a lot of interest” from investors. “People see the value of the Starbucks brand. They see the coffee category is growing. I think they’d love to be partnering up with us in figuring out how we take this from 8,000 to 20,000,” Niccol said. Seattle-headquartered Starbucks had 7,758 stores across China as of March. Challenges galore Starbucks in China faces a triple-whammy of consumer pull-back, cut-throat competition and cost-cut challenges. The coffee chain has lost market share to lower-priced local rivals such as Luckin Coffee, as well as bubble and milk tea brands, with a weaker economic backdrop weighing on consumer demand. “Chinese consumers are less willing to pay a premium for foreign products when so many ‘good enough’ or better local substitutes keep appearing in the horizon,” said Han Shen Lin, Shanghai-based China Country Director at The Asia Group. Starbucks’ same-store sales in China were flat in the first quarter this year after falling for four consecutive quarters . Its market share in the country fell to 14% in 2024, from 34% in 2019, according to data from market research provider Euromonitor International. To lure back mainland customers, Starbucks in June launched sugar-free options and opted for its first-ever price cut in China, lowering the prices of more than 20 iced and tea-based drinks by an average of 5 yuan, to target what it called “China’s fast-growing non-coffee market.” When asked about changes implemented to ease its sale decline in China, Niccol said in the second-quarter earnings call that the company had started “figuring out products at certain prices … and some additional marketing that’s connecting in a very culturally relevant way.” Another major risk for those looking to invest in Starbucks’ China business is the potential hefty rental costs for its spacious stores. Starbucks made its foray into China in 1999, as shopping malls in tier 1 cities started offering rental concessions to capitalize on higher foot traffic driven by the company’s stores, according to industry reports . That, however, may change soon as more mall operators look to scale back such concessions. If that happens, it would “deal a deadly blow” to the coffee chain’s bottom line, said one potential investor. Starbucks is among several Western brands that have been reassessing their approaches to China. Bringing in trusted strategic partners with local expertise could be one of its best bets to revive the faltering business by speeding up the decision-making, according to analysts. “There is a diverging perception gap about China between the global and China office leadership, which hobbles decision-making where commercial success is increasingly determined by speed-to-market of new products that reflect local culture at attractive price points,” said Lin. “The situation of foreign companies operating in China is increasingly like opposing members of the same team reading different scripts to make joint decisions,” Lin said. In a crucial leadership change last September, Starbucks appointed Molly Liu, former chief of Starbucks China’s digital division, to head its business in the country.
Researchers found that specialized cells in Burmese pythons’ (Python bivittatus) intestinal lining process calcium from the bones of their meals. This helps explain how these predators digest whole prey.
The team published its findings June 25 in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
Burmese pythons typically dine on birds and small mammals, though they don’t need to eat every day. The snakes swallow their prey whole and spend several days digesting their meal before hunting again.
As part of digestion, pythons break down their prey’s bones. The bones provide necessary calcium in the snakes’ diet — but the pythons can’t use all the calcium. “We wanted to identify how they were able to process and limit this huge absorption of calcium through the intestinal wall,” study co-author Jehan-Hervé Lignot, a biologist at the University of Montpellier in France, said in a statement.
To examine how the snakes managed their calcium intake, the researchers fed Burmese pythons one of three diets: a regular diet of whole prey; a low-calcium diet with boneless prey; and a diet with boneless prey and a calcium supplement. After several meals, the team studied the effects of each regimen on the snakes’ intestines.
The team found that narrow, specialized cells in the pythons’ intestinal lining played a role in digesting bones. In the snakes that ate whole prey or boneless prey with a calcium supplement, these cells held particles made up of calcium, iron and phosphorus. But these particles weren’t present in snakes that only ate boneless prey.
Related: ‘An up-tempo version of Darwinian evolution’: How a mega freeze in Florida may have caused Burmese pythons to evolve at a blindingly fast speed
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The cells may be involved in dispelling calcium that the snakes couldn’t absorb. It’s possible that the cells could concentrate the extra calcium into the particles, then release the particles alongside other undigested components into the snakes’ feces, the researchers wrote in the study.
Since discovering the narrow intestinal cells in Burmese pythons, the scientists have also found them in the intestines of other pythons and boas, as well as in Gila monsters (Heloderma suspectum) — all of which eat their prey whole. But there’s no evidence yet that other animals that swallow their entire prey, such as dolphins or fish-eating birds, produce these calcium particles.
Further studies could reveal just how widespread these bone-digesting cells are in the animal kingdom, the researchers wrote.
“Marine predators that eat bony fish or aquatic mammals must face the same problem” of digesting bones and ridding themselves of excess calcium, Lignot said in the statement. “Birds that eat mostly bones, such as the bearded vulture [Gypaetus barbatus], would be fascinating candidates too.”
Baker McKenzie advised LumApps, a prominent leader in intranet platforms, on legal due diligence matters in connection with its merger agreement with Beekeeper. The merger comes with a combined valuation exceeding USD 1 billion, and the two firms’ strategic alliance will result in the creation of the first AI-powered Employee Hub, merging Swiss engineering excellence with a global presence. Serving over 7 million users and generating approximately USD 150 million in recurring revenues, the newly formed entity aims to set new benchmarks in workplace technology.
This merger positions the LumApps group as the foremost market leader in intranet packaged solutions, effectively catering to both office-based and operational employees. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in July 2025. LumApps remains majority-owned by funds managed by Bridgepoint.
Baker McKenzie advised LumApps on legal due diligence in all jurisdictions where Beekeeper maintains a business presence, i.e. in Switzerland, Germany, the UK, Poland and the United States.
M&A Partners Alexander Fischer (Zurich) and Christian Vocke (Frankfurt) together with Olha Demianiuk (partner, M&A Geneva), Erika López (partner, M&A Chicago) and Eva Kriechbaumer (counsel, M&A Munich) led the cross-border team, which consisted of, in particular, the following:
Baker McKenzie Switzerland • Matthias Trautmann (partner, M&A) • Christoph Stutz (partner, employment and compensation) • Nicolas Eckert (associate, M&A) • Roger Thomi (partner, antitrust and competition) • Andreas Becker (associate, employment and compensation) • Agathe Perron (associate, dispute resolution) • David Rohner (associate, dispute resolution) • Nadine Charriere (associate, IP)
Baker McKenzie Germany • Sebastian Ens (counsel, M&A) • Moritz Jander (associate, M&A) • Annika Kissner (associate, employment and compensation) • Sebastian Pfrang (associate, employment and compensation)
Baker McKenzie US • Erika López (partner, M&A) • Christopher Guldberg (partner, employment and compensation) • Janel Brynda (of counsel, employment and compensation) • Shenna Johnson (associate, M&A) • Kamari Koonce (associate, M&A) • Yanshu Zhang (associate, M&A) • Loic Coutelier (associate, employment and compensation)
Baker McKenzie Warsaw • Lukasz Targoszynski (partner, M&A) • Krzysztof Sierpiński (associate,employment and compensation) • Michał Pakosz (associate, employment and compensation) • Anna Krekora (associate,M&A) • Katarzyna Baranowska (associate, M&A)
About LumApps LumApps is a modern intranet platform that enhances employee experience by improving communication, boosting productivity and fostering growth. It integrates with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, serving over 6 million users, and is recognized as a leader in the field by Gartner and Forrester. Supported by Bridgepoint since 2024, LumApps continues to revolutionize workplace technology.
About Beekeeper Beekeeper was founded in 2012 as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. It focuses on mobile solutions for operational employees in industries such as manufacturing, retail and construction.
He has dominated the past decade of UK music with his ability to craft earworm melodies that can become mass sing-alongs but Ed Sheeran has been swapping the recording booth for the artist’s studio.
The singer, who grew up in a household with two parents who worked in art, is teaming up with Damien Hirst’s company Heni to sell prints of his Jackson Pollock-esque paintings in order to raise money for his foundation.
The prints, which are being sold for just over £900 each, are large canvases he created during downtime after touring and in between recording sessions.
Sheeran said:“I started painting at the end of my Divide Tour in 2019 and it’s something that I’ve used as a creative outlet ever since. When I was growing up, both of my parents worked in art, so I’ve naturally always been interested in it, and I always enjoyed studying art at school.”
Created using household paint, the colourful canvases – dubbed the Cosmic Carpark Paintings – will be displayed in an exhibition at the Heni Gallery in central London from 11 July to 1 August.
“I was back and forth on tour last year, and I used a lot of my downtime in the UK to paint. I’d run to a disused car park in Soho each morning, paint, then run home and I’d do that daily until I headed back out on tour again,” added Sheeran.
Ed Sheeran at work on his ‘cosmic’ paintings. Photograph: Ellie Lawrie/Prudence Cuming Associates
While he is keen not to be compared to other artists, the work is said to be “inspired by celestial patterns, and in keeping with his well-documented, expressionist splash painting style”.
The Ed Sheeran Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting music education in state schools and grassroots organisations across the UK, will receive 50% from the print sales.
The singer led a call for Keir Starmer to commit £250m of funding for music education, which was backed by Elton John, Coldplay, Harry Styles, Stormzy and Central Cee.
In an open letter to the prime minister, signed by more than 500 music figures, Sheeran wrote: “As an industry, we bring in £7.6bn to the UK economy, yet the next generation is not there to take the reins. Last year was the first in over 20 years without a UK global Top 10 single or album in the charts.”
He called on the government to set up a taskforce to work together to ensure music education remained high on the agenda.
Ed Sheeran’s Unfolding Cosmos, a household gloss painting on canvas. Photograph: Ellie Lawrie/Prudence Cuming Associates
The letter said: “The time to act is now. State schools, which educate 93% of the country’s children, have seen a 21% decrease in music provision.
“We collectively ask for a £250m UK music education package this spring to repair decades of dismantling music. Music in and out of school should be for all, not a few.”
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Sheeran has donated artwork – including a £40,000 painting – to raise money for charity. In 2021, he conducted a raffle to fundraise for the charity, Cancer Campaign in Suffolk. The singer charged £20 a ticket and the initiative brought in more than £50,000.
The singer created the covers for several of his albums and EPs, including the artwork for his 2021 single Afterglow. He used Hirst’s spinning wheel to create the artwork for his album Divide.
When Sheeran appeared on Desert Island Discs in 2017, he discussed his love of art and the influence of his father, who worked as a curator. “He has always said that art is meant for enjoyment,” he said. “You don’t acquire art as an investment.”
Sheeran has an art collection that includes work by Harland Miller, known for placing provocative slogans on Penguin books. “I have pretty much the most provocative word prominently displayed in my home,” he added. “My dad said as long as you enjoy art, you never lose.”
The National Portrait Gallery has a portrait of Sheeran painted by Colin Davidson in its collection.
The singer has eight No 1 albums to his name, and has been the most played artist on British airwaves and in public spaces seven times.
His next album, Play, is scheduled for release this September.
(Bloomberg) — Copper futures fell in London after President Donald Trump sowed chaos in metals markets by indicating the US would implement a higher-than-expected 50% tariff on imports of the commodity.
Copper climbed as much as 17% in New York on Tuesday, a record one-day spike to an all-time high, before falling more than 4% in early trading on Wednesday. On the LME, the metal slid as much as 2.4% at the open, before easing to change hands at $9,653 a ton, 1.4% lower, at 1:08 p.m. in Singapore.
The Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index rose as much as 0.4% and is set for its highest close since January 2022. Asian shares and US equity-index futures dipped 0.1% while contracts for Europe edged up 0.2%. Treasuries fell and the dollar gained slightly.
Traders are holding back from adding to their portfolios as they gauge the impact of escalating trade tensions, looking for signals on where stocks might head next after reaching record highs last week. Trump showed a renewed determination Tuesday to push ahead with his plans to heavily tax imports after a slew of tariff warning letters on partners such as South Korea and Japan.
“Trump’s recent winning streak —on both the trade and geopolitical front—has effectively lowered his bar for escalating trade tensions, turning tariff threats into endless background noise,” said Hebe Chen, a market analyst at Vantage Markets in Melbourne. “Markets and traders aren’t just fatigued—they’re lost in an ever-thickening foggy forest. For now, the smart move is to stay still and wait for something real to cut through the fog.”
Trump vowed to push forward with his aggressive tariff regime in the coming days, stressing he would not offer additional extensions on country-specific levies set to now hit in early August while indicating he could announce substantial new rates on imports of copper and pharmaceuticals.
The posturing on social media and at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday came after traders initially shrugged off a series of letters and executive actions Trump issued Monday.
Trump said that despite progress with the European Union on a trade deal, frustration over the bloc’s taxes and fines targeting US technology firms could result in him unilaterally declaring a new tariff rate within the next two days.
Meanwhile, US copper prices posted a record gain in the last session after Trump said he planned to implement a 50% tariff on imports. Benchmark copper futures fell in London on expectations that more supply will end up in other markets.
Elsewhere, China’s factory deflation persisted into a 33rd month while consumer prices unexpectedly rose in June, data showed Wednesday.
The still-weak inflation may keep pressure on policymakers to ramp up stimulus to escape a vicious cycle of falling prices, business profits and wages. Investors are turning their focus to Beijing’s July politburo meeting, for more forceful support measures after the government announced recent efforts to reduce factory overcapacity.
“Domestic investors are building position ahead of the July Politburo meeting and also discussions that there could be some property stimulus,” said Billy Leung, investment strategist at Global X ETFs in Sydney. Overseas investors are also buying the relative under-performance of stocks in the mainland compared with those in Hong Kong, he said.
Corporate News:
Starbucks Corp. has received proposals from prospective investors in its China business, most of whom are eyeing a controlling stake in the operation.
Fujitsu Ltd. shares dropped the most since April in Tokyo after the chair of a UK public inquiry called for the firm to release a compensation plan for victims of the Post Office scandal
Merck is nearing a $10 billion deal for respiratory drugmaker Verona, the FT reported.
Some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
S&P 500 futures were little changed as of 6:55 a.m. London time
Nasdaq 100 futures were little changed
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index was little changed
Japan’s Topix rose 0.4%
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.6%
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.9%
The Shanghai Composite rose 0.4%
Euro Stoxx 50 futures rose 0.2%
Currencies
The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed
The euro was little changed at $1.1717
The Japanese yen fell 0.3% to 146.96 per dollar
The offshore yuan was little changed at 7.1831 per dollar
The British pound was little changed at $1.3591
Cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin rose 0.1% to $108,793.14
Ether rose 1.2% to $2,630.38
Bonds
The yield on 10-year Treasuries advanced one basis point to 4.41%
Japan’s 10-year yield was little changed at 1.495%
Australia’s 10-year yield advanced nine basis points to 4.35%
Commodities
Spot gold fell 0.3% to $3,291.57 an ounce
West Texas Intermediate crude fell 0.3% to $68.15 a barrel
This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.
–With assistance from Alfred Cang and Joanne Wong.
A rare flower has been rediscovered for the first time in seven years thriving in a nature reserve – thanks to perfect weather conditions and the control of dense vegetation.
The Tubular Water Dropwort, a member of the carrot family of plants, had been threatened with near extinction.
About 130 of the plants were found by the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust team at Rye Meads Nature Reserve near Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire.
Ian Carle, nature reserves manager at the trust, described it as “an incredible find, given its rarity.”
According to the trust, the rare flower was discovered amongst the dense vegetation of the wetland meadow which was cut back last year.
Tubular Water Dropwort can be identified by distinctive rounded, white and pink heads.
There has not been a reported sighting of the plant at the nature reserve since 2018.
Mr Carle continued: “When these plants are in flower, they are easier to identify and to count, which is why we look for them at this time of year.
“Cutting the meadow last year has opened up the vegetation benefiting species such as the Water Dropwort.”
Chris Gayle has criticised Wiaan Mulder for declaring on 367 not out in the second Test against Zimbabwe, saying the South African batter missed a golden chance to break Brian Lara’s world record 400*. Mulder’s decision has sparked debate across the cricket world.
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South Africa’s
Wiaan Mulder may have won hearts with his selfless declaration during the second Test against Zimbabwe, but West Indies legend Chris Gayle believes the young batter missed a golden opportunity to enter cricket’s history books.
Mulder shocked fans and pundits alike when he declared South Africa’s innings at 626/5 in Bulawayo with himself unbeaten on 367, just 33 runs short of Brian Lara’s world-record 400 not out in Tests. The decision sparked a debate across the cricketing world, with some praising the move as selfless, while others felt Mulder may regret it later.
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Gayle criticises Mulder’s decision to declare on 367*
Gayle, speaking on talkSPORT, did not hold back in expressing his disappointment. “If I could get the chance to get 400, I would get 400. That doesn’t happen often. You don’t know when you’re going to get to a triple century again. Any time you get a chance like that, you try and make the best out of it,” Gayle said.
“But he was so generous and said he wanted the record to stay with Brian Lara. Maybe he panicked, he didn’t know what to do in that situation. Come on, you’re on 367, automatically you have to take a chance at the record. If you want to be a legend, how are you going to become a legend? Records come with being a legend,” he added.
Mulder said he declared because the team had enough runs and that he wanted “legend” Lara to keep the record. Meanwhile, Gayle questioned that mindset, calling it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and adding that Mulder has blown it big time.
“I think it was an error from his side, not to try and go to get it. We don’t know if he would go on and get it or not. But he declared on 367 and he said what he had to say. But listen, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to get 400 runs in a Test match. Come on, youngster, you’ve blown it big time!”
Despite the missed record, Mulder’s 367 not out is now the highest individual Test score by a South African, surpassing Hashim Amla’s 311*. He also broke the record for the highest score in an away Test and registered the second-fastest triple century in Test history.
Mulder was the stand-in skipper in the absence of Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj. South Africa eventually dismissed Zimbabwe by an innings and 236 runs to win the series 2-0.
Researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, are developing a panel of biomarkers for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and for distinguishing it from other types of dementia using blood tests. The research project is supported by FAPESP and is based on the genotype analysis of 500 volunteers with and without the disease.
One of the most recent findings by the research group, published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, was the identification of a rare genetic alteration related to Alzheimer’s disease that is also associated with high levels of the ADAM10 protein. The study examined 85 individuals with cognitive impairment and the genetic condition, all of whom had high levels of the protein in their blood.
The protein is known among scientists for its role in cleaving, or breaking down, the beta-amyloid precursor protein. This prevents the formation of plaques in the brain, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
ADAM10 is an old candidate biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease that in recent years has gained prominence due to advances in ultrasensitive equipment that allows these molecules to be detected at very low concentrations in the blood plasma.”
Márcia Regina Cominetti, from the Biology of Ageing Laboratory (LABEN-UFSCar) and one of the project’s coordinators
The study found that the genetic condition involving alterations in the E4 allele of the APOE gene could result in an increase in inactive ADAM10 molecules in the blood. Consequently, the amount of active molecules would decrease, reducing their ability to inhibit the formation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain.
Complex disease
Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia worldwide, affecting over 35.6 million people. Not only is there no cure, but diagnosis remains a major challenge for medicine. The earlier it is identified, the greater the chance of delaying the onset of symptoms. This is because, until now, reversing the neurodegenerative process has only been possible in the early stage of the disease, known as mild neurocognitive impairment. This stage is characterized by cognitive decline without significantly affecting the individual’s functionality.
In this context, UFSCar researchers are developing prognostic blood tests based on ADAM10 that can identify individuals with mild cognitive impairment who are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our studies indicate that not only in the case of this rare condition but also in other causes of Alzheimer’s disease ADAM10 acts in a pathway prior to the formation of beta-amyloid plaques. With this, it’s possible, if everything goes as our hypothesis predicts, that it could be a prognostic marker, indicating, before the formation of these pathological milestones, whether or not the person has a chance of developing the disease,” says the researcher.
Cominetti points out that, currently, the detection of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain and hyperphosphorylated tau protein (another hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease) is highly accurate for diagnosis. “However, differentiating one dementia from another is still a major challenge. In this sense, a combination of biomarkers could, for example, make broader population screening possible through blood tests,” he says.
In partnership with the Chemistry and Gerontology departments at UFSCar, the researchers have developed a sensor that uses ADAM10 levels in the blood to distinguish between healthy older adults and those with Alzheimer’s disease. The test is currently being validated through studies with 500 volunteers.
“We’re moving towards finding prognostic markers for the disease. Many people wonder why they’re looking for a diagnosis if there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s yet. The fact is that we’re working in the long term. At some point, a cure may appear and then it’ll be extremely important to have a diagnostic method like the one we’re proposing to develop,” he says.
Another important aspect of the project, Cominetti notes, is the construction of a genetically diverse database that also considers risk factors for Alzheimer’s, such as education level, income, and quality of life. “We’ve completed the genetic sequencing of the 500 volunteers, creating a database without equal in the world. As well as reflecting Brazil’s genetic variability, the database is the result of a population that has distinct characteristics from the Global North, where most research is conducted. This is important because it’s known that the relevance of risk factors for Alzheimer’s can vary between rich and poor regions,” explains Cominetti.
Source:
São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
Journal reference:
de Carvalho Pelegrini, L. N., et al. (2025). Higher soluble ADAM10 plasma levels are associated with decreased cognitive performance in older adults carrying APOEε4. Neurobiology of Aging. doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2025.04.003.
Ed Sheeran began painting in 2019 and created his latest works in a disused London car park
A new exhibition will feature original art works created by singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran.
The pop star branched into painting in 2019, but said he had always enjoyed studying art in school while growing up in Suffolk.
He created several paintings between shows last year in a disused London car park and was encouraged to hold an exhibition of them at the Heni Gallery in Soho, London, until August.
“I started painting at the end of my Divide Tour in 2019 and it’s something that I’ve used as a creative outlet ever since,” Sheeran explained.
Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd
Sheeran said he used painting as a creative outlet in between making music
“When I was growing up, both of my parents worked in art, so I’ve naturally always been interested in it, and I always enjoyed studying art at school.
“I was back and forth on tour last year, and I used a lot of my downtime in the UK to paint.
“I’d run to a disused car park in Soho each morning, paint, then run home and I’d do that daily until I headed back out on tour again.”
Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd/Ed Sheeran
The works were originally created for Sheeran’s friends and family before he was convinced to exhibit them
The exhibition has been called Cosmic Carpark Paintings and admission is free with no appointment required.
The new works have been inspired by celestial patterns and are in keeping with Sheeran’s splash painting style.
The works will be displayed in the Heni Gallery from Thursday to 1 August.
They can also be bought, with proceeds being donated to The Ed Sheeran Foundation, which works to offer music education and opportunities to young people from all backgrounds.
Sheeran explained he had told artist Damien Hirst as well as Joe Hage, founder of Heni, about his paintings, and they encouraged him to do the exhibition.
He will perform three sell-out homecoming concerts at Portman Road stadium in Ipswich on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Getty Images
Sheeran’s proceeds from any sales will go to his foundation