Imagine losing out on a world marathon title because you shaved your chest hair the night before.
That might as well have been the case in Tokyo on Monday, where the world marathon gold medal was decided by three hundredths of a second. Yes, you read that right.
After 26.2 miles of slogging, Alphonce Felix Simbu of Tanzania and Germany’s Amanal Petros both crossed the finish line with the same time of 2:09:48.
But Simbu was awarded the top prize by the tiniest of margins after overtaking his opponent on the final straight.
It was the closest finish to a marathon ever, and indeed a cruel one, surpassing the one-second gap between Gezahegne Abera and Simon Biwott in Edmonton in the 2001 championships.
Simbu, 33, could scarcely believe it. ‘When we entered the stadium, I was not sure if I would win,’ he said. ‘I did not know if I had won.
The world championship marathon was decided by the tiniest of margins on Monday in Tokyo
Alphonce Felix Simbu of Tanzania, left, beat Germany’s Amanal Petros by 0.03s to claim gold
Simbu said he had no idea whether he had won until he saw it announced on the screens
‘But when I saw the video screens and me on the top of the results, I felt relieved.
‘I made history today – the first Tanzanian gold medal at a world championships.’
Petros led the race by a couple of strides going round the final corner and was shell-shocked to discover that Simbu’s late surge had toppled him.
‘It’s like the 100 metres,’ he said.
‘Coming into the finish I was thinking about winning so a bit of me is feeling very sad.
‘But I have to accept it. As an athlete you have to learn for tomorrow, train hard, keep going and be thankful for the silver.’
Italian runner Iliass Aouani was not far behind in third as he notched a time of 2:09:53.
Simbu, who was born in Singida, Tanzania, started out from a humble background.
This was the closest finish to a marathon ever, surpassing the previous record of a second
Simbu had been a couple of strides behind going round the final corner but overtook Petros
Aerial angles show just how close the pair were – Petros said he was feeling ‘very sad’
His first coach was one of his primary school teachers but he always believed he would reach the top.
‘I started with a coach who was a primary school teacher.
He told me I’d run well one day. I always heard people say they were going to the World Championships, and I thought to myself: “one day, that will be me.”‘
He has come agonisingly close to glory before. He picked up bronze at the world championships in London in 2017 and came second in this year’s Boston marathon.
Now he gets to stand on the top step of the podium.
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Closest finish to a marathon EVER: New world champion snatched gold by THREE HUNDREDTHS of a second in cruel photo finish end after 26.2 miles
Researchers have successfully used artificial intelligence (AI) to predict which patients need treatment to stabilize their corneas and preserve their eyesight, in a study presented today (Sunday) at the 43rd Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS).
The research focused on people with keratoconus, a visual impairment that generally develops in teenagers and young adults and tends to worsen into adulthood. It affects up to 1 in 350 people. In some cases, the condition can be managed with contact lenses, but in others it deteriorates quickly and if it is not treated, patients may need a corneal transplant. Currently the only way to tell who needs treatment is to monitor patients over time.
The researchers used AI to assess images of patients’ eyes, combined with other data, and to successfully predict which patients needed prompt treatment and which could continue with monitoring.
The study was by Dr. Shafi Balal and colleagues at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, and University College London (UCL), UK. He said: “In people with keratoconus, the cornea – the eye’s front window – bulges outwards. Keratoconus causes visual impairment in young, working-age patients and it is the most common reason for corneal transplantation in the Western world.
“A single treatment called ‘cross-linking’ can halt disease progression. When performed before permanent scarring develops, cross-linking often prevents the need for corneal transplantation. However, doctors cannot currently predict which patients will progress and require treatment, and which will remain stable with monitoring alone. This means patients need frequent monitoring over many years, with cross-linking typically performed after progression has already occurred.”
The study involved a group of patients who were referred to Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust for keratoconus assessment and monitoring, including scanning the front of the eye with optical coherence tomography (OCT) to examine its shape. Researchers used AI to study 36,673 OCT images of 6,684 different patients along with other patient data.
The AI algorithm could accurately predict whether a patient’s condition would deteriorate or remain stable using images and data from the first visit alone. Using AI, the researchers could sort two-thirds of patients into a low-risk group, who did not need treatment, and the other third into a high-risk group, who needed prompt cross-linking treatment. When information from a second hospital visit was included, the algorithm could successfully categorise up to 90% of patients.
Cross linking treatment uses ultraviolet light and vitamin B2 (riboflavin) drops to stiffen the cornea, and it is successful in more than 95% of cases.
Our research shows that we can use AI to predict which patients need treatment and which can continue with monitoring. This is the first study of its kind to obtain this level of accuracy in predicting the risk of keratoconus progression from a combination of scans and patient data, and it uses a large cohort of patients monitored over two years or more. Although this study is limited to using one specific OCT device, the research methods and AI algorithm used can be applied to other devices. The algorithm will now undergo further safety testing before it is deployed in the clinical setting.
Our results could mean that patients with high-risk keratoconus will be able to receive preventative treatment before their condition progresses. This will prevent vision loss and avoid the need for corneal transplant surgery with its associated complications and recovery burden. Low-risk patients will avoid unnecessary frequent monitoring, freeing up healthcare resources. The effective sorting of patients by the algorithm will allow specialists to be redirected to areas with the greatest need.”
Dr. Shafi Balal, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
The researchers are now developing a more powerful AI algorithm, trained on millions of eye scans, that can be tailored for specific tasks, including predicting keratoconus progression, but also other tasks such as detecting eye infections and inherited eye diseases.
Dr. José Luis Güell, ESCRS Trustee and Head of the Cornea, Cataract and Refractive Surgery Department at the Instituto de Microcirugía Ocular, Barcelona, Spain, who was not involved in the research, said: “Keratoconus is a manageable condition, but knowing who to treat, and when and how to give treatment is challenging. Unfortunately, this problem can lead to delays, with many patients experiencing vision loss and requiring invasive implant or transplant surgery.
“This research suggests that we can use AI to help predict who will progress, even from their first routine consultation, meaning we could treat patients early before progression and secondary changes. Equally, we could reduce unnecessary monitoring of patients whose condition is stable. If it consistently demonstrates its effectiveness, this technology would ultimately prevent vision loss and more difficult management strategies in young, working-age patients.”
Source:
European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons
Ishaq Dar: Failure to act against Israel will disappoint 2 billion muslims – Daily Times
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QUETTA, Sep 15 (APP):In a decisive move to safeguard marine ecosystems and protect the livelihoods of coastal communities, the Balochistan Fisheries Department has pledged to intensify efforts against illegal trawling along the province’s coastline.
The initiative aligns with the vision of Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, who has emphasized sustainable development and the welfare of local fishermen, said a news release.
Director General of Fisheries Balochistan, Atiqullah Khan, reaffirmed this commitment during a recent review visit of Gwadar’s coastal areas. Accompanied by a team of officials—including Assistant Director Shah Fahad Anwar, Marine Biologist Nematullah Zaheer, Inspector Abdul Basit, and Skipper Muhammad Yasin Khan assessed the extent of illegal trawling and received a comprehensive briefing on the issue.
Following the visit, the department resolved to take all necessary measures to curb unauthorized fishing practices and uphold the rights of local fishermen. The crackdown aims to preserve marine biodiversity and ensure the long-term sustainability of the region’s fishing industry.
This initiative is being carried out under the directives of Parliamentary Secretary Haji Barkat Rind and Secretary Fisheries Tariq Qamar Baloch. They have stressed the importance of protecting the economic interests of fishing communities and maintaining ecological balance in Balochistan’s coastal waters.
US-developed eye camera captures digitally-refocusable retinal images without mechanical focusing, simplifying eye exams.
Eye exams are an essential tool for detecting diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration, which together account for much of the world’s vision loss.
A key part of this process is fundus imaging, where doctors photograph the back of the eye to look for early signs of disease. Yet the cameras used for this task are expensive, difficult to operate, and require careful focusing, limiting their availability in many clinics and underserved regions.
A team of researchers from Johns Hopkins University, Boston University, and other collaborators, has now demonstrated a new type of fundus camera that removes one of the main challenges: focusing. Instead of relying on mechanical adjustments of a lens, the system uses a special diffuser that captures 3D light information during imaging.
With this data, a computer can reconstruct and refocus images after they are taken. The work, published in Biophotonics Discovery, presents the first demonstration of this method in living human eyes.
‘A modified commercial fundus camera’
To build the system, the team modified a commercial fundus camera, replacing part of its optics with a holographic diffuser and sensitive digital sensor. They then calibrated the system by recording how the diffuser blurs light with different amounts of refractive error. Once calibrated, the camera could record images of the retina in model eyes and digitally sharpen them to the correct focus using software.
In tests with volunteers, the device successfully captured color images of the retina, showing features such as the optic disc, blood vessels, and macula. Importantly, the images could be refocused across a wide range of refractive errors—more than ten diopters—without moving any optical components.
The system produced consistent resolution of about 7 to 10 line pairs per millimeter, which is lower than that of a conventional camera but remained stable for eyes with refractive errors, all with fixed optics and no prior focusing.
The results show that diffuser-based computational imaging can work in real-world eye exams. Because the approach avoids moving parts, it could help reduce the cost and complexity of fundus cameras. The researchers also see potential for combining this technique with autorefractors, which measure eyeglass prescriptions, into a single device. Such a tool could make comprehensive eye exams simpler to perform and more widely accessible.
Owen Cooper, 15, from Warrington, is the youngest ever male Emmy winner
At the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, a North West teenager made history as the youngest male Emmy winner ever.
Owen Cooper, 15, swept to stardom in his first-ever onscreen role in Netflix’s Adolescence alongside Stephen Graham – who co-created the series and also won an Emmy for his role in it.
Cooper captivated audiences with his haunting depiction of a young teenager who stabbed his classmate to death, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer even supporting a move for the series to be shown in schools.
So who is Owen Cooper and where did his success stem from?
Owen Cooper’s role in Adolescence
Netflix
Adolescence follows Cooper as a teenager accused of murdering his classmate
Cooper played the central character, 13-year-old schoolboy Jamie Miller, in the four-part drama series set in an unspecified northern English town.
Jamie is accused of murdering a girl from his class in a horrific crime that rocks the community.
The series also follows his family as well as his classmates and the police as they grapple with timely issues including misogyny, social media and the role it plays on school children across the UK.
The four-part series became the most-streamed title in both the UK and the US within the first week of its release, with Erin Doherty also winning an Emmy for her role as a child psychologist in the show.
Stephen Graham
Graham co-created Adolescence with writer and producer Jack Thorne and plays Jamie’s father Eddie in the series.
He has said the storyline was inspired by seeing two separate reports of boys stabbing girls to death.
“It really hurt my heart, I just thought, ‘what’s going on in society where this kind of thing is becoming a regular occurrence?’ he told BBC Breakfast.
Cooper and Graham have gone on to praise each other publicly, with Graham telling BBC’s The One Show he believed Cooper was “the next Robert De Niro”.
Where is Owen Cooper from?
Cooper is from Warrington, but for years had been attending weekly acting classes at the Drama Mob school in Manchester – around 20 miles (32km) away. He was only 14 when Adolescence was filmed.
Drama Mob’s Esther Morgan said the show’s production team had approached Drama MOB while casting the series, asking to see tapes of their “strongest northern boys”.
“They kept coming back for Owen,” she said.
Casting director for Adolescence Shaheen Baig said of Cooper’s audition tape: “He looks great on camera, but also his improv was really smart.
“It felt very natural.”
Reuters
Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty also won Emmy’s for their roles in the show
What did he say in his speech?
In his acceptance speech on Sunday, Cooper said the experience of being on stage at the Emmy Awards was “surreal”.
He said: “When I started these drama classes a couple of years back, I didn’t expect to even be in the United States, never mind here.
“I think tonight proves if you listen, and you focus and you step out your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life.
“Who cares if you get embarrassed? Anything can be possible. I was nothing about three years ago, I’m here now.”
He also thanked his family, co-stars, and the show’s production team, adding: “It may have my name on this award, but it really belongs to the people behind the camera.”
Sometimes discoveries take centuries. In South Wales, a fossil jawbone collected in 1899 has finally revealed its secret. It sat quietly for more than a hundred years in the National Museum of Wales. Researchers wrote about it, but no one could say for sure what creature it came from.
Now, using modern technology, paleontologists at the University of Bristol have identified it as a new dinosaur species. They have given it a new name too: Newtonsaurus, honoring the man who first described it.
Newtonsaurus: A distinctive name
The fossil itself contains no bone. What remains are natural molds pressed into stone. At first glance, this seems disappointing.
But those impressions preserved details invisible to the naked eye. With 3D scanning, the team brought the jawbone back to life in digital form.
“This specimen has been referred to many times in scientific papers but had yet to be successfully identified,” said study co-author Owain Evans. “It was named Zanclodon cambrensis by Edwin Tully Newton in 1899, but we knew the name Zanclodon had been abandoned because it referred to a broad variety of early reptiles.”
“Therefore, we name it after Newton, calling it Newtonsaurus. It is different from all other dinosaurs from that time and requires a distinctive name.”
Fossil rebuilt through 3D scans
Creating the digital model required patience. The team photographed every angle of the molds, then combined the images into a 3D shape.
By flipping the data, they produced a negative of the impressions, which gave them a digital version of the original jawbone.
“The natural molds of the inner and outer faces of the jawbone show amazing detail – every groove, ridge, tooth, and even the serrations along the edges of the teeth,” said Michael Benton, professor of vertebrate paleontology at the University of Bristol.
“We decided to use digital photography to make a 3D model. We began by surface scanning the fossil using photogrammetry. Once we had our digital scan, we inverted it – essentially giving us a digital negative of the mold.”
By fusing the sides and analyzing its anatomy, the digital reconstruction revealed a clearer picture of the bone’s original structure.
A predatory, flesh-eating dinosaur
Once reconstructed, the fossil’s features stood out clearly. The placement of the teeth and the jaw shape confirmed it belonged to a theropod. These were meat-eating dinosaurs, ancestors of later giants like Tyrannosaurus rex.
The discovery proved that large predators prowled the Welsh coastline during the Triassic period.
“We can now confirm that this specimen very likely belonged to a large predatory theropod dinosaur that roamed the shores of South Wales during the latest Triassic,” said Evans.
“It has some definite unique dinosaur features in the emplacement of the teeth, and it is a theropod – a predatory, flesh-eating dinosaur. Otherwise, it sits near the origins of both major divisions of Theropoda, the Coelophysoidea and the Averostra.”
Newtonsaurus was unusually large
The jawbone alone measured 28 centimeters (11 inches). But this was only the front half. The full bone stretched around 60 centimeters (24 inches).
That means the dinosaur’s body reached five to seven meters (16 to 23 feet) in length. For the Triassic, this was huge. Most theropods of the time were much smaller.
The preserved 28 cm (11 in) jawbone, once 60 cm (24 in) in life, reveals a large Triassic theropod – unexpectedly large for its kind.
Using modern digital scanning techniques the researchers were able to shed new light on the fossil jawbone, which has been known since 1899 and been on display in the National Museum of Wales for many years. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Owain Evans
Discovery adds to Welsh prehistory
For paleontologists, the discovery proves that museum collections still hold secrets. For Wales, it adds another important piece to its prehistoric record. The Triassic beds of the region are rare and globally significant.
“These historical specimens are vitally important in paleontology and often yield new and exciting results – even if they have been sitting in collections for years. The Victorians were fascinated by the fossil record and prospected all across the UK for fossils,” said Cindy Howells at the National Museum of Wales.
“On top of this, the re-description of Newtonsaurus cambrensis once again highlights the significance of Wales in paleontological research.”
Wales may reveal more dinosaurs
Triassic beds are rare worldwide, yet Wales holds several of them – each with the potential to reveal another hidden dinosaur.
Newtonsaurus is more than a new species. It proves that even old fossils can still surprise us, and that modern tools can finally solve questions that lingered for generations.
The find also reminds us that the cliffs and quarries of Wales may still conceal more giants waiting to emerge.
The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the Geologists Association.
Image Credit: Owain Evans
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Ronal Group has unveiled the R73, a new multi-spoke alloy rim designed to bring motorsport character to the road. The design takes cues from rally racing, with slim, precisely cut spokes engineered to reduce weight while maximising rigidity. The result, according to the manufacturer, is lower unsprung mass, improved handling and sharper driving dynamics.
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Actor Stephen Graham has described himself as “just a mixed-race kid from Kirkby” as he accepted an Emmy award for his starring role in the acclaimed Netflix series Adolescence.
In his acceptance speech, the 52-year-old, who grew up in the Merseyside town, said: “This kind of thing doesn’t happen to a kid like me.”
Graham played Eddie Miller in the series, which told the story of a teenage boy accused of killing a schoolmate.
The star, who was named outstanding lead actor, also paid tribute to his children and wife Hannah Walters, who he described as his “rock” and “soulmate”.
The series scooped six trophies at the awards, including one for outstanding supporting actor won by Owen Cooper, who at just 15 became the youngest ever male Emmy winner, for his breakout role Adolescence.
In his speech, Graham said: “This kind of thing doesn’t happen to a kid like me. I’m just a mixed race kid from a block of flats in a place called Kirkby.
“So for me, to be here today, in front of my peers and to be acknowledged by you is the utmost humbling thing I could ever imagine in my life, and it shows you that any dream is possible.
“There’s too many people to thank but I am going to thank my friends and family. Without you, none of this is possible.
“Thank you for helping me with something that I can’t do on my own.
“Jack, everyone, Phil, everyone. I want to bring it to my dad for taking me to the video shop when I was a kid and kick-starting my education in film – Quarry Green video shop.
“My kids Grace and Alfie and my adorable wife, who I love with every ounce of my being, you are my rock, you are my world, you are my soulmate and you know and I know, without you, I would be dead.
“So from the bottom of my heart I love you with everything I have. Namaste everyone, thanks very much.”
Big parts of New York City are sinking at different rates. This was first reported in 2023, when researchers theorized that the weight of skyscrapers may have a role to play. Now, a series of studies is showing that NYC continues its sink at a remarkably steady rate
They found that New York’s sinking is due to factors ranging from long-lost glaciers to land-use practices. While the changes may seem small at less than 2 millimeters per year, they can alter local flood risk related to sea level rise, and over the course of several years, they can do some serious damage.
Mapping vertical land motion across the New York City area, researchers found the land sinking (indicated in blue) by about 0.06 inches (1.6 mm) per year on average. They also detected modest uplift (shown in red) in Queens and Brooklyn. White dotted lines indicate county/borough borders. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Rutgers University.
To map these subtle shifts in the landscape, researchers employed a powerful satellite-based method called interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR). This is a bit like a space-based “spot the difference” game. A satellite bounces radar signals off the ground to create a detailed image. By later taking another image from the same position and comparing the two, scientists can detect minuscule changes in the distance the radar signal traveled. These differences create a unique interference pattern, called an interferogram, which serves as a high-resolution map revealing ground motion—either sinking or uplift—down to millimeter-level precision.
A new generation of Earth-monitoring satellites is helping us get a better understanding of how various regions on Earth are shifting.
The eye in the sky
A big part of the motion observed happened in places where prior changes have made the ground looser and more compressible. In particular, projects such as landfills or land reclamation make the ground more susceptible. So when you come and later build over such soils (particularly heavy buildings like skyscraper), you’re at a higher risk of soil compression and sinking.
However, some of this sinking was also caused by natural processes that date back thousands of years to the most recent ice age.
About 24,000 years ago, a vast ice sheet extended over most of New England, with an ice sheet of over a mile in height enveloping present-day Albany in upstate New York. Since then, the Earth’s surface has been gradually readjustingNew York City, on land that was elevated outside the edge of the ice sheet, is presently undergoing subsidence because of this.
The researchers found that on average the metropolitan area has subsided by about 1.6 millimeters (0.06 inches) per year. This is similar to how much toenails grow by each month. Using the radars on the ESA Sentinel-1 satellites, they mapped the motion in detail and pinpointed the neighborhoods and landmarks that are subsiding faster than average.
“We’ve produced such a detailed map of vertical land motion in the New York City area that there are features popping out that haven’t been noticed before,” lead author Brett Buzzanga said in a news release. Tracking elevation changes and sea level changes is very important for flood mapping amid Earth’s changing climate, pushing oceans higher.
The sinking hotspots
The researchers identified two major hotspots of subsidence. The first one is the runway 13/31 at LaGuardia airport, where the land is sinking faster than average (3.7 mm). The airport is now going through a renovation to partly alleviate flooding from the rising waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
The second hotspot is the Arthur Ashe Stadium, where the US Open is held every year. The stadium is sinking at a rate of 4.6 mm per year and in fact, required construction of a lightweight roof to reduce its heaviness. Both the runway and the stadium were originally built atop landfills, which explains the higher-than-average rates.
Other hotspots include the southern part of Governors Island, which was built on 3.5 million cubic meters of rock and dirt from early 20th-century subway excavations, as well as sites close to the ocean in Coney Island in Brooklyn. High levels of sinking were also reported below Route 440 and Interstate 78 in New Jersey and Rikers Island.
Aerial view of Governor’s Island and Manhattan.
But not all of New York City is sinking.
The researchers were also surprised to find some places in New York where the land is actually rising. In East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the land is moving up by about 1.6 mm per year. Meanwhile, in Woodside, Queens, the land rose 6.9 mm per year between 2016 and 2019 before finally stabilizing.
For close to two centuries, water levels in the New York City area have been increasing at an approximate rate of 0.11 inches annually (0.28 cm). The city recently made the news because of flash flooding, which led to a state of emergency. Up to 20 cm (around 7.9 in) of rain fell in some parts of the city, with the subway, streets and highways flooding very fast.
The researchers believe that many cities currently investing in coastal defenses and infrastructure to respond to sea level rise, such as NYC, can benefit from high-resolution estimates of land motion, as seen in this study. That’s why they will continue looking at surface displacement across North America, using new data.
The problem continues in 2025
The groundbreaking 2023 study was just the beginning. In fact, the subsidence turned out to be more prevalent than initially thought. A study published in Nature Cities in May 2025 has shown that subsidence is a widespread hazard threatening dozens of major U.S. cities. Using satellite data from 2015 to 2021, a team led by researchers from Columbia University and Virginia Tech created high-resolution maps of sinking land for the 28 most populous metropolises in the country
The research found that in every city studied, at least 20% of the urban area is sinking. For New York, the study revealed that about 98% of the city’s land area is affected by subsidence. The area-weighted average subsidence rate for New York was found to be greater than 2 mm per year. One of the city’s key infrastructure sites, LaGuardia Airport, was again highlighted as having localized zones sinking faster than 5 mm per year. New York, wasn’t even the worse affected city, with places like Houston having way worse subsidence.
Turns out, it’s not just the skyscrapers. In fact, the biggest impact seems to be coming from water extraction.
While natural processes like Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) are a dominant factor in New York’s sinking, the study emphasizes that human activities—primarily groundwater withdrawal—are responsible for most of the subsidence observed nationally
By analyzing groundwater levels, researchers found a strong link between changes in confined aquifers and corresponding land subsidence or uplift. In New York, the data showed a higher sensitivity to groundwater-level changes. The more intense groundwater use is in a region, the more likely the chance of significant subsidence (over 1 mm).
The study assessed the risk to infrastructure, concluding that while most buildings face low to medium risk, over 29,000 buildings across the 28 cities are in high and very high-risk zones for damage. This new, comprehensive picture underscores that the sinking of America’s cities is a slow-moving but critical environmental challenge requiring immediate attention and policy changes for urban planning and resource management.
The study was published in the journal Science.
This article was originally published in October 2023 and has been edited to include more recent research.
