Regional Final: October 1 to October 17Qualification Spots Available: 3Teams: Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Samoa, UAE
The event with perhaps the most intrigue, budding qualifiers across two regions will combine in a nine-team Asia/East Asia-Pacific tournament, with three tournament available.
Almost 16,000 kilometres stretch between Eastern-most Samoa and Western-most Kuwait at the tournament, and the unknowns of opposition and styles of play make this Qualifier arguably the most open.
By virtue of their 2024 T20 World Cup participation, Nepal, Oman and Papua New Guinea were automatic entrants for the hybrid Qualifier, with the other six coming from two Sub-Regional events across each region.
Over in East Asia-Pacific, Samoa shocked the field to win their spot through Sub-Regional Qualifier A, beating out Cook Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji on home soil in Apia.
Caleb Jasmat’s side qualified in a final-over thriller on the last day of the competition, beating Vanuatu in a tense defence of 145, breaking the hearts of Cook Islands players watching on having been overtaken by the Samoan victory.
QUETTA: Five more Levies personnel have been dismissed from service on charges of failing to perform their duties during a militant attack on a check post in Noshki district last week.
The attack was carried out by unidentified militants who used automatic weapons to seize control of the Kishingi check post. After taking over the post, they took away official weapons and equipment and set Levies vehicles on fire before escaping the area. “Levies personnel deployed at the check post failed to offer resistance during the militants’ attack,” officials said.
WASHINGTON: As the world grapples with escalating conflicts, deepening geopolitical rifts, and growing doubts over the efficacy of multilateral institutions, Pakistan assumes the presidency of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, taking on a symbolic but strategic role at a particularly fraught moment.
This marks Pakistan’s eighth term on the 15-member body and its first presidency since 2013. Islamabad began its current two-year term as a non-permanent member in January 2025 and will serve through the end of 2026.
Talking to Dawn, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, noted the challenges that define the current international landscape.
“Pakistan is going to assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Council at a time of global tumult marked by growing instability, escalating conflicts, complex geopolitical and geostrategic landscape, and serious threats to international peace and security,” he said.
A familiar role
While the presidency rotates monthly and does not carry executive authority, it allows the presiding country to influence the Council’s agenda and tone — a platform that matters at a time when the UNSC is increasingly seen as deadlocked, especially on issues like Gaza and Ukraine. With global trust in multilateral mechanisms under strain, Pakistan’s leadership — even if brief — will be closely watched.
The ambassador underscored Pakistan’s commitment to its long-held positions on peaceful conflict resolution. “Pakistan has been a staunch and consistent advocate of dialogue and diplomacy… We will bring a principled and balanced perspective to the work of the Security Council,” he said, pledging to strengthen multilateralism and deepen cooperation with other UNSC members. “We seek to promote transparency, inclusivity and responsiveness during Pakistan’s presidency,” said Ambassador Ahmad. “We will closely work with other Council members in a spirit of cooperation for collective and timely action… in line with the UN Charter and corresponding to the expectations of the international community.”
SEVILLE: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged the world to “rev up the engine of development” at an aid conference in Spain on Monday at a time when US-led cuts are jeopardising the fight against poverty and climate change.
Dozens of world leaders and more than 4,000 representatives from businesses, civil society and financial institutions are gathering in the city of Seville for the June 30-July 3 conference to seek fresh impetus for the crisis-hit aid sector. But the United States is snubbing the biggest such talks in a decade, underlining the erosion of international cooperation on combating hunger, disease and climate change.
Guterres told delegates at the opening of the conference that two-thirds of United Nations sustainable development goals set for 2030 were “lagging” and more than $4.0 trillion of annual investment would be needed to achieve them.
US President Donald Trump’s gutting of his country’s development agency, USAID, is the standout example. But Germany, Britain and France are also making cuts while they boost spending in areas such as defence.
Guterres says the world body needs $4tr investment to achieve SDGs
International charity Oxfam says the cuts to development aid are the largest since 1960. More than 800 million people live on less than $3.0 a day, according to the World Bank, with rising extreme poverty affecting sub-Saharan Africa in particular.
Disruption to global trade from Trump’s tariffs and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine have dealt further blows to the diplomatic cohesion necessary for concentrating efforts on helping countries escape poverty. The crisis meant children going unvaccinated, girls dropping out of school and families suffering hunger, said Guterres.
He urged the international community to “change course” and “repair and rev up the engine of development to accelerate investment” in “a world shaken by inequalities, climate chaos and raging conflicts”.
A blistering heatwave that is scorching southern Europe welcomed the delegates to the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, an example of the extreme weather that scientists say human-driven climate change is fuelling.
‘Colonial debt’
Kenya’s William Ruto, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa, Angolan leader Joao Lourenco and Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan were among prominent Global South leaders in Seville. Among the key topics up for discussion is reforming international finance to help poorer countries shrug off a growing debt burden that inhibits their capacity to achieve progress in health and education.
The total external debt of the group of least developed countries has more than tripled in 15 years, according to UN data. Critics have singled out US-based bulwarks of the post-World War II international financial system, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, for reform to improve their representation of the Global South.
Painstaking talks in New York in June produced a common declaration to be adopted in Seville that only went ahead after the United States walked out. The document reaffirms commitment to the UN development goals such as eliminating poverty and hunger, promoting gender equality, reforming tax systems and international financial institutions.
A girl views copies of hand-drawn posters of Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” at an exhibition held in Beijing, capital of China, April 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
After shattering virtually every box office record in Chinese film history, “Ne Zha 2” will conclude its theatrical run on the Chinese mainland by the end of Monday.
According to ticketing platform Maoyan, the animated phenomenon has grossed 15.44 billion yuan — or approximately 2.13 billion U.S. dollars — with 324 million admissions, making it the most-watched and highest-grossing film ever in China.
While the film’s domestic screenings draw to a close, its global rollout continues. Currently, its global box office sales total 15.91 billion yuan, or about 2.19 billion U.S. dollars, per Maoyan data.
The sequel to the 2019 hit “Ne Zha” has not only eclipsed its predecessor but also outperformed nearly every cinematic competitor — domestic or foreign — since its release on Jan. 29, during Chinese New Year.
“Ne Zha 2” now ranks among the five highest-grossing films of all time globally, along with “Avatar,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” and “Titanic.” And it is the top-grossing animated feature in history, surpassing the likes of Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” and Disney’s 2019 remake of “The Lion King.”
Combining mythological storytelling with cutting-edge animation and emotional nuance, “Ne Zha 2” has become a cultural phenomenon in China and, increasingly, abroad. In a recent investor update, production company Enlight Media said a newly produced English-dubbed version is expected to arrive in North American theaters this summer, and the film has already been screened in over 30 countries and regions — primarily in its original Chinese audio with localized subtitles — including more than a dozen in Europe.
A man walks past a screen showing a poster of the Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 before a preview screening at the BFI IMAX theater in London, Britain, on March 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ying)
Yin Hong, vice chairman of the China Film Association, called the film “a milestone for Chinese animation,” saying that “it demonstrates the vitality of China’s creative industries, the enduring appeal of its cultural heritage, and the global potential of its storytelling.”
Indeed, what began as a retelling of a rebellious boy-god from Chinese mythology has blossomed into a contemporary saga that resonates across age groups and cultures. While rooted in ancient lore, the film explores modern themes such as destiny, social prejudice and identity, earning praise from both teenage fans seeking empowerment and older viewers drawn to its emotional catharsis.
“I believe that one day, new ideas, deeper meanings and new soul will emerge from the film, and the whole world will be able to appreciate it,” said director Yang Yu, also known as Jiaozi.
Technically, the film is a marvel, too. With nearly 2,000 special effects shots and the collaborative efforts of more than 130 animation studios, it draws a new high-water mark in Chinese animation.
At the 2025 Shanghai International Film Festival, Enlight Media chairman Wang Changtian estimated the film’s overseas box office would exceed 100 million U.S. dollars — a potential two-decade record for a Chinese film abroad.
Enlight Media has stated that merchandise related to “Ne Zha 2” now spans more than 30 categories and over 200 products, including blind boxes, plush toys, action figures, and more.
Girls take a selfie in front of a promotional display for the premiere of Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on June 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Luo Chen)
The film’s success has been a boon for China’s theatrical sector. Largely driven by “Ne Zha 2,” box office takings in the world’s second-largest film market during the 2025 Spring Festival period surged to an all-time high.
A cinema in Wangjing in Beijing’s Chaoyang District credited “Ne Zha 2” with generating 40 percent of its revenue over the past five months. “Without it, we might still be struggling to find our footing,” the theater, which opened in mid-January, said in a WeChat post on Sunday.
“Ne Zha 2” may have concluded its domestic run, but its international trajectory is continuing. A second wave of overseas distribution for the film’s English-language version is planned for the months ahead, though a specific release date has yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, anticipation is building up for a third installment in the movie series. In response to investor inquiries earlier this month, Enlight Media stated that “Ne Zha 3” will be held to even higher standards. “We will take great care to meet audience expectations,” the company said.
As China redefines its cultural presence on the world stage, “Ne Zha 2” stands as both a commercial juggernaut and a symbol of creative ambition. “It’s a miracle and a peak in Chinese cinema,” said Chen Xuguang, director of the Institute of Film, Television, and Theatre at Peking University. “A record that may remain unbroken for a long time.”
Newswise — Animals, from worms and sponges to jellyfish and whales, contain anywhere from a few thousand to tens of trillions of nearly genetically identical cells. Depending on the organism, these cells arrange themselves into a variety of tissues and organs, such as muscles, sensory systems, or the gut. While not all animals have each of these tissues, they do all have one tissue, the germline, that produces sperm or eggs to propagate the species.
Scientists don’t completely understand how this kind of multicellularity evolved in animals. Cell-to-cell adhesion, or the ability for individual cells to stick to each other, certainly plays a role, but scientists already know that the proteins that serve these functions evolved in single-celled organisms, well before animal life emerged.
Now, research from the University of Chicago provides a new view into key innovations that allowed modern, multicellular animals to emerge. By analyzing the proteins predicted from the genomes of many animals (and close relatives to the animal kingdom), researchers found that animals evolved a more sophisticated mechanism for cell division that also contributes to developing multicellular tissues and the germline.
“This work strongly suggests that one of the early steps in the evolution of animals was the formation of the germline through the ability of cells to stay connected by incomplete cytokinesis,” said Michael Glotzer, PhD, Professor of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology at UChicago and author of the new study. “The evolution of three proteins allowed both multicellularity and the ability to form a germline: two of the key features of animals.”
Positioning the division plane
Cell division, or cytokinesis, is the process by which a cell divides into two distinct daughter cells. Many of the proteins involved with cytokinesis are ancient, present long before the first Metazoa arose about 800 million years ago.
Glotzer has been studying animal cell division for several decades, focusing on how cells determine where to divide. In animal cells, a structure called the mitotic spindle segregates the chromosomes before the cells divide; it also dictates the position where cell division occurs. Glotzer and his team homed in on a set of three proteins—Kif23, Cyk4, and Ect2—that bind to each other and the spindle, and which are directly involved in establishing the division plane. Close relatives of these proteins had only been found in animals previously.
Two of these proteins, Kif23 and Cyk4, form a stable protein complex called centralspindlin that Glotzer and his colleagues discovered more than 20 years ago. Not only does centralspindlin contribute to division plane positioning, but it also generates a bridge between the two incipient daughter cells.
The cells that make up non-germline tissues and organs are called somatic cells, which are not passed on to the next generation. Germline cells are special because they can become any cell type. During the development of sperm and eggs, these cells also recombine the chromosomes they inherited from their parents, generating genetic diversity. While centralspindlin-dependent bridges are generally severed in somatic cells, the germlines of most animals have cells that remain connected by stable bridges.
Tracking down the proteins
Given the recent explosion in genome sequence data now available for a wide range of animals, Glotzer first wanted to determine if the two proteins that make up the centralspindlin complex, as well as Ect2, the regulatory protein that binds to it, were present and well conserved in all animals. During his analysis for this study, which was published in Current Biology, he found that all branches of animals have all three of these proteins.
Studies of these proteins in species commonly used in the lab discovered common patterns that are linked to their known functions. Using Google DeepMind’s AlphaFold AI platform (developed by UChicago alum and recent Nobel Laureate John Jumper), Glotzer was able to predict the interactions among these different proteins and found that every interaction is likely conserved across all animals. This suggests that these proteins were all in place at the beginning of the animal kingdom more than 800 million years ago and have not undergone any dramatic changes since that time.
Next, Glotzer wondered whether any related proteins could be found in single-celled organisms. He identified somewhat related proteins in choanoflagellates, the group of single-celled creatures most closely related to animals. Alphafold predicted that some of them can form a complex somewhat like centralspindlin. Though related, these complexes are clearly distinct from centralspindlin, and they lack the sequences that allow Ect2 to bind to the structure. Remarkably, some choanoflagellate species that have this complex can form colonies via incomplete cytokinesis too.
“Pre-metazoan cells have mechanisms of dividing and separating, probably with some themes and variations. Then this protein complex allowed cells to stop at the stage just before separation,” Glotzer said. “Maybe multicellular life evolved because of a genetic change that prevented cells from fully separating.”
“A mutation that disrupted the assembly of centralspindlin is what allowed my colleagues and me to find these proteins in the first place, more than 25 years ago,” he continued. “And it appears that the evolution of this exact same region contributed to the evolution of animal life on the planet, which is mind blowing.”
The study, “A key role for centralspindlin and Ect2 in the development of multicellularity and the emergence of Metazoa,” was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Ryan Gosling puts the “not” in “Astronaut” in the new trailer for “Project Hail Mary.”
The upcoming sci-fi film, based on Andy Weir‘s novel of the same name, stars Gosling as middle school teacher turned reluctant astronaut Ryland Grace, who’s tasked with saving humanity from the effects of a dimming sun. However, when he wakes up from a coma as the sole survivor aboard a spaceship, he must overcome his amnesia to remember where he is and why he was sent there.
“It’s an insanely ambitious story that’s massive in scope and it seemed really hard to make, and that’s kind of our bag,” Gosling said of “Project Hail Mary” at CinemaCon in April, where he debuted footage from the film, according to Variety. “This is why we go to the movies. And I’m not just saying it because I’m in it. I’m also saying it because I’m a producer on the film.”
The trailer, released Monday by Amazon MGM Studios, opens with Gosling startling awake on the spacecraft, his hair and beard uncharacteristically long. “I’m several light-years from my apartment,” he proclaims, “and I’m not an astronaut.”
It then jolts back in time to show Grace pre-launch as he learns from Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) that if he does not journey into space, everything on Earth will go extinct. According to Stratt, who heads the mission, Grace is the only scientist who might understand what is happening to the sun and surrounding stars.
The trailer, which progresses through an intense montage set to Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times,” teases Gosling’s signature humor. “I can’t even moonwalk!” the “Barbie” actor declares at one point. (Gosling portrayed moonwalker Neil Armstrong in another recent space movie, Damien Chazelle’s “First Man.”)
Everything leads up to Grace meeting an alien, who isn’t shown in full — but fans of the book know it plays an integral role in saving planet Earth and beyond.
The film, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, marks the second book-to-movie adaptation for Weir, whose novel “The Martian” became an Oscar-nominated 2015 blockbuster starring Matt Damon. An adaptation for his book “Artemis” is also in development with the same directing team.
Valve has added a new performance monitor to Steam that can help you understand why a game may or may not be running smoothly. Not only does it break out a game’s overall frame rate, it can tell you how many of those frames were generated by techniques like Nvidia’s DLSS or AMD’s FSR, according to a post.
The change is included as part of an update to the Steam Client that’s available now, though Valve notes that this “first version” focuses on “Windows users and on the most common GPU hardware.”
The company says the new performance monitor currently offers up to four different levels of detail: a single FPS value, FPS details, CPU and GPU utilization, and “FPS, CPU, GPU & RAM Full Details.” The more you choose to show, the more of your screen will be taken up by the performance monitor.
Steam previously offered a simple FPS counter, but separating out generated frames from the frames fully rendered by your graphics cores can help you better understand key differences between what you see and how a game feels. “Frame generation can’t help with things like input latency that matter to competitive gamers, but it can make things look visually smoother on today’s high refresh rate monitors,” Valve says in a detailed support document about the performance monitor.
In practice, what that should mean is that you can see whether your game feels like it’s running at just 30 fps because it actually is running at 30 fps inside the game engine, even though you’re seeing a visually smoother image due to Nvidia and AMD’s added “fake frames.” (It’s a whole debate in the PC gaming community, and it appears Valve isn’t taking sides here.)
Valve has already given handheld gamers a taste of these quick insights by building tools like MangoHud into the Steam Deck and SteamOS, which similarly let you monitor your CPU, graphics, RAM, and carefully ration out your battery life. But having a way to do so built into desktop Steam will make the insights much more accessible to many more gamers.
In the future, Valve says that it has plans to “add some additional pieces of data to the performance overlay going forward, to detect certain common bad hardware performance scenarios, and to show a larger summary of your game’s performance in the overlay itself when you hit shift-tab.”
Bollywood star Aamir Khan’s return to the big screen after a three-year hiatus has been far from ordinary. Sitaare Zameen Par (2025) which translates to “stars on Earth”, is the first major Bollywood production to feature a mostly neurodivergent cast.
A remake of the 2018 Spanish film Campeones, the story follows a mouthy, knuckle-headed basketball coach, Gulshan (Aamir Khan), who is put in charge of a team of players with intellectual disabilities.
The film slowly grows into itself, much like its characters, but ultimately delivers what the trailer promises: a heartwarming, humorous and uplifting celebration of our individual differences.
In an era of blockbuster spectacles, Aamir Khan Productions brings back a kind of Bollywood storytelling we haven’t seen in a while – something sincere, gentle and quietly revolutionary.
Who is Aamir Khan?
Aamir Khan was born in Mumbai in 1965, and started his acting career as a child actor in his uncle’s film Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973).
Khan is now one of Bollywood’s most enduring and respected figures. He is one of the iconic “three Khans”, alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan (the three are unrelated), who have dominated Indian cinema since the 1990s.
Film stars Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan are dubbed the ‘three Khans’ of Bollywood. AP
But unlike his Khan counterparts, Aamir Khan has carved a unique career path built on both commercial success and socially-driven storytelling.
He is known for championing social causes through cinema. In one 2015 article, media studies professor Vamsee Juluri referred to him as a “national conscience figure”.
Khan’s films don’t just entertain; they challenge norms and often spark national conversations on important issues.
From producing Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001), India’s Oscar-nominated colonial-era sports epic, to his directorial debut Taare Zameen Par (2007), a moving portrait of a child with dyslexia, Khan’s work often brings underrepresented stories to the mainstream.
Lagaan follows farmers from a small Indian village under British colonial rule. The British challenge the farmers to a game of cricket, in exchange for an exemption from paying the land tax (‘lagaan’). IMDb
His film PK (2014) challenges religious dogma. Meanwhile, Dangal (2016) is a boundary-pushing film based on real-life female wrestlers from rural India, and is also Bollywood’s highest-grossing film of all time.
Beyond the box office, Khan has hosted the TV show Satyamev Jayate (2012–14), which is also the national emblem of India, meaning “truth alone triumphs”.
This show tackles various topics considered taboo in Indian societies, including female feticide, domestic violence and caste discrimination. It has reached millions of households, and even ignited parliamentary debates.
Khan is also popular in other countries, including China, where his films 3 Idiots (2009), Dangal (2016) and Secret Superstar (2017) were massive hits that resonated with audiences for their universal themes.
In Dangal (2016), Mahavir (Aamir Khan) trains his two daughters in wrestling. IMDb
Sitaare Zameen Par marks his return following the commercial underperformance of Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), an Indian remake of Forrest Gump (1994).
Sitaare (stars) who make the film shine
Directed by R.S. Prasanna, Sitaare Zameen Par enjoyed a strong opening weekend at the box office.
It stars ten individuals with special needs as they prepare for a basketball tournament under the direction of their coach (Khan). This plot alone makes the film a significant entry to Indian cinema, which often ignores or misrepresents disability.
The neurodivergent stars of Sitaare Zameen Par are aged between 18 and 42. Aamir Khan Productions.
Despite early online trolling and negativity, the film depicts its neurodivergent characters not as victims, or “inspirations”, but simply as people with dreams, struggles and joy.
One line captures this beautifully: “Everyone sticks to their own normal. We each have our own normal.”
Aamir Khan, now 60, plays a key role in the film, but doesn’t dominate it. Instead, his younger co-stars shine. The result is a healing film that celebrates inclusion, while being full of joy and humanity.
Stories that matter
No film is perfect. But it’s hard to dislike a film made with so much compassion.
Bollywood as an industry has increasingly leaned into action-packed blockbusters, as well as nationalist and Hindu-centred narratives (such as in the 2022 film Brahmāstra).
While many of these offer thrills, few deliver the kind of emotional and social depth that once defined Hindi cinema’s global appeal. Much like Taare Zameen Par – a spiritual prequel to the new release – did 18 years ago, Sitaare Zameen Par invites the audience to slow down and reflect.
In Taare Zameen Par (2007), Khan plays a neurotypical teacher who helps a student with dyslexia. IMDb
It prompts neurotypical viewers to see people with Down’s syndrome as part of the same emotional universe as them – and to laugh with, not at them.
In an interview, Khan explains how the film goes further than just neurodivergent representation, to participation:
In [Taare Zameen Par], it’s the teacher, Nikumbh, a supposedly neuro-typical person, who helps the child with dyslexia. In this film, ten neuro-atypical people are helping the coach, Gulshan. I feel Sitare takes the discourse of the first film ten steps ahead, especially in our country where people need to be sensitised to the topic of neurodivergence.
Last week, India’s president, Droupadi Murmu, attended a special screening and met the cast. The visit sent a clear messsage: stories like this matter.
With Sitaare Zameen Par, Aamir Khan returns to what he does best: using film as both a mirror and message for Indian society. While it won’t change the world overnight, it will make viewers see the world, and each other, a little differently.
