Uncategorized

AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s Datroway breast cancer treatment, which the companies expect will eventually become a blockbuster, was recommended for approval in the European Union. The green light from the European Medicines Agency is the first backing in the EU for the medicine, following its approval in the U.S. and Japan. Datroway is used to treat patients with a type of breast cancer that has spread or can’t be removed by surgery, and whose cells bear a certain genetic signature. The treatment pairs a tumor-killing drug with an antibody designed to home in on cancerous tissue. In December, Astra and Daiichi withdrew an application in the EU for the drug to treat a type of lung cancer after feedback from regulatory advisers. Mixed results from a late-stage trial showed that, while some patients benefited from the drug, results across all patients weren’t statistically significant. An earlier trial in a type of breast cancer also showed disappointing results. Still, Astra and Daiichi are optimistic about the use of Datroway to treat some patients with breast and lung cancers. The drug, previously called Dato-DXd, is among a group that Astra is counting on for peak annual sales of at least $5 billion, to help it reach $80 billion in annual revenue by the end of the decade. Source link

WASHINGTON – After TWA Flight 800 crashed in New York in 1996, U.S. President Bill Clinton asked “every American not to jump to conclusions” about what brought it down and declared it time “to pull together and work together.” Five years later, when American Airlines Flight 587 fell out of the sky, President George W. Bush predicted that the “resilient and strong and courageous people” of New York would get through the tragedy. In 2009, after a Colgan Air plane crashed near Buffalo, New York, President Barack Obama said that “tragic events such as these remind us of the fragility of life.” And then there was President Donald Trump. In the wake of this week’s midair collision near Washington, Trump was more than happy to jump to conclusions and pull the country apart rather than together. After declaring it to be an “hour of anguish for our nation,” Trump just five minutes later let anguish give way to aggression as he blamed diversity policies promoted by Obama and former President Joe Biden for the crash, which killed 67 people. Source link

If you’ve taken a rush-hour train in any major Japanese city, you’ll likely had the experience of 身体的接触 (shintaiteki sesshoku, physical contact) — which can lead to flared tempers. For the past few months, however, social media has been abuzz with more serious cases of intentional 衝突 (shōtotsu, crash/collision) and 体当たり (taiatari, bodycheck/body slam) assaults by men in station precincts. In such cases, the victims of such incidents are most often 女性 (josei, women), while the attackers are usually 中年男性 (chūnen dansei, middle-aged men). These 体当たり happen so frequently that the men involved have acquired a nickname: ぶつかり男 (butsukari otoko, bumping man) and ぶつかりおじさん (butsukari ojisan, bumping middle-aged man). Source link

Drums thundered and priests chanted as sumo’s newest yokozuna strode onto the public stage Friday in a ceremony to mark his promotion to the ancient sport’s highest rank. Mongolian-born Hoshoryu became the 74th yokozuna in sumo history this week after winning the second tournament of his career. The 25-year-old is the first new yokozuna since 2021 and the only wrestler to currently hold the exalted rank. Source link

Sydney – The Wallabies will start their 2025 end-of-year tour with an October test match against Japan in Tokyo, Rugby Australia said on Friday. Japan’s Brave Blossoms are coached by Eddie Jones, who took the role after leading Australia to a disastrous finish at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Locked in for Oct. 25, it is the sole fixture confirmed so far for Australia’s upcoming northern hemisphere tour. “The test match will also serve as excellent preparation for the Wallabies ahead of the Autumn Internationals in the northern hemisphere,” chief executive Phil Waugh said in a statement. It will be the first time the Wallabies have played the Brave Blossoms in Japan since 2021. “We are both delighted and honored to welcome the Wallabies back to Japan for the first time since 2021,” said Kensuke Iwabuchi, chair of Japan’s rugby union. Australia is currently preparing to host the touring British and Irish Lions in July. Source link

Honda and Nissan will unveil an outline of their business integration around mid-February, informed sources said Friday. The two Japanese automakers delayed the announcement on the outline, which was originally planned for the end of January, as Honda wants to examine Nissan’s reconstruction measures further, according to the sources. They will accelerate discussions in their committee to prepare for the integration. Mitsubishi Motors will also postpone making a final decision on whether to join the integration to February or later from the end of January. It is currently planning not to be part of a holding company that Honda and Nissan are considering establishing, hoping to promptly decide what to do after confirming the discussions between Honda and Nissan. Nissan’s poor business performance has been the biggest obstacle in the discussions. As a condition for integration, Honda is demanding that Nissan conducts restructuring measures. Nissan plans to cut 9,000 of its workforce, equivalent to about 7% of its employees, and cut production capacity by 20%. But the current measures only include 25% cuts in production capacity at three North American plants. If Nissan does not produce concrete plans more quickly, the integration deliberations may be broken off. The two companies said in December last year that they would consider integration, seeking to boost production efficiency including by reorganizing production bases. They also aim to alleviate burdens from huge investments for electric vehicles by sharing in-vehicle software. Source link

A sinkhole in the city of Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, caused by a ruptured underground drainage pipe underscores the growing risk posed by Japan’s aging water infrastructure, experts have warned. The ground underneath an intersection in Yashio caved in on Tuesday morning, trapping a truck and its driver inside. The sinkhole, initially 5 meters wide and 10 meters deep, expanded to 40 meters in width and 15 meters in depth following several subsequent collapses, according to fire department officials quoted by Jiji Press. Work to rescue the driver is ongoing. Damaged wastewater pipes caused 2,600 sinkholes in the year from April 2022, the land ministry has reported, though most of them were less than 50 centimeters deep. Source link

Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White said comments made by featherweight fighter Bryce Mitchell about Adolf Hitler were “beyond disgusting.” Speaking on the first episode of his “ArkanSanity” podcast, Mitchell, 30, described Hitler as a “good guy” and said the Holocaust was not real. “We reached out to Bryce immediately when we read what he said, and let him know exactly how we felt about it,” White said at a news conference on Thursday. “But what he said was beyond disgusting, and he needs a real education on the facts surrounding Hitler and World War II. “That’s the problem with the internet and social media. You provide a platform to a lot of dumb and ignorant people.” Asked if Mitchell would face punishment, White said UFC would not take disciplinary action citing freedom of expression. Mitchell has been fighting in UFC since 2018 and won his last bout against Kron Gracie in December. Source link

BUCHAREST – Ruben Amorim insisted that despite his difficult start as Manchester United manager, his side must target winning the Europa League after booking its last-16 spot with a 2-0 victory at Steaua Bucharest on Thursday. Amorim became the first United manager to lose five of his first 10 games in all competitions since Walter Crickmer in 1932, but recent improvements have helped him settle into life in Manchester. The Portuguese admitted after Sunday’s victory at Fulham that he feels 10 years older after succeeding Erik ten Hag in November. “I don’t see a big difference in the way we play, but today, we had more time to think and now you can see some movements, the idea is there because we have more time to play and understand the game,” Amorim told reporters. “I think we can go game by game, and we can win it. Then you have the responsibility, no matter the context, you are in Manchester United so you must fight for winning trophies. “When you get to this stage of any competition, anything is possible, and they can prove they can win against anybody.” United’s third-placed finish in the Europa League first phase ensured that it avoided a two-legged playoff to reach the last 16. “That is really important for us, to have time to train, create connection between everyone, the staff, everyone there in training, go to the pitch, know each other in the right environment,” Amorim added. “Then we have one week to prepare a game, the beginning of the week you can work your idea and then have time to prepare the game and focus on the opponent. I can understand better my players.” Source link

Dick Button, whose passionate and often tart commentary on figure skating competitions became a television staple over six decades and made him the sport’s unofficial spokesperson, died Thursday in North Salem, New York. He was 95. His death was confirmed by his son, Edward. An Emmy winner, Button taught generations of TV audiences the nuances of triple toe loops, lutzes and axels and how judges assess a skater’s performance. But many fans may not have known that he was a two-time Olympic gold medalist himself, advancing modern figure skating in the late 1940s and early ’50s with his dazzling leaps and spins, including the first triple jump in competition. Source link