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Pakistan’s election: Who’s running, what’s the mood, and will anything change?

Today, Pakistani citizens are participating in a parliamentary election that has been postponed twice, marking the country's first electoral event since Imran Khan, a former cricket star, and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party took power in 2018. Khan, who has been imprisoned since the previous year and was recently handed three additional jail terms, was removed from office in 2022 due to a loss of military support.

Political observers anticipate that the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz party, which enjoys military endorsement, will secure the majority of votes. This is expected to lead to Nawaz Sharif, a three-time former Prime Minister, being elected for a fourth term. Sharif made his return to Pakistan in October after a four-year absence abroad, during which time he awaited the dismissal of corruption charges against him. Pakistan's history has yet to see a prime minister complete a full five-year term since its inception 76 years ago.

This election is taking place in the shadow of recent violence, with 30 individuals losing their lives in dual bomb explosions in the southwest of the country. Additionally, Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state, is grappling with deteriorating economic circumstances and heightened tensions with neighboring countries such as Iran, India, and Afghanistan.

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Researchers discover new cell that remembers allergies

A collaborative effort between researchers at McMaster University and the Danish pharmaceutical company ALK-Abello A/S has led to a significant breakthrough: the identification of a novel cell type linked to allergic memory.

This discovery offers a new avenue for addressing allergies, potentially paving the way for innovative treatments. Published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the research introduces this newly identified cell as a type-2 memory B cell (MBC2).

Josh Koenig, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University and co-leader of the research, shared insights on the discovery. "We've identified a memory B cell with distinct characteristics and a gene signature previously unknown," he stated. "Our findings indicate that individuals with allergies possess this specific memory B cell responsive to their allergens, whereas those without allergies have very few or none of these cells."

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In a first for Uber since becoming a public company, an annual profit.

Uber achieved its inaugural annual profit since its 2019 initial public offering, with its shares reaching a record peak on Wednesday. This milestone was driven by robust bookings in the year's last quarter, elevating both profit and revenue above the forecasts of financial analysts.

Similar to its last profitable year before going public, Uber's financial success was significantly boosted by investments, contributing $1 billion to its profits in 2023. However, the key distinction this time around is Uber's transition to generating profit from its core operations.

"2023 marked a turning point for Uber," CEO Dara Khosrowshahi commented in a statement.

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