British pop singer Natasha Bedingfield is set to perform at Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens this Friday. The singer, who had great success in the mid-2000s before taking a break from music in 2010, is enjoying a resurgence in popularity after her hit 2004 song Unwritten was featured in the recent Anyone But You romcom starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell.
After the film’s release, Unwritten went viral on TikTok and was introduced to a new generation of fans. Bedingfield is performing in Dublin as part of her European tour and recently announced that she will be touring North America this autumn.
If you are going to her gig this Friday, here’s everything you need to know.
When and where is it?
Bedingfield plays Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens on Friday, July 18th.
What time should I arrive?
Doors for the gig open at 6.30pm, with the music expected to begin at 8pm. Iveagh Gardens concerts tend to be finished up by 10.30pm. Traffic and entry delays are inevitable, so make sure you give yourself a couple of hours’ leeway getting to and from the venue.
Who is playing?
Bedingfield will be joined by Scottish singer and songwriter Calum Bowie who will perform as her support act.
What songs will Natasha Bedingfield play?
Here is a set list from Bedingfield’s concert at Stora Scenen in Sweden in May this year. It might give an idea of what to expect when she comes to Dublin.
Love Like This
Pocketful of Sunshine
Roller Skate
Zombie (The Cranberries cover)
Single
I Bruise Easily
These Words
Soulmate
Purple Rain (Prince cover)
Unwritten
How do I get to and from the gig?
The venue is located right beside St Stephen’s Green in the heart of Dublin city, so concertgoers are advised to use one of many public transport options to get to the venue.
Travel by bus: A wide variety of Dublin Bus routes service the city centre. The 37 route, for example, runs along the northside of the quays and will drop you an eight-minute walk from the Iveagh Gardens. You can plan your journey with Transport for Ireland here.
Travel by Luas: The St Stephen’s Green Luas stop is a seven-minute walk from the venue. If you are heading southbound, take any green line Luas towards Sandyford or Brides Glen. If you are heading northbound, take any green line Luas towards Broombridge or Parnell.
Travel by train: If you are arriving in Dublin by train, you can hop on the red line Luas from Heuston Station to Abbey Street. There,transfer to the green line Luas from the stop on Marlborough Street, hopping off at St Stephen’s Green and walking seven minutes to the Iveagh Gardens.
Travel by car: The closest car park to the venue is the Q-Park at St Stephen’s Green. You can pre-book a parking space here, though it is recommended you use public transport as traffic delays before and after the gig are inevitable.
Are there any tickets left?
At the time of writing there are still tickets available. They can be purchased from Ticketmaster here. Remember to download your tickets to your phone in advance, as there may be internet or connectivity issues at the venue on the day.
Do not rely on screenshots, as Ticketmaster often use live or dynamic barcodes that update regularly.
What is security like?
The event is for over-14s only, and under-16s must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over. Make sure to bring an official form of identification with you such as a passport, Garda age card or driving licence.
Bags size A4 or more will not be permitted entry, and all bags will be subject to a search on arrival. Prohibited items include glass, cans, alcohol, garden furniture, umbrellas, flares, illegal substances or any item that could be used as a weapon.
Recording and taking pictures using a camera phone is no problem, but professional recording equipment will not be allowed inside the venue.
How is the weather looking?
According to Met Éireann, Friday is to be mostly cloudy with some sunshine and scatted showers. Highest temperatures of 17-21 degrees are expected in light southwest or variable breezes.
Global childhood vaccination coverage plateaued between 2010 and 2023, according to a new analysis published in The Lancet by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study vaccination research consortium. Between 2010 and 2019, 100 of the 204 countries monitored saw a decline in measles vaccine coverage. Notably, 21 of the 36 high-income countries experienced a drop in coverage for at least one vaccine dose of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP); measles; or polio.
“These types of study will always be limited by the lack of high quality national data from most countries in the world which means there has to be extrapolation and assumption,” said Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and professor of Infection and Immunity at the Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, in a press statement. “Nevertheless, these are important data providing a concerning picture of recent declines in vaccine coverage and an increase in the number of zero dose children which risks the future health and lives of millions of children.”
Between 1980 and 2023, global coverage of vaccines against DTP, measles, polio, and tuberculosis nearly doubled. These gains reflect the success of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Expanded Program on Immunization, launched in 1974 to ensure universal access to essential vaccines. Between 1980 and 2019, the number of children who received no doses of DTP in their first year of life dropped from 58.8 million to 14.7 million — figures recorded just before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted immunization programs worldwide.
To support the WHO’s 2019 goal of improving global vaccination coverage by 2030, the GBD consortium conducted an in-depth analysis of routine childhood immunization trends in 204 countries and territories from 1980 to 2023, with projections through 2030. The findings are intended to inform global and regional strategies for closing coverage gaps over the next 5 years.
Progress Slowed After 2010
The study found that global progress in childhood immunization stalled around 2010 and has since reversed in several regions. Coverage rates for DTP, measles, and polio declined notably in many countries. Polio remains endemic in parts of the world, including Pakistan and Afghanistan, which continue to report outbreaks caused by wild poliovirus. In Papua New Guinea, less than half of the population is vaccinated against the disease.
The COVID-19 pandemic further disrupted global vaccination efforts. Between 2020 and 2023, approximately 15.6 million children missed all three doses of DTP, another 15.6 million missed their first dose of the measles vaccine, 15.9 million went without all three polio vaccine doses, and 9.2 million were not immunized with the BCG vaccine.
In 2023 alone, an estimated 15.7 million children worldwide did not receive any dose of the DTP vaccine in their first year of life. Brazil ranked eighth globally, with roughly 452,000 unvaccinated children. The countries with the highest numbers of zero-dose children included Nigeria (2.48 million), India (1.44 million), the Democratic Republic of Congo (882,000), Ethiopia (782,000), Somalia (710,000), Sudan (627,000), and Indonesia (538,000).
Mixed Forecasts for 2030 Goals
Looking ahead, projections for 2030 suggest that only DTP coverage is on track to reach 90% globally. Coverage for measles and other routine vaccines is expected to remain highly variable by region. Among the 204 countries and territories analyzed, only 85 are currently estimated to have achieved 90% coverage for the full three-dose DTP series, 56 for pneumococcal vaccine, and 57 for the two-dose measles schedule.
In the baseline scenario, those numbers are projected to rise by 2030 to 108 countries achieving 90% DTP coverage, 83 for pneumococcal, and 91 for measles. Only high-income regions are expected to maintain ≥ 90% coverage for all three vaccines. In the most optimistic scenario, 186 countries could meet the DTP target, 171 for pneumococcal, and 161 for measles. In contrast, a worst-case scenario would see even high-performing countries fall below the 90% threshold by 2030.
Call for Change
To achieve the Immunization Agenda 2030 goal of halving the number of zero-dose children and reaching 90% coverage across all vaccines throughout the life course, the study highlights the urgent need for “transformational improvements in equity.” These include targeted immunization strategies, strengthening of primary care, and efforts to counter vaccine hesitancy.
Emily Haeuser, PhD, lead author of the study, emphasized the challenge of improving vaccine delivery and uptake in underserved areas. “The diversity of challenges and barriers to immunization varies widely across countries and within communities,” she said, pointing to factors such as displacement, armed conflict, political instability, economic uncertainty, climate crises, misinformation, and vaccine hesitancy. “This underscores the need for new, locally tailored solutions.”
Helen Bedford, PhD, professor of child health at University College London, London, England, who was not involved in the study, added that the decline in vaccine uptake stems from a complex set of issues. “Addressing these challenges requires commitment and resources to tackle growing social inequalities, misinformation about vaccine safety, and the need to rebuild public trust in immunization programs,” she said.
“Vaccination remains our most powerful tool to protect child health, but its success depends on sustained investment, equity, and public confidence.”
This story was translated fromMedscape’s Portuguese edition.
Pakistan’s new federal force sparks fears of political repression ahead of Khan party protests
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s transformation of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) border paramilitary force into a federal force ahead of planned protests by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party this week sparked fears of political repression in the country, with opposition members and analysts saying the new nationwide force could be used as a “tool to suppress political opponents.”
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari allowed the government to turn Frontier Constabulary into the national security force, called Federal Constabulary, through an ordinance on Monday in order to support law enforcement agencies and to address evolving security challenges across the South Asian country.
The paramilitary force was initially formed to uphold law and order in border and frontier regions, according to the ordinance. However, the evolving conditions, marked by frequent emergencies, natural disasters, civil disturbances and other emerging risks, created the need for a more flexible and capable force to effectively respond to these challenges.
The move has raised concerns among opposition parties, particularly Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which fears that the new force could be used as a means of political repression amid its 90-day anti-government protest movement, announced on July 13.
“From the looks of it, it’s a safe assumption that such laws are being inflicted, just ahead of political movement announced by PTI, as a tool to suppress political opponents,” Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari, a close Khan aide, told Arab News.
Frontier Constabulary (FC) personel detains a supporter of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan, during a protest a day after the assassination attempt on Khan, in Islamabad on November 4, 2022. (AFP/File)
Pakistan ranks as the second-most affected country by militancy, according to The Global Terrorism Index 2025. Militancy-related deaths surged by 45 percent, rising from 748 in 2023 to 1,081 in 2024, marking one of the steepest global increases. The attacks in Pakistan more than doubled, from 517 in 2023 to 1,099 in 2024.
The new duties of the Federal Constabulary, whose cadres were previously recruited only from tribes in the northwestern KP province, will include internal security, riot control and counter-terrorism.
The government’s move to transform the force came ahead of planned protests by Khan’s PTI on Aug. 5, the second anniversary of his arrest. Several such protests by the party since Khan’s brief arrest in May 2023 have turned violent, in some cases paralyzing the capital Islamabad for days.
In the near future, PTI’s Bukhari said, it would be clear if the law was being introduced to, in fact, address security challenges or to stop any political movement that could endanger the existence of the “current, so-called democracy.”
“The new force should not be used as a gimmick to silence political opponents as has been previously witnessed, when the government applied such laws against a large number of the PTI leadership and supporters,” he added.
Khan’s party has been protesting to secure to secure his release and an audit of the Fed. 2024 general election, which it says was rigged to benefit its opponents. Pakistan’s election authorities deny the allegation, while the government accuses Khan’s party of attempting to disrupt its efforts to achieve sustainable economic growth through violent protests.
Ali Imtiaz Warraich, the PTI parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly, said “crushing the public mandate” would never result in stability of the country.
“Federal and Punjab governments’ only focus is PTI and all actions taken are only PTI-centered,” he told Arab News, adding that it had not worked in past, nor would it work in future.
However, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said the Federal Constabulary should not be mistaken for a federal police force.
“It will continue to function as a constabulary as the restructuring and renaming are solely aimed at strengthening internal and national security,” he said this week, adding the overhaul was institutionally essential to enhance coordination, improve compensation and build operational capacity of the force throughout all provinces and territories.
“This is entirely a defense-oriented initiative intended to reinforce national security by supporting law enforcement agencies,” he added.
Frontier Constabulary (FC) security personnel stand guard on a road, during an anti-government “Azadi March” led by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, in Islamabad on October 31, 2019. (AFP/File)
Chaudhry stated the restructuring was also an administrative necessity as despite its significant contributions, the force had long been overlooked and continued to function with limited salaries and benefits compared to other security forces in Pakistan.
“Its transformation into a federal force is to eliminate existing disparities by upgrading its structure and scope under the new title,” he said, adding the reorganization was aimed at ensuring that FC personnel receive salaries, training and benefits at par with other national security forces.
Under the new federal framework, FC’s jurisdiction would extend across all four provinces as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, according to the minister.
“While continuing to perform its duties under this redefined structure, the Federal Constabulary will build on its longstanding role in combating drug trafficking and smuggling and in assisting civil law enforcement during sensitive occasions such as Muharram, general elections and anti-polio campaigns,” he said.
Arab News spoke to some analysts about the government’s move, who voiced concerns about the timing, intent and potential misuse of the new force.
“There is always a risk of such a force being misused in Pakistan,” Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of the Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), told Arab News.
“The Frontier Constabulary was already under federal control, so it’s unclear why this transformation was necessary, especially at a time when the country’s major opposition party has announced a protest movement.”
Ather Kazmi, an analyst and political commentator, said the urgency with which the revamp was carried out through an ordinance had raised many eyebrows.
“Although the government claimed it was an administrative necessity, its timing and urgency have led PTI and others to believe it has political purposes,” he told Arab News.
Kazmi said it remained to be seen how the new force would operate after its jurisdiction was extended nationwide, given that law and order became a provincial subject after the 18th amendment of the Constitution of Pakistan.
“It would not be easy for the government to deploy this force in provinces governed by the opposition, such as KP,” he noted.
South Korea has arrested a high school teacher and a student’s father who allegedly broke into a school late at night to steal exam papers.
Their attempt took place at 01:20 local time on 4 July (18:20 GMT) at a school in Andong, a city southeast of Seoul, but was foiled when the school’s security alarm went off.
The teacher is facing charges for accepting bribes and trespassing, while the father has been accused of trespassing.
A facilities manager at the school, who allegedly conspired with the duo, has also been arrested for allowing theft and unlawful entry into the school.
Authorities say the teacher had privately tutored the child of the arrested father – which teachers actively employed by schools in South Korea are not allowed to do.
The student had “consistently maintained top grades”, according to public broadcaster KBS, but it is unclear if their academic record is related to previous cases of exam-paper theft.
Police also suspect that money had changed hands between the father and teacher, and that this was not their first intrusion attempt, KBS reported.
This incident is the latest in a series of exam-related scandals in South Korea, a country notorious for its hyper-competitive education system.
In June, police announced they were investigating the leak of answers to a nationwide English exam via an online chatroom.
In February, 249 people were detained – dozens of school teachers among them – for selling mock questions for the high-stakes Suneung exam to private academies.
And in late 2023, dozens of students sued the government after teachers accidentally cut their test short by 90 seconds.
South Korea consistently ranks among industrialised countries with the highest levels of stress for young people aged 11 to 15.
Shoaib Bashir celebrates dismissing Mohammed Siraj to win the match (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
After India’s heartbreaking defeat to England in the 3rd Test, several crucial moments and lapses were rued for potentially snatching the game away from the visitors. Ravi Shastri has identified two crucial moments that, in his view, cost India the third Test at Lord’s. In a tightly contested match that saw both sides push each other to the limit, India ended up falling short by 22 runs, bowled out for 170 while chasing 193.The former India head coach analysed the defeat, stating that the first big turning point came on Day 3, when Rishabh Pant was run out just before lunch.
Lord’s museum tour: Cricket’s greatest artifacts and the stories behind them
“The turning point for me in this Test match was, first of all, Rishabh Pant’s dismissal (in the 1st innings),” Shastri said. “Ben Stokes, simply outstanding presence of mind to hit at the right end and pull it off on the stroke of lunch. Because India would have got a lead and they were in the driver’s seat,” said Shastri, speaking to Sanjana Ganesan on The ICC Review. Pant was batting confidently on 74, and his wicket shifted momentum back to England. India and England had both posted identical first innings totals of 387, and Pant’s dismissal denied India a possible edge. The second moment, Shastri said, came when Karun Nair misjudged a ball early in the second innings. “Having said that, again at 40/1 (in the 2nd innings), I thought that was a huge lapse in concentration from Karun Nair to leave a straight ball, a nothing ball, to leave it and open the door for England. I thought that the timing of that dismissal turned things around,” said Shastri. “Because you saw when Siraj batted, when Bumrah batted, when Jadeja was batting, once the ball was 40 overs old, they hardly put a foot wrong. They were solid in defence and to bring that target down at lunch, 82 to get, you thought in the next 10 minutes it would be done and dusted. But to bring that 82 or 83 to 22 was a massive achievement. So it just goes to show that (if) the top order had just been a little tougher and mentally stronger on Day 4, towards the end, this game would have been India’s,” stated Shastri.
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Despite the loss, he praised England for stepping up when it mattered most. “You have to compliment England. When the going got tough, those moments they seized. And when they saw an opening in the door, they just banged their door down,” he said. Shastri also reflected on how closely this match mirrored India’s win at Lord’s in 2021, calling the current series ‘fascinating’ with two matches left. India trail 2-1 in the five-match series and head to Manchester for the 4th Test, needing a win to stay alive in the series.
Can Beirut’s new bus network succeed where past reform efforts in Lebanon failed?
LONDON: On Beirut’s congested roads, where traffic crawls and crumbling infrastructure testifies to decades of neglect, a new rhythm is quietly taking shape.
Sleek, navy-blue buses — equipped with GPS, air conditioning and modern fare systems — now trundle through the city’s chaos, offering a welcome glimpse of efficiency. Whether they can truly deliver long-term impact, however, remains uncertain.
Cars crowd a road during a traffic jam in Beirut on October 14, 2024. (AFP)
For decades, Lebanon’s public transportation system has been an informal patchwork dominated by private minibuses and shared taxis. Now, the government is attempting to reassert control through a partnership with a private company aimed at modernizing the daily commute.
The new fleet operates on 11 routes, primarily across Greater Beirut, but also extending to parts of northern, southern and eastern Lebanon. A private logistics firm, Ahdab Commuting and Trading Co., manages day-to-day operations under a public-private partnership model.
FASTFACTS
• France donated 50 of the buses currently in use across Greater Beirut and beyond.
• A network of private vans and minibuses run fixed routes without schedules or stops.
• The 2024 Israel-Hezbollah conflict damaged Lebanon’s transport infrastructure.
While the initiative shows promise, commuters are aware of its limitations.
“Overall, you’ll mostly notice the impact of public transit inside the major cities, but even there, the system still heavily relies on taxis,” Mohammed Ali Diab, a Beirut-based journalist, told Arab News.
Beirut’s new buses aim to ease pressure on a public transit system long dominated by private minibuses and shared taxis, left. (Supplied & AFP file)
“Most taxis operate on a shared-ride basis unless a passenger specifically requests a private ride.”
Passengers typically say “service” to request a shared taxi, paying a flat fare — usually around 200,000 Lebanese pounds, or $2 — while the driver continues picking up others along the same route.
Passengers sit in a public transportation bus in Beirut on May 28, 2025. (AFP)
“In Beirut, there are also vans, but their routes are limited and fixed,” Diab added. “They don’t operate citywide.”
These vans and buses, he noted, are primarily used by working-class commuters and students, largely due to their affordability.
We took a risk during a difficult time and invested in a project that’s close to our hearts … We’re hopeful it will succeed, says Aoni Ahdab, CEO, Ahdab Commuting and Trading Co.
Beyond Beirut, shared taxis and buses connect major cities such as Tripoli, Tyre and Sidon. But in rural and mountainous regions, Diab said, residents still depend on private cars.
That dependence is becoming increasingly unviable. The World Bank’s Beirut office recently warned that Lebanon’s “reliance on private vehicles is increasingly unsustainable,” particularly amid rising poverty rates and vehicle-operation costs.
A public bus awaits passengers at a bus stop in Beirut on May 28, 2025. (AFP)
Lebanon is reeling from one of the world’s worst economic crises since 1850, according to the World Bank. Since 2019, currency collapse and high inflation have wiped out savings, shrunk incomes and pushed millions of people into poverty.
A 2024 World Bank report revealed that poverty has more than tripled over the past decade, now affecting 44 percent of the population. A separate study by Walid Marrouch, an economics professor at the Lebanese American University, found that at least 60 percent of citizens live below the poverty line.
A picture taken from Dbayeh north of Beirut on June 7, 2019, shows the skyline of the Lebanese capital covered in smog at sunset. (AFP)
Against this economic backdrop, the government’s partnership with ACTC represents a promising policy shift.
In 2023, the company won a competitive bid launched by the Ministry of Public Works to operate the bus system under specific contractual conditions. As part of the deal, ACTC contributes 10 percent of its revenues to the ministry.
Passengers sit in a public transportation bus in Beirut on May 28, 2025. (AFP)
Despite the financial risks, ACTC leaders believe in the project’s potential. “We took a risk during a difficult time and invested in a project that’s close to our hearts — one we believe adds real value to the country,” Aoni Ahdab, the ACTC CEO, told Lebanese media. “We’re hopeful it will succeed.”
The service officially launched in July 2024, despite regional instability and periodic hostilities between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah that temporarily disrupted routes. Israel’s escalation of attacks from September through late November did not halt the project.
The driver helps a passenger to validate her ticket at a public transportation bus in Beirut on May 28, 2025. (AFP)
The 2024 conflict caused heavy damage to Lebanon’s transport infrastructure. The World Bank estimates $1 billion is needed for infrastructure sectors, including transport, within an $11 billion national recovery plan.
Much of the new fleet’s foundation was laid earlier. In 2022, France donated 50 buses to Lebanon, with more expected. Meanwhile, the Railway and Public Transport Authority refurbished 45 vehicles locally, raising the operational fleet to 95 — a modest but tangible effort to ease the transportation burden.
A public bus drives at a street in Beirut on May 28, 2025. (AFP)
Although the ACTC contract did not mandate fleet upgrades, the company voluntarily refurbished and standardized the buses, repainting them in navy blue for easy identification and installing safety and tracking technologies.
To test viability, a pilot phase launched in April. Buses operated from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily to assess travel times, stop durations and operational needs. The goal was to ensure departures every 25 minutes.
Passengers sit in a public transportation bus in Beirut on May 28, 2025. (AFP)
Pricing was designed to be accessible. Fares vary by distance: 70,000 Lebanese pounds within Beirut, 100,000 to Baabda, and 150,000 to Tripoli, according to local passengers.
Riders can purchase single-use tickets or opt for rechargeable cards. For now, those without cards can still pay drivers directly and receive a scannable paper ticket.
As Beirut confronts long-standing infrastructure challenges, this initiative is viewed as cautious progress. Yet its success will depend on earning public trust and expanding service sustainably.
Initial data is encouraging. Ziad Nasr, head of Lebanon’s public transport authority, told AFP last month that daily ridership has risen to around 4,500 passengers, up from just a few hundred at launch.
Authorities hope to expand service further, including routes to Beirut’s airport, but additional buses and international support will be needed.
However, the rollout has not been smooth. Resistance from private transport operators, who view the initiative as a threat to their livelihoods, has been fierce.
According to local media, several buses were vandalized and drivers, especially on the Adlieh–Hadath University Campus route, faced threats and harassment toward the end of 2024. The Ministry of Public Works and security forces intervened to keep services running.
These tensions are symptomatic of deeper, long-standing issues. Lebanon’s public transport sector has suffered for decades from weak oversight, overlapping private interests, chronic underfunding, and lack of strategic planning — all of which have repeatedly hindered reform efforts.
The roots of dysfunction stretch back to the civil war of 1975–1990, which devastated infrastructure and governance. In the years that followed, a car-dependent culture took hold. Even before the 2019 economic collapse, Lebanon was already struggling with failing power grids, unsafe roads and limited water access.
Beyond reducing congestion and improving mobility, public transportation could also play a key role in environmental reform — an often overlooked priority in Lebanon. A World Bank climate and development report noted that the transport sector is the country’s second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, second only to the energy sector.
Indeed, in cities like Beirut, poor air quality is a growing concern. Frequent traffic jams and widespread use of diesel-powered generators — especially during routine blackouts — have worsened pollution and related health risks.
On the upside, there are signs of innovation. In Zahle, east of Beirut, four hybrid buses are already operating, Nabil Mneimne of the UN Development Program told AFP in June.
More progress is expected this year. Lebanon’s first fully electric buses, powered by a solar charging system, are set to launch between Beirut and the northern city of Jbeil.
A longer-term roadmap for reform has also been laid out. A 2022 World Bank report on improving public transport in Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq outlined key recommendations. These included unifying bus operators, creating a fund to buy back public licenses, implementing intelligent transport systems, and developing a national road safety strategy.
The report also urged the government to adopt “quick-win” solutions to improve the user experience — such as reliable schedules, journey-planning apps, real-time tracking, and updated data to enable effective planning.
Together, these steps could help Lebanon transform its transportation landscape — if the political will and public support can be sustained.
• Download the NBA App • Summer League: Complete Coverage
• 76ers 74, Wizards 58: Box Score | Game Detail
LAS VEGAS — A trio of impressive scoring efforts and suffocating defense both played pivotal roles in the 76ers’ convincing 74-58 win over the Wizards in an NBA2K26 Summer League battle at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
An extremely low-scoring opening quarter would prove deceptive relative to the final outcome, as the Wizards were holding a 13-7 lead after the first 10 minutes. However, the 76ers would come to life in the second period and outscored Washington 67-45 in the final three quarters to win going away. Philadelphia prevailed comfortably despite losing the turnover battle, 21-15, and shooting just 37.5% overall.
Justin Edwards led the 76ers with 17 points, supplementing them with eight rebounds and two assists. Third overall pick VJ Edgecombe furnished 15 points with the help of 6-for-6 free-throw shooting and added six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Rookie second-round pick Johni Broome delivered a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double. Keve Aluma provided 12 points and five rebounds, while Adem Bona finished with nine points, eight rebounds and a game-high six blocks.
The Wizards were led by 2024 first-round pick AJ Johnson, who supplied 20 points and five rebounds. Rookie second-rounder Jamir Watkins was the only other member of the Wizards to score in double digits, tallying 10 points, five rebounds, a game-high eight steals and three blocks.
Both teams are right back on the floor Wednesday night. The 76ers face the Dallas Mavericks, while the Wizards tangle with the Utah Jazz.
As you’ve already guessed, the layoffs in question are part of Xbox’s mass job cuts, which affected thousands of people across numerous studios and, according to recent reports, decimated the King team – cutting around 200 positions, or roughly 10% of the studio’s entire workforce – from middle management, UX, narrative copywriting, research, QA, and level design. Recently, some of those workers spoke to MobileGamer.biz about the layoffs, revealing that the eliminations weren’t just upsetting but, in some cases, outright dystopian.
According to several anonymous workers, the job cuts have indeed affected at least 200 people, hitting the aforementioned departments as well as half of the Farm Heroes Saga team, which lost 50 workers, with some of the game’s key leadership placed on gardening leave ahead of their departure in September.
While not all of them, a significant portion of those 200 roles were reportedly replaced by artificial intelligence, and to make it sound even worse, the AI tools in question were developed by the very workers who were laid off.
