Spotify has removed restrictions that prevented free users from listening to specific tracks. With lossless audio now finally rolling out to paying subscribers, the music streaming service has announced that it’s also allowing non-paying listeners to search, play, and share any song they want, without having to upgrade to a Premium subscription.
The update is being rolled out globally and addresses one of the most annoying limitations of Spotify’s shuffle-only free experience. Instead of playing the specific song a free user had searched for or selected in an album or playlist, Spotify would previously launch tracks in a randomized order that forced users to skip songs until they reached the one they actually wanted to play, with skips limited to six per hour.
Now, non-paying users can “pick and play any song you want,” according to Spotify. There are still some restrictions in place, however, with CNET reporting that free users can only listen to one song before the app starts shuffling.
“Only Spotify Premium users have complete control to play and skip music without restrictions. Mobile listeners of the updated free experience will be able to tap on any song or search for what they’d like to play, or if they don’t like a track or simply want to hear what’s next, skip the occasional song and carry on listening,” Spotify spokesperson Luke Mackay told The Verge. “Each user has a daily allocated amount of on-demand time. Once this limit is reached, users will then be limited to six-skips per hour.”
The free experience will also still include ads, but this update gives free listeners fewer reasons to use rival streaming services like YouTube when they want to play a specific song without dancing around shuffle-skipping requirements. This also helps Spotify’s desire to get users sharing music links online, given that non-paying users previously couldn’t immediately play songs that friends had shared on social media platforms.
Update, September 15th: Added a statement from Spotify.
Afghanistan’s Naveen-Ul-Haq in action against England in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in Arun Jaitley Stadium of New Delhi, India on October 15, 2023.— Reuters
Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has ruled right-arm pacer Naveen-ul-Haq out of the team amid the ongoing ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025, citing his shoulder injury.
In a statement, the cricket board cited his injury as the cause of dropping out, saying that he was recovering from a shoulder injury; he was not declared fit by the medical team, so he would not play the remaining matches of the tournament.
“Afghanistan’s veteran fast bowler, Naveen Ul Haq, has been ruled out of the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025,” the ACB said in a statement.
“He is still recovering from a shoulder injury and has not been declared fit by the ACB medical team to participate in the remaining matches. Naveen will continue to undergo intensive treatment and rehabilitation until he is fully fit,” it added.
Naveen has been replaced by emerging pacer Abdullah Ahmadzai, who made his T20I debut against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the recently held T20I tri-series.
“Fast bowler Abdullah Ahmadzai, who was previously in the reserves and recently made his international debut, has been promoted to the main squad for the Asia Cup 2025,” the ACB’s statement continued.
“The ACB wishes Naveen Ul Haq a speedy recovery and extends its best wishes to Abdullah Ahmadzai for the matches ahead.”
For the unversed, Afghanistan has thus far played only one match in the Asia Cup 2025 – the curtain raiser in Dubai – where they beat Hong Kong by 94 runs. Their next group-stage match is scheduled to be played at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Afghanistan squad for Asia Cup 2025
Rashid Khan (c),Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, Farid Ahmad Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Abdullah Ahmadzai.
Congress MP B. Manickam Tagore inaugurating signature campaign in Madurai on Monday.
BJP cadre with honour should answer how did the Union Government allow India to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup cricket tournament, said Congress MP, B. Manickam Tagore.
He was speaking to reporters after inaugurating a signature campaign against “vote theft,” at Tirupparankundram here on Monday.
The Virudhunagar MP said that the BJP Government at the Centre had claimed that it would deny water to Pakistan as a retaliation to Pahalgam terrorist attack.
“However, on the insistence of Union Home Minister, Amit Shah’s son, Jay Shah, who is the Chairman of International Cricket Council, India was allowed to play against Pakistan. Any BJP cadre with honour should answer how this was allowed,” he said.
When asked about BJP State president Nainar Nagenthran’s statement that the national party would reunite the AIADMK factions to defeat the DMK in the Assembly election, Mr. Tagore pointed out that Amit Shah had met a woman claiming to be former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s daughter.
“However, he had denied audience to former Chief Minister, O. Panneerselvam,” Mr. Tagore claimed and said it was high time the AIADMK cadre thought about these developments.
Mr. Amit Shah has belittled the AIADMK to the maximum possible extent. “If the AIADMK still wants to continue its alliance with the BJP, no one can help the Dravidian party,” he said.
The signature campaign is being conducted across the nation to expose the “vote theft” by the BJP.
Brazil has 23% of global reserves of rare earth minerals, second only to China, but its production remains at an early stage, accounting for only 1% of the global market.
The race to mine and process rare earths in Brazil has raised fears among community leaders, particularly in rural settlements that are the focus of some 187 rare earth mining applications currently in process.
In these areas, rare earth mining activities risks exacerbating land disputes and devastating preserved forests — including one in Bahia state that hosts a 600-year-old endangered Brazilwood tree.
Brazil ranks among the countries with the largest reserves of rare earth elements. But scaling up the extraction of these metals, used in various high-tech applications and essential to the clean energy transition, could lead to an increase conflicts in at least five Brazilian states, activists warn.
Brazil holds 23% of global rare earth reserves, according to the 2025 U.S. Mineral Commodity Summaries. That makes it second only to China, which controls the supply chain for minerals in terms of both reserves and processing, and has used this to wield geopolitical influence. However, Brazilian production remains at an early stage, accounting for only 1% of the global market. This is expected to change quickly with new projects currently in progress.
The increased interest in rare earths is raising fears among community leaders in the country. Rural settlements that have been demarcated by INCRA, the national land reform institute, are now facing requests to explore for these minerals on their territory.
According to research by the Mining Observatory, there are 187 applications for rare earth mining targeting 96 INCRA-registered settlements across Brazil. The state of Bahia has the most, with 88 applications, followed by Goiás with 53 and Pernambuco with 21. The search for rare earths in these areas, which overlap with settlements, is led by mostly obscure companies.
The 600-year-old tree vs. the mine
The two most advanced applications target the Reunidas Pau Brasil Sustainable Development Project, a rural settlement established in Bahia’s Itamaraju municipality. According to National Mining Agency (ANM) data, the applications were filed by the company Multiverse Mineração Ltda.
The company reports that it’s already mining in this area “near the village of São Paulinho, also in the municipality of Itamaraju.” According to Multiverse, in 2022 it discovered deposits “containing excellent concentrations of rare earth minerals in ionic clay” within an area of nearly 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres).
This could potentially turn into a conflict if the company goes on to obtain mining authorization from the ANM and begins the extraction process in this area, where 48 families have lived since the settlement’s creation in 2009. The site also hosts one of the oldest Brazilwood trees in the world.
In 2020, researchers discovered a 600-year-old Brazilwood tree (Paubrasilia echinata) in the Reunidas Pau Brasil settlement. The tree, with a trunk circumference of 7.13 meters (23 feet), is the largest recorded in the country and is used as shade and shelter for the cacao trees that the settlement’s farmers cultivate through their agroforestry system.
Brazilwood is the country’s national tree, and in fact gave the country its name. The species was among the most exploited by Portuguese colonizers since the 16th century, due to the red pigment obtained from its trunk, as well as the wood used in furniture and church building.
Since the occupation and industrialization of Brazil over the past five centuries have concentrated in coastal areas, the Atlantic Forest is by far the biome most devastated in the country. Only 24% of the original forest is left, and only 12% is considered well-preserved. As a result, Brazilwood, which is endemic to this biome, became nearly extinct in the early 20th century. Still a rare and endangered tree, it now faces added pressure from its use in crafting bows for stringed musical instruments.
A 600-year-old Brazilwood tree found in a rural settlement in Itamaraju, Bahia state. Image courtesy of Cássio Vasconcelos.
Devastation with government support
Nevertheless, the government of Bahia endorses the exploration of rare earths in the state, which is also where the Portuguese explorers first arrived in the 16th century. It has already signed a memorandum of understanding with another company, Borborema Mineração, for institutional support for a rare earths processing plant through the state’s Secretariat of Economic Development (SDE).
The agreement formalizes “the intention of both parties to facilitate the implementation of a production unit for the production of rare earth oxide mineral concentrate in the state, and in a subsequent investment phase, to implement a second industrial plant for the separation of rare earth oxides.” The total projected investment for the two phases, according to the SDE, is 3.5 billion reais ($650 million).
For André de Lima Maia, an agricultural engineer, popular educator and state leader of the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) in Bahia, mining could bring new negative impacts to wildlife and vegetation by clearing the Caatinga dry forest, in addition to increasing land conflicts in a state already affected by land grabbing.
“It could get much worse. It could worsen the situation of land grabbing, threats, gunmen, psychological harassment — all of which are already occurring timidly,” he said. “But, as we are strugglers, we will fight for the rights of the people.”
First asbestos, now rare earths
Besides Bahia, other Brazilian states also face the prospect of rare earth mining, driven by the increasing needs of the industry and the competition with China, which has half the world reserves and almost 90% of processing capacity, giving it a huge advantage in commercial and geopolitical disputes.
Goiás, a state in Brazil’s midwestern region, is already home to powerful agribusiness companies. Ricardo Junior de Assis Fernandes Gonçalves, a geography professor at the Goiás State University (UEG), studied one of the areas that’s a particular focus for rare earth mining applications: the municipality of Minaçu. The area has historically been affected by asbestos production, and today there are 37 mining applications there and in the neighboring municipality of Montividiu do Norte.
According to Gonçalves’s most recent study, there’s already a concentration of mining operations in settlements in that part of the state, now aggravated by the expansion of critical minerals. “In the north and northeast of the state, there is a new extractive frontier that is predatory and threatens the remaining rural populations in Goiás; people who still live on the land, in a relationship with water, with crops, with their historically constituted territories,” he said.
Land disputes and environmental damage
Ítalo Kant is a member of the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), a land-rights advocacy group affiliated with the Catholic Church. He said the arrival of these large mining projects in the neighboring state of Minas Gerais is fueling the intensification of local disputes over land and even natural resources.
“Usually, these areas already have a historical tension over land use, where family farming fights against land grabbers, gold miners, extensive livestock farming, soybean crops and, ultimately, the use of pesticides,” said Kant, who’s also a member of the National Committee in Defense of Territories against Mining. “So, with the arrival of these large mining projects, the first step is the expansion and intensification of these local disputes over land.”
If these projects are approved, he added, there’s a risk of a “community disruption, resulting from decades and decades of struggle these families have endured to gain access to this territory. If you remove these people from this territory, it’s a method of destabilizing the entire community network and breaking social and even environmental contracts.”
In yet another state, Pernambuco, in the northeast, Lenivaldo Marques da Silva Lima, a member of the local rural workers federation, Fetape, also warned of the fallout from new mining operations in rural settlements.
According to Lima, the Zona da Mata region of Pernambuco is undergoing “severe environmental changes,” with sugarcane fields being cleared for cattle and extensive livestock farming, which “is devastating the climate and the environment.” Rare earths mining in this region will worsen the situation even further, reducing the area planted with food and intensifying social problems, he added. “This will affect the production of healthy food and leave people landless. We need to fight against this.”
Family farming in northern Bahia’s Caatinga region. Image by Xavier Bartaburu/Mongabay.
Responses
In Bahia, the SDE, the state development agency, said mining concessions fall under federal jurisdiction, under the responsibility of the National Mining Agency, which has not yet notified the state about the areas being explored by the company Borborema.
“It is important to emphasize that INCRA also has specific legislation (Normative Instruction 122/2021), which establishes procedures for approving the use of settlement areas for mining, energy and infrastructure projects,” the SDE said. “SDE has no stake in the project; only the company can withdraw from it. Furthermore, the project’s viability is the responsibility of the licensing agencies; therefore, only these agencies can deny it.”
In June, the Federal Public Defender’s Office (DPU) filed a Public Civil Action requesting INCRA revoke Normative Instruction 112/2021, which allows mining within rural settlements.
Borborema Mineração did not respond to requests for comment by the time this article was originally published.
This story was first published here in Portuguese by the Mining Observatory on July 2, 2025.
Surge in critical minerals claims puts Brazil’s land reform communities at risk
Banner image: A rare earths mine operated by Serra Verde Mineração in Minaçu, Goiás state, Brazil. Image by Eraldo Peres/AP Photo.
Citation:
Gonçalves, R. J. A. F., & Dumont, M. A. (2023). A mineração de amianto e o desastre permanente da minério-dependência em Minaçu, Goiás, Brasil. Élisée – Revista de Geografia da UEG, 12(01), e1212312. doi:10.31668/elisee.v12i01.14072
In theory, all biological structures, functions and even organisms could be recreated in their mirror image, leading to endless possibilities.Credit: Getty
This week, experts in synthetic biology and microbiology, among other fields, are gathering in Manchester, UK, to explore the benefits and risks of building synthetic life. One of the topics that will be discussed is how research might be restricted to prevent the creation of organisms made of components that are the mirror image of those that make up life on Earth. Days after the Manchester meeting, the issue will be examined at a workshop organized by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. And other meetings are planned.
Mirror-image enzyme copies looking-glass DNA
Most of the biological molecules known to make up life on Earth have a specific handedness, or chirality. Amino acids have left-handed chirality, for example, whereas DNA is right-handed. Because mirror-image bacteria or other synthetic life forms would be made of molecules of opposite handedness (so with right-handed amino acids and left-handed DNA), the concern is that such organisms might represent a hazard to known life1–3 (see also go.nature.com/3hshyst and go.nature.com/3vwuytw). For example, some of them might be capable of evading immune systems, confounding medicines, resisting predation and causing harms to humans, non-human animals, plants and ecosystems2,3.
Prohibiting the creation of molecules or biological entities of either chirality that could endanger human health or environmental stability should be uncontroversial. And discussions early in the development of a field — as well as efforts to engage the public — can be constructive when it comes to ensuring that research is conducted responsibly and ethically.
But in the face of vast unknowns, the noble path of pre-emptively protecting humanity from potential risks in the distant future can be slippery. And we should tread cautiously.
The concept of a mirror-image biological world is not new. It was first proposed in 1860 by French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur4. And the potential benefits and risks of mirror-image organisms have been discussed by the research community for more than 30 years1–3 (see also go.nature.com/3hshyst and go.nature.com/3vwuytw). However, in the past few months, the conversation has abruptly shifted to calls for hard limits on basic research and funding2.
At this point, there are divergent views (see go.nature.com/46tgjvf and eLetters by R. Derda et al. and D. Perrin in ref. 2) on how soon it might be possible to create mirror-image organisms; the potential benefits and risks of generating mirror-image life and of developing precursor technologies; whether moratoria on research should be imposed; and, if so, what areas of study should be restricted.
Given the countless unanswered questions, careful consideration of the scientific facts learnt so far — regarding what it would take to create a mirror-image life form, and the pros and cons of research on mirror-image molecular biology more broadly — is crucial for bridging divergent views and fostering rational and informed debate.
On the distant horizon
In December 2024, nearly 40 experts, including in synthetic biology, ecology and immunology, co-authored a Policy Forum article in Science2 and released a separate 299-page technical report3. In both, the authors argued that were mirror-image life created, it would be very likely to present unprecedented risks to humans, animals, plants and ecosystems.
Multiple meetings have followed the Science publication, including in the United Kingdom, the United States, France and the Netherlands.
But how close are scientists to being able to create a mirror-image life form?
Scientists have been pondering the idea of a mirror-image world of biology for more than a century.Credit: Jorg Greuel/Getty
Dozens of research groups, including those at pharmaceutical companies, have been synthesizing and investigating mirror-image proteins, DNA and RNA for the past three decades to understand fundamental biology and develop therapeutics5–14. My colleagues and I have been exploring various mirror-image molecular processes, too. These include the replication of mirror-image DNA, the transcription of mirror-image DNA into mirror-image RNA and the translation of mirror-image RNA into mirror-image proteins — in other words, a mirror-image version of the central dogma of molecular biology7–11.
Research in mirror-image molecular biology is still in its infancy. But scientists working in this field have been humbled by the tremendous challenges of exploring this unknown world5–14. The creation of mirror-image organisms, if it ever became feasible, would face monumental conceptual and technical barriers.
Hundreds to thousands of cellular components — including proteins, nucleic acids, membranes, metabolites and complex carbohydrates called glycans — would need to be synthesized chemically or enzymatically in their chirally inverted forms. Some of these are encoded directly by DNA. But many are synthesized or modified by other complex biological machinery, meaning their compositions and structures cannot simply be derived from DNA sequences. And many have not yet been characterized.
It took our group nearly four years to chemically synthesize a mirror-image protein fragment of up to around 470 amino acids9 — the longest single-chain mirror-image polypeptide reported so far. Synthesizing longer polypeptides and membrane proteins that are rich in water-repelling (hydrophobic) domains would be even harder.
Asilomar conference took courage and foresight — today, inclusivity would also be crucial
Likewise, we have been trying to chemically synthesize a highly simplified version of a mirror-image ribosome since 2016, and are still years away from achieving it. Should we succeed, this ribosome will lack protein and RNA modifications and will not have aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (the enzymes responsible for attaching specific amino acids to their corresponding transfer RNAs during protein biosynthesis)8,11. This means it will be able to produce only short peptides and small proteins (say, of about 300 amino acids)8.
Even if all the constituent molecules of the simplest bacterium could be synthesized in their mirror-image forms, these would need to be folded correctly and assembled with spatio-temporal precision to create a mirror-image bacterium that functions as a complex, autonomously replicating cell.
Many laboratories have built non-living membrane-bound compartments, in which copies of DNA and RNA molecules can be made or in which RNA molecules can be translated into proteins. Although researchers have been able to isolate biologically derived ribosomes and other cellular machinery with natural chirality for decades, no lab has been able to use this machinery to produce all the essential cellular components in vitro.
Researchers don’t yet know how to assemble a natural-chirality self-replicating cell from biologically derived building blocks — let alone how to chemically synthesize a mirror-image one from the ground up. And although other strategies for the creation of mirror-image life have been proposed (such as the stepwise conversion of a natural-chirality cell into a mirror-image cell2,3), there is insufficient evidence to support their feasibility.
In short, it is crucial to distinguish mirror-image molecular biology from the creation of mirror-image organisms. A self-replicating cell has molecular diversity, metabolic complexity and structural intricacy that are orders of magnitude greater than what’s found in any currently synthesizable biomolecular system. And the creation of a mirror-image organism lies well beyond the reach of present-day science.
Endless possibilities
Because all biological structures, functions and even organisms could be recreated in their mirror image, the possibilities — good and bad — in a looking-glass world are endless. As well as considering the risks of hypothetical scenarios, such as the creation of mirror-image life, it is important to keep in mind the realized and potential benefits of the mirror-image molecular biology research that is already under way5–14.
When given to animals or humans, mirror-image peptides and nucleic-acid drugs can trigger a much milder immune response compared with their natural-chirality counterparts13. They are also more resistant to biodegradation, which means a dose can stay in the body for much longer. The implications for drug discovery are profound.
Dozens of mirror-image peptides, DNA and RNA molecules are already being developed as drug candidates for cancer, metabolic diseases, infectious diseases and inflammatory disorders10,13. Indeed, a synthesized mirror-image ribosome would probably drastically accelerate pharmaceutical discovery by enabling the high-throughput production of mirror-image peptides8,11.
All sorts of other possible applications of mirror-image molecules or biological entities can be imagined, particularly in medicine and sustainability.
Mirror-image glucose tastes as sweet as its natural-chirality counterpart, but does not provide calories because it is not metabolized by the enzymes found in natural-chirality organisms15. This means that mirror-image glucose and other mirror-image sugars could serve as non-caloric sweeteners or other food additives.
Mirror-image DNA molecules have the same capacity to hold information as their natural-chirality counterparts do, but they are more resistant to biodegradation and easier to distinguish from contaminant (natural-chirality) DNA. As such, mirror-image DNA molecules can serve as robust information repositories9.
Nanoparticles or nanocapsules, built using mirror-image proteins, could enable the safe delivery of drugs by shielding them from the immune system. Mirror-image DNA or RNA molecules designed to detect the presence of certain human proteins and metabolites, such as thrombin10 and guanine11, could be used as diagnostic biosensors in clinical settings.
Meanwhile, mirror-image versions of enzymes that are capable of degrading plastics that have no chirality could offer a solution to plastic pollution12. Like their natural-chirality counterparts, such enzymes can break down plastics but are more resistant to biodegradation themselves. In principle, mirror-image versions of enzymes that can capture carbon might similarly be used to help address climate change.
Plastic-consuming bacteria, shown in this artist’s impression, contain enzymes that degrade plastics. Biostable mirror-image versions of these proteins could offer a solution to plastic pollution.Credit: Thomas Parsons/Science Photo Library
As well as providing solutions for all sorts of practical problems, basic research on biology through the looking glass could offer insights into the structures and functions of biomolecules. It could shed light on the origin of homochirality (the dominance of one set of chiral molecules in known forms of life), and even on the origin of life11. It could guide searches for new life forms, for instance, on Earth as well as on other planets.
Of course, the very properties that promise to make mirror-image proteins and nucleic acids so useful in so many contexts — their biostability and tendency to induce only a mild immune response in humans and other organisms — could also make certain mirror-image organisms harmful1–3 (see also go.nature.com/3hshyst and go.nature.com/3vwuytw).
The potential for harm needs careful consideration. But many questions remain. For example, a mirror-image bacterium would contain molecules such as glycans that, in known forms of life, exhibit less uniform chirality than do proteins, DNA and RNA. This might mean that a mirror-image bacterium could provoke a stronger immune response in humans and other organisms than do mirror-image proteins, DNA or RNA in isolation (see eLetter by R. Derda et al. in ref. 2).
The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has released a new safety video on its investigation into the significant fire that burned for three days at the Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) facility in Deer Park, Texas on 17 March 2019. The video, entitled “Terminal Failure: Fire at ITC”, includes an animation of the incident and commentary from CSB Chairperson Steve Owens and Investigator-In-Charge Crystal Thomas.
At the time of the incident, the ITC facility housed 242 aboveground storage tanks, which were used to store petrochemical products for various companies. Each tank could hold up to 80,000 barrels of flammable petrochemical liquids, including naphtha, toluene, xylene, and other gas blends. The CSB’s final investigation report into the incident was released in July 2023.
On the morning of 17 March 2019, a circulation pump on one of those tanks, known as Tank 80-8, catastrophically failed, allowing a large quantity of a flammable liquid blend of butane and naphtha to escape from the tank and accumulate on the ground around it. The release went unnoticed and continued for approximately thirty minutes before flammable vapours collecting around the tank ignited and caused a massive fire.
Once the fire erupted, ITC was unable to isolate or stop the release. The fire burned for three days, destroying 15 of the 80,000-barrel tanks and their contents, causing more than $150 million in property damage at the facility, and leading to several shelter-in-place orders that seriously disrupted the local community.
The incident also significantly impacted the environment. A containment wall around the tanks breached and released an estimated 470,000-523,000 barrels of hydrocarbon and petrochemical products, firefighting foam, and contaminated water, which entered an adjacent bayou and eventually reached the Houston Ship Channel. A seven-mile stretch of the Channel was closed, along with several waterfront parks in Harris County and the City of LaPorte, due to the contamination.
In the video, CSB Chairperson Steve Owens states: “The incident at the ITC terminal resulted from several serious failures at the facility. In particular, ITC lacked monitors to alert operators that the pump had failed. And ITC had no remotely operated emergency isolation valves that could have safely stopped the release of the flammable liquid. The tank farm’s design also meant that other tanks were highly vulnerable. Once the pump failed, it was too late to prevent a catastrophic fire from happening.”
As in the CSB’s final report, the safety video covers five key safety issues that contributed to the incident: pump mechanical integrity, flammable gas detection systems, remotely operated emergency isolation valves, tank farm design, and PSM and RMP applicability. The video also highlights safety recommendations made by the CSB to ITC, the American Petroleum Institute, OSHA, and the EPA.
Chairperson Owens concludes the video by saying: “A serious gap in federal regulations also contributed to the severity of this event. We believe that our recommendations, particularly to OSHA and EPA, to expand regulatory oversight of these kinds of chemicals and facilities will help ensure that a similar incident does not occur in the future.”
The recent floods in Pakistan have left behind unprecedented destruction, displacing millions of people, damaging homes, crippling livelihoods, and devastating infrastructure. According to the Federal Minister for Planning, the country has suffered a staggering loss of over Rs. 500 billion. In response, the federal government has declared a Health Emergency and an Agriculture Emergency, recognising the scale of the crisis. Beyond the immediate suffering, these floods will have far-reaching consequences on our already fragile economy, particularly as agriculture, the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, has been badly affected. Food insecurity, unemployment, and economic slowdown are likely to worsen in the months ahead.
At such a time, Pakistan’s higher education sector must rise to the challenge. With 274 Higher Education Commission (HEC) recognised universities and over 140 campuses spread across the country, our universities are more than just academic centres; they are hubs of knowledge, youth energy, and community engagement. These institutions can play a transformative role in relief and rehabilitation. University students and faculty can volunteer in flood-hit areas, distributing food, water, and medicines. Medical universities can set up health camps and provide life-saving support to communities exposed to disease outbreaks. Agricultural and engineering institutions can develop innovative solutions, from flood-resistant crops to disaster-resilient infrastructure. Universities also have the responsibility to raise awareness on climate change, disaster preparedness, and community resilience, ensuring society learns vital lessons from this tragedy.
However, universities alone cannot meet this challenge. The role of effective local bodies is equally critical. Local governments are the first responders at the grassroots level, uniquely positioned to assess needs and ensure the timely and fair distribution of aid. Unfortunately, the absence or weakness of local bodies in many parts of Pakistan has often led to inefficiency and delays in disaster management. Strengthening this basic tier of governance is essential if relief and rehabilitation efforts are to succeed.
An inspiring example of academic institutions stepping up comes from OIC-COMSTECH, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General. On his special instructions, a COMSTECH relief team recently visited the flood-affected areas of Chaniot, Vehari, and Khairpur Tamewali in South Punjab to provide humanitarian support and solidarity. The delegation, led by the author, worked in collaboration with COMSATS University Vehari Campus and local organisations. The relief convoy carried food items, clean drinking water, medicines, and medical kits, supported by volunteers who ensured transparent and effective distribution. Prof. Choudhary, in his message of solidarity, reaffirmed COMSTECH’s commitment, declaring that the organisation “stands firmly with the people of Pakistan” and will continue mobilising all available resources to support flood victims.
Earlier, COMSTECH, in partnership with Government College University Faisalabad, organised two medical camps in suburban areas of Chiniot near the Chenab River, where doctors, faculty, and student volunteers provided ration bags, clean drinking water, and medical treatment to dozens of families. Prof. Dr. Rauf-I-Azam, Vice Chancellor of Government College University Faisalabad, was physically present in the flood-affected areas, personally leading the relief efforts alongside his team, which greatly motivated students and faculty to take part in this humanitarian mission. These relief activities, along with the participation of member institutions of the COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence, highlight how universities can effectively combine academic expertise with humanitarian service.
While immediate relief is vital, the real challenge is long-term rehabilitation. Universities can help shape government policy on climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable agriculture. They can train farmers, health workers, and local communities in resilience and preparedness. Institutions with expertise in GIS and data science can map flood-prone areas and develop early warning systems. Architecture and engineering departments can design affordable, eco-friendly housing solutions for displaced families. Such interventions will not only address current suffering but also prepare the nation for future climate-induced disasters.
The devastating floods of 2025 are a stark reminder of our vulnerabilities. With losses exceeding Rs. 500 billion, Pakistan cannot afford fragmented responses. The federal and provincial governments must lead, but universities, local bodies, and institutions like COMSTECH must play their part with equal determination. Our universities, with their reach and resources, should integrate humanitarian service into their missions. Local bodies must be empowered to serve effectively at the grassroots. COMSTECH’s example shows that academic institutions can indeed become beacons of hope in times of despair.
It is now the collective responsibility of all stakeholders, including government, academia, local bodies, civil society, and international partners, to rebuild lives, restore dignity, and ensure a more resilient future for our flood-affected brothers and sisters
DOHA, Qatar — Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Israel sends a “clear message” of support, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday, as it emerged that a key Qatari negotiator narrowly avoided an Israeli strike because their meeting was delayed.
Rubio landed in Jerusalem on Sunday seeking answers from Israel after its unprecedented attack on Hamas leaders inside Qatar, another key American partner in the Middle East. The Trump administration has sought to distance itself from the strike, which has outraged regional powers and could have escalated even further.
Qatar’s key negotiator, who regularly talks to both Israel and Hamas, was due to be at the villa that Israel struck last Tuesday, a diplomat with knowledge of the talks told NBC News. At the last moment his meeting with Hamas was delayed, they said.
Rubio said Saturday that the U.S. was unhappy about the attack on the building in Qatar’s capital, Doha, but Netanyahu emphasized the enduring U.S.-Israel alliance as the two spoke to reporters.
“America has no better ally than Israel, and of course, Israel has no better ally than America,” he said, adding that President Donald Trump is the “greatest friend” Israel has ever had in the White House.
“Your visit to Israel today is a clear message that the United States stands with Israel,” he said to Rubio.
Rubio, too, promised “unwavering support” for Israel’s goals in Gaza, saying Hamas must be “eliminated” and the hostages returned “immediately.”
“As much as we may wish that there’d be a sort of a peaceful, diplomatic way to end it, and we’ll continue to explore and be dedicated to it, we also have to be prepared for the possibility that that’s not going to happen,” he added.
Rubio and Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday.Nathan Howard / AFP – Getty Images
Despite the public show of unity, Rubio’s trip underlines Washington’s delicate effort to balance relations with key allies while managing the fallout of the attack.
Rubio will travel to Qatar on Tuesday after meeting with Netanyahu in Israel, then make his way to the U.K., according to a senior State Department official.
On Sunday, Qatar began hosting a summit of Arab and Muslim leaders in the wake of the strikes, which drew condemnation from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other regional powers.
The Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council said in a statement on Monday that the attack was “a blatant assault on the efforts of the international community and its international organizations aimed at achieving a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages and detainees, and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law.”
The United Nations Human Rights Council said it would hold an urgent debate on Tuesday to “discuss the recent military aggression” by Israel on Qatar.
Trump met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in New York on Friday, days after Israel’s strike. The Qatari premier, who accused Israel of having “killed any hope” of releasing hostages still held in Gaza, also met with Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.
Elsewhere, Israeli forces have intensified aerial attacks on famine-stricken Gaza City and nearby areas in recent weeks, as part of an operation to occupy the city.
Chris Wilder has been confirmed as Sheffield United’s new manager on a contract to 2027 after Rubén Sellés was sacked on Sunday. It is the 57-year-old’s third spell in charge of his boyhood club – and comes just three months after he was dismissed by the hierarchy. He takes over a team bottom of the Championship after defeats in all five of their league matches.
United said in a statement that promotion remained the ambition for the season. The club are nine points off the playoffs and 13 behind the leaders, Middlesbrough, after the 5-0 loss at Ipswich on Friday that triggered Sellés’s dismissal.
It is thought Wilder has returned empowered after clashing previously with the US ownership, the COH Sports consortium, around its transfer strategy shift. The club’s attempts to implement artificial intelligence-led recruitment have so far backfired.
Wilder, who had two stints as a United player, was the manager from 2016 to 2021 and 2023 to 2025. He led the club into the Premier League in 2019, finishing ninth in 2019-20, their first season back in the top flight. They struggled in 2020-21, however, with Wilder departing in March 2021 as the side faced a return to the Championship. He returned as manager in December 2023 and last season his side accumulated 90 points in the regular league season. But he was shown the exit door once again after defeat by Sunderland in the playoff final, losing 2-1 to a stoppage-time winner.
“Following a difficult start to the season, the board felt it necessary to make a change in order to stabilise performances and strengthen our push for promotion,” a club statement said. “While the adoption of a different style of play was pursued with ambition, results have clearly not met expectations.
“Chris Wilder returns with proven leadership and an unparalleled understanding of Sheffield United. We are confident he is the right person to restore momentum, unite the squad and supporters, and deliver the results necessary to achieve our objectives this season.
“We would like to thank Rubén Sellés for his hard work and professionalism during his time at the club. Responsibility for recent results lies with us as owners, and we remain fully committed to supporting the team and pursuing promotion.”
Wilder’s first game back in the dugout will be when Sheffield United host Charlton at Bramall Lane on Saturday.
