NANO

The development of earth independence extends human presence beyond low Earth orbit and cislunar space and onto Mars. Missions during this stage of exploration range from 2-3 years with safe return of the crew to Earth taking months. Johnson Space Center provides agency leadership for the development and analysis of human spaceflight architectures, mission plans, and surface system definitions. JSC is a leader in technology developments for Habitats, Space Suits, In-Situ Resource Utilization, and Entry, Decent, and Landing Systems and provides unique mission integration and test environments. Johnson Space Center is the agency’s lead center for Astromaterials and a leader in the science of planetary destinations. Entry, Descent, and Landing Entry, Descent, and Landing technologies ensure precise and safe landings on planetary surfaces and encompass the full range of sensors and components, guidance and navigation systems, testing and qualification, and mission operations capable of achieving the following: Enable heavier payloads travelling at faster velocities to enter and descend through atmospheres and land safely with higher precision than currently possible. Provide highly reliable AAE systems for human and science missions that are capable of higher entry speeds, greater payload mass, improved approach navigation, and operation in extreme environments. Provide greater deceleration in the supersonic and subsonic regimes in a manner that does not reduce landing accuracy or result in transient unsteadiness or loss of performance in the transonic regime. Enable reliable landings on very rough and uncertain terrain for human-scale Mars vehicles with large masses. Provide a thorough understanding of the flight environment for vehicle design and develop accurate tools for analyzing the end-to-end vehicle performance. Mars Surface Systems At the Johnson Space Center and other NASA Centers, high level mission objectives for future human Mars missions are translated into specific surface systems and concepts of operations to achieve these objectives. At present NASA has embarked on an approach that will allow human crews to live and work productively on Mars for extended periods of time and gradually become independent of support from Earth. This requires not only an understanding of the Mars mission requirements but also constraints imposed by the Martian environment and the “known unknowns” that must be investigated and incorporated into an overall approach to pioneering on the surface of Mars. The Johnson Space Center is responsible for identifying and evaluating candidate locations on the surface where humans could live and work productively. Concepts such as the Exploration Zones and adaptation of the “field station” have originated here. Adaptation and integration of specific surface system design concepts to achieve mission objectives is also a key aspect of Johnson Space Center’s role in the overall process of becoming “Mars Ready” for these future missions. Mission Environments, Integration, and Testing Mission success through all stages of the Journey to Mars relies on the integration of science and engineering into all aspects of human exploration. Mission relevant environments are key to testing a wide range of technologies, tools, and techniques in addition to training the astronaut and ground operations crews in immersive environments. Achieving early integration of science, engineering, system operations, and prototype testing in a mission relevant environment will greatly increase the mission returns, reduce the risks, and improve the affordability of deep-space missions. This includes bio-medical systems, astronaut health and performance, mission operations concepts, communications, EVA, field science, robotics, and much more. At Johnson Space Center and other partnering centers, multi-disciplinary science and engineering teams design and carry out authentic mission tests to mature technologies and advance our readiness for deep space human exploration. Space Radiation Protection Space radiation risks to astronauts must be reduced to the lowest achievable level. New technologies are being developed to increase crew mission duration in the free-space radiation environment while remaining below the space radiation permissible exposure limits (PELs). These technology development objectives center on the following: Risk Assessment Modeling: Reduce uncertainty in assessing the risk of death due to radiation exposure and improve cancer risk assessments as well. Include circulatory and central nervous system (CNS) effects in assessments. Radiation Mitigation and Biological Countermeasures: Extend the number of safe days in space by developing biological countermeasures that reduce radiation health risks by 50% for the mission duration through small, low-mass, low-power, crew-friendly sensors that monitor the radiation environment. Radiation Environment Modeling: Improve the ability to predict future space weather events and their duration in order to prepare and protect the crew. Robotics and Autonomous Systems Human exploration will require leveraging robotic systems in all phases of the mission as precursors to crewed missions, as crew helpers in space, and as caretakers of assets left behind. The goals are to extend our reach into space, expand our planetary access capability, increase our ability to mani[CENSORED]te assets and resources, support our astronaut crews during their space operations, extend the life of the systems they leave behind, and enhance the efficacy of human operations. To achieve these ends, robotic capabilities will be extended in these areas: Sensing and Perception: Provide situational awareness for exploration robots, human-assistive robots, and autonomous spacecraft; and improve drones and piloted aircraft. Mobility: Reach and operate at sites of scientific interest in extreme surface terrain or free-space environments. Mani[CENSORED]tion: Increase mani[CENSORED]tor dexterity and reactivity to external forces and conditions while reducing overall mass and launch volume and increasing power efficiency. Human-System Interaction: Enable a human to rapidly understand the state of the system under control and effectively direct its actions towards a new desired state. System-Level Autonomy: Enable extended-duration operations without human intervention to improve overall performance of human exploration, robotic missions, and aeronautics applications. Science and Planetary Destinations We explore to extend our human presence throughout our solar system. We also explore to enrich our scientific understanding of other planets, our Moon, and nearby asteroids. There is a mission critical need to understand the varied and extreme planetary surfaces we will visit on the Journey to Mars. The harsh, rocky environments of the Moon, asteroids, Mars, and other destinations experience a wide range of temperatures, gravity, radiation, rock and mineral types, dust, and other environments that must be understood to correctly design spacecraft, landing systems, environmental and life support, space suites, ISRU systems, and science instruments. Johnson Space Center leads the agency in Astromaterials Curation and research into these planetary destinations as a resource for astromaterials and simulants for testing and analysis, and actively participates in active robotic missions on Mars as well as past, current, and future human science exploration. https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/exploration/deep-space

As youth unemployment in China rises to a record high, college graduates are caught in a perfect storm — with some forced to take on low-paying jobs or settle for jobs below their skill levels. Official data shows urban unemployment among the 16- to 24-year-olds in China hit a record 20.4% in April – about four times the broader unemployment rate even as millions more college students are expected to graduate this year. “This college bubble is finally bursting,” said Yao Lu, a professor of sociology at Columbia University in New York. “The expansion of college education in the late 1990s created this huge influx of college graduates, but there is a misalignment between demand and supply of high skilled workers. The economy hasn’t caught up.” The scourge of underemployment is another issue that Chinese youths and policymakers have to grapple with. In a paper Lu co-authored with Xiaogang Li, a professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University, the professors estimated at least another quarter of college graduates in China are underemployed, on top of the rising youth unemployment rate. “Increasingly, college graduates are taking up positions that are not commensurate with their training and credentials to avoid unemployment,” Lu told CNBC. Underemployment takes place when people settle for low-skilled or low-paying jobs, or sometimes part-time work, because they’re not able to find full-time jobs that match their skills. “These are the jobs that used to be mainly occupied by the non-college educated,” Lu added. The scarring effects of graduating at a difficult economic time has been well documented in other societies. Research from Stanford University shows college graduates who start their working lives during a recession or period of economic downturn earn less for at least 10 to 15 years than those who graduate during periods of prosperity. Festering unhappiness? Data from China’s Bureau of Statistics shows that 6 million of the 96 million 16- to 24-year-olds in the urban labor force are currently unemployed. From this figure, Goldman Sachs estimates there are now 3 million more unemployed urban youths relative to the period before the Covid-19 pandemic. This is likely to make it more urgent for the Chinese government to act. “Diminished job prospects could inevitably fan dissatisfaction among the youths, and a perceived failure to ensure their material well-being could upset the social contract the Communist Party has with the people in China,” said Shehzad Qazi, managing director at China Beige Book. Given China’s aging and declining po[CENSORED]tion will reduce its economically-active po[CENSORED]tion, the impact of youth unemployment and underemployment could “potentially have very negative ramifications for the economy,” Columbia’s Lu told CNBC. While China is not the only society in the world plagued by double-digit youth unemployment, few others are seeing the scale of China’s problem, according to statistics from International Labor Organisation. The Chinese central government is very cognizant of this problem. In April, China’s State Council announced a 15-point plan aimed at matching jobs with young seekers more optimally. This includes support for skills training and traineeships, a pledge for a one-time expansion of hiring at state-owned enterprises and support for the entrepreneurial ambitions of college graduates and migrant workers. Structural mismatch Addressing more fundamental mismatches is much tougher, analysts say. “In many societies, including China, there’s usually a disjuncture between the labor market and higher education institutions. They don’t necessarily talk to each other,” said Lu. “Universities have some sense of what the labor market situation is and what employers are looking for, but often times their understanding is outdated, and may be distorted from time to time.” There’s also a mismatch between changing expectations of young people who are more educated and an economy that is not keeping up with their aspirations. “Because of the rapid increase in education, both for men and women, these young people are not willing to go back to factory jobs anymore,” said Jean Yeung, a professor of sociology at the National University of Singapore. Even as youth unemployment rates climb, China projects nearly 30 million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled by 2025, according to the country’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. That’s nearly half of all the jobs in the sector, the ministry said. “But the plan was for China’s economy to transform from labor-intensive industry to more technological, with a strong service-oriented, knowledge economy,” Yeung added. Yet this transition seems to be half-hearted in China’s state-driven economy, according to Qazi. Economists say a thriving services-driven economy is predicated on support for the private sector. But the problem is that small- and medium-sized companies are not getting access to credit. “Until that happens, you’re not going to have services in the private sector really being able to absorb these young graduates who want to work in the new industries, the industries of the future, and then be able to have that massive economic transition,” said Qazi. “It’s all interconnected.” Cyclical issues China’s “zero Covid” policy during the pandemic led to factory closures and a two-month lockdown in the financial capital of Shanghai last year, as the broader economy ground to a halt. Goldman Sachs says the slackening in the services sector at the start of the year, before China reopened, could have contributed to the current high youth unemployment rate. However, analysts from the U.S. investment bank estimate that China’s youth unemployment rate will likely peak in the summer months in July and August with the influx of fresh college graduates. Goldman Sachs economists say that getting young people back to work would help China’s economic recovery since it would restore the consumption power of the young, a demographic that typically accounts for almost 20% of consumption in China. Except the jobs may not match what they desire or are trained to do. “I think it’s ironic that nowadays, having a college degree is no longer sufficient to land a high skilled job for most college graduates,” said Lu. “But at the same time, it’s becoming unnecessary because everyone else is getting it.” Correction: This article has been updated to accurately reflect that youth unemployment in China hit a record high in April. An earlier version of the story misstated the fact. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/29/record-youth-unemployment-stokes-economic-worries-in-china-.html

On a steep rock face in western Sweden, researchers uncovered a fascinating find: around 40 petroglyphs — depicting ships, people and animal figures — dating back around 2,700 years. The petroglyphs were carved on a granite rock face that was once part of an island, meaning people would have had to make the carvings while standing on a boat, or from a platform constructed on ice, said Martin Östholm, a project manager with the Foundation for Documentation of Bohuslän's Rock Carvings who is one of the archaeologists who discovered the petroglyphs, told Live Science. Bohuslän is already known for its rock carvings, including Bronze Age art made at Tanum, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) site. The team was looking for new petroglyphs in the area when they came across the moss-covered rock face. They noticed some lines on it that appeared to be human made, so they removed the moss, revealing the petroglyphs underneath. The rock face is too steep to stand on, Östholm said, so the team had to stand on a platform to do their archaeological work. The petroglyphs include depictions of ships, people and animal figures, including four-legged creatures that may be horses. The biggest one shows a ship that is 13 feet (4 meters) long, Östholm said, noting that many of the petroglyphs are between about 12 and 16 inches (30 to 40 centimeters) in length. People would have smacked hard stones against the granite rock face to create the petroglyphs, Östholm said. This action exposed a white layer underneath, making the petroglyphs highly visible, even from the mainland or passing ships. It's not certain why people created the carvings, he said, but they may have served to mark ownership. The meanings of the carvings are also unclear, but an expert who was not involved in the discovery shared a few ideas. If the petroglyphs were made within a relatively short period of time, they may tell a story, said James Dodd, a researcher at Aarhus University in Denmark and the Tanums Hällristningsmuseum's Rock Art Research Centre Underslös in Sweden. Some of the motifs — including chariots, carts and animal figures — were depicted multiple times, he noted. "On the basis of the repetition of the motifs, it is possible that this collection of figures forms a narrative," Dodd told Live Science in an email. Studies of other petroglyphs in the region have suggested that, in some cases, they may have been used in this way, but the exact meaning in this case is uncertain, he added. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/2700-year-old-petroglyphs-depicting-people-ships-and-animals-discovered-in-sweden

Electric Striker Of The Season Award’ today in the concluding ceremony of the 2023 edition of the IPL (Indian Premier League). Glenn Maxwell scored 400 runs in 14 matches this season with an amazing strike rate of 183.49. The cricket team’s official Twitter handle lauded the cricketer's efforts this season and congratulated him on winning this award. The tweet stated, “In the hands of a master craftsman, the willow becomes a weapon of destruction! You were a force to reckon with, and we're looking forward to seeing you embrace the same mojo next season, mate! The tata Tiago ev is the entry level electric hatchback from Tata Motors, it has an ex-showroom price ranging from Rs 8.69 to 12.04 lakh. The company introduced this electric hatchback in the Indian market last year. It was the first modern mainstream electric car to be priced under Rs 10 lakh. It boasted a maximum range of 315 km and has a maximum power output of 73.97 bhp and 114 Nm of torque and DC fast charging support. The Tiago ev is a feature loaded car and it comes equipped with features like cruise control, rain sensing wipers, auto-headlamps, touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Harman sound system, steering mounted controls, TPMS, ABS with EBD and rear view camera. https://www.timesnownews.com/auto/ipl-2023-glenn-maxwell-wins-tata-tiago-ev-article-100619756

With a week’s time left in the 2023 World Test Championship Final, India captain Rohit Sharma has joined the likes of Virat Kohli, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav for the team training ahead of the game against Australia. Rohit, who led the Mumbai Indians team that reached Qualifier 2 in the recently concluded Indian Premier League season, arrived to England following his side’s defeat to Gujarat Titans earlier last week. He was also accompanied by Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was included in the India squad for the one-off final as a stand by opener in place of Ruturaj Gaikwad who is due to be married later this week. On Monday, the BCCI Twitter account shared photos of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Jaydev Unadkat arriving at the training ground titled “Arrival Captain Rohit Sharma has joined the Indian team for the training session at the Arundel Castle Cricket Club. After Mumbai Indians got knocked out of IPL 2023 from the playoffs, Rohit travelled to London ahead of the World Test Championship Final against Australia. Rohit travelled alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jayden Unadkat as the first batch of players already left for England early and have started training for the mega clash which will be played at the Oval starting from June The Twitter account also posted photos of other Indian players training including the likes of Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj. The first batch of players who left for England - Virat Kohli, Axar Patel, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur have already begun their preparations for the WTC final having reached London earlier. Kohli posted a couple of photos from a training session on Monday as he was involved in a batting session in the nets and also was part of the fielding drills. While the ICC posted a video of Umesh Yadav bowling to the Indian batters in the nets on Tuesday. Kohli and other Indian batters faced the express deliveries of Umesh. With the conclusion of IPL 2023, the likes of Shubman Gill, Mohammed Shami, KS Bharat, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ajinkya Rahane are expected to join the team soon. Meanwhile, Rohit’s recent form in IPL is a big concern for India ahead of WTC Final. It was the fourth season in a row where Rohit failed to cross the 400-run mark in IPL. The Mumbai Indians skipper scored just 332 runs in 16 matches at an average of 20.75. https://www.news18.com/cricketnext/rohit-sharma-joins-team-india-for-training-session-in-england-ahead-of-wtc-final-7957819.html

1. Watch your waistline and drop the extra weight Weight gain frequently causes an increase in blood pressure. In addition to raising blood pressure, being overweight can lead to sleep apnea, which disrupts breathing while you're asleep.One of the best way of life changes for controlling blood pressure is weight loss. Even a small weight loss can help lower blood pressure if you are obese or overweight. 2. Proper sleep Getting less than six hours of sleep each night for a few weeks can result in poor sleep quality, which can lead to hypertension. Insomnia, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, and other conditions can all cause sleep disruption.If you frequently have trouble sleeping, let your healthcare provider know. Sleep quality can be increased by identifying and treating the cause. 3. Stress relief If you choose to cope with it by smoking, drinking, or eating a lot of unhealthy foods, it might have an effect on your blood pressure. Find stress-relieving techniques like yoga, meditation, or deep breathing. Spend some time unwinding and engaging in activities you enjoy, such as gardening, music listening, or socialising with friends. 4. Regular exercise To prevent blood pressure from increasing once more, it's crucial to continue exercising. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day as a general objective. Exercise can also prevent hypertension (high blood pressure) from developing in cases of elevated blood pressure. Regular exercise can help people with hypertension lower their blood pressure to a safe level. 5. Eat a balanced diet Eating a lot of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy will help lower your blood pressure. Look for foods that are low in cholesterol and fat. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is the name of this strategy. Lean meats, poultry, fish, and nuts are all part of it. Additionally, it avoids sugary drinks, red meat, and sweets while being high in protein and fibre. 6. Stop smoking It increases blood pressure and increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. The blood vessel linings are damaged when you smoke. They find it harder to unwind as a result. Additionally, smoking can reduce the effectiveness of some blood pressure medications you take. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/some-changes-in-lifestyle-to-lower-hypertension/stop-smoking/slideshow/100625180.cms

India's top wrestlers have said they will throw their medals into the Ganges, the country's holiest river, as part of their ongoing protest. They also plan to go on an indefinite hunger strike at India Gate - a war memorial in capital Delhi. The wrestlers have been demanding the resignation and arrest of their federation chief, whom they accuse of sexually harassing female wrestlers for years. He has denied the allegations. "These medals are our life and soul... We feel there's no meaning to having these medals around our necks anymore," the wrestlers said in a statement on Tuesday. Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia and two-time World Champion medallist Vinesh Phogat are among the protesters who shared the statement. The wrestlers said they had first considered returning their medals to the president and the prime minister but were disappointed that they had not spoken about the protests or enquired about them even once (both leaders have not made any public statements about the protests). "After we put them [the medals] in the Ganges, there would be no meaning for us to live. So we will got to India Gate and sit on a fast unto death," the statement added. On Sunday, Malik, Punia and Phogat were among several detained while attempting to march towards India's new parliament building as part of their protest. They were stopped by the police and taken away from the area in buses. The incident took place just a few miles away from the new parliament, which was being inaugurated by Mr Modi at the time. Visuals of the athletes being dragged and carried off in buses went viral, sparking criticism from top athletes and opposition politicians. In their statement on Tuesday, the wrestlers decried the police action against them and said they had been treated like "criminals". "Have female athletes committed some crime by asking for justice for the sexual harassment committed against them?" they asked. Delhi Police have filed cases including of rioting against the wrestlers. They also cleared out their protest site at Jantar Mantar, a heritage site in Delhi. The athletes began their protest against Brij Bhushan Singh, the chief of the wrestling federation in India, on 23 April. Mr Singh, an influential politician and MP of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has denied all the allegations and called the protests politically motivated. He has been questioned by the Delhi Police, but not arrested yet. On Monday, sports minister Anurag Thakur said the wrestlers had not been stopped from protesting at their designated spots in Delhi. He said appropriate action would be taken in the case once the Delhi Police completed their investigation. The minister also asked wrestlers who hadn't given statements to the police yet to do so. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-65751102

On a cold afternoon at the end of March 1945, General Dwight D. Eisenhower sat down at his headquarters in Reims, north-eastern France and drafted an unprecedented and historic cable. It was sent to Moscow, for the personal attention of Joseph Stalin. This was the first time in all the years of war that the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force had communicated directly with the Soviet leader, but there were now urgent and pressing reasons for doing so. The final thrust of the Allied Forces deep into Germany was about to begin and it was clearly important for the Anglo-american armies to coordinate their movements with the Russians. Eisenhower told Stalin his plans and asked that he reciprocate, wanting to avoid a repeat of the situation in 1939. Then, in a very different phase of hostilities, German and Russian troops - allied by treaty - had met head-on in Poland when that country was being carved up between Stalin and Hitler. No prearranged line of demarcation had been fixed, which had resulted in a battle with surprisingly heavy casualties on both sides. In the climate of suspicion that was developing between America and Britain on the one hand, and Russia on the other, such a clash had to be avoided at all costs. It could bring catastrophe at this vital stage of the War. Eisenhower sent two other cables that afternoon, one to Washington, to the General of the Army, George C. Marshall, who was his immediate superior. The other went to General Bernard Montgomery, Commander-in-chief of the 21st Army Group in the north of Germany. To both men, Eisenhower outlined his new plan for bringing a speedy end to the War. It centred on the 12th Army Group, under General Omar N. Bradley, which would advance through central Germany on the Erfurt-Leipzig-dresden axis. There, Eisenhower hoped, it would join hands with the Russians and divide Germany in two. Within hours, those telegrams - especially the one to Stalin - had created the most serious split between the Americans and the British since the invasion had begun nine months earlier on D Day, 6 June 1944. For the fact was, in the days and weeks prior to 28 March, Eisenhower had changed his mind decisively on one vital matter relating to the course of the war: he no longer considered Berlin, capital of Hitler's Reich, to be a major military objective. Unlike British generals, Eisenhower had not been trained to consider political objectives as part of military strategy. His main concern was to get the War over as quickly as possible and with as few casualties as circumstances would allow. In international terms, Eisenhower was politically inexperienced. His mission, as spelled out by the Combined Chiefs of Staff, was enshrined in one sentence: "You will enter the continent of Europe and, in conjunction with the other United Nations, undertake operations aimed at the heart of Germany and the destruction of her armed forces." Even now, this late in the war, his objective was purely military - to destroy the enemy army as quickly as he could. In any case, it had already been agreed at higher levels that Berlin would fall under Soviet aegis. For the British in general - and Prime Minister Winston Churchill in particular - the shape of the post-war world was already clear. Like Czechoslovakia and Poland, much of Eastern Europe was already under the Russian heel, destined for Communist rule. If Montgomery could capture Berlin ahead of the Russians it would be a major propoganda victory and give the Western Allies an important bargaining advantage later on. For Churchill had already noted with misgiving the changes in Stalin's behaviour since the conference between him, Stalin and Roosevelt at Yalta in February 1945, where the map of the post-1945 world had been sketched in. For example, Anglo-american bombers forced to land behind Russian lines were now being interned, along with their crews; the Russians had refused the evacuation of Anglo-american soldiers in eastern camps, although reciprocal arrangements were going ahead for Russian soldiers in western camps; air bases and refuelling and repair facilities for American bombers on Russian-controlled territory were being denied. In these proto-Cold War circumstances" Churchill considered Eisenhower's telegram to Stalin a naive and dangerous intervention into global political strategy. He was incensed. There were, however, several reasons (good and bad) for Eisenhower's change of heart over Berlin. He heartily disliked Montgomery, who was in command in the north. To have settled on a dash for Berlin would have giver, the British Field-marshal a bigger role than Eisenhower could have stomached. But it is another reason which particularly concerns us here. At this stage of the War, the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), were located in the three-storey College Moderne et Technique in a back street of Reims, close to the railway station. There, near Eisenhower's own office, was the map room. On the wall there hung a chart that was updated every day. Headed Reported National Redoubt, it showed the mountainous, lakeland region south of Munich, stretching over into western Austria. This incorporated Bavaria and OberSalzburg, the very region where the Nazi Party had been born a quarter of a century before. It was an area some 20,000 square miles in dimension, consisting mainly of wooded mountain peaks between 7000 and 9000 feet high. At its heart was Berchtesgaden and Hitler's mountain-top hideaway, the "Eagle's Nest". The National Redoubt map was covered in red marks, each one a military symbol denoting this or that defence installation. A Y meant a radio transmitter, a square stood for barracks, a crescent with an F inside indicated a food dump. There were signs for ammunition stores, for petrol and chemical warfare dumps and for underground factories. Fortified positions were shown with zig-zag lines. Every day during March more symbols were added to the chart, so much so that this mountain defence system, the National Redoubt, seemed to SHAEF the greatest remaining threat in the European war, greater even than the prize of Berlin. It was in this Alpine area, according to Allied Intelligence, that the Nazis intended to make their last stand, with Adolf Hitler at their head. The terrain was so difficult as to be almost impregnable but, again according to intelligence, the remaining Nazi leadership would not be content merely to sit back and absorb whatever the Allies could throw at them. A new type of commando unit had been created, called the Werewolves, whose task it was to sneak out from the Redoubt and create mayhem among the occupation armies. Some 200,000 veteran troops and Werewolves were to cover an area of 20,000 square miles, it was rumoured, to Bavaria, Austria and a small part of Italy. Some plans certainly went ahead. Both Otto Skorzeny and Reinhard Gehlen hid plans and microfilms in the Alpine Fortress area, Gehlen claiming to have based his organisation on his secret intelligence on Polish resistance to the Nazis. Gehlen had documents forged on his behalf and transferred his wife and children to the Alps. William Casey, an Allied Intelligence officer, later recalled being told in early May 1945 that the Werewolf organisation was in process of formation and that it was to be built on the framework of the Gestapo and other Nazi security services. The Allies' concern with the Redoubt and Hitler's last stand had been growing since September 1944 when the OSS had predicted that, as the War neared its end, the Nazis would evacuate crucial government departments to Bavaria. The War Department in Washington had taken up this notion on 12 February 1945, warning that a man like Hitler would require his Gotterdammerung. Four days later, Allied agents in Switzerland sent a chilling report claiming that the Nazis were preparing for a "bitter fight from the mountain redoubt". This report said that strongpoints within the Alpine Fortress were connected by underground railways, that months of supply of munitions had been gathered together with "almost all of Germany's poison gas supplies." Not everyone was convinced. The Research and Analysis Branch of OSS, directed by Bill Langer, produced a mammoth report: "An analysis of the political and social organisation, the communications, economic controls, agricultural and food supply, mineral resources, manufacturing and transportation facilities of south Germany". It was very sceptical of the viability of a National Redoubt but, as its very title implied, the report was too long, too dry and too academic-sounding to be read by busy field officers. No one paid it the attention it deserved. Instead, on 21 March, the headquarters staff of General Bradley's 12th Army Group released what turned out to be a decisive memorandum - "Re-orientation of Strategy" - which argued that Allied objectives had changed rendering "obsolete the plans which brought us over the beaches." The strategy document concluded that the significance of Berlin was now much diminished and that: "all indications suggest that the enemy's political and military directorate is already in the process of displacing to the Redoubt in lower Bavaria." Four days after that came the most alarming analysis of all. The Chief of Intelligence of Lieutenant-general Alexander Patch's 7th Army, on the southern edge of the front, described an elite force of mainly SS and mountain troops at least 200,000 to 300,000 strong. The report said that up to five very long trains were arriving in the Redoubt area every week and that new types of weapon had been observed on these trains. An underground factory was believed to exist in the Alpine Fortress capable of producing Messerschmitts. Werewolf schools were reported everywhere and Counter-intelligence Corps estimates put the numbers of youngsters in training under SS officers at some 5000 in one particular week. A booklet had been published that, "reinforced a general sense of apprehension". It was entitled Werewolf: Winke fur Fagdeinheiten (Tips for Hunting Units). The Vogelfrei legends were revived. "The word meant 'bird-free', explained the report. It derived from the mediaeval-style courts of revenge, which declared that anyone found guilty became like a game bird during the open season for hunters." Goebbels chipped in. His broadcasts - and those of Radio Werewolf - stepped up the pressure. "God has given up the protection of the people . . . Satan has taken command." Goebbels himself said, "We Werewolves consider it our supreme duty to kill, to kill and to kill, employing every cunning and wile in the darkness of the night, crawling, groping through towns and villages, like wolves, noiselessly, mysteriously." There were secret recognition signals for boys and girls (some were only nine) and the Wolfsangel, a runic letter, was to be painted on buildings occupied by those marked out for vengeance. Then there was the rumour about Gallery 16, near the village of Redl Zipf, part of the Alpine Fortress. This gallery was an underground network of corridors and workshops centred around a 200 foot tunnel into which banknote presses had been transferred from Berlin. Nine million Bank of England notes with a face value of $600 million were produced here, sufficient for the Bank to have to withdraw many of its own notes and substitute a new design with a fine metallic thread drawn through the fabric in a way thought to be immune to forgery. In March, SHAEF itself finally and crucially concluded that: "It seems reasonably certain that some of the most important ministries and personalities of the Nazi regime are already established in the Redoubt area. Goring, Himmler, Hitler are said to be in the process of withdrawing to their respective personal mountain strongholds." Even those who had their reservations, such as SHAEF's Intelligence Chief, the British Major-general Kenneth Strong, thought that the Allies should act as though the Redoubt existed, just in case. We repeat that there were other reasons for Eisenhower's change of mind over Berlin. We have dwelt on this one because the Redoubt idea produced in the mindset of the Allied Command the sense that if - and when - Hitler was found it would be in the south. The Allies in fact found out the grim truth on 23 April when three Germans crossed the Elbe near Magdeburg shortly after dawn and surrendered to the us 30th Infantry Division. One of them was Lieutenant-General Kurt Dittmar, a fifty-seven-year-old Wehrmacht officer who had made a name for himself broadcasting communiques from the front and was known everywhere as the "voice of the German High Command". As such he was considered the most accurate of the German military broadcasters and so drew a following not only in Germany but among the Allied monitoring staff. Dittmar was immediately taken to headquarters for interrogation: "Tell us about the National Redoubt," someone demanded. Cornelius Ryan - author of the 1966 book The Last Battle - takes up the story: "Dittmar looked puzzled. The only thing he knew about a National Redoubt, he said, was something he had read in a Swiss newspaper the previous January. He agreed that there were pockets of resistance in the north, 'including Norway and Denmark and one in the south in the Italian Alps. But,' he added, 'that is less by intention than by force of circumstance.' As his interrogators pressed him about the redoubt, Dittmar shook his head. "The National Redoubt? It's a romantic dream. It's a myth."', He was right. General Bradley, whose general staff had written the famous memorandum on a change of strategy - in which the importance of Berlin was downgraded in favour of the Alpine Fortress - later had the grace to admit his error. "The Redoubt existed largely in the imagination of a few fanatical Nazis. It grew into so exaggerated a scheme that I am astonished we could have believed it as innocently as we did. But while it persisted, this legend . . . shaped our tactical thinking." Dittmar had another surprise for his interrogators. Hitler, he said confidently, was in Berlin. Until that point no one on the Allied side had been exactly certain where the Fuhrer was. His whereabouts and all personal details about him, such as his medical records, had been kept a well-guarded secret throughout the War. But while the Redoubt idea had dominated Allied minds it had been assumed that Hitler would be found there. One of the Allies' spies in Berlin, Carl Wiberg, a Swedish businessman generally regarded as a "good Berliner" by his neighbours, had sent a report on 18 April obtained from two women gossiping in a black market shop, to the effect that Hitler was in the Berlin area. But his report had been lost amid the weight of intelligence in the past five days. When the Allied interrogators suggested to Dittmar that he was mistaken, or dissembling, he refused to change his story. Moreover, he said, "Hitler will either be killed there or commit suicide." It was thus against this background that the War entered its last month. Too late, the Allies realised that there was no National Redoubt in Bavaria, and never had been. (As late as 28 April, the Daily Mirror was able to report that "Seven Allied armies are closing in on Hitler's last-stand Redoubt in the mountains of Austria and Bavaria." Too late they realised that Hitler and Stalin, whose lives had run in parallel for so long, both believed that Berlin itself was the last great prize, both psychologically and politically. For our story, the most important consequence of this course of events was that the Russians reached Berlin first. Indeed, the moment Stalin received Eisenhower's cable which suggested that Berlin was no longer very important, he ordered Marshal Zhukov to advance on the German capital with all speed and whatever the cost. He couldn't believe that Eisenhower could be so wrong, or so naive - and therefore assumed that he must be playing a political game. Churchill had been right to be annoyed about the "historic and unprecedented" telegram. The Anglo-American forces, following Eisenhower's new policy, actually met the Russian Army along the Elbe, first coming into contact at Torgau on 25 April. Running north, at its closest point this "Front Line" was just under fifty miles from Berlin. It wasn't much but it was enough. It was not until the conference of Commanders-in-chief of the four armies of occupation on 29 June, that the various Berlin zones were agreed upon. Advanced detachments of American, British and French troops arrived in the city at the beginning of July. Thus the Russians had had Berlin - and the Reichschancellery - all to themselves for about seven weeks, for most of Man, and all of June. This, and the developing Cold War, accounted for much of what followed. On 1 May, at 9.30 in the evening, Hamburg radio warned the German people that "a grave and important announcement" was about to be made. This was immediately followed by several excerpts from a number of Wagner's operas and the slow movement of Bruckner's Seventh Symphony. Then at 10.20 pm, came the voice of Grand-Admiral Karl Donitz, Commander-in-chief for the north of Germany. In sombre tones, he announced the death of Hitler and his own succession as Fuhrer of the Reich. Hitler had fallen "this afternoon," he said, fighting "at the head of his troops". This statement was believed by many. The Times of London printed Hitler's obituary next day. President Valera of Ireland sent his condolences to the German ambassador in Dublin. But it was untrue. Hitler, as the world was later told, had died the previous day and had not fallen in action, as a heroic martyr, but had committed suicide without leaving the Bunker under the Reichschancellery where he had been since 16 January 1945. Donitz perhaps had more than one reason for releasing the story he did. He may not have been aware of all the facts, but in any case he must have wondered how the German troops would have reacted if they had been told that their leader had not died a glorious death but had taken his own life. Whatever Donitz's reasons, this erroneous story, combined with the complete silence on the part of the Russians regarding what they had or had not found in the Reichschancellery and the absence of a body - either Hitler's or Eva Braun's - did not convince many people. On the contrary, throughout the summer of 1945 the rumours that Hitler was still alive gathered pace. There were many sightings. Among the first, it was reported that Hitler had been seen living as a hermit in a cave near Lake Garda in northern Italy. Another report had it that he was now a shepherd in the Swiss Alps, a third that he was a croupier at a casino in Evian. He was seen at Grenoble, St Gallen and even off the Irish coast. Viewed from this distance, each of these accounts appears fantastic and incredible. But that was not how they were seen at the time. Not all of the accounts were so fantastic. In July 1945, the us Office of Censorship intercepted a letter written from someone in Washington. Addressed to a Chicago newspaper, the letter claimed that Hitler was living in a German-owned hacienda 450 miles from Buenos Aires. The us government gave this report enough credibility to act on it, sending a classified telegram to the American embassy in Argentina requesting help in following up the inquiry. Besides giving basic information the telegram added that Hitler was alleged to be living in special underground quarters. "Source indicates that there is a western entrance to the underground hideout which consists of a stone wall operated by photo-electric cells, activated by code signals from ordinary flashlights. Entrance thus uncovered supposedly provides admittance for automobiles." It continued that Hitler had provided himself with two doubles and was hard at work developing plans for the manufacture of long-range robot bombs and other weapons. The matter was taken sufficiently seriously for J. Edgar Hoover, then the director of the FBI, tO become involved, although shortly afterwards he wrote to the War Department: "To date, no serious indication has been received that Adolf Hitler is in Argentina." The Russian newspaper Izvestiia ran a report that Hitler and Eva Braun were both alive and well, and living in a moated castle in Westphalia. This implied complicity on the part of the British, for Westphalia lay in the British zone of occupation. The report was followed by one in August, in which an American lawyer wrote to Hoover at the Fbi to say that the former Fuhrer was living under the alias of Gerhardt Weithaupt in a house belonging to a certain Frau Frieda Haaf at Innsbruck. With Hitler, said this lawyer, was his personal physician, Dr Alfred Jodl. Another account also placed Hitler at Innsbruck. The informant was an educated man - again a lawyer - rather than a peasant or an ill-educated private soldier. Another came from a German doctor, a man presumably trained in observation. Karl-Heinz Spaeth claimed he had treated Hitler on 1 May 1945 at his Berlin casualty clearing station ill the cellar of the Landwehrkasino right opposite the Bunker at the Berlin Zoo. Spaeth said that Hitler had been wounded at a tank barricade in the fighting around the Kustrin area of the city. In his sworn deposition, he added: "Hitler was lowered to the floor. A shell fragment had pierced the uniform, went through his chest and entered the lungs on both sides. It was no use to do anything. I took a few first-aid bandages and bandaged him. During this time Hitler groaned continually. He was not fully conscious. To relieve his pain I went back to the collecting station to get some morphine and gave him a double strength injection. The general opinion was that Hitler would die. I examined his pulse and respiration and found that after about three minutes he had stopped breathing. The heartbeats continued for about three minutes and then ceased. After I had pronounced the Fuhrer dead and had informed the ss leaders of this fact I was released and went back to my work." Shortly afterwards, Spaeth said, the surviving ss leaders "blew the body into the air with two three-kilo charges of high explosives." He repeated his story to an officer of the Military Government, who in turn reported to Berlin in September. Everyone, everywhere, seemed determined to ignore Grand-Admiral Donitz's statement of 1 May. Such accounts of Hitler's death were scarcely less confusing than the more numerous examples of sightings and the situation looked like getting out of hand. General George C. Marshall, the American Chief of Staff, had realised as early as 1 May that it might be necessary to do something to counter the "Hitler martyr myth" which had been fuelled by Admiral Danitz's announcement. Eisenhower seemed not to agree. In June, when he was probably the most po[CENSORED]r leader in the West, he attended a press conference at the Hotel Raphael in Paris. There he voiced doubt that Hitler was really dead. He was the first Allied figure of authority in the West to say this. Nonetheless it was not until September that any official inquiry got under way - and when it did it was the British who carried out the investigations. Dick White, the Brigadier commanding the Intelligence Bureau in the British Zone of Occupation (part of MI5), was stationed at Bad Oeynhausen, between Osnabruck and Hannover, and he had been incensed by the Russian report that Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun were living, apparently unmolested, in the British zone of Germany - ie, Westphalia. He invited a young major, and friend, Hugh Trevor-Roper, to make an official inquiry into the mystery which at that time still surrounded the death of Hitler. A four-volume dossier on the Fuhrer, compiled by the us Counter-Intelligence Corps, was made available to Trevor-Roper who, in civilian life, was an Oxford history don. This dossier was "a cornucopia of everything that could be gleaned about" Hitler and included his medical condition, his state of mind, his various "inclinations and proclivities." It did not make Hitler out to be a monster. The CIC analysts had found, "to their embarrassment, that the scourge of the human race gave presents to children, hated blood sports, disliked excessively fanatical people and was conservative and fastidious in his habits . . . Every day at the same hour," according to one informant, "he would go with the same dog to the same corner of the same field and pick up the same piece of wood and throw it in the same direction." The report also contained the conclusions of a long-distance psychiatric examination of the Fuhrer. This concluded that the suicide of Hitler could not be ruled out. Trevor-Roper's inquiries were to prove exciting. He spent most of September and October tracking down what eye-witnesses he could, people who had lived in the Fuhrerbunker in those last desperate days and could tell him what had happened. He was not entirely successful. Goebbels and Martin Bormann were not available, missing or dead according to whom you talked to. So were Heinz Linge, Hitler's valet, Otto Gunsche, Hitler's Adjutant, Hans Baur, his personal pilot and Johann Rattenhuber, the Chief of Bodyguards. Many others known to have been in the Bunker were also untraceable. Still, Trevor-Roper was able to interview Frau Gerda Christian and Frau Else Krueger, who were respectively Hitler's and Bormann's secretaries. They had not actually been eye-witnesses for much of what happened, but they had been given contemporaneous accounts by people such as Linge and Gunsche, who claimed to have seen everything. Trevor-Roper had also visited Innsbruck, no doubt' to double-check the story that Hitler was now masquerading as Gerhardt Weithaupt. On 1 November 1945, Trevor-Roper gave a press conference in Berlin where he outlined the conclusions of his inquiry. His investigations showed, he said, that Hitler had committed suicide at about 3.30 pm on 30 April 1945, and that Eva Braun had died with him. In Hitler's case, the manner of death was by shooting - the Fuhrer had put a pistol in his mouth and pulled the trigger. In the case of Eva Braun, she had taken a cyanide capsule: everyone living in the Bunker had been issued with similar capsules. Asked by one of the newspapermen if he was aware of the Russian view on Hitler's death, Trevor-Roper indicated that he thought the Soviets were sceptical - that is, inclined to the view that Hitler was not dead. As he said this, a Russian officer present nodded. Trevor-Roper also dismissed the possibility that it was Hitler's doppelganger - his double - who had been burned. In the first place, he said, there wouldn't have been time to move the double's body in and out of the Bunker. Second, in his very poor physical condition, Hitler would not have been able to escape. And third, and most convincingly perhaps, Eva Braun herself would never have died willingly. - or been taken in by - such a substitute. Finally, he conceded that there was no "conclusive proof" that Martin Bormann, Hitler's Personal - and Party - Secretary, was dead. Although it was acknowledged that Trevor-Roper's account was necessarily incomplete and that there were many gaps to be filled in, the press conference was reported extensively in the world's newspapers. He himself continued to inquire into the last days of the Third Reich throughout the winter of 1945-46. Later in the year, the Allied Intelligence services received word that a certain Paustin, working as a gardener in the quiet village of Tegernsee, was in fact none other than the former ss Standartenfuhrer Wilhelm Zander, the Adjutant to Martin Bormann. Now here was a very important individual indeed. For three weeks in November and December 1945, British secret service agents and American CIC special agents Arnold Weiss and Rosener tried to track Paustin/Zander's trail. As Christmas arrived, they thought they had him cornered. On Boxing Day, Trevor-Roper and the CIC agents raided the house they had been watching, only to find that Zander had left the area to visit his fiance who lived near Passau. Two days later, they were tipped off that a suitcase belonging to Zander could be found in the home of a certain Frau Irmgard Unterholzener in Tegernsee. They wasted no time in paying Frau Unterholzener a visit and picked up the suitcase. The case was searched thoroughly but initially proved of little interest. However, a secret compartment was then found inside which were several documents that had been brought out of the Bunker only forty-eight hours before Berlin fell. These documents were of the utmost historical importance. Here was Hitler's Will and Political Testament. This confirmed what Trevor-Roper had been told about the last days in the Bunker. There was also Goebbels's Appendix to Hitler's Political Testament - further corroborative evidence that the picture Trevor-Roper was building up was essentially correct. Third, and perhaps most intriguing of all, there was the marriage contract of Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun. Trevor-Roper had been told by several of the people who had lived in the Fuhrerbunker that Eva Braun had finally achieved her long-time aim to become the wife of the Fuhrer. If Trevor-Roper had ever had any doubts about what he had been told, here was documentary support. But the marriage contract was more than just corroborative evidence. The fact of Hitler's marriage tended to confirm the psychological portrait Trevor-Roper was putting together. Hitler had never felt the need to marry Braun before. Why should he do so in the last week of April 1945? The answer seemed clear: only if he was contemplating something dramatic. To be double sure of the veracity of the documents, they turned them over to Major Anthony W. Lobb, Chief of the 3rd us Army CIC, who handed them on to the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2. He, in turn, shipped them across the Atlantic to the United States. In Washington, an FBI forensic analysis of the paper and ink confirmed their authenticity. Still in Germany, Trevor-Roper and CIC agent Arnold Weiss had followed Zander to the small village of Vilshofen, near the Czech border. There, Zander resisted arrest and a short gunfight ensued before he was overpowered. He was transferred to Munich and interrogated. He resisted for about ten hours but finally broke, revealing to Trevor-Roper many details of the last days in the Bunker which the former historian had gleaned from other, less well-placed sources. This was early in 1946. Although everything Trevor-Roper was turning up now confirmed his initial conclusions about Hitler's last days, vet much of the rest of the world was still not convinced. Sightings of Hitler continued. That year he was seen in Spain, where he was reported at the end of September as leading a wolf-pack of u_boats. For added verisimilitude, he was said to be suffering badly from seasickness. Next, he was reported as living on a farm at La Falda in Argentina although his appearance had been changed, according to this report, by a plastic surgeon who had performed the operation on the boat that ferried the Fuhrer across the Atlantic from Europe to the new world. Just before Christmas 1946 the us embassy in Stockholm received an anonymous letter addressed to the "Chief of the American Zone". Given that even Kurt Dittmar had admitted that there was a small redoubt in northern Scandinavia, this report was treated more seriously than many others. It read in part: "If you look in the Bauerska mountains you will find a long cave about 466 metres or maybe even longer, with about ninety-m,o doors, well camouflaged. Hitler has here a room thirty by thirty metres, with electrical stoves, one big, one small. There is food there, cans of all kinds for several years ahead and lots of money, of all kinds of currencies. There is also a pipe from the top of the mountain in which food can be dropped down. Those who bring food there are called 'Ravens'. Those who built this in the mountains have been killed long ago so it would not be discovered. When you have found it, I demand one sixth of what there is there and a jeep and a tractor. You will know my name when you have found him." On the reverse was written: "They had stolen horses and cows, hay and so on. They have plenty of ammunition and guns. A Swede who has a sixth sense is with them. He tells them all. Find these gentlemen. What will be done will be done soon." Still another report in 1946 placed Hitler in Holland, in a coffee room in Amsterdam. This time the writer commented on the Fuhrer's strange appearance - he had a very long body and long arms - but the informant also said that this Hitler still had direct links with the Gestapo and was trying to kill the writer, who therefore begged the Allied authorities to act quickly. Another report placed Hitler in Zurich, saying he had aged dreadfully, that his hair had turned white, his body was bent forward and he took ver-y short steps. He apparently had some form of lung infection for he coughed persistently. He preferred dark suits and hats and his demeanour was "similar to that of a pensioned official." The Deputy Director of Intelligence at the European Command instructed his subordinates to check out this report, as he did with almost all such paperwork coming across his desk. "I feel we would be remiss in our duty," he wrote, "if we failed to follow up a report of this nature." He even requested help from the Chief of the Swiss Federal Police in Berne. Nor were the Allied Forces immune from spotting Hitler. One American GI reported that he had seen the Fuhrer, Eva Braun and her sister Gretl in Bernheim in the house where he collected his laundry. This man had to be Hitler, the Gi felt, because he flew into a rage whenever the v-1 weapon was mentioned and "exhibited great sentiment over the photograph of a dog" which seems to have closely resembled Blondi, the Fuhrer's own Alsatian. The impact of these reports may be judged from the account of Lieutenant Colonel W. Byford-Jones, a British Intelligence officer who, on 20 April 1946 (what would have been Hitler's fifty-seventh birthday), questioned twenty educated Berliners on the fate of Hitler. "Only, one thought Hitler was dead. The other nineteen betrayed that then were conscious of the fact that it was their Fuhrer's birthday. Then- were convinced he was alive and spoke of him with anything but reproach. I found also that children, who are usually a good guide to the beliefs of adults, almost without exception spoke of Onkel Adolf as a living being. "A new feature in this belief was where Hitler was supposed to be hiding. In the summer of 1945 1 had been told he was in Spain, South America and other unlikely places, but now another hide-out, was mentioned. He was with the Edelweiss, an illegal organisation well known to exist, and he was in the wild mountainous area that extends from the Alps on the Swiss frontier to the Tyrol in Austria, where thousands of Wehrmacht troops, calling themselves Edelweiss, retain their wartime formations, stores, equipment and munitions and live high up in the mountain fastnesses." The Redoubt was back. In January 1947, a report was sent to the American CIC forces via the French Intelligence services. This claimed that Hitler was hiding in the area of Heidelberg and was in touch with a Resistance leader in Weinheim. The French report said that Hitler had visited Weinheim disguised as an American soldier, the visit no doubt part of the Fuhrer's campaign to begin a new Reich. Weinheim duly became the subject of a raid by thirty. Allied officers - five CIC special agents and twenty-five men of the us Constabulary. There was no trace of either Hitler or the Resistance leader. It was in March 1947 that Trevor-Roper's report was published in the form of a book, under the title The Last Days of Hitler. By rights, the book ought to have solved the mystery once and for all, to have killed speculation for ever. It was meticulously researched, well written and by and large convincing. But among several points left unresolved, one all-important matter remained a mystery. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/deathofhitler.htm

Despite scientific inquiry, we still don't have a solid answer for why people dream. Some of the most notable theories are that dreaming helps us process memories and better understand our emotions, also providing a way to express what we want or to practice facing our challenges. What Is a Dream? A dream includes the images, thoughts, and emotions that are experienced during sleep. Dreams can range from extraordinarily intense or emotional to very vague, fleeting, confusing, or even boring. Some dreams are joyful, while others are frightening or sad. Sometimes dreams seem to have a clear narrative, while many others appear to make no sense at all. There are many unknowns about dreaming and sleep, but what scientists do know is that just about everyone dreams every time they sleep, for a total of around two hours per night, whether they remember it upon waking or not.1 Beyond what's in a particular dream, there is the question of why we dream at all. Below, we detail the most prominent theories on the purpose of dreaming and how these explanations can be applied to specific dreams. How Do Scientists Study Dreams? The question of why we dream has fascinated philosophers and scientists for thousands of years. Traditionally, dream content is measured by the subjective recollections of the dreamer upon waking. However, observation is also accomplished through objective evaluation in a lab. In one study, researchers even created a rudimentary dream content map that was able to track what people dreamed about in real time using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) patterns. The map was then backed up by the dreamers' reports upon waking.2 Press Play for Advice On Dream Interpretation Hosted by Editor-in-Chief and therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, featuring therapist and dream interpreter Jesse Lyon, shares science-backed strategies that you can use to better understand your dreams. Click below to listen now. The Role of Dreams Some of the more prominent dream theories contend that the function of dreaming is to: Consolidate memories Process emotions Express our deepest desires Gain practice confronting potential dangers Many experts believe that we dream due to a combination of these reasons rather than any one particular theory. Additionally, while many researchers believe that dreaming is essential to mental, emotional, and physical well-being, some scientists suggest that dreams serve no real purpose at all. The bottom line is, while many theories have been proposed, no single consensus has emerged on why we dream. Dreaming during different phases of sleep may also serve unique purposes. The most vivid dreams happen during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and these are the dreams that we're most likely to recall. We also dream during non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep, but those dreams are known to be remembered less often and have more mundane content.3 Dreams May Reflect the Unconscious Sigmund Freud’s theory of dreams suggests that dreams represent unconscious desires, thoughts, wish fulfillment, and motivations.4 According to Freud, people are driven by repressed and unconscious longings, such as aggressive and sexual instincts. While many of Freud's assertions have been debunked, research suggests there is a dream rebound effect, also known as dream rebound theory, in which suppression of a thought tends to result in dreaming about it.5 What Causes Dreams to Happen? In "The Interpretation of Dreams," Freud wrote that dreams are "disguised fulfillments of repressed wishes." He also described two different components of dreams: manifest content (actual images) and latent content (hidden meaning). Freud’s theory contributed to the rise and po[CENSORED]rity of dream interpretation. While research has failed to demonstrate that the manifest content disguises the psychological significance of a dream, some experts believe that dreams play an important role in processing emotions and stressful experiences. How Psychoanalysis Influenced the Field of Psychology Dreams Process Information According to the activation-synthesis model of dreaming, which was first proposed by J. Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley, circuits in the brain become activated during REM sleep, which triggers the amygdala and hippocampus to create an array of electrical impulses.6 This results in a compilation of random thoughts, images, and memories that appear while dreaming. When we wake, our active minds pull together the various images and memory fragments of the dream to create a cohesive narrative.7 In the activation-synthesis hypothesis, dreams are a compilation of randomness that appear to the sleeping mind and are brought together in a meaningful way when we wake. In this sense, dreams may provoke the dreamer to make new connections, inspire useful ideas, or have creative epiphanies in their waking lives.8 Dreams Aid In Memory According to the information-processing theory, sleep allows us to consolidate and process all of the information and memories that we have collected during the previous day. Some dream experts suggest that dreaming is a byproduct, or even an active part, of this experience processing.9 This model, known as the self-organization theory of dreaming, explains that dreaming is a side effect of brain neural activity as memories are consolidated during sleep.8 During this process of unconscious information redistribution, it is suggested that memories are either strengthened or weakened. According to the self-organization theory of dreaming, while we dream, helpful memories are made stronger, while less useful ones fade away. Research supports this theory, finding improvement in complex tasks when a person dreams about doing them. Studies also show that during REM sleep, low-frequency theta waves were more active in the frontal lobe, just like they are when people are learning, storing, and remembering information when awake.10 Dreams Spur Creativity Another theory about dreams says that their purpose is to help us solve problems. In this creativity theory of dreaming, the unconstrained, unconscious mind is free to wander its limitless potential while unburdened by the often stifling realities of the conscious world. In fact, research has shown dreaming to be an effective promoter of creative thinking.11 Scientific research and anecdotal evidence back up the fact that many people do successfully mine their dreams for inspiration and credit their dreams for their big "aha" moments. The ability to make unexpected connections between memories and ideas that appear in your dreams often proves to be an especially fertile ground for creativity. Dreams Reflect Your Life Under the continuity hypothesis, dreams function as a reflection of a person's real life, incorporating conscious experiences into their dreams.8 Rather than a straightforward replay of waking life, dreams show up as a patchwork of memory fragments. Still, studies show that non-REM sleep may be more involved with declarative memory (the more routine stuff), while REM dreams include more emotional and instructive memories.4 In general, REM dreams tend to be easier to recall compared to non-REM dreams. Under the continuity hypothesis, memories may be fragmented purposefully in our dreams as part of incorporating new learning and experiences into long-term memory.7 Still, there are many unanswered questions as to why some aspects of memories are featured more or less prominently in our dreams. Dreams Prepare and Protect The primitive instinct rehearsal and adaptive strategy theories of dreaming propose that we dream to better prepare ourselves to confront dangers in the real world. The dream as a social simulation function or threat simulation provides the dreamer a safe environment to practice important survival skills.12 While dreaming, we hone our fight-or-flight instincts and build mental capability for handling threatening scenarios. Under the threat simulation theory, our sleeping brains focus on the fight-or-flight mechanism to prep us for life-threatening and/or emotionally intense scenarios including: Running away from a pursuer Falling over a cliff Showing up somewhere naked Going to the bathroom in public Forgetting to study for a final exam This theory suggests that practicing or rehearsing these skills in our dreams gives us an evolutionary advantage in that we can better cope with or avoid threatening scenarios in the real world. This helps explain why so many dreams contain scary, dramatic, or intense content.13 Dreams Help Process Emotions The emotional regulation dream theory says that the function of dreams is to help us process and cope with our emotions or trauma in the safe space of slumber. Research shows that the amygdala, which is involved in processing emotions, and the hippocampus, which plays a vital role in condensing information and moving it from short-term to long-term memory storage, are active during vivid, intense dreaming. This illustrates a strong link between dreaming, memory storage, and emotional processing.3 This theory suggests that REM sleep plays a vital role in emotional brain regulation. It also helps explain why so many dreams are emotionally vivid and why emotional or traumatic experiences tend to show up on repeat. Research has shown a connection between the ability to process emotions and the amount of REM sleep a person gets.14 Content similarities and common dreams shared among dreamers may help promote connection. Research also notes heightened empathy among people who share their dreams with others, pointing to another way dreams can help us cope by promoting community and interpersonal support.15 Other Theories About Why We Dream Many other theories have been suggested to account for why we dream. One theory contends that dreams are the result of our brains trying to interpret external stimuli (such as a dog's bark, music, or a baby's cry) during sleep. Another theory uses a computer metaphor to account for dreams, noting that dreams serve to "clean up" clutter from the mind, refreshing the brain for the next day. The reverse-learning theory suggests that we dream to forget. Our brains have thousands of neural connections between memories—too many to remember them all—and that dreaming is part of "pruning" those connections.16 In the continual-activation theory, we dream to keep the brain active while we sleep, in order to keep it functioning properly.17 Lucid Dreaming Lucid dreams are relatively rare dreams where the dreamer has awareness of being in their dream and often has some control over the dream content. Research indicates that around 50% of people recall having had at least one lucid dream in their lifetime and just over 10% report having them two or more times per month.18 It is unknown why certain people experience lucid dreams more frequently than others. While experts are unclear as to why or how lucid dreaming occurs, preliminary research signals that the prefrontal and parietal regions of the brain play a significant role.19 How to Lucid Dream Many people covet lucid dreaming and seek to experience it more often. Lucid dreaming has been compared to virtual reality and hyper-realistic video games, giving lucid dreamers the ultimate self-directed dreamscape experience. Potential training methods for inducing lucid dreaming include cognitive training, external stimulation during sleep, and medications. While these methods may show some promise, none have been rigorously tested or shown to be effective.18 A strong link has been found between lucid dreaming and highly imaginative thinking and creative output. Research has shown that lucid dreamers perform better on creative tasks than those who do not experience lucid dreaming.20 Stress Dreams Stressful experiences tend to show up with great frequency in our dreams. Stress dreams may be described as sad, scary, and nightmarish. Experts do not fully understand how or why specific stressful content ends up in our dreams, but many point to a variety of theories, including the continuity hypothesis, adaptive strategy, and emotional regulation dream theories to explain these occurrences. Stress dreams and mental health seem to go hand-in-hand. Daily stress shows up in dreams: Research has shown that those who experience greater levels of worry in their waking lives and people diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) report higher frequency and intensity of nightmares.21 Mental health disorders may contribute to stress dreams: Those with mental health disorders such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, and depression tend to have more distressing dreams, as well as more difficulty sleeping in general. Anxiety is linked to stress dreams: Research indicates a strong connection between anxiety and stressful dream content.22 These dreams may be the brain's attempt to help us cope with and make sense of these stressful experiences. A Word From Verywell While there are many theories for why we dream, more research is needed to fully understand their purpose. Rather than assuming only one hypothesis is correct, dreams likely serve a variety of purposes. Knowing that so much is left uncertain about why we dream, we can feel free to view our own dreams in the light that resonates best with us. If you are concerned about your dreams and/or are having frequent nightmares, consider speaking to your doctor or consulting a sleep specialist. https://www.verywellmind.com/why-do-we-dream-top-dream-theories-2795931

The conclusion of the Alberta provincial election on Monday will herald yet another stage in the federal-provincial relationship, often characterized in recent years by either tense co-operation or outright opposition. Where political analysts in Alberta often talk about the province's three electoral "regions" — Edmonton, Calgary and rural areas — Ottawa has also been a point of focus throughout the campaign. Opposition to the federal government is a "baseline" for both of Alberta's major parties, Corey Hogan, a political commentator and strategist, said in an interview on CBC's The House that aired Saturday. "Certainly [NDP Leader] Rachel Notley has been more measured in her responses, but nobody's going to say during this election, in this province, 'I intend to be a nice, collaborative partner with Justin Trudeau's federal government,'" Hogan said. Danielle Smith, who leads the United Conservative Party, has sought to turn anti-Ottawa sentiment to her advantage throughout the campaign, looking to tie Notley, Trudeau and federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh together in the minds of voters. Notley meanwhile has looked to distance herself from her federal counterparts. The desire to be seen as the more moderate option was reflected in comments from New Democrat candidate Diana Batten, speaking on The House. "We are not the NDP of other days, and the Conservatives are not the Conservatives of other days, right? When I think about the Alberta NDP, we are not far left. We are almost centrist," Batten said. Beyond political positioning, Alberta's relationship with Ottawa has also been a key policy question for both the NDP and the UCP, with significant consequences depending on Monday's election results. If the UCP were to retain control of the legislature, said Lisa Young, a political science professor at the University of Calgary, it would likely focus on issues surrounding oil and gas, rather than such concerns as equalization payments. "I think it's going to be all about greenhouse gas emissions, climate legislation and Alberta and Saskatchewan's ability to develop natural resources. That's going to be the constitutional conversation, and I think it's going to be highly confrontational," Young said. Asked about the relationship with Ottawa during an event this week, Smith pivoted straight to energy. "I would say that one of the things we needed to do is that we needed to send a clear message to Ottawa that they have to respect our jurisdiction — and I think they are beginning to understand that, that they can't just waltz in and try to dictate to us how to manage our resources and how to to manage our power grid," she said. Leaders say they will stand up for Alberta Notley, meanwhile, said at a separate event this week that she has a record of standing up to the federal government while still getting results. "For all their hot air on this issue over the last many years, neither the [Progressive Conservatives] nor the UCP can point to a single pipeline to tidewater under their leadership," she said, referring to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. Young said New Democrats would be unlikely to engage on what have been called the UCP's "firewall" policies — including the creation of a provincial police force or a separate Alberta pension plan. Included in — and potentially enabling — some of those proposed policies is the Sovereignty Act, passed by Smith late last year. The controversial piece of legislation represents a challenge to federal power in the province, theoretically allowing Alberta to ignore federal laws. "Hopefully it's a piece of legislation that we don't have to use," said Rebecca Schulz, a UCP candidate who has served in the provincial cabinet since 2019. "We've seen our leader, Danielle Smith, working very collaboratively with the federal government when it comes to things like child care, health care. But there are areas where we disagree. We will always put Albertans, our livelihoods, our opportunities first." In an interview on Rosemary Barton Live airing Sunday, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek emphasized that the approach on issues such as environmental policy from here on should be a co-operative one. "So if the Sovereignty Act was intended to send a message, it has. Now we have to work in partnership and fix whatever solution the federal government wants to bring in to actually work for everyone. Political commentator Hogan said another Smith government would yield the potential for some "strange things" to happen in Alberta and a "continued collision" with Ottawa. "Watch out, because elections have consequences, and those consequences could be significant for Confederation." https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ottawa-federal-role-alberta-elections-1.6857343

A shrine in central Japan is defending a po[CENSORED]r ritual that often sees the horses taking part mistreated or injured. Animal rights activists say its about tourism and money, not history. Japanese animal rights campaigners believe they have finally made a breakthrough in their long-running campaign to halt an annual festival in which horses are often seriously injured as they attempt to leap over a high earthen embankment. This year's event took place on May 4 and 5 in the town of Kuwana, in rural Mie Prefecture, in central Japan. And as in years gone by, one of the horses fell awkwardly as its rider attempted to force it along the 100-meter track and then up and over the 2-meter embankment leading to the Tado Taisha Shinto shrine. The horse broke a leg and had to be euthanized where it fell. "It is cruel and it is unnecessary but the shrine defends the event by claiming it's a tradition," said Yuki Arawaka, a spokesperson for the animal rights organization Life Investigation Agency. 'Rising horses' festival The shrine is believed to have been founded around 1,200 years ago and, as northern Mie is a rural area, horses have long been a key part of the community. In years gone by, horses were believed to serve as messengers between local people and the gods. The "Ageuma" festival, meaning "rising horses," can be traced back to around 680 years ago. There is evidence to suggest that originally the festival involved townspeople parading through the streets in elaborate costumes and on horseback before arriving at the shrine to pray for a good harvest. More recently, however, the festival has changed to make it a more spectacular occasion, its critics charge, with the addition of the earthen wall that the horses need to negotiate. This year — the first time in three years the festival could be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic — six young men aged between 16 and 29 were selected from the different districts of the town, each making three attempts on the course. Only three horses successfully scaled the embankment. "The shrine says this is a tradition that goes back hundreds of years, but there is evidence that they have added the section with the embankment to make it harder for the horses and more exciting, with the main aim being to attract more tourists, so the town can make more money," Arawaka told DW. Keiko Yamazaki, founder of the "Go" animal study group and a board member of The Japanese Coalition for Animal Welfare, agrees the event has been altered to make it into a "spectacle." "The shrine says it has a long history and is an important part of the local culture, and we agree on that," she said. "We do not want to change the town's cultural heritage, but the earthen embankment was only added since the end of the war so that is not part of the original festival." Animal rights organizations have been expressing their concerns about the festival for more than a decade, with Yamazaki agreeing that conditions have actually improved in recent years. Abuse of festival horses "In the past, they would dope the horses, rub the horses' noses with an abrasive material to get their adrenaline pumping and whip them so hard that it would leave visible scars,” she said. "We lobbied hard against that mistreatment and we have been successful. But there have been many years when horses have died." Protesters have also pursued legal avenues to try to halt the most abusive elements of the festival, said Chihiro Okada, an official of Animal Rights Center, Japan. "We feel that the treatment of the horses contravenes Japanese animal welfare laws and that explaining this away as a 'tradition' is not a good enough explanation," she said. Two legal challenges have been turned down by local prosecutors. An official of the Kuwana City Hall said complaints have been coming in about the event since around 2004, with messages against the festival "from many people" this year. The official pointed out, however, that the city "has no authority" over the shrine's festival. In a statement, the shrine confirmed it had "received various opinions" about the event but claimed the horses that had taken part had all received "appropriate treatment" in compliance with animal welfare laws. It added that horses had been "lovingly cared for day and night" in the run-up to the festival. It denied suggestions that the horses had been whipped or beaten to encourage them, adding that officials had been "puzzled" at the reports. The statement also demanded that people using social media stop "slandering" the event. Change in the air Despite the shrine's denials, campaigners say change is certainly in the air. "Suddenly, this year, the outcry has been very loud," said Yamazaki. "Images from the event have gone out on social media sites and it has damaged the image of animal welfare in Japan." Yuki Arawaka agrees. "The euthanizing of a horse this year has outraged the public," she said. "The images are all over social media, the story has been picked up by mainstream media in Japan and people now know just how cruel this event is." "Never before has there been so much anger aimed at the event," she added. "And that suggests to me that this is the beginning of the end for the festival." https://www.dw.com/en/japan-animal-rights-activists-condemn-centuries-old-ritual/a-65745176

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior was among 23 players named in Brazil’s squad on Sunday for friendlies against Guinea and Senegal next month, his first national team call up after being racially abused in a match at Valencia earlier this month. The games against the two African countries are part of an anti-racism campaign by Brazil in support of 22-year-old Vinicius Jr, who last week suffered racist insults from fans -the 10th time this season he has been abused in LaLiga. Five-time world champions Brazil will face Guinea in Barcelona on June 17 and Senegal in Lisbon three days later. The squad announced by acting Brazil manager Ramon Menezes also features four players who have been called up for the first time, including Newcastle United midfielder Joelinton. “There is always room in the national team for players performing well,” Menezes, who coaches the Under-20 team currently playing at the World Cup in Argentina, told a press conference. “But you’ll notice that in every position there are players who played at the World Cup, which is important so they can provide support for those who are being called up for the first time.” Defenders Vanderson, Nino and Ayrton Lucas are the other players called up for the first time. Menezes has been acting manager since Tite left the national team after the World Cup. The Brazilian FA has been eyeing Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti to take the post, but the Italian has said he will honour the last year of his club contract. Squad: Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Manchester City), Weverton (Palmeiras) Defenders: Danilo (Juventus), Vanderson (Monaco), Alex Telles (Sevilla), Ayrton Lucas (Flamengo), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Paris St Germain), Ibanez (Roma), Nino (Fluminense) Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton (both Newcastle United), Andre (Fluminense), Casemiro (Manchester United), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham United), Raphael Veiga (Palmeiras) https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/football/vinicius-jr-joelinton-in-brazil-squad-for-june-friendlies-8633930/

The Inflation Reduction Act has escalated a race for state-backed subsidies that risks leaving the U.K. adrift, struggling to match the kind of money on offer elsewhere to spur the EV transition. Washington in northeast England likes to boast of its U.S. connections. George Washington's ancestral home lies at the heart of the old village; the family coat of arms greets visitors to the municipality; even the local golf club is named after the first U.S. president. Yet for all the historic affinities, government actions in the U.S. capital now pose a threat to the economic lifeblood of its diminutive English namesake. Up the road from Washington is the U.K.'s largest car plant, run by Nissan Motor. How long that can remain viable is unclear as a result of President Joe Biden's policies that are upending the auto industry from Germany to South Korea. At the heart of Biden's new industrial policy sits the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which envisages $369 billion of government support for clean technologies including electric vehicles and the batteries that power them. It's escalated a race for state-backed subsidies that risks leaving the U.K. adrift, struggling to match the kind of money on offer elsewhere to spur the transition, while exposing ongoing post-Brexit frictions over access to its main European Union market. Already the signs are ominous. As of mid-March, European battery cell manufacturers had announced plans to add 581 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of production capacity on the continent, according to BloombergNEF, which researches the energy transition. Add in non-European battery makers, and the figure rises to some 1,100 GWh by 2026. The U.K. equivalent so far is about 12 GWh at a single site: a so-called gigafactory that Nissan is building near Washington. The government has offered subsidies for a further battery plant at a new Jaguar Land Rover site in southwest England and an announcement could be imminent. Yet conversations with current and former British auto executives reveal a sense of alarm at how the U.K. government has dawdled in the face of overwhelming competition. They point to a damaging series of errors and handicaps that have undermined the industry over years, from high energy costs and a supply chain that's overly dependent on China to a lack of the political and economic stability that companies need to make key business decisions. https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/bidens-ev-policies-put-uk-auto-industry-serious-risk?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D00502142149112038072749601615316882073|MCORGID%3D138FFF2554E6E7220A4C98C6%40AdobeOrg|TS%3D1685303823&CSAuthResp=1%3A%3A1493454%3A20608%3A24%3Asuccess%3A1E8DB2AA4762712A7CDE858D7FDE3888

Fashion enthusiasts were treated to a rare event amidst the current scarcity of fashion shows due to the ongoing Covid pandemic. The Karachi Expo recently hosted Texpo, also known as Textiles Expo, where renowned Pakistani designers took the stage to showcase their exquisite collections. Showstopping moments, often associated with the power of celebrities, have become a staple in the fashion industry. This trend was evident at the Bridal Couture Week, where notable personalities graced the runway for various designers. The latest edition featured Sonya Hussyn walking for Deepak Perwani, and Faryal Mehmood strutting her stuff for Rizwan Beyg. Both celebrities flawlessly carried their ensembles and successfully fulfilled their roles, garnering immense attention and making their appearances go viral. Sonya Hussyn captivated onlookers as she channeled the iconic Frida Kahlo in her ensemble. Adorned with a crown of flowers atop her head, she donned an exquisite dress while delivering a captivating theatrical performance that perfectly encapsulated the essence of the designer’s vision. The moment Sonya made her grand entrance, the internet erupted with a flurry of commentary and admiration for her bold and artistic portrayal. Meanwhile, Faryal Mehmood showcased her elegance in a stunning white attire designed by Rizwan Beyg. Her ethereal presence on the runway added a touch of grace and sophistication to the show. As she gracefully maneuvered through the venue, Faryal effortlessly captured the audience’s attention and left a lasting impression. The fashion event at Karachi Expo brought a glimmer of joy and excitement to the industry, serving as a reminder of the artistry and creativity that continues to thrive amidst challenging times. The striking looks and impeccable walks of Sonya Hussyn and Faryal Mehmood served as a testament to the enduring allure of fashion and its ability to inspire and captivate audiences. https://www.samaaenglish.tv/news/40036864/lifestyle-sonya-hussyn-and-faryal-mehmood-steal-the-show-at-texpo

Two Olympic wrestlers have been detained by police in India during the latest protest against the alleged sexual abuse of female athletes. Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik were among those trying to march to Delhi's new parliament on Sunday. They were stopped by hundreds of police, who were on duty for the building's inauguration. Footage showed protesters climbing over barricades and being carried away by the authorities. Two-time World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat and her sister Sangeeta were also among the country's top wrestlers to be detained. "This is wrong," Ms Malik told reporters after she had been placed on a bus by the authorities. "We were walking quietly, they dragged us forcefully and detained us and they're not even telling us where we will be taken." "Our people are not being allowed to march," said Mr Phogat, adding that the protesters "requested with folded hands" that police let them go and that they would go peacefully. The incident happened as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was officially opening the new parliament nearby, which has replaced the British-era building. Most opposition parties boycotted the ceremony after criticising the government for not asking President Droupadi Murmu, who is head of state, to open it. Police claimed the protesting wrestlers had not followed their directions and that they had detained those who had tried to break the barricades. "They broke the law," Delhi's Special Commissioner of Police, Dependra Pathak told local media. "Regarding further action, we would ascertain what rules have been violated and then take action by following due legal process." The police also removed tents and other items from the site where the protesters have been camped out for weeks. Their handling of the march has been criticised by a number of opposition politicians. "Strongly condemn the way Delhi Police manhandled Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and other wrestlers," tweeted West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from the All India Trinamool Congress party. "It's shameful our champions are treated in this manner." Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is from the Aam Aadmi Party, called the police's behaviour "very wrong and condemnable". Ms Malik - the first Indian woman to win an Olympic wrestling medal in 2016 - later tweeted that once she and her fellow protesters were released they would begin their "satyagraha", a form of non-violent resistance, again. The demonstrators accuse wrestling officials of sexually harassing women in the sport. That includes the head of its governing body, Brij Bhushan Singh, who denies the claims. Their protests began in January but were called off the same month after Mr Singh was stripped of his administrative powers by the sports ministry and the government promised to investigate their complaints. The wrestlers restarted their protests in April, calling for his arrest. Earlier this month, they claimed they were abused and assaulted by Delhi police. The Indian Olympic Association set up a committee to investigate the allegations against Mr Singh, which submitted its report weeks ago. The committee's findings haven't been revealed yet. Police in Delhi were also on guard on Sunday as a group of farmers tried to enter the city to support the wrestlers. That was after dozens of farmers broke down police barricades in Delhi to join another protest earlier this month. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65739465

At around 1 a.m. on 27 December 2007 Benazir Bhutto was told someone would try to kill her that day. The warning came from no lesser a source than the director general of Pakistan’s main intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Despite the late hour, Lieutenant General Nadeem Taj, the second most powerful man in the country after the army chief, was so sure of his information that he travelled to her home in Islamabad to deliver the message in person. General Taj told her that suicide bombers would target her before, during or after an election rally she would be addressing in Rawalpindi. Suspicious that he was trying to trick her into cancelling the event, Benazir told Taj that, if he knew about some suicide bombers, he should arrest them. That was impossible, Taj replied, because it would expose his sources. ‘Giving me security is the responsibility of the state,’ Benazir insisted. ‘You beef up security and make sure that I’m fully protected. Not only I’m protected, but my people who are there, they’re fully protected.’ Taj said he would do his best. As General Taj and Benazir were speaking, her assassins were making their final preparations. A Taliban handler, Nasrullah, had arrived in Rawalpindi shortly after midnight, bringing with him two fifteen-year-old boys, Bilal and Ikramullah. According to the rituals they had learnt in the suicide bomb facility where they had been trained, the boys had to bathe to ensure they were clean for when they entered paradise. As they prepared for martyrdom, two more handlers, named in the eventual trial as Husnain Gul and Rafaqat Hussain, went to Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Park, where the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) rally was due to be held, to check nothing would upset their plans. The police were already setting up metal detectors at each of the three gates to the park, but since the plan was to attack her as she left the rally, that didn’t matter. Satisfied that they could do it, the two young men returned and gave a pistol with live rounds to Bilal and a hand grenade to Ikramullah. As Bilal put his suicide jacket on, he took off a shawl and cap, which he left at Husnain Gul’s house. Although the state would later ignore the evidence, the clothes and the DNA left on them would provide what could be considered irrefutable proof about the identities of the conspirators. Husnain then advised Bilal to wearsomething other than training shoes, as the security forces had the idea thatjihadis wore trainers and might pick him up. He put on some sandals and left his trainers behind as well. After some prayers, Husnain took Bilal to the exit gate they thought Benazir would use, while Rafaqat took Ikramullah to another gate in case she used a different route. Shortly after she got up, Benazir phoned her family in Dubai. ‘Your voice is going hoarse,’ her son Bilawal told her. ‘You have to make sure you drink your lemon and honey.’ She then spoke to her husband Asif Zardari. ‘I told her not to go out . . . She said, you know, some things I have to do,’ he later recalled. It was the last time she would speak to either of them. Her attitude was in part a reflection of her fatalism. ‘I believe that the time is written and when it comes it will come,’ she once said. ‘I used to be scared of death but after my father’s death I was no longer scared . . . The body is just the clothing and it is the soul that is important and the soul is free and with God and not under 6 feet of earth.’ Next, she went to a meeting with the Afghan leader Hamid Karzai in an Islamabad hotel. It has often been reported that he warned her that she was about to be attacked, but in fact, he says, they just discussed the threat she faced in general terms. Benazir’s convoy set off for Rawalpindi at around midday. She reached the park and was rushed up onto the stage. In front of her were 10,000 people, and she spoke for around half an hour, proclaiming her attachment to dynastic politics. Referring to herself twice as ‘the daughter of Zulfikar’, she invoked her father’s name no fewer than seventeen times. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, she told the crowd, found his greatness struggling against military dictators. By founding the PPP, he had placed his trust in the Pakistani people and had thereby been empowered to build the nuclear bomb and make Pakistan a great nation. And despite all these achievements he had been hanged. ‘Long live Benazir!’ the crowd roared back. ‘Benazir, Prime Minister!’ The speeches over, she got into her bulletproof Toyota. As normal, her supporters surrounded it, and by the time the vehicle moved onto the road just outside the park it was almost at a standstill. Two of Benazir’s guards climbed onto the rear bumper, while others went to the front and the sides. ‘I should stand up,’ Benazir said. As normal, she stood on the back seat, her head and shoulders sticking out of the emergency hatch above the roof. It was ten past five in the afternoon. Having waited all day, Bilal saw that his moment had come. He moved first to the front of the car and then to the side where there were fewer people, took out his pistol and pointed it at Benazir’s head. One of the guards clawed at the young man but, although he touched his arm, he was slightly too far away to get a firm grip. Bilal fired three shots in less than a second. As the second shot rang out, Benazir’s headscarf, or dupatta, moved away from her face. After the third, she fell like a stone, through the escape hatch, into the vehicle. As she did so, Bilal set off his suicide bomb. ‘I turned my face and she was on my lap,’ recalled Naheed Khan, who had been sitting on the car’s back seat, beside Benazir. ‘And her blood was oozing like I can’t explain to you. I have no words to say. Her blood was oozing. My hands, my – she was soaked in blood. My whole clothes were soaked in blood.’ Naheed Khan’s medically trained husband, Dr Safdar Abbasi, was also in the vehicle. ‘You know, I was trying to see her pulse and I was finding it very difficult, you know, to get to her pulse. But naturally, we had to take her to hospital. By that time, you know, the Jeep was all alone. There was no police car. There was no backup car.’ There was no backup car because, inexplicably, Benazir’s security chief, Rehman Malik, had driven away. He later gave a bewildering number of different accounts of his actions in those moments. In a TV interview shortly after the blast he said his car had been just 4 feet away from Benazir’s vehicle when Bilal had blown himself up. He claimed he then led Benazir’s car to the hospital and remained there. In a different interview shortly afterwards, he said that his car was moving in front of Benazir’s and that immediately after the bomb went off they accelerated, fearing another attack. Initially Benazir followed, but, after some time, they saw that Benazir’s car was no longer behind them; so they did a U-turn and returned. Both accounts – and other versions he gave – were completely untrue. In fact, Rehman Malik, together with others who were sharing his car, simply left the scene and headed for Islamabad. A decade later, when asked why he had done this, Malik said he had been following police instructions. Another occupant of the car, Benazir’s longstanding and famously loyal spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, gave a similar account, although he added that allowing himself to be driven away that day was the greatest regret of his life. https://yalebooks.yale.edu/2021/02/05/the-assassination-of-benazir-bhutto/

Money is any item or medium of exchange that is accepted by people for the payment of goods and services, as well as the repayment of loans. Money makes the world go 'round. Economies rely on money to facilitate transactions and to power financial growth. Typically, it is economists who define money, where it comes from, and what it's worth. Here are the multifaceted characteristics of money. KEY TAKEAWAYS Money is a medium of exchange; it allows people and businesses to obtain what they need to live and thrive. Bartering was one way that people exchanged goods for other goods before money was created. Like gold and other precious metals, money has worth because for most people it represents something valuable. Fiat money is government-issued currency that is not backed by a physical commodity but by the stability of the issuing government. Above all, money is a unit of account - a socially accepted standard unit with which things are priced. Medium of Exchange Before the development of a medium of exchange—that is, money—people would barter to obtain the goods and services they needed. Two individuals, each possessing some goods the other wanted, would enter into an agreement to trade. Early forms of bartering, however, do not provide the transferability and divisibility that makes trading efficient. For instance, if someone has cows but needs bananas, they must find someone who not only has bananas but also the desire for meat. What if that individual finds someone who has the need for meat but no bananas and can only offer potatoes? To get meat, that person must find someone who has bananas and wants potatoes, and so on. The lack of transferability of bartering for goods is tiring, confusing, and inefficient. But that is not where the problems end; even if the person finds someone with whom to trade meat for bananas, they may not consider a bunch of bananas to be worth a whole cow. Such a trade requires coming to an agreement and devising a way to determine how many bananas are worth certain parts of the cow. Commodity money solved these problems. Commodity money is a type of good that functions as currency. In the 17th and early 18th centuries, for example, American colonists used beaver pelts and dried corn in transactions.1 Possessing generally accepted values, these commodities were used to buy and sell other things. The commodities used for trade had certain characteristics: they were widely desired and, therefore, valuable, but they were also durable, portable, and easily stored. Another, more advanced example of commodity money is a precious metal such as gold. For centuries, gold was used to back paper currency—up until the 1970s.2 In the case of the U.S. dollar, for example, this meant that foreign governments were able to take their dollars and exchange them at a specified rate for gold with the U.S. Federal Reserve. What's interesting is that, unlike the beaver pelts and dried corn (which can be used for clothing and food, respectively), gold is precious purely because people want it. It is not necessarily useful—you can't eat gold, and it won't keep you warm at night, but the majority of people think it is beautiful, and they know others think it is beautiful. So, gold is something that has worth. Gold, therefore, serves as a physical token of wealth based on people's perceptions. This relationship between money and gold provides insight into how money gains its value—as a representation of something valuable. Impressions Create Everything The second type of money is fiat money, which does not require backing by a physical commodity. Instead, the value of fiat currencies is set by supply and demand and people's faith in its worth. Fiat money developed because gold was a scarce resource, and rapidly growing economies growing couldn't always mine enough to back their currency supply requirements.34 For a booming economy, the need for gold to give money value is extremely inefficient, especially when its value is really created by people's perceptions. Fiat money becomes the token of people's perception of worth, the basis for why money is created. An economy that is growing is apparently succeeding in producing other things that are valuable to itself and other economies. The stronger the economy, the stronger its money will be perceived (and sought after) and vice versa. However, people's perceptions must be supported by an economy that can produce the products and services that people want. For example, in 1971, the U.S. dollar was taken off the gold standard—the dollar was no longer redeemable in gold, and the price of gold was no longer fixed to any dollar amount.5 This meant that it was now possible to create more paper money than there was gold to back it; the health of the U.S. economy backed the dollar's value. If the economy stalls, the value of the U.S. dollar will drop both domestically through inflation and internationally through currency exchange rates. The implosion of the U.S. economy would plunge the world into a financial dark age, so many other countries and entities are working tirelessly to ensure that never happens. Today, the value of money (not just the dollar, but most currencies) is decided purely by its purchasing power, as dictated by inflation.6 That is why simply printing new money will not create wealth for a country. Money is created by a kind of a perpetual interaction between real, tangible things, our desire for them, and our abstract faith in what has value. Money is valuable because we want it, but we want it only because it can get us a desired product or service. How Is Money Measured? But exactly how much money is out there, and what forms does it take? Economists and investors ask this question to determine whether there is inflation or deflation. Money is separated into three categories so that it is more discernible for measurement purposes: M1 – This category of money includes all physical denominations of coins and currency; demand deposits, which are checking accounts and NOW accounts; and travelers' checks. This category of money is the narrowest of the three, and is essentially the money used to buy things and make payments (see the "active money" section below).7 M2 – With broader criteria, this category adds all the money found in M1 to all time-related deposits, savings accounts deposits, and non-institutional money market funds. This category represents money that can be readily transferred into cash.8 M3 – The broadest class of money, M3 combines all money found in the M2 definition and adds to it all large time deposits, institutional money market funds, short-term repurchase agreements, along with other larger liquid assets.9 M3 indicates a country's money supply or the total amount of money within an economy. Active Money The M1 category includes what's known as active money—the total value of coins and paper currency in circulation.7 The amount of active money fluctuates seasonally, monthly, weekly, and daily. In the United States, Federal Reserve Banks distribute new currency for the U.S. Treasury Department.10 Banks lend money out to customers, which becomes active money once it is actively circulated. The variable demand for cash equates to a constantly fluctuating active money total. For example, people typically cash paychecks or withdraw from ATMs over the weekend, so there is more active cash on a Monday than on a Friday. The public demand for cash declines at certain times—following the December holiday season, for example.11 How Money Is Created We have discussed why and how money, a representation of perceived value, is created in the economy, but another important factor concerning money and the economy is how a country's central bank (the central bank in the United States is the Federal Reserve or the Fed) can influence and mani[CENSORED]te the money supply. If the Fed wants to increase the amount of money in circulation, perhaps to boost economic activity, the central bank can, of course, print it. However, the physical bills are only a small part of the money supply. Another way for the central bank to increase the money supply is to buy government fixed-income securities in the market. When the central bank buys these government securities, it puts money into the marketplace, and effectively into the hands of the public. How does a central bank such as the Fed pay for this? As strange as it sounds, the central bank simply creates the money and transfers it to those selling the securities.12 Alternatively, the Fed can lower interest rates allowing banks to extend low-cost loans or credit—a phenomenon known as cheap money—and encouraging businesses and individuals to borrow and spend. To shrink the money supply, perhaps to reduce inflation, the central bank does the opposite and sells government securities. The money with which the buyer pays the central bank is essentially taken out of circulation. Keep in mind that we are generalizing in this example to keep things simple. Remember, as long as people have faith in the currency, a central bank can issue more of it. But if the Fed issues too much money, the value will go down, as with anything that has a higher supply than demand. Therefore, the central bank cannot simply print money as it wants. The History of American Money Currency Wars In the 17th century, Great Britain was determined to keep control of both the American colonies and the natural resources they controlled. To do this, the British limited the money supply and made it illegal for the colonies to mint coins of their own. Instead, the colonies were forced to trade using English bills of exchange that could only be redeemed for English goods. Colonists were paid for their goods with these same bills, effectively cutting them off from trading with other countries.13 In response, the colonies regressed to a barter system using ammunition, tobacco, nails, pelts, and anything else that could be traded. Colonists also gathered whatever foreign currencies they could, the most po[CENSORED]r being the large, silver Spanish dollars. These were called pieces of eight because, when you had to make change, you pulled out your knife and hacked it into eight bits. From this, we have the expression "two bits," meaning a quarter of a dollar.13 Massachusetts Money Massachusetts was the first colony to defy the mother country. In 1652, the state minted its own silver coins including the Oak Tree and Pine Tree shillings. The state circumvented the British law stating that only the monarch of the British empire could issue coins by dating all their coins in 1652, a period when there was no monarch. In 1690, Massachusetts also issued the first paper money calling it bills of credit.13 Tensions between America and Britain continued to mount until the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775. The colonial leaders declared independence and created a new currency called Continentals to finance their side of the war. Unfortunately, each government printed as much money as it needed without backing it to any standard or asset, so the Continentals experienced rapid inflation and became worthless. This experience discouraged the American government from using paper money for almost a century.13 Aftermath of the Revolution The chaos from the Revolutionary War left the new nation's monetary system a complete wreck. Most of the currencies in the newly formed United States of America were useless. The problem wasn't resolved until 13 years later in 1788 when Congress was granted constitutional powers to coin money and regulate its value. Congress established a national monetary system and created the dollar as the main unit of money.14 There was also a bimetallic standard, meaning that both silver and gold could be valued in and used to back paper dollars.15 It took years to get all the foreign coins and competing for state currencies out of circulation. Bank notes had been in circulation all the time, but because banks issued more notes than they had coin to cover, these notes often traded at less than face value.16 Eventually, the United States was ready to try paper money again. In the 1860s, the U.S. government created more than $400 million in legal tender to finance its battle against the Confederacy in the American Civil War. These were called greenbacks because their backs were printed in green. The government-backed this currency and stated that it could be used to pay back both public and private debts. The value did, however, fluctuate according to the North's success or failure at certain stages in the war.17 Aftermath of the Civil War In February 1863, the U.S. Congress passed the National Bank Act. This act established a monetary system whereby national banks issued notes backed by U.S. government bonds. The U.S. Treasury then worked to get state bank notes out of circulation so that the national bank notes would become the only currency.18 During this period of rebuilding, there was debate over the bimetallic standard. Some advocated using just silver to back the dollar, others advocated for gold. The situation was resolved in 1900 when the Gold Standard Act was passed, which made gold the sole backing for the dollar. This backing meant that, in theory, you could take your paper money and exchange it for the corresponding value in gold. In 1913, the Federal Reserve was created and given the power to steer the economy by controlling the money supply and interest rates on loans.19 The Bottom Line Money has changed substantially since the days of shells and skins, but its main function hasn't changed at all. Regardless of what form it takes, money offers us a medium of exchange for goods and services and allows the economy to grow as transactions can be completed at greater speeds. https://www.investopedia.com/insights/what-is-money/

Education plays a crucial role in shaping the future of societies and individuals. To ensure the holistic development of students and prepare them for the new age challenges, now is the time to incorporate and implement progressive educational policies into the institutional curriculum. The New Education Policy (NEP) implemented by the Government of India is a a significant and commendable step towards improving the country's education system, with the potential for tremendous outcome. But, I believe more possibilities can be explored to enhance the education system to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary for success in this rapidly changing world. Following are a few measures that can add value to the system. 1. Holistic Development: Incorporating a holistic approach in education policies entails integrating physical, emotional, and social aspects into the curriculum while focusing on traditional academic achievements. This can be achieved by paying attention to extra-curricular activities, opportunities for personal development, and promoting social and emotional skills like empathy, resilience, and teamwork. 2. STEM Education: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education has become extremely important in today’s world. Implementing STEM policies into the system helps students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. A deep understanding of STEM subjects creates critical thinkers, increases science literacy and gives rise to the next generation of innovators. 3. Digital Literacy: In today’s advanced world, digital knowledge is an essential skill for all. Policies that encourage digital literacy in the curriculum can empower students to sail through digital platforms effectively and make the most of them to elevate their learning experiences. Integrating technical skills like coding, data analysis, or digital literacy courses can help students prepare for the new digital age. 4. Environment Awareness and Sustainability: The emerging environmental problems need no introduction. Students should not only be made aware of the environmental issues but also be taught about the various solutions they can be a part of. They should be encouraged to brainstorm and become the creators of sustainable solutions. 5. Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy: In the world of dynamic business opportunities waiting out there, it is important to prepare students for the pool of entrepreneurial ventures, and thus, policies promoting entrepreneurship and financial literacy become crucial. Integrating such policies into the curriculum can nurture students’ ability to think broadly, and enhance their financial management skills. 6. Train the Trainers: Learning never stops, especially in the fast-paced world we live in. Things today are volatile, and what may be new today might become outdated tomorrow. Educators need to continually educate themselves so that they can impart knowledge to students in the best possible manner. Institutions should provide regular training programs for teachers to enhance their pedagogical skills, technological proficiency, and subject knowledge. Teachers should be encouraged to adopt innovative teaching methods, actively engage students, and adapt to changing educational trends. In order to equip students with the skills and knowledge required to excel in this fast-growing world, it is important to implement progressive educational policies in the institutional curriculum. By emphasising on holistic development, STEM education, environmental awareness, and digital and financial literacy, students can be prepared to thrive in this fast-evolving world. It is important for decision-makers to implement such policies in order to foster an educational system that promotes the holistic development of a child, and not only focuses on academics. https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-transforming-education-key-reform-policies-to-strengthen-the-education-system-596733

Renault's de Meo criticized European lawmakers for proposing a new regulation for combustion engine pollutants that would distract the industry from going all-electric. MILAN -- Renault CEO Luca de Meo said the European Union's proposed Euro 7 emissions rules for vehicles would distract the auto industry from its path to electrification and thanked the Italian government for opposing them. EU countries and lawmakers are due this year to negotiate proposed new Euro 7 legislation that tightens vehicle emission limits for pollutants including nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide and is designed to apply to cars and vans from July 2025 and to buses and trucks two years later. At the same time, the European Commission has set a 2035 deadline for phasing out production of fossil fuel cars, although it recently introduced an exemption for those vehicles running on e-fuels. "They want to introduce a new regulation which would distract us from our mission to transform the industry," de Meo said. "This would require us to put a lot of money on things which have no future, so I wish the European Union could review its intentions" to approve the Euro 7 regulation in the way that is currently proposed. De Meo, an Italian national who is also president of European auto lobby group ACEA, was speaking remotely at an event in Trento, Italy, on Friday. De Meo said that in its battle against Euro 7 regulation the ACEA was aligned with the Italian government. "Italy has taken a very clear position on this and we thank it for its support," he said. Earlier this month, Italy's Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said Italy and allies in the EU "have the numbers" to block the Euro 7 regulation. https://europe.autonews.com/environmentemissions/renault-ceo-says-euro-7-regulation-distracting-industry-electrification

Real Madrid have been offered the chance to sign Tottenham striker Harry Kane this summer in a deal that could see Eden Hazard go the other way.Liverpool are set to miss out on at least £50m in prize money and participation fees because of their fifth-place Premier League finish.Former Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has claimed the London side are the only one of his former clubs with whom he doesn't have a connection, saying his bonds elsewhere are because "people are not stupid". Alex Iwobi has revealed the struggles which Dele Alli faced during his time with Everton, explaining how the former Tottenham man's training ground efforts were his downfall on Merseyside. Wrexham's home will no longer be known as The Racecourse Ground from July 1, after co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney announced a new stadium sponsorship deal. Sheikh Jassim will reportedly make an ambitious move to sign Kylian Mbappe if he takes over Manchester United this summer. Pep Guardiola will take on bitter rivals Liverpool in the summer scrap to land World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister. Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing Neymar and Harry Kane in a huge summer transfer window inspired by Real Madrid's famous 'Galacticos'. THE SUN Manchester United have been handed a major injury scare ahead of the FA Cup final, with Antony stretchered from the field in tears and Luke Shaw forced off injured during Thursday's victory over Chelsea. Manchester United are "on the brink" of signing Napoli centre-back Min-Jae Kim, reports suggest. Graham Potter is reportedly being linked with a return to management with Ligue 1 side Nice. Manchester United's pursuit of Mason Mount is set to trigger a transfer merry-go-round. Paris Saint-Germain are likely to sack manager Christophe Galtier and enter the race for Luis Enrique, according to reports. David Brooks will cap his recovery from cancer with a Wales call-up next week. Bayern Munich could still put the block on Lucas Hernandez's exit - despite reports he has agreed terms with Paris Saint-Germain. Arsenal and Tottenham are keen on signing promising young centre-back Edmond Tapsoba, according to reports. Luton have unveiled stunning design plans for their new-look stadium fit for the Premier League. THE ATHLETIC Southampton are set to make club-wide cuts including job redundancies following relegation to the Championship. Brazilian defender Rafaelle Souza will leave Arsenal this summer after 18 months at the club. Leeds United will face Manchester United in a pre-season game in Oslo. Jules Kounde has insisted he wants to stay at Barcelona this summer. West Ham United have put on a plane for family and friends of players travelling to their Europa Conference League final in Prague in two weeks' time. DAILY MAIL West Ham's hope of sparking a bidding war for captain Declan Rice is becoming a reality after Manchester United joined the race to land the England international. Police have concluded their investigation into allegations of a break-in that sent Raheem Sterling home from the World Cup, without making any arrests. Chelsea have reportedly informed Sporting Lisbon that they are prepared to pay Manuel Ugarte's £52m release clause, as the Blues make a last-ditch effort to beat Paris Saint-Germain to his signature. Nottingham Forest are ready to launch a summer move for Southampton striker Che Adams, according to reports. Former Chelsea star Oscar has opened the door for a shock return to the club, by claiming he 'dreams' to play for the Blues again. Vinicius Junior could be set for a sensational return to Nike having only left the American giants in February, according to reports. Sale's uncapped wing Tom Roebuck will go into the Premiership Final at Twickenham on Saturday as the subject of a cross-border tug of war between England and Scotland to secure his services. THE GUARDIAN Javier Tebas has said La Liga should "certainly" consider docking points from clubs whose fans engage in racist behaviour, as he sought to regain control of the crisis that has engulfed Spanish football over the continued abuse of Vinícius Júnior. THE TIMES Chelsea and Liverpool are monitoring the situation of Romeo Lavia, but Manchester City, his former club, are not in the running to sign the Southampton midfielder. Tottenham Hotspur have been forced to widen their managerial search to include Celtic's Ange Postecoglou after Arne Slot sent their hunt for Antonio Conte's successor back to square one. Pepe Reina, the former Liverpool goalkeeper, has told Vinícius Jr he must be "more mature in his behaviour" after the Real Madrid winger was racially abused on Sunday. The Mayor of London has committed millions to refurbishing the decaying National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace, with a short-term spending plan and a longer-term commitment to a "once-in-a-generation redevelopment" of the historic site. DAILY TELEGRAPH Sam Allardyce, the Leeds manager, has moved his squad's training away from their Thorp Arch base to the Elland Road pitch this week in a last-ditch attempt to inspire the victory needed to have any chance of survival. England are racing to reform their central contract system after Jason Roy became the first England player to withdraw from a national contract to play in America, sparking fears that more could follow. Yorkshire are hopeful of shaking hands on a £20m investment deal next week, with Saudi Arabia ready to swoop if talks with leading contenders stall at the 11th hour. EVENING STANDARD Mason Mount is preparing to say his goodbyes to Chelsea supporters at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with the midfielder increasingly likely to leave his boyhood club this summer. DAILY RECORD Chris Wilder is still interested in the Hearts job - despite claims he was hell-bent on staying in England. Rijeka striker Matija Frigan has been linked with a move to Rangers - but the player's agent has revealed he has not received any offers going into the summer window. Everton have begun a search for a new manager in the expectation that the club will retain its Premier League status in Sunday's final round of fixtures. Graeme Shinnie wants to return to Aberdeen next season and lead them back into Europe. SCOTTISH SUN Rangers are on the trail of Troyes striker Ike Ugbo. Steven MacLean is set to become St Johnstone's new boss. https://www.skysports.com/football/transfer-paper-talk/12709/12889598/tottenham-offer-real-madrid-chance-to-sign-harry-kane-but-want-eden-hazard-in-return-paper-talk

Saudi Arabia and Canada have both announced that they will resume diplomatic relations, ending a bitter 2018 dispute over human rights. In separate statements, the two countries said they would “restore the level of diplomatic relations” that had been in place prior to the 2018 spat. Each side will also appoint a new ambassador. Saudi Arabia has yet to announce its selection, while Canada named Jean-Philippe Linteau, a longtime member of its Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. The move was prompted by discussions between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during November’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum. Canada cited “mutual respect and common interests” as motivation for the rekindled ties. Diplomatic ties first ruptured in 2018 when Saudi Arabia arrested several high-profile female human rights activists. They included Samar Badawi, whose brother, the dissident Raif Badawi, was also imprisoned at the time. His wife and children had fled to Canada, where they were granted citizenship. The new arrests prompted a series of social media messages in support of the activists, first from Canada’s foreign minister, then from the foreign ministry itself. “Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in #SaudiArabia, including Samar Badawi,” the ministry wrote on its official Twitter page in August 2018. “We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful #humanrights activists.” Those messages prompted a Twitter feud with Saudi Arabia, which retorted that Canada’s interference in its affairs was a “breach of the principle of sovereignty”. “The Canadian position is a grave and unacceptable violation of the Kingdom’s laws and procedures,” Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in response, in a string of messages announcing it would recall its ambassador to Canada. It also declared Canada’s Ambassador Dennis Horak a “persona non grata” and gave him 24 hours to leave the country. Relations between Canada and Saudi Arabia remained frosty, particularly after allegations in October 2018 that journalist Jamal Khashoggi had been murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Canada, among other countries, denounced the killing as an “unconscionable attack on the freedom of expression” and imposed sanctions against Saudi nationals linked to the attack. But recently, Saudi Arabia has been on the world stage for a series of rapprochements. In March, the kingdom re-established diplomatic relations with Iran in a deal brokered by China, and this month, it resumed ties with Syria. It also hosted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for Friday’s Arab League summit. Saudi Arabia has also worked to broker peace in Sudan, hosting talks between representatives for the country’s two warring generals. The United States has also been party to those negotiations, and White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has also met Saudi officials to discuss peace in Yemen. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/24/canada-and-saudi-arabia-rekindle-diplomatic-ties-after-2018-spat

Two cheetah cubs have died and a third is in a critical condition at a national park in India's Madhya Pradesh state. Another cub died in the national park on Tuesday. The cubs were the first to be born in India in more than 70 years after the animals were declared officially extinct in the country. A female cheetah translocated from Namibia to India last year had given birth to them in March. Following this, the female cheetah and her three cubs were put under observation, authorities at the park said in a press note. Temperature in the park had hit nearly 47C on Tuesday and the cubs did not seem to be in "normal condition," they said. The cubs were found to be weak, underweight and extremely dehydrated. Two cubs died on Thursday despite steps taken to save them, the park authorities said. The last cub of the litter is in critical condition and under treatment, they said. Cheetahs were officially declared extinct by the Indian government in 1952. They were reintroduced to the country last year as part of an ambitious reintroduction programme to repo[CENSORED]te the species. Wildlife experts had welcomed the reintroduction of the animal but some also warned of potential risks to them from other predators and not having enough prey. Eight cheetahs were translocated from Namibia to country in September 2022 while 12 were brought in from South Africa in February 2023. Of these, three cheetahs have died in the past two months. The death of the three cubs takes the toll to six. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had expressed concerns over the animal deaths and asked the federal government to consider shifting the cats to an alternate location. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-65692541

One of Myanmar's biggest hip-hop artists has been detained for criticising the military government on Facebook, the BBC has confirmed. Byu Har criticised the junta's handling of nationwide power outages that have hit Myanmar in the past months. The country has struggled to secure supplies for gas-fired electricity plants since the 2021 coup which ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government. His detention is just the latest in the regime's crackdown on critics. Byu Har, who had been based in Yangon, had called the electricity minister "a fool" and "incompetent" in a video posted to Facebook on Tuesday night. "During the past five years under the old lady, we had 24 hours of electricity, not only that, the electricity bill was [going] down," he said referring the former democratically-elected leader Ms Suu Kyi. The rapper used incendiary language to refer to the junta's leaders and also included his home address in the video's caption, inviting them to arrest him if they took issue with the post. The musician was detained in Yangon's North Dagon Township by police on Wednesday before friends and family lost contact with him, sources familiar with the incident told the BBC. Prior to his arrest, the rapper had received several warnings from authorities for producing music critical of the junta, they added. It is unclear where Byu Har is being held or what condition he is in. Myanmar's authorities routinely subject detainees to extreme interrogation and torture, the details of which have been documented by human rights organisations such as Amnesty International. Byu Har is the son of Naing Myanmar, one of the Southeast Asian nation's most prominent musicians. Naing Myanmar's song "The World Will Not End", became an anthem during the 1988 revolution, which saw student activists lead a nationwide uprising against the former military regime. The song has also re-emerged in the current civil war that has been raging since the coup in February 2021. Two years on, the military government has failed to gain authority over large areas of the country. It is battling established ethnic armed groups in border areas that have been at war with the military for decades, and recently-formed anti-coup militias that call themselves People's Defence Forces (PDFs) in much of the rest of the country. Many thousands of people have been killed and some 1.4 million have been displaced since the coup. Nearly one third of the country's po[CENSORED]tion is in need of aid, according to the United Nations. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65719165

Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi PP (Urdu: عمران احمد خان نیازی; born 25 November 1952) is a politician and former cricket captain who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022. He is the founder and chairman of the political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Born to a Niazi Pashtun family in Lahore, Khan graduated from Keble College, Oxford, in 1975. He began his international cricket career at age 18, in a 1971 Test series against England. Khan played until 1992, served as the team's captain intermittently between 1982 and 1992,[6] and won the 1992 Cricket World Cup, in what is Pakistan's first and only victory in the competition. Considered one of cricket's greatest all-rounders,[7][8] Khan scored 3,807 runs and took 362 wickets in Test cricket and was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He founded cancer hospitals in Lahore and Peshawar,[9] and Namal College in Mianwali,[10][11] prior to entering politics.[12][13] Founding the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) in 1996, Khan won a seat in the National Assembly in the 2002 general election, serving as an opposition member from Mianwali until 2007. PTI boycotted the 2008 general election and became the second-largest party by po[CENSORED]r vote in the 2013 general election.[14][15] In the 2018 general election, running on a populist platform, PTI became the largest party in the National Assembly, and formed a coalition government with independents with Khan as Prime Minister. As Prime Minister, Khan addressed a balance of payments crisis with bailouts from the International Monetary Fund.[16] He presided over a shrinking current account deficit,[17][18] and limited defence spending to curtail the fiscal deficit, leading to some general economic growth.[19][20][21] He enacted policies that increased tax collection[22][23] and investment.[24] His government committed to a renewable energy transition, launched the Ehsaas Programme and the Plant for Pakistan initiative, and expanded the protected areas of Pakistan. He presided over the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused economic turmoil and rising inflation in the country, and threatened his political position.[25] Amid a constitutional crisis, Khan became the first Prime Minister to be removed from office through a no-confidence motion in April 2022. In August, he was charged under anti-terror laws after accusing the police and judiciary of detaining and torturing an aide.[26] In November, he survived an assassination attempt during a political rally in Wazirabad, Punjab. On 9 May 2023 Khan was arrested on corruption charges at the High Court in Islamabad.[27] Imran Khan, in full Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi, (born October 5, 1952, Lahore, Pakistan), Pakistani cricket player, politician, philanthropist, and prime minister of Pakistan (2018–22) who became a national hero by leading Pakistan’s national team to a Cricket World Cup victory in 1992 and later entered politics as a critic of government corruption in Pakistan. Early life and cricket career Khan was born into an affluent Pashtun family in Lahore and was educated at elite schools in Pakistan and the United Kingdom, including the Royal Grammar School in Worcester and Aitchison College in Lahore. There were several accomplished cricket players in his family, including two elder cousins, Javed Burki and Majid Khan, who both served as captains of the Pakistani national team. Imran Khan played cricket in Pakistan and the United Kingdom in his teens and continued playing while studying philosophy, politics, and economics at the University of Oxford. Khan played his first match for Pakistan’s national team in 1971, but he did not take a permanent place on the team until after his graduation from Oxford in 1976. By the early 1980s Khan had distinguished himself as an exceptional bowler and all-rounder, and he was named captain of the Pakistani team in 1982. Khan’s athletic talent and good looks made him a celebrity in Pakistan and England, and his regular appearances at fashionable London nightclubs provided fodder for the British tabloid press. In 1992 Khan achieved his greatest athletic success when he led the Pakistani team to its first World Cup title, defeating England in the final. He retired that same year, having secured a reputation as one of the greatest cricket players in history. After 1992 Khan remained in the public eye as a philanthropist. He experienced a religious awakening, embracing Sufi mysticism and shedding his earlier playboy image. In one of his philanthropic endeavours, Khan acted as the primary fund-raiser for the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, a specialized cancer hospital in Lahore, which opened in 1994. The hospital was named after Khan’s mother, who had died of cancer in 1985. Entry into politics After his retirement from cricket, Khan became an outspoken critic of government mismanagement and corruption in Pakistan. He founded his own political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Pakistan Justice Movement; PTI), in 1996. In national elections held the following year, the newly formed party won less than 1 percent of the vote and failed to win any seats in the National Assembly, but it fared slightly better in the 2002 elections, winning a single seat that Khan filled. Khan maintained that vote rigging was to blame for his party’s low vote totals. In October 2007 Khan was among a group of politicians who resigned from the National Assembly, protesting Pres. Pervez Musharraf’s candidacy in the upcoming presidential election. In November Khan was briefly imprisoned during a crackdown against critics of Musharraf, who had declared a state of emergency. The PTI condemned the state of emergency, which ended in mid-December, and boycotted the 2008 national elections to protest Musharraf’s rule. In spite of the PTI’s struggles in elections, Khan’s populist positions found support, especially among young people. He continued his criticism of corruption and economic inequality in Pakistan and opposed the Pakistani government’s cooperation with the United States in fighting militants near the Afghan border. He also launched broadsides against Pakistan’s political and economic elites, whom he accused of being Westernized and out of touch with Pakistan’s religious and cultural norms. Khan’s writings included Warrior Race: A Journey Through the Land of the Tribal Pathans (1993) and Pakistan: A Personal History (2011). Political ascent In the months leading up to the legislative elections scheduled for early 2013, Khan and his party drew large crowds at rallies and attracted the support of several veteran politicians from Pakistan’s established parties. Further evidence of Khan’s rising political fortunes came in the form of an opinion poll in 2012 that found him to be the most po[CENSORED]r political figure in Pakistan. Just days before legislative elections in May 2013, Khan injured his head and back when he fell from a platform at a campaign rally. He appeared on television from his hospital bed hours later to make a final appeal to voters. The elections produced the PTI’s highest totals yet, but the party still won less than half the number of seats won by the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N), led by Nawaz Sharif. Khan accused the PML-N of rigging the elections. After his calls for an investigation went unmet, he and other opposition leaders led four months of protests in late 2014 in order to pressure Sharif to step down. The protests failed to oust Sharif, but suspicions of corruption were amplified when the Panama Papers linked his family to offshore holdings. Khan organized a new set of protests in late 2016 but called them off at the last minute after the Supreme Court agreed to open an investigation. The investigation disqualified Sharif from holding public office in 2017, and he was forced to resign from office. Khan, meanwhile, was also revealed to have had offshore holdings but, in a separate case, was not disqualified by the Supreme Court. Elections were held the following year, in July 2018. Khan ran on a platform of fighting corruption and poverty, even as he had to fight off accusations that he was too cozy with the military establishment. The PTI won a plurality of seats in the National Assembly, allowing Khan to seek a coalition with independent members of the parliament. He became prime minister on August 18. Premiership As prime minister, Khan faced a mounting balance-of-payments crisis. Though the economy was experiencing growth, imports and debt commitments from before his term had skyrocketed in recent years, especially because of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative. Just weeks into his term as prime minister, the crisis worsened when the United States withheld $300 million in promised military aid, saying Pakistan had not done enough to stem terrorism. Khan attempted to seek foreign aid from “friendly countries” first; because a dozen previous packages from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had failed to solve Pakistan’s macroeconomic problems, his avoidance of an IMF bailout reflected po[CENSORED]r fatigue with the IMF. After he was unable to secure foreign aid on favourable conditions from other countries, however, Pakistan submitted a request for emergency lending from the IMF. He continued to seek foreign aid from other sources and later received promises of investments from China, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Aside from courting foreign aid, Khan oversaw several significant developments in Pakistan’s foreign relations. The country successfully brought the Taliban to negotiations with the United States, improving relations with the country and with neighbouring Afghanistan. In February 2019, in a show of force against militants in Kashmir, who had recently staged a suicide attack killing 40 Indian security personnel, India launched an air assault in Pakistan for the first time in five decades, raising fears of a new conflict between the two countries. Pakistan downplayed the impact and appeared to avoid escalating the situation. When India again entered Pakistan’s air space, Pakistan shot down two fighter jets and captured a pilot but returned the pilot to India soon afterward. After the incident, Khan implemented a crackdown on militants, issuing arrests, closing a large number of religious schools, and promising to update existing laws to reflect international standards. The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in early 2020, aggravated the country’s economic woes. Relative to his critics, Khan was slow to endorse a lockdown. In contrast, the provincial government in Sindh, controlled by an opposition party, was quick to implement a strict lockdown in March. Khan eventually imposed a nationwide lockdown in April; in May his government began restricting lockdowns to localities with high infection rates. Removal from office and subsequent political activity Meanwhile, Khan continued to face opposition for his close relationship with the military establishment, his crackdown on militants, and the fragile state of the economy. In late 2020 the major opposition parties formed a coalition, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), with the stated goal of increasing the independence of civilian government from the military establishment. Protests and rallies organized by the PDM accused Khan of being a puppet of the army and called on him to step down. In March 2021 these parties boycotted a vote of confidence initiated by Khan’s government, which he survived narrowly with the support of his coalition partners. Later that year Khan fell out with the military establishment after a failed attempt by Khan to influence its top posts. As frustrations rose over sustained inflation, the opposition moved in March 2022 to hold its own vote of confidence; key allies of the PTI withdrew from the ruling coalition, and several members of the party also defected. The vote was held, and on April 10 Khan became the first prime minister in Pakistan’s history to be removed by a no-confidence measure. The economy only worsened under a new government led by Shehbaz Sharif and the PML-N, setting the stage for a remarkable comeback by the PTI months after it was ousted. In a surprise landslide victory, the PTI won 15 of 20 seats in the July 2022 legislative elections of Punjab province, Pakistan’s largest province and a traditional stronghold for the PML-N. But as Khan sought to ride his momentum in rallies held around the country, he ran into significant challenges. He came under fire in August for threatening in a speech to sue police officers and a judge in Islamabad. He afterward faced charges for that speech, the first charge in a wave of legal troubles in the months ahead. In October he was temporarily barred from holding public office after the election commission alleged that he was guilty of corrupt practices. While heading a protest convoy from the city of Lahore to Islamabad in November, he was shot in the leg in an apparent assassination attempt. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Imran-Khan