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  • Tahiti secure 7th with victory over American Samoa at the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship

    Tahiti secure 7th with victory over American Samoa at the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship

    Tahiti have closed out their OFC U-16 Women’s Championship campaign on a high, defeating American Samoa 2-0 in the 7th-place play-off in Apia.

    With the stakes high, the loser bound for next year’s Qualifying tournament and the winner retaining Championship status, Tahiti struck early. In the 10th minute, Anikua Nekrouf swivelled inside the box before firing a crisp left-footed shot into the net.

    Team photograph. OFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2025, 7th Place Play-Off, Tahiti v American Samoa, Samoa Football HQ Apia, Tuesday 12 August 2025. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / www.phototek.nz

    American Samoa thought they had equalised in the 24th minute when captain Maryjane Laina bundled the ball home, but the effort was ruled out after a collision with Tahiti goalkeeper Kalea Torohia, earning Laina a yellow card.

    Just before half-time, Anaiyah Vee broke into the Tahiti box, but her effort lacked the power to trouble Torohia.

    The second half began with drama as Tahiti had a strong penalty appeal waved away by referee Jerethy George of Vanuatu. Moments later, American Samoa came close from a pair of dangerous corners, only for the Tahiti defence to hold firm.

    Team photograph. OFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2025, 7th Place Play-Off, Tahiti v American Samoa, Samoa Football HQ Apia, Tuesday 12 August 2025. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / www.phototek.nz

    Tahiti’s second came in the 55th minute when Ravanui Warren unleashed a stunning long-range strike that deceived goalkeeper Leila Salausa. From there, American Samoa pressed for a way back but struggled to create clear chances, leaving Torohia largely untroubled.

    Tahiti 2 (Anikua NEKROUF 10’  Ravanui WARREN 55’)

    American Samoa 0

     HT 1-0

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  • High-severity WinRAR 0-day exploited for weeks by 2 groups

    High-severity WinRAR 0-day exploited for weeks by 2 groups

    BI.ZONE said the Paper Werewolf delivered the exploits in July and August through archives attached to emails impersonating employees of the All-Russian Research Institute. The ultimate goal was to install malware that gave Paper Werewolf access to infected systems.

    While the discoveries by ESET and BI.ZONE were independent of each other, it’s unknown if the groups exploiting the vulnerabilities are connected or acquired the knowledge from the same source. BI.ZONE speculated that Paper Werewolf may have procured the vulnerabilities in a dark market crime forum.

    ESET said the attacks it observed followed three execution chains. One chain, used in attacks targeting a specific organization, executed a malicious DLL file hidden in an archive using a method known as COM hijacking that caused it to be executed by certain apps such as Microsoft Edge. It looked like this:

    Illustration of the execution chain installing Mythic Agent.

    Credit:
    ESET

    Illustration of the execution chain installing Mythic Agent.


    Credit:

    ESET

    The DLL file in the archive decrypted embedded shellcode, which went on to retrieve the domain name for the current machine and compare it with a hardcoded value. When the two matched, the shellcode installed a custom instance of the Mythic Agent exploitation framework.

    A second chain ran a malicious Windows executable to deliver a final payload installing SnipBot, a known piece of RomCom malware. It blocked some attempts at being forensically analyzed by terminating when opened in an empty virtual machine or sandbox, a practice common among researchers. A third chain made use of two other known pieces of RomCom malware, one known as RustyClaw and the other Melting Claw.

    WinRAR vulnerabilities have previously been exploited to install malware. One code-execution vulnerability from 2019 came under wide exploitation in 2019 shortly after being patched. In 2023, a WinRAR zero-day was exploited for more than four months before the attacks were detected.

    Besides its massive user base, WinRAR makes a perfect vehicle for spreading malware because the utility has no automated mechanism for installing new updates. That means users must actively download and install patches on their own. What’s more, ESET said Windows versions of the command line utilities UnRAR.dll and the portable UnRAR source code are also vulnerable. People should steer clear of all WinRAR versions prior to 7.13, which, at the time this post went live, was the most current. It has fixes for all known vulnerabilities, although given the seemingly unending stream of WinRAR zero-days, it isn’t much of an assurance.

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  • Place of High-Flow Oxygen Therapy (HFOT) in the Perioperative Period: A Thoracic Surgery Case Report

    Place of High-Flow Oxygen Therapy (HFOT) in the Perioperative Period: A Thoracic Surgery Case Report


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  • Brain’s energy control map offers blueprint for next-gen weight loss therapies

    Brain’s energy control map offers blueprint for next-gen weight loss therapies

    A deep dive into the brain’s command center for hunger shows how decoding its circuits could transform the future of weight loss treatments.

    Brain integration of environmental cues in the regulation of energy balance and adiposity – Environmental factors (left) are integrated by the brain in the context of an individual’s genetic makeup (illustrated by highlighted SNPs) and epigenetic profile. In response, the brain regulates behavioral and physiological outputs, such as energy intake, energy expenditure, and fuel partitioning (middle), which all influence energy balance, ultimately shaping interindividual variation in adiposity (right).

    In a recent review published in the journal Cell, a group of authors synthesized how the central nervous system (CNS) integrates neuroendocrine signals to govern energy homeostasis and translate these mechanisms into safe, effective anti-obesity pharmacotherapy.

    Background

    How did a survival system become a global health crisis? Since the 1980s, obesity rates have surged, now affecting around one billion people worldwide, with cardiovascular disease driving most obesity-related deaths. Genetics and environment interact: some bodies are primed to gain weight (“drifty gene” hypothesis), others resist, and modern food cues and stressors amplify the gap.

    Obesity pathogenesis involves “push” (brain-driven hyperphagia) and “pull” (peripheral fuel sequestration) mechanisms. Meanwhile, brain circuits evolved to defend energy stores, not today’s ultra-processed diets. Understanding how the brain, gut, adipose tissue, and liver converse is key to developing safe, effective anti-obesity therapies. Further research is needed to map neural circuits and activity-dependent neuroplasticity that enable long-term, non-aversive weight loss.

    Neuroendocrine Map of Energy Homeostasis

    The brain arbitrates energy balance by blending slow adiposity signals with fast, meal-linked cues. Adipose tissue relays status through leptin, while the gastrointestinal (GI) tract releases hormones like glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), cholecystokinin (CCK), peptide YY (PYY), secretin, and ghrelin (the only orexigenic hormone in this list) from the stomach to stimulate appetite via agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons. These endocrine signals complement vagal and spinal afferents that sense gut distension and nutrients, giving the CNS rapid feedback.

    Together, endocrine and neural inputs coordinate digestion, satiety, and metabolic homeostasis. The liver adds its voice, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP2), while small metabolites and bile acids round out the message.

    Hypothalamic Circuits: Setting the Energy Budget

    The arcuate nucleus (ARC), adjacent to the median eminence (a circumventricular organ (CVO)), has privileged access to circulating hormones and metabolites. ARC neurons express receptors for leptin, ghrelin, and insulin and receive inputs from the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVH), ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), and dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH), and extrahypothalamic hubs such as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS).

    Hunger-promoting AgRP neurons release γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and AgRP to inhibit satiety circuits, while pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons release α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) to activate melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) neurons and curb intake. Synaptic plasticity in these circuits (e.g., leptin-dependent reorganization of inputs) adapts to energy states. These ARC outputs project broadly, allowing hypothalamic networks to set appetite and expenditure.

    Hindbrain & Vagal Control: Satiety Without Sickness

    The dorsal vagal complex (DVC) integrates visceral signals to terminate meals. In the NTS, calcitonin receptor (CALCR) neurons, including a prolactin-releasing peptide (PRLH) subset, suppress feeding without aversion and can restrain AgRP-driven hunger via polysynaptic pathways.

    By contrast, area postrema (AP) circuits can pair appetite suppression with malaise: growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) acts via glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family receptor alpha-like (GFRAL) neurons that activate parabrachial calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) cells.

    Region-specific glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) signaling matters: GLP-1R action in the AP drives aversion, whereas GLP-1R action in the NTS promotes satiety, suggesting why some drugs feel smoother than others.

    Hormonal, metabolic, and neural inputs to brain circuits regulating energy homeostasis - (A) Simplified overview of peripheral signals arising from multiple organ systems, along with sensory cues from the external environment. These signals are integrated by the central nervous system to regulate energy intake and expenditure, maintaining stable adiposity over time. This regulation involves both long-term energy storage signals, such as leptin, and short-term signals related to immediate intake of energy, like gastrointestinal hormones and nutrients. (B) The arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus harbors the melanocortin circuit, which is highly responsive to deviations in circulating hormones (e.g., those from the gastrointestinal tract) and the adipose tissue and metabolites. Central to this circuit are hunger-promoting AgRP neurons and satiety-promoting POMC neurons. These neuronal populations modulate energy balance via inhibitory and excitatory inputs to downstream MC4R-expressing neurons, respectively. (C) Many peripheral inputs influencing brain circuits that regulate energy balance originate in the gut. Enteroendocrine cells release hormones, like secretin, GLP-1, GIP, CCK, and others, into the circulation in response to various stimuli, such as the presence of luminal nutrients. Additionally, vagal afferents relay mechanical and chemical information—such as gut distension and nutrient content—from the gastrointestinal tract to the brain.

    Hormonal, metabolic, and neural inputs to brain circuits regulating energy homeostasis – (A) Simplified overview of peripheral signals arising from multiple organ systems, along with sensory cues from the external environment. These signals are integrated by the central nervous system to regulate energy intake and expenditure, maintaining stable adiposity over time. This regulation involves both long-term energy storage signals, such as leptin, and short-term signals related to immediate intake of energy, like gastrointestinal hormones and nutrients. (B) The arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus harbors the melanocortin circuit, which is highly responsive to deviations in circulating hormones (e.g., those from the gastrointestinal tract) and the adipose tissue and metabolites. Central to this circuit are hunger-promoting AgRP neurons and satiety-promoting POMC neurons. These neuronal populations modulate energy balance via inhibitory and excitatory inputs to downstream MC4R-expressing neurons, respectively. (C) Many peripheral inputs influencing brain circuits that regulate energy balance originate in the gut. Enteroendocrine cells release hormones, like secretin, GLP-1, GIP, CCK, and others, into the circulation in response to various stimuli, such as the presence of luminal nutrients. Additionally, vagal afferents relay mechanical and chemical information—such as gut distension and nutrient content—from the gastrointestinal tract to the brain.

    Motivation & Reward: Why Palatable Foods Win

    Mesocorticolimbic pathways, ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine projections to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and prefrontal cortex, assign incentive salience to food cues. The lateral hypothalamus (LH) interfaces with these reward circuits through melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and orexin neurons, which project to the VTA and NAc and bias seeking of palatable foods. Because homeostatic and hedonic systems interlock, effective therapies must dampen the drive to eat without flattening everyday motivation. Gut-to-brain signaling via the vagus can activate dopamine neurons after sugar sensing, helping explain why ultra-processed foods feel compelling even without strong taste cues.

    From Circuits to Medicines: What Works Now

    Earlier drugs worked mainly through monoamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin), as in phentermine–topiramate or bupropion–naltrexone, yielding about 8%-10% loss with cardiovascular, GI, and psychiatric trade-offs. Peptide engineering changed the game: reversible albumin binding extended incretin half-life, enabling GLP-1 therapies; liraglutide produced a 5.4% placebo-corrected loss at 56 weeks in people with obesity without diabetes.

    Co-engaging glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR) can blunt GLP-1R–linked aversion while preserving intake suppression, one plausible reason dual incretins achieve greater weight loss. Amylin receptor (AMYR) agonists, which act through CALCR–receptor activity-modifying protein (RAMP) complexes in the AP and ARC, also suppress intake and may do so with fewer aversive signals. Notably, the single-molecule GLP-1R/AMYR co-agonist amycretin drove 24% weight loss in a phase 1/2 trial.

    Knowledge Gaps with Real-World Stakes

    Key unknowns include which neuron populations sustain non-aversive satiety, how diet and stress reshape synapses in hypothalamic, hindbrain, and reward networks, and how to ‘rewire’ maladaptive circuits safely. Answering these questions would refine patient-specific therapy (choice of incretin backbone, amylin receptor add-ons), reduce discontinuation, and extend cardiometabolic benefits for families and health systems for many patients.

    Conclusions

    To summarize, the brain is the command center of energy homeostasis. By integrating endocrine signals from adipose tissue, the GI tract, the pancreas, and the liver with rapid neural input, central circuits, from ARC melanocortin pathways to DVC and mesocorticolimbic networks, set appetite, expenditure, and reward.

    Peptide pharmacotherapies that target GLP-1R, GIPR, and amylin pathways already deliver meaningful weight loss. Future success will depend on mapping activity-dependent neuroplasticity and designing combinations that maximize satiety, minimize aversion, and protect long-term cardiometabolic health for people everywhere.

    Journal reference:

    • Johansen, V. B. I., Petersen, J., Lund, J., Mathiesen, C. V., Fenselau, H., & Clemmensen, C. (2025). Brain control of energy homeostasis: Implications for anti-obesity pharmacotherapy. Cell, 188(16), 4178–4212. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.06.010 https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)00677-4

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  • “If we don’t want to go for gold, then we do not deserve to be here”

    “If we don’t want to go for gold, then we do not deserve to be here”

    Ahead of the men’s and women’s gold medal matches of the beach handball competitions of The World Games Chengdu 2025, ihf.info spoke to coaches and players from all four teams to hear about their semi-final victories, thoughts on medals and how to beat their opponents.

    Both gold medal matches will be streamed live and free, for more information, click HERE.

    Women’s competition: Gold Medal Match/Final
    Tuesday 12 August 2025
    Argentina vs Germany, 1630 hrs (CST), Xinglong Lake, Chengdu, China

    Gisella BONOMI – player, Argentina

    On if she will settle for silver, now she has reached the final:
    Now we have a medal, but we know clearly which one we want. With all the hard work we did until now I’m very happy for the team. Particularly in our semi-final (against Spain), but in the whole tournament, we’ve achieved and passed through every difficult situation. I am really happy that all the training came to a happy end.

    On being behind 9:0 against Spain in their semi-final second set early on but bouncing back to win:
    Against Spain we were 9:0 down in the second because we were not scoring, that was the main problem. They have a good goalkeeper, and we didn’t see it clearly. I am happy now because we didn’t care about 9:0 as we stood up, and were just two points behind, and even one point behind at the final moment.

    On having chances to win without a shoot-out against Spain and then if she was nervous in the shoot-out:
    In beach handball, at least in the women’s game, it’s all about the defensive performance. That’s what makes the difference; a good defence. We trust really, really, really a lot in our defence.

    Leticia BRUNATI, coach – Argentina

    On being behind 9:0 against Spain in their semi-final second set early on but bouncing back to win:
    That 9:0 was awful for us. We could make safe shots in attack, in defence we were very pressured, so I asked for the time out (after three minutes). After then we do well and we have the last ball to win the match, but we couldn’t win in the second set.

    On having chances to win without a shoot-out and then if she was nervous in the shoot-out:
    Argentina are one of the teams who plays the best shoot-out. Spain is really difficult too in the shoot-out too, and other goalkeepers are really good, but we study a lot. We study a lot of shots and against Spain we have more luck. After we hit the post in that moment, I think to myself; ‘Alma (MOLINA, goalkeeper) is going to save this ball’. 

    On if Argentina now are a different team to the one which won silver in 2017 and bronze in 2022 at The World Games:
    I think it’s the same team. We play very similar to then now. Maybe our effectivity in the shot is better. We worked a lot on that issue, and now all we believe we can win.

    On how much she lets her players enjoy the semi-final win before focusing on the final:
    The players need to enjoy all of this at The World Games, not just the win in the semi-final. They have to enjoy the pressure they have. They have to enjoy the match. Now we need to rest, analyse our opponents because today we are here and after tomorrow we don’t come back.

    On how she keeps her players focused on going for gold and not settling for silver:
    One of the motivations for us is to hear the national anthem. That is the motivation.

    Kirsten WALTER – player, Germany

    On being presented with a special memento by the German Handball Federation after Germany’s semi-final victory over Denmark, to mark her 100th appearance for the national team:
    It’s crazy, because I didn’t think of still being here after that many years, and I’m the oldest one – but I think I’m still not that old – I’m just overwhelmed by my feelings thinking back to all the years that I’ve been through.

    I had different coaches, different teammates, and I managed to still be here, and now we are on a very, very top level. I’m just really happy, and that’s crazy, because no-one has 100 national games in beach handball yet in Germany. I’m speechless.

    On who she thinks about most when looking at the memento:
    Probably Lucie (KRETSCHMAR – teammate) and Alex (NOVAKOVIC – coach). Lucie has been with me since the Under 19s team and Alex as well. We’re supporting each other, we were struggling with each other, there were are a lot of times during the year we are 24/7 together, and we have different opinions on some stuff, but, still, we trust and believe in each other. 

    On the sacrifices she has made in her personal life for her athletic, sporting life:
    That’s the normal life of a professional player: cancelling birthdays and that stuff with family, or just vacations. I never did a really long vacation the last years, but I think it was totally worth it.

    Of course, I was struggling a bit, but, in the end, if it is successful, all of the family members support each other, my boyfriend he supports me too. That’s what we’re doing it for.

    On playing Argentina in the final again, a repeat of the 2024 IHF Women’s Beach Handball World Championship final from last year:
    I am just looking forward. It will be a pretty cool and tough game, but hopefully with a successful end for us, but let’s see.

    On if Argentina are a different team to the team she faced last year:
    They definitely have different players here in this tournament, but probably the way they play is pretty similar to last year, so we will definitely be very well-prepared for the game. I am just looking forward to it.

    On if Germany are a different team this year compared to last year:
    Yes. Even better.

    Alexander NOVAKOVIC – coach, Germany

    On seeing the emotions of his captain and player Kirsten WALTER after she was presented with a special award for making 100 appearances for the national team:
    I have known Kiki (WALTER) since she was six or seven years old. She’s from my hometown, and I know her family, her friends. We have had a huge adventure together for 15 years in beach handball, so from the beginning.

    The 100th national game is our honour for her; the first one ever achieved in Germany. I feel really, really proud of her as a human and also as a sportswoman.

    On how he keeps his players focused on going for gold and not settling for silver:
    It’s not a goal to get them focused for a final. The thing was in the preliminary round, in the group phase, that you get the balance between The World Games, with its other sports and huge village – we have a lot of factors what besides sport here – right, but we have experience from three years ago, and we handled it really good then.

    This year, we found the right balance between going to other sports, and doing the nails, haircutting in the village and all that stuff that is connected to The World Games, and also, then especially, some phases before the game, in front of the game to be focused on the sport and the competition. We had a good balance.

    On how much he lets his players enjoy the semi-final win before focusing on the final:
    It’s absolutely comfortable that we have only one game per day.

    The players can now enjoy all the feelings. We will celebrate Kiki’s 100th national game, and then tomorrow morning all the focus starts on preparation for Argentina.

    On how Germany can beat Argentina:
    I have really respect for Argentina, and also Spain, because now I think two of the three best teams here are in the final. Maybe Spain also could compete in that. It will be a close match, and we will have a good plan.

    Men’s competition: Gold Medal Match/Final
    Tuesday 12 August 2025
    Portugal vs Germany, 1730 hrs (CST), Xinglong Lake, Chengdu, China

    Ricardo CASTRO – player, Portugal 

    On how he saves shots in shoot-outs:
    I don’t know. Sometimes you don’t need to think, you just need to go for the ball.

    On another medal guaranteed for Portugal:
    A very special one. It is our second final this year (after the IHF Beach Handball Global Tour Stage 2), so in a such a big competition like this one, I have no words. It’s just magical. It’s a story being made by the minute.

    Tiago ALBUQUERQUE, joint head coach – Portugal

    On reaching the final by beating Spain:
    I was so nervous and so happy at the same time. At the beginning, we knew that we would have a really complicated game. We had big planning for this match, and we have an amazing group. They followed all what we wanted for this game and it went perfect.

    On having Ricardo Castro in goal when games go to shoot-outs:
    We have a really, really competitive team and we know that in this competition and in beach handball it is 60% and 40% for the team who believes more. Against Spain, we believed it more. Of course, the game was not all perfect, but we made it happen.

    On the dynamic between him and official head coach Pedro SERRANO:
    We have a perfect relationship. We work more or less like in American Football. I’m responsible for the attack and he’s responsible for the defence. He is the head coach, but we work together, and I have a lot of responsibility on the team too. It’s perfect to work with Pedro and I’m so happy and so proud to work with him.

    On how he keeps his players focused on going for gold and not settling for silver:
    At the beginning of the competition, we didn’t want them to think about the medal. We want to think about the next game and the next and the next and the next. But now we can work on that.

    Of course, we want the gold. We don’t want a silver now. We want a gold. And we will have a meeting and we are going to focus and plan the next game like we did on the other games.

    On how much he lets his players enjoy the semi-final win before focusing on the final:
    To be honest with you, we didn’t have fun until now. Of course, we go out and we work together, but we didn’t visit the city, so we had to make sacrifices to be here. That is the key: focus, focus, focus. Because it’s really easy here to be in other places. We came here to win, and the rest doesn’t matter.

    Ebert MORITZ (GER) – player, Germany

    On beating The World Games historic record-holders Brazil in their semi-final:
    We had the better nerves. It was a fantastic match. Brazil are so great. They have so many great players, but we stayed calm, especially when we lost the first set. We never had the feeling that we will lose the second set. That feeling won us the match in the end.

    It doesn’t matter if we play against the under 15s or a team like Brazil. When we play, we have to be focused, and that’s we did.

    On his emotions when stopping shots in goal:
    It’s an amazing feeling, especially in the shoot-out. Saving three against such a great team like Brazil, it’s phenomenal and we are so thankful that we have wonderful shooting.

    On facing Portugal in the final:
    We played in the group stage against them and lost. We want to get the gold medal and the revenge for that loss.

    Marten FRANKE – coach, Germany

    On reaching another final for the second month running after winning the European Championship in July:
    It’s unbelievable. We are unbelievably happy at the moment for winning the European Championship which was a little bit surprising because we had some changes in the squad, we had some new players who played their first international tournament.

    You can then not expect to come to a final and win the championship, but they made a really, really great tournament. They were mentally so strong, and you could see it also in our semi-final.

    Brazil was very strong in the preliminary match and we surprised them a little bit, especially in the first set. We knew we couldn’t surprise them, so we had to be as good as we can, because they are one of the best teams in the world.

    We played against them four times in the last 12 months, and we lost four times but we knew something was possible.

    We also knew after the first set, which they more or less dominated, that we nearly had no chance we could win the second set, but we put all effort in this, and we know we’re very strong in the shoot-out.
     

    Brazil is the same, but in Moritz Ebert, we have one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and he’s always the guy for the special moments.

    On if he was tempted to try some special tactics against Brazil or just keep what had got him and his team this far:
    It’s always a little bit balancing those two issues, because we played, I don’t know, how many systems against them – it was a lot.

    But we also played a lot of time with our main system that we have played more or less for the whole tournament. We tried to bring something new, but also to rely on what we are doing good and what we did good all the tournament.

    On how he beats Portugal in 2025 after losing to them in the 2024 world championship bronze medal match:
    We hope that it’s the other way around. This time, we also played them in the main round, and we lost the second match. Hopefully, now, we will win the second match.

    Portugal is a very strong team. You have always to make a very good match if you want to beat them, because they have a very strong defence with goalkeeping.

    They are not predictable in offence. They have also a lot of different systems, so we have to make some good assumptions about what will come tomorrow.

    On how much he lets his players enjoy the semi-final win before focusing on the final:
    Tomorrow we will start. Tonight, it’s just enjoying regenerating. I don’t think we will watch video from this match now, because we will just try to get the focus directly on Portugal.

    The players will have a free night. Tomorrow morning we will start with concentrating on Portugal. We know them very well. We also have played against them quite a few times in the last 12 months so we don’t have to prepare too much, but we will prepare what has to be done.

    On how he keeps his players focused on going for gold and not settling for silver:
    It’s nothing I have to work on. For me, my goal, internally, was to get a medal in the beginning, but the team said to me ‘no, we want to win gold – we are European champions and we are confident’.

    Of course, we are competing with the best teams in the world here, but if we don’t want to go for gold, then we do not deserve to be here.

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  • Siri’s New Features May Include Adding Voice Controls to Apps

    Siri’s New Features May Include Adding Voice Controls to Apps

    Apple is testing new features for its Siri assistant with popular apps — including Uber, Facebook and YouTube — that would make it possible to use third-party app features with voice commands, according to a report from Bloomberg.

    AI Atlas

    The testing is being done with the goal of releasing a revamped Siri in the spring of 2026 that uses Apple’s App Intents to expand what Siri can do outside of Apple’s own OS and first-party apps. For instance, people might be able to post Instagram comments or make purchases using only their voice, something Siri can’t yet do with most apps that Apple didn’t develop itself, according to the report.

    A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Apple showed off a demo of this type of functionality last year, but the overhaul might not arrive until 2027. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, there are some internal doubts among Apple engineers as to whether the functionality will work well enough, especially in apps where mistakes could be costly or harmful, such as health or banking apps. 

    Gurman points out that if the company gets it right, it would be a major feature that could give Apple, “a new, voice-first interface… it could potentially be a hit that many users didn’t see coming,” he writes.

    Creeping competition

    Even if Apple succeeds in revamping Siri with new features that customers find to be a big improvement, the company will be doing so under pressure from competitors on the artificial intelligence front.

    “Apple should be worried, and it appears they are,” says Vikas Sharma, senior director of patent services at Quandary Peak Research. “ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and Alexa are all ahead of Siri in the AI race.” 

    Sharma expressed doubts that a spring 2026 release would include everything users might expect from a major Siri revamp. “At this point, there’s no update on any exciting upcoming capabilities, so the release may end up being incremental rather than revolutionary,” Sharma says.

    But if Apple can work its magic and make good on some of the features that it gave a glimpse of last year, the effects could be profound. 

    “Imagine booking rides, flights, cars and hotels seamlessly through third-party apps; ordering from Amazon; sharing files through Slack/email; or finding emails with specific attachments, all through voice commands,” says Sharma. “With these capabilities, Siri could become a true AI assistant.’


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  • Joint Statement from IWGA, LOC 2025 Chengdu and IOF 

    Joint Statement from IWGA, LOC 2025 Chengdu and IOF 

    The International World Games Association (IWGA), Local Organising Committee (LOC) of The World Games 2025 Chengdu and the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) confirm with great sadness the passing of Italian orienteering athlete, Mattia Debertolis.

    Mattia Debertolis was found unconscious during the Men’s Middle Distance competition of Orienteering on the morning of Friday, 8 August 2025 in Chengdu, China, during the 12th edition of The World Games. Despite receiving immediate expert medical care at one of China’s leading medical institutions, he passed away on 12 August 2025.

    The World Games Family, the LOC and the IOF is struck by this tragedy and extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the athlete and the whole Orienteering community. Our thoughts are with those touched by this event.

    The IWGA, LOC, and IOF will continue to support the family of Mattia Debertolis and the orienteering community in every possible way.

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  • Landmark study offers new insights into what protects against dengue

    Landmark study offers new insights into what protects against dengue

    The specific components of the immune response in a human body that protect against a dengue virus (DENV) infection and the subsequent illness remain unclear. Scientists are still trying to understand how natural infection and vaccination protect people so that they can develop better vaccines.

    Now, a novel study has revealed important insights into developing strong immunity against DENV, which is otherwise quite complex. Researchers from the US and Philippines have identified specific antibodies, known as envelope dimer epitope (EDE)-like antibodies, as the key for building broad, cross-serotype immunity following natural infection or vaccination.

    The findings, published recently in Science Translational Medicine, represent a significant step forward in understanding dengue immunity and could lead to more effective therapeutics.

    Disease burden and dengue vaccines

    Dengue is a major global health challenge caused by any of four DENV serotypes (DENV1 to DENV4). It is the most common vector-borne viral disease, with half of the world’s population at risk, especially in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Americas. According to one large study in 2013, the economic burden of dengue in Southeast Asia is higher than that of 17 other conditions, including Japanese encephalitis, upper respiratory infections, and hepatitis B.

    And yet developing a universally effective vaccine has proven difficult thanks to the complex immune mechanisms involved. In DENV cases, the initial immunity after first infection (a.k.a. primary immunity) paradoxically increases the risk of severe disease rather than conferring protection when a person is infected a second time with a different serotype of the virus. This phenomenon, called antibody-dependent enhancement, occurs when non-neutralising antibodies bind to partially immature virus particles, facilitating their entry into immune cells and worsening the infection. All severe dengue cases requiring hospitalization result from such second infections.

    Since vaccines mimic natural infections, the risk of antibody-dependent enhancement after the first dose is the main challenge for dengue vaccines, which is why they are usually recommended only for individuals with prior exposure to the virus and avoided in dengue-naïve people.

    After exposure to at least two different DENV serotypes, a person develops true protection, known as “secondary immunity”, against future disease.

    Currently, two primary dengue vaccines are licensed (in some countries): Dengvaxia and QDENGA. These shots are most effective for individuals who have already been exposed to dengue at least once before vaccination. Laboratory confirmation of a previous dengue infection is required for vaccination with Dengvaxia.

    Outbreak in Cebu

    DENV is an enveloped virus, meaning it has a protective outer layer. A key component of this layer is the envelope (E) protein, which is the primary target for the body’s immune response.

    The E protein is arranged in pairs on the virus surface, creating complex three-dimensional structures known as quaternary epitopes. EDE is a critical quaternary epitope and an important target for vaccines and therapeutic antibodies.

    In June 2017, Cebu province in the Philippines offered at least the first dose of a dengue vaccine to children aged 9-14 years. For the new study, the researchers recruited and followed a cohort of 2,996 such children. Of them, 1,782 received the first dose of the vaccine and the rest remained unvaccinated. The researchers collected baseline blood samples one month before the vaccination campaign and follow-up samples 17-28 months after the campaign.

    There had been an unusually large dengue outbreak in Cebu between the baseline and follow-up sample collection, with most cases caused by DENV2 (61.7%) followed by DENV3 (30%). The researchers measured different kinds of antibodies in the samples: EDE-like antibodies (targetting envelope dimer epitopes); neutralising antibodies (which can block infection by mature, fully formed viruses); and binding antibodies (those that attached to parts of the E protein without necessarily blocking infection).

    The study focused on the children who had had evidence of at least two prior DENV infections (those with “secondary immunity”) at the baseline. They followed up with the cohort up to October 31, 2022, to check how many with secondary immunity went on to develop dengue between the follow-up sample collection and the study closure date. All the samples were analysed in vaccinated and unvaccinated children in this subgroup in an attempt to reveal the true predictors of protection.

    More protective against disease

    The study’s findings illuminated the role of EDE-like antibodies in the protective response.

    Specifically, the researchers found that EDE-like antibodies were highly prevalent in children with secondary DENV immunity, with 81.8% to 90.1% of participants having detectable levels. This was in stark contrast to individuals with only primary DENV immunity, where EDE-like antibodies were largely absent (detected in only 4% to 12% of cases). This suggests EDE-like antibodies are a hallmark of established immunity against dengue. The magnitude of EDE-like antibodies was also strongly and consistently correlated with broad neutralisation of all four mature DENV serotypes, indicating that these antibodies are crucial for widespread protection rather than just against a single serotype.

    The study observed that both natural DENV infection — due to the large outbreak during the study period — and vaccination significantly boosted EDE-like antibodies as well as general DENV-binding and neutralising antibodies. This effect was evident even in children who already possessed strong secondary immunity.

    Crucially, higher levels of EDE-like antibodies were consistently associated with lower odds of symptomatic dengue, dengue with warning signs, and dengue requiring hospitalisation. This protective effect was observed across multiple serotypes, demonstrating both serotype-specific and cross-reactive benefits. However, EDE-like antibodies had limited protective effects against viral replication. Thus, they were less protective against new infections but more protective against disease, especially severe disease.

    Perhaps the most significant finding was that EDE-like antibodies didn’t just correlate with protection: they statistically explained a substantial portion of the protective effect seen with other mature virus-neutralising and E-binding antibodies. That is, when EDE-like antibodies were factored into statistical models, the protective effect of other antibodies was significantly diminished while EDE-like antibodies remained strongly associated with protection.

    Specifically, EDE-like antibodies explained 42% to 65% of the protective effect attributed to mature virus-neutralising antibodies and 41% to 75% of the effect of general E protein-binding antibodies. This observation strongly suggested that EDE-like antibodies are a primary, underlying determinant of broad, cross-reactive immunity against dengue.

    Limitations and the future

    Although the study had some limitations, such as a relatively small number of dengue cases for assessing protection against all four serotypes and a limited panel of monoclonal antibodies used for characterisation, it nonetheless marked a significant advance in the fight against dengue.

    The team provided a clearer understanding of the immune responses that truly protect against this debilitating disease. EDE-like antibodies also helped explain how neutralising and binding antibodies contributed to protection.

    Further research will be essential to formally validate EDE-like antibodies as reliable indicators of protection for vaccine efficacy trials. If this is validated, researchers will be able to design vaccines that specifically elicit high levels of EDE-like antibodies and thus better protect against dengue.

    Puneet Kumar is a clinician, Kumar Child Clinic, New Delhi. Vipin M. Vashishtha is director and paediatrician, Mangla Hospital and Research Center, Bijnor.

    Published – August 12, 2025 05:30 am IST

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  • Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, Girl In Red

    Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, Girl In Red

    The Oslo music fest boasted highlights from Charli xcx, Queens of the Stone Age, Mk.Gee and more.

    Girl in Red performs on stage at the Øyafestivalen on August 9, 2025 in Oslo, Norway.

    Per Ole Hagen/Redferns

    Norway’s Øyafestivalen wrapped over the weekend with girl in red — one of the country’s best musical exports — bringing a raucous conclusion to four days of genre-spanning music. In addition to the Norwegian singer-songwriter, the Aug. 6-9 festival was headlined by Chappell Roan, Charli xcx and Queens of the Stone Age — an impressive international lineup for a festival that hosts around 20,000 people each day (by most festival standards, that’s a cozy crew).

    Situated in Oslo’s lovely Tøyen Park, Øya Festival is a bit reminiscent of New York City’s Governors Ball back when it took place on Randall’s Island: there are plenty of trees to hide under and thick grass to sit on, so it feels like a functional park, even after four days and thousands of feet (at some outdoor fests, the grass gets trampled into the dirt within hours). Another nice bonus is how accessible the festival is from the city’s (very clean) subway — or, if you’re feeling more adventurous, it’s an easy 30-minute walk from downtown. The grounds are walkable, too: at most, you’ll stroll 10 minutes between the main stage and the farthest food stand. (Pro tip: the falafel and pastries are fantastic – really, anything involving bread in Norway is a cut above the usual.) Some of the stages are quite close (all of a one-minute walk apart), though oddly don’t suffer from sonic bleeding. For the most part, the sound quality at Øya was top-notch — when Roan was belting out her most challenging notes, you could really feel how magnificent her voice is.

    From internationally renowned stars to homegrown talent, there was a lot to savor at Øyafestivalen 2025 – here are some of the best moments Billboard experienced.

    Billboard’s travel and accommodations for Øyafestivalen were provided by Music Norway, founded by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Equality.

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  • Erasmus names strong line-up to face Wallabies in Rugby Championship opener

    Erasmus names strong line-up to face Wallabies in Rugby Championship opener

    Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a strong team for the side’s opening Castle Lager Rugby Championship match against Australia at Ellis Park on Saturday, with the matchday squad featuring 18 Rugby World Cup winners and only one player who made his Test debut during the July Test Series.

     

    Only three players in the squad have five Test caps or fewer – Jan-Hendrik Wessels (utility forward), Edwill van der Merwe (wing) and Asenathi Ntlabakanye (prop), who made his Test debut against Italy in July.

     

    The Springboks will be hunting their fifth successive victory against the Wallabies in the match after defeating them in both Castle Lager Rugby Championship games in Australia last season and once each in 2023 and 2022.

     

    The match will mark a significant occasion for veteran Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth, who will extend his record as the most capped Bok of all time to 134 matches, which will see him pass Ireland scrumhalf Conor Murray from joint-11th place in the global pecking order to joint 10th position with Welsh prop Gethin Jenkins.

     

    Erasmus named an exciting backline, featuring a back-three of Aphelele Fassi and wings Kurt-Lee Arendse and Van der Merwe, while Jesse Kriel will join forces with Andre Esterhuizen in the midfield following a niggle picked up by Damian de Allende. Manie Libbok and Grant Williams will dictate at halfback.

     

    Springbok captain Siya Kolisi will don the No 8 jersey for the first time in a Test, in a loose trio with flankers Pieter-Steph du Toit and Marco van Staden, while Etzebeth and Lood de Jager will control the engine room behind a front row featuring props Ox Nche and Wilco Louw and hooker Malcolm Marx.

     

    The Bok coach opted for five forwards and three backs on the replacements bench, where Bongi Mbonambi, Wessels and Ntlabakanye will serve as the impact front row, along with utility forwards Franco Mostert and Kwagga Smith. The three backs on the bench are Cobus Reinach, Canan Moodie, and Damian Willemse.

     

    “We’ve been experimenting with player combinations during the Castle Lager Incoming Series and at our conditioning camp in the last two weeks, and we believe this team will allow us to play the type of rugby we want to play against Australia,” said Erasmus.

     

    “The Wallabies will be determined to change their win record against us in the last three seasons, so they’ll come out guns blazing, and we are confident that the players we selected will be up for the challenge.

     

    “All of the starters except for Edwill have faced them before, and we are confident that he is ready for this challenge.”

     

    Commenting on the niggle to De Allende, Erasmus said: “Damian picked up a back niggle in the last two weeks and will train again this week, but Andre has been strong for us in the last few seasons, so it was an easy decision to name him alongside Jesse in the midfield.”

     

    Erasmus added: “Cheslin (Kolbe) has also recovered from a niggle and trained with us last week, but we decided to exercise caution and give him extra time at training before selecting him. Edwill has been in good form this season, and it will be good to see what he brings in this match.”

     

    With Australia coming off a confidence-boosting 22-12 victory after a heartbreaking 29-26 defeat against the British & Irish Lions, Erasmus expected a challenging test against them.

     

    “Australia showed that they are on the right trajectory in their last two matches against the British & Irish Lions and we have no doubt they will enter this match with confidence and determined to build on those performances,” he said.

     

    “They are a physical and well-coached team, and we’ll certainly not underestimate how much those performances, combined with their motivation to bounce back strongly against us after the last few results between the teams, and win their first match ever at Ellis Park, will inspire them.

     

    “That said, we have also been working hard to keep building on our game and improve, and we believe our two-week conditioning camp has placed us in the right frame of mind for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship. So hopefully we can transfer that hard work into our game to place ourselves in a good position to defend the title.”

     

    Springbok team to face Australia in Johannesburg:

    15 Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 12 caps, 35 points (7t)

    14 Edwill van der Merwe (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 3 caps, 25 pts (5t)

    13 Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 80 caps, 95 points (19t)

    12 Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 20 caps, 0 pts

    11 Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 26 caps, 100 points (20t)

    10 Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners) – 20 caps, 108 pts (1t, 35c, 11p)

    9 Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 19 caps, 25 pts (5t)

    8 Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 93 caps, 60 points (12t)

    7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 88 caps, 60 pts (12t)

    6 Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 27 caps, 15 pts (3t)

    5 Lood de Jager (Wild Knights) – 67 caps, 25 points (5t)

    4 Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 133 caps, 35 points (7t)

    3 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 18 caps, 0 pts

    2 Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 78 caps, 115 pts (23t)

    1 Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 41 caps, 0 pts

    Replacements:

    16 Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 79 caps, 70 points (14t)

    17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) – 5 caps, 10 pts (2t)

    18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Lions) – 1 cap, 0 pts

    19 Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 79 caps, 20 points (4t)

    20 Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 53 caps, 45 points (9t)

    21 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) – 40 caps, 70 pts (14t)

    22 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 14 caps, 35 pts (7t)

    23 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 41 caps, 61 points (5t, 9c, 4p, 2 dg)

     

    Facts and Stats

     

    Head-to-head v Australia

    Played 95; Won 52; Lost 40; Drawn 3; Points for: 1 923, Points against: 1 672; Tries scored 227, Tries conceded 171; Highest score 61-22 (Pretoria, 1997); Biggest win 45 points (53-8, Johannesburg 2008). Win % 54.7%.

     

    Miscellaneous

    Should the Springboks win, it will be the first time they have won five successive Tests against the Wallabies in more than half a century (they won seven matches in a row against Australia between 1969 and 1971).

    Eben Etzebeth will extend his record as the most capped Springbok of all time to 134 Test matches when he takes the field. He will also move past Conor Murray as the 11th most capped men’s player in rugby history, which will see him level with Gethin Jenkins in joint-10th place on the list.

    Springbok captain Siya Kolisi’s starting berth will see him strike 94 Test caps, meaning he will only require six more Test appearances to become the ninth player in South African rugby history to earn 100 Test caps.

    A victory for the Springboks will see them extend their unbeaten run against the Wallabies at Ellis Park to seven matches. They have never lost a match against Australia at the iconic stadium.

    The Boks have won six of their last 10 matches against the Wallabies – a track record they will be determined to improve on this weekend. Their last defeat against the Wallabies was in Adelaide in 2022.

    The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up are 725.

    There are 180 caps in the backline, with 545 caps amongst the forwards. On the bench, there are a further 312 caps.

    The average caps per player in the backline are 26, the forwards 68, while the players on the bench average 39.

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