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Highways shut after seven dump trucks torched in Karachi accident unrest
Listen to article A water tanker collided with a motorcycle late on Saturday night killing two of a family and injuring another near Lucky One Mall in Karachi. The incident sparked outrage with a mob setting ablaze seven vehicles, prompting the Dumper Truck Association to shut down Super Highway and block routes from Sohrab Goth to Thatta.
According to rescue officials, siblings Mahnoor, 22, and Ahmed Raza, 14, were critically injured in the accident near Federal B Area and succumbed to their wounds during treatment while their father, Shakir son of Salahuddin, is undergoing treatment for his injuries.
Police said the tanker driver, identified as Firdous Khan, was caught by an angry mob and beaten before being taken into custody in injured condition.
The enraged mob pelted stationary dumper trucks with stones, setting seven of them on fire. Four of the damaged trucks were near Gulshan Chowrangi on the Sohrab Goth route and three were on the opposite carriageway.
Law enforcement personnel and Sindh Rangers were deployed to restore order, while fire brigade teams extinguished the blazes. Police said 10 suspects have been arrested in connection with the violence, with further arrests expected based on CCTV and video evidence.
Read: Karachi bans heavy vehicles during day to tackle rising accidents
Dumper Truck Association leader Liaquat Mehsud said their protest was in response to the mob’s torching of dumper trucks. He criticised the Sindh government for imposing restrictions on the movement of dumper trucks from morning till 10pm and claimed it was damaging for the industry.
He claimed that the authorities were now vying for a complete ban on dumper truck operations and confirmed that all operational points have been closed in protest.
Officials warned that if the blockade continues, the city’s traffic system could face severe disruption as tensions remain high.
A total of 546 people have lost their lives and 8,136 sustained serious injuries in traffic accidents in the city during the current year. Heavy vehicles were responsible for 165 of the fatal accidents involving trailers.
A major factor contributing to the high number of fatalities is reckless driving of heavy vehicles.
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Iran launches Quetta-Zahedan-Mashhad flights
In a major step towards improving regional connectivity, Iran Air has launched its first-ever flight between Quetta, Zahedan and Mashhad.
Welcoming the development, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran, Mudassir Tipu, termed the launch as a “long-standing demand” of people living in the border regions.
“I am absolutely delighted that Iran Air has started direct Quetta-Zahedan-Mashhad flights, linking three historic cities with enormous potential. These new operations will boost business, tourism, and people-to-people ties,” he said.
“Given the depth of our geography and economic needs, we will continue to expand air connectivity between Pakistan and Iran,” Mudassir Tipu added.
The maiden flight, an Airbus A319, landed at Quetta International Airport on Friday. Iran Air will initially operate one weekly flight between Quetta and Zahedan.
A ceremony was held at the Quetta airport to mark the occasion.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced last month that Pakistani pilgrims would not be allowed to travel to Iran or Iraq by road for this year’s Arbaeen pilgrimage due to security concerns.
Taking to his X handle, the interior minister said the decision was taken after detailed consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Balochistan government, and security agencies.
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Over 600 pilgrims briefly hospitalised due to chlorine gas leak in Iraq’s Karbala – World
More than 600 pilgrims in Iraq were briefly hospitalised with respiratory problems after inhaling chlorine as a result of a leak at a water treatment station, authorities said on Sunday.
The incident took place overnight on the route between the two Shia holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, located in the centre and south of Iraq, respectively.
This year, several million Shia Muslim pilgrims are expected to make their way to Karbala, which houses the shrines of the revered Imam Husain and his brother Abbas.
There, they will mark the Arbaeen — the 40-day period of mourning during which the community commemorate the death of Husain, grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
In a brief statement, Iraq’s health ministry said that “621 cases of asphyxia have been recorded following a chlorine gas leak in Karbala”.
“All have received the necessary care and left the hospital in good health,” it said.
Security forces charged with protecting pilgrims meanwhile said the incident had been caused by “a chlorine leak from a water station on the Karbala-Najaf road”.
Much of Iraq’s infrastructure is in disrepair due to decades of conflict and corruption, with adherence to safety standards often lax.
In July, a massive fire at a shopping mall in the eastern city of Kut killed more than 60 people, many of whom suffocated in the toilets, according to authorities.
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Pete Davidson applauds Keke Palmer’s parenting skills as he prepares for fatherhood
Pete Davidson gushes over Keke Palmer’s work-parenting balance Pete Davidson praised his The Pickup co-star Keke Palmer.
Speaking with Extra, Pete, who is himself preparing for fatherhood, revealed he was impressed by Keke balancing her role as mother and actress on the set.
The former Saturday Night Live comedian said, “What was cool is when we were doing The Pickup, Keke’s baby was just born and she had him on set the whole time, and she would go into a take and then run over, you know, play with the baby, and it made me realise it’s possible to co-exist in both worlds.”
“You know? I was really impressed with her… the way she was parenting on set,” he added.
This comes as Pete Davidson and his girlfriend Elsie Hewitt in July 2025. The Pickup also stars Eddie Murphy besides the SNL alum and Keke Palmer.
During the same interview, the comedian also shared the fatherhood advice he received from Eddie, who is father to 10 children.
Pete said, “He actually, his advice was the best. He goes, ‘I have no advice.’ He goes, ‘Because you can’t really tell anybody how to raise their own kid. But it’s going to change your life and you’re going to love it, and I’ll know you’ll be good at it.”
“So, I mean, that’s a cool thing to get from your idol, you know?” he added.
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World Games: Sprint medals for Hungary and Spain, while Aebersold and Michiels claimed golds
Sunday’s sprint at the World Games in Chengdu, China, featured several surprises.
Both Hungary and Spain won orienteering medals for the first time in World Games history, while gold medals went to Simona Aebersold (SUI) and Yannick Michiels (BEL).
It was rainy and cooler than the previous days in Chengdu when the athletes started the technically challenging sprint on Sunday morning.
The courses went in the Jiangxi River Ecological Greenway park, which had a multitude of small, intricate gardens and, combined with constant route selection challenges, it was almost impossible to avoid small or large losses of time.
All photos: Erling ThistedTwo golds for Aebersold
In the women’s class, Simona Aebersold lived up to her reputation as the favorite and won her second gold medal in Chengdu with a large margin of 53 seconds over compatriot Natalia Gemperle, who ran a particularly strong second half of the day’s sprint.The biggest surprise of the day was Maria Prieto (ESP), who delivered an impressive performance and took the bronze medal, 1:25 behind Aebersold.
Hungary’s Rita Maramarosi was in the running for a medal for a long time, but lost time in the final legs and had to settle for sixth place behind Sandra Grosberga (LAT) and Tereza Rauturier (CZE).
Michiels’ first championship gold
In the men’s event, Yannick Michiels won his first gold medal at a championship after a strong performance without any major time loss. Tomáš Křivda (CZE), who won World Games bronze three years ago, was completely level with Michiels after 10 minutes of running, but a small mistake in stage 17 meant that the Czech ended up with silver.
Zoltán Bujdosó was eight seconds behind Křivda and took a historic bronze medal for Hungary.
He was followed by three Swiss athletes, Riccardo Rancan, Fabian Aebersold and Tino Polsini. The latter had a great start today, but lost precious time to control 13 and was eliminated from the medal race there.
Find the TV broadcast, results, GPS-tracking and photos in IOF LIVE
The final orienteering competition at the World Games is the sprint relay, which will be held on Monday morning, Chinese time.
The mass start is at 10:10 (UTC +8) and IOF Live serves you with GPS-tracking and live results.
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The Targeted Pulse: Your Weekly Oncology Wrap-Up
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Targeted Pulse, a wrap-up of the most significant developments in oncology.This week has seen a mix of groundbreaking approvals, promising trial results, and regulatory hurdles, all of which continue to shape the landscape of targeted cancer therapies. From accelerated approvals for aggressive brain tumors to new hope in breast cancer and colorectal cancer, the pace of innovation remains high, even as some treatments face setbacks. Here is a closer look at the top 5 stories from this week.
Accelerated FDA Approval for Dordaviprone in Diffuse Midline Glioma
In a significant advance, the FDA has granted accelerated approval to dordaviprone, the first targeted therapy for aggressive diffuse midline glioma (DMG). DMG is a rare and devastating brain tumor with a dismal prognosis, and until now, treatment options have been extremely limited.
Dordaviprone, a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, specifically targets the epigenetic drivers of DMG. The accelerated approval was based on compelling data from a phase 2 trial, which demonstrated a meaningful improvement in overall response rates and duration of response. This approval represents a new standard of care and provides a glimmer of hope for patients and their families.
While the approval is contingent on further confirmatory trials, the availability of a targeted agent for this historically intractable disease is a landmark moment in neuro-oncology and highlights the power of precision medicine to address even the most challenging cancers
FDA Fast Track Designation for CLD-201 in Sarcoma
Another encouraging story from this week is the FDA’s decision to grant fast track designation to CLD-201, an innovative therapy targeting soft tissue sarcoma. This designation is a critical milestone, as it is designed to accelerate the development and review of treatments that address serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. CLD-201, developed by Calidi Biotherapeutics, is not a traditional small molecule or antibody. It’s an advanced virotherapy that uses adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells to carry an oncolytic vaccinia virus directly to tumor sites. This unique delivery mechanism is designed to protect the virus from the immune system, allowing it to multiply within the stem cells and amplify its antitumor effects.
Preclinical data has been promising, showing that this approach can not only destroy cancer cells directly but also activate the patient’s own immune system to fight the tumor. The upcoming phase 1 trial for CLD-201 will be an open-label, multicenter study evaluating its safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy across several solid tumor types, including sarcoma. The fast track status signifies the FDA’s recognition of the potential of this novel approach, which is particularly vital for a rare and challenging cancer like soft tissue sarcoma, where new therapeutic options are desperately needed.
FDA Denies Approval of Odronextamab for a Second Time
The regulatory journey for odronextamab has faced another setback. The FDA has once again denied approval for this bispecific antibody in the treatment of follicular lymphoma. The complete response letter (CRL) from the FDA reportedly did not cite concerns about the drug’s efficacy or safety but rather centered on a site inspection.This marks the second time the application has been rejected, following a previous CRL related to enrollment status in confirmatory trials.
Odronextamab is a bispecific antibody that targets both CD20 on B-cell lymphoma cells and CD3 on T cells, activating the immune system to kill malignant cells. While this news is disappointing for patients and clinicians, it is important to note that the drug has already been approved in the European Union for relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The continued regulatory process underscores the stringent requirements for drug approval in the US and the need for sponsors to meet all administrative and clinical trial benchmarks, even for promising therapies.
Impressive PFS Data for Gedatolisib in Breast Cancer
New clinical trial results for gedatolisib have provided a reason for optimism in the management of advanced hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative (HR+/HER2–) breast cancer. The trial, which evaluated gedatolisib in combination with fulvestrant and palbociclib, showed that the triplet regimen significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) compared to the standard of care.
Gedatolisib is a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, and its mechanism of action is designed to overcome resistance to existing endocrine and CDK4/6 inhibitor therapies. This impressive PFS data suggests a potential new therapeutic option for patients who have progressed on or are intolerant to standard treatments. The clinical community is now awaiting the full data presentation, which will provide more detailed insights into the safety profile and durability of response. This trial reinforces the strategy of combining targeted agents to block multiple signaling pathways and highlights the continued progress in extending the lives of patients with advanced breast cancer.
FDA Greenlights Novel Triplet Therapy Trial for Colorectal Cancer
Anbogen Therapeutics has received a significant green light from the FDA to initiate a pivotal phase 1/2 clinical trial for its novel triplet therapy, ABT-301. The trial will focus on patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), a disease where new treatment strategies are urgently needed. The investigational regimen combines ABT-301, an oral HDAC inhibitor, with the PD-1 monoclonal antibody tislelizumab and the antiangiogenic agent bevacizumab.
The rationale behind this combination is to target multiple aspects of tumor biology. Preclinical studies have shown that ABT-301 can modulate the tumor microenvironment, transforming “cold tumors” that are typically unresponsive to immunotherapy into “hot tumors” that are more susceptible to immune attack. The inclusion of tislelizumab and bevacizumab further enhances this effect by inhibiting immune checkpoints and blocking blood vessel formation, respectively. This trial represents a promising new approach to overcoming resistance to existing immunotherapies and addressing the unmet clinical needs of patients with mCRC. The community will be watching these developments closely as the trial gets underway.
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Begin Your Idle Creature Collecting Adventure in Whimside; Watch the Launch Trailer & Learn More!
Developed by Toadzillart and published by Future Friends Games, Whimside is a new entry to the desktop idler genre! Players will explore various areas while uncovering new variants to collect and breed with the ultimate goal of unlocking them all.
While waiting for new Whimlings to arrive, players can spend their time decorating the haven for the ones they already own and bred, as the game is a no-pressure experience!
Here’s everything you need to know about Whimside:
- A desktop idler that sits at the bottom of the screen.
- No-pressure gameplay about collecting creatures named Whimlings.
- Explore various locations, each biome full of secrets and surprises.
- Decorate the haven with the numerous furniture pieces.
- Breed the Whimlings to create a new creature and fill up the compendium, which will unlock new biomes and decor.
- Twitch intergration, including hype train.
Whimside has a demo available to check out! The game is out now, and it’s at a 10% introductory discount until the 21st of August.
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More than 600 Shia pilgrims hospitalised due to chlorine gas leak in Iraq | News
Authorities say the incident happened overnight between the two Shia holy cities of Najaf and Karbala.
More than 600 Shia pilgrims in Iraq have been briefly hospitalised with respiratory problems after inhaling chlorine as the result of a leak at a water treatment station, according to authorities.
The incident took place overnight on the route between the two Shia holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, in the centre and south of Iraq, respectively.
This year, several million Shia Muslim pilgrims are expected to make their way to Karbala, which houses the shrines of the revered Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas.
There, they will mark the Arbaeen, the 40-day period of mourning during which Shia commemorate the death of Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
‘All pilgrims treated’
In a brief statement, Iraq’s Ministry of Health said “621 cases of asphyxia have been recorded following a chlorine gas leak in Karbala.
“All have received the necessary care and left hospital in good health,” it added.
Security forces charged with protecting pilgrims said the incident had been caused by “a chlorine leak from a water station on the Karbala-Najaf Road”.
Much of Iraq’s infrastructure is in disrepair due to decades of wars, internal conflicts and corruption, with adherence to safety standards often lacking.
In July, a huge fire at a shopping centre in the eastern city of Kut killed more than 60 people, many of whom suffocated in the toilets, according to authorities.
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Southwest Airlines apologizes after two blind passengers left behind by plane | US news
The US’s Southwest Airlines has publicly apologized after two women who are blind were both left behind by a plane flying to Orlando that the pair evidently should have had the opportunity to be on.
Southwest eventually ended up flying the women, Camille Tate and Sherri Brun, on another flight for which they were the only two passengers, with the rest being rebooked on a plane that left earlier, according to recent reporting from the Orlando news stations WSVN and WOFL. Nonetheless, as WSVN noted, the two friends from Florida remained outraged at their experience, which resulted from their not being able to see information about the rebooked flight and not being verbally notified of the switch by the airline.
“The way they help their customers [who] require additional assistance needs to change,” Brun told the outlet. Tate added: “There needs to be some improvement in how they communicate with passengers, especially those that have disabilities.”
Brun and Tate booked themselves to take flight 2637 from New Orleans to Orlando on 14 July, and it was delayed by five hours. They waited at their original gate for the duration of the delay and then realized they were the only passengers on the flight when they boarded.
According to Brun, she and Tate were told: “You’re the only two people on this flight because they forgot about you.”
A statement from a Southwest spokesperson explained that nearly all of Brun and Tate’s would-be fellow passengers were rebooked on another of the airline’s flights that left to Orlando earlier from a nearby gate. Neither Brun nor Tate were rebooked on that earlier flight, and the friends said they had no idea it was even an option because – without sight – they never saw information related to rebooking.
“Nobody … told us anything,” Brun said, according to WSVN and WOFL. “Nobody came to get us … The time passed.”
Tate reportedly remarked: “That airplane took off and our boarding pass had not been swiped.”
The two friends said they took their unique flight story to the media to raise awareness about something that could happen to other similarly situated passengers unless the airline implements changes.
Southwest’s statement said it had offered Brun and Tate each a $100 voucher, explaining how they were not eligible for a full refund because they had completed their originally scheduled flight.
“We apologize for the inconvenience,” the statement continued. “Southwest is always looking for ways to improve our customers’ travel experiences, and we’re active in the airline industry in sharing best practices about how to best accommodate passengers with disabilities.”
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