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  • Assassin’s Creed to Rain World: Microsoft unveils Xbox Game Pass August 2025 Wave 1 lineup; check dates, other key details

    Assassin’s Creed to Rain World: Microsoft unveils Xbox Game Pass August 2025 Wave 1 lineup; check dates, other key details

    Microsoft has revealed the August 2025 Xbox Game Pass Wave 1 lineup. The list includes games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, and Citizen Sleeper 2.

    As announced on Tuesday (August 5, 2025) on Xbox Wire, Rain World (available on Cloud, Console, and PC) is now part of Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard. It’s a charming indie adventure where you play as a nomadic slugcat—cuter than its scary name suggests.


    A quartet of games will be available on Wednesday (August 6, 2025) to Game Pass Standard subscribers. According to IGN, these games include dice-based RPG Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector and wintry downhill racer Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders, MechWarrior 5: Clans, and Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap, all for Xbox Series X/S.
    Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the headline addition of August 2025, arrives for cloud, console, and PC for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers on August 7, 2025. This is the smaller, Baghdad-based installment starring street thief Basim, bringing the franchise back to its city roots.

    Aliens: Fireteam Elite arrives on August 12, 2025, for cloud, console, and PC for all Game Pass members, including those on Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Standard tiers. The game is coming out on the same day as the debut of the new series Alien: Earth, which launches on FX and Hulu. On August 14, a Game Preview build of the roguelike kingdom builder 9 Kings will launch on PC, available through PC Game Pass.

    Microsoft Xbox Game Pass Wave 1 August 2025 lineup:

    Rain World (Cloud, Console, and PC) – August 5 Now with Game Pass Standard
    Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (Xbox Series X/S) – August 6 Now with Game Pass Standard
    Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders (Xbox Series X/S) – August 6 Now with Game Pass Standard

    MechWarrior 5: Clans (Xbox Series X/S) – August 6 Now with Game Pass Standard

    Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap (Xbox Series X/S) – August 6 Now with Game Pass Standard

    Assassin’s Creed Mirage (Cloud, Console, and PC) – August 7 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

    Aliens: Fireteam Elite (Cloud, Console, and PC) – August 7 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard

    9 Kings (Game Preview) (PC) – July 15 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

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  • Gorillas seek out old female friends when they move

    Gorillas seek out old female friends when they move

    Victoria Gill

    Science correspondent, BBC News

    Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Two female gorillas are at play in the green forest floor of a national park in Rwanda. One rolls on the floor, while the other appears to hold onto an wrestle her. Both animals look relaxed. Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

    Female gorillas appear to maintain their social relationships for many years

    The relationships built up between female mountain gorillas are more important than previously understood, new research from Rwanda suggests.

    It shows that when one of these social great apes moves into a new group, she will seek out and join another female she already knows.

    Scientists based the research on 20 years of data covering multiple groups of gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, in Rwanda.

    The scientists found that even when two females had been apart for many years, a newly arrived gorilla would still try to join a female she had formed a previous connection with.

    Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund The image shows several mountain gorillas interacting, playing and socialising in the forests of Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park. There are dozens of the animals, all sitting on the ground or moving around in the lush, green undergrowth. Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

    Gorilla social groups occasionally come together, allowing females to form connections with individuals in other groups

    The findings, published in the Royal Society Journal Proceedings B, show how important the relationship between two individual females is in gorilla society.

    “Scientifically, I don’t know if I can talk about ‘friendship’,” explained lead researcher Victoire Martignac, a PhD researcher form the University of Zurich. “But we’re showing here that these same sex relationships really matter.”

    Moving into different groups is key in shaping the animals’ social structure. It’s something that both males and females do – females will sometimes move several times throughout their lives.

    This dispersal, as it’s known, plays a role in avoiding inbreeding, spreading gene diversity and shaping social relationships.

    “In the wild it is very important,” explained Ms Martignac.

    “But it’s extremely hard to study, because once individuals leave a group, it’s hard to keep track of them.”

    Working in partnership with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, at a field site that has been monitored since 1967, Ms Martignac and her colleagues were able to track those movements.

    Poring through decades of information on the animals’ lives, the scientists followed the “dispersals” of 56 female mountain gorillas – examining which new group they chose to join and why.

    The gorillas avoided groups that had males they were likely to be related to, but the presence of females they knew also “mattered a lot”, Ms Martignac explained.

    The females gravitated towards their “friends”, even if the animals had been apart for many years.

    They would often gravitate to a group with females they had grown up with, even if that was many years ago. They also sought out individuals with whom they had made a social connection – perhaps played and interacted with – recently.

    Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund The image is a close-up of two female gorillas, apparently sleeping side-by-side with a young gorilla between them that is looking just past the cameraDian Fossey Gorilla Fund

    Female-female relationships are much more important to gorilla society than previously understood

    Ms Martignac explained that the gorillas would invest in these relationships because they deliver key social benefits.

    “New arrivals usually start at the bottom of the social hierarchy,” she said. “Resident females can be pretty aggressive towards them, because they’re potentially a competitor.”

    Moving around is something that is also crucial in shaping human society. And the researchers say that studying its roots in other great apes can shed light on the evolutionary driving forces behind it.

    “Movement is a huge part of the way we live,” said Ms Martignac. “But those decisions do not fossilise.

    “So we look at them in our closest evolutionary cousins.”

    This new insight into gorillas’ social lives, she added, “reframes how we think of female-female social relationships”.

    “They’re much more important to these animals than we used to think.”

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  • Govt clears Quetta flights for Shia pilgrims

    Govt clears Quetta flights for Shia pilgrims


    ISLAMABAD:

    The federal government has authorised direct flights from Quetta to facilitate pilgrims travelling to Iran and Iraq for Arbaeen, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif announced in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

    During the session — chaired by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq — the house unanimously passed two resolutions marking Youm-e-Istehsal, condemning atrocities in the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

    Meanwhile, opposition members continued their protest over the conviction of senior party leaders in May 9 cases. Some federal ministers responded by mocking the PTI-led protest movement, while the law minister reiterated the government’s offer for dialogue.

    In a policy statement, Defence Minister Asif highlighted the security threats faced by pilgrims along the 800-kilometre overland route from Quetta—particularly the risk of terrorist attacks in Balochistan.

    “To mitigate these risks, the federal government has authorised direct flights from Quetta for Arbaeen pilgrims,” he said, adding that one flight had already commenced, with additional daily services planned to meet demand.

    Asif said all licensed private airlines had been invited to operate on the route, and permission was also granted for chartered flights to maximise capacity.

    He noted that Iran had approved an additional flight for Pakistani pilgrims following discussions during the Iranian president’s recent visit.

    “The government is committed to ensuring safe, comfortable, and timely transportation for all Arbaeen pilgrims,” the minister added.

    Resolution on Kashmir

    The house unanimously adopted two resolutions, condemning India’s actions in IIOJK on Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir, marking the sixth anniversary of India’s revocation of Articles 370 and 35A.

    The resolutions were moved by Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Shazia Marri and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Amir Muqam. However, the proceedings were marred by opposition protests, which accused the government of stifling dissent.

    Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry criticised the PTI’s protest, stating, “Today is for Kashmir, but you are observing Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Imran.” He accused PTI of exploiting the session for political gains, prompting opposition uproar.

    PTI protest

    PTI’s Aamir Dogar accused the government of “political victimisation,” claiming that 10 National Assembly members were “picked up” but the speaker did not take any action. Demanding justice, he said that the PTI founder was in jail for refusing to budge.

    Speaker Sadiq countered, saying that he had issued the production orders. The speaker also apprised the house of PTI MNA Sheikh Waqas Akram’s unexplained absence for 40 days, saying that under Article 64 his seat could be declared vacant.

    PML-N’s Nosheen Iftikhar moved a motion to declare Akram’s seat vacant, however, Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah stressed the need for seeing whether the motion followed the rules.

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  • NEW RANGE ROVER SPORT SV CARBON COMPLETES DYNAMIC LUXURY PERFORMANCE FLAGSHIP LINE-UP

    1 Available to order from late 2025

    2 When fitted with all lightweight options. Compared with Range Rover Sport P530 in nearest equivalent specification. Optional feature.

    3 800Nm combined engine/MHEV output when using Dynamic Launch Mode. 750Nm certified

    4 When fitted with all lightweight options

    About Range Rover
    Every Range Rover is curated to elevate our clients’ lives with modernist design, connected, refined interiors and electrified performance driving unrivalled luxury. Inspired by exemplary design since 1970. 

    The brand encompasses Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque and is underpinned by Land Rover – a mark of trust built on 75 years of expertise in technology, vehicle architecture and world‑leading off‑road capability. 

    As part of our vision of modern luxury by design, every Range Rover is available as an electric hybrid.

    Range Rover is one of the world’s leading British luxury brands, sold in 121 countries. It belongs to the JLR house of brands together with Defender, Discovery and Jaguar. 

    Important notice 
    Jaguar Land Rover is constantly seeking ways to improve the specification, design and production of its vehicles, parts and accessories and alterations take place continually. Whilst every effort is made to produce up‑to‑date literature, this document should not be regarded as an infallible guide to current specifications or availability, nor does it constitute an offer for the sale of any particular vehicle, part or accessory. All figures are manufacturer’s estimates.

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  • NDMA flags looming flood threat

    NDMA flags looming flood threat


    ISLAMABAD:

    The National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) of NDMA has issued a fresh flood alert in view of an intensifying monsoon system affecting upper and central regions of Pakistan from Aug 5-8.

    The alert follows the combined influence of penetrating monsoon currents and a westerly trough over northern Pakistan, which is expected to result in scattered heavy rainfall during this period.

    Increased inflows are anticipated in all major rivers, especially Indus, Chenab, and Ravi, with nullahs of Ravi and Chenab likely to reach up to medium flood levels. Tarbela, Guddu, and Sukkur Barrages are presently at low flood stage, but continued rain may push Chashma and Taunsa towards low flood levels as well.

    River Chenab at Marala is expected to reach low flood, while River Jhelum upstream of Mangla Dam, along with its tributaries, may attain medium flows. River Kabul at Nowshera, and River Swat and Panjkora with their associated streams and nullahs are also likely to swell owing to persistent rainfall in their catchment areas.

    In Gilgit-Baltistan, stream networks in districts Hunza, Shigar, and Ghanche may see significant rise in water levels with potential for localized flash floods in tributaries. Current storage levels at major reservoirs show Tarbela at 94% and Mangla at 61%, with further inflow expected.

    NDMA urges residents living near rivers, streams, and nullahs to stay vigilant for sudden rises in water levels, especially at night and during periods of intense rainfall. The public is advised to stay updated through official flood warnings via television, radio, mobile alerts and Pak NDMA Disaster Alert app.

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  • ElevenLabs launches an AI music generator that it says is cleared for commercial uses.

    ElevenLabs launches an AI music generator that it says is cleared for commercial uses.

    Posted

    ElevenLabs launches an AI music generator that it says is cleared for commercial uses.

    As legal wrangling over generative AI and copyright continues, ElevenLabs has launched its latest AI audio product with Eleven Music. There are many AI music generators out there, but the company claims this one “is cleared for nearly all commercial uses, from film and television to podcasts and social media videos, and from advertisements to gaming.”

    Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.


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  • Going in for a close look at lung infections – UW Medicine

    Going in for a close look at lung infections – UW Medicine

    A new study meticulously sampled different lung regions in people with cystic fibrosis to understand why infection persist after new treatments

    The research report was published Aug. 5 in Cell Host & Microbe, a Cell Press scientific journal.  

    Cystic fibrosis causes the buildup of sticky mucus that traps bacteria. Over time, infections damage the lungs.

    Despite receiving new drugs called modulators that treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis, most people with this genetic condition remain infected with the bacteria they had before treatment.  

    “Modulators are amazing new treatments that have really improved people’s quality of life,” said Samantha Durfey, a former postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the project’s lead researcher. “However, infections manage to stick around, even with the best modulator, and we need to understand why.”  

    Doctors’ understanding of diseases is often limited by the samples they can get. For example, lung or kidney infections involve studying phlegm or urine. But what if they could go inside human organs to measure disease in different areas and see how they respond to treatment?   

    Researchers at the UW School of Medicine and the University of Iowa did just that.  

    Before the study participants were started on modulators, the researchers went into patients’ lungs with thin cameras called bronchoscopes. They sampled regions that differed in the amount of damage, infection and inflammation. They then revisited the same lung areas a year after treatment to see where infection remained and what lung characteristics were linked to persistent infection.  

    “A leading idea in the field is that patients remain infected because highly damaged lung regions can’t clear the infection, similar to how damaged tissues in wounds get infected,” said UW Medicine pulmonologist Dr. Sid Kapnadak, who led lung sampling for the study. “If a similar process is responsible for persistent CF lung infections, research can focus on these areas.” 

    “What we found was a surprise, and there was good and not so good news,” said Durfey. “The good news was that, when infections cleared, lung inflammation almost completely resolved. Thus, future lung damage could be lessened in people who clear.”   

    Durfey continued: “However, people who remained infected had infection and inflammation everywhere we looked, including lung areas with very little damage.” 

    These findings suggest damage might not be the main cause of infection persistence and raise concern that lung function in people with bacterial infection could continue to deteriorate.  

    “Now we have to understand how infection can persist in all areas of the lungs,” said Dr. Pradeep Singh, a UW Medicine critical care pulmonary physician who is also a professor of medicine and of microbiology at the UW School of Medicine. He is the senior researcher on the team. “The bacteria may adapt in new ways to resist clearance even when the least damaged lung regions are treated with the best drugs we have.”  

    The researchers are also exploring other possibilities.  

    “The previous idea about highly damaged lung regions being the culprit may be partially correct,” said Alison Feder, assistant professor of genome sciences at the UW School of Medicine and a researcher on the team. “Bacteria could disseminate from these areas and spread to undamaged areas.” 

    “We’ve made progress by looking inside infected lungs,” said Durfey, “but there is still a lot we don’t understand.” 

    This study was funded by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (grants SINGH19KO, SINGH24RO, ESTHER22Y2-SVC, ESTHER24RO), National Institutes of Health (RO1HL160710, P30DK089507) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (P30DK065988). 

     

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  • Any of these 8 tech stocks could become a $5 trillion company before Nvidia does

    Any of these 8 tech stocks could become a $5 trillion company before Nvidia does

    By Mark Hulbert

    Market leadership changes, and good companies aren’t always good stocks

    There’s a good chance Nvidia won’t become the U.S. stock market’s first $5 trillion company.

    Now that Nvidia (NVDA) has topped the $4 trillion market-cap threshold, some Wall Street analysts are on record that Nvidia’s market value will reach $5 trillion by the end of 2026.

    The reason I wouldn’t bet on Nvidia is that the largest-cap companies tend to underperform the market after climbing to the top of the market-cap rankings. A gutsy contrarian bet therefore is that a company lower in those rankings will be the first whose market cap exceeds $5 trillion. I list eight contenders below.

    To show that the largest-cap companies are poor bets, I constructed a hypothetical portfolio that each year invested in the stock of the largest-cap company as of the end of the previous year. From 1980 until earlier this week, this portfolio lagged the S&P 500 SPX by four percentage points annualized.

    Though many investors are surprised by this result, they shouldn’t be. It’s the result of the creative destruction that is the essence of a capitalist economy. The companies leading the economy in one era inevitably are replaced by the next era’s leaders. For example, IBM (IBM), the largest U.S. company for much of the 1980s, was overtaken by General Electric (GE) in the 1990s, which in turn was overtaken by Exxon Mobil (XOM) in the aughts. Beginning about 10 years ago, Apple (AAPL) was at the top of the market-cap rankings, but has since stumbled.

    Now it’s Nvidia turn. But I doubt anyone five years ago would have bet that the company would attain this status. At that time its market cap was below $300 billion. Its stunning 76% five-year annualized rate propelled its market cap to $4 trillion.

    As a thought experiment, I applied that same five-year growth rate to each of the technology companies currently in the S&P 500. On that assumption, there are eight besides Nvidia that could hit the $5 trillion threshold within the next five years.

    They are listed below, in alphabetical order. It would be no more surprising for any of them to eclipse the $5 trillion threshold than it was for Nvidia to have performed as well as it has over the past five years.

    — Alphabet Inc. Class A GOOGL

    — Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN

    — Apple Inc. AAPL

    — Broadcom Inc. AVGO

    — Meta Platforms Inc. Class A META

    — Microsoft Corp. MSFT

    — Oracle Corp. ORCL

    — Palantir Technologies Inc. Class A PLTR

    Many of you will object, arguing that Nvidia is different – the AI revolution is unique and will change everything. But in one form or another, we’ve heard this story before. The top of the internet bubble is an obvious example.

    It’s important to distinguish between a good company and a good stock. There’s little doubt that Nvidia will continue to grow and be profitable. But that doesn’t mean its stock will perform well, since to do that the company must grow even faster and become even more profitable than what investors already expect. And that’s a tall order, since Nvidia investors already are expecting so much from the company in the coming years.

    Mark Hulbert is a regular contributor to MarketWatch. His Hulbert Ratings tracks investment newsletters that pay a flat fee to be audited. He can be reached at mark@hulbertratings.com

    More: It’s not an AI bubble – it’s a longer-term bull market, says this Wall Street firm

    Also read: 20 stocks of S&P 500 companies showing the fastest sales growth

    -Mark Hulbert

    This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. 

    
  (END) Dow Jones Newswires
    

    
  08-05-25 1908ET
    

    Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

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  • Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Lowers Heart Risk for Some Patients, Increases Risk for Others

    Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), where blockages in the airways cause breathing to uncontrollably stop and start during sleep, is a common sleep-related breathing disorder. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines can reduce interrupted sleep for patients with OSA. While CPAP improves symptoms, it has been unclear whether CPAP also reduces the risk of heart disease. A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham aimed to understand if using a CPAP machine could also protect the heart and brain from cardiovascular events in people with OSA. Their findings, published in European Heart Journal, suggest that a more personalized approach for treating patients is needed—one that focuses on CPAP treatment for those who stand to gain the most, while exercising caution for those who may not benefit and could even be harmed.

    “Through our study, we found a subgroup of patients who experience cardiovascular benefits from CPAP use,” said first author Ali Azarbarzin, PhD, of the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. “This is the first step in making better therapeutic recommendations for patients with obstructive sleep apnea in the future to reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.”

    The research team analyzed data from three previous trials of patients with OSA and cardiovascular disease. The study included 3,549 total patients with a median age of 61 years—half using CPAP, half not. They tracked the patients for three years on average, looking at incidence of cardiovascular mortality, stroke, and heart attack.

    Overall, 16.6% of patients using CPAPs had major cardiac events, compared to 16.3% of patients not using CPAPs. While there was no statistically significant difference between outcomes for patients split between CPAP and no-CPAP, a statistically significant difference did appear when these patients were further split into those with sleep study markers of high- and low-risk OSA. Patients were classified as high-risk if they had large drops in blood oxygen levels or their heart rate spiked during breathing disruptions.

    For those with high-risk markers, CPAP use lowered cardiovascular risk by about 17%. For those with low-risk markers, CPAP use was associated with an increased cardiovascular risk by about 22%. When the high- and low-risk groups were further sorted based on their daytime symptoms—asymptomatic non-sleepy or symptomatic sleepy—those trends were even stronger. Non-sleepy patients with high-risk markers experienced 24% fewer cardiovascular events, while non-sleepy patients with low-risk markers experienced 30% more cardiovascular events.

    “Changing the clinical practice is going to require a further prospective study to validate our findings,” said Azarbarzin. “In the meantime, patients with OSA should speak with their doctors to weigh the potential risks and benefits of different treatment options. These conversations can begin the process of personalizing obstructive sleep apnea care and reducing cardiovascular events in this vulnerable population.”

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  • Robot crab reveals how male crabs compete to attract female mates

    Robot crab reveals how male crabs compete to attract female mates

    A study using a robotic crab has revealed how male fiddler crabs compete for mates. 

    These crustaceans vie for the attention of females. The male fiddler crabs use their one oversized claw to attract females, waving it with a frantic energy outside their burrows.

    It’s a very important signal. But what happens when another male shows up?

    Researchers at the University of Exeter’s Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB) wanted to find out. To do this, they built their own robotic crab named Wavy Dave. 

    The robotic crab was made with a 3D-printed body and a waving claw. 

    This little robot was deployed on a mudflat along with fiddler crabs in southern Portugal. 

    The robotic impersonator was programmed to wave its claw, allowing the researchers to observe the reactions of the real crabs.

    “We know many animals adjust their sexual displays if rivals are nearby, but less is known about how they react to the actual displays themselves,” said Dr Joe Wilde, now at BioSS.

    “Our findings reveal the subtle ways in which these crabs adjust their behaviour to compete in a dynamic environment, investing more in signalling when it is likely to be most profitable,” Wilde said. 

    Male fiddler crabs. Image credit: Joe Wilde

    Crab competition

    For each experiment, the robotic crab was positioned 30cm away from a real male’s burrow, and two cameras were used to record the results.

    The researchers wanted to see how the real crabs would react to this mechanical rival. Would they wave back? Would they get scared?

    The results revealed intriguing behavior. When Wavy Dave waved, the male fiddler crabs in the vicinity upped their game. 

    They waved their claws for longer durations and were less inclined to retreat into their burrows. Interestingly, this response was particularly noticeable when the robot was sporting a smaller claw.

    Wilde explained the findings through an analogy relatable to our local markets and businesses. 

    “If you own a shop and your rivals start selling things really cheaply, you might have to change how you run your business. The same might be true for males signalling to attract females – and our study suggests males do indeed respond to competition,” Wilde explained. 

    Attack on Wavy Dave

    Fiddler crabs might interpret another male’s waving as a sign that a female is close, but they don’t fully commit to attracting her until they see her.

    In addition to rival avoidance, males retreat into their burrows to rest, stay safe from predators, and wet their gills.

    In case a female does enter a male’s burrow, he fertilizes her eggs, and the resulting larvae later float out to sea.

    Male fiddler crabs were less likely to compete with rivals with larger claws, possibly out of fear of losing or being attacked.

    Not all the interactions were so scientific, though. Some crabs still confronted the robotic crab.

    One particularly feisty male attacked Wavy Dave, pulling off his claw and ending the experiment. 

    “The females realised he was a bit odd, and some of the males tried to fight him. One male broke Wavy Dave by pulling off his claw. We had to abandon that trial and reboot the robot,” said Wilde.

    The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences.

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