Author: admin

  • Integrating HIV/syphilis/mpox testing – from theory to practice

    Integrating HIV/syphilis/mpox testing – from theory to practice

    Recent data reveal a high prevalence of HIV among individuals diagnosed with mpox, as well as an increased risk of severe disease in immunocompromised individuals. In response to these findings, integrating HIV and syphilis testing into mpox testing services represents a strategic opportunity to improve early detection, strengthen community health systems, and ensure a more coordinated and needs-based response for at-risk populations.

    In 2025, WHO developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to guide the integration of HIV and syphilis testing services with mpox testing, particularly in the context of emergency responses to mpox outbreaks. This document outlines the procedures to ensure that HIV and syphilis tests are systematically offered during mpox testing, along with additional assessments for individuals who test positive. It is intended for healthcare professionals, laboratories, and partners involved in testing and treatment implementation.

    In this context, this webinar aims to present the technical, operational, and programmatic foundations to support the implementation of this integrated approach in the DRC. It will bring together national and international experts, implementing partners, and representatives from HIV, STI, and emerging disease surveillance programs to share experiences, discuss challenges, and continue the rollout of this strategy in the field. The goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of this integration and promote its adoption in other contexts and countries.

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  • Pakistan launches first trackless, ticketless, solar-powered metro in Lahore

    Pakistan launches first trackless, ticketless, solar-powered metro in Lahore

    Pakistan is set to launch its first trackless, ticketless and solar-powered metro in Lahore.

    The provincial metropolis has received its first demonstration vehicle of the Super Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (SRT) System.

    The SRT System runs like a subway but operates on roads.

    It uses Virtual Track Technology with sensors, GPS, and digital mapping instead of physical rails.

    A pilot project has begun near Lahore Airport to test the battery-powered electric vehicle.

    Officials from Pakistan and China attended the launch ceremony.


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  • Chris Martin is warning fans about the kiss cam after that Coldplay concert viral clip

    Chris Martin is warning fans about the kiss cam after that Coldplay concert viral clip

    After that Coldplay kiss cam video, featuring (now ex-) CEO Andy Byron and his HR chief, Kristin Cabot, went viral, the band’s lead singer, Chris Martin, has given fans at his subsequent gigs a warning.

    When the camera panned across to a married Byron and Cabot, showing them with their arms wrapped around one another, the pair instantly sprang apart and tried to hide, causing Martin to quip “Oh, what… either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” Unfortunately it appears to be the latter.

    Astronomer, Byron’s former workplace, told Cosmopolitan UK: “Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.

    “Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO.

    “Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI. While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not.

    “We’re continuing to do what we do best: helping our customers with their toughest data & AI problems.”

    Now, Martin has warned fans to be careful during subsequent kiss cam moments at Coldplay shows, quipping during a recent gig, “We’d like to say hello to some of you in the crowd. How we’re gonna do that is we’re gonna use our cameras and put some of you on the big screen.”

    He then grinned and added, “So please, if you haven’t done your makeup, do your makeup now.”

    You have been warned!

     Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK’s multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She’s grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.


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  • Chris Martin is warning fans about the kiss cam after that Coldplay concert viral clip

    Chris Martin is warning fans about the kiss cam after that Coldplay concert viral clip

    After that Coldplay kiss cam video, featuring (now ex-) CEO Andy Byron and his HR chief, Kristin Cabot, went viral, the band’s lead singer, Chris Martin, has given fans at his subsequent gigs a warning.

    When the camera panned across to a married Byron and Cabot, showing them with their arms wrapped around one another, the pair instantly sprang apart and tried to hide, causing Martin to quip “Oh, what… either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” Unfortunately it appears to be the latter.

    Astronomer, Byron’s former workplace, told Cosmopolitan UK: “Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.

    “Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO.

    “Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI. While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not.

    “We’re continuing to do what we do best: helping our customers with their toughest data & AI problems.”

    Now, Martin has warned fans to be careful during subsequent kiss cam moments at Coldplay shows, quipping during a recent gig, “We’d like to say hello to some of you in the crowd. How we’re gonna do that is we’re gonna use our cameras and put some of you on the big screen.”

    He then grinned and added, “So please, if you haven’t done your makeup, do your makeup now.”

    You have been warned!

     Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK’s multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She’s grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.


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  • Someone has eaten artist Maurizio Cattelan’s $6 million banana – again

    Someone has eaten artist Maurizio Cattelan’s $6 million banana – again



    CNN
     — 

    Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork featuring a fresh banana taped to a wall has been eaten by a visitor to a museum in France.

    The piece, titled “Comedian,” was eaten by a gallery-goer at the Centre-Pompidou Metz in eastern France on July 12, according to a statement from the museum, published Monday.

    “The security team acted quickly and calmly, according to internal procedures,” the gallery said in the statement.

    “The artwork was reinstalled a few minutes later,” it said, adding that the banana is “only a perishable element” that is replaced on a regular basis according to Cattelan’s instructions.

    Centre-Pompidou Metz said the artist was disappointed that the visitor had considered the fruit itself to be the artwork, instead of eating the skin and the tape that held it in place as well.

    The gallery has not filed a police report.

    “Comedian” is intended to demonstrate the “absurdity of financial speculation and the fragility of knowledge systems that underpin the art market,” it said.

    This is not the first time the artwork has been eaten.

    In 2019, when Cattelan unveiled “Comedian” at the Art Basel Miami art fair in Florida, performance artist David Datuna grabbed the banana from the wall, before peeling and eating it in front of hundreds of stunned fair attendees.

    This became one of the art world’s biggest viral moments and the work sold — with replacement banana — for $120,000 at the fair.

    Then, in 2023, an art student took the banana from a wall at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, and ate it.

    And in November 2024, Justin Sun, a Chinese collector and founder of a cryptocurrency platform, acquired “Comedian” for $6.24 million at auction — before eating the banana.

    “For now, it is perhaps the ‘most-eaten’ artwork of the last 30 years,” Centre-Pompidou Metz said in the statement.

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  • Sindh, Balochistan to exchange superior livestock breeds hold cattle expo

    Sindh, Balochistan to exchange superior livestock breeds hold cattle expo

    Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his meeting with Balochistan’s Livestock Minist Sardarzada Mir Faisal Jamali, decided to exchange superior livestock breeds and to bolster cooperation in livestock development between the two provinces.

    The meeting, held at CM House, was attended by Sindh’s Minister for Fisheries and Livestock, Muhammad Ali Malkani.

    As part of this collaboration, an agreement was reached to organise a cattle show in Jacobabad, where Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah expressed his commitment to personally participate and extend an invitation to the Balochistan Chief Minister.

    He emphasised the importance of joint research efforts between the livestock departments of both provinces, highlighting Sindh’s Thari cattle, Red Sindhi, Kundi buffalo, Kohistani camel, and goats, as well as Balochistan’s renowned breeds, including Rakhli cattle, Bhagani bulls, and Kuchi camels, which are to be introduced among the cattle traders and rearers of both provinces.


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  • Qualcomm hosts XR Day in India, signaling a push towards spatial computing growth

    Qualcomm hosts XR Day in India, signaling a push towards spatial computing growth

    Qualcomm Technologies opened its ‘Snapdragon for India – XR Day’ event, bringing together developers, tech experts, creators, and industry stakeholders to explore the future of spatial computing in India.

    The event offered a look into real-world applications of extended reality, with demos spanning entertainment, fitness, education, and content creation showcasing the growing interest and innovation around smart glasses and immersive tech.

    At the event, Savi Soin, Senior Vice President and President of Qualcomm India, spoke about India’s growing role in shaping the future of spatial computing. He noted that smart glasses could soon become as commonplace as smartphones, handling daily tasks through intuitive, AI-powered interfaces.
    Soin emphasized the importance of designing devices that are both lightweight and powerful—qualities Qualcomm aims to balance with its Snapdragon platforms. He also highlighted the broader potential of this technology to support digital inclusion—whether by empowering frontline workers, enabling remote education, or improving access in underserved areas.

    As Qualcomm expands its focus beyond smartphones, the company continues to invest in spatial computing as a key growth area, aligning its efforts with India’s larger push toward a digitally empowered future.

    Speaking at XR Day, Alex Katouzian, Group General Manager of Mobile, Compute & XR (MCX) at Qualcomm Technologies, shared how Snapdragon XR platforms already powering over 100 immersive devices globally are shaping the next phase of computing through MR, VR, and AR.He outlined how AI is becoming integral to the XR experience, with systems increasingly capable of interpreting visual and audio input to deliver more intuitive, context-aware interactions. During the keynote, Katouzian showcased a small language model running entirely on a pair of AI-powered glasses, illustrating how Snapdragon can support AI across cloud, local, and on-device environments.The company also shared updates on its collaboration with Indian eyewear brand Lenskart, which is working on smart glasses powered by Snapdragon chipsets. The partnership signals Qualcomm’s continued push to bring AI-enabled wearables to the Indian market.

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  • Iran to consult with Russia and China ahead of Friday nuclear talks with European nations

    Iran to consult with Russia and China ahead of Friday nuclear talks with European nations

    Published on
    •Updated

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    A trilateral meeting will take place on Tuesday between Iran, China and Russia to discuss Tehran’s nuclear programme and the risk of sanctions being reimposed, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Monday.

    The meeting comes ahead of renewed nuclear talks with France, Germany and the UK —known as the E3 nations — scheduled for this Friday in Istanbul.

    The three European powers, along with China and Russia, are the remaining parties to a 2015 nuclear deal that lifted sanctions on Iran in return for restrictions on its nuclear programme.

    The deal began to unravel in 2018, when the US under President Donald Trump pulled out of it and began reimposing certain sanctions.

    Since then, Iran has gradually increased its nuclear activities, including uranium enrichment up to 60%, a step away from weapon-grade nuclear materials, or 90% enrichment of uranium.

    European countries have threatened to trigger the 2015 deal’s “snapback” mechanism, which would allow sanctions to be reimposed in the case of non-compliance by Tehran.

    France, Germany and the UK have warned that they would do so if there is no progress on nuclear talks by the end of August.

    Baghaei said Iran is “continuously coordinating” with Beijing and Moscw on how to prevent the snapback mechanism or “to mitigate its consequences”.

    ‘No plan’ for renewed talks with Washington

    On Sunday, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, stated in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the three European nations lack “any legal, political and moral standing” to invoke such mechanisms, and accused France, Germany and the UK of failing to uphold their commitments under the deal.

    “The European parties have been at fault and negligent in implementing” the nuclear agreement, Baghaei added.

    He also noted that “we have no plan for talks with America, under the current situation.”

    Friday’s talks will be the first since a ceasefire following a 12-day conflict waged by Israel against Iran in June, which also saw the US strike three major nuclear facilities in Iran.

    Nearly 1,100 people were killed in Iran, including dozens of military commanders and nuclear scientists. A total of 28 civilians were killed in Israel.

    Iran has long said its nuclear activities have aimed at peaceful purposes.

    “The agenda is clear: removal of the sanctions and issues related to Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme,” Baghaei said in his briefing on Monday.

    Tehran has been one of Russia’s key allies in its all-out war against Ukraine, providing the Kremlin with its domestically produced Shahed suicide drones.

    Additional sources • AP

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  • Court orders arresting CM Gandapur in weapons, liquor recovery case

    Court orders arresting CM Gandapur in weapons, liquor recovery case

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur addresses an event in an undated picture. — Facebook/Ali Amin Khan Gandapur/File
    • District and sessions court issues warrants for KP CM.
    • Judicial Magistrate Mubashir Hassan conducts hearing.
    • Rejects Gandapur’s plea for exemption from appearance.

    A district and sessions court in Islamabad has issued an arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur over his continuous absence from the hearings of the weapons and liquor recovery case.

    Resuming the hearing today, the arrest order was issued by judicial magistrate Mubashir Hassan after he rejected Gandapur’s plea seeking exemption from personal appearance.

    Hassan ordered authorities to arrest the KP chief executive by tomorrow (July 22) and produce him before the court.

    Prior to this order, the Islamabad court issued Gandapur’s arrest warrants two days ago in the same case and granted the final opportunity to the firebrand politician to record his statement under Section 342.

    It also warned that the court may issue a verdict in his absence, and failure to do so could forfeit his right to record the statement.

    The order read that the case had been pending for eight years, and the prosecution recorded testimonies of witnesses since May last year.

    Expressing displeasure over Gandapur’s absence in the hearing, the court said that the KP CM was deliberately avoiding recording his statement.

    The development came a week after KP CM Gandapur announced launching the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s “do-or-die” protest movement from Lahore.

    The former ruling party had formally launched its anti-government campaign, set to reach its “peak” by August 5, following the directives of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan.


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  • Pakistan set to launch its first trackless, solar-powered metro in Lahore – RADIO PAKISTAN

    1. Pakistan set to launch its first trackless, solar-powered metro in Lahore  RADIO PAKISTAN
    2. Pakistan welcomes its first trackless metro, find out more  Gulf News
    3. Meet Pakistan’s Futuristic New Metro: Solar-Powered, Trackless, and Smart  Arab Times Kuwait
    4. Pakistan launches first trackless, ticketless, solar-powered metro in Lahore  nation.com.pk
    5. Lahore Begins Trial of Pakistan’s First Trackless Metro System  TechJuice

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