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  • Messi return boosts hopes for Inter Miami against Galaxy

    Messi return boosts hopes for Inter Miami against Galaxy



    Inter Miami CF’s Lionel Messi shoots at goal during a FIFA Club World Cup’s Group A match against Palmeiras at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, US on June 23, 2025. — Reuters

    MIAMI: Inter Miami supporters are feeling hopeful as Lionel Messi looks set to return against Los Angeles Galaxy in a Major League Soccer clash, coach Javier Mascherano said on Friday. 

    The star forward has been back in training after recovering from a minor muscle problem. His presence is expected to lift the team as they prepare for a key MLS clash.

    Following Saturday’s Galaxy match, Miami plays Mexican club Tigres UANL on Wednesday in the Leagues Cup quarter-finals.

    “Leo is doing well,” Mascherano told reporters on Friday before training. “He has been training with the team since Wednesday. Unless something strange happens during today’s training session, we think he’ll be available for tomorrow’s game.”

    Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi suffered a “minor muscle injury,” apparently a hamstring strain, in the 11th minute of Inter’s August 2 Leagues Cup match against Necaxa.

    The 38-year-old Argentine superstar returns as the Herons vie to bounce back from a humbling 4-1 loss to Orlando City last weekend.

    Inter have slipped to sixth in the MLS Eastern Conference with 42 points – nine behind leaders Philadelphia but with three matches in hand.

    Messi, the reigning MLS Most Valuable Player, leads the Golden Boot race with 18 goals and nine assists in 18 games.

    Miami will be favoured at home against the Galaxy, who are the defending MLS Cup champions but have sunk to last place with the league’s worst record.

    The Galaxy, however, did qualify for the Leagues Cup quarter-finals, and Mascherano cautioned that Miami can’t afford to take them lightly.

    “For me, they’re a team in which the MLS standings don’t reflect their quality, especially the quality of their players,” Mascherano said.

    “The reality is that maybe they didn’t start the season well because of injuries and different situations. But they’ve improved a lot over the last few months.”

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  • Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal can finally strike title gold if they ‘keep digging’ | Arsenal

    Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal can finally strike title gold if they ‘keep digging’ | Arsenal

    Mikel Arteta has insisted Arsenal will strike gold if they “keep digging” as they start their push to win a first ­Premier League title since 2004 with a trip to Manchester United on Sunday.

    In May, Arsenal completed a run of finishing second in three ­successive Premier League ­campaigns – ­matching the club’s record from 1998-99 to 2000-01, before ­winning the title in 2001-02. They have spent almost £200m on players this ­summer. ­Viktor Gyökeres is expected to lead the line against United and the midfielder Martín Zubimendi is also likely to make his debut.

    Arteta’s side face a tricky run, with a trip to the champions, Liverpool, in their third match, before they face Manchester City at home on 21 September. But the Arsenal manager insisted they could draw on their ­previous experience to get over the line.

    “You keep digging, digging, ­digging and you have to be digging because one day the gold is going to be there,” he said. “That’s all the time. When I’ve been taught, when I’ve been educated, that’s it. For three seasons we’ve had more points than any other team in this league, which is incredible. That’s how you have all the consistency. Now we have to do it in a season to have one more point or the same amount of points and more goals different than any other team. That’s the objective.”

    City have actually accumulated four more points than Arsenal’s 247 over the past three seasons. Those clubs have spent similar gross amounts this summer but Liverpool have outstripped them and could add to their squad. Arteta confirmed Arsenal were also looking to bring in more players amid interest in Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze but believes they are capable of competing regardless.

    Tony Adams called for Martin Ødegaard to be replaced as captain by Declan Rice. Photograph: John Walton/PA

    “I think we have great versatility, very different qualities in relation to the opposition as well,” he said. “We can manipulate that and have some great cohesion within those units so we are very happy with that.”

    The form of Martin Ødegaard will be crucial after he endured a testing season that yielded only three goals and eight assists in the league. Arteta said that despite suggestions from Tony Adams – who led Arsenal to the Double in 2002 – that Declan Rice should take over the captaincy, the Norwegian was the almost unanimous choice in a vote conducted this week by his staff and the rest of the players.

    “My opinion is clear and it’s not just my opinion, it’s all the staff and especially the players,” he said.

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  • Neil Young Leaves Facebook Over AI Chatbot Policies

    Neil Young Leaves Facebook Over AI Chatbot Policies

    Neil Young is ditching Facebook. The iconic rockstar’s official Facebook page will go dormant, an administrator for the page confirmed Thursday, citing a recent report from Reuters regarding the social media giant’s internal policies on artificial intelligence chatbots’ communications with children.

    “At Neil Young’s request, we are no longer using Facebook for any Neil Young related activities,” a post on Young’s Facebook reads. “Meta‘s use of chatbots with children is unconscionable. Mr. Young does not want a further connection with FACEBOOK.”

    Reuters reported Thursday on internal documents the outlet had obtained regarding policies on Meta’s AI chatbot behavior, which included permissions for AI chatbots to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.” Per Reuters, the document included several example prompts for a chatbot and specified what would make them acceptable or not.

    The document said that “it is acceptable to describe a child in terms that evidence their attractiveness,” but added that “it is unacceptable to describe a child under 13 years old in terms that indicate they are sexually desirable.” A spokesperson for Meta told Reuters in a statement that “the examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed.”

    “We have clear policies on what kind of responses AI characters can offer, and those policies prohibit content that sexualizes children and sexualized role play between adults and minors,” the spokesperson said.

    A representative for Meta shared a statement with The Hollywood Reporter, but didn’t mention Young: “We have clear policies on what kind of responses AI characters can offer, and those policies prohibit content that sexualizes children and sexualized role play between adults and minors. Separate from the policies, there are hundreds of examples, notes, and annotations that reflect teams grappling with different hypothetical scenarios. The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed.”

    This isn’t the first time Young has abandoned a major tech platform over ethical concerns. He famously left Spotify back in 2022 over misinformation about vaccines that had been aired on The Joe Rogan Experience.

    “I sincerely hope that other artists and record companies will move off the Spotify platform and stop supporting Spotify’s deadly misinformation about COVID,” Young wrote in a letter at the time. He returned to Spotify last year, over two years later, after other streaming services started offering Rogan’s show as well.

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  • Tim Elliott Just Wants To Compete

    Tim Elliott Just Wants To Compete

    “When I started out, there was no 125 division,” he said. “There was no amateur or pro, I didn’t have any amateur fights. I just went and fought one weekend, and I started my pro career out with zero wins, two losses and a draw. Pretty much everybody was telling me, ‘Hey man, you got to hang this up.’ And then I went and stayed at Dominick Cruz’s gym up in his attic in California for a few months, and then that’s where I finally started putting it together.”

    When the wins started, they kept on piling up, and by 2012, he was in the UFC. After six fights in the Octagon, Elliott was released, but he returned through season 24 of The Ultimate Fighter, which culminated in a shot at Demetrious Johnson’s flyweight crown. Elliott didn’t get the win, but he did get some job security, and here he is today. No, he’s not the whirling dervish he once was, but he’s still fast, still crafty, and still more experienced than Asakura and most of his peers.

    WATCH: UFC 319 Embedded

    “I used to be able to just go, go go for 15 minutes, and now I just can’t do that anymore,” said Elliott. “So I haven’t really got a chance to show the way that I’ve been in the gym. When I fight, I still kind of revert back to my old ways, digging for the takedown and putting them up against the cage. But in the gym, I’m not doing that. I’m being patient with my striking, I’m landing good strikes and I haven’t really been able to put together a fight the way that I’ve been training as of late. I used to train exactly how I fought and now I’m fighting different and I haven’t got a chance to really show that yet. And the scary thing about Kai is that he’s one of the few guys in the flyweight division that has knockout power. So this may be a rough one to try to work in some of that. But yeah, there’s nothing that Kai can do to me that hasn’t already happened in a fight. And for him, I think he’s still young enough that there’s a whole lot of different scenarios he hasn’t been in.”


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  • Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce And The Career Perks Of The Right Partner

    Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce And The Career Perks Of The Right Partner

    Taylor Swift appeared on Travis Kelce’s podcast this week, offering a rare glimpse into the relationship of this career-driven couple. Despite the glamorous lives of the pop icon and NFL superstar, Swift’s anecdotes made their relationship seem completely relatable—whether it was baking sourdough bread for Kelce to take to training camp or laughing about overhearing his booming podcast voice from another room in their home.

    And if you’re wondering whether their relationship might pull focus from her music or his football, the research suggests the opposite. The right relationship can boost your career. Here’s what the data say about how a supportive relationship can elevate your career, regardless of whether you’re selling out stadiums or climbing the corporate ladder.

    Partnering May Boost Your Career

    One survey found that a large majority of people feel happier at work when they are in a healthy relationship outside of work, and positive emotions tend to make you more productive. Indeed, Swift mentioned in the podcast that Kelce “is a vibe booster.” When their relationships are going well, people actually spend more time at work. In addition, partners can be a great source of social support, and research indicates that people turn to their partners for support when they feel pressure at work.

    Another study found that those in a romantic relationship are more likely to achieve their goals at work. Partners who share resources, align on objectives and champion each other’s ambitions can find themselves achieving more, as long as they are not in direct competition with one another or weighed down by different priorities. When Swift joined Kelce on his podcast, New Heights, she expanded her reach into the sports world and extended his reach to her loyal fans.

    For dual-career couples, there’s one characteristic of your partner that’s particularly important for your own career: conscientiousness. When your partner is organized, responsible and hardworking, it can impact your paycheck. Researchers found that for every unit increase in your spouse’s conscientiousness, you’re likely to earn $4000 more per year. Why? You’re likely to mirror their diligent habits, and you’re more satisfied in your relationship when you can count on your partner. Both Swift and Kelce seem to check this box.

    As an example of how partnering can lead to career success, researchers examined the women who had served as CEOs for Fortune 500 companies. Only one had never married.

    However, not all relationships result in a career boost. When conflict seeps into the relationship, it can impact focus and productivity. For example, 94% of finance professionals report struggling to focus at work when they’re in conflict with their partner. In addition, competition between partners or clashing priorities can also undermine work productivity. A partner’s work stress can impact you as well. If one partner brings home stress, it can spill over to the other partner.

    This is why Sheryl Sandberg, author of Lean In and former Meta executive, has long emphasized the importance of choosing the right life partner. As she put it, “I truly believe that the single most important career decision that a woman makes is whether she will have a life partner and who that partner is. I don’t know of one woman in a leadership position whose life partner is not fully—and I mean fully—supportive of her career. No exceptions.”

    Problems Can Arise When Women Earn More

    Swift became a billionaire in October 2023, and Forbes estimates her net worth at $1.6 billion. Kelce’s success is also impressive. But despite an estimated $52 million net worth and a two-year $34.25 million contract extension signed last spring, Swift’s earnings still outpace his by a wide margin.

    Research shows that this income disparity can present challenges for straight couples. One study of marriages between men and women found that as women earned a larger share of the household income, relationship satisfaction dropped, particularly for men. Men who earned less than their female partner reported feeling less masculine and more inadequate, and those feelings were linked to lower relationship quality. Women who outearned their husbands also reported feeling uncomfortable challenging traditional gender roles, though the effect was smaller than it was for men.

    Others have found a higher risk of relationship dissolution when the woman outearns her husband, and men in this situation have an 11% greater chance of being diagnosed with a mental health problem. Despite their higher earnings, women still typically shoulder more of the housework and caregiving, while men have more leisure time—though Swift and Kelce are likely to be able to afford any household help they need.

    The Additional Burden Of Public Scrutiny

    Finally, Swift and Kelce face an additional challenge of being in the public eye, which can add significant pressure to any relationship. One analysis found that celebrities are twice as likely to divorce as the rest of us, likely due to public scrutiny and the blurring of personal and professional boundaries.

    Swift and Kelce tend to keep their relationship very private, drawing a clear line between their personal and private lives. Swift explains in the podcast, that she never checks her social media, adding “I’m not an online person at all.” It’s a reminder, even for those of us who are not celebrities, of the value in carving out time just for your relationship, free from work obligations and the draw of social media.

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  • Anthropic’s Recent Claude Updates Favor Practical Reliability Over Novelty – TechRepublic

    1. Anthropic’s Recent Claude Updates Favor Practical Reliability Over Novelty  TechRepublic
    2. Anthropic’s Claude chatbot can now remember your past conversations  The Verge
    3. Anthropic adds chat history recall to Claude, letting users resume projects across devices  Business Today
    4. Claude Can Now Reference Your Past Chats  Analytics India Magazine
    5. ChatGPT 5 Rival Claude AI Chatbot Gets New Memory Feature: How It Helps  News18

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  • Deep Responses Are Revealed for Irpagratinib/Atezolizumab in FGF19+ Advanced HCC

    Deep Responses Are Revealed for Irpagratinib/Atezolizumab in FGF19+ Advanced HCC

    Liver with cancer cells – Jennifer Kraylevich/MJH Life Sciences

    Patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with FGF19 overexpression expressed deep and durable responses when given the combination of irpagratinib (ABSK011) and atezolizumab (Tecentriq), according to updated findings from the phase 2 ABSK011-201 trial (NCT05441475) presented at the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress in Barcelona, Spain.1

    At a median follow-up of 7.1 months, among response-evaluable patients in the treatment-naive population (n = 12 of 15), the overall response rate (ORR) was 50.0%; best responses included partial response (PR; n = 6), stable disease (SD; n = 5), and progressive disease (PD; n = 1). The confirmed ORR was 33.3%. The median duration of response (DOR) was not reached (NR), the disease control rate (DCR) was 91.7%, and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.0 months (95% CI, 2.8-not evaluable [NE]).

    Among response-evaluable patients in the pretreated population (n = 17 of 18), the ORR was 52.9%; best responses included PR (n = 9), SD (n = 2), and PD (n = 5). The confirmed ORR was 41.2%. The median DOR was NR, the DCR was 70.6%, and the median PFS was 8.3 months (95% CI, 1.6-NE).

    Overall survival (OS) data were immature. Six patients had died at the time of this analysis.

    “Remarkable efficacy was observed, with an ORR of more than 50% and a median PFS of more than 7 months,” lead study author Qi Cheng, MD, stated in the presentation. Cheng is a physician at the Hepatic Surgery Center of the Tongji Hospital, which is affiliated with Tongji Medical College of the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China.

    Trial Background

    Approximately 30% of patients with HCC have FGF19 overexpression, which is associated with poor prognosis. Previous research has indicated that the FGF19/FGFR4 signaling axis may be an effective therapeutic target for select patients with HCC.

    Irpagratinib is a selective, oral FGFR4 inhibitor that has shown antitumor activity in HCC. Furthermore, atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Avastin) is the FDA-approved standard of care for patients with previously untreated, unresectable HCC.

    Study Design

    ABSK-011-201 consisted of 2 parts. The dose-escalation part (part A) enrolled patients with advanced or unresectable HCC. Patients received atezolizumab at 1200 mg every 3 weeks plus escalating doses of irpagratinib at 180 mg daily (n = 6), 320 mg daily (n = 6), 160 mg twice daily (n = 8), or 220 mg twice daily (n = 33). The dose- expansion part (part B) enrolled patients with advanced or unresectable HCC who had FGF19-overexpressing disease, were treatment naive or had received 1 prior line of systemic therapy, had an ECOG performance status of 0 or 1, and had Child-Pugh class A or B (score 5-7) disease.

    The primary end point was ORR per RECIST v1.1 criteria. Secondary end points included DOR, DCR, PFS, OS, safety, and pharmacokinetics.

    Previously Reported Findings

    Initial safety, tolerability, and efficacy findings from the dose-escalation part were presented at the 2024 ESMO GI Congress. In this preliminary analysis, irpagratinib at 200 mg twice daily plus atezolizumab elicited an ORR of 50% among patients with FGF19 overexpression (n = 5 of 10).2 The efficacy and safety profiles were strong in patients with prior immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) exposure.

    Baseline Characteristics

    Cheng noted that the baseline characteristics among the 33 patients included in the total population were similar to those seen in other HCC study populations.1 However, most patients (84.8%) had hepatitis B virus infection, and Child-Pugh scores of 5 (45.5%), 6 (48.5%), and 7 (6.1%) were reported. Additionally, the median sum of tumor lesions at baseline was 95 mm (range, 19-230) and was higher in the treatment-naive population (120 mm; 95% CI, 20-230) vs the pretreated population (88 mm; 95% CI, 19-186).

    Safety Data and Next Steps

    In the overall population (n = 33), any-grade and grade 3 or higher treatment-emergent adverse effects (TEAEs) were reported in 100% and 45.5% of patients, respectively. The most common TEAEs in this population were increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (any grade, 81.8%; grade ≥ 3, 12.1%), increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels (72.7%; 9.1%), diarrhea (57.6%; 3.0%), increased blood bilirubin levels (51.5%; 9.1%), hyperphosphatemia (36.4%; 0%), decreased platelet counts (30.3%; 3.0%), anemia (27.3%; 0%), hypoalbuminemia (15.2%; 0%), proteinuria (15.2%; 0%), decreased white blood cell (WBC) counts (15.2%; 6.1%), and cough (12.1%; 0%). Grade 4 TEAEs included increased blood creatinine levels (n = 1) and decreased lymphocyte counts/decreased lymphocyte percentages (n = 1).

    In the treatment-naive population (n = 15), any-grade and grade 3 or higher TEAEs were reported in 100% and 53.3% of patients, respectively. The most common TEAEs in this population were increased ALT levels (any grade, 80.0%; grade ≥ 3, 13.3%), increased AST levels (60.0%; 13.3%), diarrhea (60.0%; 0%), increased blood bilirubin levels (46.7%; 6.7%), hyperphosphatemia (40.0%; 0%), decreased platelet counts (40.0%; 6.7%), anemia (33.3%; 0%), hypoalbuminemia (26.7%; 0%), proteinuria (6.7%; 0%), decreased WBC counts (20.0%; 6.7%), and cough (13.3%; 0%).

    In the pretreated population (n = 18), anygrade and grade 3 or higher TEAEs were reported in 100% and 38.9% of patients, respectively. The most common TEAEs in this population were increased ALT levels (any grade, 83.3%; grade ≥ 3, 11.1%), increased AST levels (83.3%; 5.6%), diarrhea (55.6%; 5.6%), increased blood bilirubin levels (55.6%; 11.1%), hyperphosphatemia (33.3%; 0%), decreased platelet counts (22.2%; 0%), anemia (22.2%; 0%), hypoalbuminemia (5.6%; 0%), proteinuria (22.2%; 0%), decreased WBC counts (11.1%; 5.6%), and cough (11.1%; 0%).

    In the total population, the most common grade 3 treatment-related AEs (TRAEs) were increased ALT levels (12.1%), decreased WBC counts (6.1%), increased blood alkaline phosphatase levels (6.1%), and increased blood creatinine levels (6.1%). No grade 4/5 TRAEs were reported, and no patients discontinued treatment due to a TRAE. No eye toxicities were observed. Furthermore, investigators reported no extra immune-related AEs compared with those seen in historic data with single-agent atezolizumab. Cheng noted that the hyperphosphatemia and diarrhea were mostly mild and manageable.

    Based on these findings, Cheng explained that further irpagratinib development opportunities exist in both the pretreated and treatment-naive settings. For instance, irpagratinib plus an ICI could be an effective option for patients with HCC who have disease progression on first-line ICI-based therapy. Moreover, in treatment-naive patients, the manageable safety profile of irpagratinib plus atezolizumab shows the potential feasibility of triplet regimens, such as irpagratinib combined with atezolizumab and bevacizumab. Cheng concluded by saying that clinical trials in these directions are being initiated.

    REFERENCES:
    1. Cheng Q, Zhang Y, Wang J, et al. Irpagratinib (ABSK-011) plus atezolizumab in first-line (1L) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) treated advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with FGF19 overexpression (+): updated results of the phase II ABSK-011-201 study. Abstract presented at: European Society for Medical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress 2025; July 2-5, 2025; Barcelona, Spain. Abstract 149MO.
    2. Fifty percent ORR: impressive clinical trial data for irpagratinib combined with atezolizumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma stuns ESMO-GI Congress. News release. Abbisko Therapeutics Co Ltd. June 27, 2025. Accessed July 2, 2025. https://tinyurl.com/yn4mw5px

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  • Blue Origin’s 2nd New Glenn rocket launch will fly twin NASA Mars probes to space on Sep. 29

    Blue Origin’s 2nd New Glenn rocket launch will fly twin NASA Mars probes to space on Sep. 29

    Blue Origin is gearing up for the second-ever launch of its powerful New Glenn rocket, which will loft NASA’s ESCAPADE mission to Mars.

    The company says it has been working closely with NASA on preparations leading up to New Glenn’s next launch, dubbed NG-2, and is targeting no earlier than (NET) Sep. 29. The twin ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) probes have been awaiting their turn aboard New Glenn, which was originally slated to carry the satellites on its maiden launch in January. However, NASA opted not to risk a costly mission delay due to the debut liftoff of the new rocket.

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  • Surgical Management of Degenerative Lumber Spine Disease: A Comparative Study of Microdisectomy Versus Open Disectomy

    Surgical Management of Degenerative Lumber Spine Disease: A Comparative Study of Microdisectomy Versus Open Disectomy


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  • Halsey’s Fan-Favorite ‘Badlands’ Tracks Get Music Video 10 Years Later

    Halsey’s Fan-Favorite ‘Badlands’ Tracks Get Music Video 10 Years Later

    Halsey fans, it’s time to dust off your blue wigs. The singer is revisiting two fan-favorite Badlands tracks a full decade after their original release, announcing Friday (Aug. 15) that she’ll soon be releasing a double feature music video for “Drive” and “Gasoline.”

    In a video teaser for the project posted on Instagram, Halsey appears in their signature light blue hair from the 2015 Badlands era, looking solemn while driving in a pink convertible through familiar, grungey terrain. At one point, the musician appears in a bikini as a pink hue saturates the screen; in another shot, she runs dramatically through an apartment hallway while all the lights flicker.

    “10 YEARS LATER …,” reads text on screen. “WE NEVER LEFT.”

    In the caption, Halsey announced, “GASOLINE and DRIVE double feature. coming soon.”

    The news comes almost exactly 10 years after the New Jersey native dropped their debut album on Aug. 28, 2015, quickly breaking through as one of pop’s shiniest new stars. The project debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned some of Halsey’s most quintessential singles to date, including “Colors” and “New Americana.”

    And while Halsey has released four albums since — including 2024’s The Great Impersonator — Badlands has always held a special place in her heart. In 2020, the hitmaker celebrated the five-year anniversary of the album by releasing their first-ever live album, Badlands (Live From Webster Hall).

    “It’s been a little surreal to watch the perception of the album evolve so drastically over time,” Halsey wrote on X on the album’s eighth anniversary in 2023. “But. I always knew what it was. Special. If you were there for the journey, I love you. You changed my life.”

    In addition to celebrating a decade of Badlands, the star is currently fresh off of touring in support of Great Impersonator (although the nightly setlist often changed and featured songs from Halsey’s past albums). The artist had been slated to perform a final show in Istanbul on Aug. 28, but recently canceled the performance while citing logistical issues.

    “your safety is the most important thing to me,” Halsey explained Friday on X, addressing upset fans who were planning to go to the canceled show. “you guys are crazy sometimes + put yourselves in ‘I don’t care’ situations like camping in dangerous places, or not drinking water all day. and I know it’s bc you’d do anything for the music. but there are other moments where I have to draw the line cause I care about you ok? We’re gonna make it right when we can, and I can be sure this won’t happen again.”


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