Latest news with #Werewolf
Scoop
2 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
On Health Narrowly Conceived, And Ukraine's Latest Impasse
Imagine an assessment of public health delivery that -for starters – ignored the adequacy of current funding and staffing levels, or the extent of unmet need. Imagine if this evaluation also omits the short term/long term implications of the privatisation of health services and the adequacy of the current training, recruitment, retention, and upskilling needs in health care. If you want an overview of Te Whatu Ora and its operational environment that basically ignores all of the above factors, then you're in luck. Because Lester Levy, the Health NZ Commissioner, has written a self justifying editorial about Te Whatu Ora in the NZ Medical Journal that judges the organisation's success purely on whether it is adhering to the financial constraints placed on it by government. In Levy Land, things are going great: Between July 2024 and May 2025, the monthly deficit fell by 85 per cent, and by the end of the financial year the organisation was under budget. The organisation is now on a credible path to break even by 2026/2027.' Entirely omitted from the analysis is the human cost involved in achieving that turnaround. There is little in the way of concession, even on narrow economic terms, that those finances may be looking better now partly because the (under-estimated) initial costs of centralisation are now behind Te Whatu Ora, and the benefits of scrapping the multiple levels of DHB bureaucracy are now starting to kick in. Ah, but to attribute such gains to Te Whatu Ora itself would be to fail in what seems to have been the prime purposes of Levy's editorial. These include: touting the improvements since he came on board as commissioner, putting a positive spin on the austerity measures the government has imposed, and making the narrative in public health more about the state of the books than the state of the patients. Talking of whom, I'm not sure that many people standing and waiting 17 or 24 hours for care in crowded EDs - or who are struggling to access a GP - will be overjoyed to hear that Te Whatu Ora is now living within the means allocated to it. I think they'd prefer a public health system funded adequately and properly staffed. That's not my department, says Professor Levy. Footnote: BTW, 'Not my department' is a phrase that may ring a bell with fans of the political satirist Tom Lehrer, who died a few weeks ago at the age of 97. From a concert in the 1960s, here is Lehrer's classic song about a bright guy who isn't overly concerned about the moral context, or who his latest paymaster may be: Cutting Ukraine Adrift In a Werewolf exclusive, here's a clandestine recording of the recent Putin/ Trump summit meeting in Alaska, on Ukraine. Putin: Nyet. Trump: What's your golf handicap these days? That seems to have been the gist of the Alaska meeting, with Trump simply serving as the megaphone for transmitting Putin's demands back to Ukraine, and to the rest of Europe. Surprisingly, the subsequent White House meeting between Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky and a few European leaders has raised the unlikely prospect of the US providing a security guarantee to Ukraine if (somehow) Zelensky can meet Putin's demand to gift the Kremlin with about 20% of Ukraine's sovereign territory as a reward for his invasions in 2014, and 2022. In whatever shape it is offered – from a signed pledge on paper, to US boots on the ground - you can be sure that any US security guarantee will be highly conditional. The likely condition will be concessions to Putin on territory – not merely the Crimea, but the entire Donbass region on Ukraine's eastern border with Russia. In essence, Zelensky is being made an offer that he has to refuse, and everyone else knows it, Trump included. The likely upshot of the Washington talks will be that Zelensky will be painted into a corner where he – and not Putin – get portrayed as being the intransigent obstacle to peace. Indeed, even if Zelensky did make land concessions – and he would be forced to resign if he did – this would only bring ' peace' until Putin wanted more. Putin's other demand is that Ukraine must never become part of NATO. Yet ironically, any meaningful security guarantee by the Americans would have to look very much like the premise of collective defensive ( set out in Article Five of the Washington Treaty) central to NATO's very existence. Article Five says that any military attack on a NATO member is to be regarded as an attack on all of them. So any meaningful US pledge to defend Ukraine would lock the US into a military conflict with Russia, in the event of any further aggression by the Kremlin. It is unlikely that Trump would make such a commitment. With reason, Trump is probably gambling that Zelensky will refuse to make the requisite land concessions to Putin. Similarly Zelensky is trying to avoid being typecast as a barrier to peace, so is pressing Trump for a security guarantee he knows Trump will probably not make. Putin meanwhile, is ruling out any NATO security force being deployed in Ukraine, just in case anyone thinks that might be a Plan B if the Americans won't put boots on the ground. It looks very much like what used to be called (offensively) a 'Mexican stand-off.' It may take a while to unravel. Putin's Mentor In his role as a Russian proxy, Trump has always been willing to cede Europe to Putin, while the US focusses on its conflict with China. In that respect, they've been like Mafia chieftains carving up the territory. When face to face in Alaska, it would have been more surprising if Trump had stood up to Putin, and imposed the conditional threat of severe economic sanctions if Putin failed to table a viable compromise. Not a chance. Essentially, what Ukraine is facing is a demand to surrender that's being relayed via a good cop (Trump)/bad cop (Putin) routine. For some, it may be consoling to treat Trump as stupid. Yet as he pillages America (a) for his own enrichment and (b) to fuel his unquenchable vanity, the strategising of Russia and China stands in stark and scary contrast. For decades, Western neo-liberals have been preaching the inherent inefficiency of the state, but China has proved the exact opposite. China's state-funded efforts are already delivering it technological superiority on the global stage. Similarly with Russia, it is striking is see how consistent Putin's actions are with the plans set out long ago by his ideological mentor, the Russian hyper-nationalist Alexander Dugin. Dugin's 600 page manifesto The Foundations of Geopolitics: The Geopolitical Future of Russia was published almost 30 years ago, back in 1997. A good backgrounder on Dugin is available here: In eight parts [Dugin] establishes the strategies of Russia's adversaries, devises his own, and provides bold steps to regain Russia's position of dominance lost at the end of the Cold War. The most trenchant of these recommendations include the invasion of Georgia, the annexation of Ukraine, the separation of Britain from the rest of Europe, and the sowing of divisive seeds in the United States, each of which should sound quite familiar. Georgia got invaded in 2008, Ukraine in 2014 and 2022, and in between Britain left the EU. NATO is being weakened and Russian cyber-attacks have been one source of division among many in the United States, a dis-integration process helped along by Putin's fanboy in the White House. (In France, any future ascent to power by Marine Le Pen would give Putin another crucial ally, in the heart of western Europe.) And oh yes, Ukraine did feature prominently in Dugin's calculations, over a quarter of a century ago: Dugin grew in relative fame after the Ukraine conflict began [in 2014], as this was his most efficacious recommendation. As he explained, 'Ukraine, as an independent state with some territorial ambitions, poses a huge danger to the whole of Eurasia, and without solving the Ukrainian problem, it makes no sense to talk about continental geopolitics.' Historically, Ukraine was a significant economic hub on land, and much of Russia's natural gas exports used to travel through it into Europe. Now, the Nord Stream 1 pipeline runs under the Baltic Sea straight into Germany, the Turkstream pipeline crosses the Black Sea into Turkey and goes from there into south-eastern Europe, while the Yamal- Europe pipeline runs into Germany via Belarus and Poland. For all its posturing, Europe still has a heavy energy reliance on Russia. Dugin could see this one coming, too. At the time that Dugin was writing in the mid 1990s the annexing of Ukraine was a key part of his wider vision of making Europe more dependent on Russia for its energy needs, and less reliant on the energy reserves in the Middle East over which the US and Europe still exerted some degree of neo-colonial control. In other words, there has been a long-term blueprint for Putin's actions and ambitions in Europe and elsewhere. Putin's 5,000 word essay that famously mis-represented the history of Ukraine – and basically denied its right to exist - was published barely six months before the 2022 invasion. It could have been written by Dugin. In sum, Putin cannot be patronised any longer as just a reactionary kleptocrat trying to shore up Russia's fading ambitions on the world stage. During the Cold War, Russia controlled an empire in eastern Europe. Putin will turn 73 in October, and he seems intent on restoring as much of that empire as possible before he departs the scene. The current US President appears to have no interest in restraining these revived imperial ambitions. Footnote: Of late, calls have been made for Trump to impose tough economic sanctions on Putin over Ukraine. Unfortunately, that horse may have bolted. For the past 15 years, Russia has been insulating itself against the effect of US-led economic sanctions. In 2022, the US. Germany, France and the UK finally buckled to pressure and agreed to suspend from the international banking system [aka SWIFT] a number of banks on an already sanctioned list of Russian banks. The reason for this selective exercise? Once again, it comes back to Europe's energy problem. Before the Ukraine invasion, the likes of Germany, Italy, and France would pay Russia for their energy fixes through the SWIFT banking system. Cutting off Russia's access overnight to SWIFT (and thus to their own imports of Russian energy) would have sent petrol and heating costs through the roof across Europe. These costs remain a politically sensitive issue during the northern winter. Its not accidental that the West's sanctions on Russia over Ukraine have leaked like a sieve. In the interim, Russia hasn't been standing still. Since 2022 Russia has built itself an effective alternative transaction system to SWIFT, and has rapidly decoupled from its reliance on the US greenback as its currency for international transactions. (It is also developing a domestic alternative to the Internet.) Meanwhile, Europe's dependency on Russia as a cheap energy source has reduced only somewhat: Germany joined France, Belgium, and Spain as key importers of Russian LNG in 2024, a new study reveals. German energy company SEFE, federally-owned by the government, imported 58 shipments from Yamal LNG into the EU port of Dunkirk, a 650 percent increase over 2023. Some of this Russian LNG finds its way into Germany counter to its government's assurances that it does not import Russian gas. So when Zelensky went to the White House with his European friends, he would be well aware that his country's fate may be an over-riding priority for Ukraine, but it isn't for anyone else at the briefing. Songs for Zelensky Zelensky has his critics at home and abroad,but his resilience under fire has been remarkable. Having to flatter and politely cajole Trump in the face of Trump's inherent dishonesty would be bad for anyone's blood pressure. Endurance. Patience. Hope for better times to come. Here's great gospel song that celebrates those qualities: And while you do stuff for others, here's a soulful reminder to look after yourself:
Metro
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Suki Waterhouse was hospitalised from wearing pants that were 'too tight'
Suki Waterhouse has revealed she suffered a hernia because her pants were 'so tight'. The 33-year-old singer and actress took to social media with the health news after fans requested she post more messages on X. In response the My Fun hitmaker revealed she was hospitalised six months ago following a clothing faux pas she had been 'too scared' to tell her 165,000 followers. Suki wrote on X: ''suki you never tweet anymore' have you ever considered I wore pants so tight 6 months ago it caused a hernia and I've been too scared to tell you (sic).' The Daisy Jones and the Six star followed her post up with a picture of her in a hospital bed, showing her wearing a gown with a vape balanced on her chest. While some thought the vape was an odd choice of accessory for a hospital, others struck up conversation with the star. Fan @shortnskeetz commented: 'hey I gave my dad a hernia once x (sic).' Suki responded: 'well done!!' And the shocked supporter clarified: 'oh um hi xx i didnt give it to him intentionally btw I was like 7.' Suki's medical update comes just over a year after she gave birth to her first child with her fiance Robert Pattinson. As per the NHS, a hernia occurs when an internal part of the body pushes through a weakness in the muscle or surrounding tissue wall. A hernia usually develops between your chest and hips. In many cases, it causes no or very few symptoms, although you may notice a swelling or lump in your tummy (abdomen) or groin. The lump can often be pushed back in or disappears when you lie down. Coughing or straining may make the lump appear. Once a diagnosis has been confirmed, a GP or hospital doctor will determine whether surgery to repair the hernia is necessary. A month later, the star confirmed she had given birth, sharing a polaroid in which she cradled the baby, positioned so her hand covered the child's face. She wrote: 'welcome to the world angel [heart emoji] (sic)' Suki later confirmed she had welcomed a baby girl, and said she felt 'very lucky' to have an 'amazing little lady' in her life. Speaking live on stage during her Coachella set last year, she said: 'I don't know if some of you know, but I had some big life changes happen recently, some pretty big events have been going down. 'I love amazing ladies and I've been very lucky to have my own little amazing lady and meet the love of my life.' The couple, who were first linked in 2018, are yet to reveal their little one's name. In a British Vogue cover star interview last year, Suki revealed she and Robert met at a Hollywood games night also attended by the likes of Al Pacino, in which they played Traitors-esque party game Werewolf. More Trending 'I think we both sort of have the same slight uncomfortable-ness,' revealed Suki, explaining how they bonded over giggling during the game, so they got told off and had to be separated. After half a year they bumped into each other again and she remembered thinking Robert was 'quite funny' and that she 'lights up' around him. Suki said her song Memoir from her album Memoir of a Sparklemuffin – out on 13 September – is about getting what she always wanted in her family and finding the one. 'This love and having a family and having a little world,' she said. 'Whatever happens, this is my dream.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Fans dub Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey 'life-changing' as first trailer leaks
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Werewolf Therapeutics to Participate in the BIO International Convention
WATERTOWN, Mass., June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Werewolf Therapeutics, Inc. (the 'Company' or 'Werewolf') (Nasdaq: HOWL), an innovative biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of conditionally activated therapeutics engineered to stimulate the body's immune system for the treatment of cancer and other immune-mediated conditions, today announced Randi Isaacs, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, will participate in a panel discussion at the upcoming BIO International Convention taking place June 16-19 in Boston, Massachusetts. The panel will focus on how conditionally activated biologics, including those being developed by Werewolf, represent a new generation of immune therapies designed to maximize anti-tumor activity while minimizing systemic toxicity. These self-regulating therapies hold the potential to redefine treatment paradigms in oncology and beyond. Panel details: Topic: Beyond Bispecifics and ADCs: Conditionally Active BiologicsDate: Wednesday, June 18, 2025Time: 10:15am ETLocation: 206AB The panel coincides with the launch of Werewolf's 'Full Moon Moment,' an awareness initiative supporting its ongoing national clinical trials, including one evaluating WTX-124, our IL-2 INDUKINE molecule, in which multiple responses have been reported, including a patient with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma who has been in remission for more than a year. The campaign aims to highlight the potential for such outcomes and inspire patients to explore treatment options that could open a new chapter in their journey. The 'Full Moon Moment' embodies how Werewolf's INDUKINE™ molecules are designed to awaken their potent tumor-killing power upon entering the tumor microenvironment. Learn more about Werewolf's current WTX-124 clinical trial here. About Werewolf Therapeutics:Werewolf Therapeutics, Inc., is an innovative biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of therapeutics engineered to stimulate the body's immune system for the treatment of cancer and other immune-mediated conditions. The Company is leveraging its proprietary PREDATOR® platform to design conditionally activated molecules that stimulate both adaptive and innate immunity with the goal of addressing the limitations of conventional proinflammatory immune therapies. Werewolf's INDUKINE molecules are intended to remain inactive in peripheral tissue yet activate selectively in the tumor microenvironment. The Company's most advanced clinical stage product candidates, WTX-124 and WTX-330, are systemically delivered, conditionally activated Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and Interleukin-12 (IL-12) INDUKINE molecules, respectively, for the treatment of solid tumors. Werewolf is advancing WTX-124 in multiple tumor types as a single agent and in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor and WTX-330 in multiple tumor types or Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma as a single agent. To learn more visit Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release, including statements regarding Werewolf's strategy, future operations, prospects, plans, and objectives of management; the potential activity and efficacy of product candidates in preclinical studies and clinical trials; and the anticipated safety profile of product candidates constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words 'aim,' 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'contemplate,' 'continue,' 'could,' 'design,' 'designed to,' 'engineered,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'goal,' 'intend,' 'may,' 'might,' 'objective,' 'ongoing,' 'plan,' 'positioning itself to,' 'potential,' 'predict,' 'project,' 'promise,' 'should,' 'target,' 'will,' 'working to,' or 'would,' or the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. The Company may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: uncertainties inherent in the development of product candidates, including the conduct of research activities, and the initiation and completion of preclinical studies and clinical trials; whether results from preclinical studies will be predictive of the results of later preclinical studies and clinical trials; whether preliminary or interim data from a clinical trial will be predictive of the future results of the trial and future clinical trials; as well as the risks and uncertainties identified in the 'Risk Factors' section of the Company's most recent Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and in subsequent filings the Company may make with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. WEREWOLF®, the WEREWOLF logo, PREDATOR®, INDUKINE™ and other Werewolf trademarks, service marks, graphics and logos are trade names, trademarks or registered trademarks of Werewolf Therapeutics, Inc., in the United States or other countries. All rights reserved. Investor ContactDan FerryLifeSci Advisors617.430.7576daniel@ Media Contact:Amanda SellersDeerfield Company Contact:Timothy TrostChief Financial OfficerWerewolf Therapeuticsttrost@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Engadget
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Killer Inn turns Werewolf into a multiplayer action game
Killer Inn is a little bit murder mystery and a little bit third-person action game, and combined, it looks like a lot of fun. Square Enix and developer Tactic Studios revealed Killer Inn during today's Summer Game Fest kickoff stream. A beta for the game is coming to Steam soon and it's available to wishlist now. Killer Inn is a lot like the movie Clue , or the TV show The Traitors , or the social improv game Werewolf , or the video game Spy Party — it's all about uncovering players' true intentions and concealing your own, with a murderous twist. Each round includes 24 players, some of whom are wolves, while the rest are lambs. As a lamb, the players' goal is sniff out the wolves and survive their attacks, and the wolves are out to blend in with the herd, stealthily killing when they can. Each kill leaves behind a clue for other players to find. The game ends when one team has eliminated all members of the opposing group. It isn't pure social strategy — there are various weapons, traps, poisons, bits of armor and masks to use, and a range of characters to choose from. Killer Inn is playable solo or with up to four players.
Elle
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Why Suki Waterhouse Was Not With Robert Pattinson at Cannes
On Saturday, Robert Pattinson walked the red carpet for the premiere of his new film Die, My Love, beside co-star Jennifer Lawrence. Pattinson was in a classic black tux, while Lawrence wore a strapless white gown by Dior made of ruched fabric ,with a tiered skirt that ended in a small train. Pattinson's partner, Suki Waterhouse, did not appear on the red carpet for the movie's premiere. She was most recently seen in New York City at the Met Gala, and may not have been able to make it to Cannes for this year's festival. The couple has a daughter at home who they welcomed in spring of last year. Die, My Love is based on the Ariana Harwicz novel of the same name and stars Jennifer Lawrence as a woman consumed by 'love and madness,' according to a synopsis on Deadline. Pattinson is the object of her obsession, and they are joined on screen by LaKeith Stanfield, Sissy Spacek, and Nick Nolte. On Friday night, Pattinson and Lawrence made an appearance on the red carpet at the Dior at The Hollywood Reporter dinner for the film's cast. It was Lawrence's first time in the spotlight since welcoming her second child with husband Cooke Maroney. In July 2024, Waterhouse spoke to British Vogue about her relationship with the actor, describing how they met. 'I was sure that I'd met him a long time ago, but he didn't think that we had,' she shared, explaining they then did a round of the role playing game Werewolf that was 'very, very intense. There were lots of 'big' characters, real heavy hitters [in the room]. Al Pacino was there. Javier and Penelope were there… and, you know, everyone was really acting.' She continued, 'I think we both sort of have the same slight uncomfortable-ness [and quickly] started giggling at the absurdity of the whole thing,' adding they 'got told off' for laughing and that a director 'separated us because we were laughing too much.' They met up again later that year and began spending time together. Soon they were dating and then discovered they were expecting. She shared that while giving birth, Pattinson made her a rap playlist. 'He was there with me and like all dads, he was really nervous, but for someone who's quite an anxious person, he's been very calm,' she said. '[He's] the dad I could have hoped for. I mean a dad and his daughter? It's an actual love story.'
