News

AstraZeneca has halted a Phase III trial of an experimental lung cancer treatment after an independent review found it was unlikely to deliver the benefits researchers had hoped for.

The eVOLVE-Lung02 trial was studying volrustomig, the experimental drug in question, combined with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. The trial was for people whose tumours do not express the PD-L1 protein, which doctors use to help determine how likely some cancers are to respond to immunotherapy.

The independent monitoring committee stated that the combination would probably miss both of the study’s two main...

US President Donald Trump has welcomed the new defence agreement between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, giving his clearest public endorsement yet of an alliance that could reshape security ties across the Middle East and South Asia.

Trump has publicly backed the Saudi-Türkiye-Pakistan defence pact, calling it a «big, bold and important first step» towards stronger regional security.

«This shows how the Middle East is coming together and how countries will finally be able to defend themselves more effectively,» Trump wrote on Truth Social. He congratulated the three countries and called the...

The Uzbek government is trying to make the country’s capital market more predictable for long-term investors by stretching existing tax incentives well into the next decade, Kursiv Uzbekistan reported.

Foreign companies receiving dividends would continue to benefit from a 5% profit-tax rate, the same preferential rate applied to local companies.

Positive foreign-exchange gains and interest on corporate bonds, including foreign currency bonds, would be exempt from tax until 2038 for both residents and non-residents, both individuals and companies. The exemption would also apply to income from sukuk, an instrument Uzbekistan is preparing to introduce as part...

British PM Andy Burnham exchanged a string of messages with a man who was pretending to be White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Politico reported. 

Burnham communicated with the impersonator while he was still on course to become prime minister and exchanged a «few messages» after taking office on July 20, according to Politico. One person briefed on the communications told the outlet that the exchanges were «of no significance.»

It remains unclear what was discussed or exactly when the messages were sent. Downing Street declined to address the details, telling Politico: «We do not comment on national...

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan may lack the global reach of traditional middle powers, but their position between China, Russia and Europe is giving both countries growing influence over trade, energy and diplomacy.

Writing in the Financial Times, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center fellow Zaur Shiriyev argues that Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan increasingly fit a category of «mini-middle powers.» These are states that cannot dictate the international agenda but have enough influence in particular areas to make it difficult for larger powers to bypass them. 

Uzbekistan’s advantage is a combination of population and location. It...

Genshin Impact Version 7.0 finally takes the Traveler into Snezhnaya, but the opening two Archon Quests are about considerably more than introducing the Tsaritsa’s homeland.

“Everwinter Without Mercy” begins with a struggling population dealing with shortages, corruption and an increasingly brutal winter. By the end of the first act, the Traveler has uncovered the real purpose behind Snezhnaya’s energy crisis.

“Wraith’s Nocturne” then turns into a supernatural murder mystery involving Odette, Vodyanitsa, Mitya, Tartaglia’s sister Tonia and the mysterious Ruler of Death, Ronova.

The second act deliberately leaves several pieces unclear until its final scenes. Here is what...

Rufat Riskiev, the pioneering athlete who secured Uzbekistan’s first amateur boxing world championship, died on Saturday following a prolonged illness. He was 76.

The National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan confirmed the passing of the fighter universally known as the “Tashkent Tiger.” The Boxing Federation of Uzbekistan also issued a public statement calling his impact on the national sporting programme unforgettable while expressing condolences to his relatives, friends and the wider athletic community.

The veteran athlete had faced severe health challenges over the past decade. Medical professionals amputated his right leg in 2016 following severe complications from venous thrombosis.

Born...

Disney offered audiences an early look at the next chapter of its animated blockbuster franchise during the D23 fan event on Friday, revealing major plot points for the upcoming “Frozen 3.”

The studio confirmed the highly anticipated sequel will centre on the royal wedding between Anna and Kristoff following their engagement at the conclusion of the previous film. However, the celebratory event will not proceed smoothly. Footage shown to attendees debuted a mysterious new female antagonist who crashes the nuptials, launching the returning cast into an entirely new adventure.

Voice actors Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell and Josh Gad took...

Pixar is taking Miguel‘s story into his teenage years with Coco 2, bringing the young musician back to the Land of the Dead for another supernatural adventure.

The studio confirmed the sequel’s November 2029 cinema release during Disney’s D23 event, where it also offered the first glimpse of an older Miguel. Concept artwork presented at the event showed the character alongside Dante, his loyal dog from the original film.

The new story will reunite Miguel with several familiar faces, including Ernesto de la Cruz, the legendary singer whose carefully constructed reputation was dismantled during the events of Coco.

Benjamin...

Disney Animation has greenlit a third instalment in its blockbuster “Zootopia” franchise. The announcement arrived during the D23 Expo entertainment showcase where studio executives teased an expansion of the mammalian universe to include avian characters.

Disney Animation chief Jared Bush appeared alongside voice actors Ginnifer Goodwin and Ke Huy Quan to confirm the project. Goodwin will reprise her role as rabbit police officer Judy Hopps while Quan returns as Gary the snake. The studio revealed a title graphic featuring the number three constructed entirely from feathers. This design choice pays off a subtle post-credits scene in “Zootopia 2” where...

Marvel Studios has revealed the principal cast for its upcoming X-Men reboot during the D23 Expo. Studio president Kevin Feige introduced the actors who will usher the mutant franchise into the Marvel Cinematic Universe under director Jake Schreier.

Adam Driver will portray the villainous Nathaniel Essex, better known as Mister Sinister. He joins a lineup that includes Christopher Abbott taking on the mantle of Charles Xavier, commonly referred to as Professor X. Inde Navarrette will play the power-absorbing mutant Rogue alongside Maya Boyd as the weather-manipulating Storm.

The announcement confirmed widespread industry speculation regarding the studio’s direction for the...

An artificial intelligence system managing a retail store has fired a human employee, marking the first time a large language model has terminated a contracted worker.

Research startup Andon Labs launched the experiment earlier this year to determine whether autonomous agents can successfully run physical businesses. The company appointed a version of the AI model Claude to oversee Andon Market, a real shop staffed by humans with standard employment contracts.

The dismissed worker arrived late for 17 of their 23 shifts. While algorithms frequently deactivate gig economy workers on ride-sharing and delivery apps, this incident represents a fundamental shift...

Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom has established himself as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s ultimate threat. Disney unveiled the second trailer for “Avengers: Doomsday” during its D23 fan event on Friday, offering a comprehensive look at the villain’s tragic backstory, multiversal motives and staggering power level.

The two-minute preview abandons the mystery of earlier teasers to place Victor von Doom front and centre. Rather than framing him simply as a conqueror, the footage leans into the character’s emotional collapse and deep ties to the Fantastic Four.

Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm provides the narrative framing, explaining Doom’s descent to an assembly of...

Kanye West postponed his long-awaited Almaty concert just minutes before he was due to perform on Friday after a major power outage was followed by thunderstorms, strong winds and heavy rain.

The rapper, who performs as Ye, was scheduled to take the stage at Almaty’s Central Stadium at 9 p.m. on August 14. Thousands of fans had already entered the venue when organisers announced that the show would not go ahead.

The concert has been rescheduled for Saturday, August 15, at the same time. Tickets already purchased remain valid and do not need to be exchanged, according to organisers.

Prominent sociologist Jason Arday has died in south London just days after relinquishing his prestigious post at the University of Cambridge due to an intense academic dispute.

Paramedics responded to a Battersea property on Friday afternoon, where they located the 41-year-old scholar unresponsive. Authorities from the Metropolitan Police confirmed they are not treating the sudden passing as suspicious.

The accomplished academic left his role teaching the sociology of education shortly before his death. His departure followed a barrage of intellectual property accusations, which he categorically denied, instead framing the ordeal as a coordinated smear effort.

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Flores region early Saturday, killing at least 38 people, damaging homes and buildings and prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning.

The earthquake struck at about 5:58 a.m. local time near the northern coast of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province. The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicentre was about 68 kilometres north-northwest of Ende and around 10 kilometres deep, making it a relatively shallow earthquake with strong surface effects.

A powerful 7.7-magnitude undersea earthquake struck off the northern coast of Indonesia's Flores...

Ukraine is struggling to find a candidate willing to take over its embassy in Washington, with potential candidates leery of dealing with Donald Trump’s administration during a vital stage of the war.

According to Politico, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has yet to locate the heavyweight envoy he seeks in Washington after numerous potential candidates turned down his offer.

Zelenskyy is reportedly looking for someone with the political clout to deal directly with the Trump administration and speak authoritatively on his behalf. According to those acquainted with the hunt, the challenge is finding a candidate who...

The White House has named Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan among smaller economies that could reroute Chinese goods around US tariffs. Washington stopped short of accusing either country of large-scale evasion, but a comprehensive 40-page report puts Central Asia’s growing role as a China-linked trade corridor under closer scrutiny.

Rerouting, relabelling or limited processing are helping Chinese exporters circumvent higher US tariffs, according to the White House’s new report, The Great Transshipment Scam. It ranks Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan at Tier 3, along with Azerbaijan, Georgia, the UAE and Singapore.

Tier 3 includes smaller economies with lower suspected volumes of transshipment, but...

A large-scale power outage hit several parts of Central Asia on Friday, August 14, disrupting electricity supplies in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and exposing the close links between the region’s power systems.

The disruption was reported almost simultaneously in the four countries, with residents in major cities including Almaty, Bishkek and Dushanbe reporting outages and interruptions.

There were no immediate reports indicating that all five Central Asian countries had lost power. Turkmenistan has not been identified in the reports reviewed as being affected by the incident.

In Kazakhstan, the outage was particularly significant in Almaty and the surrounding...

Apple will debut its inaugural foldable smartphone at a September 8 product event in the United States but will not immediately release the device to consumers.

A major Chinese component supplier confirmed the technology giant faces significant testing hurdles, pricing dilemmas and supply chain constraints. The source indicated that Apple engineers are struggling with production verification tests on already-built models.

The launch delays mean Australian consumers face a lengthy wait for the new handset. Local carriers and retailers confirmed the foldable device will not appear on store shelves alongside the upcoming iPhone 18 lineup. Apple intends to distribute its...

Uzbekistan is giving some entrepreneurs more breathing room at launch, allowing them to start operating for up to three months before completing the licensing process. The change is part of a broader effort to reduce bureaucracy and lower the cost of starting a business.

Under the new regime, businesses will be able to start work after notifying the relevant authority, rather than waiting for all the licences or permits to be issued. The notification can be submitted through Uzbekistan’s e-gov portal or the electronic Licence system.

Businesses will not be penalised for operating without a required...

SpaceX and Tesla have commenced construction on Terafab, a massive semiconductor manufacturing facility in Grimes County, Texas. Backed by an initial joint investment of £13.1bn ($16.8bn), the site aims to bridge the growing gap between current global chip supplies and the future computational demands of Elon Musk‘s companies.

The project is uniquely designed to put every stage of semiconductor production under one roof. This vertical integration includes chip design, fabrication, memory manufacturing, advanced packaging and testing. Initial plans indicate the factory will cover more than 100mn square feet of land. However, Musk has stated the fully completed facility will...

A routine renovation in Belgium has turned into something closer to a treasure hunt after workers discovered a safe packed with gold inside a cellar wall. The haul, which includes coins, nuggets and small bars, is estimated to be worth more than €9 million.

Workers renovating the building for a local social organisation made the discovery at the former Brouwershuis brewery in the town of Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde, East Flanders. A concealed safe was uncovered while laying pipes in the basement, Belgian news outlet RTL reported.

The contents included a considerable quantity of gold in the form...

A Chinese automaker has pulled off an extraordinary gravity-defying feat with its newest battery-electric model. Dongfeng Motor’s luxury division recently sent its upcoming passenger crossover on a full barrel roll along the inside walls of a testing facility.

The stunt serves as an homage to a widely debated 16-year-old commercial where former Formula One champion Michael Schumacher appeared to drive a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG across the roof of a subterranean passage. While sceptics long questioned if computer graphics aided that original German clip, executives at the Chinese brand insist their footage features an unmodified showroom-ready car tackling the...