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  • PM Shehbaz visits Iranian Embassy, signs condolence book – RADIO PAKISTAN

    1. PM Shehbaz visits Iranian Embassy, signs condolence book  RADIO PAKISTAN
    2. Governor KP visits Iranian Embassy to express solidarity over Israeli aggression  Ptv.com.pk
    3. Iran’s military chief thanks Pakistan for support during war with Israel  The Express Tribune
    4. Pakistan, Iran to hold bilateral talks in Azerbaijan this week  samaa tv
    5. PM lauds economic team, wants tight Muharram security  Dawn

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  • OLAF supports coordinated crackdown on cross-border counterfeit cigarette network in Italy and Romania

    OLAF supports coordinated crackdown on cross-border counterfeit cigarette network in Italy and Romania

    Press release no 18/2025
    PDF version

    The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) played an important coordination role in a large-scale joint operation that dismantled a cross-border criminal network involved in the illicit production and smuggling of counterfeit cigarettes, with estimated evaded duties totalling approximately €9.8 million.

    The network, coordinated by Romanian, Moldovan, and Italian nationals, operated illegal production facilities in both Romania and Italy, with significant quantities of counterfeit tobacco products destined for distribution across the European Union.

    The operation, carried out on 3 June 2025, was the result of extensive intelligence sharing between OLAF, Romanian authorities—including the Economic Crime Investigation Directorate of the General Police Inspectorate (I.G.P.R.), Caraș-Severin County Police (I.P.J. Caraș-Severin), and the Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (D.I.I.C.O.T.)—and the Italian Guardia di Finanza and Bologna Economic Police Unit.

    In Romania, coordinated searches in Timiș and Arad counties led to the seizure of approximately 25 million cigarettes stored in 2,500 boxes. Four individuals were arrested in Timiș County while handling smuggled goods. Two other suspects were detained by D.I.I.C.O.T. on 4 June.These actions were supported by the Romanian Customs Authority.

    Simultaneously, in Italy, a clandestine cigarette factory was discovered in an industrial area in the Emilia-Romagna region. The site was equipped with high-end machinery for replicating branded packaging. Investigators seized 14 tonnes of counterfeit cigarettes, more than 10 tonnes of unprocessed tobacco, and a large quantity of packaging materials.

    The scale of the illicit operation underscores the financial threat posed to the EU’s budget and legitimate trade. OLAF’s role was instrumental in ensuring swift cross-border cooperation, highlighting its mandate to protect the EU’s financial interests and combat organised fraud. 

     

    OLAF mission, mandate and competences:
    OLAF’s mission is to detect, investigate and stop fraud with EU funds.    

    OLAF fulfils its mission by:
    •    carrying out independent investigations into fraud and corruption involving EU funds, so as to ensure that all EU taxpayers’ money reaches projects that can create jobs and growth in Europe;
    •    contributing to strengthening citizens’ trust in the EU Institutions by investigating serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU Institutions;
    •    developing a sound EU anti-fraud policy.

    In its independent investigative function, OLAF can investigate matters relating to fraud, corruption and other offences affecting the EU financial interests concerning:
    •    all EU expenditure: the main spending categories are Structural Funds, agricultural policy and rural development funds, direct expenditure and external aid;
    •    some areas of EU revenue, mainly customs duties;
    •    suspicions of serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU institutions.

    Once OLAF has completed its investigation, it is for the competent EU and national authorities to examine and decide on the follow-up of OLAF’s recommendations. All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a competent national or EU court of law.

    For further details:

    Pierluigi CATERINO
    Spokesperson
    European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
    Phone: +32(0)2 29-52335  
    Email: olaf-mediaec [dot] europa [dot] eu (olaf-media[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
    https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu
    LinkedIn: European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
    X: x.com/EUAntiFraud
    Bluesky: euantifraud.bsky.social

    If you’re a journalist and you wish to receive our press releases in your inbox, please leave us your contact data.

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  • Google kills its Keep app on Apple Watch

    Google kills its Keep app on Apple Watch

    The Google graveyard has claimed another victim: the company has killed the Apple Watch version of its Keep app. While the note-taking app is still available for iPhone and iPad, the 2.2025.26200 Google Keep App Store update released on Monday has removed watchOS support, bringing the total number of Google apps for Apple Watch back down to three.

    This sours some hope that Google would expand its watchOS app offerings after quietly rolling out a new native Google Calendar app for Apple Watch yesterday, having initially pulled several Google apps from the platform in 2017. The Google Keep app was introduced to watchOS in 2019 but has largely been neglected since, lacking any meaningful updates. Now, Google Calendar, Maps, and YouTube Music are all that remain, with the latter two also in need of modernization.

    While outdated, Keep was still functional on Apple Watch, providing a convenient way for users to quickly create lists or jot down information on the go. There doesn’t appear to be a notable third-party alternative on watchOS to replace it. Its removal confirms several reports made by Keep users on Reddit last month, who said Google had notified them that “the watch app would be deprecated soon.” We have reached out to Google to clarify why the app was removed.

    Keep is still available for smartwatches running on Google’s own Wear OS platform. That’s unlikely to be of any comfort to Apple Watch users who are disrupted by the removal, however; they will need to wait until Apple brings a native version of the Notes app to watchOS 26 this fall.

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  • Anderson Peters pulls out of Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025 with injury

    Anderson Peters pulls out of Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025 with injury

    Mrzyglód, 27, is a former European U20 and U23 champion and boasts a personal best of 85.92m, recorded en route to winning the Motonet GP Kuortane athletics meet held in Finland in June this year.

    The Pole is also a silver medal winner from the 2021 World University Games and competed at both the Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

    Grenada’s Peters is ranked only behind Neeraj Chopra in the world rankings for men’s javelin throw, and the duo’s showdown was set to be one of the highlights of the upcoming Bengaluru meet.

    The NC Classic, rescheduled from May 24 to July 5, is classified as a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet – the highest category of international athletics competition ever hosted in India. It will take place at Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium.

    Despite Peters’ absence, the competition will still feature a stacked field headlined by Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist and reigning world champion Neeraj Chopra.

    Other top names include Rio 2016 gold medallist Thomas Röhler (Germany), 2015 world champion and Rio 2016 silver medal winner Julius Yego (Kenya).

    The line-up also includes Pan American Games champion Curtis Thompson of the USA, Brazil’s Luiz Mauricio da Silva and Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage.

    India’s challenge will include Neeraj Chopra alongside Rohit Yadav, Sachin Yadav, Sahil Silwal and Yash Vir Singh.

    The meet is being jointly organised by Neeraj Chopra, JSW Sports, the Athletics Federation of India and World Athletics.

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  • Clinical trial examines whether Ambroxol can slow dementia in people with Parkinson’s

    Clinical trial examines whether Ambroxol can slow dementia in people with Parkinson’s

    Dementia poses a major health challenge with no safe, affordable treatments to slow its progression.

    Researchers at Lawson Research Institute (Lawson), the research arm of St. Joseph’s Health Care London, are investigating whether Ambroxol – a cough medicine used safely for decades in Europe – can slow dementia in people with Parkinson’s disease.

    Published today in the prestigious JAMA Neurology, this 12-month clinical trial involving 55 participants with Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) monitored memory, psychiatric symptoms and GFAP, a blood marker linked to brain damage. Parkinson’s disease dementia causes memory loss, confusion, hallucinations and mood changes. About half of those diagnosed with Parkinson’s develop dementia within 10 years, profoundly affecting patients, families and the health care system.

    Led by Cognitive Neurologist Dr. Stephen Pasternak, the study gave one group daily Ambroxol while the other group received a placebo. “Our goal was to change the course of Parkinson’s dementia,” says Pasternak. “This early trial offers hope and provides a strong foundation for larger studies.”

    Key findings from the clinical trial include:

    • Ambroxol was safe, well-tolerated and reached therapeutic levels in the brain

    • Psychiatric symptoms worsened in the placebo group but remained stable in those taking Ambroxol.

    • Participants with high-risk GBA1 gene variants showed improved cognitive performance on Ambroxol

     • A marker of brain cell damage (GFAP) increased in the placebo group but stayed stable with Ambroxol, suggesting potential brain protection.

    Although Ambroxol is approved in Europe for treating respiratory conditions and has a long-standing safety record – including use at high doses and during pregnancy – it is not approved for any use in Canada or the U.S.

    Current therapies for Parkinson’s disease and dementia address symptoms but do not stop the underlying disease. These findings suggest Ambroxol may protect brain function, especially in those genetically at risk. It offers a promising new treatment avenue where few currently exist.”


    Dr. Stephen Pasternak, Cognitive Neurologist 

    Ambroxol supports a key enzyme called glucocerebrosidase (GCase), which is produced by the GBA1 gene. In people with Parkinson’s disease, GCase levels are often low. When this enzyme doesn’t work properly, waste builds up in brain cells, leading to damage. Pasternak learned about Ambroxol during a fellowship at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, where it was identified as a treatment for Gaucher disease – a rare genetic disorder in children caused by a deficiency of GCase.

    He is now applying that research to explore whether boosting GCase with Ambroxol could help protect the brain in Parkinson’s-related diseases. “This research is vital because Parkinson’s dementia profoundly affects patients and families,” says Pasternak. “If a drug like Ambroxol can help, it could offer real hope and improve lives.”

    Funded by the Weston Foundation, this study is an important step toward developing new treatments for Parkinson’s disease and other cognitive disorders, including dementia with Lewy bodies. Pasternak and his team plan to start a follow-up clinical trial focused specifically on cognition later this year.

    Source:

    Lawson Research Institute, St. Joseph’s Health Care London

    Journal reference:

    Silveira, C. R. A., et al. (2025). Ambroxol as a Treatment for Parkinson Disease Dementia. JAMA Neurology. doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.1687.

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  • Squid-Inspired Camouflage May Help Soldiers Evade Sight and Sensors

    Squid-Inspired Camouflage May Help Soldiers Evade Sight and Sensors

    The University of California, Irvine and the Marine Biological Laboratory have tapped into squid skin to unlock a new frontier in battlefield camouflage.

    The two are developing a stretchable material that mimics the color-shifting ability of the longfin inshore squid, something that could one day help troops slip past visual and thermal detection.

    The species uses light-reflecting cells called iridophores to instantly shift between transparency and color. This natural survival tactic now forms the basis of the synthetic stealth material with potential military use.

    Read the full story on NextGen Defense: Squid-Inspired Camouflage May Help Soldiers Evade Sight and Sensors

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  • Earwax Secretions May Help Detect Parkinson’s Disease

    Earwax Secretions May Help Detect Parkinson’s Disease

    Odors from earwax may help distinguish individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) from those without the condition, a new study suggests.

    Researchers found that four volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ear canal secretions significantly differed between participants with and without PD.

    The compounds — ethylbenzene, 4-ethyltoluene, pentanal, and 2-pentadecyl-1,3-dioxolane — may represent potential biomarkers. An artificial intelligence olfactory (AIO)-based screening model used in the study identified those with PD with 94% accuracy.

    “The accuracy of the model really surprised us,” study investigator Hao Dong, Research Center for Frontier Fundamental Studies, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, China, MD, told Medscape Medical News.

    However, the study was a “small-scale, single-center experiment,” he noted in a press release.

    “The next step is to conduct further research at different stages of the disease, in multiple research centers, and among multiple ethnic groups in order to determine whether this method has greater practical application value,” Dong said.

    The findings were published online recently in Analytical Chemistry.

    Unique Odor Profile

    “Our team has long been engaged in the detection of [VOCs] secreted by the human body. By chance, we came across reports on the detection of sebum VOCs for Parkinson’s,” Dong said.

    Sebum, the oily substance secreted by the skin, may carry a distinct scent in individuals with PD. In a 2019 study cited by Dong, researchers noninvasively collected sebum samples from the upper backs of 64 participants. The findings suggested that samples from those with PD contained compounds associated with a unique odor profile.

    Dong and his team began with a confirmatory experiment using sebum samples collected from the upper back, as in the original study. However, they found that earwax was easier to collect and had a more stable chemical composition. These findings led them to focus on earwax in the current study.

    Ear wax also contains sebum. But unlike sebum on the surface of the skin, which is exposed to various factors that can degrade it. In contrast, sebum on skin inside the ear canal is protected.

    Dong’s study included 209 participants, 108 of whom had a diagnosis of PD. Ear canal secretions were collected from all participants using swabs and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

    Results showed that ear canal secretions from participants with PD contained 196 distinct VOCs compared with 168 VOCs in those without PD. Interestingly, no two participants had identical VOC profiles.

    A Disease ‘Fingerprint’?

    “In this case, VOC components could be used as a ‘fingerprint’ for disease identification,” the researchers wrote.

    Adjusted analyses identified four VOCs that significantly differed between participants with and without PD: ethylbenzene, 4-ethyltoluene, pentanal, and 2-pentadecyl-1,3-dioxolane.

    The investigators trained the AIO system using VOC data. By combining gas chromatography-surface acoustic wave sensors with a convolutional neural network (CNN) model, the AIO system achieved up to 94.4% accuracy in distinguishing participants with PD from those without.

    In addition, the CNN model demonstrated a high level of performance with an area under the curve of 0.98, well above the 0.8 threshold considered strong by the researchers.

    “Further enhancements to the diagnostic model could pave the way for a promising new PD diagnostic solution and the clinical use of a bedside PD diagnostic device,” the investigators wrote.

    For now, Dong said the study’s takeaway message for clinicians is that “the potential of volatile organic compounds secreted by the skin as biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease has been further verified.”

    The study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, “Pioneer” and “Leading Goose” R&D Program of Zhejiang Province, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities. The investigators reported having no relevant financial relationships.

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  • Echo360 2025 e³ Tech Grants Program

    Echo360 2025 e³ Tech Grants Program

    Over $100,000 in financial and technology grants awarded globally to support educators and innovation

    NEW YORK, July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Echo360, the global leader in transformative learning and AI-powered education technology, today announced the recipients of its 2025 e³ Tech Grants Program, awarding more than $100,000 in combined financial and technology support to educators and researchers worldwide. Now in its fifth year, the e³ Tech Grants Program reinforces Echo360’s ongoing commitment to advancing transformative teaching and learning through targeted investment and hands-on resources.




    Echo360's e3 Grants Program awarded over $100,000 in financial and technology grants to institutions across North America, EMEA, and APAC regions.






    Echo360’s e3 Grants Program awarded over $100,000 in financial and technology grants to institutions across North America, EMEA, and APAC regions.

    “As educational institutions face mounting financial stress, from flat or declining funding to enrollment volatility, every dollar counts,” said Murad Velani, President and CEO of Echo360. “Our 2025 grant awards demonstrate how Echo360 stands shoulder to shoulder with educators, equipping them not only with needed funding, but with technologies and training that amplifies instructional innovation around the world.”

    Echo360 Grantmaking: Legacy of Support
    Since 2021, Echo360 e³ Tech Grants have advanced edtech learning equity, engagement, and evidence through two types of awards:

    1. Impact Grants: Financial support for empirical pedagogical research and proof–of–concept projects
    2. Innovation Grants: Technology access grants, offering the EchoSystem AI enriched platform, including GoReact, the market leading AI Video Assessment tool.

    This reflects a long-standing commitment by Echo360 to fund innovation and supply tools that scale across classrooms, labs, and corporate training environments globally.

    Higher Ed Under Pressure
    Colleges and universities around the world continue to grapple with daunting financial headwinds. A 2025 Fitch Ratings report warns many U.S. institutions face “deteriorating” finances due to enrollment declines and rising costs. In the U.K., the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) notes one in three schools operates at a deficit. Meanwhile, Australia’s Universities Accord highlights financial sustainability as a sector-wide concern.

    “The Echo360 grant is enabling us to create high-quality, multi-angle videos that we anticipate will transform how physiotherapy students engage with complex manual techniques,” said Julie Bayliss, Lecturer in the Curtin School of Allied Health and 2025 grant recipient. “We believe that this technology will give students the flexibility to learn at their own pace while ensuring equitable access to expert demonstrations; something we couldn’t have achieved without this support.”

    2025 e3 Tech Grant Highlights
    Recipients of the 2025 awards span three regions:

    APAC:

    • Murdoch University
    • RMIT University
    • La Trobe University
    • University of Queensland
    • Queensland University of Technology
    • Curtin University
    • Australian Catholic University
    • Australian National University
    • Swinburne University of Technology
    • Unitec
    • Box Hill Institute

    EMEA:

    • St. George’s University of London
    • Queen Mary University
    • University of Nottingham

    NORTH AMERICA:

    • Allen University
    • Gallaudet University
    • Loyola Marymount University
    • Colorado State University
    • Schreiner University
    • University of Houston–Clear Lake
    • Saint Michael’s College
    • Northampton Community College
    • Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine
    • Capital University
    • Wilkes Community College
    • University of Nebraska Medical Center
    • Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing
    • Forsyth Technical Community College

    Full grant details and application information available at www.echo360.com/company/grants.

    About Echo360
    Echo360 is the global edtech leader enabling transformative learning experiences for education and business through the Echosystem™, the world’s first and only enterprise Learning Transformation Platform™ (LTP™). Serving over 2,000 customers and 5 million learners, instructors, trainers, and frontline workers across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, Echo360 integrates content creation (EchoInk™), video management (EchoVideo™), engagement (EchoEngage™), and assessment (EchoExam™)—now extended by GoReact’s AI-powered video-based skill assessment and feedback. Echo360; Transforming Learning.

    About e3 Tech Grants: The e³ Formula
    Echo360’s global commitment is embodied in these core values:
    – Equity – Ensuring every learner is supported regardless of environment or access
    – Engagement – Promoting active, immersive learning experiences
    – Evidence – Driving innovation through measurable outcomes

    CONTACT INFORMATION:
    Jeff Peterson
    Echo360
    612-859-0488
    [email protected]

    SOURCE echo360

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  • Kickboxer Shukhratova Rukhshona accepts a two-year period of ineligibility for her anti-doping rule violation

    Kickboxer Shukhratova Rukhshona accepts a two-year period of ineligibility for her anti-doping rule violation

    The ITA reports that kickboxer Shukhratova Rukhshona has agreed¹ to the consequences for her anti-doping rule violation (ADRV).

    The kickboxer provided a sample collected during an unannouced in-competiton doping control performed on 11 April 2025, which yielded an adverse analytical finding² (AAF) for furosemide. Furosemide is listed under class S5. Diuretics and Masking Agents according to the prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). It is prohibited at all times (in- and out-of-competition) and is classified as a specified substance. Furosemide can be used by athletes to excrete water for rapid weight loss.

    The athlete did not challenge the ADRV and agreed with the consequences proposed by the ITA. Accordingly, the case was resolved via and acceptance of consequences.

    The athlete’s period of ineligibility is from 23 May 2025 (date of the provisional suspension) until 22 May 2027. In addition, all the athlete’s competitive results as from 11 April 2025 are disqualified.

    The decision may be challenged before the appeal division of the Court of Arbitration of Sport by the parties with a right of appeal in accordance with Article 13.2.3 of the WAKO anti-doping rules.

    The ITA will not comment further on this case

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  • PM Shehbaz rules out closure of academic, cultural institutions

    PM Shehbaz rules out closure of academic, cultural institutions

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the government is not considering any proposal to shut down or merge national institutions of academic, literary, historical, or cultural significance.

    He was talking to PML-N Parliamentary Leader in the Upper House Senator Irfan Siddiqui, who called on him in Islamabad today (Tuesday).

    Declaring sources of knowledge and literature as the spirit of a society, the Prime Minister said Pakistan possesses a rich heritage of civilization and culture, which is a source of national pride. He said on the contrary, the government will strive to make these institutions stronger, more effective and more productive so that society can be cleansed of extremism and country’s true soft image can emerge before the world.

    Irfan Siddiqui informed the Prime Minister about the concerns among intellectuals, writers, poets, and artists across the country regarding the recommendations of the government’s rightsizing committee to shut down or merge scholastic institutions. He also reminded Shehbaz Sharif that during ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s previous tenure, special attention was given to these institutions and their performance was widely appreciated across all sectors of society.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif further said societies that sideline knowledge, literature and the fine arts fall prey to mechanical thinking and lose feelings of delicate human emotions. He added that the government will soon form a committee to improve the management and performance of these institutions and expand their scope and mandate in line with the demands of the modern era.

    Irfan Siddiqui thanked the Prime Minister for his clear stance on academic and literary institutions.


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