Subterranean forests are not a figment of a science-fiction writer’s imagination, but actually exist.
The Hayward Gallery’s ‘Among the Trees’ exhibition in 2020 included a remarkable photograph by Rachel Sussman of a 13,000-year-old tree, Parinari capensis, growing beneath the red sandy soil of South Africa’s savannah. Or rather, it showed the uppermost crown, the only part of the tree in view.
The appearance is of a small, ground-hugging shrub, rather than the full-sized tree it really is. Sometimes these strange trees cluster together – a veritable underground forest. Botanists have a theory that their extraordinary growth pattern, seen in several species of savannah tree, is a strategy to avoid wildfires. With the trunk and most branches below the surface, they survive the flames.
Do underground trees exist?
As well as the shrub-like Parinari capensis, two new trees species were discovered in 2023 that are nearly entirely underground.
During a National Geographic Expeditions survey of remote Angola, Kew Gardens’ Dr David Goyder found two new tree species buried in the Kalahari sands; their flowers the only parts visible above ground. Trees known to this region have as much as 90% of their body mass deep under the surface – a smart adaptation to the arid surroundings, allowing them to access the small amount of moisture that ends up underground.
Baphia arenicola belongs to the bean family and is named literally “growing on sand” and has white flowers. The second tree, Cochlospermum adjanyae, has bright yellow flowers and is named after Adjany Costa, an Angolan biologist and conservationist who won the UN Young Champions of the Earth Africa prize back in 2019.
In the same year, a new palm was also discovered by Kew’s research team – this time in Borneo. The palm, Pinanga subterranea, is remarkable in its ability to flower and fruit underground. This is a phenomenon only recorded so far in one other plant group (an orchid, Rhizanthella).
The P.subterranea‘s leaves are above ground, so can photosynthesise like other palms, but with its flowers and fruit below the surface, scientists are grappling with how it disperses its pollen.
It’s possible that insects are carrying pollen from one palm’s flowers to another, but for now the true workings of its pollination remains a mystery!
Discover more amazing wildlife stories from around the world
Top image: a mature Pinanga subterranea tree in Gunung Niut Natural Reserve, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Credit: Agusti Randi, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
To our immune system, naked RNA is a sign of a viral or bacterial invasion and must be attacked. But our own cells also have RNA. To ward off trouble, our cells clothe their RNA in sugars, Vijay Rathinam and colleagues in the UConn School of Medicine and Ryan Flynn at Boston Children’s Hospital report on Aug. 6 in Nature.
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a family of large biological molecules fundamental to all forms of life, including viruses, bacteria, and animals. Viruses as diverse as measles, influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and rabies all have RNA, which is why the immune system starts attacking when it sees RNA in the bloodstream or in other inappropriate locations. But our own cells have RNA as well, sometimes displaying it on their surface, plain for roaming immune cells to see – and yet the immune system ignores it.
“Recognizing RNA as a sign of infection is problematic, as every single cell in our body has RNA,” says UConn School of Medicine immunologist Vijay Rathinam. The question is, how does our immune system distinguish our own RNA from that of dangerous invaders?
Previous research led by Boston Children’s Hospital and Stanford University researchers Ryan Flynn and Carolyn Bertozzi had noticed that our bodies add sugars onto RNA. These sugarcoated RNAs (also known as glycosylated RNAs, or glycoRNAs) are displayed on the cell surface and don’t seem to provoke the immune system.
Rathinam and his colleagues wondered whether the sugar was somehow shielding the glycoRNAs from the immune system. This could be a strategy the body uses to prevent our own RNA from provoking inflammation.
When Vincent Graziano, a Ph.D. student in Rathinam’s lab and lead author on the paper, took glycoRNA from human cell cultures and blood, cut off the sugars, and reintroduced it into cells, the immune cells attacked it. The immune cells had ignored the same RNA when it was sugarcoated.
The sugarcoating hides our own RNA from the immune system.”
Vijay Rathinam, immunologist, UConn School of Medicine
It is particularly significant to our body because cells are often covered by glycoRNAs. When cells die and are cleaned up by the immune system, the sugarcoating of RNA prevents dead cells from unnecessarily stimulating inflammation.
The findings could help when thinking about autoimmune diseases. Certain autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, are associated with specific RNA and dead cells setting off the immune system. Now that scientists understand the role of RNA glycosylation in deflecting immune system attention, they can check on whether that strategy is somehow going awry, and, if so, how it might be fixed.
This study was done in collaboration with the laboratories of Ryan Flynn, Thomas Carell, Franck Barrat, Beiyan Zhou, Sivapriya Kailasan Vanaja, Michael Wilson, and Penghua Wang and was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health.
Source:
University of Connecticut
Journal reference:
Graziano, V. R., et al. (2025) RNA N-glycosylation enables immune evasion and homeostatic efferocytosis. Nature. doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09310-6.
LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s senior leaders, incarcerated in Kot Lakhpat Jail, have termed Punjab and Sindh governments’ actions of arrests and baton-charging of peaceful protesters as mockery of democracy.
A hand-written letter signed by PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema and Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed titled “Is this Democracy” was delivered here on Wednesday.
The PTI leaders stated that a peaceful protest call was given by the party for Aug 5 but the “response of the Form-47 government showed its insecurity to the highest level.”
In the National Assembly, the incarcerated leaders stated, the parliamentarians were locked inside on Aug 5 as they were preparing to leave for Adiala Jail. “Did the Speaker, who is the custodian of the House, ordered this atrocity or was he never taken into confidence – is this democracy,” they questioned.
They stated that MPAs including deputy opposition leader Moeen Riaz Qureshi were arrested from Lahore, while he was leading a rally in support of Kashmir cause. “Isn’t mockery of democracy,” they asked.
Mr Qureshi and other leaders stated that some 800 party workers and third-tier leadership were arrested from Punjab. They said PTI Punjab chief organiser Aliya Hamza’s car was destroyed by the police goons, when she took out a rally. They stated Rehana Dar was arrested along with other women workers.
The incarcerated leaders resolved that all the PTI leaders at Kot Lakhpat Jail were standing firm with Imran Khan’s stance. “We believe in the rule of law and our Constitution,” they stated.
Jayson Tatum hangs out with Von Miller during the Commanders-Patriots joint training camp practice.
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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Jayson Tatum was spotted at practice on Wednesday — just not on a basketball court.
The Celtics star made an appearance at the New England Patriots’ joint training camp practice with the Washington Commanders.
Tatum, who had surgery in May to repair the ruptured right Achilles tendon injury he suffered in Boston’s Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the New York Knicks, was seen walking without a boot or brace.
It’s a welcomed sign for Tatum as he continues a rehabilitation that is expected to keep him out most — if not all — of next NBA season. Tatum mostly stood on the sideline during his appearance Wednesday, interacting with Patriots players and Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Tatum has been seen in multiple social media videos working out in the weight room at the Celtics’ team practice facility.
Boston president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said in June that the All-Star is progressing well following surgery. But asked about whether the team had put a potential timeline on Tatum’s return, Stevens was definitive that there would be no rushing the star’s recovery process.
The army’s response came after rumours on social media during the previous weeks that Munir plans to replace President Asif Ali Zardari.
The Pakistan army has denied as “baseless” the rumours that army chief Asim Munir plans to become the next president.
Army spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, in an interview with The Economist, made it clear that the army chief has no interest in the presidency (AP)
The army’s response came following rumours and a wave of disinformation on social media during the previous weeks that Munir plans to replace President Asif Ali Zardari.
Army spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, in an interview with The Economist, made it clear that the army chief has no interest in the presidency and no such proposal is under consideration, the state-run PTV posted on social media on Wednesday.
“Talks about Field Marshal Asim Munir becoming the president of Pakistan are completely baseless,” he said.
On July 10, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi rejected rumours regarding the possible ouster of President Zardari and termed it a “malicious campaign”.
Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, UK, Bangladesh, and Russia get all the latest headlines in one place with including Tsunami Warning Liveon Hindustan Times.
Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, UK, Bangladesh, and Russia get all the latest headlines in one place with including Tsunami Warning Liveon Hindustan Times.
News / World News / Amid buzz of Asim Munir seeking presidency, here’s what Pakistan army says
A group led by the Department of Cell Biology at the Kidney Research Center, Niigata University revealed that elevated activity of cdc42 is a critical initiation event leading to proteinuria, and proposed that suppression of cdc42 activity could be a promising therapy for nephrotic syndrome.
Glomerulus is a filtration unit of the kidney, and the glomerular capillary wall functions as a barrier, preventing the leak of plasma protein into urine. Proteinuria is a clinical symptom showing dysfunction of the barrier of glomerular capillary wall, and is an aggravating factor leading to kidney failure. Besides, proteinuria is reported to be a risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Glomerular epithelial cell (podocyte) is located in outer layer of glomerular capillary wall, and possesses unique processes named foot processes. Neighboring foot processes are bridged by slit diaphragm. It is accepted that slit diaphragm functions as a final barrier preventing proteinuria. Recent clinical studies reported that the major parts of nephrotic syndrome are caused by autoantibody against nephrin, a key component of slit diaphragm.
A group at Niigata University analyzed signaling pathways in podocyte after stimulation by anti-nephrin antibody. The study revealed that ephrin-B1 at slit diaphragm interacted with nephrin and Par6, and that the anti-nephrin antibody caused the phosphorylations of nephrin and ephrin-B1 in a Ca2+ influx–dependent manner. Phosphorylated ephrin-B1 was dissociated from nephrin and also from Par6, and Par6 came to interact with cdc42. The binding of Par6 promoted cdc42 activity. Elevated cdc42 activity promoted calcineurin activity, activated Snail, a transcription factor, and decreased mRNA expression of nephrin, ephrin-B1 and other functional molecules of slit diaphragm (cf. Image). The altered expression of the functional molecules induced the loss of barrier function of slit diaphragm, which leads to proteinuria. The study also showed that a cdc42 inhibitor restored the expression of slit diaphragm functional molecules. Researchers argued that the regulation of cdc42 activity could be a promising therapy for nephrotic syndrome.
Source:
Journal reference:
Zhang, Y., et al. (2025). Cdc42 Activation in Anti-nephrin Antibody-Induced Nephropathy. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. doi.org/10.1681/asn.0000000728.
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
I was cruising through the Across clues on today’s Mini Crossword until I got to 5-Across, which threw me for a loop. Thankfully, once the Down answers began filling in, I figured it out. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword answers? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
The completed NYT Mini Crossword puzzle for Aug. 7, 2025.
NYT/Screenshot by CNET
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Parts of a museum dinosaur exhibit Answer: BONES
6A clue: Smiling Face with Sunglasses, for one Answer: EMOJI
7A clue: Painter’s stand Answer: EASEL
8A clue: Restaurant item often asked for by signing the air Answer: CHECK
9A clue: Overly slapdash Answer: HASTY
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Tree with smooth gray bark Answer: BEECH
2D clue: Nebraska city that’s home to Union Pacific headquarters Answer: OMAHA
3D clue: Features of bloodhounds that are said to be 1,000 times stronger than humans Answer: NOSES
With the return of the Admiral’s Cup and the Fastnet Race dominating headlines, performance on the water has never been more scrutinised.
But behind each result lies months of development for the C-Tech team working quietly with sailmakers and teams to get the right materials in the right place, designed precisely for the rig, the sails, and the campaign.
In recent months, C-Tech has worked closely with teams across Europe and beyond, supporting both new builds and well-established race boats preparing for major events.
One consistent theme has emerged: dialing in stiffness profiles with more precision than ever. In many cases, the process starts in the design software.
Sail designers are running detailed computer models to optimise flying shapes and load scenarios, using 5-point EI stiffness profiles as key variables. Adjusting those profiles by small margins changes how sails perform and that refinement is now core to performance gains.
These models are run in loops between teams and sailmakers, making every tweak a performance decision. C-Tech’s role is to deliver battens to exact specifications, with the lightest weight possible, while ensuring they’re robust enough to handle real-world conditions. That means understanding how each batten is treated in the rig and where strength is essential and where weight savings can be made.
We achieve this through a range of tools:
Mandrel size: Determines the internal shape and sectional properties of each batten.
Laminate materials: A blend of high modulus carbon (stiff but fragile), standard modulus carbon (our core material), and S-Glass (for resilience and elongation where needed).
Laminate orientation: Fibres are layered in specific angles to optimise directional stiffness and flexibility.
Laminate thickness and external dimensions: Carefully tuned to the application some battens transition from full carbon to full S-Glass along their length.
Hardware integration: End fittings are designed to suit sail-specific loads and transitions, ensuring seamless load transfer and consistent sail shape.
Every batten is a custom solution. From bend profiles to weight-to-strength ratios and integration with sail hardware, these components are chosen in close collaboration with designers and sailmakers to maximise aerodynamic efficiency and durability.
Take our CT22 hollow battens, for example our most versatile and widely used range, featured extensively in this year’s Admiral’s Cup fleet. Django, a newly launched Wally Rocket, opted for a full set in soft, medium, and stiff options. This gave the team the flexibility to adjust sail shape for light inshore breezes or more demanding offshore legs, without compromising the batten’s ability to recover and return the sail to its designed shape.
Elsewhere in the fleet, Zen, an IRC52, demonstrated how updated battens can sharpen an already well-optimised setup, helping the team extract maximum performance through sail tuning.
CTP plate battens have also seen increased uptake this season, particularly in high-load headsails and areas like gaff battens in square-top mainsails for yachts under 30ft, where there’s crossover with the CT22 range.
Now stocked at our Cabanes facility in Spain, CTP battens offer excellent durability and repeatable bend characteristics. With strong inventory in Europe, teams are turning to CTP for faster turnaround, reduced shipping emissions, and reliable access especially when regatta timelines tighten.
We also saw continued adoption of CT36, our heavier-duty batten range, on large offshore multihulls and supermaxi monohulls that demand robust, high-load performance. SVR Ultim and Blackjack 100, both Fastnet line honours winners, sailed with full CT36 inventories supplied earlier this season from C-Tech Spain.
In the IMOCA class, Queguiner, skippered by Elodie Bonafous, claimed victory with new C-Tech Flexfurl systems engineered for structural furling sails in high-load environments where weight and durability are critical.
Across the board, our focus remains on building components that perform reliably not just from race to race, but year after year. That means tighter control over tolerances, integrated digital systems across our global stock network, and subtle yet significant refinements in fibre layout, resin chemistry, and custom design.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution in high-performance sail hardware. At this level, the difference is rarely visible. It’s in how the sail loads, recovers, and responds under pressure.
Manchester United are looking to seal the summer signing of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko after appearing to beat Premier League rivals Newcastle to his signature
Man United are closing in on the signing of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko in the summer transfer window (Image: Pat Elmont – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Manchester United are nearing an agreement to sign RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko.
The Manchester Evening News understands that the Reds have tabled a €75million (£65.3m) bid, plus an additional €10m (£8.7m) in add-ons, to secure Sesko’s services. Despite Newcastle United proposing a more generous package to Leipzig – the player’s personal preference is anticipated to be the deciding factor.
Newcastle are gearing up for a return to the Champions League under Eddie Howe next season, while United will not be offering any European football. Nonetheless, there is hope that Sesko is eager to join Ruben Amorim’s squad as they aim to bounce back from a disastrous 2024/25 season under the former Sporting head coach.
Below is all the latest on Sesko’s potential move to Old Trafford this summer.
Statement released
Sesko has trained away from his teammates this week while talks over his future advance. And Leipzig confirmed on Wednesday morning that the 22-year-old was working individually again.
In a short statement, the German club said: “Wednesday squad update: Andrija Maksimovic is back in Leipzig, but is training individually today. Benjamin Sesko and Lukas Klostermann are also working individually.”
Negotiations claim
Journalist Fabrizio Romano, who specialises in transfers, has provided an update on the deal – claiming that Leipzig maybe looking to extend the negotiations to extract a higher fee.
“Christopher Vivell is working on this deal because he knows the Red Bull group very well, but also Jason Wilcox is being crucial once again in these conversations and negotiations,” he said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“He is now taking care of the structure of the deal with RB Leipzig to change maybe the structure of add-ons, to make it almost guaranteed, the main part of the transfer fee for RB Leipzig.
“So work in progress to reach an agreement club-to-club and then to complete the transfer of Benjamin Sesko. The big signing for United is coming.
“There is a feeling that RB Leipzig want to extend the negotiations because they want to get the best price possible. Manchester United have a good relationship with Leipzig, so they hope this will not be very long.
“So let’s see, it can really be any moment because the two clubs are in direct contact and then Sesko is expected to become a new Manchester United player.”
Hojlund impact
The MEN understands that Reds forward Rasmus Hojlund is resigned to being forced out by United if Sesko completes a move to Old Trafford. It was revealed in May that the club had planned to sell Hojlund amid their interest in recruiting a new striker.
Sources close to the Denmark international concede that if Hojlund is unwanted, it could lift his game, but ultimately, he will have to seek a move before the transfer deadline on September 1. The Danish striker said in Chicago last week he planned to stay at the Reds but head coach Ruben Amorim refused to confirm if he would keep a player United bought in a £72m deal from Atalanta two years ago.
Verdict delivered
United’s director of recruitment, Christopher Vivell, worked alongside a young Sesko during his time at RB Salzburg and the Slovenia international clearly made an instant impression. In his analysis of the 22-year-old, Vivell claimed Sesko has all the attributes to become one of the world’s leading players.
“Benjamin Sesko is among the game’s top young talents – and has enormous potential to become a top player,” Vivell said, per Bundesliga.com. He has all the qualities to do that. He’s extremely quick, has a great jump on him and is strong in the air.
“Benjamin is a real goalscorer, who despite his 1.95m (6ft 4in height) is mobile and technically strong. His abilities make him a special player with a special profile.”
Rejection explained
United first tried to sign Sesko three years ago; however, a £21million deal was already in place for the striker to leave RB Salzburg after four years in Austria.
Sesko addressed interest from United, during a 2023 interview with The Telegraph, before RB Leipzig played Manchester City in that year’s Champions League group stages. “The thing is, I was not really into that kind of conversation, but I think it was better just to come here,” the Slovenia international said.
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Shohei Ohtani notched the 1,000th hit of his Major League Baseball career in impressive style on Wednesday, with a two-run homer as part of an impressive two-day display that could not get the Los Angeles Dodgers past St. Louis.
In his starting pitcher’s role, Ohtani struck out eight and allowed just two infield singles in four dominant innings.
And at the plate he notched his milestone homer in the third inning, a two-run blast that put Los Angeles up 2-1. It was his 39th home run of the season, one behind National League leader Kyle Schwarber and three behind MLB leader Cal Raleigh.
The Dodgers could not hold on to their early lead, however, as the Cardinals rallied for a 5-3 victory at Dodger Stadium.
But Ohtani joined newly minted Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui as the only Japanese-born players to reach 1,000 hits in the major leagues.
Ichiro finished his career with 3,089 and Matsui with 1,253.
