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Justice Shah again denied NOC to travel abroad

ISLAMABAD:

Once again, Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi has refused to grant an NOC to senior puisne judge Mansoor Ali Shah to travel abroad to attend events.

It is learnt that last month, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah was invited to attend Global Constitutionalism 2025 at Yale Law School, Yale University, USA from September 10 to 13.

Justice Shah was being invited for the past five years to attend the event, wherein senior judges from across the world engage in dialogue with leading scholars from Yale, Harvard, and Princeton.

This year, Justice Shah was supposed to present a paper on ‘Artificial Intelligence and Judging’.

Even Yale Law School had formally written to CJP Afridi, seeking Justice Shah’s official nomination. On August 6, Justice Shah also made the same request.

Later, the SC Registrar had responded to Yale Law School that the Supreme Court of Pakistan would not be in a position to facilitate participation of Justice Shah in the event.

Giving reason, the registrar said that the judicial year of the Supreme commenced on September 8 each year and this occasion is traditionally marked by significant institutional activities, including a comprehensive full court session of judges to review and strategise for the year ahead, as well as an interactive engagement with the legal fraternity.

It is also said that this year, the day assumes particular importance as the Supreme Court has recently promulgated a new edition of its Rules, establishing a more comprehensive, technology-driven framework for the Court’s operations. In this context, the presence and participation of all judges in the opening of the Judicial Year is indispensable for collective deliberation, priority setting, and institutional direction.

“In view of these compelling commitments, the Supreme Court of Pakistan would not be in a position to facilitate participation of the Hon’ble Judge in your esteemed event. We deeply value our institutional and academic ties and remain hopeful of future opportunities for collaboration and engagement,” says the letter written by SC Registrar to Yale Law School.

On August 15, Justice Shah wrote a letter to CJP Afridi to get his response of his request for NOC.

He had given several reasons to justify his visit abroad. Justice Shah said that he did not fully exhaust the summer vacations and during CJP Afridi tenure, he decided 3956 cases.

Likewise, Justice Shah said that neither is he a member of the Constitutional Bench or any administrative committee, and now that the court has a strength of 25 judges therefore, his temporary absence would in no way disrupt the functioning of the court.

Justice Shah said that his travel is scheduled to commence during the summer vacation (5th September) and conclude shortly thereafter (13th September).

Justice Shah has also told CJP Afridi that undue delay or unreasoned refusal in a matter of this nature risks creating the perception that some Judges are being penalized for holding independent viewsparticularly when leave has been granted to other judges for events of far less academic or professional standing.

“Such perceptions, whether accurate or not, can be deeply damaging to the credibility and collegiality of this Court. As the senior puisne Judge of the Supreme Court, I am making this request in the expectation that it will be dealt with in the fashion and with the courtesy it deserves”, says Justice Shah letter.

Justice also told CJP that in case he does not decide his request then he would be constrained to share this correspondence with the inviting institutions so that they know why he is unable to travel and so that they may evaluate for themselves the transparency, collegiality, and respect for judicial independence within this court.

Justice Shah had also emphasised that the Supreme Court is not a regimented force like the civil service or the armed forces; it does not operate on a system of command and control but derives its strength from the independence of its judges.

“Restrictions, procedural hurdles, and delays of the kind encountered under your administration risk being perceived as measures intended to steer Judges towards compliance rather than independencea course that would weaken the Court’s constitutional foundations and corrode the very principles on which its authority rests”, says the letter.

Despite Justice Shah letter, CJP Afridi had refused to issue NOC to him to travel USA.

It is also learnt that Justice Shah was also invited to speak at the New York City Bar Association on September 8 and to participate in an academic dialogue with Professor Noah Feldman at Harvard University on September 10.

This is not first time CJP Afridi did not allow him.

In February he could not fly to Saudi Arabia for attending two events at the arbitration for want of ex- Pakistan leave.

Justice Shah was invited to deliver key notes at two events at the Arbitration week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia organised by the Al Baraka Forum and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation- Arbitration Center (OIC-AC).

During that week, Justice Shah also wanted to perform Umrah before the start of Ramazan.

The senior puisne judge had made a request to CJP Yahya Afridi for ex-Pakistan leave well in time, which remained unanswered, compelling Justice Mansoor to cancel his trip to Saudi Arabia as his leaves could not be sanctioned.

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September 11, 2025
Deadly Nepal protests reflect a wider pattern of Gen Z political activism across Asia

Earlier this week, thousands of mainly young people in Nepal took to the streets in mass protests triggered by the government’s decision to ban 26 social media platforms.

Some 22 people died and hundreds were injured within in a few hours in the clashes between protesters and police.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his cabinet ministers resigned in the face of growing public outrage and widespread criticism, both domestically and internationally, over the protesters’ deaths.

What happened?

Provoked by the deaths of the protesters on September 8, angry, young demonstrators burned down several government buildings across the country, including the parliament and supreme court.

Several politicians’ residences were also set on fire, while leaders of major political parties went into hiding.

The Nepal Army is currently mobilising troops on the streets to take control of the situation, but power has not yet been officially transferred to a new government.

Unrest leads to protests

Political protests and public uprisings are not new in Nepal. The country’s first mass uprising in 1990 (labelled “Jana Andolan I”) and the second in 2006 (“Jana Andolan II”) both called for major changes in the political system.

The governments that followed failed to meet the public’s hopes for real reforms.

For the first time in the country’s history, a protest of this size has been entirely led by young people from Generation Z (born roughly between 1997 and 2012). Out of nearly 30 million people in Nepal, about 40% belong to this generation.

Growing up in a digital culture shaped by internet and social media platforms, this generation has lived through Nepal’s worst years of political instability and frequent government changes. There have been 14 governments in the past 15 years.

In 2015, Nepal shifted from a constitutional monarchical system to a federal republic system. But this massive change has delivered few improvements for everyday people. Despite some improvements in roads, electricity and the internet, inequality, political corruption, elitism and nepotism continue.

Making the situation even worse is an unemployment rate that exceeds 10% overall – and more than 20% for young people.

The social media ban that sparked action

In a country where more than 73% of households own a mobile phone and about 55% of the population uses the internet, social media platforms are not only a source of entertainment and networking, but also a way of amplifying political voices – especially when traditional media is perceived as being biased towards political interests.

Nepal’s Gen Z is using social media both as a social and political space. #Nepobaby is often trending on TikTok, while Instagram posts detail the lavish lifestyle that politicians and their children enjoy compared to the hard reality of many young people, who work low-wage jobs or have to leave the country just to survive.

On September 3, the government banned these social media platforms, citing a directive requiring companies to register in Nepal. The government justified the move as necessary to control fake news, misinformation and disinformation.

But Gen Z saw the ban as censorship. The frustration spreading on social media quickly turned into a nationwide uprising.

The government lifted the ban on September 8, but it could not save the coalition government.

Similarities in other countries

The protests in Nepal mirror similar movements led recently by young people elsewhere in Asia, especially Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Like Bangladesh in 2024, the young protesters in Nepal were frustrated with corruption and joblessness.

Similar to Sri Lanka’s “Aragalaya” movement in 2022, Nepal’s protesters fought against inequality and nepotism, resulting in the collapse of the government.

And like Indonesia’s student protests in recent weeks, the Nepali protesters relied on memes, hashtags and digital networks, rather than party machines to organise.

Where to from here?

What comes next for Nepal is unclear. The army chief is now coordinating with Gen Z activists to set up an interim civilian government that will prepare for fresh elections.

This is a remarkable shift: the youth who shook the streets are being asked to help shape the country’s political future.

Yet, challenges remain.

The young protesters are still a loose, leaderless network lacking the experience to run a state system. After an online meeting September 10, the protesters reportedly agreed to propose former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, now in her 70s, as a leader of the interim civilian government.

Nepal’s key institutions, such such as the courts, bureaucracy and security forces, are still largely dominated by older elites, as well. Any attempt to shift power may face resistance.

Perhaps Nepal can take a lesson from Bangladesh’s recent experience, where young protesters stepped in to help form an interim government, under the leadership of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus.

Despite the challenges ahead, the uprising has provided a historic opportunity to fix Nepal’s broken government system. But real change depends on how power shifts from the old guard to new leaders, and whether they can address the structural and systemic issues that drove young people to the streets.

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September 11, 2025
Ban on new gas connections lifted

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik on Wednesday said that the federal cabinet has approved the resumption of new gas connections across the country, ending a ban imposed in 2021.

Briefing the media on cabinet decisions along with Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, he said the government had responded to strong public demand by lifting the restriction on new connections.

He said the cabinet took several key decisions, including restoring new domestic gas connections, particularly in newly developed housing areas where residents had been forced to rely on LPG cylinders and alternative fuels.

The minister assured that both Sui companies had already completed procurement processes for meters and pipelines, and would immediately begin processing pending applications once the official notification is issued.

Existing applicants would also be given the option to convert their requests to RLNG-based connections by paying the prescribed security fee to OGRA, he added.

Highlighting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s commitment to easing the energy burden on citizens, the minister said the decision would help reduce household fuel expenses and provide much-needed relief amid inflation.

He explained that although RLNG would remain costlier than domestic natural gas, it would be around 30-35 per cent cheaper than LPG, thereby easing household fuel costs.

“We already have a surplus of RLNG and adequate electricity availability, but we are working to strengthen governance and sustainability in the sector,” he added.

He said, informed that one bidding round for domestic gas exploration had already been completed, while another would conclude soon.

Ali Pervaiz Mali said, efforts were also being made to attract international companies, including those from Türkiye, China, and the United States, for both onshore and offshore exploration.

“By gradually boosting local production, we aim to reduce reliance on RLNG and provide cheaper, indigenous fuel to the people,” he said.

He reiterated the government’s determination to achieve sustainability in the energy sector, reduce dependence on costly imports, and gradually shift towards indigenous fuel resources.

The minister said the meeting began with prayers for Major Adnan, who was martyred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a day earlier. He reaffirmed the government’s resolve to secure Pakistan’s victory against terrorism and acknowledged the sacrifices of the armed forces and citizens.

On the floods, he said the Prime Minister was personally supervising a comprehensive damage assessment in consultation with provinces. The federal government, he assured, would fulfill its responsibility to provide maximum relief to the victims.

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September 11, 2025
Lee Jae-myung questions lowering major shareholder tax threshold – 조선일보
1. Lee Jae-myung questions lowering major shareholder tax threshold 조선일보
2. South Korea’s Lee says to drop plans to change tax rule for stock investors MarketScreener
3. “Securities Stocks Highlighted by Policy Momentum Amid Easing of Major Shareholder Capital Gains Tax” 아시아경제
4. The presidential office has decided to maintain the standard for major shareholders of stock capital.. 매일경제
5. President Lee keeps 5 billion won threshold for stock transfer capital gains tax – CHOSUNBIZ Chosun Biz
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September 11, 2025
New method reveals how mitochondrial DNA mutations influence cancer growth

Mitochondria act as energy factories in cells and have their own, separate DNA. Mutations to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been observed in cancer, but it has been unclear how these changes might affect cancer growth. To find answers, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists combined computational tools and DNA sequencing technologies to examine these mtDNA mutations in cancer cells closely. Their new method lets scientists pinpoint when these mutations occur, how they change as cancer develops and whether they affect how cancer cells behave. The results of this study were published today in Science Advances.

Exploring the role that individual mtDNA mutations have on cancer has historically been difficult.

Each cell contains hundreds of copies of mitochondrial DNA; so, a mutation might be present at low levels in many cells, or at high levels in just a subset of cells. These different patterns can have dramatically different effects on how cells function.”

Mondira Kundu, MD, PhD, corresponding author, St. Jude Department of Cell & Molecular Biology

mtDNA mutations are not random passengers in cancer

To overcome this challenge, the team combined several techniques, including powerful computational tools, statistical analyses, bulk whole genome sequencing and single-cell studies. This approach allowed them to determine how much mitochondrial DNA was mutated in each cell, and when these changes happened in relation to cancer development. Surprisingly, the researchers found that some mitochondrial DNA mutations occur before a cell turns cancerous – and that these mutations are not always random. It appears that in some cases, cancer cells actively “select” for a mix of normal and mutated mitochondrial DNA.

“This approach allowed us to tell apart harmless ‘passenger’ mutations from those that may help cancer grow,” Kundu explained. “That’s something the field has struggled with until now.”

Kundu’s team took the analysis further by deploying a tool, called NetBID2, created by co-author Jiyang Yu, PhD, St. Jude Department of Computational Biology interim chair. With this tool, the researchers found evidence that mtDNA may contribute to therapy resistance. They discovered a mtDNA mutation linked to changes in pathways associated with resistance to glucocorticoids, a common therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Further analysis suggested that this type of mitochondrial mutation may make leukemia cells more likely to resist treatment.

While this research highlights the role mitochondrial DNA mutations might play in leukemia, the main achievement is the creation of a novel multidimensional approach to investigate mtDNA. Kundu is optimistic about the value of digging deeper into this overlooked feature of cancer growth.

“This work shows that mitochondrial DNA can influence both how leukemia starts and how it progresses,” said Kundu. “The next important step is to apply this approach to many more patient samples, so we can fully understand its impact.”

Source:

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Journal reference:

McCastlain, K., et al. (2025) Somatic mtDNA mutations at intermediate levels of heteroplasmy are a source of functional heterogeneity among primary leukemic cells. Science Advances. doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adt3873.

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September 11, 2025
Punjab floods: millions face displacement

LAHORE:

Southern Punjab faces worsening flood emergency as rivers overflow and embankments collapse, threatening to displace tens of thousands more residents.

In the cosmopolitan city of Karachi, streets and houses in low-lying areas were inundated on Wednesday as the metropolis endured a third consecutive day of heavy monsoon rains, with rivers overflowing and rescue teams shifting hundreds of residents to safety.

The Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has directed urgent evacuations from flood-prone districts including Muzaffargarh, Lodhran, Rajanpur, Liaqatpur and Rahim Yar Khan, stressing that residents in riverbeds must be relocated to safe areas without delay.

Chenab has risen to dangerous levels in Multan, where water crossed the 394.5-foot mark, forcing mass evacuations and disrupting daily life.

Floodwaters entered villages including Basti Gagran Kachor, Mirza Pur and Hasan Kachor, leaving families stranded. Authorities diverted heavy traffic through Vehari and Khanewal as key roads near Sher Shah and Head Muhammadwala became unsafe.

Officials said pressure is mounting on Sher Shah Barrage and nearby dikes, where a controlled breach is under consideration to relieve strain on embankments.

If executed, more than 8,000 homes and 30,000 people could be affected. Warnings have already been issued for nearby settlements, urging residents to move to relief camps.

Further downstream, India has released additional water into Sutlej, intensifying flows at Harike and Ferozepur.

At Head Panjnad, discharge reached 530,000 cusecs, classified as an “extremely high flood”. Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources has placed all departments on emergency alert.

In Muzaffargarh, 138 villages are submerged, affecting over 135,000 people. Rangpur reported another 50,000 displaced after 28 villages were inundated.

In Lodhran, breaches left multiple communities under water, while in Alipur, eight people were swept away; three were confirmed dead and five remain missing. Bahawalpur officials said 150,000 residents have been affected by rising waters in 98 locations.

Authorities fear the crisis could worsen in Jalalpur Pirwala, where 500,000 cusecs released from Head Trimmu surged downstream.

Emergency measures are in place for the next 24 hours as thousands continue to flee low-lying areas. Local officials said more than 235,000 people and 180,000 livestock have been relocated to safer ground.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported that 2.1 million people have already been displaced across Punjab this monsoon, with nearly two million acres of farmland submerged. Crops of cotton, maize and sesame have been wiped out in several districts, compounding economic losses.

Public health concerns are also rising. The Punjab health department said more than 158,000 flood-affected people have contracted diseases including respiratory infections, skin ailments, diarrhea and eye infections.

Snakebites and dog bites have also been reported in relief camps. In Arifwala, stagnant water has also triggered outbreaks of waterborne diseases.

The provincial government has deployed more than 300 boats, 400 inflatable rafts and thousands of life jackets to Multan, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalpur, Lodhran and Rahim Yar Khan. The army and Rescue 1122 are assisting with evacuations and efforts to plug breaches.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority, Punjab alone has recorded 246 deaths this season, while nationwide tolls stand at 929 with more than 1,000 injured.

Floodwaters have now pushed into Sindh, where Indus, Sutlej and Chenab continue to rise. At Guddu Barrage, flows exceeded 500,000 cusecs on Wednesday, with warnings that an even higher flood surge could arrive within 12 hours.

Sukkur Barrage recorded more than 440,000 cusecs upstream as all gates were opened to ease pressure.

Despite ongoing relief, villagers in Bhawana, Ahmedpur Sial, Uch Sharif and Kabirwala remain cut off, appealing for urgent rescue.

Officials caution that the coming days will be decisive. With inflows continuing from India and upstream barrages under strain, southern Punjab and Sindh remain on high alert for what experts call one of the most severe flood emergencies in recent memory.

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September 11, 2025
Chronic illness death rates decline but pace of progress slows

Death rates from chronic diseases have fallen in four out of five countries around the world in the last decade – but progress has slowed, suggests an analysis led by researchers at Imperial College London and published in The Lancet.

In recent decades there have been many global and national political pledges and plans to improve prevention and treatment of chronic diseases (also called non-communicable diseases – NCDs), such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, neurological conditions and others. This includes the UN Sustainable Development Goal of reducing premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030.

This study is believed to be the first global analysis to not only track changes in NCD mortality at the national level but also benchmark progress against historical performance and the regional best-performers.

The analysis suggests deaths from chronic diseases has fallen in nearly 80% of countries in the last decade. However almost two thirds of all countries – including nearly all high-income countries in Europe, north America, Australasia and the Pacific – experienced a slowdown in the rate of decline for mortality in 2010 to 2019 compared to the previous decade. The United States was one of the worst performers among high-income countries, experiencing the smallest decrease in risk over 2010-2019.

Ahead of the upcoming Fourth High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly, authors say these trends show an urgent need for greater investment in tackling chronic diseases and ensuring approaches effectively reach people most in need.

Source:

Journal reference:

NCD Countdown 2030 Collaborators (2025) Benchmarking progress in non-communicable diseases: a global analysis of cause-specific mortality from 2001 to 2019. The Lancet. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01388-1

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September 11, 2025
Third Day of Keeneland September Sets Records for Million-Dollar Yearlings

On Wednesday’s third session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, 13 horses sold for $1 million or more – led by a $1.9 million Gun Runner colt – to increase the total number of yearlings who have brought $1 million or more at the 2025 auction to a record 48. The number of seven-figure horses today broke the previous third-session record of eight from 2019, and the total topped the 40 yearlings sold during the entire September Sale in 2005. Nine sessions remain in this year’s September Sale.

Cumulative sales for 438 horses sold through the ring are $229,887,000 for a 21.32% increase from the corresponding period last year when 424 yearlings brought $189,482,000. In other cumulative figures, the average price of $524,856 rose 17.45% from last year’s $446,892, while the median of $425,000 was 21.43% above $350,000 in 2024.

On Wednesday, the first day of the Book 2 catalog, Keeneland sold 221 yearlings through the ring for $85,702,000, up 22.58% from the same session last year when 220 yearlings brought $69,917,000. The average of $387,792 was 22.02% above $317,805 in 2024. The median of $325,000 rose 18.18% from last year’s $275,000.

“The day was incredible,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “We knew it was a really, really good group of horses. A lot of these horses that were bringing big money were ones we were lobbying to get into the earlier sessions. We knew that the firepower was still here, and the money was obviously well represented. It was a pleasant surprise to have 13 horses bring seven figures or more. I’m a little bit speechless. We joked in the back ring that the market was so hot it set the fire alarms off. It was amazing.

“I have to thank the consignors and the breeders for bringing quality here and working with us to craft a sale that is representative of the breed here in Kentucky and around the country to excite buyers,” Lacy continued. “I heard the analogy a couple of times today, but this feels like the July Sale of old, when things were just amazing. I would say the market is realistic with a 30% RNA rate, so it was not all easy going. You had to be realistic with your reserves. And I think that is a testament to the fact that people are not throwing money at stuff. People are doing their homework. They’re doing what they feel is due diligence, and they’re paying a premium for what they want. Good quality is getting rewarded heavily.”

“The 13 seven-figure horses were bought by 11 different buyers, and they’re by 10 different stallions,” Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said. “There’s still a great variety of activity here, great variety in the catalog and pretty much everybody that was here over the weekend is still here and still hunting with money to spend to find fast horses. That’s really rewarding to all of us and to the whole team at Keeneland.”

Spendthrift Farm purchased Wednesday’s $1.9 million seller, a colt by Gun Runner from the family of Japanese champion Danon Decile. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa, agent, he is out of the winning stakes-placed mare Ginja, by Quality Road.

“We had a number of people approach us wanting to partner on it,” Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey said. “We thought he was one of the best colts of the sale today. What’s not to like, right? Really, really happy to get him because it’s been a tough market. There’s not anybody stealing much here. Hopefully he can run.”

Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert co-bred the colt on a foal share with Gonçalo Torrealba of Three Chimneys Farm, which stands Gun Runner, and he watched him sell.

“I’ve never been in this situation before,” Baffert said. “I’m taking it in right now. I bred Misremembered, who made a million dollars (racing), and now I can say I’ve sold one for a million dollars. Added to my resume. Thanks to Spendthrift and everybody that bid on him. I’m very humbled by this moment. I just thank everybody involved. I’m at a loss for words.”

Mike Ryan, agent, acquired a colt by Curlin for $1.4 million. Consigned by Gainesway, agent, he is out of stakes winner Cherry Lodge, by Bernardini, and from the family of Grade 1 winner and sire Stormello and Canadian champion Curlin’s Voyage.

“He was a duplicate of (Curlin’s champion son and sire) Good Magic,” Ryan said. “He had the same size, shape, color, movement and class. I saw him at Gainesway, and I loved him. He’ll be a 2-year-old (runner), but he won’t be limited to one turn. Good Magic was a very good 2-year-old, and he had the class to stretch on. And (this yearling) is the nicest Curlin I’ve seen in a while. Hopefully I’m proven right. He came from a great consignment that raises a lot of good horses.”

Ryan called the market at Keeneland “incredible. I don’t think we’ve seen anything like this since Keeneland July in the ‘80s with Sheikh Mohammed and Robert Sangster. A lot of good horses in Book 2. Tomorrow’s very strong. With the Dark Day (on Friday with no auction), Saturday’s horses get shopped very thoroughly.”

Gainesway led all consignors on Wednesday with sales of $17,165,000 for 30 yearlings sold through the ring. They included four of the session’s million-dollar horses.

“I thought we had some good horses; as it turned out, it looked like we had a group that was even more competitive than I thought,” Gainesway General Manager Brian Graves said. “So it’s probably a record for us in Book 2.

“It’s just one of those markets where it’s a feeding frenzy for perceived quality,” Graves continued. “The best horses, the ones that rank the highest, can exceed your expectations. And that’s what happened today. We work hard to place them, and it worked out really well this time. We got it right. We would like to thank all of our clients that trust us with their yearlings and make a day like this possible. I am grateful to each and every one of them.”

St. Elias, Albaugh Stable, West Point, Railbirds paid $1.35 million for a colt by Not This Time who is a half-brother to the multiple Grade 1-placed winner Reinvestment Risk. Consigned by Gainesway, agent, he is out of the winning Candy Ride (ARG) mare Ridingwiththedevil and from the family of Grade 3 winner My List.

“By Not This Time – we own the horse – and it means so much to us that we thought this (colt) was the best one, the best Not This Time of the sale,” Jason Loutsch of Albaugh Stable said. “It’s a great cross with Candy Ride (ARG), so we’re really excited for the opportunity to partner up with Vinnie (Viola of St. Elias) and West Point. Couldn’t be more happy to get the colt.”

Two colts sold for $1.3 million each, including a son of Tapit also consigned by Gainesway, agent, who is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Drain the Clock purchased by Mayberry Farm on behalf of C R K Stable. The colt is out of the Arch mare Manki and from the family of Group 2 winner Communique.

“April Mayberry and her staff, they loved that horse,” Lee Searing of C R K Stable said. “They’ve been looking at him for a couple of days. When it (the price) stopped at $1 million – $1.05 million, we knew it was Spendthrift (bidding against us) so I was surprised they stopped, but it was about where I might have stopped. I just threw a few more bids in there and it worked.

“We bought one horse in Book 1,” Searing said. “Book 1 was more money than I think most people would imagine. Book 2 has always been really good, so we’re here to buy more horses – specifically colts.”

West Bloodstock, agent for Robert and Lawana Low, paid $1.3 million for a colt from the first crop of champion Jackie’s Warrior. A half-brother to Grade 3 winner Taking Candy, he is from the family of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner and sire Tapizar.

“We’ve had a lot of luck buying freshman sires, spending a lot of money on them,” agent Jacob West said. “(The Jackie’s Warrior colt) was an incredible individual. Physically, he was right up there with any of the other horses that were in Book 1. He fit the bill of what we’re hoping is a big fast horse that wins a lot of big races.”

“He was a very special horse,” said Peter O’Callaghan of Woods Edge who purchased the colt as a weanling for $385,000 at last year’s Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in the name of Bolter Bloodstock. “I overpaid for him at the time for a freshman sire, but I wasn’t leaving the sale without him. He’s just a special individual. The athleticism, the natural strength of him, the conformation were flawless. He had that beautiful head and good expression. If he takes one step, he’s halfway down the lane. Those kinds of horses are hard to come by.”

Two yearlings brought $1.2 million each.

Repole Stable and Delta Squad Racing paid the amount to acquire a son of Not This Time who is out of stakes winner Stageplay, by Curlin. Eaton Sales, agent, consigned the colt, who is from the family of Grade 3 winner She Digs Me.

M.V. Magnier and White Birch Farm spent $1.2 million for an Into Mischief colt who is a half-brother to Belmont (G1) runner-up Gronkowski and from the family of Grade 1 winner and sire Flashy Bull. Out of Four Sugars, by Lookin At Lucky, he was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent.

Blue Diamond Stud paid $1,175,000 for a Ghostzapper filly who is a half-sister to 2025 Betfred 2000 Guineas (G1) winner Ruling Court. Nursery Place, agent, consigned the filly, who is out of Inchargeofme (GB), a winning daughter of High Chaparral (IRE).

With seven horses purchased for $4.6 million to lead buyers, Donato Lanni for SF Racing/

Starlight/Madaket acquired a colt by Nyquist for $1.05 million and a colt by Good Magic for $1 million. Out of the winning stakes-placed mare Velvet Sister, by Bernardini, the son of Nyquist was consigned by Summerfield (Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck), agent for Stonestreet Bred for Brilliance. The son of Good Magic who was consigned by Eaton Sales, agent, is out of the Union Rags mare Tactical Range and from the family of Grade 3 winner Closing Range and stakes winner Kentucky Ghost.

The second yearling to bring $1.05 million was a filly by Not This Time purchased by New River Equine. Consigned by Elm Tree Farm (Mr. and Mrs. Jody Huckabay), agent for Stonestreet Bred for Brilliance, she is out of stakes winner Ari Oakley, by Gun Runner, and from the family of 2025 Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) winner Fionn as well as Grade 2 winners Belle of Perintown and Coffee in Bed.

Another two yearlings also sold for $1 million each.

A colt by Not This Time who is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Owen Almighty was purchased by AMO Racing for $1 million. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, he is out of the winning Grade 2-placed mare Tempers Rising, by Bayern.

Spendthrift Farm purchased a colt by Constitution from the family of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Super Saver and Grade 1 winner Callback for $1 million. Out of the Pioneerof the Nile mare Way Too Pretty, he was consigned by Gainesway, agent for Stonestreet Bred for Brilliance.

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September 11, 2025
Paying Tribute to One of Amgen’s Own on 9/11

In the small garden, her sculptured face is smiling. Her hair is coifed and frames her face warmly. Surrounding her are white roses, small plants and a few large trees providing a canopy of shade or shelter from the rain. Aside from a couple of crows cawing in the distance, it is peaceful and quiet.

The plaque beneath her reads: Dora Menchaca, PhD. Scientist, Mother, Wife, Colleague, Mentor, Friend. Much Admired, Greatly Missed.

And there is one more inscription on the plaque: September 11, 2001.

The memorial bust of Dora Menchaca was sculpted by artist Thomas Marsh after she was one of the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Amgen file photo.

Menchaca was 45 years old when she boarded American Airlines Flight 77 leaving Washington DC headed home to her husband and children in Los Angeles that day. She had been in the nation’s capital as Amgen’s director of clinical research doing a briefing for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on cancer research and wanted to catch an early flight home to get back to her family.

Like thousands that day, however, she never made it home. Her plane was hijacked and was slammed into the Pentagon by terrorists on 9/11.

Her death shocked her friends and colleagues at Amgen. The company wanted to honor her in some way and decided to commission an artist to carve a sculpture of her that would rest permanently at Amgen headquarters in Thousand Oaks, California.

That’s when Thomas Marsh, a sculptor, got a call at his home near San Francisco.

Marsh and Amgen

Marsh had crafted sculptures for Amgen before, so the call wasn’t completely unexpected.

He had done ones of previous CEOs—and several others—that ended up dotting the campus in Thousand Oaks over the course of the company’s tenure. But when he got the call in 2005 from Amgen to make a bust of Menchaca, it felt weighty. Different.

“There’s a deep recognition of this human person and individual soul,” Marsh said. “When you realize what happened to her and how it affected her family and friends and co-workers, I knew it was going to be a meaningful piece for them.”

Amgen and her family sent Marsh pictures of Menchaca, so he could begin to work on it.

Thomas Marsh was the sculptor commissed by Amgen to craft a bust that featured the image of Dora Menchaca. Photo courtesy of Thomas Marsh.

Marsh thought a lot about capturing Menchaca’s spirit. Sometimes he’d sit and stare at the pictures and touch the clay with his hands to get a feel for it. She was more than the face in the pictures and he had to try and get that into the sculpture, too.

“There is no single attribute that you ponder while you’re working,” Marsh said. “There is a sense of pathos that you hope is embodied in the work, though. As I was working on it, I asked myself about why this happened and, in the process, it does make you contemplate about the fairness and unfairness of life.”

When he received the materials, he began to create with his hands. They molded it. His tools he’s accumulated over the years chiseled the features. He could feel himself getting into the zone.

Marsh had been doing this kind of work for more than five decades going back to when he got his first commission at the age of 19. Sculpting fit his passion and stemmed from a deep need to find and express his own humanity—as well as finding the humanity of others.

He said, however, there was already a deep connection with Menchaca because 9/11 had such a seismic impact on everyone who lived through that day. Marsh wanted to make sure he got it all right, including who Menchaca was, what she meant to the people she knew and what she began to mean to him.

Slowly, her face began to take shape from the material. And that is when he really began to see her.

Dora’s Legacy

As a director of clinical research at Amgen, Menchaca had a special passion in pursuing cancer cures. Her father had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and she had a relentless drive to help others battling the disease. At one point in her career at Amgen, she led a dozen simultaneous studies on prostate cancer.

She was the first in her family to graduate from college and received her PhD in epidemiology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

After her death, Amgen contributed $3 million to the funding of a cancer treatment unit in Menchaca’s honor at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Regional Medical Center. A quadrant of that unit was named for her and her name is inscribed on a plaque there and was dedicated in 2007.

“Dora was a respected and beloved member of the Amgen family,” Amgen CEO Bob Bradway said in 2023. “We remember and miss her but also take some comfort in knowing patients are being well cared for in a place that bears her name.”

Marsh learned about Menchaca’s life through the pictures and information he got from her friends and colleagues at Amgen. He knew she was a mother that loved her two children and that she was a wife who was dedicated to her husband. He thought about other memorials and sculptures that influenced him or moved him as a way to inspire him.

He took all of that and poured it into the bust so her legacy could last forever and could be reflected upon those who came across it once it was on display.

“Maybe it will make them think about the day or that this was a real person with a real life who died tragically that day,” Marsh said. “This was a human being who lived and this is part of their story.”

In the Quiet Garden

The bust was dedicated during a ceremony in the garden near the main cafeteria area at the Thousand Oaks site.

Ben Chu, executive director and Amgen Thousand Oaks site lead, recalled working with Dora in the late 1990s. He said she was a special leader and was respected for her clinical expertise and dedication to patients.

“We are honored to have a reflection area that commemorates Dora’s legacy,” he said.

The site made sense for honoring Dora because it’s in a quiet location – but also not so far out of the way that it can’t be discovered by employees who could notice it while getting their food.

It’s also cared for and maintained on a regular basis, according to Scott Sharts, senior director of Facilities at Amgen’s headquarters. Mostly cleaning, but sometimes it needs repairs from time to time, too.

“Just five years ago, for example, one side of the base came dislodged and we jumped on that quickly because we know how important this is,” he said. “And around the date of 9/11, we have folks who were here during that time who come and put flowers out and we try to make sure those are maintained for as long as possible.”

Regular care and maintenance are a part of Amgen’s commitment to honoring Dora Menchaca’s enduring legacy. Amgen file photo.

He said the landscaping is also regularly manicured and kept up so anyone who wants to take a few moments to reflect on Menchaca’s life—or anything else—can feel at peace in this one small piece of land at Amgen’s headquarters.

Marsh said he’s proud to have been able to provide Amgen with a lasting legacy for Menchaca since it was dedicated in 2005. He thinks about her and his sculpture—mostly on 9/11—but at other times as well when he considers what might’ve been, what could’ve been and what actually is.

“I hope it does what it was intended to do,” he said. “Preserve the memory and keep her alive that way, as well as to never forget what happened that day.”

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September 11, 2025
Surprising gut discovery reveals a hidden trigger of diabetes and liver disease

A team of Canadian scientists has discovered a surprising new way to improve blood sugar levels and reduce liver damage: by trapping a little-known fuel made by gut bacteria before they wreak havoc on the body.

The findings, published in Cell Metabolism on July 29, 2025, could open the door to new therapies to treat metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease.

Researchers at McMaster University, Université Laval and the University of Ottawa showed that a molecule produced by microbes in the gut can sneak into the bloodstream and fuel the liver to make more glucose and fat than necessary. But when researchers developed a way to trap this molecule in the gut before it enters the body, they saw dramatic improvements in blood sugar control and fatty liver disease in mice with obesity.

“This is a new twist on a classic metabolic pathway,” says Jonathan Schertzer, senior and corresponding author and professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster. “We’ve known for nearly a century that muscles and the liver exchange lactate and glucose — a process called the Cori cycle. What we’ve discovered is a new branch of that cycle, where gut bacteria are also part of the conversation.”

In 1947, married scientists Carl Ferdinand Cori and Gerty Theresa Cori were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work showing how muscles in the body generate lactate that fuels the liver to produce blood glucose, which then cycles back to fuel the muscle. The work laid the foundation to explain how muscles use a form of lactate (L-lactate), and the liver uses blood glucose, to communicate and exchange fuel with each other.

The Canadian team found that obese mice — and even people with obesity — have higher levels of a lesser-known molecule, D-lactate, in their blood. Unlike the more familiar L-lactate made by muscles, most of the D-lactate comes from gut microbes and was shown to raise blood sugar and liver fat more aggressively.

To stop this, the researchers created a “gut substrate trap” — a safe, biodegradable polymer that binds to D-lactate in the gut and prevents it from being absorbed. Mice fed this trap had lower blood glucose, less insulin resistance, and reduced liver inflammation and fibrosis — all without changing their diet or body weight.

“This is a completely new way to think about treating metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease. Instead of targeting hormones or the liver directly, we’re intercepting a microbial fuel source before it can do harm,” says Schertzer, a member of the Centre for Metabolism, Obesity, and Diabetes Research (MODR) and Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute at McMaster. Schertzer holds a Canada Research Chair in Metabolic Inflammation.

The research, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), highlights the growing importance of the microbiome in chronic diseases.

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September 11, 2025