News

-Alibaba Group has released Qwen 3.8-Max, a multimodal artificial intelligence model built on 2.4trln parameters with 95bn active parameters. The system is designed to compete directly with Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5 and OpenAI’s GPT Sol.

According to company disclosures, the model matches or outperforms US competitors on several benchmarks while utilising an open-source framework.

Priced at $2 per one mn input tokens and $6 per one mn output tokens, the model provides a commercial alternative to Western offerings. Subscription options are also available through Alibaba’s Token Plan starting at $6 per month. The company confirmed that the model weights will...

Tom Holland’s fourth solo adventure as the Marvel web-slinger secured the second-largest worldwide opening in cinema history. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” generated $927mn globally during its debut. This total places the feature directly behind the $1.22bn all-time benchmark established by “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019.

The Sony Pictures co-production drew the majority of its revenue from international markets. The sequel pulled in $572mn across 66 overseas territories, compared to a $355mn North American opening. Playing across approximately 90,000 screens globally, the film doubled its original worldwide projection of $425mn.

China led the foreign box office with...

The US Department of State has made its temporary visa security scheme permanent starting 3 August.

The regulation mandates that certain business and tourist visa applicants must post a financial guarantee of up to $20,000 before travelling to the United States. The Visa Bond Program applies to B-1/B-2 visa applicants from 50 designated countries with high overstay rates, deficient information-sharing and inadequate screening procedures.

The updated list directly impacts travellers from three Central Asian nations:

Under the permanent framework, consular officers will evaluate whether an applicant poses a risk...

An Israeli court has paused a proposal to have Nile crocodiles guard the perimeter of Ketziot prison, the largest detention facility in the country. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was the most vocal supporter of the plan.

The plan, which may sound more like the layout of a medieval fortress than a contemporary prison, involved surrounding the Ketziot Prison in the country’s southern region with moats full of crocodiles.

The Jerusalem District Court on 3 August ordered the government to halt the project while judges examine whether any reptiles can be deployed, The Times of Israel

Microsoft has increased prices for its Xbox Series consoles in the United Kingdom, the European Union and several other international markets. Updated store pages confirm the higher prices took effect on Aug. 1, following an announcement from the company in June that hardware costs would rise globally.

Price changes vary depending on the region and the specific model. In the United States, console prices increased by $100 to $150. Customers in the European Union face increases between €150 and €200, while prices in the UK rose by £130 to £170 across the product line. The price adjustments affect both...

The US dollar slipped against the Japanese yen on 3 August after Washington and Tokyo confirmed they had intervened together in currency markets for the first time in 15 years, a rare joint move to steady the Japanese currency.

The dollar was last down about 1% at 156.34 yen, extending losses that began late last week when traders suspected authorities had entered the market. The greenback had hit 163 yen just days before, its highest level against the Japanese currency in four decades.

US President Donald Trump said the intervention showed support for a close ally...

Team Uzbekistan is keen to arrange a friendly match with Russia later this year. The country’s football federation said it would be happy to discuss arranging the long-awaited game between the two sides.

«We are ready to play with the Russian national team, and we will be happy about it,» Usmon Toshev, who heads the national teams department at the Football Association of Uzbekistan, told sports media outlet Championat on 2 August.

So far, the White Wolves have only one confirmed friendly, the match in October against South Korea, leaving space...

Samsung’s recently announced foldable phones have barely reached store shelves, yet internal developments reveal the South Korean technology giant is already advancing its 2027 hardware portfolio.

According to Dutch publication GalaxyClub, a fresh leak of hardware codenames indicates the company is preparing up to five distinct flexible devices for release next year. The leaked identifiers, B9, H9, Q9A, Q9B and Z9, provide a detailed roadmap of Samsung’s future product strategy. While the majority of these internal monikers correspond to expected generational upgrades, the appearance of an entirely new category suggests a major shift in form factor design.

Expanding...

Along the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul Central Asian presidents gathered to inaugurate the Kyrgyzstan Grand Prix of the F1H2O World Championship.

After the opening, the leaders greeted competing teams and enthusiastic spectators before watching the opening qualification heats from the VIP observation area.

Tian-Shan range as a backdrop for water race

Organised by the Union Internationale Motonautique, the championship round represents the first time a Central Asian nation has hosted a stage of this competition.

Following the 2026 season opener in Cagliari, Italy, the competition moved to the alpine waters off Baet village. Situated 1,607 metres above...

Thailand’s leader has diverted his official weekend schedule to personally inspect the aftermath of a gruesome five-fold homicide in Chonburi province.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cut short a planned visit to Suphan Buri on Saturday, flying directly to the eastern coastal region to monitor the police investigation involving the deaths of two Russian citizens and three locals.

Addressing the media, the prime minister condemned the brutal acts allegedly carried out by two paroled ex-convicts known as Pong and Thong. He argued the tragedy struck a devastating blow to the nation’s global standing.

“They did not...

At least 57 people have died during the migration wave into Ceuta, while more than 48,000 individuals have already voluntarily returned to Morocco.

The staggering human toll emerged as local media documented the aftermath of the border breach, which saw roughly 60,000 people cross into the Spanish North African enclave. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attributed the chaotic surge to trafficking mafias that deliberately spread a self-serving interpretation of a recent Supreme Court ruling regarding migrants intercepted at sea.

In June 2026, Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that migrants who arrive in Ceuta by sea cannot be immediately deported like...

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has withdrawn a controversial proposal that would have allowed private investors to acquire a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup.

The governing body scrapped the plan following severe internal backlash and threats of a tournament boycott from major continental confederations.

The proposed financial agreement involved selling up to 20% of a newly formed commercial company to external investors. This independent entity would have controlled lucrative broadcasting and sponsorship rights for both the men’s and women’s global tournaments.

Infantino had given member associations a strict 53-day deadline to back the privatisation model...

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has officially swung into the record books, setting a new all-time high for preview screenings at the domestic box office. The latest Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios collaboration generated a staggering $72mn from Wednesday early-access presentations and Thursday afternoon showings.

This monumental figure dismantles the previous preview benchmark of $60mn, established by “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019. It also easily eclipses the $50mn preview haul achieved by the franchise’s prior instalment, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” in December 2021. Furthermore, the performance marks the largest preview gross for any Sony release in history and the highest since the...

The Russian technology news outlet Kod Durova has changed its name to Kod.ru. The rebranding follows a move by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to accuse Telegram founder Pavel Durov of aiding terrorism.

The publication announced the transition, explaining that its original name no longer reflected its broadened editorial scope beyond Durov’s projects. Although editors claimed the name change was planned long before the recent political fallout to avoid false associations, they acknowledged that the Russian government’s sudden criminal designation of the tech founder undeniably accelerated the rebranding timeline.

freedom of expression pic.twitter.com/pntdmkNKW2

— Telegram...

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has shattered advance box office expectations, generating more than $72mn in pre-sales to surpass “Avengers: Endgame” as the film with the most tickets purchased ahead of its release.

Despite this immense commercial triumph, leading actor Tom Holland admits that returning to his legendary superhero attire brought some distinctly unpleasant physical realities.

During a recent IMDb promotional interview, the British star offered fans a candid glimpse into the daily grind of Marvel production. When asked about the most challenging aspect of wearing the tight spandex for a 12-hour filming shift, Holland answered with brutal honesty.

The search for two Russian siblings missing in eastern Thailand ended on Friday night after police found their buried bodies in a Chon Buri forest.

Murder suspects, Thana Kerdthong and Thongchai Srinil, also led investigators to a secondary grave nearby, uncovering the remains of a local family of three who vanished weeks earlier.

Officers excavated the site in a forest near Pattaya under the guidance of two arrested ex-convicts. At a depth of roughly one metre, forensic teams discovered bodies of 22-year-old Diana Nazimova and her 17-year-old brother Roman Nazimov.

Initial examinations revealed Roman suffered gunshot wounds to...

A total of 97 foreign technology companies supplying electronic services within Uzbekistan remitted 143.8bn soums ($12.02mn) in tax revenues to the state budget during the first half of 2026.

Official fiscal data published by government authorities indicates an 84 per cent surge in tax receipts compared to the same six-month period in 2025. The substantial increase stems from growing domestic demand for digital services alongside stricter enforcement of compliance standards for multinational digital vendors operating across the nation. The rapid expansion in receipts underscores Uzbekistan’s growing integration into the global digital commerce ecosystem and ongoing efforts to modernise tax...

The long-awaited arrival of Snezhnaya is finally upon us. During the Genshin Impact Version 7.0 Special Program, the development team lifted the veil on Teyvat’s frigid seventh nation. Launching on August 12, this massive update introduces a completely transformed combat system, radical environmental survival mechanics, and a deeply political narrative that brings players face-to-face with the Tsaritsa and her Fatui Harbingers.

The Shadow Realm and the struggle against fate

The broadcast opened with a chilling story trailer that immediately set the stakes for the upcoming Archon Quests (Chapter VII: Acts I and II). The footage begins with the...

Chinese EV manufacturers are exporting battery-powered cars faster than overseas markets are absorbing them, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Over 1 million vehicles shipped over the past year and a half are yet to be registered for sale abroad.

The global automotive centre of gravity is shifting east, the IEA warned in a newly released report.

China’s domestic car market has weakened considerably this year, with total vehicle sales falling by more than 20% year-on-year in the first half of 2026. Electric vehicle sales also declined, though less sharply than conventional cars.

The agency...

Spain has deployed the military to its North African territory of Ceuta after an estimated 49,000 migrants breached the border from Morocco within a 24-hour period. The sudden influx represents more than half of the enclave’s total population and has completely overwhelmed local authorities.

Images and video footage revealed thousands of individuals swimming around the breakwater to reach Spanish beaches on Thursday. The crossing has carried a deadly toll, with officials confirming at least 18 fatalities in recent days. The massive surge follows a recent ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court preventing the summary return of migrants intercepted at sea...

The OnePlus N6x was officially launched in India on July 31, 2026, arriving as the newest entry-level smartphone in the company’s N series.

The device boasts a massive 7,000mAh battery and carries a starting price of Rs 18,999 ($190) for the base model featuring 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Customers seeking more space can opt for the 4GB RAM and 128GB storage variant, which is priced at Rs 20,999 ($210).

Sales for the new handset begin on August 4 at 12 p.m. via the official OnePlus website and other major e-commerce platforms. Early buyers can take...

Airport expansions, new aircraft and growing national carriers would help Central Asia strengthen its standing on global air routes, Boeing predicted in a fresh market overview.

Through 2045, passenger traffic is expected to grow 2.8% across Eurasia on the back of air travel within the region, despite potential challenges like geopolitical tensions and economic fluctuations, Boeing said in its latest report. 

“The region has diverse market drivers,” it stated, adding, “Central Asia is poised to become increasingly important as governments invest in hubs and national carriers,” highlighting the...

The iconic music player, thought to be among the most downloaded Windows software pieces, is gearing up for yet another comeback. This time, the Llama would bring streaming along for the ride.

Winamp has entered a deal with French streaming service Deezer to power its new premium music subscription, which will debut inside a completely redesigned Winamp Player in the first half of 2027. Instead of becoming just another Spotify clone, the company says the new app will combine streaming with local music libraries, internet radio, podcasts and personal cloud collections in a single player.

The...

News broke on Friday regarding the loss of a true giant in sports history. Franco Baresi, the celebrated central defender who defined an era for both his country and his sole professional club, has died aged 66.

Officials at the San Siro released a heartfelt tribute confirming the tragedy. Club representatives described an atmosphere of total devastation, noting that the late captain’s character and moral standards are permanently woven into their institutional fabric just as deeply as his famous jersey.

Medical issues had recently troubled the veteran athlete. During the previous calendar year, doctors performed an operation to extract...