It can be argued that international cricket is not the pinnacle of the T20 format, that the highest standard is found at the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Salt has excelled there, too.
The 29-year-old is the only batter to score more than 1,000 IPL runs at a strike-rate in excess of 175. No-one else scoring that quickly has managed to reach 500 career runs.
And this is the real kicker. Of batters to have played 30 IPL innings – so those that have had a good go in cricket’s richest tournament – Salt’s strike-rate of 175.70 is the highest. Every single T20 great you could think of – Andre Russell, AB de Villiers, Jos Buttler and the rest – are eating Salt’s dust.
It is a record that makes him hot property at the top of the order, and a champion of the past two seasons. In 2024 it was with Kolkata Knight Riders, Salt only missing the final because England players were called back to prepare for the World Cup. This year it was with Royal Challengers Bangalore, opening with Virat Kohli.
“He has a thirst to improve,” said Buttler, English cricket’s most successful export to the IPL.
“If you look at him two or three years ago and where his game was, and you look at it now. He was a top player then as well, but he just wants to keep adding to his game.
“He asks questions of the coaches and other senior players, and he’s added more and more to his game, which I think has made him harder to stop.
“In particular, his off-side play is outstanding, and when he’s so strong through the leg side, he’s hard to stop.”
Autumn brings a chill in the air – and the start of another season of respiratory illnesses, which can be especially hard for older adults.
Although vaccine recommendations have been in flux, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations on respiratory vaccines for older adults remain robust.
As a geriatrician treating primarily patients age 65 and older, I’ve found that my patients are often unsure which of the various types of pneumonia vaccines is the best option for them.
Until recently, the CDC recommended that everyone age 65 and older get a pneumonia vaccine. A year ago, in October 2024, the CDC lowered the recommended age from 65 to 50 due to a growing recognition that pneumonia can cause serious illness in people ages 50-65 – especially people who have other conditions that make them particularly vulnerable.
Pneumonia basics
Pneumonia most commonly occurs when a bacterium called Streptococcus pneumoniae infects the lungs. The infection can spur an outsize immune response and damage cells.
The first vaccine for pneumonia was developed more than 100 years ago, at the request of the South African mining industry, which was losing a startling 5% to 10% of workers to the disease each year.
For decades the most widely used pneumonia vaccine for adults was the so-called 23-valent vaccine, or PPSV23, which was approved in 1983 and protected against 23 strains of pneumococcal bacteria. In 2014, the PCV13 vaccine, which protected against 13 types of these bacteria, became the first pneumonia vaccine to be routinely recommended for adults age 65 and older. This vaccine was made using a newer technology that is thought to be more effective.
The pneumonia vaccine has been recommended for older adults since 2014. fstop123/E+ via Getty Images
Since then, three other pneumonia vaccines for adults, also made using the newer technology, have been licensed and added to the list of those recommended for older adults. The most recent of these is PCV21, which was approved in 2024 and specifically targets strains that usually affect adults rather than children.
Which specific pneumonia vaccine you get will depend on your medical conditions and other health factors. Your health care provider will determine the most appropriate option, but you can learn more about pneumonia vaccines on the CDC’s website and bring specific questions to your next health care visit.
Why did the guidelines change?
As the population of older adults rises, research suggests that without intervention, the number of people hospitalized with pneumococcal pneumonia could nearly double by 2040. About 150,000 Americans are hospitalized with pneumococcal pneumonia each year.
Although the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the independent body that advises the CDC on vaccines, had previously considered lowering the recommended age to receive the vaccine from 65 to 50, the approval of PCV21 provided a push. Because the rate of pneumococcal pneumonia was so high in this age group, they moved to adopt the recommendation.
The pneumonia vaccine boosts the immune system’s ability to fight off this bacterium and lowers the likelihood of getting pneumonia – and of getting seriously ill, getting hospitalized, being put on a breathing machine or dying from a pneumonia infection.
According to the CDC, the old vaccine, PPSV23, is 60% to 70% effective in preventing invasive pneumonia, the more serious version of the disease in which pneumococcal bacteria infect the major organs and the blood. Althoughtis new, its mechanism and the strains it covers suggest it is even more effective, especially for people living in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities.
Who should get the vaccine?
Older age is the clearest risk factor for getting sick from pneumonia. So, if you’re like me and you are planning for an upcoming 50th birthday – and have never gotten the pneumonia vaccine before – make sure to put “get the pneumonia vaccine” on your birthday list.
If you’re an adult under 50 years old with a high risk condition, such as chronic liver disease or diabetes, the CDC also recommends you get vaccinated for pneumonia.
And make sure to talk with your health care provider to see that you’re also up to date on all recommended vaccines, which could include shingles, flu, RSV and COVID-19.
What was truly special about BCG was how deeply invested people were in my development. No matter how busy the case became, my project leader always made time for our weekly feedback sessions, offering tangible and actionable guidance that pushed me to grow into a more well-rounded consultant.
By the end of the internship, I was struck by how much I had grown—not only in industry knowledge, but also in strategic thinking, structured problem-solving, and effective communication.
SOM played a vital role in making my summer experience possible—especially through the resources and support offered by the SOM Consulting Club. The comprehensive and structured Consulting Club curriculum prepared me well for every step along the recruitment journey, and the supportive community I found at SOM carried through the summer as an invaluable network. I am excited to serve as one of the co-presidents of the Consulting Club this year, giving back to the community that has been a cornerstone of my journey.
Finally, I want to give a heartfelt shout-out to the amazing SOM classmates and alums at BCG who made my summer both possible and memorable. Thank you for being my cheerleaders through the highs and lows!
President Asif Ali Zardari Thursday visited the Urban Operations and Management Centre of Urumqi where he was received by the Mayor of Urumqi and the Vice Governor of Xinjiang.
The President and his delegation were briefed about the Centre, which digitally links more than 30 municipal departments and delivers over 200 services to citizens.
Officials explained how the Centre serves as a one-window hub for public services, enabling real-time coordination on issues such as health, education, road safety, utilities and emergency response.
President Zardari took keen interest in the integrated digital platform and appreciated the vision of those who planned and operate it. He said that such an approach to city management provides valuable lessons for Pakistan and expressed the hope that urban planners in Pakistan would draw inspiration from this model and develop systems suited to local needs.
Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, and the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan were also present on the occasion.
Chatbots give positive, human-like responses to prompts from users.Credit: Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty
Accounts of people developing psychosis — which renders them unable to distinguish between what is and is not reality — after interacting with generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots have increased in the past few months.
Supportive? Addictive? Abusive? How AI companions affect our mental health
At least 17 people have been reported to have developed psychosis, according to a preprint posted online last month1. After engaging with chatbots such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, some of these people experienced spiritual awakenings or uncovered what they thought were conspiracies.
So far, there has been little research into this rare phenomenon, called AI psychosis, and most of what we know comes from individual instances. Nature explores the emerging theories and evidence, and what AI companies are doing about the problem.
Can AI trigger psychosis?
Psychosis is characterized by disruptions to how a person thinks and perceives reality, including hallucinations, delusions or false beliefs. It can be triggered by brain disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, severe stress or drug use.
That AI can trigger psychosis is still a hypothesis, says Søren Østergaard, a psychiatrist at Aarhus University in Denmark. But theories are emerging about how this could happen, he adds. For instance, chatbots are designed to craft positive, human-like responses to prompts from users, which could increase the risk of psychosis among people already having trouble distinguishing between what is and is not real, says Østergaard.
UK researchers have proposed that conversations with chatbots can fall into a feedback loop, in which the AI reinforces paranoid or delusional beliefs mentioned by users, which condition the chatbot’s responses as the conversation continues. In a preprint published in July2, which has not been peer reviewed, the scientists simulated user–chatbot conversations using prompts with varying levels of paranoia, finding that the user and chatbot reinforced each other’s paranoid beliefs.
Studies involving people without mental-health conditions or tendencies towards paranoid thinking are needed to establish whether there is a connection between psychosis and chatbot use, Østergaard says.
Who is at risk?
People who have already experienced some kind of mental-health issue are at the greatest risk of developing psychosis, Østergaard says. It seems that some people can experience their first psychotic break from interacting with chatbots, he adds, but most of them will already be susceptible to developing delusions or paranoia owing to genetics, stress or misuse of drugs or alcohol. Østergaard also theorizes that chatbots could worsen or trigger mania, a period of extremely elevated energy and mood associated with bipolar disorder, because they reinforce symptoms such as elated mood.
People who are isolated and do not interact with friends, family or other people are also at risk, says Kiley Seymour, a neuroscientist at the University of Technology Sydney in Australia. Interacting with other people protects against psychosis, she adds, because “they can offer those counterfactual pieces of evidence to help you think about how you’re thinking”.
But the risk of developing psychosis for people without a predisposition is the same whether they do or don’t interact with chatbots, adds Seymour.
How might AI reinforce delusional beliefs?
Chatbots can remember information from conversations that occurred months earlier, which can trigger users to think that they are “being watched or that their thoughts are being extracted, because they can’t remember ever sharing that information”, says Seymour. Grandiose delusions, in which users think they are speaking to a god through the chatbot or have discovered a truth about the world, can also be reinforced, she adds. In an analysis of chats posted online, the Wall Street Journal reported finding dozens of instances in which chatbots validated mystical or delusional beliefs or made claims that they were in contact with extraterrestrial beings.
Qatari Ambassador Sheikh Ali Mubarak Ali Isa Al-Khatir met with the Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad, on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations, regional developments, and the recent Israeli attack on Qatar, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
During the meeting, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad strongly condemned the Israeli assault, terming Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel “global criminals.” He said the attack on Qatar, a nation known for its role as a platform for dialogue and negotiations, was further proof of “Zionist brutality.”
“The hearts of the people of Qatar and Pakistan beat together,” Azad declared, emphasising that the Islamic Summit held in Doha reflected the unity of the Muslim Ummah.
He described the summit’s declaration as the collective voice of the Islamic world and praised the solidarity visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir to Qatar following the attack.
Azad also lauded the Prime Minister’s speech at the Islamic Leadership Conference in Doha, calling it “the voice of 240 million Pakistanis.” He urged the Muslim world to unite and stand firmly against “anti-Islamic forces like Israel.”
Qatari Ambassador Sheikh Ali Mubarak Ali Isa Al-Khatir expressed gratitude to Pakistan for its immediate show of solidarity. He noted that the condemnation conference held at Lahore’s Badshahi Mosque was “clear proof of Pakistan’s love” for Qatar.
“The first leaders to visit Qatar after the Israeli attack were Pakistan’s Prime Minister and Army Chief, which reflects the depth of our brotherly ties,” the envoy said. He added that “Qatar and Pakistan are like one soul in two bodies.”
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Pak-Qatar relations and promoting unity within the Islamic world.
Researchers in Bristol found links between harmful gambling and suicide attempts in young people
More needs to be done to protect young people from gambling harms, according to researchers who found them at greater risk of mental health issues.
A University of Bristol study found gambling addicts aged 20-24 were four times more at risk of attempting suicide than recreational or non-gamblers.
Olly Bastiani is lead author of the Children of the 90s study, which has tracked people since birth. He said as people in the study grew up when gambling was less accessible than it is now, it shows so “much more needs to be done” to protect the next generation.
A government spokesperson said it aims to reduce suicide rates by “providing tailored support and tackling harmful gambling habits”.
The findings come after data from 2,801 participants of the Children of the 90s study across 24 years was analysed.
Researchers said their work was unique in being able to rule out other explanations for someone’s suicidal feelings.
Lead author Olly Bastiani said: “This study tracked people from birth, meaning we could look at the long-term impacts of problem gambling, and could rule out alternative explanations that hinder previous studies, such as that people might be drawn to problem gambling as a way of escaping pre-existing suicidal feelings.”
The findings follow a survey published earlier this year by sector regulator the Gambling Commission which suggested 2.5% of the adult population may be experiencing problem gambling.
Martin Jones’ son Josh died by suicide aged 23 after struggling with a gambling addiction
Martin Jones has been learning about the gambling industry since his son Josh died by suicide 10 years ago at the age of 23.
“He suffered from gambling addiction for six years,” said Mr Jones, from Wiltshire.
“When he first went to university, he lost his first term’s money in a week. In the end, after losing all of his payday [money] for the nth time, it just became too much.”
Martin Jones
Josh Jones died at the age of 23
Mr Jones said he wants to see more action from gambling companies and more power given to councils to decide which shops go on high streets.
“Those who create the harm need to be held to account,” he said.
“Gambling companies, on the high street and online, need a legal duty to prevent harm,” he added.
A government spokesperson said it is implementing a new statutory levy on gambling operators, which is expected to raise up to £100m a year to “fund the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harms”.
A spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council said its members have contributed more than £170m to charities tackling gambling-related harm over the past four years.
“Each month, about 22.5 million people in Britain enjoy a bet, on the lottery, in bookmakers, casinos, bingo halls and online, and the overwhelming majority do so safely and responsibly,” they added.
If you’ve been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.
ISLAMABAD, Sep 18 (APP):The Rawalpindi Astronomy Society (RAS) and Space Sciences Group have announced an exciting series of outreach activities for World Space Week 2025, which will be observed worldwide from October 4 to 10 under the theme “Living in Space.”
The organizers are inviting schools and educational institutes across the region to join this global celebration of science, technology, and space exploration by hosting astronomy sessions on their campuses.
During the week-long program, students will be given a rare chance to witness the wonders of the universe with their own eyes.
Under the guidance of experts from RAS and the Space Sciences Group, the participants will explore the craters of the Moon, observe distant planets and study star clusters through telescopes. The initiative aims to spark curiosity, inspire scientific thinking, and cultivate a deeper interest in astronomy and space sciences among young learners.
World Space Week is celebrated in more than 90 countries and is recognized as the largest annual space event on Earth. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1999, it commemorates two historic milestones in space history: the launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik-1, on October 4, 1957, and the signing of the Outer Space Treaty on October 10, 1967.
Since then, schools, universities, space agencies, and science organizations across the globe have come together every year to inspire students and highlight the benefits of space exploration for humanity.
This year’s theme, “Living in Space,” encourages students and educators to reflect on humanity’s future beyond Earth, from life aboard the International Space Station to potential missions to the Moon and Mars.
By bringing professional telescopes and astronomy expertise directly to schools, RAS and the Space Sciences Group are ensuring that local students become part of this worldwide dialogue about space, science, and exploration.
The institutions wishing to take part in these activities can contact the organizers at 0333-0680723 or 0332-5397661 to arrange on-campus sessions.
The first high-energy collisions between light nuclei at the Large Hadron Collider confirm the unusual “bowling-pin” shape of neon nuclei and offer up a new tool to study the extreme state of matter produced in the aftermath of the Big Bang
This summer, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) took a breath of fresh air. Normally filled with beams of protons, the 27-km ring was reconfigured to enable its first oxygen–oxygen and neon–neon collisions. First results from the new data, recorded over a period of six days by the ALICE, ATLAS, CMS and LHCb experiments, were presented during the Initial Stages conference held in Taipei, Taiwan, on 7–12 September.
Smashing atomic nuclei into one another allows physicists to study the quark–gluon plasma (QGP), an extreme state of matter that mimics the conditions of the Universe during its first microseconds, before atoms formed. Until now, exploration of this hot and dense state of free particles at the LHC relied on collisions between heavy ions (like lead or xenon), which maximise the size of the plasma droplet created.
Collisions between lighter ions, such as oxygen, open a new window on the QGP to better understand its characteristics and evolution. Not only are they smaller than lead or xenon, allowing a better investigation of the minimum size of nuclei needed to create the QGP, but they are less regular in shape. A neon nucleus, for example, is predicted to be elongated like a bowling pin – a picture that has now been brought into sharper focus thanks to the new LHC results.
The experiments focused on measurements of subtle patterns in the angles and directions of the particles flying outward as the QGP droplet expands and cools, which are caused by small distortions in the original collision zone. Remarkably, these “flow” patterns can be described using the same fluid-dynamics calculations that are used to model everyday fluids, allowing researchers to probe both the properties of the QGP and the geometry of the colliding nuclei. Accurate model predictions enable a more precise exploration of flow in oxygen–oxygen and neon–neon collisions than in proton–proton and proton–lead collisions.
ALICE, which specialises in the study of the QGP, as well as the general-purpose experiments ATLAS and CMS, have measured sizeable elliptic and triangular flow in oxygen–oxygen and neon–neon collisions, and found that these depend strongly on whether the collisions are glancing or head-on. The level of agreement between theory and data is comparable to that obtained for collisions of heavier xenon and lead ions, despite the much smaller system size. This provides strong evidence that flow in oxygen–oxygen and neon–neon collisions is driven by nuclear geometry, supporting the bowling-pin structure of the neon nucleus and demonstrating that hydrodynamic flow emerges robustly across collision systems at the LHC.
Complementary results presented last week by the LHCb collaboration confirm the bowling-pin shape of the neon nucleus. The results are based on lead–argon and lead–neon collisions in a fixed-target configuration, using data recorded in 2024 with its SMOG apparatus. The LHCb collaboration has also started to analyse the oxygen–oxygen and neon–neon collision data.
“Taken together, these results bring fresh perspectives on nuclear structure and how matter emerged after the Big Bang,” says CERN Director for Research and Computing Joachim Mnich.
Further material
Animation showing side-by-side comparison of lead-lead and oxygen-oxygen collision
Animations showing the quark–gluon plasma formed in collisions between heavy ions
Animation showing the quark-gluon plasma produced in a lead-lead collision and formed by squeezing a group of protons together
When Moraa turned to track, it was mainly in the hope that it would lead her family out of poverty.
Raised in Kisii, western Kenya, the future star and her three siblings were orphaned as toddlers and struggled through childhood. The youngsters had to learn how to survive on their own at a very young age.
In addition to walking six kilometres to school, the girl had to work odd jobs to pay for her own expenses and those of her elderly grandparents, who briefly raised them.
That rough start in life made the athlete resilient and determined to make something of herself.
Inspired by great Kenyan champions like Hellen Obiri, who has remained her close mentor, running also became an escape.
“I kept on running, obviously hoping that it could help me change our lives. We struggled a lot, and with my earnings, I can now support my family,” Moraa said in an interview with Olympics.com in Budapest in 2023, where she won her first global title.
“As I am preparing and racing at such big events, I think about a lot of things…my family, my upbringing, which wasn’t easy. But I always appreciate the fact that despite the odds and the tough experiences, I managed to overcome them, and I am out here representing my country.”
