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  • PIA plans UK flights from Aug 14

    PIA plans UK flights from Aug 14

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    The government said on Tuesday that the new buyer of the Pakistan International Airlines would require investing up to Rs70 billion in the loss-making airline over a period of five years but final investment needs would be assessed only after the audited accounts are available next month.

    Privatisation Commission secretary Usman Bajwa said that the new investors would require to invest Rs60 billion to Rs70 billion over the five years. He made the statement during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Privatization, which was chaired by Senator Dr Afnan Ullah Khan of the PML-N.

    Usman Bajwa said that new investment will be aimed at financial recovery, operational improvements, and increasing the fleet size.

    During the last failed attempt to privatise PIA, the government set the investment limit at $300 million and the new limit appeared on the lower side compared to the last time. One of the possible reasons can be the assumption of improved profitability due to opening of international routes to Europe and the United Kingdom and tax exemptions on lease of aircraft.

    Usman Bajwa said that PIA has decided to start flights to Manchester from August 14 after the United Kingdom lifted a ban on PIA flights. The ban had been imposed after the last PTI government claimed that the PIA pilots had bogus degrees.

    The advisor to Prime Minister on Privatisation Muhammad Ali said after the meeting that the airlines total investment requirements would be assessed once the audited financial accounts for end June period are available by mid of next month.

    The Secretary Privatisation said that there were security concerns regarding PIA’s North America routes but efforts were underway to address and clear these concerns.

    The investor will retain 85% of the bid amount to invest the money in the airline. The government will get only 15% of the bid money.

    The PIA fleet age has also risen to 18 and a half years and the new investor would have to double the fleet within five years, said the secretary. The CEO of PIA said early this month that the airline was currently flying 19 aircraft.

    The government had earlier claimed that the PIA showed Rs26 billion profit last year but a report by the Ministry of Finance busted the claim and stated that the airline in fact incurred a net loss of Rs4.6 billion and one-off “accounting profit” of Rs26 billion due to treating past losses as future assets “should not be misinterpreted as a sign of operational profitability”.

    The government wants to sell 51% to 100% stakes along with the management control. It had also made an attempt to privatize PIA last year but ended up receiving Rs10 billion bid against Rs85.03 billion minimum price.

    The standing committee also reviewed a report highlighting complaints of the pensioners of PIACL. It was also revealed that currently pension liabilities for 6,625 employees of PIA amounted to Rs14. 9 billion. Expressing concern, Chairman Committee Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan remarked that the pension amount was extremely low, asking how people are expected to survive.

    In response, the Ministry of Privatization stated that pension policies are regularly revised and updated annually in line with allowances. The Chairman directed that grade and scale wise pension details, including the amount received and the distribution process, be presented in the next meeting of the committee

    The secretary said that the due diligence process for pre-qualified companies has begun and the field visits would start soon. He said that starting next week; pre-qualified companies will conduct site visits and participate in expert sessions. These sessions will include briefings on aircraft conditions and routes, as stated by Usman Bajwa.

    The Privatisation Commission officials said that the current business model of PIA was not sustainable. They said that the privatisation prospects have increased after Rs45 billion worth more liabilities were taken off the balance sheet of PIA and parked in the new holding company.

    They said that the last failed attempt will not affect the new bidding process. The Secretary Privatisation said that the government was earlier providing Rs100 billion annually to keep PIA operational.

    The Committee was informed that the Pakistan Minerals Development Corporation (PMDC) is not yet included in the Privatization list. Senator Zeeshan Khanzada questioned why this institution was being privatized.

    Senators further queried the basis of the privatization decision, noting that the Petroleum Ministry lacks the mandate to privatize the PMDC.

    Regarding Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), the committee was informed that it is included in phase one of the privatization list approved by the government in August 2024. ZTBL is currently in the process of hiring a financial advisor.

    The Chairman Committee questioned the delay in hiring a financial advisor, noting that the last meeting was held on January 31st, when the bids were submitted and evaluated. He expressed concern that nearly six months had passed without finalizing the appointment. The ministry responded that the process typically takes six to eight weeks but was delayed due to high fee demands by one party by nearly Rs500 million, which is forcing a restart of the process.

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  • National Australia Bank CEO says he just has to weather media coverage of investor complaints – Reuters

    1. National Australia Bank CEO says he just has to weather media coverage of investor complaints  Reuters
    2. NAB runs into a governance bin fire with a boozy accelerant  The Age
    3. NAB’s friends and enemies  Banking Day
    4. NAB Shares (ASX:NAB) Hit Resistance As Markets Take Pause  thebull.com.au
    5. NAB boss’s admission; Why Ray Dalio’s right; Aussie city set to shine  AFR

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  • Trump announces ‘massive’ trade deal with Japan | Donald Trump News

    Trump announces ‘massive’ trade deal with Japan | Donald Trump News

    United States President Donald Trump has announced that he has struck a “massive” trade deal with Japan following months of fraught negotiations.

    Under the agreement announced on Tuesday, the US will impose a 15 percent tariff on Japanese exports and Japan will invest $550bn in the US, Trump said.

    “We just completed a massive Deal with Japan, perhaps the largest Deal ever made,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

    “Japan will invest, at my direction, $550 Billion Dollars into the United States, which will receive 90% of the Profits.”

    Japan will also open up to US exports of cars, rice and certain agricultural products, Trump said, adding that the deal would create “hundreds of thousands of jobs”.

    “There has never been anything like it,” he wrote.

    Speaking at a reception with members of the US Congress later on Tuesday, Trump said the sides had also agreed to form a joint venture to exploit liquified natural gas in Alaska.

    “It’s a great deal for everybody. I always say it has to be great for everybody,” he said.

    “It’s a great deal – a lot different from the deals in the past, I can tell you that.”

    Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, whose ruling coalition is reeling from the loss of its upper house majority over the weekend, on Wednesday told reporters that he would “carefully examine” the details of the agreement, but he believed it was in the national interest.

    Confirming local media reports, Ishiba said US tariffs on Japanese automobiles would be lowered from 25 percent tariff to 15 percent.

    Trump’s auto tariffs, as well as his 50 percent duties on aluminium and steel, had been a major sticking point in the months-long negotiations between Washington and Tokyo.

    Japan, which until now has been subject to Trump’s 10 percent baseline tariff, was facing a 25 percent duty on most exports if Washington and Tokyo did not reach a deal by an August 1 deadline.

    “Reciprocal tariffs set at 15% (down from the 25% earlier this month) is relatively good news for Japan, but questions remain if Japan has created any carveouts for Section 232 tariffs in key sectors like steel and semiconductors,” William Chou, deputy director of the Japan Chair at the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC, said in a post on LinkedIn.e.

    US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent hailed the deal as a “historic agreement”.

    “I am happy to reaffirm our commitment to deepening this longstanding alliance and building the next chapter of US-Japan cooperation as we enter a new Golden Age under President Trump,” Bessent said on X.

    Japanese auto stocks soared following Trump’s announcement, with Mazda rising more than 17 percent and Toyota, Nissan and Honda up by between 8.5 and 12 percent on Wednesday morning.

    Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225, which tracks the broader stock market, rose nearly 3 percent.

    While details were sparse, Trump’s announcement is potentially the most significant of his trade deals to be unveiled so far, following preliminary agreements with the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, and a 90-day trade truce with China.

    Japan, the world’s fourth-largest economy, is the US’s fifth-largest trading partner.

    The US imported $148.2bn worth of Japanese goods in 2024, while Japan bought $79.7bn worth of US products, according to the US Census Bureau.

    “It’s a sign of the times that markets would cheer 15 percent tariffs,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at US-based Annex Wealth Management.

    “A year ago, that level of tariffs would be shocking. Today, we breathe a sigh of relief.”

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  • Politics of personal glory – Newspaper

    Politics of personal glory – Newspaper

    LAST week, headline news on a leading private TV channel revealed that ‘a Sharif family meeting in Murree has approved the Punjab provincial government’s expansion’. The report simply reflects how the affairs of the government in the country’s biggest and most powerful province have virtually become a family enterprise.

    There is nothing new about the dynastic stranglehold on Pakistani politics. But the kind of family rule that prevails in Punjab tells the story of an increasingly regressive power structure. Apparently, not only are decisions on important policy matters taken during family meetings, there is also a government-sponsored move to build a personality cult around former prime minister and head of the Sharif family Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, Punjab’s chief minister.

    It seems that most major government development projects in the province are named after either of the two. There has also been a move to rename some of the old government-run projects after the chief minister. Meanwhile, the provincial government has been running massive ad campaigns praising its own performance in various spheres, with life-sized pictures of the chief minister. Many also carry the image of her father.

    This publicity drive is apparently being carried out at government expense. Recently, posters referring to the chief minister as ‘Madr-i-Millat’ (mother of the nation) appeared in the province. This campaign may not be sponsored by the provincial government but has certainly been orchestrated by the ruling party. Even with dynastic politics being the name of the game in Pakistan, rarely has the country witnessed this scale of personal glorification. Such campaigns are only seen in authoritarian regimes which lack legitimacy. But these publicity measures are short-lived and cannot serve the objective. Legitimacy and popularity cannot be won on the back of state-sponsored publicity drives. This kind of personalised publicity drive, paid for by the people’s tax money, is beyond narcissism and has clear political aims. In fact, placing personal photographs in government-sponsored ads and naming projects that use state funds after a sitting government head is seen as illegal in many countries.

    The Sharifs’ personalised publicity seen in Punjab has clear political aims.

    Even in Pakistan, a Supreme Court ruling in 2022, quoted by Naeem Sadiq on these pages, declared: “Paid servants of the state, constitutional office holders and politicians in government must not use their positions for personal, partisan or pecuniary gain”. It further noted: “Pakistan is not a kingdom, principality or fiefdom in which the people are to be beholden to their rulers.”

    It seems that the country has actually been turned into a fiefdom where there is no respect for rules or moral values. Self-glorification of the ruling family, which returned to power with a questionable mandate, makes a mockery of the democratic process. Power is concentrated in the hands of the prime minister and the chief minister of the biggest province — both belong to the Sharif family.

    Could this have happened without the establishment’s support? This self-glorification campaign is not limited to civilians and extends to the military leadership. It seems that the entire image-building effort for the civilian and military leadership is part of a concerted plan to strengthen the existing hybrid power structure. Behind the civilian façade, the spectre of those wielding the real power looms large. The Sharif family appears content to play second fiddle. After all, the family owed its return to power to the backing of the powers that be.

    More than anyone, the Sharif family should know the slippery slope of power politics. They have been on it many times in the past and were swept away by the fast-shifting sands of Pakistani politics. Yet the lure of power is so strong that they tend to forget their own example. They have readily become an instrument in the move to undermine democracy. Their own return to po­­wer is the result of a manipulated electoral process, which also explains the fragility of a fabricated power structure lacking popular mandate.

    It was a remarkable turn of events that allowed the once-disgraced family to return to the corridors of power. Three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif was unceremoniously removed by the Supreme Court in 2017 and barred for life from holding public office through a controversial verdict the following year. He, along with his daughter and other members of the family, were convicted on multiple graft charges.

    After being ousted from power, he and his party tried to mobilise public support on the back of the slogan ‘give respect to the vote’. But all the pro-democracy and anti-establishment rhetoric was set aside once a deal was struck. In less than four years after his exit, the PML-N was back in power, with Nawaz Sharif’s younger brother becoming prime minister in the new set-up formed after the removal of Imran Khan through a vote of no-confidence in parliament made possible by behind-the-scenes elements.

    But the elder Sharif waited for the announcement of the elections before returning to the country. In no time, his convictions were overturned by the courts and his disqualification was lifted. He was sure of his party sweeping the polls, so it must have come as a rude shock when the counting started. He lost in Mansehra and his victory in Lahore was questionable. His dream of becoming prime minister was dashed. But the establishment’s backing for his party was assured no matter what the real results were.

    Most Sharif family members who were earlier convicted and suffered prison are now part of the power structure, although Nawaz Sharif has opted to stay in the background and lead the party. He seems happy with his daughter becoming the first woman chief minister of Punjab and with himself being glorified as a great leader and helmsman. The great champion of democracy does not seem to have any problem now when the sanctity of the vote is being crushed.

    The writer is an author and journalist.

    zhussain100@yahoo.com

    X: @hidhussain

    Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2025

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  • Gold Rates in Pakistan Today, 23 July 2025

    Gold Rates in Pakistan Today, 23 July 2025

    KARACHI – Gold prices in Pakistan remained constant in both local and international markets amid US tariff talks with other countries.

    According to the Saraffa Association, the price of 24-karat gold per tola stood at 361,200 without any change while the rate for 10 grams stood at Rs309,671.

    Gold is a valuable commodity widely traded in global markets. Known for its rarity and durability, gold has been used for centuries as a store of value and hedge against inflation. It is traded in various forms, including physical bullion, futures contracts, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

    Investors often turn to gold during economic uncertainty, as it tends to retain value when other assets decline. Major trading centers include London, New York, and Shanghai. Gold prices are influenced by factors like interest rates, currency strength, and geopolitical events, making it a crucial component of diversified investment portfolios.

    In international market, the gold price also remained steady at $3,387 per ounce.

    Today Gold Rate in Pakistan

    City Gold Price Silver Rate
    Karachi 361,200 Rs4,035
    Lahore 361,200 Rs4,035
    Islamabad 361,200 Rs4,035
    Peshawar 361,200 Rs4,035
    Quetta 361,200 Rs4,035
    Sialkot 361,200 Rs4,035
    Hyderabad 361,200 Rs4,035
    Faisalabad 361,200 Rs4,035

    However, the rates of per tola and ten gram silver increased by Rs23 and Rs.20 to Rs.4,035 and Rs.3,459 respectively.

    Market experts attribute the ongoing volatility to uncertain trends in global bullion trading and the fluctuating value of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar.

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  • FLR, PENGU, WLD surge with altcoin market’s highest close in eight months

    FLR, PENGU, WLD surge with altcoin market’s highest close in eight months

    • Flare edges higher by 4%, extending the nearly 15% gains from Tuesday. 
    • Pudgy Penguins stretch the bullish run for the third consecutive day. 
    • Worldcoin ticks lower after a nearly 13% jump on Tuesday. 

    The total cryptocurrency market capitalization, excluding Bitcoin (BTC), hit a daily close of $1.53 trillion, the highest in eight months. The altcoin market has recorded a 30% surge in July so far, suggesting a capital rotation from Bitcoin to altcoins, which indicates an altcoin season may be around the corner. 

    Total crypto market cap, excluding Bitcoin, daily price chart.

    As altcoins heat up, Flare (FLR), Pudgy Penguins (PENGU), and Worldcoin (WLD) post double-digit gains over the last 24 hours, outpacing the broader cryptocurrency market. 

    Flare aims to surpass the 50% level at $0.02458

    Flare edges higher by 4% at press time on Wednesday, extending the nearly 15% gains from the previous day. The uptrend challenges the 50% level at $0.02458, which is drawn from the $0.03827 peak on December 3 to the $0.01088 low on April 7. 

    If bullish momentum holds, a decisive close above this level could boost FLR to the $0.02851 level, last tested on January 30. 

    The 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) is on the verge of crossing above the 200-day EMA, potentially signaling a Golden Cross. Investors could consider this a buy signal as the short-term surge outpaces the longer-term trend. 

    The Moving Average Convergence/Divergence (MACD) indicates a surge in bullish momentum, as evidenced by rising green histogram bars above the zero line. 

    The Relative Strength Index (RSI) reads 90 on the daily chart, indicating increased buying pressure that has led to an overbought condition. 

    FLR/USDT daily price chart.

    On the downside, if FLR fails to maintain a daily close above $0.02458, the declining trend could retest the $0.02090 support level, erasing the gains made on Tuesday.  

    Pudgy Penguins sustain the bullish run, targeting $0.07000

    Pudgy Penguins maintain a bullish trend with the third consecutive positive candle so far this week, accounting for an over 45% rise. The uptrend inches closer to the $0.05000 psychological level as it exceeds the 78.6% retracement level at $0.03731, drawn from $0.07000 on December 17 to $0.00370 on April 9. 

    A decisive close above the $0.05000 level could extend the bullish trend to the $0.07000 peak. 

    The Golden Cross, followed by a crossover between the 100-day and 200-day EMAs, suggests a bullish trend is in motion. 

    The MACD indicator, with rising green histogram bars, and the RSI at 90 (indicating overbought conditions) on the daily chart, suggest continuous growth in bullish momentum.

    PENGU/USDT daily price chart.

    On the downside, a reversal in PENGU could retest the 78.6% Fibonacci level at $0.03731.

    Worldcoin reversal run holds above the 200-day EMA

    Worldcoin ticks lower by 3% at press time on Wednesday, following a nearly 13% surge on Tuesday. WLD holds above the 200-day EMA at $1.28 and the 38.2% Fibonacci level at $1.22, drawn from $4.19 on December 6 to $0.57 on April 7. 

    The uptrend targets the 50% retracement level at $1.55, last tested on May 23. A decisive close above this level would mark the highest close since February 1, potentially extending the uptrend to $1.96, aligning with the 61.8% level. 

    The 50-day and 100-day EMAs are on the verge of a crossover, signaling that short-term recovery is outpacing the medium-term trend.

    The MACD and its signal line maintain an uptrend, with the RSI at 78, approaching the overbought boundary, suggesting extended recovery amid heightened bullish momentum.

    WLD/USDT daily price chart.

    However, if WLD falls below the 200-day EMA at $1.28, it could retest the 38.2% Fibonacci level at $1.22, followed by the 100-day EMA at $1.07.


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  • Teeth marks suggest ‘terror bird’ was killed by reptile 13 million years ago

    Teeth marks suggest ‘terror bird’ was killed by reptile 13 million years ago

    Victoria Gill

    Science correspondent, BBC News

    Link et al/Biology Letters The image shows an artist's impression of a terror bird being attacked by a caiman, a large crocodile-like predator. The caiman is emerging from a river and grabbing the panicked bird by its leg. This depicts a scene that scientists believe could have taken place 13 million years ago in Colombia. Link et al/Biology Letters

    The researchers say the terror bird did not survive the encounter

    Teeth marks made on the leg bone of a large avian reptile known as a terror bird 13 million years ago suggest an even bigger predator may have killed it, scientists say.

    Terror birds were top predators – they could be taller than a human and had powerful legs and hooked, flesh-ripping beaks.

    Palaeontologists in Colombia matched teeth marks on the fossilised leg bone of one of these fearsome birds to a caiman, or a crocodile-like reptile.

    3D digital scans of the bites allowed the scientists to reconstruct what they believe was a “battle to the death” that the terror bird did not survive.

    Link et al/Biology Letters The image shows the digital scan of a crocodile skull biting into a small leg bone. The bone that is being bitten into is based on a 3D scan of the 13 million year old fossilised bone from a terror bird.  Link et al/Biology Letters

    The researchers scanned the teeth marks in the leg bone and compared it with skulls and teeth of crocodile-like predators

    The new study, published in the journal Biology Letters, compared the size and shape of the teeth marks to the skulls and teeth of crocodile-like predators in museum collections.

    It provides rare evidence, the researchers say, of an interaction between two extinct top predators at the time.

    The leg bone the scientists studied was first unearthed more than 15 years ago in Colombia’s Tatacoa Desert.

    When the bird lived in the swamps of that area 13 million years ago, it would have been about 2.5m tall and would have used its legs and beak to hold down and rip at its prey.

    What the scientists are not able to prove conclusively is whether this particular, unfortunate terror bird was killed in the attack, or if the caiman scavenged its remains.

    “There is no sign of healing in the bite marks on the bone,” explained lead researcher Andres Link from the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia.

    “So if it wasn’t already dead, it died in the attack. That was the last day that bird was on this planet – then a piece of its leg bone was found 13 million years later.”

    Andres Link The image shows a chunk of fossilised bone from a terror bird's leg. There are two holes visible in the bone - puncture marks left by the teeth of a predatory reptile. Andres Link

    The teeth marks are clearly visible on the piece of leg bone

    The Tatacoa Desert is home to rich deposits of fossils from an epoch known as the Middle Miocene.

    At that time, it was a humid swamp, where river sediments trapped and fossilised the bones of dead animals, resulting in the preserved remains found there today.

    This particular bone was first discovered about 15 years ago by local fossil collector César Augusto Perdomo.

    The Colombian scientists worked closely with Mr Perdomo, studying and cataloging fossils that he has gathered in his museum. It was when scientists were working in the museum that they realised that this fist-sized piece of leg bone came from a terror bird.

    That was an exciting discovery – terror bird fossils are rare. But Dr Link and his colleagues were also fascinated by the puncture marks in the bone, which had clearly been made by the teeth of another powerful predator.

    Andres Link The image shows a fossil collector at a dusty site in Colombia. The man wears a red shirt and a wide-brimmed hat to protect him from the sun. His feet are bare and he is examining the ground carefully for fossils. Andres Link

    César Augusto Perdomo has been collecting fossils since he was a child

    This new analysis of the marks revealed that they most closely match an extinct caiman species called Purussaurus neivensis, a crocodilian that would have been up to five metres long.

    The researchers say it would have ambushed its prey from the water’s edge, much like crocodiles and caimans do today.

    “I would imagine it was waiting for prey to to be nearby,” said Dr Link.

    If this was indeed a battle between two apex predators, Dr Link says that provides insight into an ancient ecosystem. It reveals that ferocious terror birds were much more vulnerable to predators than previously thought.

    “Every piece of a body helps us to understand so much about life on the planet in the past,” Dr Link told BBC News.

    “That’s something that amazes me – how one tiny bone can complete the story.”

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  • New approach doubles chemotherapy effectiveness by targeting cancer cell memory

    New approach doubles chemotherapy effectiveness by targeting cancer cell memory

    In a wholly new approach to cancer treatment, Northwestern University biomedical engineers have doubled the effectiveness of chemotherapy in animal experiments.

    Instead of attacking cancer directly, the first-of-its-kind strategy prevents cancer cells from evolving to withstand treatment – making the disease easier to target with existing drugs. Not only did the approach fully wipe out the disease to near completion in cellular cultures, but it also dramatically increased the effectiveness of chemotherapy in mouse models of human ovarian cancer.

    The study was published today (July 22) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

    “Cancer cells are great adapters,” said Northwestern’s Vadim Backman, who led the study. “They can adapt to almost anything that’s thrown at them. First, they learn to evade the immune system. Then, they learn how to adapt to chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation. When they resist these treatments, they live longer and acquire mutations. We did not set out to directly kill cancer cells. We wanted to take away their superpower – removing their inherent abilities to adapt, to change and to evade.”

    Backman is the Sachs Family Professor Biomedical Engineering and Medicine at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering, where he directs the Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering. He also is a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University, the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute and the International Institute for Nanotechnology.

    Chromatin is key to cancer’s survival

    Cancer has many distinctive features, but one trait underlies them all: its relentless ability to survive. Even as it is bombarded by the immune system and harsh medical treatments, cancer might shrink or slow its growth, but it rarely disappears. While genetic mutations contribute to this resistance, mutations occur much too slowly to explain cancer cells’ rapid survival response.

    In a series of studies, Backman and his team discovered a fundamental mechanism that explains this ability. The intricate organization of genetic material, called chromatin, dictates cancer’s ability to adapt and survive in the face of the most potent drugs.

    Chromatin – a group of macromolecules including DNA, RNA and proteins – determines which genes are suppressed or expressed. To fit the two meters of DNA that comprises the genome within just one hundredth of a millimeter of space inside a cell’s nucleus, chromatin is packed extremely tight. 

    Through a combination of imaging, simulations, systems modeling and in vivo experiments, Backman’s team discovered that the three-dimensional architecture of this packing not only controls which genes are expressed and how cells respond to stress, but it also allows cells to physically encode memories of gene transcription patterns into the geometry of the packing itself. 

    The genome’s 3D arrangement acts like a self-learning system, much like a machine learning algorithm. As it learns, this arrangement constantly reshapes into thousands of nanoscopic chromatin packing domains. Each domain stores part of a cell’s transcriptional memory, which dictates how the cell functions. Throughout one’s life, these cell-specific chromatin domains are formed, strengthened by cellular experiences, stored and rewritten. Problems with this transcriptional memory can lead to diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and might even drive aging.

    In the case of cancer, when chromatin packing is disordered, a cell demonstrates more plasticity – or an increased ability to adapt – enabling them to learn to resist treatments such as chemotherapy.

    Reprogramming chromatin to boost chemotherapy

    In the new study, Backman and his team developed a new computational model that uses physics to analyze how chromatin packing influences a cancer cell’s odds of survival against chemotherapy. After applying the new model to various types of cancer cells and chemotherapy drug classes, the team found it could accurately predict cell survival – before treatment even began.

    Because chromatin packing is critical for cancer cell survival, the researchers wondered what might happen if they changed the packing architecture. Instead of developing new drugs, they screened hundreds of existing drug compounds to find candidates that could alter the physical environment inside cell nuclei to modulate chromatin packing. Ultimately, the team selected celecoxib, an FDA-approved anti-inflammatory drug that is already on the market. Often prescribed to treat arthritis and heart conditions, celecoxib has a side effect of altering chromatin packing.

    “Several drugs, including celecoxib, can regulate chromatin and repress plasticity,” Backman said. “With this approach, we now can design strategies that synergize with chemotherapy or other existing therapies. The important finding is the concept itself. This particular drug just proves the point.”

    “This study opens up novel therapeutic avenues to treat cancer that can supplement existing treatments,” said Rachel Ye, a graduate student in Backman’s laboratory. “It is exciting to see how we are unraveling the mysteries of genome organization through multidisciplinary approaches, and this paper is a strong result of that effort.”

    Experimental results

    According to Backman, celecoxib and similar drugs could become a new class of compounds, called Transcriptional Plasticity Regulators (TPRs), designed to modulate chromatin conformation to prevent cancer cells’ adaptive abilities. The researchers found that combining celecoxib with standard chemotherapy caused a substantial increase in the number of cancer cells that died.

    After proving its effectiveness in cellular cultures, Backman and his team wanted to demonstrate its potential in a more realistic biological system. The team combined paclitaxel (a common chemotherapy drug) with celecoxib in a mouse model of ovarian cancer. The experiments revealed that the combination reduced the cancer cells’ adaptation rates and improved the inhibition of tumor growth – outperforming paclitaxel alone.

    “The animal model that we used has incredible predictive power for what happens in humans,” Backman said. “When we treated them with a low dose of chemotherapy, the tumors continued to grow. But, as soon as we combined the chemotherapy with the TPR candidate, we saw much more significant inhibition. It doubled the efficacy.”

    By making chemotherapy more effective, the new strategy potentially could also enable physicians to prescribe lower doses of chemotherapy for their patients. Lower, yet still effective, doses could reduce the burden of chemotherapy’s infamously difficult side effects. That would mark a significant improvement in patients’ overall comfort and experience during cancer treatment.

    “Chemotherapy can be so hard on the body,” Backman said. “A lot of patients, quite understandably, sometimes choose to forego chemotherapy. They don’t want to suffer in order to live a few months longer. Maybe reducing that suffering would change the equation.”

    Future directions for other diseases

    Backman only has focused on cancer so far, but he thinks modulating chromatin conformation might be the key to treating various complex diseases, including heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases and more. Although most cells in a multicellular organism share the exact same genome, there are hundreds of cell types such as bone, neurons, skin, heart tissue, blood and so on. Understanding the physical rules governing how so many different types of cells, with such different functions, can result from the same instruction set is crucial; the conformation of chromatin and the cellular transcriptional memory are what allow all of these different cell types to “remember” which genes to express in order to perform their particular cellular function properly and to work coherently with the cells around them. 

    Backman posits that some complex diseases, rather than being caused entirely by genetic mutations, may be rooted both in mutations and in cells’ losing their correct transcriptional memories. The loss of a cell type-specific transcriptional lineage in neurons has been associated with early stage neurodegeneration, for example. Cells can also forget which genes to express for normal function when they undergo stress, and that incorrect expression may then become written into the cellular memory, leading to loss of cell function or even disease. Reprogramming chromatin conformation could help restore cells’ correct memories, potentially enabling them to return to a normal state. 

    “In many diseases, cells forget what they should be doing,” Backman said. “Many impactful diseases of the 21st century are, to a large extent, related to cell memory. Each cell in our body has several thousand chromatin domains, which are actual physical elements of transcriptional memory. The computational complexity that happens in every single cell is equivalent to a 1984 Apple computer. Cells maintain memory for a long time, but they can also develop spurious memories or lose memories. Cancer cells take that to the extreme. I think what we have found here is the source code of cell memory.”

    The study, “Leveraging chromatin packing domains to target chemoevasion in vivo,” was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grant numbers U54CA268084, U54CA193419, R01CA228272, R01CA225002, R01CA155284, R01CA165309, T32GM132604, T32GM008152 and T32HL076139), National Science Foundation (grant numbers EFMA-1830961, EFMA-1830968, EFMA-1830969, CBET-1249311, EFRI-1240416, DGE-0824162 and DGE-184216), the Lefkovsky Innovation Award and the Chicago Biomedical Consortium with support from the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust.

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  • Infosys sets up expert advisory council for external insight

    Infosys sets up expert advisory council for external insight

    Infosys, India’s second largest IT giant, has constituted an expert advisory council (EAC) to provide independent external insight on disruptive technologies and innovation strategy to make the ongoing AI-led advancements relevant for clients.

    “The council brings together some of the world’s leading experts in key strategic and emerging technology areas. The council will provide independent outside-in insights, challenge current thinking, bring frontier insights, helping us sharpen our technology focus and make it relevant for our clients,” said Infosys’ chief technology officer, Rafee Tarafdar, in an internal mail to employees. ET has reviewed the email.

    Among the council members are four global thought leaders–cybersecurity expert Chris Painter, cognitive psychologist and founding director of Human Interaction Lab at Stanford University, Jeremy Bailenson, AI strategist and principal research scientist at MIT Sloan Center for Information Systems Research, Barbara Wixom, and founder of Exponential View Azeem Azhar, according to a person privy to the development.

    The Bengaluru-based IT major’s management is understood to have initiated discussions with each expert to devise models and joint technology plans.

    The council will also advise on monetisable research opportunities, help identify new collaboration models, and connect Infosys to global innovation ecosystems.

    The initiative will also influence both internal strategy and client-facing offerings, including Living Labs, a program led by Infosys Center for Emerging Technology Solutions (iCETS), and help create innovative solutions for its clients.

    Painter is also the president of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise Foundation and chairs the risk committee at the Centre for Internet Security, while Azhar is a visiting fellow at Oxford University and executive fellow at Harvard Business School.

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  • Pakistan says stepping up security for Chinese nationals amid CPEC expansion

    Pakistan says stepping up security for Chinese nationals amid CPEC expansion


    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s meteorological department on Tuesday warned of glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs), flash floods and landslides in the country’s mountainous northern regions, as the national death toll from monsoon-related incidents climbed to 242, including at least 116 children.


    The warning comes amid ongoing heavy monsoon rains that have battered the country since late June, triggering urban flooding, house collapses and deadly flash floods.


    At least 21 people, including 12 children, died in the past 24 hours alone, according to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), with many of the fatalities reported from drowning, building collapses and fast-moving floodwaters.


    The worst-hit province has been Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous region, where at least 135 people have died. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) reported 56 fatalities, followed by 24 in Sindh, 16 in Balochistan, six in the federal capital of Islamabad, three in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and two in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.


    “In continuation to the GLOF alert issued dated July 15, the wet spell is likely to continue and can affect KP and GB in the current week,” the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said in a public statement.


    “The prevailing weather conditions increase the risk of GLOFs, flashfloods, and landslide events in vulnerable glaciated regions of GB and KP.”



    Glacier lake outburst floods, sudden discharges of water from glacial lakes, are a growing threat in Pakistan’s north due to accelerated glacial melting driven by climate change. These floods can inundate entire valleys in minutes, destroying roads, homes and livelihoods.


    The PMD also warned of landslides and mudslides in areas such as Murree, Galliyat, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, cautioning that roads could be blocked and essential connectivity disrupted.


    Heavy rains are forecast to continue until July 25.


    CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS


    On Tuesday, urban flooding also hit the capital Islamabad, with viral videos showing cars swept away by torrents of water in Saidpur Village and the upscale Defense Housing Authority (DHA) neighborhood.


    One video widely circulated on social media showed a vehicle submerged in floodwater, with a man inside calling for help.


    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over reports of a father and daughter believed to have drowned in the DHA flooding and directed authorities to expedite rescue operations across flood-affected areas.


    The monsoon season typically brings 70 to 80 percent of South Asia’s annual rainfall, arriving in June in India and slightly later in Pakistan. While vital for agriculture, the rains also wreak havoc in countries with fragile infrastructure, poor drainage and high vulnerability to climate shocks.


    Pakistan, home to more than 7,000 glaciers, is consistently ranked among the countries most at risk from climate change, despite contributing less than 1 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions. It has seen increasingly erratic weather patterns in recent years, including record-breaking heatwaves, droughts, and severe storms.


    In May, at least 32 people were killed in separate incidents of torrential rainfall and hailstorms across the country.


    In 2022, catastrophic floods caused by a combination of unprecedented monsoon rains and glacial melt submerged nearly a third of Pakistan, killing more than 1,700 people and displacing over 8 million.


    That disaster inflicted an estimated $30 billion in economic losses and prompted repeated UN calls for global climate reparations.

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