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  • Steady Steps Forward for Kunii and Hada in We…

    Steady Steps Forward for Kunii and Hada in We…

    Kunii finished Free Practice 2 in 23rd position, while Hada ended in 27th, using the morning session as a learning platform to adapt their riding styles to the tricky wet surface of the Sachsenring. Despite the challenge, both showed notable improvements heading into Qualifying 1.

    In the afternoon session, Kunii delivered a solid performance, adapting quickly and riding with confidence. He missed the access to Q2 by just one position, a sign of real progress and stronger race pace compared to previous rounds. He will start tomorrow’s race from 19th on the grid.

    Meanwhile, Taiga Hada continued his adaptation to the bike and team environment in his debut weekend with IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia. Despite the lack of dry track time, he gave it his all and qualified in 26th place, gaining valuable experience in the process.

    With the weather forecast still uncertain for Sunday, both riders will prepare to adapt to any conditions and aim to deliver a consistent and competitive performance in what is always a demanding race at the Sachsenring.

    Hiroshi Aoyama
    ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

    IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia

    Today was a complete contrast to yesterday in terms of weather. We started the day with mixed conditions—partly wet and partly dry in the morning—and then moved into fully wet and cold conditions for the afternoon qualifying session.
    Both of our riders gained some experience in the wet. Yuki managed the conditions well, thanks to his previous wet sessions, and came very close to reaching Q2. Unfortunately, a small mistake on his last flying lap kept him out, but overall, he rode well.
    For Taiga, it was a brand-new experience. It wasn’t easy for him to find the right feeling with the bike in these conditions, so he struggled a bit today.
    In any case, tomorrow is race day, and with the weather still uncertain, we’ll need to be ready for both wet and dry conditions. Hopefully, we get more stable weather, but regardless, we will prepare for every scenario.

    Yuki Kunii

    Yuki Kunii
    92

    IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia

    Today we finished qualifying, and overall, I’m feeling quite positive. Yesterday I had a good feeling in both dry and mixed conditions, and even though today was wet again, I managed to build on that.
    The feeling with the bike is there, and I’m happy with the progress we’ve made. I’m focused now on tomorrow’s race, which is the most important part of the weekend. It will be a long race—25 laps here at Sachsenring—so consistency will be key
    I’ll try my best, stay focused, and aim to fight in the group. Let’s see what we can do. Thank you.

    Taiga Hada

    Taiga Hada
    23

    IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia

    Today was quite a challenging day, especially with the track conditions changing compared to yesterday. In the morning, the feeling with the bike was not too bad, and I was able to get some important laps in. However, in qualifying, the fully wet conditions made it a bit more difficult for me to push with confidence.
    It’s still a learning process for me with this team and this bike. I’m trying to absorb as much information as I can from every session and make steady progress. I know where I need to improve, and we’ve seen some useful data that we’ll use to prepare for tomorrow’s race
    Thank you to the team for all their support so far. I’m staying motivated and focused, and I’ll do my best in the race.

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  • Similar Survival and Safety for Ripretinib and Sunitinib INTRIGUE Study Says

    Similar Survival and Safety for Ripretinib and Sunitinib INTRIGUE Study Says

    Microscopic, photorealistic image of tumor cells – Generated with Adobe Firefly

    A final analysis from the phase 3 INTRIGUE trial (NCT03673501) comparing ripretinib (Qinlock) and sunitinib malate (Sutent) revealed similar survival and safety data between the 2 agents in patients with metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) who had been previously treated with imatinib (Gleevec). Results were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.1

    In the overall intention-to-treat (ITT) population, investigators reported 211 overall survival (OS) events. The median OS was 35.5 months for patients treated with ripretinib compared with 31.5 months for patients treated with sunitinib (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.65–1.13). In patients with KIT exon 11, investigators reported 151 OS events. In this subset, the median OS for ripretinib was 35.5 months vs 32.8 months for sunitinib (HR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.71–1.34).

    Median second progression-free survival (PFS), defined the time from the start of the initial study treatment (randomization) to the second instance of the disease progressing or the patient’s death from any cause, whichever happens first, was 7.7 months with ripretinib vs 7.4 months with sunitinib (HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.78–1.35)

    Michael C. Heinrich, MD, and colleagues reported that, “Fewer patients experienced grade 3/4 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs; 43% v 67%) and grade 3/4 drug-related TEAEs (27% v 58%) with ripretinib versus sunitinib, respectively.”

    In particular, the most common all-grade TEAE in the total population (n = 444) was palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia and fatigue (both at 40%). In patients treated with ripretinib, the most common all grade TEAE was alopecia (65%), whereas in patients treated with sunitinib, the most common all grade TEAE was hypertension and diarrhea (both at 48%).

    Final OS analysis from INTRIGUE occurred 18 months after the primary analysis.2 At the data cutoff, OS was more mature, with an event rate of 47% compared with 22% in the primary analysis.2 Median OS from the final analysis was similar between treatment arms in both populations, and safety remained more favorable for ripretinib versus sunitinib. Second PFS across all third-line treatments was comparable between the randomly assigned arms.

    In the open-label study, patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive 150 mg of ripretinib (n = 226) or 50 mg of sunitinib (n = 227) and remained on treatment until disease progression. Crossover was not allowed.

    The investigators noted that baseline characteristics were balanced between the 2 arms with an overall median age of 60 years (range, 18-88). Further, the majority of patients were male (62.0%), White race (66.2%), and had a KIT exon 11 mutation (72.2%).

    At the data cutoff of March 15, 2023, 44% of patients assigned to ripretinib and 40% to sunitinib remained on study, with 13% and 5% remaining on ripretinib and sunitinib treatment, respectively.

    Microscopic, photorealistic image of tumor cells – Generated with Adobe Firefly

    Consistent with the primary analysis, ripretinib demonstrated favorable long-term safety, with more patients remaining on ripretinib vs sunitinib at the time of analysis. The consistent efficacy and favorable safety at the time of this final OS analysis further demonstrate the utility of ripretinib as second-line therapy for advanced GIST.

    With 18 months of follow-up from the INTRIGUE phase 3 primary analysis, OS was similar between treatment arms in both ITT populations, and the ripretinib safety profile remained more favorable than sunitinib. The second PFS was also comparable between treatment arms in both ITT populations, suggesting that receiving second-line ripretinib did not adversely affect PFS on third-line therapy.

    “These results confirm the efficacy and safety of ripretinib and demonstrate the potential benefit of ripretinib as an earlier treatment option for patients who do not tolerate treatment with sunitinib,” the investigators concluded.

    REFERENCES:
    1. Heinrich MC, Blay JY, Gelderblom H, et al. Updated overall survival and long-term safety with ripretinib versus sunitinib in patients with GI stromal tumor: final overall survival analysis from INTRIGUE. J Clin Oncol. 2025;43(20):2239-2244. doi:10.1200/JCO-24-02818
    2. Bauer S, Jones RL, Blay JY, et al. Ripretinib versus sunitinib in patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor after treatment with imatinib (INTRIGUE): a randomized, open-label, phase III trial. J Clin Oncol. 2022;40(34):3918-3928. doi:10.1200/JCO.22.00294

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  • OpenAI to challenge Google Chrome by redefining internet search entirely

    OpenAI to challenge Google Chrome by redefining internet search entirely

    OpenAI has quickly become one of the most highly valued companies in the world, and its ambitions are only growing. The company will shortly be releasing its own internet search browser to tackle Google Chrome and other popular alternatives, in an attempt to further capitalize on various markets.

    Chrome, despite its recent actions against ad blocking browser extensions, retains a massive lead in the market. It’s simple, has an intuitive user interface, and many people are too entrenched into the Google ecosystem to want to switch.

    OpenAI plans to compete by offering consumers a very different way of searching the internet, according to Reuters. Obviously, AI will play a pivotal role in this new experience. The idea is to provide users with answers in a chat box, instead of them having to open websites individually.

    Users will also be able to follow up on the search results by asking the AI further questions, and getting concise answers in return. Such a solution, much like the ChatGPT app that currently exists, will also allow the user to get the AI to craft charts, lists, or other elements from the search results.

    Given the fact that an ongoing antitrust trial may force Google to stop being able to pay Apple to remain the default search engine in Safari only adds to the former’s woes. However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows on OpenAI’s part either, and this proposed browser is likely to face critique and challenges.

    For starters, the entire premise further takes away traffic from websites, similar to Google’s currently available AI-powered search. I think that it’s very likely that there will be an uproar over this, and some users will boycott the new browser out of principle. There’s also the possibility that some sites may ban the browser entirely, just like they block OpenAI’s web crawlers from exploring their content.

    Furthermore, Google can very easily come up with something similar. The company’s flagship AI model, Gemini, has improved drastically, and is pretty much on par with ChatGPT. As mentioned above, AI-powered Google search already exists, and it wouldn’t be too difficult for the company to quickly make a similar browser.

    Despite these complications, I think that ChatGPT’s soaring usage is enough proof to know that OpenAI’s new browser will likely be a commercial success.

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    Read the latest from Abdullah Asim

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  • NASA discovers a ‘super-Earth’ with possible oceans

    NASA discovers a ‘super-Earth’ with possible oceans

    A starlight flicker recorded by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite in March 2025 hinted at something intriguing. Now the signal has been traced to TOI‑1846 b, a super‑Earth lying only 154 light-years away in the northern constellation Lyra.

    The planet’s discovery comes from Abderahmane Soubkiou and colleagues at the Oukaimeden Observatory in Morocco, working with observers on four continents. 


    NASA confirmed the discovery after the team combined TESS data with telescope images, light measurements from the ground, and older star photos. 

    How TESS watches TOI‑1846 b

    Launched on April 18, 2018, TESS scans one giant stripe of sky after another, measuring the minute dimming that marks a planet crossing its star’s face.

    More than 7,600 such dips have been tagged as “TESS Objects of Interest,” and over 630 have been checked off as bona fide worlds so far.

    TESS favors small cool suns, and TOI‑1846 (the sun near TOI‑1846 b) fits that bill. The Red Dwarf is about 40 percent the Sun’s size and mass and glows a warm 6,000 F, making its habitable zone far closer in.

    Because the star is faint, each transit of TOI‑1846 b subtracts only a few hundredths of a percent of its light. Yet TESS’s four wide‑field cameras and 30‑minute cadence keep such shallow events from slipping past.

    Sizing up a watery world

    More detailed observations suggest the planet is almost twice as wide as Earth and about four times heavier. That size and weight combination gives it a density lighter than solid rock but heavier than planets with thick, gassy envelopes.

    Based on this, scientists think the planet may have a layer of dense ice underneath, topped by a thin atmosphere or maybe even a shallow ocean.

    If that’s true, water could exist in some form even with the estimated surface temperature around 600°F, thanks to the planet likely always showing one side to its star.

    “We have validated TOI‑1846 b using TESS and multicolor ground‑based photometric data, high‑resolution imaging, and spectroscopic observations,” wrote Soubkiou at the end of the team’s announcement.

    Their measurements also show the planet circles its star in just under four days, staying much closer to its sun than Mercury does to ours.

    Why the radius gap matters

    Exoplanet surveys reveal a puzzling lull at roughly 1.8 Earth radii, the so‑called radius valley, separating rocky super‑Earths from gassy sub‑Neptunes.

    Planets sitting on the valley’s floor help astronomers decide whether photo‑evaporation, core‑powered mass loss, or formation history digs the gap.

    Because TOI‑1846 is relatively bright in infrared, its planet offers a pristine test case. Any hydrogen envelope should be thin enough for infrared spectrographs to peek through and probe heavier molecules such as water vapor or carbon dioxide.

    TESS PDCSAP phase-folded light curves of TOI-1846. The blue and green points are unbinned and binned (2-minutes) data. The solid line shows the best-fitting transit model. Credit: arXiv (2025)
    TESS PDCSAP phase-folded light curves of TOI-1846. The blue and green points are unbinned and binned (2-minutes) data. The solid line shows the best-fitting transit model. Click image to enlarge. Credit: arXiv (2025)

    TESS statistics still leave the radius valley poorly sampled around M dwarf stars. Pinning down the exact cutoff in these cooler systems could explain why some worlds shed their primordial gas while others stay puffy.

    Why red dwarfs are important

    Red dwarfs make up about 75% of the stars in our galaxy, and many of them lie close to Earth.
    Because they are smaller and cooler than the Sun, it is easier to detect small planets around them using the transit method.

    Their low brightness also means that planets in the habitable zone orbit very close in, making transits more frequent and easier to spot.

    This gives astronomers more chances to gather data and confirm whether these worlds could hold onto atmospheres or even surface water.

    What comes next

    “These findings make TOI‑1846 b well‑suited for mass determination via RV observations,” the team noted, pointing to the MAROON‑X instrument on Gemini North in Hawaiʻi. By clocking the star’s wobble at yard‑per‑second precision, MAROON‑X can verify the planet’s mass and sniff out hidden siblings.

    Transit timing campaigns will keep watching for additional planets that tug on TOI‑1846b as it circles. A second world farther out could protect a gentler, milder zone where liquid water survives without pressure cookers.

    Looking for life on TOI‑1846 b

    Even sizzling planets can teach researchers how atmospheres evolve around small stars.
    If the upcoming JWST Cycle 4 wins time for TOI‑1846 b, its mid‑infrared spectrometers could detect steam, methane, or sulfur dioxide in just a handful of eclipses.

    Life is unlikely under those temperatures, yet understanding how oceans persist on the hot edge guides the broader search.

    Every new planet confirmed using the transit method adds another valuable piece to the puzzle. Each of these targets helps improve our chances of finding milder, Earth-like worlds orbiting the thousands of red dwarfs scattered within 100 light-years of our solar system.

    The study is published in arXiv.

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  • Can exercise be good for someone’s mental health? – NewsNation

    1. Can exercise be good for someone’s mental health?  NewsNation
    2. How, where, why you work out may be more important than the amount of exercise you get  Griffin Daily News
    3. THE FIT LIFE: What Your Brain Really Wants From Your Workouts  Gwinnett Daily Post
    4. Exercise can greatly benefit teenagers’ mental health – here’s what the evidence says  The Conversation
    5. What Does Exercise Do To Your Brain?  MSN

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  • UN warns Gaza fuel shortage has reached critical levels

    UN warns Gaza fuel shortage has reached critical levels

    Listen to article

    The United Nations warned Saturday that dire fuel shortages in the Gaza Strip had reached “critical levels,” threatening to dramatically increase the suffering in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

    Read More: 52 more killed in Gaza as genocide goes unabated

    “After almost two years of war, people in Gaza are facing extreme hardships, including widespread food insecurity. When fuel runs out, it places an unbearable new burden on a population teetering on the edge of starvation,” seven UN agencies cautioned in a joint statement.

    Also Read: Netanyahu demands Hamas disarm before Gaza peace deal

    Doctors Without Borders warned Friday that its teams on the ground in Gaza were witnessing surging levels of acute malnutrition in the besieged and war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

    The medical charity, known by its French acronym MSF, said levels of acute malnutrition had reached an “all-time high” at two of its facilities in the Gaza Strip.

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  • Tough to digest double bagel, but Amanda Anisimova takes positives despite Wimbledon final nightmare

    Tough to digest double bagel, but Amanda Anisimova takes positives despite Wimbledon final nightmare

    LONDON – There were two so-called “double bagels” at this year’s Wimbledon – the term used to describe a match ending 6-0 6-0 – and American Amanda Anisimova starred in both.

    The first one launched the 23-year-old on the path to her first Grand Slam final as she thrashed Yulia Putintseva.

    Sadly for her, she was on the receiving end of the second and it came at the worst possible time.

    In front of a sweltering Centre Court crowd and millions of television viewers in the July 12 final, her hopes of winning the title evaporated in 57 cruel minutes as she was

    put through the wringer

    by Poland’s Iga Swiatek.

    The only other time a Wimbledon singles final was decided by a 6-0 6-0 scoreline was in 1911 when Dorothea Lambert Chambers beat fellow British player Dora Boothby.

    Before July 12, it had happened only once at any of the other Grand Slam finals, in 1988 when Steffi Graf demolished Natasha Zvereva in 34 minutes at the French Open.

    At least Anisimova almost stretched it to an hour.

    It is customary in tennis finals these days for the runner-up to say a few words before the champion.

    Anisimova probably wished Centre Court would open up and swallow her as she answered questions from former British player Annabel Croft, managing to hold herself together enough to say a few coherent words through the tears.

    Later, in the relative sanctuary of the media conference room, she was reflective as she spoke of how she had been frozen by nerves in the biggest match of her career.

    “It was tough to digest, it’s not how I would have wanted my first Grand Slam final to go, I think I was in shock afterwards. It’s not an easy thing to go through, losing 0 and 0.”

    A sense of perspective is perhaps easier for a player who was marked out as a future Grand Slam champion as a teenager but who needed to step away from the game for eight months in 2023 as she struggled with burnout and mental health issues.

    In 2024, she did not even feature here, losing in the third round of qualifying when she was ranked 189th.

    So despite how it ended, Anisimova preferred to try and take the positives from a run that included a scintillating semi-final win against world number one Aryna Sabalenka.

    “I feel like the last two weeks, if anything, what I’ve learned it was you’re never going to be perfect, and every match is different,” Anisimova said.

    “My fighting spirit has gotten me to the final of today. It wasn’t me playing perfect in a way. There were matches where I struggled and I wasn’t playing to my full potential. I think me just staying focused and fighting my way through certain moments and lifting myself up and trying to not get negative on myself was the most important thing.

    “I think that’s really what got me to the final.” REUTERS

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  • New Leak Answers Upgrade Mystery

    New Leak Answers Upgrade Mystery

    Since its launch in 2016 until its cancellation in 2025, Apple released just three iPhone SE models. They launched with parity to the main iPhone line. Still, with no annual replacement, the iPhone SE brand stood apart from the yearly release cycle that leveraged fashion and features to tempt consumers to upgrade.

    Will There Be An iPhone 17e?

    February this year saw Apple retire the iPhone SE, replaced by the iPhone 16e. This was a new approach by Apple, specifically tying in the Q1 release window to the mainline iPhone 16 family launched the previous September. Apple also took the opportunity to lift the price to $599.

    The question around longevity was clear; would Tim Cook and his team continue down the iPhone SE path and keep the iPhone 16E around for multiple years? Or would the “16” be bumped to a “17” after twelve months and place the “budget” iPhone onto the same treadmill as every other model?

    When Will The iPhone 17e Launch?

    Writing for Bloomberg, long-time Apple reporter Mark Gurman points to an iPhone 17e arriving early in 2026, suggesting that Apple will indeed move away from the longevity of the iPhone SE and instead move to an annual upgrade cycle, presumably with half an eye on increasing the turnover of cheaper iPhone models with consumers.

    With that fast update, you can expect Apple to keep the iPhone 17e in line with the hardware launched inside the rest of the iPhone 17 family, which will no doubt include the Apple Silicon A19 chipset. With generative AI and artificial intelligence remaining a key feature on modern smartphones, ensuring that the entire iPhone range can support the awkwardly backronymed Apple Intelligence (whenever it arrives in full force).

    Which iPhones Will Launch Before The iPhone 17e?

    Apple is expected to launch its regular iPhone update—this year, featuring the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro— in the second week of September. The company is also expected to debut the iPhone 17 Air, a fashionably thin iPhone following in the footsteps of many Android manufacturers looking to stand out with their design prowess.

    Now read about the iPhones that will come before the iPhone 17e in Forbes’ weekly Apple digest…

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  • WOC: Sweden and Norway took relay golds in Kuopio

    WOC: Sweden and Norway took relay golds in Kuopio

    Sweden’s women and Norway’s men became world champions when the relays concluded the World Orienteering Championships in Finland on Saturday afternoon.

    Under a blazing sun, the women set off first below the ski jump hills and the iconic Puijo Tower and began a physically demanding relay.

    Sweden was the pre-favourite and first-leg runner Hanna Lundberg also set off quickly on the hilly terrain. Along the way, she was joined by Norway’s Pia Young Vik, who ran an impressive first leg for the Norwegian team.

    At the first exchange, it was actually the young Norwegian who was first – 10 seconds ahead of Lundberg and with a gap of one and a half minutes to Finland in third place.

    From there, however, it was a Swedish show in orienteering, as Sanna Fasth took over for the Swedish team and extended the gap to Norway to more than two minutes. A strong run by Lucie Dittrichova ensured that the Czech Republic caught up with Norway, while the Finnish hosts fell back to fourth place.

    Giving Tove Alexandersson a lead of over two minutes is rarely a good idea and there was no hesitation in Alexandersson’s waltz either, securing a rock-solid victory for Sweden, who took their fourth World Championship gold in a row in the relay today.


    Hanna Lundberg, Tove Alexandersson and Sanna Fasth celebrate the relay gold. Photo: Kristina Lindgren

    Behind her, Andrine Benjaminsen ran a great leg for Norway and held on to silver, while Switzerland’s Simona Aebersold overtook the Czech team and secured bronze for the Swiss.

    Tereza Rauturier (CZE) sprinted past Venla Harju (FIN) in the battle for fourth place, while the Danish team took the last place in the top 6.

    Dramatic last leg
    Afterwards, it was the men’s turn, which, like the women’s, started with a strong Swedish outlay. Martin Regborn led on the first leg, but had a chasing group of teams behind him. And a small time loss shortly before the exchange meant that six teams came in with almost the same time. France with Mathieu Perrin was at the forefront of that group.

    On the second leg, the favorite teams from Sweden, Switzerland and Norway quickly stood out. And after being together at the arena passage, the three teams took very different route choices that would prove to be decisive for the relay.

    Wednesday’s middle distance world champion Eirik Langedal Breivik took the fastest route for Norway, Fabian Aebersold was second fastest for Switzerland, while Emil Svensk (SWE) lost time and let the home team from Finland get into the fight for the bronze medal.

    Kasper Fosser did not look back when he took over the Norwegian lead, which he expanded to a secure Norwegian gold medal with a lead of two minutes. Matthias Kyburz (SUI) could not keep up, while the Swiss silver medal was not in danger at any time.

    On the other hand, there was drama for third place. First, Max Peter Bejmer (SWE) lost his orientation after the arena passage and punched the wrong control, so Sweden ended up without a result. Almost at the same time, Miika Kirmula made a big mistake and was caught by France with Lucas Basset, who was otherwise nearly two minutes behind at the passage.

    Kirmula and Basset followed each other towards the finish line, but in the end the Finn put in an irresistible sprint that secured the home nation a medal in the last possible attempt at the championships in Kuopio.

    Estonia and Denmark followed in the last places in the top 6.

    Results, GPS-tracking and photos in IOF LIVE

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  • Dolly Parton talks about songwriting block following husband’s death

    Dolly Parton talks about songwriting block following husband’s death

    Music icon Dolly Parton opened up this week about her struggles with songwriting following her husband’s death.

    The country singer’s husband, Carl Thomas Dean, died in March at the age of 82.

    Parton, 79, sat down with Khloé Kardashian for an episode of her podcast, “Khloé in Wonder Land,” to discuss her work, past, present and future.

    When asked about her many talents — including acting, singing and songwriting — and if she feels closer to one of them than to the others, the artist said they’re all important to her, but songwriting is what she feels most connected to.

    “I love feeling like that I can create something, to leave something in the world today that wasn’t there yesterday,” Parton told Kardashian, adding that her writing makes her feel connected to God.

    Parton also addressed feeling writer’s block and not finishing songwriting projects that she started.

    “My husband passed away three months ago — when you asked me if there’s stuff that I’ve started, haven’t finished, several things I’ve wanted to start but I can’t do it,” Parton said. “I will later, but I’m just coming up with such wonderful, beautiful ideas, but I think I won’t finish it.”

    Dolly Parton in a rare photo with her husband, Carl Thomas Dean.dollyparton.com

    The musician continued that she cannot take on these projects right now because she has “so many other things” and she “can’t afford the luxury of getting that emotional right now.” Parton said she will write other songs if they come to her, adding that songwriting is her “joy” that also happens to be her job.

    Dean, a Nashville businessman, and Parton were married in 1966 after meeting two years prior, and kept their relationship out of the public eye.

    “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years,” Parton said in a statement shared following his death. “Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”

    Days later, Parton posted a heartfelt message thanking those who reached out to her following his death.

    “This is a love note to family, friends, and fans. Thank you for all the messages, cards, and flowers that you’ve sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl,” Parton wrote. “I can’t reach out personally to each of you but just know it has meant the world to me. He is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you.”

    The “Jolene” singer also released an emotional ballad honoring her late husband, “If You Hadn’t Been There.”

    The song looks back on the love and support Parton received from Dean throughout their marriage.

    “If you hadn’t been there / Where would I be? / Without your trust / Love and belief / The ups and downs / We’ve always shared / And I wouldn’t be here / If you hadn’t been there,” Parton sings in the ballad.

    In an Instagram post announcing the release of the song, Parton said she fell in love with Dean when she was 18.

    “Like all great love stories, they never end,” Parton wrote. “They live on in memory and song. He will always be the star of my life story, and I dedicate this song to him.”


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