The apparently inauspicious thoroughfare of William Street, in the village of Cilfynydd, near Pontypridd in the south Wales valleys, was the birthplace not only of Lord Merlyn-Rees, the former Labour home secretary, but of two singers of worldwide fame: the bass-baritone Geraint Evans and the tenor Stuart Burrows. Burrows, who has died aged 92, had a mellifluous, highly expressive voice that made him first choice for many opera houses, especially in Mozartian roles, and also with the viewing public. For eight years (1978-86) he had his own hugely popular television show on the BBC, Stuart Burrows Sings, on which he presented Victorian ballads, and folk songs from Wales and elsewhere, as well as classical favourites.
For 22 years, between 1967 and 1989, he supplied Mozartian staples such as Tamino, Titus, Idomeneo and Ottavio at Covent Garden, interspersed with the occasional Fenton in Falstaff, Lensky in Onegin, Ernesto in Don Pasquale and Alfredo in La Traviata. Over the same period he was a regular visitor at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and was said to be the first UK singer to appear in 12 consecutive seasons.
There he sang Pinkerton opposite Leontyne Price and Alfredo opposite Beverly Sills’ Violetta, and appeared in Die Entführung aus dem Serail conducted by James Levine, alongside Edda Moser, Kathleen Battle and Martti Talvela. He appeared at the San Francisco Opera first in 1967, as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte – also his first role at the Vienna State Opera in 1970 – and as Don Ottavio at the 1970 Salzburg festival, conducted by Herbert von Karajan.
The son of Albert Burrows, a coalminer, and Gladys (nee Powell), who also worked for a mining company as an administrator, Stuart excelled at rugby as a boy and initially aspired to become a professional player – but he turned down the offer of a contract to play with Leeds Rugby League Club. Instead he took employment as a schoolteacher until he won the tenor solo prize at the Royal National Eisteddfod in 1959 – despite only having voice training as a child until the age of 12 – and went on to study at Trinity College, Carmarthen.
He made his stage debut in 1963 with the Welsh National Opera in the comprimario role of Ismaele in Nabucco, also at that time essaying heavier roles such as Rodolfo in La Bohème and the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, which were not to feature in his repertoire as his career developed.
In 1965 he was invited to sing the title role in Oedipus Rex in Athens under the baton of Igor Stravinsky himself. His long run at Covent Garden began with the role of the First Prisoner in Fidelio (1967). The following year he was kept busy there: in January he sang Tamino, in April Jack in The Midsummer Marriage, in May Fenton in Falstaff, in October Tamino again and in November Edmondo in Manon Lescaut. In roles such as Tamino, Titus and Idomeneo, he displayed an ideal combination of an appealingly honeyed tone, aristocratic command and heroic address.
He deployed a similar mode of delivery in Bach and Handel (the latter’s oratorios were particular favourites) and his performances of this repertory were winning even if they showed little affinity with the historically informed style by then gaining momentum.
Stuart Burrows, left, as Faust at the Royal Opera House, London, in 1974. Photograph: Peter Johns/The Guardian
It stood him in good stead, however, in bel canto opera, as heard, for example, in a privately recorded Covent Garden performance as Elvino in La Sonnambula with Renata Scotto, or on a commercial recording of him singing Leicester in Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda, with Sills and Eileen Farrell as the rival queens. Here his aptitude for a natural legato fuses with a plaintive quality of timbre, under immaculate control, to produce a stylish and highly affecting account of the role that makes one wish he had devoted more time to the repertory. A second (privately recorded) taping of Burrows in that role, at San Francisco in 1971, also exists, with Joan Sutherland and Huguette Tourangeau as the two queens.
He excelled, too, in lyric tenor roles of French operas. His recordings included The Damnation of Faust with Seiji Ozawa, Mahler’s Das Klagende Lied with Pierre Boulez and The Midsummer Marriage with Colin Davis. On the concert platform he appeared with conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Georg Solti, Daniel Barenboim and Eugene Ormandy. He also gave solo recitals (often with the pianist John Constable), specialising in songs by Beethoven, Schubert and English composers, as well as ballads and folk songs.
In later years Burrows acted as an adjudicator at prestigious song competitions, including Cardiff Singer of the World. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Wales, Cardiff, and honorary fellowships from Aberystwyth and Cardiff universities, and Trinity College, Carmarthen. He was particularly proud to have a LeShuttle locomotive named after him.
He married Enid Lewis in 1957. She died in 1985; he is survived by their two children, Mark and Meryl, and two grandchildren.
A mystery interstellar object discovered last week is likely to be the oldest comet ever seen – possibly predating our solar system by more than three billion years, researchers say.
The “water ice-rich” visitor, named 3I/ATLAS, is only the third known object from beyond our solar system ever spotted in our cosmic neighbourhood and the first to reach us from a completely different region of our Milky Way galaxy.
It could be more than seven billion years old, according to University of Oxford astronomer Matthew Hopkins – who is discussing his findings at the Royal Astronomical Society’s National Astronomy Meeting 2025 in Durham – and may be the most remarkable interstellar visitor yet.
Unlike the previous two objects to enter our solar system from elsewhere in the cosmos, 3I/ATLAS appears to be travelling on a steep path through the galaxy, with a trajectory that suggests it originated from the Milky Way’s ‘thick disk’ – a population of ancient stars orbiting above and below the thin plane where the Sun and most stars reside.
“All non-interstellar comets such as Halley’s comet formed with our solar system, so are up to 4.5 billion years old,” Hopkins said.
“But interstellar visitors have the potential to be far older, and of those known about so far our statistical method suggests that 3I/ATLAS is very likely to be the oldest comet we have ever seen.”
The object was first spotted on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey telescope in Chile, when it was about 670 million km from the Sun.
Hopkins’ research predicts that, because 3I/ATLAS likely formed around an old, thick-disk star, it should be rich in water ice.
“This is an object from a part of the galaxy we’ve never seen up close before,” said Professor Chris Lintott, co-author of the study and presenter of the BBC’s The Sky at Night.
“We think there’s a two-thirds chance this comet is older than the solar system, and that it’s been drifting through interstellar space ever since.”
As it approaches the Sun, sunlight will heat 3I/ATLAS’s surface and trigger cometary activity, or the outgassing of vapour and dust that creates a glowing coma and tail.
Early observations already suggest the comet is active, and possibly larger than either of its interstellar predecessors, 1I/’Oumuamua (spotted in 2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019).
If confirmed, this could have implications for how many similar objects future telescopes, such as the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory, are likely to detect. It may also provide clues about the role that ancient interstellar comets play in seeding star and planet formation across the galaxy.
“We’re in an exciting time: 3I is already showing signs of activity. The gases that may be seen in the future as 3I is heated by the Sun will test our model,” said co-author Dr Michele Bannister, of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.
“Some of the biggest telescopes in the world are already observing this new interstellar object – one of them may be able to find out!”
The discovery of 3I caught the team by the surprise. It happened as they were gearing up for the beginning of survey operations with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which their model predicts will discover between 5 and 50 interstellar objects.
“The solar system science community was already excited about the potential discoveries Rubin will make in the next 10 years, including an unprecedented number of interstellar objects,” said co-researcher Dr Rosemary Dorsey, of the University of Helsinki.
“The discovery of 3I suggests that prospects for Rubin may now be more optimistic; we may find about 50 objects, of which some would be similar in size to 3I. This week’s news, especially just after the Rubin First Look images, makes the upcoming start of observations all the more exciting.”
The team’s findings come from applying a model developed during Hopkins’ doctoral research, which simulates the properties of interstellar objects based on their orbits and likely stellar origins.
Just a week before the comet’s discovery, Hopkins had defended his thesis, and when 3I/ATLAS was announced, he was set to go on holiday. Instead, he found himself comparing real-time data to his predictions.
“Rather than the quiet Wednesday I had planned, I woke up to messages like ‘3I!!!!!!!!!!’,” said Hopkins. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to test our model on something brand new and possibly ancient.”
The researchers’ model, dubbed the Ōtautahi-Oxford Model, marks the first real-time application of predictive modelling to an interstellar comet.
For those keen to catch a glimpse of 3I/ATLAS, it should be visible through a reasonably-sized amateur telescope in late 2025 and early 2026.
On Saturday, all eyes will be on United States’ Amanda Anisimova as she takes on Poland’s Iga Świątek in the Wimbledon women’s finals.
But this week there has been another rally taking place off grass.
It was catwalk v Centre Court as clashing schedules meant haute couture fashion week in Paris went head to head with the Championships in SW19.
Like all matches, there can only be one winner and surprisingly, it appears it is the London suburb rather than the French fashion capital that has claimed the contest.
While couture wasn’t short of Hollywood stars – Demna’s final show for Balenciaga included appearances from Kim Kardashian and Nicole Kidman, and the singer Dua Lipa and rapper Cardi B sat front row at Schiaparelli – Wimbledon has welcomed an eclectic mix, from the pop star Olivia Rodrigo to Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Oscar winners Mark Rylance and Cate Blanchett.
Left to right: Actor Louis Partridge, singer Olivia Rodrigo, musician Dave Grohl and director Jordyn Blum watch Carlos Alcaraz during his second round match at Wimbledon. Photograph: Javier García/Shutterstock
Yasmin Eady, the co-founder of Raven, a London-based communications agency, describes gaining access to the tournament as “more desirable than ever”.
Ralph Lauren, Wimbledon’s official outfitter since 2006 (meaning the brand dresses all tournament staff), hosts a string of stars who this year included the actors Ncuti Gatwa and Andrew Garfield.
Unlike a fashion show that lasts as little as 10 minutes, a match at Centre Court can go on for hours, but this doesn’t seem to be a deterrent.
“Wimbledon has become the must-have ticket for celebrities,” says Daniel Yaw-Miller, a sports and fashion journalist and founder of the SportsVerse newsletter. “It is one of those events that if you are seen at, gives you a particular kind of status in the celebrity world. It shows that you are moving in certain circles.”
The fusion of sport, celebrity and fashion is a growing trend seen across all types of sports including Formula One and football but this year’s Wimbledon, the third of four annual grand slam tennis tournaments, has shown just how integrated the two worlds have become. Tennis has come for luxury fashion and luxury fashion has come for tennis.
Thrilling rallies from athletes including Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff have propelled interest in the sport, signalling a transition in the game as this new generation of stars take over after the retirement of greats including Roger Federer and Serena Williams. Yaw-Miller describes Alcaraz as a “new rock star” and “an athlete’s athlete”. After his match against Cameron Norrie, Saka and Jurriën Timber took photos with him.
This season the Italian player Lorenzo Musetti used the championships to announce his new Bottega Veneta ambassador role by walking on to the court in a woven, white leather jacket from the brand. He might have got knocked out in the first round but the virality of the images show the impact a fashion partnership can have even if a jacket is worn for a couple of minutes.
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Lorenzo Musetti in his white leather jacket. Photograph: Javier García/Shutterstock
Marisa Hordern, the founder and creative director of the British jewellery brand Missoma, says this summer the company chose to focus on Wimbledon rather than Glastonbury. “The championships feels more culturally relevant and exciting. In terms of brand exposure, in the UK in terms of sporting events, it’s No 1.”
When an earring worn by Gauff from Missoma’s new tennis collection fell out mid-match, clips of her opponent Dayana Yastremska picking it up quickly spread. Some compared it with Chris Evert’s 1978 US Open moment when her bracelet fell off. “It was one of those awkward moments which just became PR gold,” says Hordern. So far the collection has performed 53% better than the brand had forecast.
Eady says an image of a player or a celebrity spectator wearing a piece or carrying an accessory is strongly coveted by brands.
It extends to the partners of the athletes too. The influencer Morgan Riddle, who is Taylor Fritz’s girlfriend, regularly partners with brands such as Valentino and Ferragamo on her spectator outfits.
According to the data firm Launchmetrics, last year’s appearance of the Challenger’s star Zendaya at the Polo Ralph Lauren suite generated more than £2m in media impact value for the US brand.
Unlike other sporting events, the spectators in the royal box sit in close proximity to the court and often end up in the background of coverage. Eady says: “If you have someone wearing a brand, smiling to the cameras as someone like [Novak] Djokovic wins a final set, that’s the money shot.”
The National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC) of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Friday issued a weather alert warning that moderate to heavy monsoon rains are expected to affect multiple regions of the country for a three-day period commencing from July 13 (Sunday).
Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and replenishing water supplies and agriculture. They are crucial to the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security. However, they also trigger deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas.
The NEOC advised the public to take precautionary measures in anticipation of rains.
The forecast indicates moderate to heavy monsoon rainfall across various regions of Pakistan due to intensified moisture inflow from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, coupled with an active westerly wave system.
As a result, substantial rises in river flows are expected — most notably in the Indus, Kabul, Jhelum (upstream of Mangla), and Chenab rivers.
The advisory stated that Tarbela, Taunsa, and Guddu barrages were currently at low flood levels, while Kalabagh and Chashma were at medium flood levels.
“Taunsa is also expected to rise to medium flood levels, with low to medium flows likely to persist in Indus river stations throughout the coming week,” the NDMA said.
The Chenab river is expected to reach low flood levels at Marala and Khanki, while low flood levels are also forecasted for the Kabul river at Nowshera.
Rain-induced swelling is anticipated in the Swat and Panjkora rivers, as well as their associated streams and nullahs.
Torrential flows in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur torrents are likely to re-activate with medium to high flows during the upcoming weather spell. In Balochistan, streams and nullahs in north-eastern districts may experience high flows, including Jhal Magsi, Kachhi, Sibi, Qila Saifullah, Zhob, and Musakhel.
Additionally, localised flash flooding is expected in river networks of southern Balochistan districts such as Khuzdar, Awaran, Lasbela, and Qalat. At present, Tarbela Dam is at 74 per cent storage capacity and Mangla Dam is at 44pc according to the forecast.
The NDMA advised residents living near rivers, streams, and nullahs to stay vigilant for sudden surges in water levels, especially during heavy rainfall and nighttime.
“Communities in flood-prone areas should identify safe evacuation routes, secure household items, vehicles, and livestock at elevated locations, and prepare emergency kits with essential supplies, including food, water and medicines sufficient for three to five days,” it said.
“District administration, particularly in northeastern and central Punjab, should prepare de-watering equipment to manage water accumulation due to heavy downpours,” it added.
The NDMA strongly urged the public to remain updated through official flood warnings broadcasted via television, radio, mobile alerts and the Pak NDMA Disaster Alert mobile application.
“All citizens are reminded to avoid crossing causeways, low bridges, and flooded roads.”
The NDMA said that it remains in “close coordination with relevant authorities” to monitor the situation and ensure timely dissemination of alerts.
Sindh prepares for monsoon rains
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah convened a high-level meeting to review and enhance preparations for the upcoming monsoon rains, emphasising readiness across all relevant departments and institutions province-wide.
The meeting, held at the CM House, included provincial ministers Sharjeel Memon, Nasir Shah, Saeed Ghani, Jam Khan Shoro, Zia Lanjar, Mohammad Bux Mahar and Mohammad Ali Malkani. Also present were Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, provincial secretaries, Chief Metrologist Ameer Hyder, and Disaster Management, Water Board, K Electric, Solid Waste heads and representatives from the Corps-V.
The participants of the meeting observed that the weather forecasts predict a “heat-low” pressure area forming earlier than usual over southern Pakistan, with rainfall expected to be normal to slightly above normal during July and August. Upper Sindh may see a 10pc increase in rainfall, while southern Sindh could experience a rise of 20-30pc.
Flood management remains a priority as the Lower Indus region faces significant risks, with potential flooding from the Indus River and hill torrents.
To combat these challenges, the CM has activated all the concerned departments and organisations to improve drainage systems and pumping stations, ensuring they are operational ahead of the monsoon season.
Ongoing restoration efforts from the 2022 floods focus on critical infrastructure improvements to enhance the region’s resilience against flooding.
The CM was told that the cleaning of drains began on June 20, with the operation set to continue until September 15. All major choking points and culverts have been cleared as part of this effort.
Underpasses, including Tariq road, KPT, Submarine, and Mehran, are being prioritised, while emergency response teams remain on high alert across the city.
It was pointed out that the city faced issues such as inadequate infrastructure to handle over 45 millimetres of rain per hour, with challenges including plastic waste and encroachments blocking drains, particularly in District Korangi.
Football fans who enter or attempt to enter matches in England and Wales without a ticket face a ban after legislation cleared the House of Commons.
The bill makes unauthorised entry to a football match a criminal offence. Following a conviction for that offence, a court would ban someone from attending any professional football matches.
Convicted fans would also face a fine of up to £1,000.
The draft legislation still needs to be passed by the House of Lords, but is likely to become law as it is supported by both the government and the Conservatives.
Unathorised entry into a match can include tailgating a fan with a ticket through barriers, but it can also include forced entry, bribing stadium staff, or using deception to enter – such as impersonating a member of staff.
The draft law comes following disorder at the Euro 2020 final at Wembley in 2021, when thousands of fans force entry into the stadium.
An FA-commissioned report led by Baroness Louise Casey said the disorder could have led to deaths and recommended making tailgating into a match a criminal offence.
The measures would cover fans who attempt to enter the premises – such as the first ticket check on the run up to a stadium – but who fail to make it into a match itself.
But it would not apply to fans who enter a match with a fake ticket they believe to be genuine, or entering a match with a valid ticket which they were not eligible to use.
It would also not stop those without tickets but with legitimate reasons to enter matches, such as stadium employees, journalists and emergency workers.
Labour MP Linsey Farnsworth, who proposed the law, said it was needed as the lack of current consequences means “ticketless individuals can and do repeatedly attempt to gain entry to a match until they give up or are indeed successful”.
The MP for Amber Valley, in Derbyshire, highlighted the “uneasy” experience of two of her friends who were at the Euro 2020 final at Wembley, whom she said were put off from attending England games again.
She said the intention was for the measures to come into force at the start of this year’s football season.
But Conservative backbencher Sir Christopher Chope criticised the change, saying it risked trivialising legislation and that the disorder at the Euro 2020 final was a “one-off incident”.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said that the problem was a recurring one, telling MPs that “forced entry, tailgating, and so-called jibbing, are not victimless acts”.
He added: “Those involved are often aggressive, violent or threatening, and their actions can lead to overcrowding, blocked emergency exists and frightening conditions for innocent fans.”
A similar bill was introduced during the last parliament, but it failed to make it onto the statute book before the general election.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for a second time in two days on Friday, with the war in Ukraine the focal point of their huddle. They had met for 50 minutes on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Malaysia on Thursday.
While campaigning for re-election, US President Donald Trump had promised to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office.
But more than four months later, the prospects of a ceasefire appear as remote as ever, with Russia launching a fierce bombardment of Ukraine in recent days.
After the Thursday meeting, Rubio told reporters that Trump was “disappointed and frustrated that there’s not been more flexibility on the Russian side” to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
So has Trump’s view of the war changed – and what are his next options?
Has Trump’s position on Russia shifted?
Rubio’s comments come at a time when Trump has increasingly been publicly critical of Putin, after previously accusing Ukraine of not wanting peace.
“We get a lot of b******t thrown at us by Putin. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless,” Trump said on Tuesday.
Since February, the US has held separate talks with Russia and Ukraine, and brokered direct talks between them in May in Istanbul for the first time since the early months of Russia’s full-fledged invasion in 2022.
But while Putin has offered brief pauses in fighting, he has not accepted the US proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. Ukraine has accepted that proposal. Russia argues that Ukraine could use the truce to remobilise troops and rearm itself.
When asked by reporters this week whether he would act on his frustration with Putin, Trump responded: “I wouldn’t be telling you. Don’t we want to have a little surprise?”
However, experts caution against concluding that Trump was ready to act tough against Russia.
“Western media is full of commentary on what it calls Trump‘s ‘changing stance’ on Putin. But as yet, there is no reason to think that anything has changed at all,” Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at the London-based Chatham House think tank, told Al Jazeera.
“There is a wave of optimism across the world that this might finally lead to a change in US policy. But, on every previous occasion, this has not happened.”
Indeed, after the Thursday meeting between Rubio and Lavrov, both sides suggested that they were willing to continue to engage diplomatically.
Arming Ukraine to fight off Russia
In early July, the Trump administration announced a decision to “pause” arms supply to Kyiv. A week later, he reversed this decision.
“We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They are getting hit very hard now,” said Trump on July 8.
On Thursday, Trump told NBC that these weapons would be sold to NATO, which will pay fully for them. NATO will then pass them on to Ukraine.
“We’re sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, a hundred percent,” Trump told NBC, adding that the US will be sending Patriot missiles to the alliance.
Trump said this deal was agreed on during the NATO summit in The Hague in June.
Trump had also frozen aid to Ukraine in February, after a falling out with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following a rancorous meeting in the White House. Trump accused Zelenskyy of talking the US into “spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won”.
Trump resumed the supplies weeks later. Between January 2022 and April 2025, the US has provided Ukraine with about $134bn in aid, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Trump’s MAGA [Make America Great Again] base has been critical of the funding that the US provides Ukraine.
Following Trump’s announcement that the US will resume sending weapons to Ukraine, several conservative Americans have responded with disappointment.
“I did not vote for this,” wrote Derrick Evans on X on July 8. Evans was one of Trump’s supporters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 and was arrested, to be pardoned by Trump in January this year.
Conservative social media duo Keith and Kevin Hodge wrote on X on July 8: “Who in the hell is telling Trump that we need to send more weapons to Ukraine?”
Sanctioning Russia
When asked on July 8 about his interest in a Congress bill proposing additional sanctions on Russia, Trump responded, “I’m looking at it very strongly.”
Since the war in Ukraine started in 2022, the US and its allies have imposed at least 21,692 sanctions on Russian individuals, media organisations, and institutions across sectors such as the military, energy, aviation, shipbuilding and telecommunications.
However, while these sanctions have hit Russia’s economy, it has not collapsed the way some experts had predicted it would in the early months of the war.
In recent months, Zelenskyy has repeatedly requested his allies in the West to tighten sanctions on Russia, to put pressure on Putin to end the war.
Most recently, Zelenskyy posted on X on Friday following a Russian drone attack in Kharkiv: “Sanctions must be strengthened. We are expecting the adoption of a new sanctions package. Everything that will put pressure on Russia and stop it must be implemented as quickly as possible.”
A bipartisan Senate bill sponsored by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham aims to levy tariffs on countries that import oil, gas and uranium from Russia.
In 2023, crude petroleum, petroleum gas and refined petroleum constituted nearly 54 percent of total Russian exports, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC).
According to the OEC, China and India buy a bulk of Russia’s oil and gas products.
In 2024, Russian oil accounted for 35 percent of India’s total crude imports and 19 percent of China’s oil imports. Turkiye also imports Russian oil, with as much as 58 percent of its refined petroleum imports sourced from Russia in 2023.
But the West has not weaned itself off Russia, either.
In 2024, European countries paid more than $700m to buy Russian uranium products, according to an analysis by Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, based on data from the European Union’s statistical office, Eurostat.
In late March this year, Trump expressed anger with Putin and threatened “secondary tariffs” on any country that buys Russian oil if a ceasefire deal is not reached, but these tariffs were not imposed.
“If a new sanctions bill does pass, and the United States does impose costs on Moscow for the first time during the current administration, this would be a radical departure from Trump’s consistent policy,” Giles said.
“It remains to be seen whether Trump will in fact allow this, or whether his deference to Putin will mean he continues to resist any possible countermeasures against Moscow.”
Walking away from the conflict
On April 18, US Secretary of State Rubio said his country might “move on” from the Russia-Ukraine war if a ceasefire deal is not brokered.
“We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,” Rubio told reporters in Paris after talks between American, Ukrainian and European officials.
“Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on. It’s not our war. We have other priorities to focus on,” Rubio continued.
On the same day, Trump echoed Rubio’s statements to reporters. However, Trump did not say that he is ready to walk away from peace negotiations.
“Well, I don’t want to say that, but we want to see it end,” Trump said.
More diplomacy
The second day of talks between Rubio and Lavrov, however, suggests that the US has not given up on diplomacy yet.
Rubio told reporters on Thursday that the US and Russia have exchanged new ideas for peace in Ukraine. “I think it’s a new and a different approach,” Rubio said, without offering any details of what the “new approach” involved.
“I wouldn’t characterise it as something that guarantees a peace, but it’s a concept that, you know, that I’ll take back to the president,” Rubio added.
Following Rubio and Lavrov’s meeting on Thursday, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a news release that the US and Russia had “a substantive and frank exchange of views on the settlement in Ukraine” and will continue constructive dialogue.
The statement added: “[Russia and the US] have reaffirmed mutual commitment to searching for peaceful solutions to conflict situations and resuming Russian-US economic and humanitarian cooperation.”
At the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, Paolo Ghia, MD, PhD, presented the final analysis of the phase 2 CAPTIVATE study (NCT02910583), highlighting the long-term efficacy and safety of fixed-duration ibrutinib (Imbruvica) plus venetoclax (Venclexta) in patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).1
The study showed that 73% of patients remained treatment-free 5.5 years after completing just 15 months of therapy. Patients with mutated IGHV had the most durable responses, but even high-risk patients, including those with TP53 abnormalities, showed meaningful benefit. Minimal residual disease (MRD) status at the end of treatment was the strongest predictor of long-term outcomes, reinforcing the value of full-course therapy before making clinical decisions.
The regimen was well tolerated, with no new safety concerns and strong retreatment responses upon relapse. These findings support fixed-duration ibrutinib plus venetoclax as a safe and effective frontline option in CLL.
In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Paolo Ghia, MD, PhD, deputy director of the Division of Experimental Oncology at San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy; full professor of medical oncology; a group leader in the B-cell Neoplasia Unit; and the head of the Strategic Research Program on CLL at the Università Vita Salute San Raffaele, discussed data from the final analysis of the CAPTIVATE study in CLL.
Targeted OncologyTM: Can you provide an overview of the final analysis of the phase 2 CAPTIVATE study presented at ASCO?
Ghia: This is the final analysis of the CAPTIVATE study. The CAPTIVATE study is a phase 2 study that enrolled young patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in [the] frontline, and they were treated with 3 months of ibrutinib, the [Bruton tyrosine kinase [BTK]) inhibitor, to debulk, and then with 12 months of the combination of ibrutinib plus the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax.
The study was composed of 2 different cohorts. One cohort, the initial, was an MRD cohort. Patients at the end of the 15 months of treatment were randomized based on the level of undetectable MRD. We then created another cohort of patients, [the] so-called fixed-duration treatment, where all patients stopped the treatment at the end of the 15 months regardless of the level of undetectable MRD. That is the treatment scheme that has been approved in Europe and in many other countries in the world and now can be used in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the frontline.
The final analysis is, on one side, confirming—now with longer follow-up—the very good data that we already showed before, with the benefit in terms of progression-free survival, overall survival of our patients. In particular, what we now show very clearly is the subgrouping of the patients. We analyzed the progression-free survival and overall survival in patients based on the mutational status of the immunoglobulin, with the patients with mutated immunoglobulin genes having the highest benefit, with 80% of the patients still not progressing after 5.5 years. Then patients with unmutated immunoglobulin genes—which, again, we did not reach a median progression-free survival after 5.5 years—though here only 53% of the patients will not need treatment, will not progress after 5.5 years. And third, the patients with p53 aberrations—either deletion 17p or p53 mutation—they already reached a median progression-free survival, and only one-third of patients, 30%, will have not progressed after 5.5 years, which is maybe a little bit disappointing compared to all the other patients, but it’s also very reassuring because one-third of patients still might benefit from more than 5 years of progression-free survival with only 15 months of therapy. In the future, we might need to really understand who are these patients who respond better or worse than others.
The other point that we showed and confirmed now with higher numbers is that we can retreat the patient. The vast majority of patients, upon progression and need of treatment, can be retreated with either ibrutinib alone or ibrutinib plus venetoclax, and the vast majority of patients, roughly 80%, 85%, do respond again. And those who do not respond, they still have controlled disease for up to 18 months as a stable disease. One patient unfortunately developed Richter’s transformation.
What can you discuss regarding safety? Were there any other findings to highlight?
No new signals [were seen,] even with a longer follow-up. And also, in terms of other malignancies, which is always what we are worried about, particularly with continuous treatments, here we don’t see any signal. The vast majority of the other malignancies that can develop are nonmelanoma skin cancers.
We also presented the data showing that the level of undetectable MRD reached at the end of the treatment are those that are really predicting the long-term progression-free survival, and not the value that has been assessed after 7 months of treatment, really suggesting that we need the entire combination to work for a certain number of months before we get to the best response.
How durable were responses after treatment completion? How many patients remain treatment-free at follow-up?
That is a very good question because I mentioned the progression-free survival, so patients who did not progress, which in CLL is not so relevant because even when the patient progresses, then we can write it in the medical records, but we do not need to act upon progression. We need to start treatment only when the patient reaches certain criteria that really make the treatment mandatory. So, the patient becomes anemic—less than 10 g/dL—becomes thrombocytopenic—less than 100,000 per mL—or has bulky lymph nodes more than 10 cm. This is much more time beyond the progression itself. In fact, what is interesting is that three-quarters of the patients did not yet need another treatment after 5.5 years of median follow-up.
How did MRD status at the end of therapy correlate with long-term PFS and OS?
We all expected that earlier time points would predict the long-term PFS, because that’s somehow the dream of the doctor, to have an early readout that can allow us to understand, for example, whether to shorten the therapy or to prolong it. But instead, it did not turn out to be true in this particular study. So, only the undetectable level at the end of therapy was predicting the PFS. So, we need to complete the therapy before we can say if the patient achieved a durable undetectable MRD and a durable response.
What does this data suggest about using MRD as a tool to guide fixed duration therapy decisions?
This combination of ibrutinib plus venetoclax has been approved as fixed duration. We cannot either shorten or prolong the treatment based on detectable MRD. Also, we do not really have data. At the moment, there are a couple of other studies that explore the possibility of an MRD-driven approach, but we need much longer follow-up to see if this is reasonable, if this is more effective. At the moment, there is probably no need to assess the level of detectable MRD, for the simple reason that we wouldn’t know what to do, whether to prolong the therapy, to add an extra drug—we don’t have data to make that decision.
How does a fixed duration regimen compare with continuous BTK or BCL2 inhibitor therapy in frontline CLL and SLL?
At this congress there will be another abstract presented about the FLAIR study [ISRCTN01844152] that shows for the first time that ibrutinib plus venetoclax is better than continuous ibrutinib. The only problem there is that the ibrutinib plus venetoclax is given with an MRD-driven method, meaning that the patient can stop the therapy only after achieving undetectable MRD. And if they do not achieve undetectable MRD, they keep on being treated until they achieve undetectable MRD. So, it is true that it shows more benefit compared with ibrutinib alone, but it is also true that some patients will continue the combination of the 2 drugs for many years. So not really making it a fixed duration treatment because we are talking about treatment for 5 or 6 years. At the moment, we do not know. We will have the results of the CLL17 study [NCT04608318], comparing ibrutinib to fixed duration ibrutinib plus venetoclax, and also to venetoclax plus obinutuzumab [Gazyva]—2 of them have fixed duration as well.
What unmet needs still exist in this space?
The unmet need will always exist, meaning that as long as we do not cure the patient, the patient will relapse, and therefore they will become resistant to whatever therapy we are going to use in the next future. Until a few months ago, we were talking about double-exposed, double-refractory patients, those who have been treated and became resistant to BTK inhibitors and BCL2 inhibitors. Now we are talking about triple-exposed, triple-refractory patients, so patients who are also becoming refractory to the third line of noncovalent BTK inhibitor, pirtobrutinib [Jaypirca], that has been very recently approved. So now we have patients who have been exposed to all 3 drugs, and they are refractory. And in those patients, we only have the possibility of experimental studies.
What are the key takeaways from this final analysis? The ibrutinib plus venetoclax is safe. No safety signals have been seen, even with the retreatment of the patient. Second, the responses are durable. We have a median progression-free survival that has not been reached after 5.5 years, and a time to next treatment which is much longer—73% of patients not needing therapy after 5.5 years. And third, MRD is predictive of long-term durable responses only if assessed at the end of treatment.
REFERENCE:
Ghia P, Barr PM, Allan JN, et al. Final analysis of fixed-duration ibrutinib + venetoclax for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) in the phase 2 CAPTIVATE study. J Clin Oncol. 2025;43(suppl 16):7036-7036. doi:10.1200/JCO.2025.43.16_suppl.7036
