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CHENGDU: China’s Long Jianguo set a new national record of 4.74 seconds to win the men’s four-lane speed climbing title, while Indonesia’s Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi claimed the women’s crown in 6.35 during the World Games at the Tianfu Park. It was the first time the four-lane format has appeared in sport climbing at a multi-sport event. Unlike the Olympic’s two-lane standard, this event features four parallel lanes with four climbers racing simultaneously. The gold medal round is contested by all four finalists at once, rather than a head-to-head showdown. “I felt this format was so much fun after…

In the end, what remained was not memory but metrics. Gill’s average. Duckett’s strike rate. Siraj’s stubborn resolve. No rivalries. No bruises. No poetry. Just a scoreboard with a smile. Yes, there were centuries to savour, spells to admire, and a finish that quickened the pulse. And yet, I write this not because of that excitement, but in spite of it because there are higher roads to the same high, and this series took the service lane. I remain stubbornly stuck in my fool’s paradise, expecting every over-staffed Test team administration to conjure a Wasim Akram, manage a Shane Warne,…

CHITRAL: A group of women trekkers returned to Chitral city here on Friday after successfully trekking to the base camp of Terich Mir, the highest peak of Hindukush system of mountains as part of the 75-year celebrations of its first successful ascent. Arranged by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture & Tourism Authority (KPCTA) under its ‘Year of Terich Mir 2025’ initiative, the group included trekkers from all the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad Capital Territory. Supported by 36 local porters and three local guides, the trekkers braved the difficult paths, fast-flowing water and harsh glaciers to make it to the base camp…

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc | Digitalvision | Getty ImagesThere’s a way for student borrowers pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness to get their debt wiped away sooner than they might have expected.But that program, called PSLF Buyback, has been experiencing some challenges of late.Chief among them: As of July 31, there’s a 72,730-person backlog of borrowers waiting to have the Department of Education process their applications, according to a new court filing. That’s up from 65,448 borrowers as of the end of June.Some of the borrowers CNBC has spoken with have been waiting for half a year or more for answers.…

Yurou Guan | Moment | Getty ImagesUnder the Trump administration, more than 72,000 student loan borrowers who are likely eligible for debt forgiveness are stuck in a backlog of applications waiting for the relief.Some of them, like 46-year-old April Osteen, owe just a single payment. Others, like Dan Carrigg of Rhode Island, have been waiting a year for the government to respond to their application.”There are no updates,” Carrigg said. “They tell you nothing.”The program experiencing the challenges is known as Public Service Loan Forgiveness Buyback.That opportunity, first offered by the Biden administration, allows borrowers who qualify to have their…

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway acquired a stake worth $1.6 billion in beleaguered insurer UnitedHealth in the second quarter.WireImage It’s a difficult time for value investors to find bargains, with the stock market shrugging off pessimism about tariffs and a weak job market to keep climbing to record highs, but Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway found some solace buying the dip in one of the year’s biggest disappointments for investors. On Thursday afternoon, Berkshire disclosed in an SEC filing that it bought more than 5 million shares of UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter, initiating a stake worth $1.6 billion. The stock…

Gary Yeowell | Digitalvision | Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” enacted trillions in tax breaks — and some residents of certain states and counties could see bigger benefits.In 2026, individual taxpayers will save an average of $3,752, according to a Tax Foundation analysis released this week. That figure falls to $2,505 in 2030 as some tax breaks expire, such as the $40,000 limit on the federal deduction for state and local taxes, known as SALT.After falling for several years, the average tax cut could rise to $3,301 in 2035 once inflation boosts the value of permanent cuts. “That’s an interesting…

Close-up of a person’s hand holding an iPhone and using Google AI Mode, an experimental mode utilizing artificial intelligence and large language models to process Google search queries, Lafayette, California, March 24, 2025. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)Gado via Getty Images Google’s stock could rise 325% by 2035 if the company is broken up into five parts. However, the resulting loss of operating synergies could cost Google $67 billion in revenue lift and cost savings. A judge is expected to order Google to take action after the company was found guilty in an antitrust trial, according to the Washington Post.…

The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty ImagesMortgage rates have been declining, making conditions favorable for some homeowners to refinance, experts say. The average 30-year fixed rate mortgage was 6.58% for the week ending Thursday, August 14, down from 6.63% the week prior, according to Freddie Mac.Mortgage rates have come down a point and a half from October 2023, when rates almost hit 8%, according to Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist at the National Association of Realtors. “That’s a substantial improvement,” said Lautz.More from Personal Finance:Nearly 1 in 5 older student loan borrowers are seriously delinquentHere’s the inflation breakdown for July 2025Bad…

Mellisa Soehono, 29, says she would “definitely” like to start a family someday.”I do get a little bit of ‘FOMO’ seeing my friends around my age getting married, settling into a new home — and I’m just not in a place where that is really realistic for me,” said the public relations executive in Jacksonville, Florida.To be sure, Soehono is not alone. Fewer 25- to 34-year-olds are getting married or having children, or even working full time or moving out of their parents’ home, according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau working paper.More from Personal Finance:Here’s the inflation breakdown for July…