Author: admin

  • ‘Donkey Kong Bananza’ Might Have Leaked New ‘Mario Kart World’ DLC Characters

    ‘Donkey Kong Bananza’ Might Have Leaked New ‘Mario Kart World’ DLC Characters

    The ending credits for Donkey Kong Bananza might have leaked two new characters coming to Mario Kart World. The new DK game lists two voice actors who are also listed in MKW. Could the Nintendo Kart race be getting prominent characters from Bananza?

    Donkey Kong Bananza Characters To Be Added To Mario Kart World?

    Screenshot: Nintendo

    Despite the game only launching a few days ago, eagle-eyed players noticed that Donkey Kong Bananza features two voice actors who are also listed in Mario Kart World’s credits. However, where things get interesting is that there aren’t any characters in the kart racer currently voiced by the actors. Before we dive into this, however, I have to give a major spoiler warning for Bananza.

    Spoiler Warning: The below section contains major story spoilers for ‘Donkey Kong Bananza’. Read at your own discretion!

    In Donkey Kong Bananza, Yuu Hayashi voices Void Kong, and Tsuguo Mogami portrays King K. Rool. Players who beat the new DK game realized that both Hayashi and Mogami are also listed as voice actors in Mario Kart World. Since neither of them are currently in the game, this has led many players to speculate that the two Bananza villains are coming soon to MKW as future DLC characters.

    'Donkey Kong Bananza' vs 'Mario Kart World' Credits
    Screenshot: Reddit prpro-03

    The potential Mario Kart World DLC leak was first discovered over on the Mario subreddit. In a thread posted on July 18, players shared a screenshot of MKW and Bananza’s end credits side-by-side. One user reacting to the post wrote, “I checked the Mario Wiki, they voiced NOBODY in Mario Kart World…Who’s ready for the Donkey Kong World DLC?” Another commenter exclaimed: “If neither VA has an existing voice role in World, this will naturally tie into either a free update or paid DLC.”

    ‘DK Bananza’ Credits Might Not Mean ‘MKW’ DLC

    'Mario Kart World' Pauline Skins
    Screenshot: Nintendo

    While Hayashi and Mogami are not playing any characters in Mario Kart World, they might have done work for NPCs. In MKW, there are hundreds of smaller characters in the game’s open-world section. It’s also not uncommon for voice actors to take on background work like this.

    It’s even possible that Donkey Kong Bananza characters are cut content from MKW. So while the potential credits leak is interesting, it’s far from a confirmation. Still, it’s pretty intriguing, I have to admit. I just know that voice-over work in any game is pretty complex, and they could be credited for minor roles as well.

    However, the one reason I’m willing to bet this has potential to be real is that Donkey Kong representation is really lacking in Mario Kart World. For instance, DK and Pauline are the only two racers without multiple outfits in the game. I would be shocked if Young Pauline wasn’t added to the racer soon. Similarly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Donkey Kong got additional skins based on his Bananza transformations. All that said, take this with a grain of salt. You just never know with Nintendo.


    Continue Reading

  • Weight Loss Drugs Work – but Only if You Do These 3 Things

    Weight Loss Drugs Work – but Only if You Do These 3 Things

    July 18, 2025 – You know them by names like Ozempic and Wegovy, and for what they can do – help people lose weight. But if you’re among the roughly 1 in 8 Americans who’ve tried GLP-1 drugs – including newer options like Zepbound and Mounjaro, which target more than one hormone – you could be at risk of nutrient deficiency, muscle loss, and even bone loss, unless you make diet and exercise part of the picture. 

    “Although GLP-1 medications are a major breakthrough in obesity management, lifestyle factors still matter,” said JoAnn E. Manson, MD, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Outcomes of patients on these medications are much better with attention to adequate protein intake, healthy diet, good hydration, and regular muscle-strengthening exercises to mitigate the loss of lean body mass.”

    Manson is a co-author of new guidelines to help, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, one set for doctors and another for patients. “These represent what we believe are the first systematic tools to implement lifestyle interventions alongside GLP-1 medications,” said Farhad Mehrtash, MPH, a co-author of the guidelines and a graduate of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. 

    Here’s a three-pronged approach to make the most of modern weight loss medications.

    1. Maintain Your Muscle

    With any weight loss, including that with GLP-1s, you don’t get to pick where you lose it. “Loss of muscle and lean body mass is common on these medications, on average about 25%,” said Manson. Over time, that can lead to bone loss too, especially in older adults or those with sedentary lifestyles.

    Eat plenty of protein, the guidelines say. Aim for 1 to 1.5 grams per kilogram (or about half a gram per pound) of body weight each day – or 20 to 30 grams per meal. That’s slightly higher than the standard 15 to 30 grams per meal recommended for all adults. 

    Exercise is also critical. Start with an evaluation of where you are now, and slowly work up to 150 minutes of cardio (like walking) and two to three 30-minute strength sessions each week, the CDC’s recommended activity level. 

    Don’t just rely on your doctor to guide you. “Most doctors won’t have the time to thoroughly go through your exercise history, current lifestyle, and any hurdles to beginning exercise,” said Samuel Klein, MD, a professor of medicine and nutritional science at Washington University in St. Louis. “Work with a trainer or someone who is an expert in how to exercise.”

    Insurance might cover personal training (if a doctor prescribes it as part of a medically necessary treatment plan), but a better bet: Ask your health care provider if it offers a formal weight management program – many qualify for reimbursement. 

    2. Sidestep Side Effects

    The right eating strategy can help offset potential digestive side effects, such as constipation, nausea, and heartburn. “I recommend smaller, more frequent meals, decreasing fat and salt intake, and chewing slowly so that you reduce the amount of bulk leaving your stomach,” said Klein. That helps your gut better manage the slower-than-usual movement of food into your intestines caused by GLP-1s.

    Staying hydrated helps keep things moving, too – and dehydration is a risk of these medications, which suppress thirst along with appetite. The guidelines encourage eight to 12 glasses of water a day, along with soups and water-rich fruits and vegetables like cucumbers and watermelon. Keep dehydrating drinks with things like alcohol and caffeine to a minimum. 

    3. Keep These Habits – Even Post-Meds

    These medications are intended for long-term use, said Jody Dushay, MD, a co-author of the guidelines and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “That said, once people reach a weight loss plateau at the highest tolerated dose, then you move to the weight maintenance phase of treatment.”

    That could mean “lowering the dose, staying on the same dose but extending the number of days between injections, or, least commonly, a trial off medication,” Dushay said.

    In general, keeping weight off is notoriously difficult, but research suggests that the key to success comes down to one thing: consistency. 

    “Weight regain is highly individualized and depends on many factors,” said Dushay. Chief among them is an “ongoing engagement in a healthy lifestyle.” 

    Continue Reading

  • The Surprising Long-Term Risk of Traveler’s Diarrhea

    The Surprising Long-Term Risk of Traveler’s Diarrhea

    July 18, 2025 – Diarrhea can do much more than ruin your vacation. It sometimes triggers irritable bowel syndrome, a chronic condition that can linger months or even years after you’ve arrived back home.

    “It’s important for people to know this can happen,” said gastroenterologist Xiao Jing Wang, MD, an assistant professor at the Mayo Clinic. “We have a lot of patients whose symptoms don’t go away, and they start doing all types of testing. It’s worth it to know that sometimes, these infections can have aftereffects that can linger.”

    Nearly 1 in 8 people who get traveler’s diarrhea continue to have symptoms for at least six months, one study found. Of those, nearly 80% have symptoms for at least a year.

    IBS causes belly pain and bloating, as well as diarrhea or constipation – or both. The after-travel condition is called post-infectious IBS (PI-IBS), and it can become a lifelong issue for some. “About 25% to 30% continue to have symptoms after 10 years,” said Wang. 

    What Is Post-Infectious IBS?

    Traveler’s diarrhea, which is caused by bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections, essentially falls under the umbrella of food poisoning. You get it from picking up pathogens like campylobacteria and E. coli from poorly sanitized food or water when traveling.

    Post-infectious IBS is when your symptoms persist after the infection clears. 

    “We now believe that a lot of IBS in this country may have started with an enteric [food poisoning] infection,” said Bradley Connor, MD, medical director of the New York Center for Travel and Tropical Medicine in New York City.

    There are different theories as to how traveler’s diarrhea triggers IBS, and experts agree it’s likely a combination of things. One theory is that it triggers an autoimmune response due to a mistaken identity of a protein. 

    The bacteria most commonly linked to traveler’s diarrhea – shigella, campylobacter, salmonella, and E. coli – release a toxin. This toxin resembles a protein in the intestines, called vinculin, that’s important for healthy gut function.

    The theory is that the immune system can confuse the two molecules. So it produces antibodies to the toxin – but also to vinculin, said Mark Pimentel, MD, executive director of the Medically Associated Science and Technology program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Disrupting vinculin can lead to poor gut function and an overgrowth of certain bacteria, which contributes to IBS. Pimentel published a study that found 56% of people with IBS tested positive for vinculin antibodies.

    Traveler’s diarrhea can also be caused by parasites, like giardia, which has the highest rate of triggering PI-IBS. But giardia doesn’t release the toxin, meaning something else is probably at play.

    It is likely a disrupted gut microbiome, said Wang. Traveler’s diarrhea changes the makeup of good bacteria and bad bacteria in the gut. “We know that there are major distortions in the microbiome when people travel,” said Connor. 

    The good bacteria have anti-inflammatory properties and help control how well something can pass from the gut to the bloodstream. If the gut gets overwhelmed by bad bacteria, it can lead to chronic inflammation, changes in how the intestines empty, and ultimately the symptoms of IBS. 

    Risk Factors for Post-Infectious IBS

    It’s not known why some people develop PI-IBS, though certain things can increase your risk. It’s more common in women and young people, and some may be more likely to have it because of their genes, said Wang. 

    The risk tends to be higher if you have a severe case of food poisoning. Also, if you already have PI-IBS, you have a higher chance of getting it again or having more severe symptoms. 

    What Can You Do to Reduce Your Risk?

    The most important thing is to protect yourself from getting traveler’s diarrhea. If you’re visiting high-risk regions, such as developing countries in Central and South America, Mexico, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, take these precautions:

    • Avoid raw food, including unpasteurized dairy products, and raw or undercooked meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, and produce.
    • Avoid salads, uncooked vegetables, and raw and unpeeled fruit.
    • Avoid food and beverages from street vendors.
    • Avoid tap water and ice unless it’s known to be safe, and use bottled water instead.

    Taking bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) preventively has been shown to reduce the risk of getting traveler’s diarrhea. But the recommended dose is two tablets four times a day, which is inconvenient, said Connor. 

    For people with a higher risk, such as those with PI-IBS or inflammatory bowel disease, doctors may prescribe an antibiotic called rifaximin preventively if they’re travelling to high-risk regions. Rifaximin is poorly absorbed, so it doesn’t negatively affect the gut biome. It’s approved to treat traveler’s diarrhea but used preventively off-label (meaning doctors prescribe it to help prevent diarrhea, even though it’s not FDA approved for that use).

    Lastly, if you get food poisoning, avoid taking antibiotics for mild traveler’s diarrhea. Antibiotics can make symptoms worse because they disrupt the microbiome even more. More severe cases caused by certain bacteria may need antibiotics. “It’s OK to use them if your doctor says you need it,” said Wang.

    Continue Reading

  • Record-breaking high-altitude shot of sun’s surface captured from one of Europe’s tallest mountains (photo)

    Record-breaking high-altitude shot of sun’s surface captured from one of Europe’s tallest mountains (photo)

    Cyril Dupuy, the founder of smart telescope maker Vaonis, has set a new record by capturing Europe’s highest-altitude image of the sun with one of the company’s telescopes during an expedition to scale Mont Blanc earlier this year.

    VESPERA SMART TELESCOPE

    (Image credit: Amazon)

    Wanting to see sunspots or far away galaxies? The Vaonis Vespera is a smart telescope for beginner astronomers. For a more indepth look, read our review of the telescope.

    Dupuy set off with a cohort of three astronomy enthusiasts on April 29 to begin a grueling two-day climb up the slopes of the famous Mont Blanc mountain, located in the Alps bordering Italy and France. Carried alongside the usual mountaineering provisions was a peculiar item— a Vaonis’ Vespera Pro smart telescope.

    Continue Reading

  • Jio Financial Services Limited and Allianz to form 50:50 reinsurance joint venture – Allianz.com

    1. Jio Financial Services Limited and Allianz to form 50:50 reinsurance joint venture  Allianz.com
    2. Germany’s Allianz ties up with India’s Reliance-owned Jio Financial for reinsurance venture  TradingView
    3. Jio Financial Services ties up with Allianz Group for 50:50 reinsurance JV  Business Standard
    4. Jio Financial Services And Allianz To Form 50:50 Reinsurance Joint Venture  NDTV Profit
    5. Jio Financial Services, Allianz to form 50:50 reinsurance joint venture for Indian market  CNBC TV18

    Continue Reading

  • Clevedon traders in protest against on-street parking charges

    Clevedon traders in protest against on-street parking charges

    Ana da Silva

    BBC News West

    Jonathan Habens A few dozen protesters are holding placards which say parking charges will be the death of the high streetJonathan Habens

    Demonstrators held placards calling for U-turn on Clevedon on-street parking charges

    Some independent town traders wore black funeral clothing as they staged a protest against proposed parking charges, which they warn will kill-off trade.

    Last October, North Somerset Council voted to introduce on-street and car parking charges in Clevedon, Nailsea and Portishead, as a way to balance its books.

    Clevedon shopkeeper Judith Levy, who took part in the demonstration on Hill Road, said: “We’ve seen it happen in other places where independent shops start closing up and it would be awful if it were to happen here.”

    North Somerset Council said it “needs to save £44m over the next three years after reduced national government funding”.

    Charges are set be introduced following a consultation of Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs), which closes on 18 July.

    A council spokesperson said it has seen an increase in demand for services, particularly in adult social care and children’s services, along with rising costs.

    They added: “We’ve had no choice but to review all areas of council income generation and spend, including making the difficult decision on introducing parking charges across North Somerset.”

    But some independent shopkeepers accused the local authority of being careless with their spending.

    Jonathan Habens Protesters gather in a street. Some are holding placards that say 'they're killing our shop to boost their budget'.Jonathan Habens

    Some traders fear upcoming on-street parking charges will drive away customers

    “I understand the council need to balance their budget but part of the problem is their own making with the big mess they’ve done on the seafront”, said Ms Levy, referring to the removal of the controversial wiggly road markings which cost about £1.5m.

    “We’ve already lost about 30% of trade since the seafront debacle”, she said, claiming businesses have seen lower footfall after the removal of sea-facing parking in Clevedon and the introduction of a one-way system.

    “Since then all the traders on Hill Road have found it harder. It hit the reputation of the town and it stopped a lot of people coming,” she added.

    Judith Levy A woman with pink and grey hair lookings into the camera, half-smiling. She wears a beaded necklace and a colourful shirt. Behind her there is some vegetation.Judith Levy

    Judith Levy runs a yoga studio on Hill Road, in Clevedon

    North Somerset Council hopes to raise a million pounds as it seeks to balance its books.

    Council leader Mike Bell, previously said parking hikes were “unavoidable”, warning the council “was in a financial emergency”.

    Ms Levy, who runs a retail and yoga studio on Hill Road is also worried about the impact new charges can have on nearby roads.

    “Our street will be paid parking which means residential streets around it will be full of cars because people will try to avoid paying,” she said.

    She suggested having a park and ride into town.

    Discover Clevedon, which represent traders, has written to the council saying a 30-minute free parking period was not included in the recently published Traffic Regulation Orders.

    “The published TROs do not accurately reflect the decision previously made by North Somerset Council to include a 30-minute free parking period for on-street parking,” the letter said.

    “This omission means that the proposals do not present an accurate basis for respondents to comment on, effectively removing the opportunity for stakeholders to fulfil the statutory requirements of the TRO consultation process.”

    North Somerset Council did not respond to the claims, but has invited residents, businesses and other organisations to comment via their website.

    They added: “All comments received will be reviewed and a decision will be taken shortly on the next steps regarding introducing parking charges in Clevedon.”

    Continue Reading

  • How AI Can Enhance Early Detection of Emerging Viruses: UNLV Study

    How AI Can Enhance Early Detection of Emerging Viruses: UNLV Study

    Wastewater surveillance became a popular choice among public health officials looking to track rapid virus mutations and spread patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic. But what if there was a way to detect emerging viruses even faster — or to even sniff out new variants possibly before patients even realize they’re ill?

    A new UNLV-led study is moving that dream one step closer to reality by pairing wastewater sample surveillance with artificial intelligence. The results appear in the latest issue of the journal Nature Communications.

    Lead author and UNLV neuroscience graduate student Xiaowei Zhuang developed an AI-driven algorithm that scans wastewater to detect budding influenza, RSV, mpox, measles, gonorrhea, Candida auris, or other pathogen variants — often before they’re identified by clinical tests. 

    Scientists say being able to map virus emergence, mutation, and transmission faster with AI than with existing wastewater surveillance methods could significantly enhance public health officials’ ability to roll out rapid, targeted interventions. 

    UNLV professor Edwin Oh (Josh Hawkins/UNLV)

    “Imagine identifying the next outbreak even before the first patient enters a clinic. This research shows how we can make this possible,” said study co-author Edwin Oh, a professor with UNLV’s Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine at UNLV. “Through the use of AI we can determine how a pathogen is evolving without even testing a single human being.”

    While the study details how the team’s AI method can separate overlapping signals in complex datasets, its real promise lies in on-the-ground impact. “The tool could especially be useful in improving disease surveillance in rural communities, empowering health workers in low-resource settings,” said study co-author and Desert Research Institute research professor Duane Moser.  

    The research team tested its theory by analyzing nearly 3,700 wastewater samples collected from Southern Nevada wastewater treatment facilities between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that the AI-driven system could accurately identify unique signatures for different virus variants with as few as two to five samples, significantly earlier than current methods. 

    Previous wastewater detection methods required prior knowledge of a variant’s genetic makeup and relied heavily on clinical data from patients who had already been tested. Though those methods worked well, they were a more reactive approach typically identifying new virus strains after they had already begun widely circulating in a community. 

    “Wastewater surveillance has enabled more timely and proactive public health responses through monitoring disease emergence and spread at a population level in real time,” says Zhuang. “This new method enhances early outbreak detection to allow for identification of novel threats without prior knowledge or patient testing data, proactively detecting patterns from multiple wastewater samples and making this tool even more effective for public health surveillance moving forward.”

    Since 2021, four Las Vegas institutions – UNLV, the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), the Southern Nevada Health District, and the Desert Research Institute – have collaborated on a public wastewater surveillance dashboard to track emerging cases of COVID-19 and other viruses. 

    The Nature Communications AI study is one of more than 30 studies these organizations, along with the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, have collaborated on. And the researchers say it is among the first studies to employ an AI approach in enhancing wastewater intelligence.

    “Wastewater surveillance has proven to be an effective tool for filling critical data gaps and understanding public health conditions within a community,” said study co-author Daniel Gerrity, principal research microbiologist at SNWA. “The ongoing wastewater surveillance effort is a great example of how collaboration between SNWA, UNLV, and other partners can lead to positive impacts for the local community and beyond.”

    About The Study

    “Early detection of emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants from wastewater through genome sequencing and machine learning” was published July 8, 2025 in the journal Nature Communications. 

    Continue Reading

  • Skye Blakely’s petition to U.S. gymnastics championships accepted

    Skye Blakely’s petition to U.S. gymnastics championships accepted

    US gymnast Skye Blakely’s return to elite gymnastics is set.

    The two-time world team gold medallist has successfully petitioned to compete at next month’s U.S. Gymnastics Championships in New Orleans.

    “She [came] to camp, and she looks good. She’s feeling good. The goal is [U.S.] championships,” Alicia Sacramone Quinn, the US women’s high performance strategy lead, told Olympics.com Friday (18 July) following a training session at the U.S. Classic outside Chicago. Sacramone Quinn also confirmed that Blakely’s petition had already been accepted for nationals.

    Blakely last competed at the 2024 U.S. Championships, where she finished runner-up to Simone Biles in the all-around. Weeks later, she tore her Achilles tendon during training for the U.S. Olympic Trials in Minneapolis, ending her hopes of competing at Paris 2024.

    In January, Blakely made her NCAA debut, competing for the University of Florida on the uneven bars in every meet. Her season best was 9.95.

    “Definitely working more skills back in the gym on beam, even training my standing full on the floor on the side, thinking of pushing it in the summer,” Blakely told us in April ahead of the NCAA Championships. “Floor, just kind of training some Tumbl Trak, some tumbling here and there. Vault, just some drills. I’m not trying to push the leg events yet.

    “Just getting all skills back for the future of my career, but my eyes are still set on possibly going for Worlds this autumn,” she continued. “So, wanting to have all my skills back on bars and beam are my biggest goals right now. But, I’m definitely working on all four events trying to get back to my full difficulty again.”

    On Friday, Blakely posted a video on Instagram, showing herself training a front handspring to double front.

    The U.S. Championships are set for 7–10 August.

    Continue Reading

  • Pakistan keen to expand cooperation with US: Aurangzeb – RADIO PAKISTAN

    1. Pakistan keen to expand cooperation with US: Aurangzeb  RADIO PAKISTAN
    2. Aurangzeb in US to advance economic cooperation: finance ministry  Dawn
    3. Pakistan’s Finance Minister in US to Push for Trade Deal  Bloomberg
    4. “Relationship is complex, don’t think any US tech going there soon”: Warfare expert John Spencer on US-Pak ties  ANI News
    5. Pakistan-U.S. trade talks in Washington mark progress toward stronger economic ties  Ptv.com.pk

    Continue Reading

  • Admiral Naveed Ashraf highlights Navy's initiatives for peace in region – RADIO PAKISTAN

    1. Admiral Naveed Ashraf highlights Navy’s initiatives for peace in region  RADIO PAKISTAN
    2. COAS Munir, Libyan armed forces’ chief agree on defence industrial collaboration: ISPR  Dawn
    3. Libyan Commander in Chief calls on CNS Admiral Naveed Ashraf  Ptv.com.pk
    4. Pakistan and Libya to expand defense industrial collaboration after top military meeting  Arab News
    5. Lieutenant General Saddam Khalifa Haftar, Commander in Chief of Libyan Armed Forces called on Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), Chief of Army Staff at General Headquarters  dailyindependent.com.pk

    Continue Reading