A fisherman died after being swept off rocks near Sydney yesterday, stretching the Easter weekend death toll of drownings to six as huge waves battered Australia’s east coast.Emergency services winched two people from the surf at Wattamolla Beach, but one of them couldn’t be revived, New South Wales Police said in a statement.The pair had been fishing when swept off rocks on the outskirts of southern Sydney.The second person, a 14-year-old boy, was in a stable condition in hospital.It continued a run of fatalities over the holiday weekend, with the search ongoing for two other people still missing in the surf since Friday – one off Sydney and one off Melbourne.Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) issued a warning on Thursday that strong swells would create hazardous surf conditions along the coasts of New South Wales and Victoria.Three people drowned on Friday in New South Wales, while a woman died and a man went missing after they were swept into the sea near Melbourne.On Saturday, when swells were as high as 11.5 feet in some places, a fisherman was swept to his death off rocks in southern New South Wales.SLSA had released data before the weekend showing 630 people had died at beaches without an active lifesaving service over the last 10 years.Chief executive Adam Weir advised patrolled beaches should be prioritised for safety.“We know that Aussies and visitors to our country like to go off the beaten track to enjoy camping, fishing and other coastal activities,” Weir said in a statement.

The initial public offering (IPO) of LuLu Retail Holdings in November 2024 is seen to catalyse significant growth and expansion, according to a top official.According to Dr Mohamed Althaf, director, LuLu Group International, LuLu’s milestone move at the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has cemented regional trust in LuLu, while empowering the retail giant “to pursue a bolder, more ambitious trajectory”.“Our company went public. At some point in our business, we realised that it’s time we should share our growth and prosperity with the region that has contributed and enabled our growth,” Dr Althaf told Gulf Times, describing the IPO as “wonderful” and underscored its success in attracting major sovereign investors from across the region.According to Dr Althaf, the IPO provides LuLu with enhanced opportunities for active expansion, while maintaining its core business model. “Structurally, fundamentally, our business model is not going to change,” he emphasised, adding that “what will happen with the IPO is that maybe our expansions will become even more active. We believe that because we have a growth story to meet”.Dr Althaf further noted that the IPO is expected to introduce a shift in the company’s governance structure, making it “far more accountable and transparent”. This accountability and transparency, as well as the financial freedom brought by the IPO, will enable LuLu to expand its footprint into new markets while reinforcing its commitment to Qatar and the region, Dr Althaf pointed out.“The IPO gives us the freedom and the responsibility that we should continue to invest in our business, stay focused, expand our footprint to markets, and stay committed to countries like Qatar in the region,” Dr Althaf further explained, stressing that LuLu remains deeply aligned with its host nation’s development goals.Furthermore, Dr Althaf connected the IPO to LuLu’s broader vision of innovation and sustainability. He noted that the company is actively leveraging digital transformation, cloud-based technologies, and AI tools to boost efficiency and achieve sustainability goals. He cited advancements in areas like cold chain management, energy reduction, and e-commerce as examples of LuLu’s commitment to progress.“We will continue to invest in Qatar. We will continue to expand in Qatar. We will do experiments and move ahead,” emphasised Dr Althaf, who reaffirmed the company’s dedication to its host nation and the region.Dr Althaf further pointed out that the IPO marks a transformative phase for LuLu Retail, paving the way for active expansions, greater accountability, and a bold vision for sustained growth.On its website, LuLu Retail announced that the “IPO raised gross proceeds of AED6.32bn making it the largest offering in the UAE in 2024 to date. The offering saw aggregate demand of over AED135bn from local, regional, and international investors, a record for a non-government UAE IPO over the past 10 years, and an oversubscription level of more than 25 times across all tranches (excluding Cornerstone Investors). Cornerstone investors included leading sovereign and institutional investors from across the GCC and beyond”.

The India launch of Eli Lilly’s popular weight-loss drug Mounjaro has triggered a huge wave of patient enquiries about its availability, with some Indian doctors fielding hundreds of calls about the medicine, according to a Reuters survey.The survey of 18 doctors, patients and weight-loss clinic operators follows the US drugmaker’s market entry ahead of Danish obesity drug rival Novo Nordisk into a nation expected to have the second-largest population of overweight or obese people by 2050.“Since the launch of Mounjaro, we have seen a remarkable increase in customer interest,” said Suryansh Kumar, founder of Delhi-based weight management services provider Elevate Now.Elevate Now fielded more than 200 calls in just a week about Mounjaro, he said in a post on social media.Mounjaro’s launch has brought cheer to Indian patients who had been relying on friends, family or suppliers abroad to get hold of these drugs.Bengaluru resident Vikram, a 57-year-old medical professional who did not want his surname published to avoid weight stigma, had obtained the drug from Dubai over the past eight months. He has shed over 23% of his body weight.“It will be a lot more convenient to get it now,” he said.Local availability also makes life easier for Indian patients who relied on the black market for weight-loss drugs.Muffazal Lakdawala, director of surgery at Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital, said he expects patients who make the switch to Lilly’s authorised drug to pay less than half the black market price.He also expects Lilly to have an early entry advantage over Novo’s Wegovy, which has the same active ingredient as its diabetes medicine Ozempic that is often used off-label for weight loss.“A lot of our patients who used to take Ozempic have now switched over to taking Mounjaro because of availability in India,” Lakdawala said.Novo is looking to bring forward its planned India launch of Wegovy to better compete with Lilly, two sources said earlier this month.India’s generic drugmakers are also racing to make cheaper versions of Wegovy in a bid to grab a share of the burgeoning weight-loss market, which Nuvama analysts estimate will reach $175bn a year globally by 2035.Novo may also have to price Wegovy more competitively in India after some industry watchers, such as market research firm Pharmarack, said Mounjaro’s launch was “creating ripples” in the nation with its pricing.Mounjaro, a once-weekly injection approved by India’s drug regulator, is priced at Rs4,375 ($50.86) for a 5milligram vial and Rs3,500 for a 2.5mg vial, its lowest doses, the company said. Its highest dose is 15mg.A patient in India may have to spend about $200 a month when taking a weekly dose of 5mg, subject to doctor’s prescription.Mounjaro carries a list price of $1,079.77 a month in the US, although the amount patients pay largely depends on their insurance plan. Zepbound, which has the same active ingredient, tirzepatide, is the brand name for the US weight loss version, with Mounjaro sold for diabetes there.Lilly offers 5mg, 7.5mg and 10mg vials of Zepbound for $499 and higher for a month’s supply if customers pay cash without any third-party involvement.Bengaluru-based Manipal Hospitals has seen over a 20% increase in patient queries on weight-loss medication availability, said Abhijit Bhograj, a consultant endocrinologist.The heightened interest has some doctors urging patients to seek more information before clamouring for the drug.“There needs to be wider awareness on usage,” said Hyderabad-based bariatric surgeon Amar Vennapusa, who received over 100 calls in two days after announcing Mounjaro availability.Keerthi Reddy, 32, who underwent bariatric surgery a few years back, took her first Mounjaro shot this week at Vennapusa’s clinic.“My friends and family living abroad have already tried it and saw good results,” Reddy told Reuters. “I’ve been waiting for it to be available in India.”