- US job growth beats expectations in June, unemployment rate dips to 4.1% Reuters
- The US economy added a stronger-than-expected 147,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate fell to 4.1% CNN
- ADP says private sector shed 33,000 jobs in June, first time in two years Axios
- NFP to test health of US labor market as Fed ponders timing of interest-rate cut FXStreet
- NFP was strong: what does it means for markets? FOREX.com
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US job growth beats expectations in June, unemployment rate dips to 4.1% – Reuters
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Trump to speak with Putin after U.S. pauses some weapons shipments to Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Mikhail Metzel | Evelyn Hockstein | Via Reuters
President Donald Trump said he will speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.
The call, announced by Trump in a Truth Social post, comes two days after the U.S. said it would halt some missile and ammunitions shipments to Ukraine, which continues to fight off invading Russian forces.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the pause weeks after ordering a review of America’s munitions stockpile, sources told NBC News.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told NBC that the “decision was made to put America’s interests first” following the Pentagon’s review of U.S. military support for other countries.
“The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran,” Kelly said.
The decision fueled further concerns from those skeptical of Trump’s commitment to providing U.S. assistance to Ukraine in the fourth year of its war with Russia.
“Ukraine has never asked America to send in the 82nd airborne; they’ve asked for the weapons to defend their homeland and people from Russia attacks,” said Mike Pompeo, who served as secretary of State during Trump’s first presidential term, in an X post Wednesday.
“Letting Russia win this war would be a unmitigated disaster for the American people and our security around the world,” Pompeo wrote.
On Wednesday, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department “continues to provide the President with robust options regard regarding military aid to Ukraine, consistent with his goal of bringing this tragic war to an end.”
At the same time, he said, the Pentagon is “rigorously examining and adapting its approach towards achieving this objective while also preserving U.S. military readiness and defense priorities that support the president’s America first agenda,” Parnell said.
“This capability review, and that’s exactly what it is, going forward, we see this as a common sense pragmatic step towards having a framework to evaluate what munitions are sent and where,” he said.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Washington and Kyiv are “clarifying all the details of defense support, including air defense.”
“One way or another, we must ensure protection for our people,” Zelenskyy said.
The pause comes as Russia has ramped up its attacks all around Ukraine. Kyiv’s foreign affairs minister, Andrii Sybiha, said Russia launched more than 5,000 combat drones and hundreds of missiles, including nearly 80 ballistic missiles, in June alone.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it stressed to a U.S. official on Wednesday that “any delay or slowing down in supporting Ukraine’s defense capabilities would only encourage the aggressor to continue war and terror, rather than seek peace.”
This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
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Pakistan’s first international gold medallist Din Mohammad dies
Pakistan’s first-ever international gold medallist wrestler Din Mohammad. — Geo News LAHORE: Pakistan’s first-ever international gold medallist wrestler Din Mohammad passed away after a prolonged illness. He was over 100 years old.
Hailing from Lahore’s Bata Pur area, Din Mohammad earned the honour of winning Pakistan’s first gold medal in the 1954 Asian Games held in Manila.
Representing the country in wrestling, he defeated opponents from the Philippines, India, and Japan to claim the top podium spot.
Besides the Asian Games gold, Din Mohammad also brought home a bronze medal from the Commonwealth Games and represented Pakistan in numerous international events, raising the national flag with pride.
Punjab Sports Board spokesperson confirmed his passing and recalled that it was Din Mohammad who gave Pakistan its first-ever gold at an international event.
Punjab Sports Minister Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar expressed deep sorrow at his death, saying: “Din Mohammad’s services to the nation and wrestling are unforgettable. He lifted Pakistan’s flag in international arenas and is a true national hero.”
Punjab Director-General of Sports Khizar Afzal Chaudhry also conveyed heartfelt condolences, saying: “May Allah grant him the highest place in Jannah. Wrestler Din Mohammad made the nation proud and his contribution to Pakistani sports will always be remembered.”
Both officials extended prayers and sympathies to the bereaved family, terming Din Mohammad a source of pride for the nation and an inspiration for future generations.
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Wellcome backs ‘moonshot’ project to recreate human genome in the lab that could unlock new medical treatments
A team of researchers is beginning work on creating new tools that could eventually lead to the synthesis of the human genome in the lab. Wellcome is providing £10 million to the Synthetic Human Genome Project, which it expects will unlock new medical treatments.
Making the whole genome of three billion base pairs of nucleotides is the ‘moonshot’, says Tom Ellis, one of the project leads who researches synthetic chromosomes at Imperial College, London.
The scientists will first try to create a small chromosome, comprising about 2% of total human DNA. Along the way, they’ll also develop the tools to design DNA and get it into human cells that could enable the development of targeted treatments and better tools for screening drugs.
‘If we’re making huge progress in understanding health from reading and then editing [DNA], then logically, it makes sense that we’ll learn a lot more if we can do writing as well,’ says Ellis. Improving and standardising technologies so they can be routinely used to write whole genes or regions of multiple genes should help researchers understand how mutations in those genes lead to disease.
Two of the groups involved in the new project, at Imperial and the University of Manchester, have been involved in synthesising the yeast genome and another group, the Escherichia coli genome, consisting of 4 million base pairs of nucleotides. In theory, says Ellis, scaling up to 50 million base pairs could be done with 10 times as many people working in parallel were it not for the practicalities.
Compared with a yeast or bacterial genome, human DNA is ‘more full of junk, and that junk is a lot harder to work with because it contains a lot of the same sequence repeated many, many times’. A great number of those sequences are there for structural reasons rather than encoding information. ‘Those bits of DNA are much harder to work with in terms of synthesising them and linking them together,’ explains Ellis.
And unlike fast-growing microbes that will accept DNA, ‘human cells are much harder to get big pieces of DNA into and it can take you weeks before you know whether it’s worked or not’, he points out.
The project will rely on the commercial sector to synthesise sections of DNA. At present, says Ellis, biotech companies are chemically synthesising DNA up to about 300 bases at a time. Those sections are then linked together, getting to 10,000 to 20,000 bases by cloning the DNA using bacteria. ‘Where there’s room for innovation is if chemistry can do it all with very good accuracy – up to 20,000 bases or longer – then this huge effort of parallelised building can be dramatically reduced.’ The synthesis project will then focus on the means to assemble those long DNA sections.
Screening for accuracy and isolating accurately synthesised DNA gets costlier the longer the sections are. And the cost of chemicals to custom-make synthetic DNA could swallow up half the project budget. ‘We don’t want to spend it on the DNA, we want to spend it on people innovating. So we really need to push the chemistry community to longer DNA, cheaper DNA,’ adds Ellis.
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Big saving on the Celestron NexStar 8SE this early Prime Day telescope deal — cheapest since January
Save $200 this Amazon Prime Day on the Celestron NexStar 8SE. This telescope appears in several of our guides, ranking as the best overall telescope for seeing the planets as well as the best overall telescope for deep space and the best motorized telescope. Now you can get it at the cheapest price we’ve seen it since January, coming in reduced from $1699 to $1499 on Amazon.
Get the Celestron NexStar 8SE on sale right now at Amazon for $1499.
The Celestron NexStar 8SE received four and a half stars out of five in our review. We loved how accessible it was from beginner to advanced skywatchers as well as its portable nature. Not only this but, with its catadioptric construction, it means it is one of the most compact telescopes for deep space watching.
With $200 off, this is a great deal from one of the leading brands for telescopes, giving you top-notch viewing of the night sky for less than we’ve seen all year.
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With its high-quality Schmidt-Cassegrain optics, you get beautifully clear views of the night sky, making it ideal for viewing planets and distant objects. Plus, it lets in 78% more light than the NexStar 6SE thanks to its large 8-inch aperture.
While the NexStar 8SE suits all abilities, its motorized single fork arm and handheld remote control functionality mean it’s easy to set up and start stargazing even for those unfamiliar with the night sky. In our review, we noted the smoothness of the motor and, with the help of the Celestron SkyAlign app, you can align the scope using three bright stars and enjoy automated viewing almost instantly.
If this price is still a little high for you then our best budget telescopes under $500 guide may help you find something more suitable.
Key features: 8-inch aperture, handheld remote control function, Celestron SkyAlign app, motorized function, automated night sky viewing, database of over 40,000 celestial objects an 80-inch optical tube and useful magnification of up to 180x.
Product launched: March 2000
Price history: Before today’s deal, the lowest price this year that we’ve seen for the Celestron NexStar 8SE was $1299 back in January. It has been as low as $1599 prior to today’s deal but this is the best we’ve seen since the start of the year.
Price comparison: B&H Photo: $1499 | Walmart: $1499| Best Buy: $1699
Consensus: Appearing in several of our best telescope guides, you can’t get much better for any level of sky watching experience than the NexStar 8SE. Costing more than beginners might want to spend on a first telescope, we still think it’s a worthwhile investment for a hobby that will last years.
✅ Buy it if: You’re keen to view deep space objects and planets, whether you’re a beginner or advanced sky watcher. The automated motorized function means this telescope can be used by anyone with any level of experience and knowledge.
❌ Don’t buy it if: You’re brand new to the hobby and don’t have the budget. One of the best budget telescopes might be more suitable or even one of the best telescopes for beginners.
Check out our other guides to the best telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, lego and much more.
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Punjab govt approves full salary as leave allowance for ministers
Following the recent salary hike, the Punjab government has approved a significant increase in leave allowances for provincial ministers, the Speaker, and the Deputy Speaker by aligning them with their full monthly salaries.
The decision came after the Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Public Representatives Laws (Amendment) Bill 2025 during a recent session. The bill amends the Punjab Ministers (Salaries, Allowances, and Privileges) Act, 1975, removing the earlier practice of salary deductions during leave periods.
Previously, ministers earning a monthly salary of Rs100,000 received only Rs74,000 during a month-long leave. After the amendment, they will now receive the full revised salary of Rs960,000 while on leave.
Similarly, the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, who earlier earned Rs125,000 and received only Rs37,000 during leave, will now get Rs950,000 for a month-long leave period.
The Deputy Speaker, who also used to receive Rs37,000 during leave when his salary was Rs120,000, will now be entitled to the full revised salary of Rs775,000 during leave.
This change comes amid broader revisions in the provincial budget, which also included a 10% salary increase and a 5% pension raise for government employees.
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England vs India: Tammy Beaumont says hosts will ‘come out fighting’
Stand-in captain Tammy Beaumont has challenged England to “come out fighting” in the third T20 against India at The Oval on Friday, as the hosts look to overturn a 2-0 deficit and avoid a series defeat at the earliest opportunity.
Beaumont, who has been recalled to the T20 side under Charlotte Edwards after being out of favour with preceding coach Jon Lewis, has been named as captain because Nat Sciver-Brunt has a groin injury.
Sciver-Brunt spent time off the field as England fell 2-0 down in the five-match series in Tuesday’s second T20, and will have a scan to determine her availability for the rest of the series.
“It’s not the ideal circumstances, being 2-0 down, and with our captain and best batter out of the team,” said Beaumont, 34.
“But the worst thing we could do right now is panic. We certainly believe we can come back and win, and we’ll come out fighting.”
England are already without another key batter in previous skipper Heather Knight, who has a hamstring injury which has ruled her out of the entire summer.
Maia Bouchier, who was dropped by England after the Ashes defeat at the beginning of the year, has been called up as cover for a batting line-up which is under significant pressure to perform.
Bouchier has been in good form for Hampshire this season, and is the seventh-highest top-scorer in this season’s Women’s T20 Blast with 242 runs.
Sciver-Brunt was a class apart with her 66 in England’s 113 all out in the first T20 at Trent Bridge, while Beaumont top-scored with 54 at Bristol.
Specialist batters Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey have contributed just 19 runs between them in the two matches so far.
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New AI tool helps clinicians identify brain activity patterns linked to nine types of dementia
Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that helps clinicians identify brain activity patterns linked to nine types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, using a single, widely available scan – a transformative advance in early, accurate diagnosis.
The tool, StateViewer, helped researchers identify the dementia type in 88% of cases, according to research published online on June 27, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. It also enabled clinicians to interpret brain scans nearly twice as fast and with up to three times greater accuracy than standard workflows. Researchers trained and tested the AI on more than 3,600 scans, including images from patients with dementia and people without cognitive impairment.
This innovation addresses a core challenge in dementia care: identifying the disease early and precisely, even when multiple conditions are present. As new treatments emerge, timely diagnosis helps match patients with the most appropriate care when it can have the greatest impact. The tool could bring advanced diagnostic support to clinics that lack neurology expertise.
The rising toll of dementia
Dementia affects more than 55 million people worldwide, with nearly 10 million new cases each year. Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form, is now the fifth-leading cause of death globally. Diagnosing dementia typically requires cognitive tests, blood draws, imaging, clinical interviews and specialist referrals. Even with extensive testing, distinguishing conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Lewy body dementia and frontotemporal dementia remains challenging, including for highly experienced specialists.
StateViewer was developed under the direction of David Jones, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and director of the Mayo Clinic Neurology Artificial Intelligence Program.
Every patient who walks into my clinic carries a unique story shaped by the brain’s complexity. That complexity drew me to neurology and continues to drive my commitment to clearer answers. StateViewer reflects that commitment – a step toward earlier understanding, more precise treatment and, one day, changing the course of these diseases.”
Dr. David Jones, M.D., Mayo Clinic neurologist
To bring that vision to life, Dr. Jones worked alongside Leland Barnard, Ph.D., a data scientist who leads the AI engineering behind StateViewer.
“As we were designing StateViewer, we never lost sight of the fact that behind every data point and brain scan was a person facing a difficult diagnosis and urgent questions,” Dr. Barnard says. “Seeing how this tool could assist physicians with real-time, precise insights and guidance highlights the potential of machine learning for clinical medicine.”
Turning brain patterns into clinical insight
The tool analyzes a fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scan, which shows how the brain uses glucose for energy. It then compares the scan to a large database of scans from people with confirmed dementia diagnoses and identifies patterns that match specific types, or combinations, of dementia.
Alzheimer’s typically affects memory and processing regions, Lewy body dementia involves areas tied to attention and movement, and frontotemporal dementia alters regions responsible for language and behavior. StateViewer displays these patterns through color-coded brain maps that highlight key areas of brain activity, giving all clinicians, even those without neurology training, a visual explanation of what the AI sees and how it supports the diagnosis.
Mayo Clinic researchers plan to expand the tool’s use and will continue evaluating its performance in a variety of clinical settings.
Source:
Journal reference:
Barnard, L., et al. (2025). An FDG-PET–Based Machine Learning Framework to Support Neurologic Decision-Making in Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders. Neurology. doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000213831.
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Spatial Mapping Unveils Precision Medicine Targets for Childhood Arthritis – Inside Precision Medicine
- Spatial Mapping Unveils Precision Medicine Targets for Childhood Arthritis Inside Precision Medicine
- New study maps cellular fingerprints driving childhood arthritis News-Medical
- Single-cell transcriptomes of immune cells offer insight into juvenile idiopathic arthritis News-Medical
- Visualizing what happens in inflamed joints of children with arthritis could lead to possible new disease targets Medical Xpress
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Air Chief Marshal thanks NA speaker for backing forces during Indian aggression
Listen to article Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu has expressed his gratitude to National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq for the parliament’s strong support of the armed forces in the face of Indian aggression.
In a letter addressed to the Speaker, the Air Chief praised the parliamentary leadership’s role in fostering national unity, saying the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) values the show of solidarity from lawmakers.
“Speaker Sadiq’s efforts to strengthen national cohesion in the wake of Indian hostility are commendable,” wrote Chief Marshal Sidhu. He added that the support of parliament and the people gave strength to the armed forces and helped thwart the enemy’s intentions.
The Air Chief also termed the tributes extended by the parliament and national leadership “unforgettable,” and said PAF’s success is a result of divine blessings and the unity of the nation.
Sidhu reaffirmed that PAF is fully prepared to defend the country’s borders and considers this duty a sacred responsibility. He also pledged continued cooperation toward achieving national goals.
His letter was in response to one sent earlier by Speaker Sadiq, who had written to Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir and Air Chief Marshal Sidhu, lauding the armed forces—particularly the PAF—for their professionalism and bravery in responding to Indian actions.
Read: Attacks on innocent civilians unmasked India’s ugly face: DG ISPR
The Speaker had also conveyed the parliament’s unwavering support for the military and acknowledged its role in defending the country with courage and distinction.
Previously, members of the National Assembly paid tributes to the armed forces, especially PAF for giving a swift and decisive response to Indian aggression.
Speaking in the lower house, they strongly condemned the cowardly attack by India, calling it a shameful act, and reiteriated that Pakistan is fully prepared to respond to any aggression with full force.
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