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News – Ancient DNA Pinpoints Culprit Responsible for World's First Pandemic – Archaeology Magazine
- News – Ancient DNA Pinpoints Culprit Responsible for World’s First Pandemic Archaeology Magazine
- Ancient DNA finally solves the mystery of the world’s first pandemic ScienceDaily
- Source of History’s First Plague Pandemic Has Been Unearthed in Buried Teeth Discover Magazine
- The “Plague Of Justinian” May Have Been The First Pandemic. DNA At A Mass Grave Has Finally Identified Its Cause. IFLScience
- DNA study reveals origin of world’s first pandemic that swept through Mediterranean The Independent
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‘Why petitions against 26th Amendment not fixed before full court,’ Justice Mansoor asks CJ
ISLAMABAD:Supreme Court’s senior puisne judge, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, has written a letter to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, urging him to publicly respond to a series of pressing institutional questions at the upcoming judicial conference on September 8, 2025.
The letter, titled “Pressing Institutional Concerns”, spans seven pages, raised serious concerns about transparency, judicial independence, collegiality, and the internal functioning of the apex court.
Justice Mansoor emphasizes that the issues he highlights are not personal grievances, but stem from a “deep commitment to the judicial work” and the integrity of the institution. “As the senior-most Judge of this Court after yourself, I write this letter with reluctance, but in discharge of an unavoidable institutional duty,” wrote Justice Mansoor.
Justice Mansoor listed six specific questions for Chief Justice Afridi to answer publicly at the judicial conference, focusing on the unconvening of the PAPA Committee, the revision of the 1980 Rules without a full court debate, the issuance of the General Standing Order on leave, the failure to fix petitions challenging the 26th Amendment before the original full court, and the overall independence of the judiciary.
Among the core issues, Justice Mansoor highlighted that judicial rosters and bench formations have been issued unilaterally, bypassing mandatory consultation.
Justice Mansoor pointed out that his repeated letters and written communications to the Chief Justice on the issues had gone unanswered, adding, “Such silence from the Chief Justice to the senior-most Judge of the Court is not merely discourteous; it undermines the collegial traditions of this Court.”
He also criticized the recent revision of the Supreme Court Rules, 1980, stating that it was passed through circulation rather than a full court meeting—an act he deemed a “lack of collegiality and preference for unilateral authority.”
Justice Mansoor took issue with the policy of soliciting dissenting opinions via written communication, calling it a “tick-box exercise” that deprived the Court of rich deliberation. He further condemned the General Standing Order (GSO) on Leave issued in July 2025, which classifies judges as “whole-time” functionaries of the state.
“Judges are not regimented officers; their independence is constitutionally entrenched,” he stated.
He termed the GSO’s requirements—such as disclosing a judge’s residential address and limiting leave categories—as “surveillance” that undermines the dignity and independence of the judiciary.
Perhaps the most serious charge comes in the section on the legitimacy of the Court itself, where Justice Mansoor questioned why petitions challenging the 26th Constitutional Amendment—which affect the very independence of the judiciary—have remained unheard for nearly a year.
“True leadership lies not in managing compliance but in ensuring that the Court rises above suspicion as the fearless guardian of the Constitution,” he wrote.
The letter marks one of the most open and institutional confrontations in the recent history of Pakistan’s Supreme Court. Its tone, content, and the call for public accountability reflect growing discontent within the judiciary over the centralization of administrative powers under the Chief Justice.
Justice Mansoor ended the letter by urging the Chief Justice to use the judicial conference as “a moment of institutional renewal,” and to reaffirm “the principles of collegiality and constitutional fidelity.”
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‘The pace is there’ – Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon praise Williams’ ‘encouraging’ Friday ahead of 2025 Italian Grand Prix
Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon were left encouraged after Friday’s practice sessions ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, believing “we’re in a good place”.
Sainz finished third fastest in both one-hour sessions at the Monza Circuit, while Albon was left in seventh on both occasions and best of the rest behind the McLarens, Ferraris, and Red Bull of Max Verstappen.
While Sainz was less than one-tenth slower than FP2 pacesetter Lando Norris, the Spaniard’s best lap had come at the second time of asking on the soft tyre.
“The pace is there, we were quick,” said Sainz, who has not finished in the points in the last five Grands Prix. “On long runs, short runs, the balance felt in a decent window but there’s a couple of corners and the soft tyre that we need to sort out.
“We manage to sort this out and I can get myself a bit more comfortable in the car then hopefully there’s even more to come.
“Promising pace as I said, now I just need to make sure I feel more comfortable on the first lap on softs when you put the first lap on the tyre and also a bit in a couple of corners where I’m still lacking a bit. But all in all, with all those things, good pace.”
Albon also echoed the comments made by his team mate, admitting that consistency and not speed will be Williams’ biggest challenge this weekend if the team is to collect a big haul of points.
“It’s more just can we make it repetitive and can we get the same car that we got today for tomorrow,” he said.
“There’s a lot of work to be done and I think we have sweet spots and we’ve seen it time and time again this year, our out-laps and getting the tyres in the right window is going to be tricky so we just need to make sure we can actually execute what we want to do.
“Good points for sure [is the goal]. I think we’ve always come here, we’ve always focused on the top of the midfield and I think we can, we’ve got reasonable car pace today so let’s see if it carries on.”
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Kenvue Sinks After Report RFK Jr. Will Link Tylenol to Autism
Kenvue Inc.’s shares fell after the Wall Street Journal reported that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is likely to link the company’s Tylenol painkiller to autism, though the agency said the news report was “speculation.”
The federal government is expected to release its findings on autism this month. The Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported Friday that it’s likely to say that use of over-the-counter pain medication with acetaminophen, which is the active ingredient in Tylenol, may cause autism.
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New Markham Circuit On Course for Even Better Racing
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is visiting a second new venue during the 2026 season.
In addition to the previously announced INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington scheduled for March 13-15 and set to take place on a street circuit around the Dallas Cowboys’ and Texas Rangers’ stadiums, Green Savoree Toronto ULC, the City of Markham and INDYCAR SERIES announced Sept. 3 that the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy race will move from Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto to a brand-new street circuit in Markham, scheduled for Aug. 14-16, 2026. The City of Markham, population 365,000, is located 23 miles (37 km) northeast of Exhibition Place.
“Markham, start your engines, the Indy race is coming to our city,” Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti said. “This is a major milestone for us. We’re thrilled and honored to host this prestigious three-day racing event. We’re transforming our city streets into a thrilling racetrack.”
Renowned track designer Tony Cotman of NZR Consulting, who has worked on several NTT INDYCAR SERIES circuits, led the design of the new Markham street circuit. The temporary track will feature a 12-turn, 2.19-mile (3.52 km) layout.
“This is a very exciting track, thanks to Tony (Cotman),” Scarpitti said. “I asked them, ‘How are you going to design a racetrack around all these facilities?’”
Building a street circuit requires more than erecting concrete barriers and catch fencing; it’s about sculpting a race-ready course from existing infrastructure. Street circuit construction demands vision, coordination and careful planning, from selecting suitable roads and designing a competitive layout to obtaining permits and working around community and business needs affected by street closures.
The Markham circuit is situated in a dynamic downtown core, home to numerous Canadian corporate headquarters, the York University Markham Campus and the acclaimed Markham Pan Am Centre — a key venue during the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.
“We literally explored sites all over Ontario before landing on this location,” said Kevin Savoree, president and COO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions.
Green Savoree Racing remained as the promoter of the event, just as it did for Honda Indy Toronto.
The track (map in photo, above) will be built in the eastern precinct of downtown Markham, with the Unionville GO Train line running through the area. Because of the train line, the layout includes a double-sided pit lane – similar to the ones used at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear and the new street race in Arlington, Texas.
“Months of planning went into this,” Savoree said. “We’re excited to have a double-sided pit lane. It’s becoming something iconic in INDYCAR.”
The track features several prime passing zones, including some good passing areas between Turns 8-10 and most notably a Turn 5 hairpin that feeds onto a long straightaway along Enterprise Boulevard, where cars are expected to exceed 180 mph before approaching the right-hand Turn 6.
The Turn 5 hairpin is wide enough to provide multiple racing lines.
That’s also the same area where cars will pass beneath the Union GO Station train line between Turns 4 and 5, then again under the train line after the exit of Turn 5 before continuing east on Enterprise Blvd.
“There’s a massive straightaway and incredible speed potential,” Savoree said. “It’s an impressive circuit. Frank and his team worked tirelessly to bring this to life. And when I say it took pounds of paperwork to make this happen, I’m not exaggerating.”
Jeff Atkinson, president of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Markham, believes the new venue will offer an improved fan experience compared to Exhibition Place, which featured an 11-turn, 1.786-mile course.
INDYCAR first raced at Exhibition Place in 1986 and remained there – except in 2008 due to open-wheel unification and again in 2020 and 2021 due to the global pandemic.
“It was a long journey,” Atkinson said. “But this location provides new sight lines and experiences we just couldn’t offer at the old site.”
Exhibition Place had maxed out its available space. Markham offers the opportunity to accommodate a larger, younger and more diverse audience, which comes at a perfect time. There was an 81 percent increase in viewers aged 18-34, with a 72 percent rise in female viewers within that demographic, in FOX Sports’ first year of NTT INDYCAR SERIES coverage.
The City of Markham has begun early development on the track and festival site, working in coordination with Metrolinx, which helps to ensure smoother transit in the greater Toronto area, and other area partners.
“Imagine the sound. Imagine the sights. Imagine the smell of race cars going over Enterprise Road at more than 180 mph, legally, on your streets,” Penske Corporation President Bud Denker said. “I can’t wait.”
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Future Living, Now” Vision at IFA 2025 – Samsung Newsroom Canada
From well-being to energy tracking, Bespoke AI, Vision AI, and Galaxy AI transform the way we live and connect.
At Innovation For All (IFA) 2025, Samsung Electronics showcased its vision for “AI Home: Future Living, Now”. Samsung’s AI Home aims to be a reality people can experience today — not just in the future — and one designed for everyone, not just a select few.
“At Samsung, we’re not just imagining the future of AI; we’re building it into everyday life. Samsung’s AI Home moves beyond smart devices to homes that truly understand you, adapt to your needs, and care for what matters most,” said Cheolgi Kim (CK), Executive Vice President and Head of Digital Appliances (DA) Business. “This is the beginning of a new era – where technology supports your life in the background so that you can live it more fully.”
Samsung’s AI Home experience is designed to make everyday living more convenient and efficient.
Bespoke AI Enhances AI Capabilities
Samsung’s latest Bespoke AI appliances have taken AI features to a new level, offering a better living experience in both the kitchen and other spaces:
- Bespoke AI Jet Bot Steam Ultra: Upgraded with improved AI Object Recognition[1], it can now detect liquids[2], even transparent ones.
- Bespoke AI Washer: AI Wash+ enables a laundry experience that better fits your clothes. It clears the minimum threshold for a Grade A in energy efficiency testing by up to 65%[3].
- Bespoke AI Dishwasher: AI Wash optimises the cleaning cycle based on how dirty the dishes are[4], and Auto Open Door allows steam to escape, accelerating the drying process.
Vision AI Expands to Larger Displays
Samsung’s Vision AI Companion is designed to feel more like a trusted companion – someone you can engage with naturally, and that responds in a human-like way – redefining home entertainment. Pursuing an open platform approach, Samsung is strengthening its partnerships with global AI technology leaders.
Other highlights included:
- Micro RGB: A 115” display delivering cinema-quality visuals at home with perfect colour, bringing every scene to life with stunning depth and vibrancy.
- Samsung Sound Tower: Powerful, portable sound with an 18-hour battery[5]. You can strengthen the party mood with customisable lighting and sound effects via the dedicated app.
Galaxy AI Expands with New Devices
Starting with the Galaxy S24 series and a commitment to democratise Galaxy AI to over 200 million devices in 2024, Samsung Galaxy has defined a new era of mobile AI innovation.
Now, the latest Galaxy AI experience comes to new products, designed to deliver a seamless mobile experience on a wider range of devices with multimodal capabilities.
By the end of 2025, Samsung aims to bring the Galaxy AI experience to over 400 million devices worldwide.
Experience Future Living, Now at IFA 2025
The Samsung exhibition at IFA will be open from September 5 – 9 at the CityCube, Berlin.
Samsung Electronics is also showcasing a large-scale media art installation created in collaboration with world-renowned digital artist Maotik on a massive 50-meter-wide digital façade at the entrance of the exhibition hall.
The video, themed around “wind,” features dynamic waves formed by the organic movement of data, symbolizing how Samsung’s AI technology contributes to enhancing everyday life for its customers.
For more information on the products mentioned within this release, please visit the Samsung Newsroom here.
[1] Based on our deep learning model trained using a predefined set of data and may yield incomplete or incorrect information. New datasets may be introduced to our learning model from time to time to enhance its accuracy. Object recognition may be affected by an object’s shape or the environmental conditions. Only certain object types can be recognized. Stained Area Recognition needs to be activated beforehand via the SmartThings App. A Wi-Fi connection and Samsung account are required.
[2] A liquid spill is defined as a coloured or transparent liquid, such as water or juice, having a size of 7cm x 7cm (15 ml in volume) or larger. Identification may be affected by the size of the liquid or the environmental conditions of the floor, such as the floor pattern, color of the floor, direct or reflected light, or shape of the liquid. Excessive amount of liquid on the floor may cause secondary contamination.
[3] Based on Samsung internal testing. The energy consumption of this 9kg model is EEI 18.2, which is 65% more energy efficient compared to the minimum threshold of energy efficiency class A (EEI 52 for 9kg models). Energy ratings tested with Eco 40-60 program, 65% savings tested with the Eco 40-60 program.
[4] Based on an AI-created algorithm. Actual results may vary depending on individual use.
[5] 18 hours of battery tested with lighting off and at volume level of 12~13.
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Angela Rayner resigns over tax as UK deputy PM in damaging blow to Keir Starmer – Reuters
- Angela Rayner resigns over tax as UK deputy PM in damaging blow to Keir Starmer Reuters
- Shabana Mahmood promoted to home secretary in major reshuffle BBC
- UK deputy PM Rayner resigns over tax mistake in damaging blow to Starmer Dawn
- Angela Rayner resigns over stamp duty row The Guardian
- Angela Rayner’s lawyers: We never gave her tax advice The Telegraph
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USA Boxing star Naomi Graham on being shaped by the Army, mastering meditation, and portraying Laila Ali on screen
Naomi Graham: I’ve mastered meditation
Despite having suffered on her way to the top table of boxing, Graham’s mindset in the ring is one of total calm.
It’s the result of years of practising meditation, both on her own and with groups in the mountains of Colorado.
While many of her rivals enter fights with rage, she opts for clarity and focus, which allows her to adapt her style as necessary.
“I meditate a lot before my fights. So I meditate on things that have happened and the positives that have come from them,” she said.
“I’m very different because most boxers have headphones on, listening to music before a fight. But I’ve mastered meditation to the point where I could just sit there, no headphones, and it would just look like I’m watching something, but I really see nothing in front of me. I am in deep thought. I can see my fights before they happen, the things that I want to do.
“If things start to go wrong, how would I adapt? I think of things like that, and I just relax my entire body because when I’m nervous or anxious, it feels like you’ve already been competing, you already feel kind of weak.
“Then right before I get in a ring, I’ll release all of it. I’ll let myself be nervous, anxious, or whatever, because the fight is right there.”
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Global electric vehicle market monitor for light-duty vehicles in key markets, 2025 H1
This global market monitor analyzes the development of the electric vehicle (EV) market for light-duty vehicles (LDVs). It covers the major auto markets of China, Europe, the United States, and India, and selected emerging markets in the first half of 2025 (2025 H1).
Global EV sales reached over 9 million units in 2025 H1, representing 23% of all new light-duty vehicles sold worldwide—up from 19% in 2024. While this marks continued strong growth, the data reveals a striking reality: Markets with supportive policies are racing ahead, while others risk being left behind in the global competition for clean transportation leadership.
Figure. Light-duty EV sales share, number of EVs sold, and mix of BEVs and PHEVs across the four major markets, 2020 to 2025 H1
Key findings
- China extends its lead: 5.4 million EVs sold in 2025 H1, representing 47% of the country’s light-duty vehicle market and 72% of global EV production
- Europe maintains momentum: EV share increased to 23% in 2025 H1, up from 20% in 2024, supported by CO2 compliance frameworks
- U.S. shows warning signs: EV sales declined 15% compared with 2024 H1, while production share fell from 7% to 5% in 2025 H1
- India recorded a 3% EV sales share in 2025 H1, a slight increase from 2024, with nearly all EVs sold being battery electric vehicles and existing incentives contributing to market growth
- Emerging markets lead adoption: Vietnam achieved 35% EV sales share, Thailand reached 22%, and Tükiye hit 18%
- Policy drives success: Markets with clear targets and consistent policies show the fastest EV adoption and strongest domestic manufacturing
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