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Pakistan attack strikes procession

An apparent suicide bombing targeting a procession marking the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad in southwest Pakistan killed at least 50 people. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest in a string of calamities to hit Pakistan, which has suffered political chaos, economic freefall, and vast flooding in just the past year, along with persistent militancy. Though the motive behind the bombing was not immediately clear, Al Jazeera noted that some hardline Islamic groups see celebrating the Prophet’s birthday as heretical.

Biden impeachment vs. shutdown

U.S. Democrats accused Republicans of wasting time by launching impeachment proceedings against President Joe Biden as a government shutdown loomed. A congressional committee held hearings into Biden’s son Hunter’s foreign business ventures, but witnesses gave no evidence that the president engaged in improper behavior. Meanwhile, hardline Republicans blocked legislation that would stave off a shutdown midnight Saturday, instead demanding major spending cuts. A Democratic member of the committee displayed a clock during the impeachment hearing showing the time until the shutdown. Though not as catastrophic as the potential debt-ceiling breach the U.S. neared in the summer, the ratings agency Moody’s warned a shutdown would negatively affect Washington’s credit.

US and China ready for Xi trip

Senior U.S. and Chinese diplomats met in Washington, a sign the two powers are seeking to stabilize ties despite their disputes. The talks came as The Wall Street Journal reported both countries were paving the way for a Xi Jinping visit to the U.S. in November. Yet tensions remain high: Along with Chinese anger over American semiconductor sanctions and U.S. concerns over Beijing’s apparent expansionism in the South China Sea, U.S. officials recently found that Chinese hackers stole 60,000 emails from the State Department alone this year. Two pandas housed at Washington’s National Zoo will also likely return to China next year, marking the first time since 1972 that the U.S. will be without any of the animals.

How AI is changing science

Artificial-intelligence tools are transforming ever more scientific fields, according to a Nature analysis. A survey of 1,600 researchers found that scientists are using AI to process data, write code and papers, and to translate their work into English. Around 8% of existing scientific papers now mention AI, up from 2% 10 years ago. Scientists told Nature that AI speeds up research, saves time and money, and helps them generate new hypotheses. On the flip side, they were concerned that it could make fraud easier and lead scientists to over-rely on AI spotting patterns in data without a deeper understanding of the causal relationships.

Green revolution pioneer dies

M.S. Swaminathan, the crop geneticist who ushered in India’s Green Revolution and saved countless lives, died aged 98. Swaminathan was working at an Indian government agricultural institute when he learned of stronger new wheat varieties being developed by the U.S. scientist Norman Borlaug, and pressed his superiors to invite Borlaug to India, where the pair partnered to crossbreed even more productive strains. The results were immediate and astounding: In the 1960s, India was reliant on imports of wheat from the U.S. and its prime minister was suggesting Indians skip a meal a week. By 1974, it was self-sufficient. Swaminathan “was a hero who could bring science and humanity together,” an agricultural economist wrote in The Indian Express.

Darien Gap crossings surge

The number of migrants that have crossed the Darien Gap this year surpassed 400,000, already more than doubling 2022’s total. Once virtually impenetrable, the Darien Gap — a stretch of dense jungle on the Panama-Colombia border — is now more easily traversable as local entrepreneurs have eased some of the burden on migrants, The New York Times reported. A guide across the jungle, for instance, costs $170, while a porter to carry luggage will charge $100 for the multi-day journey. In response to the surge in migrants, Costa Rica, which borders Panama to the north, has declared a state of emergency, while the President of Mexico, where most migrants are headed, called for a continent-wide approach to the issue.

GM pig heart transplant goes well

A 58-year-old American man, Lawrence Faucette, became the second person to receive a heart transplant from a genetically modified pig. The first, David Bennett, died within two months, but doctors say Faucette is doing well. The use of GM pigs would, it is hoped, boost the supply of organs: Many would-be recipients die while waiting for a suitable organ. Both Faucette and Bennett had terminal heart disease and urgently needed a transplant, but a latent virus in the heart is believed to have contributed to Bennett’s death. Ahead of Faucette’s transplant, the heart was more extensively screened for viruses. Faucette himself sees the pig heart as “my only real hope … At least now I have hope, and I have a chance.”

Nigeria presses Italy over soccer mockery

Nigeria’s sports minister said his country was pursuing diplomatic talks with Rome over the mocking of a Nigerian footballer by his own Italian team. Napoli, Italy’s reigning soccer champions, shared a video on social media of Victor Osimhen missing a penalty, dubbed with a high-pitched voice blaring “gimme penalty please.” Despite long-standing commitments from Europe’s top leagues to suppress the hostile environment Black footballers can face, players across the continent remain the targets of racist abuse. This year, Brazilian officials condemned racist attacks that Vinicius Jr., one of the sport’s brightest talents, received in Spain, calling on authorities in Madrid to crack down on the abusers.

Dumbledore actor dies

Michael Gambon, the multiple-award-winning screen and theater actor best known for playing Albus Dumbledore in six Harry Potter movies, died aged 82. His movie debut was in 1965’s Othello, with Laurence Olivier: He won a BAFTA for his starring role in the fondly remembered musical murder mystery The Singing Detective, and three Olivier awards — British equivalents of the Tony. Gambon cheerfully admitted to never having read the Harry Potter books: He took the role after Richard Harris, who played Dumbledore in the first two films, died. “I’d never seen any of the previous films, but working on the series was huge fun — and for lots of dosh,” Gambon said.

Robin Hood tree felled by vandal

A 300-year-old tree at Sycamore Gap next to Hadrian’s Wall, south of the England-Scotland border, was chopped down. The sycamore, one of the most photographed trees in the world, was seen in 1991’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves — somewhat unexpectedly, since it would have involved a 250-mile detour for Robin to get there — and named English Tree of the Year in 2016. A 16-year-old was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. This summer, two tourists were caught carving their names into Rome’s Colosseum. It’s an example of what philosophers call the unilateralist’s curse: Even if 99.99% of people want to preserve a thing, it only takes one person to destroy it. Any public landmark is in constant danger of the rare but unstoppable idiot.

• Supporters of the junta that seized power in Burkina Faso hold a rally in the capital to mark the coup’s one-year anniversary.
• The California Republican Party’s fall convention begins in Anaheim.
• The Toy Association’s annual Toy Fair opens in New York on Saturday.

Naked Attraction’s position on Max’s Most Popular series list, a week after release. The British reality show, in which singles evaluate prospective dates by their nude bodies, was released with little fanfare to U.S. audiences, but immediately gathered social media attention. The host of ABC’s The View said, “I got so obsessed with this show … It was one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever seen.” Hollywood Reporter said that “there’s something refreshing about a show that presents and praises ordinary bodies in an age of image idealization.”

Ivory Coast painter Aboudia was the best-selling artist of 2022 based on the number of artworks sold at auction. The 40-year-old’s work is inspired by the street culture of Abidjan, in southern Ivory Coast, and his style has been compared to that of the neo-expressionist artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. A survey found that 75 artworks by Aboudia were auctioned last year, compared to 73 by Britain’s Damien Hirst. Aboudia, also known as Abdoulaye Diarrassouba, has become “the unexpected art world darling of the year,” noted the Baobab newsletter.

• Democrats say it’s time for Menendez to go. Republicans say not so fast.
• The world’s biggest climate fund wants to get bigger. But even more is needed to help developing economies decarbonize.
• Fox slashed ad prices for the second Republican debate. One ad buyer told Semafor the race “has become a snoozer.”