Balochistan’s agony deepens as another youth goes missing under Pakistani custody
Islamabad, October 12, 2025 — In yet another chilling reminder of Pakistan’s continued repression in Balochistan, a young man named Ashfaq Mushtaq has reportedly been abducted by Pakistani forces, the latest victim in a long series of enforced disappearances haunting the region, reports 24brussels.
Ashfaq’s family has not been informed of his whereabouts, heightening fears that he may meet a grim fate similar to other Baloch men who vanished under analogous circumstances. Naseem Baloch, commenting on X, indicated that security personnel, alongside local collaborators, raided Mushtaq’s residence earlier this month, abducting him without explanation or legal procedure.
This tragedy adds to the suffering of the Mushtaq family, already devastated by previous losses. In May 2025, Pakistani forces allegedly stormed the home of Lala Lateef, Ashfaq’s uncle, and shot him dead. Merely two months prior, Ashfaq’s cousin, Saif Lateef, was abducted along with eight other relatives in Mashkai, Balochistan. Their bodies were later discovered, leading rights groups to decry Pakistan’s ongoing campaign of brutality in the region.
The enforced disappearances exemplify a systematic pattern of violence in which Baloch identity itself is treated as a punishable offense. Over the years, thousands have disappeared, leaving their families in anguish and uncertainty. Pakistan’s military establishment has transformed Balochistan into a zone of fear, where dissent or activism can lead to dire consequences.
As global attention remains limited, families like that of Ashfaq Mushtaq continue to endure profound suffering. His disappearance serves as yet another painful reminder of the relentless cycle of oppression that characterizes life for the Baloch people, a reality that the international community can no longer afford to overlook.
Authorities in Israel and Gaza are preparing for the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners ahead of a Monday deadline for the swap stipulated in the ceasefire deal which could end the two-year war in Gaza.
Hamas is meant to release all living hostages from Gaza within 72 hours of signing of the deal – a deadline which ends at noon local time (10.00 BST). The militant group holds 48 hostages, 20 of which are believed to be alive.
Hamas is due to release the 48 hostages still being held in Gaza, most of them kidnapped during their 7 October 2023 attack on Israel. 20 of them are believed to be alive, with the fate of two more still unknown.
My NYU acceptance came with an $80,000 price tag, which would require me to take out student loans.
I enrolled in a legal interpreter certification at my local community college, which cost $450.
Choosing this fast track will allow me to get quick work and not accrue more debt.
This spring, my dreams came true: I was accepted to a tech-focused master’s program at New York University for Fall 2025. After breaking into the tech industry, I thought this would be the next right step.
I had been hopeful about receiving financial aid or scholarships, but none came through. I initially tried to convince myself that the $80,000 tuition was somehow manageable.
But my excitement started shifting to anxiety when I realized my only option was taking out student loans.
I couldn’t justify adding more debt to what I already owed from undergrad, especially for a degree that didn’t guarantee immediate career advancement after graduation. That’s when I started questioning if I was chasing prestige or purpose.
So I made a surprising choice instead: I enrolled in a community college certification program.
Discovering a more grounded path
While applying to NYU, I also started exploring ways to earn extra income and reconnect with community work.
Interpreting has always been a part of my identity through past volunteer work, personal projects, and as the daughter of a Mexican immigrant. My passion for using my bilingual skills in meaningful ways led me to research new interpreting opportunities.
While many organizations accept community-level credentials, most courtroom settings especially demand state-certified professionals. I wanted a qualification that would maximize my income and social impact, which requires completing an approved training course and passing a licensing exam.
I then found out that one of the most affordable starting paths was at the community college just around the corner from my apartment. Tuition for the three-semester track at Austin Community College totals $450, with each semester paid separately.
After contacting the college, I learned that the training is offered once a year. The start date was less than a month away, and there were only three seats left.
I needed to act fast. The question became clear: Should I choose a traditional two-year Master’s degree that carries crippling student debt or the shorter community college track that aligns with my roots and is easy to pay?
Within hours, I enrolled at the community college and paid for the first semester in full. The nervousness I’d once carried was immediately lifted.
Calculating the payoff beyond cost
Considering the growing national demand for Spanish legal interpreters, this work promises steady opportunities in courtrooms. This means I could recoup my low-cost tuition quickly, which is a return on investment most degrees can’t match.
While not graduate coursework, the workload demands serious dedication. I spend most days learning hundreds of legal terms in two languages and observing real-life hearings that the instructor invites us to.
By the time I complete the program in Spring 2026, I’ll already be in the process of earning my state certification, which grants me the authority to interpret in Texas courtrooms.
I now know I made the right financial and career decision.
My freedom is invaluable
It’s tempting to imagine what NYU would have been like. I would have started with online classes for the first year and relocated to New York City for the second.
But in reality, courtroom prep keeps my mind engaged and focused on the present.
This redirection allows me to stay home and further connects me to my native language without losing financial peace. It’s a freedom I consider worth more than a credential.
Though she’s often surrounded by people, the author (pictured with her family) says she still experiences loneliness.
Courtesy of Nicole Schildt
I have six kids, so I’m rarely alone, but I often feel very lonely.
The demands of motherhood leave little time for the deeper connections I crave.
I struggle to find the space for friendships, they often fall to the bottom of my to-do list.
As a mom of six, I’m rarely alone. My days are filled with noise — lots of noise. There is schoolwork spread across the kitchen table, laundry piled in corners, and schedules that somehow overlap and collide all at once, and all of that comes with a lot of chatter.
On paper, it seems like I should never feel lonely. I’m surrounded by people all day long. Yet the truth is, making real friendships feels harder than ever now that I’m a mom.
Moms are often together, but not connected
Motherhood comes with its own strange paradox: we are constantly in motion, constantly with others, and yet profoundly isolated. At least, that’s how it feels to me.
I spend time with other moms, at practices and on the sidelines of games, but those conversations are often shallow and rushed. “How’s your week going?” “Did you see the weather for the tournament this weekend?” “Whose glove is this?” We’re together, but not connecting.
I’m often too distracted to connect
I’d like to have the time and wherewithal to have deeper connections with the women I cross paths with, but at times that seems impossible.
For one, there are the younger siblings who tag along everywhere and also need my attention. I’ve paced countless laps with a stroller around baseball fields, hoping to lull a baby to sleep. I’m clapping for one kid’s at-bat while balancing a sippy cup in the other hand. It’s hard for me to notice the other things, and the other people, orbiting around the chaos.
I know I’m not alone
It’s not just me, I know other moms must feel the same way. In my own friend circle, we joke about how impossible it is to coordinate schedules and how it takes months to line up a simple coffee date. There are memes about needing to send out calendar surveys just to grab dinner with a friend or two.
The humor lands because it’s true. We want connection, but between childcare, work, and managing households, friendship often ends up on the bottom of the list.
I wish I had a fix
The irony is that I feel like I need friendship now more than ever. I’m carrying heavy loads — physically, emotionally, financially — and yet I often feel like I’m doing it alone.
Social media offers the illusion of connection, but scrolling through someone else’s highlight reel doesn’t replace the comfort of sitting across from a friend who really gets you.
I know this isn’t just a personal problem, it’s cultural. Modern motherhood is busier and more fragmented than ever before. We no longer live in neighborhoods where kids roam freely together while parents linger on porches. Instead, we drive across town for activities, juggle overlapping calendars, and piece together connections in the cracks of our days. The result is a generation of moms who are stretched thin and starved for community.
I don’t have a neat solution. I wish I did. What I do know is this: The loneliness is real, and it’s not just me. The moms I talk to crave connection, but struggle to find the time and space for it.
Maybe the first step is naming it, admitting that in the busyness of raising families, we’re missing something essential for ourselves. If motherhood has taught me anything, it’s that we were never meant to do this alone. And maybe the friendships we’re all longing for aren’t out of reach, maybe they’re sitting right beside us on the bleachers, probably holding a coffee and a snack bag, just as desperate for connection as we are.
So next time, I’m going to look up, smile first, and start the conversation — even if one of my kids is tugging at my sleeve.
Decomposed body wrapped with brown tape found near Hindon Canal; probe underway
A decomposed human body, wrapped in brown tape, was discovered near the Hindon Canal in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, on the evening of October 11, 2025, prompting an investigation, reports 24brussels.
Police responded to reports of the body and arrived at the dry corner of the canal opposite Mulla Colony, where they located the remains, which were additionally packed in a plastic bag. Initial inquiries have led to the registration of a case under Section 103/238(a) BNS.
Further details regarding the case remain pending as officials continue their investigation. In a separate incident, a 34-year-old man was fatally stabbed late on the evening of October 9 in the Khadar area near Khajuri Chowk, northeast Delhi. The victim, identified as Gajender, was a barber residing in Dayalpur.
Police received information about the stabbing at approximately 11:27 PM, and upon arrival, they found Gajender on the ground with multiple stab wounds. Forensic teams collected evidence from the scene, and the body was subsequently transported to a hospital for a post-mortem examination. Authorities have registered a case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) concerning murder.
Earlier, a 24-year-old man succumbed to injuries received during a violent incident in Dilshad Garden, Delhi. The individual, who worked as a salesman, was reportedly attacked in a robbery, as revealed by a friend present at the scene.
Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman is trying to position his chipmaker to take on Nvidia.
He said that challenging such a goliath takes a full-time commitment.
You can’t “up against the 800-pound gorilla with modest effort,” Feldman told Business Insider.
Creating a successful business is not a part-time or even a 40-hour-a-week job, especially when you’re taking on the world’s first $4 trillion company.
“This notion that somehow you can achieve greatness, you can build something extraordinary by working 38 hours a week and having a work-life balance that is mind-boggling to me,” Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman said during a recent episode of Harry Stebbings’ 20VC podcast.
Cerebras is trying to challenge Nvidia’s dominance of the AI chip market. That’s why Feldman, a self-described “David,” said his job requires an “every waking minute” level of commitment.
“I don’t think you can go up against the status quo, up against the 800-pound gorilla with modest effort,” Feldman told Business Insider. “I think it’s true about just about anything in life is to be great, you have to be committed. And that commitment is not part of time, it’s all of the time. “
Feldman described a hustle culture that is deeply ingrained in Silicon Valley, but not every major CEO follows the same playbook. Asked about Warren Buffett’s zealous defense of his work-life balance, Feldman questioned whether the legendary investor and his now-deceased partner Charlie Munger would want to buy into a company that wasn’t led by a true grinder.
“My question is, would they rather acquire a company in which founders are so passionate that they are working around the clock, and moving mountains, and building consumed by their business?” Feldman said. “Or would they rather buy companies where the founders are going home at five or six each night, I don’t know.”
Building a company takes devotion akin to a legendary athlete, Feldman said. He recalled NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young’s story of how he spotted his teammate and fellow future Hall of Famer Jerry Rice practicing running routes that day after winning a Super Bowl title.
“If you want to be great, you’ve gotta put the work in,” Feldman said.
Feldman said finding employees who feel the same way isn’t difficult.
“Nobody becomes an engineer to do things a little better than the last one,” he said. “You become an engineer because you love to build things, and if you can build things differently and better than anybody had ever built them before, you can use the things you build to help change the world, and that’s what we want. It’s easy to improve people who want to work like that.”
