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  • Microsoft’s Xbox division under pressure with “unrealistic” financial targets: insider

    Microsoft’s Xbox division under pressure with “unrealistic” financial targets: insider

    The Xbox division at Microsoft is reportedly going through a difficult period, beset with layoffs and, perhaps more surprisingly, financial targets that could be detrimental to its long-term health, according to insiders. This is reportedly due to increasing pressure from above. Xbox has been given an “utterly unrealistic financial target,” which could impede the division.

    Windows Central’s Jez Corden reported the insider scoop on X, where he stated that Microsoft’s CFO Amy Hood had given the Xbox division an “utterly unrealistic” financial target. Corden added that the expectations could “continue hurting the division.” This news comes in the wake of a massive round of layoffs at Microsoft, which have hit Xbox and its studios pretty hard.

    The Verge’s Tom Warren joined the conversation and pushed back on the “unrealistic” label, stating, “I don’t think it’s unrealistic, it’s just the reality of the Xbox business after the ABK acquisition. Without that deal, Xbox revenue would be down, and the Game Pass gamble hasn’t paid off yet.”

    The acquisition in question is Microsoft’s $68.7 billion procurement of Activision Blizzard, which supercharged the company’s portfolio with IPs such as World of Warcraft, Diablo, DOOM, and Call of Duty. 

    To put things into perspective, Microsoft’s total revenue for the fiscal year of 2022 was $198.27 billion, with the Xbox division contributing only $16.23 billion in the same period. In 2024, Microsoft’s Xbox revenue was $15.7 billion, a steep decline from the previous fiscal year’s $21.5 billion. Insiders believe that the decline is due to fewer Xbox hardware sales, as Microsoft sold only 2.7 million units while Sony sold 4 million PS5 units in the same year.

    Xbox Game Pass, meanwhile, hit 34 million subscribers in early 2024. As of mid-2025, it’s reported that the subscription service has signed up more than 35 million subscribers. This is well below Microsoft’s goal of hitting 100 million users by 2030.

    While Game Pass generated $4.7 billion in revenue in 2024 and is projected to generate around $5.5 billion by 2025, the growth is not expected to offset the broader financial investments made by Microsoft.

    It’s apparent that financial pressures have been severe, considering Microsoft laid off 9,100 employees, affecting AAA studios: Turn 10, Rare, Romero Games, and The Initiative.

    Xbox Game Studios is undergoing an aggressive restructuring period, and the road ahead seems anything but smooth. The tremors from the aftermath of the layoffs have been felt throughout the gaming industry and are also visible on LinkedIn where former employees have announced that they were laid off, often unexpectedly.

     

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  • Goodwin Is Number One Law Firm for Global M&A for H1 2025 | News & Events

    Goodwin Is Number One Law Firm for Global M&A for H1 2025 | News & Events

    Goodwin has once again been ranked the number one law firm in LSEG’s H1 2025 league tables for global M&A by deal count. The firm also secured the number one position in United States M&A – by deal count – for announced deals.

    In the global completed deal ranking, Goodwin led all firms with 385 transactions in H1 2025. These deals represent a nearly 22% increase compared to the firm’s H1 2024 deal value.

    The league tables further cement Goodwin’s standing as a global leader in mergers and acquisitions, as the firm offers highly differentiated strategic and commercial advice on more transactions annually than any other firm in the world. With a robust industry-specific focus and client-centric approach, Goodwin serves as trusted advisors to clients across select geographies and industry verticals, including private equity, technology, life sciences, healthcare, real estate, and financial services.

    Goodwin’s H1 2025 league table results include:

    • LSEG Global M&A (By Deal Count)
      • #1 Global – Announced
      • #1 Global Principal Advisors – Announced
      • #1 Global – Announced, including Withdrawn
      • #1 Global – Completed
      • #1 Global Principal Advisors – Completed
      • #1 Any US Involvement – Announced

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  • No proposal to replace President Zardari: Irfan Siddiqui

    No proposal to replace President Zardari: Irfan Siddiqui

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    ISLAMABAD:

    Senator Irfan Siddiqui, Parliamentary Party Leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the Senate and Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, categorically rejected any change in the President’s office, calling reports on the matter baseless.

    “There is no proposal under consideration at any level to replace President Asif Zardari. He is performing excellently in his role as the constitutional head of state,” he stated.

    Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has also dismissed rumours about the possible removal of President Asif Ali Zardari, stating that some people are uncomfortable because politicians, the government and the military stand united.

    “For the first time, politicians, the government and the military establishment are on the same page, and that bothers certain individuals. These people are spreading such stories,” Naqvi, who does not belong to any of the ruling parties but is regarded close to Zardari, said on Saturday.

    Speaking to a private news channel, Siddiqui mentioned that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) stands with PML-N. He appreciated PPP’s positive role in supporting the government, however, he clarified that supporting the government does not mean agreeing on everything.

    Read More: Naqvi dispels Zardari removal rumours

    He also highlighted Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s commendable role in diplomacy, noting that he has played a highly positive role in representing Pakistan’s interests on the international stage.

    Moreover, in response to rumours about a supposed meeting between PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and PTI founder Imran Khan in Adiala Jail, Siddiqui called the claim completely false and baseless.

    “The problem is that, following the conclusion of recent wars and the decline of Tehreek-e-Insaf and Imran Khan’s influence, the media is struggling to find new topics and has resorted to sensationalism,” he remarked.

    On another issue, the senator said that the path Imran Khan has chosen is one of isolation. He noted the division within PTI, which he sees as the biggest challenge for him. He suggested that it would be better for Khan to first negotiate within his own party.

    Also Read: Deputy PM dismisses reports of Nawaz-Imran meeting as rumours

    Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar had also denied reports of a meeting between PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and PTI founder Imran Khan, calling them baseless and part of a “sponsored narrative” aimed at creating political confusion.

    “These are baseless speculations—it could be someone’s wish list. We don’t need to approach anyone,” he said.

    Senator Siddiqui added that whether Nawaz Sharif holds a public or party office, he remains the most influential figure in Pakistan, and his opinion is considered in all major decisions.

    In response to a question about whether the general elections will be held on time, he stated that elections will take place once the constitutional term has been completed.

    Regarding the meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar, he clarified that there is no proposal under consideration for Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to rejoin PML-N. “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited him only to inquire about his health, and nothing beyond that took place,” he confirmed.

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  • ‘Cooperation is humanity’s greatest innovation,’ UN chief declares at BRICS summit – UN News

    1. ‘Cooperation is humanity’s greatest innovation,’ UN chief declares at BRICS summit  UN News
    2. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: I’m Attending The BRICS2025 Summit in Brazil  Oncodaily
    3. UN chief, BRICS stress need for two-state solution in Palestine amid ceasefire talks  China Daily – Global Edition
    4. UN chief to attend BRICS summit in Brazil  Latest news from Azerbaijan
    5. Guterres Reaffirms Two-State Solution as Basis for Peace in Palestine at BRICS Summit  AL24 News

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  • Do women need a change in dose of prescription drugs with onset of menopause? Time to find out | BMC Medicine

    Do women need a change in dose of prescription drugs with onset of menopause? Time to find out | BMC Medicine

    Literature search identified only very few studies investigating the effects of menopause on pharmacokinetics of different drugs. We here provide some examples to showcase potential effects of menopause.

    Clearance of alfentanil (a short-acting anesthetic) metabolized largely by CYP3A4, was studied in 21 women and found to be more than double as high at premenopausal age compared to menopausal age, with no such effect in age-matched men [3]. Clearance of tirilazad, a neuroprotective steroid, metabolized by CYP3A4, was one third higher in 10 premenopausal women compared to 10 menopausal women [4]. The same study showed a similar difference in the clearance of midazolam (a short acting tranquilizer), which is considered a marker of CYP3A4 activity [4]. Zijp et al. [5] analyzed the effect of menopausal status on metabolism of tacrolimus, an immunosuppressant metabolized by CYP3A4 in 818 patients. Metabolism in women of premenopausal age was 43% higher than in women of menopausal age, while there was a non-significantly (12%) higher metabolism in men of comparable age groups.

    Castberg et al. [6] analyzed age and sex effects in 7626 users of quetiapine, an antipsychotic, metabolized by CYP3A4. They found a sex-by-age interaction and showed that male and female serum concentrations are similar until age 50, after which women develop significantly higher values than men, inducing a 33% sex difference.

    Rosuvastatin, a competitive hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A inhibitor, partly metabolized by CYP2C9, was studied in 40 women [7]. Three hours after administration of a single dose of 40 mg, more than fourfold higher plasma levels were found in premenopausal women, compared to menopausal women.

    Olanzapine, an antipsychotic drug metabolized by CYP1A2, was studied in 248 patients, finding a sex-by-age interaction, with higher blood levels in young women and lower blood levels in older women [8]. While the dose-corrected concentration (C:D ratio) of olanzapine increased with age in men, it decreased in women; an effect that may be attributable to menopause. Finally, a study including over 3000 men and women using lamotrigine (an anti-epileptic drug metabolized by UGT) demonstrated a significant drop in clearance in women aged 51–55 [9], but not in male peers, again suggesting interaction between menopausal status and pharmacokinetics.

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  • Multi-dimensional sleep health and dementia risk: a prospective study in the UK Biobank | BMC Medicine

    Multi-dimensional sleep health and dementia risk: a prospective study in the UK Biobank | BMC Medicine

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  • The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio

    The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio

    A.J. Foyt holds the record for most race victories in INDYCAR SERIES history – he has eight more wins than second-place Scott Dixon’s 59 – but Dixon has a record that might stand forever.

    Dixon’s victory in Sunday’s The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by the All-New 2026 Passport gave him 23 seasons with at least one NTT INDYCAR SERIES race win.

    Here’s the kicker: The six-time series champion is still two weeks from celebrating his 45th birthday, which means he has won a race in the series that’s considered the most competitive in global motorsports in more than half the years of his life.

    Friends, that is a nearly incomprehensible fact, and it’s worth noting that Foyt, who was still driving these cars at age 58, had five fewer winning INDYCAR SERIES seasons than Dixon has. It’s also worth noting that Dixon’s run of success spans more than the life of Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Kyffin Simpson, who turns 21 in October.

    Additionally, Dixon extended his streak of consecutive seasons with at least one victory to 21.

    Dixon won a series race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for a record-extending seventh time, finishing ahead of the driver who is on the verge of winning his third consecutive series championship and fourth title in five years. Yes, Alex Palou made a colossal mistake in Turn 9 that allowed Dixon to grab the lead with five-plus laps remaining, but the driver of the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda had put himself in position yet again to win a series race, and he did when the opportunity presented itself.

    “On the approach to (Turn) 9, I saw the dust and I was like, ‘Oh, maybe that’s a lap car or something’ because there’s been times in these sessions where the dust has actually been lingering in the air,” Dixon said. “You come through (Turn) 1, there’s a load of dust, and then you don’t even see the car that’s in front.

    “I didn’t know if it was (Palou), and then obviously I see it’s a black car. He’s had multiple (car) colors this year, so it’s always hard to figure out, and I saw that he was kind of struggling to get going. Hate to say it, but pleasantly surprised when I saw that he was rejoining the track.”

    Dixon then held off Palou, who was charging in those waning laps with an advantage in fuel and push-to-pass opportunities. Dixon’s margin of victory was .4201 of a second, the track’s closest series finish in six years.

    Dixon executed this victory as he has so many others, by perfectly managing the balance between fuel preservation and speed production. While some considered making the 90-lap race a two-stop affair but didn’t opt for it, Dixon did pulled it off, stopping on Laps 30 and 61, leaving enough in the tank and with the Firestone Firehawk tires to capitalize when Palou, who was using a three-stop pit strategy, made his big mistake in Turn 9 in the No. 10 Open AI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

    The result was Chip Ganassi Racing’s second 1-2 finish of the season, with Palou overtaking Dixon late in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. Palou also held off his teammate in the 2023 race at Mid-Ohio.

    “I think a lot of the best INDYCAR races is when you can have a flat-out three-stopper and a two-stopper that converge at the end, and that always creates a lot of suspense and a lot of craziness,” Dixon said.

    Dixon said he was surprised it wasn’t a 1-2-3 finish for Chip Ganassi’s team, which last had one 12 years ago today at Pocono Raceway (Dixon won that race, too). Simpson had qualified third, spent much of the race in the top five and led a lap in the No. 8 Journie Rewards Chip Ganassi Racing Honda before settling for a 10th-place finish after serving a drive-through penalty for clipping the foot of Dale Coyne Racing crew member Nico Don.

    Dixon’s win gave Honda its 10th consecutive victory to open the season. There hasn’t been engine domination like this since 2016 when Chevrolet won the first five races and 12 of the first 13.

    Palou didn’t win the race, but he had a winning day as he gained 20 additional points on his nearest title challenger, Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood, who finished eighth. Palou has combined to win four races at two of the six remaining tracks on the schedule – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Portland International Raceway – and he has a commanding 113-point lead over Kirkwood with seven races to go.

    But Palou’s coronation is a moment for another day. Sunday, Mid-Ohio again crowned its king of this series.


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  • Autoimmune Diseases Almost Double Mental Health Disorder Risk

    Autoimmune Diseases Almost Double Mental Health Disorder Risk

    Twenty-nine percent of autoimmune disease patients also report a mental health condition, compared to 18% of the general population who do not have an autoimmune disorder, according to the results of a recent study published in BMJ Mental Health.

    Specifically, lifetime prevalence rates of autoimmune patients with mental health disorders compared to the general population were 26% vs. 15% for depression, 21% vs. 13% for anxiety and 1% vs. 0.5% for bipolar disorder. These findings are consistent with a previous separate study that found a prevalence of depression (22%), anxiety (13%) and bipolar disorder (7%) in lupus patients, the current study shows.

    A team of researchers, including corresponding author Arish Mudra Rakshasa-Loots, Ph.D., from the Center for Clinical Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh in the UK, studied the data of more than 1.5 million UK residents who participated in Our Future Health survey, a British health research project that collects social, demographic, health and lifestyle information. Results were collected from October 2022 to September 2024, and the study was published June 9, 2025. Approximately 37,808 participants reported autoimmune conditions and 1,525,347 did not. Women were more likely to report an autoimmune condition than men (74.5% vs. 56.5%). Additionally, the average age of participants was 53, 90% identified as white and 57% were women. When the researchers adjusted for sociodemographic factors, the risk of depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder was identical in people with autoimmune conditions.

    Survey participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) to measure their depression and anxiety symptoms.

    Autoimmune diseases are characterized by the body’s immune system mistakenly attacking healthy cells, causing inflammation and damage that may be life-threatening. Symptoms can include fatigue, muscle aches and digestion problems, ranging from mild to severe, and can come and go. Although there are more than 80 autoimmune diseases recognized by scientists, the researchers in this study focused on six: rheumatoid arthritis, Graves’ syndrome (thyroid hormone disorder), inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis.

    The study’s findings also support previous knowledge that autoimmune disorders are more common in women than in men—32% vs. 21%, leading researchers to theorize there is a link between sex hormones and antibodies. In the United States, approximately 50 million people have an autoimmune disease, with women accounting for 80% of diagnoses, according to the National Institutes of Health.

    “Women (but not men) with depression exhibit increased concentrations of circulating cytokines and acute phase reactants compared with non-depressed counterparts,” Rakshasa-Loots and his team write. “It is therefore possible that women may experience the compounding challenges of increased occurrence of autoimmunity and stronger effects of immune responses on mental health, resulting in the substantially higher prevalence of affective disorders observed in this study.”

    Researchers suggest individuals diagnosed with autoimmune disorders should be regularly screened for mental health conditions to establish early detection practices and treatment, especially women.

    “Future studies should seek to determine whether putative biological, psychological, and social factors—for example, chronic pain, fatigue, sleep or circadian disruptions and social isolation—may represent potentially modifiable mechanisms linking autoimmune conditions and affective disorders.”

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  • Prime Day Live Blog: Real-time deal picks by the PC experts

    Prime Day Live Blog: Real-time deal picks by the PC experts

    Prime Day runs this Tuesday to Friday, but the very best tech deals won’t hang around for long, and new deals will pop up throughout the event. PCWorld editors are keeping tabs on the best PC and tech deals at Amazon and alternative retailers, making sure you don’t miss the top Lightning deals or inadvertently purchase a dud.

    Brad Chacos and Alaina Yee — two bargain hunters from our Full Nerd podcast — will be blogging about the juiciest tech deals right here from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. Eastern on July 8, drawing on decades of deep hardware and software experience to highlight the products that are actually worth your hard-earned cash. Who knows? Maybe we’ll throw some geeky finds like board games and laser flashlights into the mix too. Let’s have fun!

    Stay tuned to our live blog for real-time updates on the Prime Day deals you need to know about on laptops, computing accessories, smart home deals and more. If you’re looking for category-specific recommendations, be sure to check out the expert-curated roundups below! Do note that you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of the deals, but you can sign up to a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime.

    More Prime Day coverage from PCWorld

    PCWorld Prime Day 2025 Live Deal Tracker

    bchacos

    Welcome to our Prime Day live blog

    Stay tuned for top tips on the best deals found by PCWorld editors. We’ll be live at 9 a.m. Eastern June 8!

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  • Turn Your Home Into a Theater With a New Low on the 75-Inch Hisense TV, Thanks to Prime Day

    Turn Your Home Into a Theater With a New Low on the 75-Inch Hisense TV, Thanks to Prime Day

    There are many things to think about when picking the right TV for you, such as brand, screen size and, most importantly, price. Especially with tariffs on the rise, looking for a way to save some coin is always a smart idea. Thankfully, Prime Day sales officially start tomorrow, giving shoppers tons of deals on items like TVs. But if you can’t wait, there are some deals available now.

    Right now on Amazon, you can score the Hisense U6 75-inch TV for only $494. This is a savings of almost $100. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for this TV yet. This 75-inch model can work well for a living room or home theater, perfect for all your summer movie marathons. Just note that we don’t know how long this deal will last since Prime Day kicks off tomorrow, so we suggest taking advantage of it now before it’s too late.  

    This Hisense U6 TV delivers a high-quality picture to make anything you watch look its best. The TV also features Hisense’s exclusive ULED display. It boasts up to 600 nits of peak brightness, a 60Hz refresh rate and Dolby Vision HDR 10. It runs on Amazon’s Fire TV OS, so you can stream anything you’d like. 

    And with the Alexa voice remote, you can have a completely hands-free experience. For the gamers, the built-in gaming mode helps minimize input lag, so you won’t miss even a moment of your game.

    Not really what you’re looking for? No worries, there are plenty of other Prime Day TV sales you can start shopping right now. 

    Best Prime Day TV Deals

    Prime Day is well known as one of the best times of the year to save big on a new TV. We’ve checked through every deal available, and rounded up the best discounts for you to take advantage of.


    See Now

    TV DEALS OF THE WEEK

    Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

    Why this deal matters

    We’re definitely going to be seeing many TVs on sale for Prime Day, but this Hisense TV is at a record-low price right now. There’s no guarantee it will return to this price, so we suggest taking advantage of it now if this TV meets your needs and budget.

    Impulse Buys Under $25 That Make Surprisingly Great Gifts

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