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  • The Fire-Type Pokémon Charcadet, Vulpix, and Numel Are Appearing in Mass Outbreaks

    The Fire-Type Pokémon Charcadet, Vulpix, and Numel Are Appearing in Mass Outbreaks

    A fiery festival is blazing in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet that’s resulted in mass outbreaks of Fire-type Pokémon. From Sunday, August 31, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. PDT to Sunday, September 14, 2025, at 4:59 p.m. PDT, you’ll encounter groups of Charcadet, Vulpix, and Numel in various locations. Shiny Pokémon are more likely to appear in these special mass outbreaks, so if you have a burning desire to add Pokémon with unusual color schemes to your team, this is the perfect opportunity.

    Look for the following Pokémon in these locations:

    Mass outbreaks are a phenomenon in which many of the same species of Pokémon appear in one location. To participate in mass outbreak events, you will need to download the latest Poké Portal News and install the latest update data for your game.

    Have fun with some heated battles during this mass outbreak event, Trainers!

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  • Metformin Alters Copper, Iron and Zinc Levels

    Metformin Alters Copper, Iron and Zinc Levels

    For decades, scientists have puzzled over how metformin, the world’s most prescribed diabetes drug, works beyond lowering blood sugar.

    Now, a study from Kobe University reports that metformin users have lower blood copper and iron levels and higher zinc levels compared with non-users.

    The findings, published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, suggest that the drug’s ability to bind metals may play a role in its wide-ranging benefits.

    Metformin’s mechanism of action remains unclear

    Metformin has been prescribed for more than 60 years and remains the first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes. Its glucose-lowering effect is thought to arise mainly from reduced glucose production in the liver, but the exact mechanisms remain only partly defined.

    Beyond glycemic control, metformin is associated with a range of additional benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-atherosclerotic and anti-obesity effects. These broader actions are well documented but poorly explained.

    One hypothesis is that some of these effects relate to metformin’s ability to bind metals. Laboratory studies have shown that the drug can form complexes with transition metals, particularly copper. This binding has been suggested to influence mitochondrial function and cell signaling. However, it has not been clear whether such interactions occur in patients, and earlier small studies measuring copper levels in people taking metformin produced inconsistent results.

    Altered levels of metals such as copper, iron and zinc are themselves linked to diabetes and its complications. Higher copper and iron levels are often associated with poorer glucose control and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Zinc, in contrast, is generally thought to play a protective role in glucose metabolism and in limiting complications.

    “It is known that diabetes patients experience changes in the blood levels of metals such as copper, iron and zinc. In addition, chemical studies found that metformin has the ability to bind certain metals, such as copper, and recent studies showed that it is this binding ability that might be responsible for some of the drug’s beneficial effects,” said corresponding author Dr. Wataru Ogawa, a professor at Kobe University.

    “We wanted to know whether metformin actually affects blood metal levels in humans, which had not been clarified,” he added.

    Metformin’s effect on blood metals

    The cross-sectional analysis involved a total of 189 adults with type 2 diabetes. Of these, 93 participants had been taking metformin for at least 6 months, while the remaining 96 had not used the drug during the same period. Blood samples from all participants were analyzed for copper, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and other related biochemical markers. The researchers identified serum copper concentration as the primary outcome, with secondary outcomes including iron and zinc levels, vitamin B12, homocysteine and parameters linked to copper and iron metabolism.

    Patients taking metformin had lower serum copper levels than non-users (16.0 vs 17.8 µmol/L). Iron levels were also reduced in the metformin group (16.3 vs 17.3 µmol/L), along with ferritin and other markers that pointed to latent iron deficiency.

    By contrast, zinc levels were higher in metformin users (13.3 vs 12.5 µmol/L). Vitamin B12 was significantly lower in those on metformin, consistent with earlier reports, and was accompanied by higher homocysteine levels.

    Cobalt measurements showed no difference, although analysis was limited by detection sensitivity.

    The associations remained after accounting for age, sex, body mass index, kidney function and medications that might affect metal metabolism. Multiple regression analysis identified metformin use as an independent predictor of reduced copper and iron and increased zinc levels.

    Subgroup analyses by sex and medication use produced similar results, strengthening confidence in the findings.

    What changes in copper, iron and zinc mean for metformin’s role

    The findings suggest that metformin’s long-recognized ability to bind metals is not just a laboratory observation but has measurable effects in patients. The lower copper and iron levels, together with higher zinc, may contribute to the drug’s glucose-lowering activity and its protective effects against complications. This aligns with preclinical studies showing that reducing copper availability can influence mitochondrial function, dampen inflammation and even slow tumor growth.

    “It is significant that we could show this in humans. Furthermore, since decreases in copper and iron concentrations and an increase in zinc concentration are all considered to be associated with improved glucose tolerance and prevention of complications, these changes may indeed be related to metformin’s action,” said Ogawa.

    The results also raise questions about how different antidiabetic drugs might work. Imeglimin, a recently approved derivative of metformin in Japan, does not share the same metal-binding properties. Direct comparisons between the two could help clarify which effects depend on metal interactions.

    “Imeglimin is thought to have a different method of action and we are already conducting studies to compare the effects the two drugs have,” Ogawa added.

    “We need both clinical trials and animal experiments to pinpoint the causal relationship between the drug’s action and its effects. If such studies progress further, they may lead to the development of new drugs for diabetes and its complications by properly adjusting the metal concentrations in the body,” said Ogawa.

    Reference: Otowa-Suematsu N, Sakaguchi K, Yamada T, et al. Association of metformin treatment with changes in metal dynamics in individuals with type 2 diabetes. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 2025. doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2025-005255

    This article is a rework of a press release issued by Kobe University. Material has been edited for length and content. 

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  • The Long-Awaited Berneron Quantième Annuel

    The Long-Awaited Berneron Quantième Annuel

    Berneron has been one of the new sensations of the past two years, making quite some noise when launching its first and rather unusual watch, the Mirage 38. Oddly shaped, with a proprietary movement following the curves of the case and an undeniable sense of elegance, Sylvain Berneron did not compromise when it came to his unconventional watchmaking vision. But the man who believes in derestricted horology didn’t want to be affiliated exclusively with this Crash-like dress watch. The brand, apparently, had more to deliver than the Mirage models. Well, we now know that Berneron is capable of more things, with the launch of the Quantième Annuel, a radically different watch with a few tricks up its sleeve. 

    We’re not going to explain all about Berneron as a brand and where its founder, Sylvain Berneron, comes from. For that, you can have a look at our coverage of the brand’s inaugural release, the Mirage 38. And most likely, we will come back to the topic of the Quantième Annuel in a follow-up hands-on article, as we’re somehow looking forward to seeing this watch in the metal. But here’s what we know so far about this new watch, a model that has been largely teased on social media in the past months.

    The philosophy of the brand is, I quote, “to bring a meaningful and creative contribution to the watch world.” This is materialised by a low-scale production of watches, using suppliers located within a 50km radius, entirely Swiss-made, with a self-funded business plan and an independent spirit, the brand being family-owned. The brand, for now, remains at a human scale, with each piece individually numbered and produced at the rate of 24 pieces per year, for 10 years, in order to build a stable portfolio.

    The new The Berneron Quantième Annuel

    The Quantième Annuel is the first watch in a collection simply named Quantième, which will cover highly technical and complicated watches – and considering the name, all of them should feature a calendar complication. This Quantième Annuel, French for annual calendar, is a complete departure, both design-wise and technically, from the inaugural Mirage. First of all, it’s back to a more traditional case design, yet with some interesting features. The case, compact in its dimensions, is 38mm in diameter, 10mm in thickness and 45mm in length. It is equipped with stepped, curved lugs and an angled bezel. Somehow, a modern and sharp interpretation of a classic dress watch.

    One of the key features of the case is its construction, named Steel Layer. Most of the case, for 85% of its total weight, is made of 950 platinum. But to overcome the weaknesses of platinum, being easily scratched but tedious to repair, the case comes with a protective layer of 904L steel on the most sensitive parts to increase its longevity. This layer is composed of six distinct components (over the bezel, lugs and on the crown), all removable and replaceable throughout the life of the piece. The watch is also equipped with a classic crown and two pushers located at 4 and 8 o’clock, acting as correctors for the day and month jumping indications.

    Two editions of the Berneron Quantième Annuel will be produced, one with a black dial and silver-grey accents, one with a silver dial and blue accents. The dial itself is made of solid gold, with gold hands. But what strikes most is the display, with legibility in mind. It’s actually designed as a cross architecture, with vertical timekeeping indications and horizontal calendar elements. As for the time, the regulator-style layout of the Quantième Annuel relies on a large jumping hour at 12 o’clock, a central minute hand and a small seconds at 6 o’clock.

    Then, the calendar indications are positioned horizontally and placed in a way that makes them natural to read – day, date, month (at least, in Europe…). The calendar relies on a large jumping disc for the day, a centrally-mounted retrograde date and another large jumping disc for the month. An additional AM-PM indication sits inside the small seconds. In addition, the calendar function comes with a quick-set procedure, as the time and date are set with the crown (back and forth), just like on any conventional watch. The day and month are using pushers located near the windows for quick corrections. Also, calendar watches have a well-earned reputation for being temperamental if you set them incorrectly. In the event of accidental tampering during the setting process, the calibre 595 is equipped with a safety device that resets the date to the first day of the following month.

    Under the hunter caseback lies a new proprietary hand-wound movement – no word given regarding its origin, but we’ll try to know more during the Geneva Watch Days. The movement, again made of solid gold, seems to be yet another impressive development with a pleasant sense of symmetry. It features two barrels, as the main issue with this movement was managing energy storage. It indeed drives 4 instantaneous jumping apertures, 2 swiping hands and 1 retrograde date, and in some cases, all five jumps occur simultaneously. As an annual calendar, it only requires one correction per year, on February 28th.

    Availability & Price

    As mentioned above, the Berneron Quantième Annuel will be produced in 24 pieces per colour and per year, for a period of 10 years (making the Series A). The first deliveries will begin in October 2026. And for the price, the watch has an… evolutive pricing strategy (justified by the wish to thank early collectors who ordered the first pieces… I don’t know yet what to think of that…) In 2026, it will be CHF 120,000, then CHF 130,000 in 2027 and CHF 140,000 in 2028.

    For more details, please visit www.berneron.ch.

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  • ‘The Chosen’ Team Set Biblical Animated Series at Amazon

    ‘The Chosen’ Team Set Biblical Animated Series at Amazon

    Amazon Prime Video is expanding its Christian programming offerings once again with a series order for the animated adventure comedy “The Chosen Adventures.”

    Prime Video has ordered 14 11-minute episodes of the series, which is co-produced by Amazon MGM Studios and 5&2 Studios, the latter of which produces the hit series “The Chosen.” The series will premiere all episodes on Prime Video on Oct. 17 in the U.S. and internationally in the U.K, Latin America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and Sub Saharan Africa.

    Per the official logline for “The Chosen Adventures,” the show “follows nine-year-old Abby and her best friend Joshua as they navigate life in the ancient city of Capernaum. When the children encounter a wise craftsman and teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, he helps them change the way they see the world, and they help spread his influence far and wide (among the 7 to 12-year-old set). And did we mention that she has a talking sheep?”

    The Chosen Adventures stars Paul Walter Hauser as Sheep, Yvonne Orji as Pigeon, Romy Fay as Abby, Jude Zarzaur as Joshua, Danny Nucci as Abba and Zehra Fazal as Eema.

    Other recurring and guest voice cast members include: “The Chosen” star Jonathan Roumie as Jesus, Jordin Sparks as Fish, Paras Patel as Matthew, Elizabeth Tabish as Mary, Noah James as Andrew, Joey Vahedi as Thomas, George H. Xanthis as John, Yasmine Al-Bustami as Ramah, Brandon Potter as Quintus, Banks Pierce as Hilarius Maximus, and Julian Grant as Cyrius Maximus.

    Ryan Swanson serves as writer, executive producer, and showrunner. Dallas Jenkins executive produces under the 5&2 Studios banner. Chris Juen, Chad Gundersen, Keith Alcorn, Kellen Erskine, and Derral Eves also serve as executive producers, alongside producer Erin Elizabeth Gardner and co-producer Myesha Gosselin.

    Jenkins had originally revealed plans for “The Chosen Adventures” in an interview with Variety in 2024. The show falls under Jenkins’ and 5&2’s multi-faceted deal with Amazon MGM Studios, which was announced in February along with Amazon’s acquisition of exclusive U.S. streaming rights to and a theatrical release of new installments of “The Chosen.” 5&2 also recently landed a greenlight for the series “Joseph of Egypt” at Prime Video.

    News of the animated series order comes on the same day that Amazon announced the launch date for the Wonder Project subscription offering on Prime Video. The launch coincides with the second season premiere of the Biblical series “House of David,” which is produced by Wonder Project.

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  • Blizzard files copyright lawsuit against Turtle WoW

    Blizzard files copyright lawsuit against Turtle WoW

    Blizzard Entertainment has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Turtle WoW, a network of privately operated servers for World of Warcraft.

    The lawsuit, submitted to the District Court for the Central District of California on August 29, claims that the group uses Blizzard’s code, assets, and trademarks without authorisation.

    The company argues that the servers negatively affect the wider player community by fragmenting the audience, causing brand confusion, and creating potential security risks.

    Blizzard stated in its complaint that it has “invested an enormous amount of time and money into creating, maintaining, and updating” World of Warcraft, and alleged that the defendants have built “an entire business on large-scale, egregious, and ongoing infringement.”

    Turtle WoW launched in 2018, offering free access to alternative versions of the MMORPG. While it does not charge players directly, it accepts donations through its website.

    Its servers feature fan-created expansions, including Mysteries of Azeroth, described as an exploration of original game lore. The group has also promoted Turtle WoW 2.0, an upcoming project claiming to replicate the Vanilla WoW client in Unreal Engine 5.

    Blizzard alleges that Turtle WoW profits from its operations by providing “paid access to a group of unauthorised, ’emulated’ private WoW game servers, as well as all of the software and other tools necessary to access and use these emulated servers, including pirated copies of WoW.”

    The company further claimed that Turtle WoW has “brazenly escalated its efforts” through social media promotion, influencer partnerships, and marketing for its next release.

    In a statement to PCGamesN, a Blizzard spokesperson said, “Our games are built on decades of innovation and creativity, and we take seriously our responsibility to protect the integrity of that work for our employees, our partners, and our players.”

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  • Why we’ve all fallen for The Summer I Turned Pretty: ‘Endless, wonderful melodrama’ | US television

    Why we’ve all fallen for The Summer I Turned Pretty: ‘Endless, wonderful melodrama’ | US television

    It’s after work on a Wednesday night, and I’m at a sports bar in downtown Manhattan. It looks exactly like what you’d expect of a bar in the Financial District. Men in button-up shirts stand around a tall table with folded arms, ranting about the current season as multiple baseball games are playing on TV screens all around the bar.

    I feel out of place as I wait for a friend, but I know it’s only a matter of time until things change. A stream of women slowly trickles in, group by group. The mood abruptly changes when the TV screens flicker on to a clip of sparkling water. The bar cranks up the volume, a wistful three notes plays over the speaker, the brief theme song of what has become a show so popular that sports bars in Manhattan are throwing watch parties for women who, like me, are years older than the show’s protagonist.

    I have a confession: when I first watched The Summer I Turned Pretty upon the series’s release on Amazon in 2022, I only got through two episodes. I quickly deemed the show too cringe-inducing to handle. I believed I had grown out of love triangles driven by hormones and a lack of a fully developed prefrontal cortex. Growing up had taught me there were much, much more important choices to make in life than who you take to debutante ball. Also, the lead character’s name is Belly, and no one’s questioning that?

    But when I gave the show another chance this summer, after the encouragement of a friend, I realized just how wrong I was. Once I dropped my defenses and settled into life in Cousins, the fictional beach town where the show is set, I was hooked. And when my social media feeds adjusted to my new obsession, I realized just how many people were as well. Video after video showed the heavy investment adults have in this teen drama, from screaming at TVs to full-on tears from the show. Prime reported 25 million worldwide viewers tuned into the third season’s premiere the week of its release, a 40% increase from the second season’s release in 2023.

    It’s been a strange summer for American pop culture. After Charli xcx’s Brat painted last summer green, there’s been a curious absence of the standard “song of the summer”. The closest contender, some argue, is the “nothing beats a Jet2 holiday” ad that’s been featured in clip after clip online. The movie theaters were filled with reboots and sequels for Superman and Jurassic Park. And the most popular TV show in the US appeared to be Love Island, which had near-daily episodes of eye-rolling drama for six weeks until mid-July.

    Instead of a clubby pop song, this summer’s rhythms have been dictated by constant updates to the rapidly changing world we’re living in. Americans seem to be feeling more uncertain about their futures than ever. News notifications can feel like a never-ending barrage for anyone trying to keep up.

    In other words, the timing was ripe for a show that provides an escape. As temperatures started to peak, the third and final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty premiered in mid-July and has cemented itself, for many, as the show that saved summer.

    The series centers Isabel “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung), whose family spends every summer at the Fishers’ giant beach house at Cousins, a town resembling the neighborhoods of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The series starts the summer that Belly turns, you guessed it, pretty and begins to attract the attention of boys, including the two Fisher brothers, Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno).

    In the backdrop of this coming-of-age summer is the cancer diagnosis of Susannah (Rachel Blanchard), the Fisher matriarch who is the college best friend of Belly’s mom. Susannah’s diagnosis is a secret to most, allowing many of the characters to have their carefree teenage summer. Belly’s biggest concern appears to be whether Conrad, the brooding older brother and her longtime crush, has any feelings for her – or whether she should be with Jeremiah, her “best friend” who is drawn to her.

    In its third season, the series has wholeheartedly embraced this Austenian love triangle, framing it against complex emotions around grief. Susannah’s death less than a year after that first summer has only heightened Belly’s emotional hold over both brothers. Their late mother, on her deathbed, called Belly “my special girl” and often referred to her as the daughter she never had.

    But by the start of the season, Belly, who was 15 in the show’s first season, is now about to turn 21 and has made her choice. After an intense but failed relationship with Conrad, Belly has chosen Jeremiah. The two have been together in college for three years while Conrad was on the west coast. But while the three characters pretend things are good and settled, they are clearly far from it.

    As a grown adult, I’m fully aware of how absurd this plot is. A love triangle with two brothers is only a huge red flag right next to an arrow pointed toward a therapist’s office. But at some point, I accepted The Summer I Turned Pretty as a fantasy world that is a pastel-tinged version of our own and learned to bask in its endless, wonderful melodrama.

    Gavin Casalegno and Lola Tung. Photograph: Erika Doss/Prime

    The Summer I Turned Pretty is the second success for author Jenny Han, co-runner of the series and author of the trilogy that inspired the show. Her other book trilogy, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was adapted for Netflix and became one of its most-watched original movies when it was released in 2018.

    The series feels like a surprise hit for Amazon, which has found more success with shows targeted to male audiences such as The Boys, Jack Ryan and Reacher. Netflix has been the traditional home for originals geared toward young women and teens like Never Have I Ever, Heartstopper and XO, Kitty, the spin-off show from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

    Han seems to have mastered teen romance, making it all feel refreshingly tender and sweet, taking seriously what is often dismissed as frivolous. Her stories ask readers and viewers to step into worlds where the choices these teenage girls make feel undeniably consequential.

    It’s a kind of unapologetic sincerity that evokes the teen dramas of the early 2000s. In The Summer I Turned Pretty, declarations of love are delivered with full gusto, the sound of waves crashing in the background. And the show never fails to lean on its seemingly unlimited soundtrack budget. So far, the series has played no less than 20 Taylor Swift songs that punctuate its emotional high points. Many have pointed out that the show shares a filming location – Wilmington, North Carolina – with One Tree Hill, which premiered over two decades ago.

    And unlike the first and second seasons, which were released in batches, the 12 episodes of this final season are released every Wednesday. To those of us who grew up with cable, it’s reminiscent of the feeling of rushing home to catch the newest episode of a TV show. The wait encourages anticipation, what feels rare in an era of endless, bingeable content online. It’s also proof that old-fashioned scripted TV shows, under a traditional weekly release schedule, can still have pull over younger audiences who are increasingly drawn to platforms including YouTube.

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    As much as the show brings me back to the days of Gilmore Girls and The OC, its huge online presence makes it feel distinctly modern. The endless stream of content has culminated into a sort of communal viewing experience. With clips on TikTok, fans can relive the show’s moments over and over again with plenty of commentary and mockery.

    Of course, the show indulges in the drama surrounding its love triangle. As with any teen love triangle, people have divided themselves into “teams”. Who you root for suddenly becomes a barometer of your core values. The passion over the characters have become so intense that Prime Video and members of the show have had to remind viewers to conduct themselves respectfully online. Han, in an Instagram story, told fans that “the cast shouldn’t have to endure harassment because of the roles they play”. Amazon reminded fans that “the show isn’t real but the people playing the characters are”.

    Some elements in the third season seem so excessive and ridiculous as to be made for virality. (Some spoilers ahead.) In a scene in the season’s sixth episode, Conrad and Belly make a pit – stop at a roadside peach stand. As Belly eats a peach, a heavy stream of juice runs down her mouth. Conrad untucks his plain white T-shirt – clearly a part of his coastal-dad drip – to gingerly wipe the juice from her mouth. Videos on TikTok quickly turned the scene into an inside joke among fans. Even Nobel prize laureate and assassination-attempt survivor Malala Yousafzai posted a picture of herself on Instagram holding up a peach, with the caption “counting the minutes until Wednesday”.

    For me, the absurdity of it all is a reminder that the show is very much fiction, a world to step into like a book splayed open on a poolside lounge chair. I can’t help but root for Belly. We all know what it’s like to be young, naive and feel like the weight of the world rests on each choice we have to make for ourselves. Tuning in every week feels like a quick escape back to that time – far away from the usual cadences of life, as evocative as summer itself.


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  • Prisoners at Sialkot district jail shifted – Pakistan

    Prisoners at Sialkot district jail shifted – Pakistan

    NAROWAL: As many as 1,007 prisoners have been shifted from the Sialkot district jail to different jails in Punjab owing to the flood situation in the area.

    Chief Minister Task Force for Prisons Chairman Rana Manan Khan told Dawn that 565 prisoners at the Sialkot district jail were shifted to the Gujranwala district jail, 274 to the Narowal district jail and 168 to the Hafizabad district jail. He said the prisoners shifted to the Gujranwala, Narowal and Hafizabad jails included both men and women. He said the prisoners had been transferred in order to protect them from the prevailing flood situation.

    Meanwhile, labourers from adjoining areas, who worked in factories of Sialkot, had been trapped in their homes and were struggling to eat three square meals a day.

    As heavy rains and flash floods in Sialkot have caused severe damage to roads coupled with the closure of industries, thousands of labourers from Pasrur, Chawinda, Badiana, Chaprad, Bajwat and hundreds of villages in the area are finding it hard to earn a living.

    The collapse of the bridge near Islam Center on Pasrur-Sialkot road had suspended traffic, while the roads connecting Sialkot from Bhagwal Road, Kushnawali Stop, Head Marala Road, Sherpur, Bajwat and Chaprad Sector and other areas had also been washed away in the flood. Public and private transport had been suspended and workers were trapped in their homes for six days.

    Workers Muhammad Ashiq and Muhammad Afzal said that they were unable to reach their jobs. They said that it had become difficult to even afford food and the rains and floods had taken away their livelihoods.

    Muhammad Imran, a resident of Kushnawali village, said that his mother was seriously ill and the local doctor had referred her to the Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital, Sialkot. However, he was unable to shift her to the hospital due to the dilapidated roads. He said that due to poverty, he could not afford her treatment at private hospitals.

    Dozens of villages had been cut-off due to the rains and floods and the floodwater was accumulated in people’s houses and animal shelters. The residents of these villages have been waiting for relief from the government. The affectees have demanded that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz take immediate notice of the situation.

    Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2025

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  • Army, navy mobilised as Sindh prepares for ‘super flood’ – Pakistan

    Army, navy mobilised as Sindh prepares for ‘super flood’ – Pakistan

    • Saving humans and cattle comes first, water infrastructure later, says CM Murad
    • Visits Guddu and Sukkur barrages, says handling 900,000 to one million cusecs will be extremely challenging

    SUKKUR: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Sunday said the provincial government, with the support of the army, navy and Rangers, was fully prepared to deal with what he described as the looming “super flood” in the Indus river.

    Talking to the media during his visit to the Sukkur and Guddu barrages, the CM said that the provincial government’s foremost priority is to protect human lives and livestock, followed by safeguarding the province’s three major barrages.

    “We have devised a comprehensive strategy for a super flood [when inflows are recorded at 900,000 cusecs or more]. First, we will save people and cattle, then ensure the safety of Guddu, Sukkur, and Kotri barrages,” he said.

    The chief minister explained that water levels in the Ravi was rising and were being closely monitored, as inflows from Trimmu would reach Sindh in about five days via Panjnad. “By tonight, Trimmu may touch its highest point, which will give us a clear estimate of how much water Sindh will receive,” he said.

    The CM said mapping had already been completed to identify vulnerable villages. “We know exactly which areas will be affected at different water levels — 500,000 to 700,000 cusecs, 700,000 to 900,000, or even beyond. If inflows cross 900,000 cusecs, over 200,000 people may be impacted,” he warned.

    He noted that Sindh’s terrain poses greater risks than Punjab’s. “In Punjab, designated breaches allow water to return quickly to the river. But Sindh lies below river level, so once water spreads, it does not recede easily,” he explained.

    On the embankments, he highlighted six sensitive locations on the Right Bank of the Indus. “KK (Kashmore-Kandhkot) Bund is particularly vulnerable, while on the Left Bank, Shank Bund is structurally weak and may not withstand 800,000 to 900,000 cusecs. Still, our top priority is to protect it,” he stressed.

    Recalling past floods, the chief minister said the inflows of 1.1 million cusecs had passed from Guddu Barrage in 2010. “This time, even 900,000 to one million cusecs would be extremely challenging. On Aug 24, 550,000 cusecs had already flowed through Guddu, which touched embankments and damaged crops in some areas. If inflows remain limited, losses will be manageable, but crops may still not survive,” he observed.

    The CM was briefed by Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and Minister Makhdoom Mahboobzaman on flood preparedness at Guddu and Sukkur barrages, where water flow may cross 900,000 cusecs.

    According to the briefing, 15 districts, 167 UCs and 1,651 villages could be affected in case of a “super flood”, endangering over 1.63 million people (273,148 families).

    The chief minister told the media that 948 relief camps have been set up, mobile health units are functional, and the PDMA has established medical camps with essential medicines, including anti-snakebite vaccines.

    “Pakistan Navy, Army and Rangers are fully coordinating with us. Around 192 rescue boats are already deployed in katcha areas,” he added.

    He assured that cooked food would be provided at relief camps and that houses destroyed in riverine areas would later be rebuilt on higher ground.

    The CM said all ministers, MPAs and officials had been deployed on flood emergency duties, while security arrangements were being ensured with the help of the Corps Commander and DG Rangers.

    He added that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was in constant contact, President Asif Ali Zardari had been issuing directions, and provincial party president Nisar Khuhro had mobilised workers.

    He was accompanied by provincial ministers Sharjeel Memon, Nasir Shah and Jam Khan Shoro, while Mukesh Chawla joined him at Guddu and Mohammad Bux Khan Mahar at Qadirpur-Ghotki.

    Inspects water flows, embankment conditions

    Earlier, the chief minister visited the Guddu and Sukkur barrages to review water flows, embankment conditions, and ongoing rehabilitation projects.

    At Guddu Barrage, Minister for Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro and Secretary Irrigation Zareef Khero told the CM that the rehabilitation and modernisation project, launched in 2017, had achieved 72.6 per cent physical and 78.6pc financial progress. The project, being executed by China’s New Era Development Group, is now expected to be completed by March 2026.

    The chief minster directed that the project must be finished within the revised timeline without compromising on quality.

    During his visit to Sukkur Barrage, the chief minister reviewed the Sindh Barrages Improvement Project (SBIP), funded jointly by the Sindh government and the World Bank.

    The CM was told that work on the project was progressing as planned and is scheduled for completion by June 2027.

    CM Murad termed the rehabilitation of barrages a “historic milestone” for Sindh’s agriculture and economy, stressing that timely completion would ensure sustainable irrigation, better flood management, and protection of millions of families.

    The chief minister also inspected the Kashmore-Kandhkot (KK) Bund to review measures for their protection against the River Indus.

    At KK Bund, the secretary irrigation briefed the CM that the river had been attacking the structure since 1995. After the 2010 “super flood”, studs and spurs were installed, with seven new structures completed in 2021 between miles 11 and 18. However, the river is now threatening the downstream side of mile 18. Emergency measures, including stone dumping, stockpiling, and 24/7 monitoring, are in place.

    In Qadirpur, Ghotki, CM Murad inspected the Shank Bund, a sensitive structure protecting 5,000 acres of katcha land and the Qadirpur Loop Bund. The bund has remained vulnerable for decades, with a major breach recorded in 2022, when a thunderstorm widened it to 550 feet. Remote sensing maps prepared on the CM’s instructions showed 739 acres out of 4,029 acres were flooded.

    Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2025

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  • Lost freedom – Newspaper – DAWN.COM

    Lost freedom – Newspaper – DAWN.COM

    COME September, campuses around the world stir into action, ready for months of insight and inquiry. But the calibre of these is becoming more tenuous as academic freedom worldwide faces mounting threats. Pakistanis are sadly very familiar with the suppression of academic freedoms, but the global trend has troubling implications closer to home too.

    A new working paper by Harvard University’s Pippa Norris documents the growing threats to academic freedoms, defined as the ability of scholars to be free to research, publish and teach without external interference or constraints, and be free to fund research, recruit and engage in public-facing activities without undue censorship.

    Norris analyses data from the Academic Freedom Index to conclude that academic freedom has eroded in 22 countries — home to over half the world’s population — in the first quarter of the 21st century, while improving in only five (including, interestingly, Kenya and Iraq). She also points out that it is not just external factors such as funding cuts or legal pressure that are undermining academic freedom, but also a growing tendency among academics to self-censor in the face of academic homogeneity, groupthink, and the fear of being disadvantaged for having a contrarian argument.

    The challenge to academic freedom is gaining attention because of the dramatic news from campuses across the US. Norris cites the American Association of University Professors, which reports 57 bills in 23 states “seeking to limit the autonomy or public colleges and universities by prohibiting or banning the content of syllabi, empowering partisan appointments on managing boards, and restricting freedom to learn, teach and conduct research”. The world is becoming accustomed to the varying forms of academic suppression in the US, from the clampdown on pro-Palestinian voices to book bans, the blocking of funding for research on topics such as climate change, and even the deportation of international students.

    Academic suppression indicates democratic decline.

    While depressing, the US onslaught on academic freedom is not unprecedented. As early as 1972, then US president Richard Nixon was reminding Henry Kissinger that “professors are the enemy”. The erosion of academic freedom aligns with any form of democratic backsliding and the rise of populist, right-wing politics and is evident in countries as diverse as the US, Turkiye, Poland, Egypt and Nicaragua.

    The alignment between rising authoritarianism and suppressed speech and academic freedom was forecast by John Stuart Mill in the 19th century: “To refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure that it is false, is to assume that their certainty is the same thing as absolute certainty. All silencing of discussion is an assumption of infallibility.” The misguided perception of infallibility and the belief that dissenting voices are inherently wrong are the hallmarks of authoritarians everywhere.

    The suppression of academic freedom is part of a spectrum ranging from intimidation of students, travel curbs, internet bans, detentions, civilian trials in military courts, and extrajudicial killings. The lack of academic freedom spurs democratic collapse, as, in the words of the OHCHR, “without academic freedom, societies lose one of the essential elements of democratic self-governance: the capacity for self-reflection, for knowledge generation and for a constant search for improvements of people’s lives and social conditions.”

    For Pakistanis who have long endured the absence of academic freedom, there may be an element of schadenfreude in watching the US administration ravage its erstwhile enviable academic institutions. But no one benefits from a race to the bottom.

    Pakistan’s exp­en­diture on R&D drop­ped from 0.17 per cent of GDP in 2019 to 0.16pc in 2021. Meanwhile, the race to participate in tra­nsnational educat­ion programmes (whereby students remain in Pakistan while obtaining degrees from foreign institutions) is heating up — there are over 15,000 Pakistani students engaged in 55 TNE programmes in the country.

    In a 2024 Daedalus article, Michael Ignatieff warned against the trend of authoritarian and populist regimes clamping down on academic freedom, and enabling this suppression through partnerships with the academic institutions of other authoritarian states. He asks: “… what victory have authoritarian leaders won if they have muzzled their best universities, exiled their best researchers, and created institutions whose only purpose is to indoctrinate the ruling class?

    In a world where borders remain open, talent flows towards freedom, not away from it.” But what happens when there’s nowhere free for the best and brightest to flee to?

    The world ends up less insightful, informed and innovative — a true curse in these challenging times.

    The writer is a political and integrity risk analyst.

    X: @humayusuf

    Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2025

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  • Indonesia protests: president scraps lawmakers’ perks in bid to calm tensions | Indonesia

    Indonesia protests: president scraps lawmakers’ perks in bid to calm tensions | Indonesia

    Indonesian political parties have agreed to cut some lawmakers’ perks, including a controversial $3,000 housing allowance, the president said, as security measures were stepped up in an attempt to halt protests that have gripped the country for a week.

    President Prabowo Subianto, accompanied by leaders of eight Indonesian political parties, told a televised news conference in the capital, Jakarta, on Sunday that they had agreed to cut the housing allowance and suspend overseas trips for members of parliament.

    By Monday, “lawmakers will see certain allowances scrapped and overseas work trips suspended under a new moratorium,” said Prabowo, in a concession aimed at calming public anger.

    He added he had ordered the military and police to take firm action in response to the burning and looting of some politicians’ homes and state buildings.

    On Monday, police set up checkpoints across Jakarta. Officers were also patrolling the city to “protect” citizens and give a sense of security, a police spokesman told broadcaster Kompas TV.

    Indonesian students and civil society groups called off protests on Monday, citing fears of a crackdown by authorities.

    Protests first erupted a week ago, sparked by anger over the pay and privileges given to lawmakers, including a housing allowance of 50m rupiah ($3,075), which is nearly 10 times higher than the minimum wage in Jakarta. Anger escalated further after a motorcycle taxi driver, 21-year-old Affan Kurniawan, was run over by a police vehicle at a protest site on Thursday.

    A video apparently showing his death prompted an outcry against the security forces.

    Witnesses told local television that an armoured car from the National Police’s mobile brigade unit suddenly sped through the crowd of demonstrators, hitting Kurniawan and running him over. Kurniawan had reportedly been trying to complete a food delivery order at the time.

    Prabowo has promised an investigation into his killing, and pledged to help his family. Seven officers have been detained for further investigation.

    President Prabowo Subianto meets the family of Affan Kurniawan, a ride-hailing driver Affan Kurniawan who was run over and killed by police during protests in Jakarta on Thursday. Photograph: BPMI Presidential Secretariat/Cahyo/Sutantaaditya.com/Shutterstock

    The death toll from riots rose to six after the Amikom Yogyakarta University confirmed the death of 21-year-old student Rheza Sendy Pratama in protests on Friday. The circumstances around his death remain unclear.

    At least three people were killed in the eastern city of Makassar on Friday after a fire was started by protesters at a council building.

    Another victim died in Makassar on Friday after he was beaten by a mob on suspicion that he was an intelligence officer, local disaster agency official Muhammad Fadli Tahar told Agence France-Presse on Sunday.

    Protests have taken place in multiple, including Yogyakarta, Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya in Java, and Medan in North Sumatra province.

    Prabowo reiterated that his government respects freedom of expression as guaranteed in Indonesia’s constitution and international conventions.

    “But when demonstrations turn anarchic, destroying public facilities, endangering lives, and attacking private homes or public institutions, this becomes a serious violation of law,” he said.

    Prabowo cautioned that violent acts risked veering into treason and terrorism, and warned “the state would not tolerate attempts to destabilise the country”.

    The homes of political party members and state buildings have been targeted by looters, including a house owned by finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, according to state news agency Antara reported on Sunday. She was not in the house at the time and it was not clear if she uses the property often, Reuters reported.

    The crisis forced Prabowo to cancel a planned trip to China for a military parade commemorating the end of the second world war.

    TikTok, which has more than 100 million users in Indonesia, temporarily suspended its live feature in response to the protests.

    The Alliance of Indonesian Women, a coalition of women-led civil society groups, said it had delayed planned protests at the parliament on Monday, fearing a crackdown by authorities. “The delay is done to avoid increased violent escalation by authorities … the delay takes place until the situations calm down,” the group said in an Instagram post on Sunday.

    Student groups also delayed a protest on Monday, with one umbrella group saying the decision was “due to very impossible conditions”.

    With Associated Press

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