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  • Djokovic survives late fall to set Sinner SF at Wimbledon – ATP Tour

    1. Djokovic survives late fall to set Sinner SF at Wimbledon  ATP Tour
    2. Wimbledon 2025: Flavio Cobolli set for match against ‘biggest idol’ Novak Djokovic  BBC
    3. Flavio Cobolli’s Dad Stefano Is His Coach  Town & Country Magazine
    4. Wimbledon 2025 live updates: Quarterfinals latest with Djokovic leading Cobolli after Sinner beats Shelton  The New York Times
    5. How to watch Cobolli vs. Djokovic online for free  Mashable

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  • Measuring Mechanical Force of Brain Tumors Informs Post-Surgical Care

    Measuring Mechanical Force of Brain Tumors Informs Post-Surgical Care

    Credit: peterschreiber.media / iStock / Getty Images Plus

    A collaboration between researchers from the University of Notre Dame, Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, and Boston University, have developed a new method to determine the amount of physical force (called solid stress) a brain tumor places on surrounding brain tissue. Published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, the new method, using samples of a resected brain tumor, could eventually be used to determine the tumor type and inform post-surgical care.

    “During brain tumor removal surgery, neurosurgeons take a slice of the tumor, put it on a slide and send it to a pathologist in real-time to confirm what type of tumor it is. Tumors that originally arise in the brain, like glioblastoma, are prescribed different treatments than tumors that metastasize to the brain from other organs like lung or breast, so these differences inform post-surgical care,” said co-first author Meenal Datta, PhD, an assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at Notre Dame. “By adding a two-minute step to a surgeon’s procedure, we were able to distinguish between a glioblastoma tumor versus a metastatic tumor based on mechanical force alone.”

    Solid stress, unlike fluid pressure, is a mechanical force generated by tumor expansion and transmitted through solid tissue. It has been shown in previous animal studies to promote invasion, restrict blood flow, and impair treatment efficacy.

    In earlier work, the same team had shown that tumors that apply solid stress to the brain can lead to more severe neurological dysfunction than tumors that infiltrate and destroy tissue. Retrospective estimates of solid stress, inferred from MRI-based growth patterns, correlated with worse neurological scores in patients. This new research was the first to attempt to provide direct, real-time measurements of solid stress.

    For this research, the investigators enrolled 30 patients undergoing brain tumor resection. Prior to tumor removal, they performed intraoperative measurements of the brain surface through the craniotomy site using neuronavigation technology. This system provided a real-time, three-dimensional view of the brain, allowing the team to collect data on brain deformation caused by tumor pressure. Using these measurements and finite element modeling, they calculated tumor-induced solid stress and also estimated the percentage of brain tissue displaced or lost by the tumor.

    In some cases, up to 10% of a patient’s brain volume was estimated to be replaced by the tumor. Metastatic or more nodular tumors that displaced brain tissue also exerted higher solid stress. In contrast, glioblastomas, which tend to infiltrate tissue, showed lower solid stress but greater brain tissue replacement.

    To validate their method beyond their small cohort of patients, the team also tested mouse models of glioblastoma, ependymoma, and breast cancer metastasis to the brain. In the metastatic model, they observed that changes in solid stress occurred earlier than reductions in tumor size following chemotherapy. “In this model, we showed that mechanical force is a more sensitive readout of chemotherapy response than tumor size,” said Datta. “Mechanics are sort of disease-agnostic in that they can matter regardless of what tumor you are looking at.”

    The researchers believe that this new approach allows for personalized assessment of both tumor behavior and disease burden. By providing insight into whether a tumor is displacing or replacing brain tissue, clinicians may better anticipate symptoms, choose therapies, and plan postoperative care.

    “We present in this study a quantitative approach to intraoperatively measure solid stress in patients that can be readily adopted into standard clinical workflows,” the researchers wrote.

    One limitation their work, the researchers noted, was determining the contribution of fluid pressure to tissue deformation, which they noted cannot be fully separated from solid stress. In their mouse models, the researchers were able to minimize this factor by halting blood flow prior to measurements, a technique not feasible in human subjects. In addition, current imaging tools still aren’t fully able to distinguish between fluid-filled and cancer-infiltrated edematous areas, which complicates tumor characterization.

    Future studies aim to incorporate more recent imaging advances and refine fluid-versus-solid stress analysis. The team also plans prospective clinical trials to analyze how their measurements, and the actions taken based on them, influence clinical outcomes.

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  • England 4-0 Netherlands (Jul 9, 2025) Game Analysis

    England 4-0 Netherlands (Jul 9, 2025) Game Analysis

    England’s Lauren James scored twice, while Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone also found the net to put the defending women’s European champions firmly back in the driver’s seat at Euro 2025 with an emphatic 4-0 victory over the Netherlands on Wednesday.

    Four days after a lacklustre 2-1 loss to France made Wednesday a must-win match, England came out firing on all cylinders in front of a festive crowd that included Britain’s Prince William.

    England and the Netherlands both have three points from their opening two games in Group D, level with France who can go three points clear at the summit if they beat Wales later on Wednesday.

    England play tournament debutants Wales in their final group game on Sunday, when the Netherlands play France.

    James showed precisely why she had been selected despite not having played for more than two months when the squad was announced in June because of injury. The Chelsea forward was at the heart of England’s attacks and scored a sumptuous opener in the 22nd minute before netting her side’s third on the hour mark.

    James received a standing ovation — and a kiss blown from her proud dad — when coach Sarina Wiegman replaced her with Chloe Kelly midway through the second half.

    James has now been directly involved in more goals than any other European player across the last two major tournaments, with five goals and 3 assists, according to ESPN Research.

    “I enjoyed it a lot. The goals say it all,” James told the BBC.

    “We bounced back from our previous game and today we showed we’re more than capable of showing the world what we can do.”

    Lauren James scored twice in England’s vital win over the Netherlands.

    Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images


    James opened the scoring when goalkeeper Hannah Hampton picked out Alessia Russo with a stunning long ball. Russo slipped it to James on the edge of the box who worked the ball onto her left foot before unleashing a screamer into the top corner.

    Stanway doubled England’s lead seconds before halftime when the Dutch struggled to clear the ball and the midfielder was there to fizz a first-time shot past wrong-footed goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar.

    An unmarked James completed her double in the 60th with an easy shot from inside the box.

    Toone, who had replaced Beth Mead in the starting 11, added more misery for the Dutch in the 67th minute. Russo held up the ball in the penalty area before sending it to a running Toone, who calmly slotted home.

    That goal condemned the Netherlands to their record margin of defeat at a World Cup or European Championship, having never previously lost by more than two goals.

    Wiegman, who coached the Netherlands to the Euro 2017 title, will have been delighted with her team’s response after the defeat to France, as they thoroughly smothered the Dutch, taking 17 shots to the Netherlands’ four.

    “How we came together, how we played down the pitch and of course I’m very happy with the score because that’s a massive help because goal difference can make the difference,” Wiegman said.

    “Also the days into this game, how we looked at each other’s eyes and said, ‘OK what do we do?’, and execution of the game plan. I think that really helped.”

    They also kept Vivianne Miedema, who scored her 100th international goal earlier in the tournament against Wales, under wraps.

    “It’s tough, we need to accept it because we don’t deserve anything else today,” Miedema said. “England came out the way we thought they would and we weren’t intense anywhere on the pitch.

    “We need to look at ourselves — we wanted to press high which didn’t work because we couldn’t cover the distances. We know how good England are but I don’t think today really reflected how we are and how good we can be.”

    Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this report.

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  • Stocks Get Tech Lift as Bonds Climb on Solid Sale: Markets Wrap

    Stocks Get Tech Lift as Bonds Climb on Solid Sale: Markets Wrap

    (Bloomberg) — A rally in several big techs spurred a rebound in stocks, with Nvidia Corp. briefly hitting $4 trillion. Treasuries climbed after a solid $39 billion sale while minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting showed officials remained split around how tariffs would impact inflation.

    Equity traders brushed off trade angst to send the S&P 500 closer to its all-time highs. While the equity benchmark came off session highs, a gauge of megacaps added 1% as the giant chipmaker became the first company to reach that milestone. Nvidia plans to launch a new artificial-intelligence chip designed for China as soon as September — with chief Jensen Huang planning a visit to the Asian nation, according to the Financial Times.

    The Treasury market snapped a five-day selloff, with 10-year yields down six basis points to 4.34% after a sale of the maturity. Wednesday’s auction was awarded at 4.362% versus a 4.365% when-issued yield at the 1 p.m. New York time bidding deadline. That’s the second in a trio of auctions that will culminate in an offer of longer-term debt Thursday.

    Subscribe to the Stock Movers Podcast on Apple, Spotify and other Podcast Platforms. 

    President Donald Trump unveiled a new round of tariff demand letters from Iraq to Philippines, with levies set to hit in August on imported goods from partners who fail to reach agreements with the US. Brazil’s real led losses in major currencies as Trump said the South American nation hasn’t been good to the US — adding that tariffs should be released by tomorrow morning. 

    “We believe the setup for equity markets looks bullish, even in light of renewed trade-war jitters,” said Craig Johnson at Piper Sandler. “While equities may come under some near-term pressure, investors are increasingly becoming numb to the tariff headlines and instead focusing on the trendlines.”

    The emerging divide among Fed officials over the outlook for interest rates is being driven largely by differing expectations for how tariffs might affect inflation, a record of policymakers’ most recent meeting showed.

    “While a few participants noted that tariffs would lead to a one-time increase in prices and would not affect longer-term inflation expectations, most participants noted the risk that tariffs could have more persistent effects on inflation,” the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee’s June 17-18 meeting said.

    To Jeff Roach at LPL Financial, the FOMC is comfortable remaining in wait-and-see mode.

    “Despite headwinds, the economy continues to trudge along, giving policymakers time to assess the projected impact from tariffs,” he said. “Ever since last week’s payroll release, markets do not expect the FOMC will cut rates later this month. Next week’s inflation data will likely show a reacceleration, giving the Fed more reason to keep rates elevated. We don’t expect inflation readings will improve until later this year.”

    Trump posted on social media that the Fed’s rate is “at least 3 points too high,” while reiterating his call for lower borrowing costs.

    Meantime, Nvidia’s surge to the new milestone marked a stunning rebound following a rough start to the year, when spending fears sparked by China’s DeepSeek, along with Trump’s trade war, weighed on risk sentiment. The stock is up more than 1,000% since the beginning of 2023. The latest catalyst has been a commitment to AI spending from its biggest customers.

    Just this week, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. strategists raised their outlook for US stocks, citing among other factors the continued strength in the largest US companies as reasons why stocks are likely to keep heading higher.

    “If the script goes as planned and economic activity remains firm, corporate profitability remains solid (especially across tech), and the inevitable unexpected speed bumps in the road don’t throw the market off track too much, stocks have an opportunity to grind higher through year-end,” said Anthony Saglimbene at Ameriprise. 

    Yet Saglimbene remarks there’s now an elevated risk of disappointment, “especially after seeing how quickly the overall investment narrative can change based on the constant barrage of White House announcements.”

    Fast-money investors are edging their way back into US stocks after sitting out a furious rally, bolstering the case for equities to extend their advance further into uncharted territory.

    A BNP Paribas measure of equity positioning among investors including commodity-trading advisors, volatility-target funds and hedge funds has been steadily rising and now sits at just above neutral. That follows a monthslong rally that saw the S&P 500 Index rebound to new highs from the precipice of a bear market. The last time institutions were this light on stocks in the midst of a sharp recovery was in 2023, according to the bank.

    With the S&P 500 back at cycle-high valuations and the CNN Fear & Greed Index signaling extreme greed, the market seems to be signaling a robust appetite for risk, according to Mark Hackett at Nationwide. This heightened sentiment likely reflects positive interpretation of recent data as supportive, he said.

    “As we move forward, the technical tailwinds will likely begin to fade and fundamental narratives will be crucial in determining the sustainability of this bullish trend,” Hackett noted. “As the market reaction to the ebb and flow of tariff news has become muted, the next catalyst is earnings season. This handoff may come with some choppiness.”

    Corporate Highlights:

    • Microsoft Corp. was upgraded at Oppenheimer on Wednesday, adding to a growing consensus on Wall Street that the software giant is in a strong position within artificial intelligence.
    • Apple Inc. thinks it is “too big to tariff, in some sense, and it’s used that line,” White House trade counselor Peter Navarro told Fox Business.
    • France’s antitrust regulator said it notified Meta Platforms Inc. of a potential violation of competition rules relating to the online advertising sector.
    • CoreWeave Inc., a cloud computing provider, said it would offer Nvidia’s RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPUs at scale.
    • Linda Yaccarino, who was hired two years ago by Elon Musk as chief executive officer of X, is stepping down less than three months after the social-media platform was absorbed by Musk’s artificial intelligence startup.
    • Merck & Co. agreed to buy respiratory drugmaker Verona Pharma Plc for around $10 billion as part of its ongoing search for ways to fill the Keytruda-sized hole that will emerge over the next few years.
    • Meta Platforms Inc. bought a minority stake in the world’s largest eyewear manufacturer, EssilorLuxottica SA, deepening the US tech giant’s commitment to the fast-growing smart glasses industry, according to people familiar with the matter.
    • Starbucks Corp. has received proposals from prospective investors in its China business, most of whom are eyeing a controlling stake in the operation, said people familiar with the matter.
    • AES Corp., which provides renewable power to tech giants such as Microsoft Corp., is exploring options including a potential sale amid takeover interest, people with knowledge of the matter said.
    • Samsung Electronics Co. introduced three new foldable smartphones in an effort to cement its grip on the category and broaden mainstream appeal before Apple Inc. debuts its first version next year.

    Some of the main moves in markets:

    Stocks

    • The S&P 500 rose 0.4% as of 2:30 p.m. New York time
    • The Nasdaq 100 rose 0.5%
    • The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3%
    • The MSCI World Index rose 0.5%
    • Bloomberg Magnificent 7 Total Return Index rose 1%
    • The Russell 2000 Index rose 0.7%

    Currencies

    • The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed
    • The euro was little changed at $1.1716
    • The British pound was little changed at $1.3595
    • The Japanese yen rose 0.2% to 146.27 per dollar

    Cryptocurrencies

    • Bitcoin rose 0.8% to $109,553.59
    • Ether rose 4.6% to $2,719.97

    Bonds

    • The yield on 10-year Treasuries declined six basis points to 4.34%
    • Germany’s 10-year yield declined one basis point to 2.67%
    • Britain’s 10-year yield declined two basis points to 4.61%

    Commodities

    • West Texas Intermediate crude rose 0.1% to $68.40 a barrel
    • Spot gold rose 0.3% to $3,311.92 an ounce

    ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.

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  • The soundtrack to ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ surges on the charts : NPR

    The soundtrack to ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ surges on the charts : NPR

    The soundtrack to the Netflix original movie KPop Demon Hunters, which surges into the top five.

    NETFLIX


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    NETFLIX

    With Morgan Wallen‘s I’m the Problem topping the Billboard 200 albums chart yet again, and Alex Warren‘s “Ordinary” doing the same on the Hot 100 singles chart, there’s not much action at No. 1 this week. But, amid a cluster of top 10 album debuts — by Lorde, KATSEYE and rapper Russ — there’s a left-field hit with staying power: the soundtrack to the Netflix original movie KPop Demon Hunters, which surges into the top five.

    TOP ALBUMS

    For the past few weeks, we’ve seen fresh iterations of a familiar cycle: A few new albums debut in the top 10, only to drop out a week later, replaced by a fresh crop of debuts. Meanwhile, Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem — buoyed by huge streaming numbers that barely decline from week to week — sits, immovable, at No. 1.

    Last week, three albums debuted in the top 10. But a twist emerges on this week’s Billboard 200: None of those records drop very far in their second week — and one actually rises from its debut spot, which almost never happens in the Billboard charts’ upper regions.

    The titles in question: Benson Boone‘s American Heart, buoyed by the hit singles “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” and “Mystical Magical”; Karol G‘s Tropicoqueta, which gave the Colombian pop star a new all-time career chart peak last week; and the soundtrack to the Netflix animated feature KPop Demon Hunters, which is the first movie soundtrack to hit the top 10 since Wicked.

    Surprisingly, the only one of those three to depart the top 10 in its second week is Boone, who falls this week from No. 2 to No. 14. Tropicoqueta slides just two spots, from No. 3 to No. 5 — an impressive showing on a chart that loves to serve up precipitous second-week drops. Then there’s KPop Demon Hunters, which climbs from No. 8 to No. 3 thanks to an explosion in streaming; in week two, its streaming numbers rose an astonishing 108% which portends a longer chart run than most observers would have expected, given how ephemeral most (though certainly not all) K-pop chart runs have been in the U.S.

    Clearly, KPop Demon Hunters is finding a wide and devoted audience: The film, which made its Netflix debut on June 20, has also climbed from No. 6 to No. 2 on Netflix’s own chart. That audience has clearly done more than merely embrace the movie; fans are also streaming its soundtrack like crazy. Seven of its songs cracked the Hot 100 singles chart this week, with five of them making their debut.

    The KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack isn’t this week’s only auspicious riser, as three very different albums make top 10 debuts:

    • Lorde’s Virgin enters the chart at No. 2, outperforming the No. 5 peak of its predecessor, 2021’s Solar Power. The question for Lorde this time around will be longevity, as Virgin sold 31,000 copies on vinyl in week one and those numbers don’t carry over from week to week. A hit single would be crucial, and the only one she lands on this week’s Hot 100 is “What Was That,” which reenters the chart at No. 85.
    • The global girl group KATSEYE debuts at No. 4 with its five-song EP Beautiful Chaos. The group, whose members won a 2023 reality TV competition show called Dream Academy, isn’t technically K-pop, given that its members hail from the U.S., the Philippines, South Korea and Switzerland. But the vibe is K-pop — and the chart numbers are encouraging. KATSEYE’s other EP, last year’s SIS (Soft Is Strong), peaked at No. 119.
    • The prolific rapper Russ returns to the chart with W!LD, his fourth album to crack the top 10 since 2017. Russ acted in M. Night Shyamalan’s 2024 movie Trap, which isn’t relevant to Russ’ current chart performance but feels like it’s worth noting because Trap is one of the most entertainingly terrible movies to come along in ages and everyone should watch it, with friends, to revel in how ridiculous it is.

    Oh, and I’m the Problem sits at No. 1 for a seventh consecutive week, and will likely remain No. 1 until sometime after the heat death of the universe.

    TOP SONGS

    Want a data point to illustrate the baffling doom loop in which the Billboard charts find themselves? Sure you do!

    In the history of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, which dates back to the summer of 1958, just four songs have sat in the top 10 for 45 or more weeks. One is The Weeknd‘s “Blinding Lights,” which spent 57 weeks in the top 10 in 2020 and 2021. The other three? They’re all in the top 10 right now.

    It’s certainly possible that some sizable percentage of U.S. commercial radio programmers — lulled into a stupor by streaming algorithms that keep feeding listeners the songs they’ve already played — died of boredom sometime last fall and were never replaced. Regardless, the public apparently still can’t get enough of Shaboozey‘s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” with its 60 weeks in the top 10; Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars‘ “Die With a Smile,” which is a relative spring chicken at just 45 weeks; and Teddy Swims, whose “Lose Control” just keeps extending its all-time records for weeks in the top 10 (68!) and the Hot 100 (98!). In just six weeks, “Lose Control” will hit the two-year mark. To prepare for a fitting celebration when the time comes, let’s inflate some balloons right now, then let them get all saggy and airless over the next month and a half. Then, at the two-year mark, we’ll hang their limp carcasses in our homes, play “Lose Control” for the octillionth time and stare, unblinking, into the middle distance.

    God, what else? Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” is No. 1 for a fifth nonconsecutive week — something to file away for the summer of 2027, when it’s still somehow lingering at No. 8 — while three Morgan Wallen songs fill out the top five yet again. At least Chappell Roan‘s having a nice week: “Pink Pony Club” re-enters the top 10, while her country one-off “The Giver” re-emerges in the Hot 100 at No. 43 thanks to a flood of copies sold on vinyl.

    WORTH NOTING

    When it comes to measuring the cultural and commercial impact of a piece of music, the Billboard charts have always been an inexact science — just as box-office reports, Nielsen ratings and bestseller lists don’t always adequately measure the impact of movies, TV shows and books. The charts are just one metric among many, and are particularly ill-suited to capturing the incremental drip-drip-drip of cult success.

    Consider the case of Jeff Buckley‘s landmark 1994 album Grace. Grace was enormously influential on music in the ’90s and beyond; echoes of its sound can be heard in the works of Radiohead, Coldplay and a thousand ethereal singer-songwriters. Grace is no commercial slouch, either; over the years, it’s been certified double-platinum. Buckley, who drowned in 1997, has become a mythical figure, as his recordings — most of them released posthumously — have received deluxe reissues. A documentary about his life, It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley, comes out next month. Drip, drip, drip.

    Buckley’s Billboard chart history reflects virtually none of this impact. Various posthumous works have charted here and there, but none have so much as cracked the top 50 of the Billboard 200. Grace itself spent just seven weeks on the chart — all of them in 1995 — and peaked at No. 149.

    This week, curiously enough, Grace reenters the Billboard 200 for the first time since July 1, 1995, when it sat at No. 200. In just its eighth week on the chart, this influential, much-loved classic sits at No. 198.

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  • Rayyan Imran wins gold medal at Dutch International Youth Regatta 2025

    Rayyan Imran wins gold medal at Dutch International Youth Regatta 2025

    Pakistani rower Rayyan Imran can be seen in this still taken from a video. — 

    Pakistani rower Rayyan Imran has made waves on the international rowing scene, clinching the gold medal in the Open Men’s Double Sculls and a silver medal in Quads at the Dutch International Youth Regatta 2025.

    This significant victory marks a major milestone not only for Imran’s burgeoning career but also for the sport of rowing in Pakistan.

    “This is not only a big milestone for me in my rowing career but also a big milestone for rowing in Pakistan,” Imran said while reflecting on his remarkable win.

    Competing against some of the best young rowers internationally, Rayyan’s performance stands as an excellent achievement for Pakistan’s growing sports community.

    A seasoned rower, Imran has competed globally in locations such as Vienna, Lithuania, and the Maldives. He believes rowing holds significant potential for Pakistani youth.

    “I’ve been rowing for many years, and I’ve participated in many regattas all over the world,” he explained.  I feel that rowing is a sport that many kids can do, and it’s good for them. It’s a very big sport on an international scale, which we don’t have in our country.”

    “I’m very proud that I am here as a Pakistani, and, Alhamdulillah, I won as a Pakistani. I also showed others that there is rowing in Pakistan, and we can win,” the young athlete added.


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  • Coffee Benefits: 3 cups of coffee everyday can reduce the risk of fatty liver by 20%, and death from chronic liver disease by 49% |

    Coffee Benefits: 3 cups of coffee everyday can reduce the risk of fatty liver by 20%, and death from chronic liver disease by 49% |

    A recent study from the Universities of Southampton and Edinburgh reveals that coffee consumption, regardless of type, is linked to a lower risk of chronic liver disease. Researchers found that drinking coffee, especially ground coffee, reduces the risk of fatty liver disease and mortality associated with chronic liver conditions.

    Good news for coffee lovers. Your daily indulgence might be doing more than just waking you up. Your coffee consumption might be saving you from liver disease. Yes, that’s right. Coffee consumption is good for your liver. A new study has found that coffee not only has a protective effect on the liver but also reduces the risk of fatty liver and other chronic liver diseases.A study by the researchers at the Universities of Southampton and Edinburgh, UK, found that drinking any type of coffee is associated with a reduced risk of chronic liver disease. The findings are published in the journal BMC Public Health.

    Coffee and liver

    coffee

    The liver is the largest organ in the human body, and it acts as a filter that processes blood and breaks down nutrients, toxins, and waste products. The liver also plays a vital role in metabolism, digestion, and immune function. The researchers found that drinking coffee, be it caffeinated (ground or instant) or decaffeinated, is associated with a reduced risk of developing chronic liver disease and related liver conditions. The study also revealed that drinking any type of coffee was associated with a reduced risk of developing and dying from chronic liver disease compared to not drinking coffee. The benefits peaked when three to four cups were consumed every day.

    The study

    To understand the benefits of coffee on the liver, the researchers studied data from 495,585 participants with known coffee consumption. The data was collected from the UK Biobank. These participants were followed for over a median of 10.7 years, and the researchers looked to see if they developed chronic liver disease and related liver conditions.

    The findings

    coffee

    They observed that about 78% (384,818) of the participants consumed ground or instant caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee. 22% (109,767) did not drink any type of coffee. 3,600 cases of chronic liver disease, including 301 deaths, were reported during this period of study. 5,439 cases of chronic liver disease or steatosis (a buildup of fat in the liver, also known as fatty liver disease), and 184 cases of Hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer, were also reported. The researchers found that people who drank coffee had a 21% reduced risk of chronic liver disease, a 20% reduced risk of chronic or fatty liver disease, and a 49% reduced risk of death from chronic liver disease, when compared to non-coffee drinkers. People who consumed ground coffee had the maximum benefit. This is because ground coffee contains high levels of the ingredients Kahweol and cafestol, which are beneficial against chronic liver disease in animals.

    ground coffee

    They also found that instant coffee, which has low levels of Kahweol and cafestol, was associated with a reduced risk of chronic liver disease. Though the risk reduction was less than ground coffee, it still offers benefits. “Coffee is widely accessible, and the benefits we see from our study may mean it could offer a potential preventative treatment for chronic liver disease. This would be especially valuable in countries with lower income and worse access to healthcare and where the burden of chronic liver disease is highest,” Dr Oliver Kennedy, the lead author, said.


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  • Leila Aboulela wins PEN Pinter prize for writing on migration and faith | Books

    Leila Aboulela wins PEN Pinter prize for writing on migration and faith | Books

    Leila Aboulela has won this year’s PEN Pinter prize for her writing on migration, faith and the lives of women.

    The prize is awarded to a writer who, in the words of the late British playwright Harold Pinter, casts an “unflinching, unswerving” gaze on the world, and shows a “fierce intellectual determination … to define the real truth of our lives and our societies”.

    Aboulela grew up in Khartoum, Sudan, and has lived in Aberdeen since 1990. Her six novels and two short story collections include The Translator, Elsewhere, Home and, most recently, 2023’s River Spirit.

    “This comes as a complete and utter surprise,” said the writer on hearing the news. “For someone like me, a Muslim Sudanese immigrant who writes from a religious perspective probing the limits of secular tolerance, this recognition feels truly significant. It brings expansion and depth to the meaning of freedom of expression and whose stories get heard.”

    Aboulela was announced winner at English PEN’s summer party on Wednesday evening, where actors Khalid Abdalla and Amira Ghazalla read from her work. She will receive the award on 10 October at the British Library in London, where she will announce her choice of winner for the PEN Pinter Writer of Courage award, given to an author “active in defence of freedom of expression, often at great risk to their own safety and liberty”.

    Aboulela’s work “is marked by a commitment to make the lives and decisions of Muslim women central to her fiction, and to examine their struggles and pleasures with dignity,” said novelist Nadifa Mohamed, who judged this year’s prize alongside the poet and author Mona Arshi and the chair of English PEN, Ruth Borthwick. “In a world seemingly on fire, and with immense suffering unmarked and little mourned in Sudan, Gaza, and beyond, her writing is a balm, a shelter, and an inspiration.”

    Aboulela “offers us nuanced and rich perspectives on themes that are vital in our contemporary world: faith, migration, and displacement,” said Arshi.

    “She is not the first to write about the experience of migration, but Leila is a writer for this moment, and my hope is that with this prize her gorgeous books find new readers, and open our minds to other possibilities,” added Borthwick.

    Last year, Arundhati Roy won the prize, and selected the imprisoned British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah as Writer of Courage.

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    The prize is awarded annually to writers resident in the UK, Ireland, the Commonwealth or the former Commonwealth. Previous winners include Michael Rosen, Malorie Blackman, Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie, Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie and Hanif Kureishi.

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  • Emirates NBA Cup Group Preview

    Emirates NBA Cup Group Preview

    The Emirates NBA Cup returns! With tournament tips off on October 31.

    Emirates NBA Cup 101
    Emirates NBA Cup FAQ
    Emirates NBA Cup: Complete coverage

    Earlier today, the six groups for the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup were revealed, setting the stage for the third installment of the NBA’s annual in-season competition.

    Each group is comprised of five teams from the same conference, randomly drawn based on win-loss records from the 2024-25 season.

    During Group Play, each team will play one game against each of the other four teams in their group. The schedule for these games will be released at a later date, but knowing the groups, we can dive into the potential storylines now.

    A reminder that the teams that finish with the best record in each group automatically qualify for the Knockouts. They’ll be joined by two wild card teams — the best second-place team in Group Play from each conference.

    Now, let’s dive into the groups.


    East Group A

    The teams: Cleveland, Indiana, Atlanta, Toronto, Washington

    Fueled by a franchise-best 15-0 start, the Cavs held first place in the East from Oct. 30 until the end of the season. But their two paths to hardware — the NBA Cup and the Larry O’Brien Trophy — were thwarted by two teams in their group this season: The Hawks and Pacers.

    The Hawks handed the Cavs their first consecutive losses of the season, with the latter game being Cleveland’s second loss in Group Play, which was too many to overcome. Atlanta won the group at 3-1, while Cleveland finished third at 2-2.

    With 64 wins, the Cavs entered the playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed. After sweeping Miami in the first round, Cleveland met Indiana in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Pacers pulled off a pair of 19-plus point comebacks in Cleveland to stun the Cavs with a 4-1 series win.

    While Atlanta reached the NBA Cup quarterfinals, they failed to make it out of the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament for the second straight season. The Hawks have been busy this offseason, adding Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kristaps Porziņģis and Luke Kennard to bolster their roster. This year’s NBA Cup Group Play will give us an early view of the new-look Hawks.


    East Group B

    The teams: Boston, Detroit, Orlando, Brooklyn, Philadelphia

    In back-to-back years, the Pistons (Cade Cunningham in 2021) and Magic (Paolo Banchero in 2022) added a cornerstone player with the top pick in the NBA Draft. With those two All-Stars leading the way, Detroit and Orlando enter 2025 as two of the up-and-coming teams in the East and could each use the Emirates NBA Cup as a launching platform for a successful season and deep playoff run.

    Group Play will also give us a chance to watch the new-look Celtics playing under elevated stakes. After beating Orlando in the first round, Boston lost Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles in the East semifinals and has moved both Jrue Holiday (to Portland for Anfernee Simons) and Porziņģis (to Atlanta for Georges Niang) from the 2024 title team.

    Injuries played a significant role in Philadelphia’s seven-year playoff streak coming to an end in 2024. Can the Sixers get off to a healthy start and make some noise in Group Play to put the East on notice that Philly is ready for a bounce-back season?


    East Group C

    The teams: New York, Milwaukee, Chicago, Miami, Charlotte

    A year ago, the Bucks used the Emirates NBA Cup as a key piece to an in-season turnaround. After going 2-8 through the season’s first 10 games, the Bucks went 9-1 over the following 10, including an unbeaten 4-0 run in Group Play to earn the top seed in the Knockouts.

    Milwaukee defeated Orlando and Atlanta to reach the championship game against Oklahoma City. The Bucks held the Thunder to just 81 points — the fewest points OKC would score in any game during their run to the 2024-25 NBA title. Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo (26 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and three blocks) posted the first-ever triple-double in the Knockouts to lead the Bucks to the Cup.

    The Bucks aren’t the only team in East Group C to have reached the Knockouts last season. The Knicks also went unbeaten in Group Play in 2024 and will try to match that run in 2025 under a new coach in Mike Brown. While NY has a new voice, Miami now has the longest-tenured coach in the league in Erik Spoelstra, who will look to lead the Heat to the Knockouts for the first time.


    West Group A

    The teams: Oklahoma City, Minnesota, Sacramento, Phoenix, Utah

    Last season, the Thunder won a league-best 68 games, had the scoring champ and Kia MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and went on to win the first NBA title of the OKC era. However, one accomplishment evaded the Thunder last season — the NBA Cup — as they fell to the Bucks 97-81 for their only taste of defeat during a 15-game regular-season win streak.

    Before the Thunder can get back to the Knockouts and try to avenge last year’s loss in the championship game, they’ll have to knock off a familiar foe: Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves, OKC’s opponent in the West Finals (a series the Thunder won in five games).

    In addition to the West Finals rematch, West Group A offers an early look at the post-Kevin Durant trade Suns, who now feature Devin Booker, Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks on their roster.


    West Group B

    The teams: Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, Memphis, Dallas, New Orleans

    Winners of the inaugural in-season competition in 2023, the Lakers enter their first full season with Luka Dončić on the roster to complement LeBron James, newcomer Deandre Ayton & Co. in L.A.’s search for more gold.

    On the opposite side of the Battle of Los Angeles are James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, the latter of whom made his season debut in January (and, thus, missed Group Play). The Clippers won 11 straight meetings with the Lakers from 2020-23, but the Lakers enter Group Play having won six of the past eight against the Clippers.

    Group Play will also give an early look at 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick, Cooper Flagg, in a series of games with elevated stakes early in his NBA career with the Mavericks. How will Flagg pair with fellow No. 1 pick Anthony Davis on the Dallas frontline? How quickly will he adapt to the NBA? And how high can he raise the Mavs’ ceiling in his rookie campaign?


    West Group C

    The teams: Houston, Denver, Golden State, Portland, San Antonio

    Last season, the Rockets won 52 games — 11 more than the previous season — and earned the No. 2 seed in the West while snapping a four-year playoff drought. However, that playoff run was short-lived as the young Rockets fell to the veteran-laden Warriors in seven games. A rematch of that first-round series highlights Group Play in West C.

    Following last year’s playoff loss, the Rockets had a busy offseason, adding Kevin Durant, Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith to add more veterans to their roster mix. And they weren’t alone. The 2023 champion Nuggets also used several trades to reshape their roster with the additions of Bruce Brown, Cam Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valančiūnas.

    Meanwhile, the Spurs will begin a season under a head coach other than Gregg Popovich for the first time since 1996. Mitch Johnson begins his first full season with some key pieces having to come together quickly for a successful NBA Cup run.

    San Antonio added No. 2 pick Dylan Harper to a backcourt that features reigning Kia Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and last year’s midseason pickup, De’Aaron Fox. In the frontcourt, new additions Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk join a returning Victor Wembanyama, who missed the final two months of last season (deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder).

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  • Wargaming’s live service title Steel Hunters scrapped after three months

    Wargaming’s live service title Steel Hunters scrapped after three months

    Steel Hunters, a free-to-play live service shooter developed and published by Wargaming, is being shut down just three months after release.

    After releasing on Steam Early Access on April 2, the developer announced yesterday that it’s officially ending support for the multiplayer mech combat game. “You’ve given us so much passion and support but unfortunately we’ve come to the conclusion that continuing development is not sustainable,” reads the statement.

    Servers will remain active for 90 days, until around October 8. The team is planning a myriad of activities, including the addition of custom game support, unlocking all characters for players, and a “Farewell Tournament.”

    “From the very first days of Alpha you’ve shaped Steel Hunters with your energy creativity and dedication and we’re honored to have had you on this journey,” the statement ends. “We couldn’t have wished for a better community and we’ll miss you all dearly.”

    On May 23, the developers announced attendance at Gamescom 2025, which would have entailed meet-ups with the team and news on “what’s next” for Steel Hunters. Before yesterday’s news, the team had released its second battlepass for season 1 of the game on June 9.

    The average live service game’s runtime keeps getting shorter

    Related:Peak surpasses 4.5M sales within a month

    Steel Hunters is one of many examples of live service games having a short lifespan in recent times. After reportedly pouring $200 million into live service shooter Concord, Sony pulled the game from sale within weeks of release late last year, shuttering the studio behind it in the process. In January, Warner Bros. Games announced it would be shutting down free-to-play brawler Multiversus on May 30.

    Other projects don’t even get a release to the market. At the start of the year, Sony canceled two first-party live service titles in development at Bluepoint Games and Bend Studio, reportedly cutting contractors at the latter weeks after. This isn’t new—back in December 2023, fellow Sony first-party studio Naughty Dog canceled a multiplayer spinoff based on The Last of Us‘ universe.

    Despite all of this, some companies continue to chase the Games as a Service (GAAS) model. In an interview published last week, Sega president and COO Shuji Utsumi said that game companies with “a good record tend to have a strong [global] GAAS business.”

    In regards to Sega, while the console and PC standalone business is “getting better,” the publisher and developer is still working on making its GAAS business global. “That’s one of the biggest challenges,” he added.

    Related:Ubisoft is still making layoffs after securing $1.25 billion Tencent investment

    Steel Hunters‘ shutdown, while unfortunate, may not be a big blow for developer Wargaming. The company still has World of Tanks and World of Warships (both over a decade old) driving revenue for the international company.


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