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  • West Indies pacemen reduce Australia to 99-6 in third test, an overall lead of 181

    West Indies pacemen reduce Australia to 99-6 in third test, an overall lead of 181

    KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Cameron Green produced a defiant innings as Australia struggled to 99-6 for an overall lead of 181 in the face of hostile fast bowling from the West Indies under lights Sunday on Day 2 of the third cricket test.

    Green was 42 not out at stumps and with captain Pat Cummins (5) managed to arrest the slide of the Australian second innings in difficult night conditions at Sabina Park.

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    The pace bowlers dominated all three sessions Sunday with 15 wickets fell across both teams.

    Australia’s all-pace attack had earlier given the visitors the upper hand when it dismissed the West Indies for 143 in the late afternoon to take an 82-run first-innings lead.

    When the lights were turned on, Australia faced a tough contest with the swinging pink ball and especially initimidating bowling from Alzarri Joseph (3-19) and Shamar Joseph (2-26) as it tried to build its advantage.

    Australia lost Sam Konstas to a five-ball duck in the second over from Shamar Joseph which set in motion the decline of its second innings. The 19-year-old Konstas has had a disappointing series, tallying 50 runs in six innings.

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    Usman Khawaja (14) and Steve Smith (5) both were bowled in conditions which again encouraged the pace bowlers.

    Alzarri Joseph took two wickets in the 21st over as Australia slumped to 69-6.

    Beau Webster hit a boundary from the first ball he faced, promising to match fire with fire, but was out for 13, bowled by Alzarri Joseph. Alex Carey was stuck on the helmet on the next delivery and was out to the same bowler two balls later.

    “We wanted seven wickets. We got six wickets,” Shamar Joseph said. “So I’m actually pleased with that performance.

    “The West Indies have a great legacy of fast bowlers. Our young generation just want to continue it and do our best. I actually think anything (target) under 200, to 200 we definitely could chase that.”

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    Scott Boland took 3-34 and Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins snared two wickes apiece as the West Indies were dismissed in just over 52 overs in their first innings. The last West Indies wicket fell just before the dinner break, by which time 20 wickets had fallen in five sessions.

    John Campbell and Shai Campbell provided some resistance as the West Indies made painstaking progress against the Australia pacers after resuming Sunday at 16-1.

    The West Indies took honors on the first day, bowling out Australia for 225, then negotiating the final 40 minutes before stumps in the face of aggressive bowling in difficult conditions under the floodlights.

    The Australian bowlers maintained good line and length in the first session on Day 2, making scoring difficult and bringing the stumps and lbw into play. The West Indies added only 57 runs in 23 overs before the first interval for the loss of Brandon King (14) and Roston Chase (18).

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    The West Indies lost seven wickets for 70 runs in the second session as Australia asserted control.

    Campbell produced an eventful and patient 36 in 97 minutes. He was lucky not to be run out at 15 when he jabbed a ball to mid-on and set off for a quick single.

    Cummins’ under-arm throw hit the stumps on the full and it seemed Campbell’s bat might have bounced at the same time. But the umpires chose to review, ruling the Australians had not appealed. Cummins challenged the decision without success.

    Campbell eventually was out lbw to Boland, not offering a shot to a ball which seamed back more than he expected.

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    Hope also had a second chance when he was dropped by wicketkeeper Alex Carey off Boland when he was 21. The reprieve was shot-lived and he was bowled by Boland two balls later without adding to his score. Carey earlier dropped Justin Greaves off Mitchell Starc but neither error was costly.

    When Hope was out the rest of the West Indies wickets tumbled quickly, the last five falling for 19 runs.

    Australia’s bowlers have dominated the series after winning the first two tests — by 159 runs in Barbados then by 133 runs in Grenada — to secure the Frank Worrell Trophy.

    ___

    AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

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  • West Indies collapse, Konstas contributes and Carey’s clangers — quick hits from West Indies vs Australia in Jamaica

    West Indies collapse, Konstas contributes and Carey’s clangers — quick hits from West Indies vs Australia in Jamaica

    The West Indies have collapsed in a “horrid” and “really weak” batting display, letting Australia off the hook for a couple of errors in the field.

    Here are the quick hits from the third and final Test in Jamaica.

    1. Boland fires after no-ball wicket

    Scott Boland was instrumental on his return to the Australian attack. (AP: Ricardo Mazalan)

    Known for his accuracy and dependability, Scott Boland doesn’t usually bowl too many no balls.

    But whether it was down to rustiness or maybe excitement, the 38-year-old overstepped more than once early on the second day of his return to the Australian team.

    And it wasn’t long before he was made to pay for it. In the 20th over, he had Roston Chase caught behind to one that nipped in off a length.

    Not believing he hit it, the West Indies captain immediately challenged the decision — but it proved academic, as the third umpire ruled Boland had overstepped before reviewing the footage.

    However, Boland wasn’t to be denied for long, picking up his first wicket in the West Indies when John Campbell inexplicably shouldered arms to one that thundered into his front pad and would’ve gone on to send his off stump flying.

    Boland’s influence only grew as Australia continued its march towards a first innings lead, eventually finishing with innings best figures of 3-34.

    2. Louis, Louis, oh no, away you go

    West Indies batter Mikyle Louis completes his swing as the cricket ball hits his stumps.

    Mikyle Louis’s dismissal was described as more akin to a number 11 than a Test opener. (AP: Ricardo Mazalan)

    Mikyle Louis was recalled as an opener in place of 100-Test player Kraigg Brathwaite, but couldn’t take his place at the top of the order on Sunday night due to a knee injury.

    Debutant Kevlon Anderson was the unfortunate victim, elevated from number three and bowled by one of the best new-ball bowlers in Test history, so Louis had some debts to repay when he came out at number five.

    He knuckled under briefly, but shortly after batting partner Campbell was out LBW, Louis took a very different approach and tried to clatter his 30th ball out of the ground.

    The good length delivery from Josh Hazlewood instead smashed into his off stump, and former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop teed off in commentary for ESPN.

    “That is an ugly shot. That is a very disappointing shot. A hoick out of nowhere by Mikyle Louis,” he said.

    “It was a shot you’d expect a number 11 to play, not Mikyle Louis.”

    Former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin joined in, labelling it “an absolute brain explosion”.

    3. Greaves punishes Carey

    Alex Carey has been just about perfect behind the stumps of late, but he had a rare blemish on day two when he dropped Justin Greaves.

    The West Indies all-rounder slashed wildly at a Mitchell Starc delivery and the edge spewed quickly away, with Carey moving well to try rein it in with both hands.

    The tough chance, which was going straight to Usman Khawaja at first slip, hit the grass, and Greaves took two runs.

    The next ball was drilled down the ground for four, another went for three, and the over ended with a single.

    Instead of a wicket, Starc’s over cost 10 runs.

    Carey also dropped an easier chance off Shai Hope’s inside edge later in the day, but Boland skittled him with the next delivery to spare his blushes.

    4. Sam’s Kon-tribution

    Sam Konstas had a lean series with the bat — his final-innings duck left him with 50 runs at 8 across six innings — but the opener made a telling contribution in the field on day two.

    After Greaves had played an attractive back-foot drive into the off-side outfield, Konstas collected the ball as the batters turned to attempt a third run.

    The triple would have been easily completed had it not been for a perfect, pinpoint throw from the boundary.

    Boland whipped off the bails as Greaves was caught short of his ground for an expansive 18.

    It was another utterly avoidable dismissal that only hastened a West Indies collapse that took the hosts from 4-95 to all out for 143.

    5. Windies legend slams ‘horrid’ performance

    The West Indies lost nine wickets in two sessions on day two, including seven in the second with the Sun shining and the ball not swinging.

    Former Australia Test opener Greg Blewett said there were no excuses for the 7-61 collapse — which included Campbell’s LBW without offering a shot, two players being bowled swinging for the fences and a run-out.

    “That was, I think, the best batting conditions we’ve seen all series. In my mind, that was a really weak performance by the West Indies,” Blewett said in commentary for ESPN.

    “To lose 7-70, I didn’t think there was any excuse for that.”

    Former West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite labelled it an “inexplicable” performance by the home team.

    “These guys play here year in and year out, and I expected to see a little bit better. You have to give more,” he said.

    “A horrid batting performance.”

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  • Deletion viral genome diversity among bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) 1a and 1b strains | Virology Journal

    Deletion viral genome diversity among bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) 1a and 1b strains | Virology Journal

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  • Australian gov’t invests $1.1m for Victorian mRNA research projects

    Australian gov’t invests $1.1m for Victorian mRNA research projects

    Six teams were chosen as part of the mRNA Victoria Research Acceleration Fund.

    The Australian government has awarded a total of $1.1m (A$1.7m) to six Victorian research teams to advance messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-based treatments.

    Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs Danny Pearson announced the latest recipients of the mRNA Victoria Research Acceleration Fund.

    The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health has secured over $351,155 (A$535,000) for two projects that will use mRNA technology to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease.

    Meanwhile, the University of Melbourne has received more than $95,200 (A$145,000) to design an antiviral drug to stop multiple respiratory viruses.

    Local startup Zitra Medicines will use approximately $318,306 (A$485,000) to focus on Sandhoff and Tay-Sachs diseases, a genetic neurological disorder affecting children.

    The Hudson Institute of Medical Research has obtained over $85,343 (A$130,000) to develop new mRNA-based treatments to tackle autoinflammatory disease.

    Moreover, a $260,000 (A$395,000) grant will support RMIT University to develop targeted gene therapy treatment for atherosclerosis.

    A$1 = $0.66


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  • Emergency Vaccines Reduce Disease Outbreak Deaths by Almost 60% : ScienceAlert

    Emergency Vaccines Reduce Disease Outbreak Deaths by Almost 60% : ScienceAlert

    Emergency vaccination during outbreaks of diseases like cholera, Ebola and measles have over the past quarter-century reduced deaths from such illnesses by nearly 60 percent, according to a new study.

    A similar number of infections are also believed to have been prevented, while billions of euros have been generated in estimated economic benefit.

    The Gavi vaccine alliance, which backed the study, said it collaborated with researchers at Burnet Institute in Australia to provide the world’s first look at the historical impact of emergency immunisation efforts on public health and global health security.

    Related: Vaccines Have Saved a Staggering 154 Million Lives in The Last 50 Years

    “For the first time, we are able to comprehensively quantify the benefit, in human and economic terms, of deploying vaccines against outbreaks of some of the deadliest infectious diseases,” Gavi chief Sania Nishtar said in a statement.

    “This study demonstrates clearly the power of vaccines as a cost-effective countermeasure to the increasing risk the world faces from outbreaks.”

    The study, published this week in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Global Health, examined 210 outbreaks of five infectious diseases – cholera, Ebola, measles, meningitis and yellow fever – in 49 lower-income countries between 2000 and 2023.

    Vaccine roll-outs in these settings had a dramatic impact, with the study showing they reduced both the number of infections and deaths by almost 60 percent across the five diseases.

    For some of the diseases the effect was far more dramatic.

    Vaccination was shown to decrease deaths during yellow fever outbreaks by a full 99 percent, and 76 percent for Ebola.

    At the same time, emergency vaccination significantly reduced the threat of outbreaks expanding.

    It also estimated that the immunisation efforts carried out during the 210 outbreaks generated nearly $32 billion in economic benefits just from averting deaths and years of life lost to disability.

    That amount was however likely to be a significant underestimate of overall savings, it said, pointing out that it did not take into account outbreak response costs or the social and macro-economic impacts of disruptions created by large outbreaks.

    The massive Ebola outbreak that hit West Africa in 2014, before the existence of approved vaccines, for instance saw cases pop up worldwide and is estimated to have cost the West African countries alone more than $53 billion.

    A health worker vaccinates a man in Abidjan on 17 August 2021 during a roll-out of vaccinations against Ebola, after the country recorded its first known case of the disease since 1994. (Issouf Sanogo/AFP/Getty Images)

    The study comes after the World Health Organization warned in April that outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis, and yellow fever are on the rise globally amid misinformation and cuts to international aid.

    Gavi, which helps vaccinate more than half the world’s children against infectious diseases, is itself currently trying to secure a fresh round of funding in the face of the global aid cuts and after Washington last month announced it would stop backing the group.

    © Agence France-Presse

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  • Adin Ross says he’ll livestream with Diddy if mogul is released from prison

    Adin Ross says he’ll livestream with Diddy if mogul is released from prison

    Popular livestreamer Adin Ross revealed plans to host what he calls his “biggest livestream ever” if Sean “Diddy” Combs is released from federal custody.

    During a recent clip that quickly went viral, Ross declared, “Yo, if Diddy gets out, I’m having him on the stream – no cap,” while playing footage of Diddy giving a graduation speech.

    Ross, known for past viral streams with Drake, Charleston White, Sexyy Red, and Chris Brown, claimed that the Diddy episode would surpass even his highest-profile streams. “Bigger than Carti, bigger than Trump,” Ross said. “Y’all can’t tell me it wouldn’t go crazy.”

    Backing up his statement, Ross emphasized the legal principle of “innocent until proven guilty” and cited Diddy’s right to due process. Reactions from fans have been mixed, with some defending Ross’s position and others criticizing the timing of the announcement.

    Diddy is currently awaiting sentencing on October 3, 2025, after being convicted on two federal counts related to prostitution. Though acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking, he remains in custody at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, with bail denied due to safety concerns.

    Prosecutors seek 4-5 years in prison, while his defense team is pushing for a lighter 2-3 year sentence, citing his philanthropic work and clean prior record. The outcome of October’s hearing could also affect over 80 pending civil suits against Combs. The case continues to be one of the most high-profile legal dramas in the entertainment world.

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  • How five months in Tibet changed the heart and lungs of Beijing workers

    How five months in Tibet changed the heart and lungs of Beijing workers

    Even the healthiest lowlanders aren’t immune: five months at 3,700 meters led to measurable drops in aerobic capacity and heart-lung function, sounding a warning for those planning extended stays in high-altitude environments.

    Study: Effects of long-term very high-altitude exposure on cardiopulmonary function of healthy adults in plain areas. Image Credit: Flystock / Shutterstock

    In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers conducted an observational study to evaluate the impacts of high-altitude (HA) exposure (particularly long-term) on human cardiopulmonary function.

    The study focused on data from 45 healthy participants from Beijing, China (plains area ~40 m elevation) working/living for five months in Lhasa (HA ~3,700 m elevation) before returning to their low elevation homes.

    Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and a plethora of other physiological and pulmonary function tests revealed that long-term HA exposure imposed significant functional decline in cardiopulmonary performance on the otherwise visibly healthy study participants, with nine CPET indicators across respiratory, metabolic, and circulatory function exhibiting measurable declines.

    This study highlights the hidden costs of long-term HA living, especially for individuals not habituated to the environment.

    The authors emphasize that these results reflect functional changes, not necessarily permanent or structural damage, and further research is needed to determine the duration and reversibility of these effects.

    Background

    High-altitude (HA) environments are known to present a cocktail of physiological challenges to humans, including low oxygen pressure, extreme dryness, solar radiation exposure, and freezing temperatures. However, their long-term impacts on physiological biomarkers remain poorly understood.

    Scientists believe that while native populations may adapt genetically and physiologically to the harsh demands of HA life, lowlanders, even healthy ones, may not be so lucky.

    Previous research suggests that hypobaric hypoxia, a condition resulting from the physiological toll of low barometric pressure alongside low atmospheric oxygen, may trigger cardiopulmonary remodeling, HA-associated hypertension, and an observable drop in exercise tolerance that may persist even after the subject returns to the plains.

    Unfortunately, these reports are rare, methodologically distinct, and often provide conflicting outcomes, requiring a reassessment of the potentially hidden costs of HA life for the unprepared (non-acclimatized) lowlander.

    Understanding the physiological toll of prolonged altitude exposure is critical, especially as more lowland people travel or relocate to mountainous regions for work or relaxation.

    This research will help inform potential movers, as well as public health professionals, of the risks of HA living and the means by which they can minimize their exposure and potential adverse outcomes.

    About the study

    The present study aims to provide this increasingly imperative information by carrying out an in-depth pre-and post-observational study on 45 lowland healthy participants (about 13% female; mean age ≈ 41 years) who relocated to a HA environment for five months.

    Participants were screened to only include individuals from Beijing, China (low lying, ~40 m above sea level) without a history of cardiopulmonary disease and no previous long-term HA exposure. All participants were subjected to experimental assays twice, before and after their five-month stay at Lhasa (HA region, ~3,700 m above sea level).

    Assays included: 1. Anthropometric and clinical assessments such as weight, waist/hip circumference, oxygen saturation (SpO₂), blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI), 2. Static pulmonary function tests to assess lung volume and airflow using the COSMED Quark PFT Ergo system, and 3. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET).

    CPET is the current gold standard non-invasive assay for elucidating patients’ whole-body oxygen metabolism and exercise performance via combinations of blood pressure monitoring, breath-by-breath gas analysis, and a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG).

    For the present study, researchers measured peak oxygen uptake (VO₂ peak), peak cardiac output (CO_peak), oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES), and anaerobic threshold (AT).

    Study findings

    The present study revealed a significant, detrimental, and statistically significant drop in aerobic capacity and cardiopulmonary efficiency observed after five months of HA exposure, despite no observable changes in lung capacity or overall body weight. In particular, VO₂ peak was observed to decline from 29.46 ± 6.95 to 23.33 ± 4.71 mL/kg/min (p < 0.001), indicating impaired maximal aerobic function.

    AT and CO_peak demonstrated similar declines, with reductions of about 24% and about 20% respectively, suggesting exacerbated fatigue onset and impaired circulatory function. The OUES efficiency slope also significantly decreased (indicative of hampered ventilatory efficiency) alongside a notable increase (25.62 to 27.57 [p = 0.004]) in the slope of minute ventilation and carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO₂ slope; measure of ventilatory inefficiency).

    Together, these findings identify reduced lung perfusion and ventilatory efficiency as a consequence of prolonged unacclimatized HA exposure.

    The study captured the body’s compensatory response to chronic hypoxia, as demonstrated by a slight drop in SpO₂ (-0.8%) and a corresponding increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Finally, as static lung function remained unchanged before and after HA exposure, HA’s impacts are likely circulatory and metabolic rather than structural.

    The authors suggest these changes may relate to increased pulmonary artery pressure, vascular remodeling, and alterations in myocardial and metabolic function, though further mechanistic studies are needed.

    Importantly, the study notes that most declines were “functional,” meaning participants’ physiological performance on exercise testing worsened, but there was no evidence of overt structural lung injury.

    Conclusions

    The present study provides compelling evidence cautioning lowlanders with little to no HA preparation of the subtle but measurable deterioration in cardiopulmonary function after long-term exposure to very high altitudes.

    While structural lung metrics remained intact, aerobic efficiency, circulatory dynamics, and metabolic responses declined, suggesting that prolonged hypobaric hypoxia can overwhelm compensatory mechanisms over time.

    Clinical interventions should recommend tailored endurance training and periodic medical monitoring for travellers planning extended high-altitude stays, and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation or gradual altitude re-adaptation upon lowlanders’ return to sea level.

    Limitations

    The authors note several significant limitations: the study included a relatively small, homogeneous sample (predominantly male, Chinese, and white-collar workers), so findings may not apply to other populations or those with different genetic backgrounds or health profiles. Individual risk factors such as smoking and drinking were not assessed.

    Additionally, all tests were non-invasive, so changes in blood parameters (e.g., hemoglobin, red cell mass) were not measured. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and clarify underlying mechanisms.

    Journal reference:

    • Wang, C., Zhang, L., Liu, Z. et al. (2025). Effects of long-term very high-altitude exposure on cardiopulmonary function of healthy adults in plain areas. Sci Rep 15, 24826. DOI – 10.1038/s41598-025-07474-9. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-07474-9

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  • Green’s knock hands Australia advantage as wickets tumble

    Green’s knock hands Australia advantage as wickets tumble

    Day 2 Wrap | WI quicks keep hopes of pink-ball upset 2.0 alive

    The Jamaican floodlights have done little to ease Australia’s top order concerns ahead of a home Ashes summer but their hopes of sweeping the Frank Worrell Trophy series remain intact after a scintillating bowling display on day two at Sabina Park.

    A defiant unbeaten 42 by No.3 Cameron Green took Australia to 6-99 by the close of play in Kingston with an overall lead of 181 after paceman Scott Boland (3-34) justified his inclusion for the third Test to lead the tourists’ demolition of West Indies for 143 in their first innings.

    The right-armer wrapped up another poor Windies batting effort on cusp of the dinner break to hand his side a sizeable 82-run lead after Australia managed 225 on the opening day, but it left a daunting task for openers Usman Khawaja and Sam Konstas when play resumed under lights 40 minutes later.

    While there are few parallels between facing a pink Dukes ball in the Caribbean night and the first Ashes Test at Perth Stadium in late November, the pair would have been hoping for significant returns when they began the second phase of their opening union at the beginning of the series.

    In a series already featuring the lowest combined batting average for two teams in almost a decade (minimum three Tests), the floodlights have added another challenge for Australia’s batters, losing 13 of their 16 wickets during the night session across the first two days.

    While batting across the three Caribbean Tests have been as difficult as ever in recent memory, which is reflected in the series batting average dropping below 20, the confidence boosting score Konstas has been seeking since his Test recall in Barbados continues to elude him.

    The teenage opener was first to depart for a duck as Australia’s second innings began under lights, fending a back of a length delivery to gully as he fell to Shamar Joseph (2-26) for the third time this tour.

    Joseph also claimed veteran left-hander Khawaja (14) for the third time in the series as he chopped on going after a full and wide delivery, Steve Smith (5) also bowled by a ball that rebounded off his inside edge, then pad and back onto the stumps.

    Travis Head (16) and Alex Carey (0) were both caught in the slips as the pink ball caused havoc for the second night in a row, the latter copping a nasty blow to the helmet first ball from Alzarri Joseph (3-19) before throwing caution to the wind and edging the towering paceman to Brandon King.

    Beau Webster (13) tried to counterattack before his off stump was uprooted by Alzarri Joseph, with Cummins (5no) joining forces with Green to negotiate the final 45 minutes without further loss.

    Australia will no doubt be aiming to eke out a lead beyond 200 when play resumes in daylight on Monday afternoon when batting survival appears easier, even if that hasn’t necessarily equated to freer scoring.

    Meanwhile, West Indies will be targeting four quick wickets to give their own misfiring top order the best chance to get set before the lights take over as they dream of another pink-ball upset over the No.1 ranked Test side.

    Boland, recalled for the third Test in place of star off-spinner Nathan Lyon, was earlier the pick of the bowlers with three wickets as the Aussies’ four-man pace attack routed West Indies for their lowest first innings score of the series.

    Boland beauties mark strong return from Victorian quick

    The Victorian paceman bowled with impeccable control across his 13.1 overs on return to the Test side, landing more than 91 per cent of his balls on a good length as he sent down a total of 11 overs of dot balls (83.5 per cent).

    His only blemish was perhaps four front foot no balls, one of which resulted in a wicket being overturned, but replays suggested Chase would have survived anyway with the double noise heard by umpire Nitin Menon the ball hitting the front and back pad.

    Boland’s first wicket helped swing the momentum of the Windies innings in the middle session as top scorer John Campbell (36) was out lbw shouldering arms, while his second was a peach to castle the dangerous Shai Hope (23) as it decked back sharply to clip his off bail.

    Day two at Sabina Park had begun in similar pedestrian fashion to the first with scoring again proving most difficult with the pitch at its slowest during the mid-afternoon hours.

    West Indies advanced their score to 3-73 at the tea break – the first interval in this day-night Test – adding 57 runs for the loss of two wickets to start the day, which proved a similar scoring rate to Australia’s 1-50 in the first session on the opening day.

    Josh Hazlewood (2-32) secured his first wicket of the innings by the barest of margins with King adjudged lbw to a delivery ball tracking showed clipping the top of the corner of leg stump bail.

    But that was enough for it to remain umpire’s call and uphold Adrian Holdstock’s on-field call following King’s review and send the hosts top scorer of the series so far on his way for 14.

    There was no such doubt over Cummins’ first wicket of the match amid a probing examination of his opposite number, finding Windies skipper Chase’s (18) glove as he tried to drop his hands to avoid playing a rising delivery but only succeeded in ballooning a simple catch to Khawaja at first slip.

    That brought the unusual sight of both West Indies openers at the crease with their side already three down, with neither Mikyle Louis (knee) nor John Campbell (external blow) able to bat on day one after being sent to hospital for scans following fielding mishaps.

    With both cleared to bat on Sunday, Campbell rode his luck with a couple of boundaries through the cordon, the left-hander also gifted five runs amid a period of sloppiness by the tourists with Hazlewood’s wayward throw sneaking under Alex Carey’s glove and away to the rope through the slips where no one was backing up.

    Carey also spilled two catching opportunities, one diving across in front of first slip off Justin Greaves after Mitchell Starc (1-32) found the edge after the tea break, the other moving to his left after Boland found the inside of Hope’s flashing blade.

    Boland made amends for the second drop the very next delivery as he knocked back the Windies wicketkeeper’s stumps with a beauty after Louis (7) – recalled in place of 100-game veteran Kraigg Brathwaite – lost his cool and his own off stump when he tried to launch Hazlewood into the adjacent Emmett Park behind the famed Kingston venue.

    Konstas’ terrific throw from the boundary caught Greaves (18) short as he attempted a horror third run as Cummins (2-24) and Boland wrapped up the innings before the game again sped up under lights.

    Qantas Tour of the West Indies

    First Test: Australia won by 159 runs

    Second Test: Australia won by 133 runs

    Third Test: July 12-16, Kingston, Jamaica (4.30am AEST)

    Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

    West Indies Test squad: Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Kevlon Anderson, Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Johann Layne, Mikyle Louis, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales

    First T20I: July 20, Kingston, Jamaica (July 21, 11am AEST)

    Second T20I: July 22, Kingston, Jamaica (July 23, 11am AEST)

    Third T20I: July 25, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 26, 9am AEST)

    Fourth T20I: July 26, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 27, 9am AEST)

    Fifth T20I: July 28, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 29, 9am AEST)

    West Indies T20 squad: TBC

    Australia’s T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshius, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa

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  • Israeli researchers discover world's first mRNA-based vaccine against bacterium – The Jerusalem Post

    1. Israeli researchers discover world’s first mRNA-based vaccine against bacterium  The Jerusalem Post
    2. In first, Israeli researchers develop mRNA jab against antibiotic-resistant bacterium  The Times of Israel
    3. From COVID to pneumonic plague: mRNA vaccine scores another win with 100% effectiveness  The Times of India
    4. Breakthrough mRNA vaccine shows 100% effectiveness against deadly bacteria  The Brighter Side of News

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  • The neglected crisis – Newspaper

    The neglected crisis – Newspaper

    DESPITE the alarming state of human development in Pakistan, policy actions to address this don’t figure in the government’s top priorities. Most indicators of literacy, education, health, poverty, gender disparity and other aspects of human welfare have deteriorated in recent years, but these issues barely come up in parliamentary or public debate. The media too pays little attention to the human development deficit as the recent discussion of the budget lays bare. There has been virtually no focus in TV programmes on the abysmally low government spending on the social sector.

    True, the country’s persistent macroeconomic crisis and rising debt burden have preoccupied governments and sharply limited the attention and resources directed to human development. But this reflects a failure to acknowledge that economic progress is intrinsically linked to investment in human capital. The country’s growth and development prospects are severely constrained by the lack of such investment. This has serious implications for Pakistan’s economic future.

    The overall picture of various dimensions of human development remains exceedingly grim. The UNDP’s latest global Human Development Report of 2025 puts Pakistan in the ‘low’ human development category with a rank of 168 out of 193 countries in the Human Development Index. In its 2023 report Pakistan Human Capital Review, the World Bank says Pakistan faces a “silent, deep human capital crisis” which will adversely affect its future economic trajectory.

    No issue is more important for the country’s future than the coverage and quality of education available to our children. Yet Pakistan still has the world’s second highest number of children, over 26 million (aged five to 16), out of school. Over half of them are girls. It means 45pc of children in this age group do not have access to school. This violates the obligation set out in Article 25A of the Constitution that enjoins the state to “provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years”. Among children who go to school, drop-out rates remain high as does learning poverty.

    Unless Pakistan invests in its people it cannot make meaningful economic progress.

    In September 2024 on International Literacy Day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced an education emergency across the country and vowed to work with the provinces to get the 26m out-of-school children enrolled. This was the second time he declared an education emergency, having also done that in May 2024. This was an important recognition of what needed to be done, but nothing happened to translate these pious declarations into policy — a reminder that platitudes often substitute for policy.

    Similarly, while the government’s ‘Uraan’ economic plan, announced last December, acknowledged the need for “urgent investment” in human capital, these words were not matched by policy action. In fact, federal and provincial government spending on education has plummeted to a new low of 0.8pc of GDP (from 2pc in 2018), which makes it among the lowest in South Asia.

    No surprise then that literacy levels have shown little improvement in recent years. The latest Pakistan Economic Survey puts literacy at 60pc, which means 40pc of the population is illiterate. No country has achieved economic progress with this level of illiteracy. Given the population’s youth bulge, the education deficit has very troubling implications. Over two-thirds of the population are below age 30. That means the young will determine the country’s destiny. But if they are uneducated and unemployed, they face a hopeless future, which will jeopardise the country’s prospects. To reap the demographic dividend, Pakistan has to educate the young and equip them with skills. The youth bulge offers an opportunity for accelerated economic growth if the country makes the needed investment in human capital. Failure to do so will have far-reaching economic and social consequences.

    The scale of poverty is also alarming. It has risen to 44pc according to the World Bank’s revised income thresholds. With anaemic growth, cost-of-living crisis and limited job creation, poverty has not only increased but become more severe. People living in extreme poverty has increased to 16.5pc of the population from 4.9pc.

    Health indicators are equally disturbing. Expenditure on health, at 0.9pc of GDP, is abysmally low. A disturbing phenomenon and consequence of malnutrition is child stunting, which the Human Capital Review calls a “public health crisis”. The report finds around 40pc of Pakistani children under five are stunted — a shocking number. This condemns these children to a life of physical disability, poverty and deprivation and also exposes them to premature mortality. Stunting results from malnutrition, which is mainly associated with poverty.

    Despite some modest gains, progress in gender empowerment has stalled. Gender gaps in education, health, access to employment, financial services, information, political and other opportunities, continue to be wide. Pakistan has plunged to the bottom in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2025, being ranked last among 148 countries. Female participation in the labour force remains low at around 22pc compared to over 80pc for males. This is among the lowest in Muslim countries and well below rates for countries at comparable income levels. It is a well-established fact that more women in the workforce helps economies grow and increases GDP per capita. This indicates how much needs to be done for gender empowerment.

    Pakistan’s rapidly rising, unsustainable population growth, the highest in South Asia, also warrants the government’s attention. This is putting enormous pressure on the country’s scarce resources, physical infrastructure and shrinking job and educational opportunities at a time of economic difficulty. Population planning rarely figures in government priorities. A task force on population was established in 2018 on the Supreme Court’s directive. Headed by the president it has been non-functional for years. For it to be effective the PM needs to head and drive it. Unless Pakistan implements a comprehensive population planning policy, whose elements are well-known, a demographic disaster awaits the country.

    This dismal picture of human development puts Pakistan’s future at risk. Economic growth and human development are mutually reinforcing. Unless significant investment is made in its people, the country cannot hope to achieve economic growth, boost productivity, build a skilled workforce and become globally competitive. Above all it cannot become a country its people aspire for and deserve.

    The writer is a former ambassador to the US, UK and UN.

    Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2025

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