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  • Kashmiris term August 5 as declaration of war, vow to resist Indian occupation

    ISLAMABAD: Kashmiris in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have condemned India’s revocation of the region’s special status on August 5, 2019, calling it one of the darkest chapters in the territory’s recent history and a declaration of war against the Kashmiri people. They vowed to resist Indian occupation with unwavering resolve.

    Posters appeared across Srinagar and other parts of IIOJK, denouncing India’s unilateral actions on that day, which included the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution. These articles granted Jammu and Kashmir special autonomous status and protections for its residents. The posters called India’s actions unconstitutional, asserting that they aimed to strip Kashmiris of their identity, rights, resources, and land.

    The posters labeled the move as an authoritarian and coercive step, made without the consent of the Kashmiri people or their elected representatives. “India has launched a full-scale war on the people of Kashmir,” the posters read. “But Kashmiris are determined to resist and will never surrender their inalienable right to self-determination.”

    The key points highlighted in the posters emphasized that the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A was illegal and unconstitutional. The move was carried out without considering the will of the people of Kashmir and sought to alter the demographic makeup of the region. Kashmiris have rejected this action from the beginning, viewing it as an attack on their dignity, identity, and freedom.

    Kashmiris have reaffirmed their united struggle for the restoration of their rights, including Articles 370 and 35A. They vowed never to renounce their right to self-determination. The posters called for mass unity and resistance against India’s colonial ambitions and emphasized that the fight for justice and freedom would continue until the legitimate rights of Kashmiris are restored.

    The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) also issued a statement through spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, describing India’s actions on August 5 as a direct attack on the region’s unique identity and an attempt to alter the internationally recognized disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir. “The people of Kashmir will continue their struggle until they achieve their UN-acknowledged right to self-determination,” Minhas said.

    He further added that India’s repressive measures would not break the spirit of the Kashmiri people. “The sacrifices of the Kashmiri nation will not go in vain,” he emphasized.

    In solidarity with the ongoing struggle, the APHC called for a complete shutdown across IIOJK on August 5, urging the global Kashmiri diaspora to observe the day as Black Day. The aim is to raise awareness of Indian aggression and draw international attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in the occupied territory.

    This call for resistance underscores the deepening resolve among Kashmiris to continue their fight for justice and self-determination, despite the ongoing repression and military occupation.

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  • Correlation Between Hepatic and Splenic Steatosis Assessed by Transient Elastography in Patients With Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease

    Correlation Between Hepatic and Splenic Steatosis Assessed by Transient Elastography in Patients With Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease


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  • Google rolls out AI Mode shortcut for Search widget on Android

    Google rolls out AI Mode shortcut for Search widget on Android

    Following the Pixel Launcher shortcut, you can now add AI Mode to the Google Search homescreen widget on any Android device.

    Like with a regular search, this lets you immediately enter a prompt into the fullscreen AI Mode screen. Widget access first appeared in April for some users of the Google app beta. It’s gone through a few cycles of being available and then randomly disappearing.

    Over the past few days, we’re seeing the AI Mode widget shortcut widely rolled out for both beta and stable users on Google app 16.28. It appears in its own circle to the right of the voice microphone and Google Lens in the latest widget redesign.

    To set, long-press the widget on your homescreen for settings/edit to get to a Customize screen with Theme and Transparency options. This is also available from the Google app Settings list. 

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    Tap Shortcuts, with “AI Mode” being the second option in the grid after “None.” If you use AI Mode on a non-Pixel device, the “Google” widget is the fastest way to launch AI Mode from your homescreen.

    Meanwhile, if you’re not part of the “AI Mode” Search Lab, the top portion of the Google app is still using the old design. The AI Mode shortcut is a pill in the colorful carousel underneath the Search bar instead of being part of it.

    You might want to consider enrolling for the sleeker design that’s available as you scroll the Discover feed and to test Search Live. 

    New vs. old

    More on Google AI Mode:

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  • Wildfires threaten Turkey’s fourth-largest city as southern Europe grapples with blazes

    Wildfires threaten Turkey’s fourth-largest city as southern Europe grapples with blazes


    Istanbul
    AP
     — 

    Wildfires that have engulfed Turkey for weeks threatened the country’s fourth-largest city early Sunday, causing more than 1,700 people to flee their homes and leaving a firefighter dead.

    Meanwhile, firefighters elsewhere in the region, including Greece, Bulgaria and Montenegro, were also battling blazes fed by unusually high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds.

    Overnight fires in the forested mountains surrounding Bursa in northwest Turkey spread rapidly, tinting the night sky over the city’s eastern suburbs with a red glow. Dozens of severe wildfires have hit the country daily since late June, with the government declaring two western provinces, Izmir and Bilecik, disaster areas on Friday.

    Bursa governor’s office said in a statement Sunday that 1,765 people had been safely evacuated from villages to the northeast as more than 1,900 firefighters battled the flames. The highway linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed as surrounding forests burned.

    A firefighter died from a heart attack while on the job, the city’s mayor, Mustafa Bozbey, said in a statement, adding that the flames had scorched 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) around the city.

    Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, described the scene as “an apocalypse.”

    By morning, lessening winds brought some respite to firefighters, who continued efforts to battle the flames. However, TV footage revealed an ashen landscape where farms and pine forests had earlier stood.

    Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said fire crews across the country confronted 84 separate blazes Saturday. The country’s northwest was under the greatest threat, including Karabuk, where wildfires have burned since Tuesday, he said.

    Unseasonably high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds have been fueling the wildfires.

    The General Directorate of Meteorology said Turkey recorded its highest ever temperature of 50.5 degrees Celsius (122.9 degrees Fahrenheit) in the southeastern Sirnak province on Friday. The highest temperatures for July were seen in 132 other locations, it said.

    Fourteen people have died in recent weeks, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed Wednesday in a fire in Eskisehir in western Turkey.

    Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said late Saturday that prosecutors had investigated fires in 33 provinces since June 26, and that legal action had been taken against 97 suspects.

    In Greece, firefighters battled active wildfires in the country’s southwest and on the island of Kythera on Sunday, following a blaze that scorched the northern Athens suburb of Kryoneri on Saturday. High temperatures, reaching 38°C (100°F) or more, persist across much of the country, though winds have eased slightly.

    In Kryoneri, 27 residents were evacuated overnight with police assistance after some initially ignored warnings. Authorities urged the public to comply with evacuation orders, warning that resistance puts both civilians and rescuers in danger.

    Smoke and flame rise as firefighting teams respond from to a forest fire that broke out in Krioneri near Athens, Greece, on July 26.

    The fire service reported three people hospitalized with breathing issues and one firefighter treated for burns at a military hospital. On the island of Evia, where another fire is now under control, media reports indicate large numbers of animals perished in barns.

    On Bulgaria’s southern borders with Greece and Turkey, as well as the western Serbian frontier, firefighters battled wildfires as the government declared the worst-hit provinces disaster zones. Residents across nearly half the country were issued with a code red warning, the highest level.

    National Fire Service chief Alexander Djartov told reporters that 236 wildfires were burning, many fanned by strong winds. The government had asked EU partners for help, he added, and aircraft were expected from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, Hungary and Sweden later Sunday.

    In the southwestern Strumyani region, overnight blazes forced firefighters to retreat. They were reinforced Sunday by soldiers. Dozens of people fled their homes in the western Tran region as flames threatened villages near the Serbian border.


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  • Steam is testing out a redesigned storefront that makes it easier to find games you’ll like

    Steam is testing out a redesigned storefront that makes it easier to find games you’ll like

    As if we needed more ways to grow our Steam libraries with games we’ll never finish or even play. Now, Steam is experimenting with a redesigned storefront menu as part of its latest beta update to help sell more games. Instead of being overwhelmed with text links and cluttered menu buttons in the current version, Steam’s store page remodel combines everything into a more polished and organized menu at the top.

    In its blog post, Steam said that the redesign is supposed to “provide easier access to the places Steam users most frequently visit.” At the top, the new browse feature lets you get right into digging through games, based on options like top sellers, new releases or discounts. Next to browse, the recommendations button lets you explore what Steam thinks you’ll like, based on other games in your library, your games’ playtimes or even community recommendations. To get a more tailored feel, the categories menu button will give you a look at your top genres and offer some suggested tags to find similar games.

    Steam also revamped the store’s search function to show the most popular searches, your recently viewed games, and top genres. There’s even a button for advanced search for users who want to sort through games with specific filters and tags. None of these features are new, but Steam’s new look makes it easier to get to the most useful parts of the store page.

    There's a dedicated Advanced Search button in the revamped Steam store.

    Steam

    “With these changes, we’re aiming to make your experience smoother and more tailored to your needs,” Steam wrote in its blog post. “We’ve been hearing from players, and experiencing ourselves, that some of the most commonly visited areas of Steam were hard to get to.”

    We may be getting improved search functionality with Steam’s storefront, but it comes amid frustrations over Steam’s recent policy change. Earlier this month, Steam delisted tons of titles with adult or NSFW content to appease its popular payment processors, like Visa and Mastercard, leading to criticism of setting a worrying precedent of censorship. For now, the store page redesign is still part of the Steam Client Beta, where you can submit feedback to help shape the final look.

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  • Tom Pidcock wins second European mountain bike cross-country title

    Tom Pidcock wins second European mountain bike cross-country title

    Double Olympic champion Tom Pidcock claimed his second continental mountain bike cross-country title in Melgaço, Portugal, on Sunday (27 July), adding to his victory from 2022.

    Pidcock dominated the men’s final at the 2025 European Mountain Bike Championships, crossing the line in one hour, 21 minutes and two seconds (1:21.02). He finished 36 seconds ahead of teammate Charlie Aldridge in second place.

    Simon Andreassen of Denmark completed the podium in third place with a time of 1:22.16.

    Pidcock and Aldridge took control of the race in the third lap after Filippo Colombo of Switzerland led over the opening two.

    The British duo opened a gap on the chasing pack with Pidcock taking control at the front of the race and Aldridge riding on his wheel. Pidcock then dropped his countryman to race to victory.

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  • IS-linked rebels accused of killing Christian worshippers in Komanda

    IS-linked rebels accused of killing Christian worshippers in Komanda

    Dozens of people have been killed in an attack by an Islamic State affiliate in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials say.

    About 20 of the dead were worshippers taking part in a night vigil at a church in the town of Komanda when they were attacked by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) fighters, they say.

    Nearby shops and businesses were looted and set on fire.

    The ADF emerged in Uganda in the 1990s, accusing the government there of persecuting Muslims, but is now based over the border in DR Congo, where it regularly attacks civilians of all religions, as well as in Uganda.

    It has since become part of the Islamic State’s Central African Province, which also includes a group in Mozambique.

    According to research by BBC Monitoring, nearly 90% of IS operations are now carried out by affiliates in Africa.

    Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, told the Associated Press that more bodies could be found after the latest attack.

    “More than 21 people were shot dead inside and outside [the church] and we have recorded at least three charred bodies and several houses burned. But the search is continuing.”

    Father Aime Lokana Dhego, a local priest, told the AFP news agency: “We have at least 31 dead members of the Eucharistic Crusade movement, with six seriously injured. Some young people were kidnapped, we have no news of them.”

    He added that seven other bodies had been found elsewhere in the town.

    The UN-sponsored Radio Okapi website put the number of dead at 43.

    A spokesperson for the army said he could confirm 10 deaths.

    In 2021, DR Congo invited Ugandan troops into the country to help tackle the ADF. Attacks however still continue.

    Komanda is in DR Congo’s mineral-rich Ituri province, which has been fought over by various armed groups for many years.

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  • Orthopedic Surgeon is Begging Men Over 40 to Strengthen These Neglected Muscles to Eliminate Chronic Neck and Upper-Back Pain

    Orthopedic Surgeon is Begging Men Over 40 to Strengthen These Neglected Muscles to Eliminate Chronic Neck and Upper-Back Pain

    Orthopedic Surgeon is Begging Men Over 40 to Strengthen These Neglected Muscles to Eliminate Chronic Neck and Upper-Back Pain originally appeared on Men’s Fitness.

    Eric Mancini, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine for HHS at NCH. As a shoulder surgeon, he frequently treats men in their 40s and 50s suffering from chronic neck, trapezius, and shoulder pain. Sound familiar?

    “The shoulders region is integral to nearly every physical activity from lifting weights and playing sports like golf or tennis, to running or simply working at a computer. When left unaddressed, muscle imbalances and poor mechanics in this area can lead to chronic pain, functional limitations, and long-term joint degeneration,” Mancini tells Men’s Fitness.

    Luckily, these conditions are often preventable through focused, preventative exercises, which Mancini shared with Men’s Fitness. Sure, they may not be the exercises you’re used to—like shoulder presses or dumbbell rows—but these are specifically designed to strengthen the shoulder complex, enhance posture, and improve mobility.

    “The advantage of these exercises is their simplicity and accessibility. They are low-impact, require minimal equipment, and can be performed at home, in the gym, or even during breaks at the office. Aim to incorporate them two to three times per week alongside your regular fitness regimen,” he says.

    Related: Over 40? These Daily Mobility Drills Will Help You Move Like You’re 30 Again

    Strengthen the Rotator Cuff

    “Men over 40 are particularly susceptible to rotator cuff tendinitis and subacromial bursitis, especially from repetitive overhead activity. Targeted strengthening of the rotator cuff muscles improves shoulder biomechanics and reduces inflammation in the subacromial space. Focus on light resistance and higher repetitions to build endurance and control,” Mancini says.

    Supraspinatus Activation

    • Reps: 12-15 in each direction

    • How to do it: Anchor a light resistance band under your foot while standing. With your arm straight, raise it to 90 degrees in front of you, hold for 3 seconds, and lower. Repeat the motion to the side.

    Internal and External Rotation

    • Reps: 12-15 for each movement

    • How to do it: Attach a resistance band to a doorknob. Standing sideways to the door with your elbow bent at 90 degrees, pull the band inward toward your abdomen (internal rotation), hold for 3 seconds, then release. Turn to face the opposite direction and pull the band outward from your abdomen (external rotation), hold for 3 seconds, and release.

    • Tip: Avoid raising your arm above 90 degrees, as this may aggravate the shoulder joint and increase pain.

    Strengthen the Periscapular Muscle

    “The scapula serves as the foundation for healthy shoulder movement and is connected to 17 different muscles. Weakness in the periscapular muscles can disrupt scapular motion, contributing to shoulder strain particularly in individuals who lift weights or spend extended time at a desk,” he explains.

    Banded Rows

    • How to do it: Use a light resistance band to perform controlled rows while actively squeezing the shoulder blades together.

    Seated Shoulder Retraction

    • How to do it: Alternatively, while seated at your desk, sit upright and retract your shoulder blades. Hold for 10 seconds.

    • Tip: Emphasize slow, controlled movements and maintain proper scapular alignment to reinforce good posture throughout your daily routine.

    Stretch the Pectoralis Major

    “Tight pectoral muscles are common in men who engage in weight training or sit for prolonged periods. This tightness pulls the shoulders forward, leading to postural dysfunction and upper back tension,” Mancini says. “Stretching the pectoral muscles can help restore natural shoulder alignment and relieve anterior shoulder and biceps strain.”

    Doorway Pectoral Stretch

    • How to do it: Stand in a doorway with both arms bent at 90 degrees, palms flat against the frame. Lean forward slowly until you feel a stretch across the chest. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.

    • Tip: For additional myofascial release, use a lacrosse or massage ball. Press the ball against the wall with your chest and roll it gently across the muscle, applying pressure as tolerated.

    Related: Spine Surgeon: These Uncommon Exercises Will Fix Neck and Upper-Back Pain for Men Over 40

    Orthopedic Surgeon is Begging Men Over 40 to Strengthen These Neglected Muscles to Eliminate Chronic Neck and Upper-Back Pain first appeared on Men’s Fitness on Jul 27, 2025

    This story was originally reported by Men’s Fitness on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.

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  • Donald Trump on Israel-Hamas deal: 'Israel must make a decision' – The Jerusalem Post

    1. Donald Trump on Israel-Hamas deal: ‘Israel must make a decision’  The Jerusalem Post
    2. Trump says Israel will have to ‘make a decision’ on next steps in Gaza  Dawn
    3. Hamas rejects Trump’s ceasefire accusation, cites negotiation progress  Ptv.com.pk
    4. Trump tells Israel to ‘finish the job’ against Hamas weeks after suggesting ceasefire deal in sight  CNN
    5. Trump says Hamas will be ‘hunted down’ as Gaza ceasefire talks wane  Al Jazeera

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  • England vs India: Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar & Ravindra Jadeja resist

    England vs India: Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar & Ravindra Jadeja resist

    India pulled off one of the great rearguards to defy England, earn a draw in the fourth Test at Old Trafford and keep the series alive.

    The tourists batted more than five sessions in their second innings to reach 425-4 when the players shook hands. They had a lead of 114 when the draw was agreed with 10 overs of the match remaining.

    England put in a mammoth effort on the fifth day but were ultimately frustrated by India’s determination, a pitch that only had sporadic spells of life and a crucial Joe Root drop.

    As ever, the home side looked to captain Ben Stokes for inspiration. After not bowling on day four, Stokes urged his fragile body through two spells, and had KL Rahul lbw for 90 at the beginning of the day.

    When Shubman Gill wearily poked at Jofra Archer’s spell with the second new ball, the prolific captain was out for 103 and England had an opportunity. India were four wickets down, 89 behind and had in excess of two sessions to bat.

    But Root put down Ravindra Jadeja from the first ball he faced. England barely got another chance as Jadeja and Washington Sundar each made centuries. Their stand was an unbroken 203.

    It meant England had to make do with only a second draw in 40 Tests since Stokes became captain in 2022, both on this ground, following the rain-affected stalemate with Australia in 2023. All four of Lancashire’s County Championship matches on this ground this year have also been drawn.

    England still lead 2-1 and somehow both teams must regroup for the final Test at The Oval, beginning on Thursday.

    Of chief concern among some weary England bodies will be Stokes, who seemed to be feeling shoulder and upper leg problems throughout the day.

    India will be without wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant because of a fractured foot. The tourists also have decision to make on key pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who has played the maximum three Tests they stated he would before the series.

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