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Miami-Dade commission serves eviction papers to owners following scathing federal reports into care of marine mammals The Miami Seaquarium in 2019. Photograph: Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel via Getty Images One of Florida’s largest aquatic theme parks has been ordered to close by next month following several high-profile animal deaths and a series of scathing federal reports into the care of its marine mammals. The Miami-Dade commission on Thursday served eviction papers on the Dolphin Company, owners of the troubled Miami Seaquarium, demanding it to vacate its county-owned site in Key Biscayne by 21 April. A letter sent to the company on Thursday by Jimmy Morales, the commission’s chief operating officer, cited “numerous and significant violations” of the lease agreement, which he said represented “not just a default, but a complete disregard for the safety of the animals housed on the premises”. “Lessee’s long and troubling history of violations constitute repeated, continuing longstanding violations of lessee’s contractual obligations to keep the property in a good state of repair, maintain animals in accordance with applicable law, and comply with all laws,” he wrote. “The deficient and dangerous conditions that lessee has allowed to persist on the property … in many instances has resulted in injury to the animals and the animals’ ingestion of foreign materials.” The Miami-Dade mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, a longtime critic of the park’s operations, was expected to give further details of the eviction at a press conference later on Thursday. The termination of the Seaquarium’s lease, which the commission first threatened in December, comes less than a year after the death of killer whale Tokitae (also known by her performing name Lolita) after more than half a century of captivity in cramped conditions. A eulogy for Tokitae the killer whale is held outside the Miami Seaquarium on 19 August 2023. Photograph: Miami Herald/TNS At least 120 dolphins and whales have died in captivity at the park, according to the Dolphin Project, including Sundance, a 30-year-old dolphin that died weeks after a November inspection by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) noted “signs of gastric distress”. A succession of other federal inspections revealed deteriorations in both the maintenance of the park and the wellbeing of animals. In October, a dolphin was found with a two-inch nail in its throat; another with a broken metal bolt in its mouth. A sea lion with eye pain was denied surgery and refused to eat, the USDA said. Mold and peeling paint were found in penguin and parrot enclosures; and the underfunded veterinary lab lacked basic diagnostic tools such as ultrasound, radiography, endoscopy or functioning anesthesia. The park was behind at least $180,000 in rent, the county alleged, and in the most recent blow, Seaquarium’s head veterinarian Jessica Comolli resigned last month. “This news raises even more concerns about the conditions and safety of the animals currently under their care,” Levine Cava said in a statement. The Dolphin Company did not immediately respond on Thursday to a request from the Guardian for comment. Previous statements from the company have accused critics, including the mayor, of spreading misinformation about its activities. It is not yet known if the Mexico-based company, which took over the lease for the park in 2022, will challenge the eviction notice, or what will happen to the dozens of animals in its care if it is forced to close. Previously, other marine parks in Florida have accepted Seaquarium’s animals, including ageing manatees Romeo and Juliet, who were relocated in December after animal rights activists campaigned for their freedom. “At long last, authorities are taking action against the persistent animal welfare violations,” Dr Naomi Rose, senior scientist in marine mammal biology for the Animal Welfare Institute’s Marine Life Program, said in a statement. “This run-down facility has been a blight on Miami for too long. We hope the zoo and aquarium community steps up to the plate to ensure all of the animals, the mammals, birds, fish, find acceptable homes in US facilities. “This came too late to help Tokitae, but at least the other dolphins, sea lions, birds and fish have a chance to find decent homes.” Phil Demers, a former marine mammal trainer and founder of the group UrgentSeas, whose advocacy was credited for the relocation of the two manatees, also welcomed the termination notice. “It’s official: the county is ending their lease. The Seaquarium’s nearly 70-year existence is coming to an end. As promised,” he wrote in a message posted to X, formerly Twitter. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/07/miami-seaquarium-evicted-animal-death

Darwin Núñez scores Liverpool’s second goal at Sparta Prague. Photograph: Martin Divíšek/EPA The perfect night in Prague for Liverpool. Almost. Jürgen Klopp’s quadruple-chasing team effectively secured their place in the Europa League quarter-finals with a comprehensive and clinical defeat of Sparta Prague. Darwin Núñez warmed up for Manchester City on Sunday with two superb goals, including the 1,000th of Klopp’s Liverpool reign, and Mohamed Salah made his comeback after over a fortnight out as a late substitute. Only the sight of Ibrahima Konaté hobbling off injured prevented Klopp revelling in the ideal preparation for the top of the table showdown at Anfield. “The result was much better than the performance,” admitted the Liverpool manager. “Sparta played a good game. They took risks and we punished them for that in moments and scored some wonderful goals.” Núñez was to the fore in inflicting a first home defeat of the season on the Czech champions, who were handed a European lesson by a Liverpool side that is firmly on course to win the one trophy they have competed in and have not won under Klopp. “We have shown we can compete against good teams in Europe,” said Sparta coach Brian Priske. “But Liverpool are maybe a couple of levels up on what we have faced before.” A convincing evening’s work began almost immediately. Sparta’s goalkeeper Peter Vindahl played Asger Sørensen into trouble with a risky pass through the Liverpool press on the edge of his area. Alexis Mac Allister pounced instantly, taking the ball off Sørensen’s toes before being sent sprawling by the defender’s careless challenge. Spanish referee José María Sánchez awarded a clear penalty and, with regular taker Salah on the bench, Brighton’s former spot-kick expert calmly sent Vindahl the wrong way from his first Liverpool penalty. Sparta’s determination to play out from the back had presented an earlier chance for Núñez but, despite the obvious dangers, their approach stretched Liverpool and made for a highly entertaining contest. But for inspired goalkeeping from Caoimhin Kelleher and some woeful finishing, the Czech league leaders would have remained in the tie before Núñez put it beyond them. The Liverpool keeper produced an incredible save to keep out Lukas Haraslin’s first-time shot. The ball could still have dropped over the line but for an equally impressive, overhead clearance by Joe Gomez. Konaté blocked two efforts by the lively Ángelo Preciado in quick succession, both with his backside. From a resulting corner Martin Vitik flicked on Preciado’s header only for Kelleher to produce another athletic stop. The difference in finishing determined the outcome and there was no better demonstration of the gulf than the 1,000th goal of Klopp’s 476-game Liverpool reign. There seemed little on when Núñez received Harvey Elliott’s pass out on the left. The Uruguay international had other ideas, however, and curled a stunning shot from outside the left-hand corner of the Sparta penalty area into the top left-hand corner of Vindahl’s goal. The striker celebrated in front of the home fans, as well he might, and several plastic cups were thrown in his direction. Luis Díaz fires home Liverpool’s fourth goal against Sparta Prague in the second half. Photograph: Kieran McManus/Shutterstock Sparta’s adventurous approach and misery in front of goal continued. When Kelleher blocked Jan Kuchta’s low drive the rebound fell perfectly for Veljko Birmancevic arriving unmarked at the back post. Birmancevic somehow managed to kick the ball with his right leg against his left and saw it trickle wide of an open goal. Replays of the miss on the stadium screens prompted gasps from the Sparta fans and heightened his embarrassment. Núñez showed Sparta how to find the back of the net for a second time with the final act of an absorbing first half. Mac Allister, who teed up the striker’s dramatic winner at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, found the roaming Núñez again with a cross-field ball. The centre-forward allowed the pass to bounce before leathering an unstoppable shot across Vindahl and into the far corner. More cups and a plastic bottle were thrown at the scorer as he pointedly celebrated at the corner flag. Klopp said: “He has quality coming out of his ears to be honest. Is he at his absolute peak in general? Not now for us. But can he develop? Yes. Is he a threat all the time? Yes.” A minute after the restart, Birmancevic played a dangerous cross along the face of the Liverpool six yard box. Conor Bradley, a half-time replacement for the rested Gomez, turned the delivery into the top corner of his own net. Luis Díaz restored the visitors’ three-goal cushion with a deflected shot from another Elliott assist. He was later replaced by Salah as Klopp gave his leading goalscorer a much-needed run-out. Salah found the target after just 10 minutes but his effort was disallowed following a VAR review for offside. Liverpool’s thoughts had long turned to Sunday by then, although a fifth goal did arrive when substitute Dominik Szoboszlai waltzed through the Sparta defence and beat Vindahl. The wait to discover the extent of Konaté’s injury was Klopp’s only concern. “Ibou said to me: ‘If I do another sprint then it could be bad,’ so he said it should be fine. We don’t know.” https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/mar/07/sparta-prague-liverpool-europa-league-last-16-1st-leg-match-report

There would be no value to friendship if we formed it with just anyone, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith, but friendship doesn’t have to mean mutual enmeshment ‘When you do have to move on, that needn’t mean you made a mistake: you tried a friendship, it didn’t work. Arguably better to try too many than too few.’ Painting: Francois Clouet, Le Billet Doux, c. 1570. Photograph: Artexplorer/Alamy How does one really go about moderating and evaluating new friends? I have the opposite problem to most people, in that I attract new friendships very easily. People seem to gravitate towards me and, in some cases, insist they are my friend whether I like it or not! I am a professional woman, single with an international career. This seems to provide intrigue and excitement to new folks in my orbit, and they come on very strong and often try to grip on to me and my life. They mention a jealousy of my freedom and my achievements, and a desire to live out their own dreams through my existence. None of these are romantic interests, but I have ended many of my friendships over the years due to inappropriate boundary crossings and folks trying to control my life and my choices. How can I be more discerning upfront and only let new people in whom I know will behave appropriately in the long term? Eleanor says: When I was a kid and was moving to a new school, a very genial doctor I happened to have an appointment with told me, “don’t befriend anyone who tries to be your friend on the first day. They’re the ones who don’t have any friends.” I was, in a mini kind of way, scandalised. How were you supposed to proceed if the choice was between people who didn’t want your friendship, and people who did and so proved they didn’t deserve it? I disregarded his advice and that’s the story of how I wound up with a lunchtime pal who spent several months trying to convert me to a made-up religion. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning So I get it. Eventually friendship transcends evaluation of the other, but at the beginning, you want a little evaluation. There would be no value to friendship if we formed it with anyone who came along. But you want to avoid two possible hazards. One is too hastily ruling people out. The risk with any “discernment” policy is that it will select for superficial characteristics, the kind you can see on a first impression. These don’t always track what makes people good friends – things it takes time to reveal or treasure. The other is condescension or hierarchy: thinking, or thinking that other people think, that you’re above them. Could you try to maintain the kind of friendship that isn’t mutually enmeshed? A lot of our cultural vision of friendship depicts a twin-flames thing, but there’s a perfectly lovely form of friendship without much intensity. It can brook a good amount of conversation and shared cake, but it would never expect to be consulted on life decisions, and it finds the possibility of anger far too intimate. Perhaps you could try to keep “provisional” friends hovering there: not reciprocating or escalating intimacy or disclosures, communicating only semi-regularly. That might help with the “overstep” element of what you’re describing, too. It’s no fun becoming an object of projection for others, when you can see an idealised version of yourself shining in their eyes. Sometimes that state leads people to tell you off for failing to live up to a standard that isn’t actually the standard of your relationship. It’s the standard of the relationship they wish you had. “Why didn’t you call?” “Why didn’t you tell me?” If you deliberately resist escalations in intimacy, it’ll be easier to point out that these are unreasonable expectations. You could also try to arm yourself with ways to handle “oversteps” so you don’t feel violated, or like you’ve wasted your time. Perhaps you could pre-write or think through phrases that gently but firmly communicate “that wasn’t something on which I would ever have consulted you”, or, “this isn’t something for which I feel I owe an apology”. It might take some of the heat or violation-feeling out of those moments if you’re already prepared. Even when you do have to move on, that needn’t mean you made a mistake: you tried a friendship, it didn’t work. Arguably better to try too many than too few. Montaigne thought you only get one true friend in your lifetime. You’re allowed to decide a given person isn’t yours. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/mar/08/ive-had-to-end-many-friendships-over-the-years-how-can-i-be-more-discerning-upfront

Palestinians transport bags of flour from a humanitarian aid shipment in Gaza City [AFP] United States President Joe Biden will announce a plan to create a new port in Gaza to increase deliveries of humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged enclave, senior US officials told reporters. The officials said Biden will make the announcement on Thursday night during his State of the Union speech, an annual address delivered to members of the US Congress. KEEP READING list of 3 items list 1 of 3 Israel’s war on Gaza: List of key events, day 153 list 2 of 3 Israel’s blocking of aid creating ‘apocalyptic’ conditions in Gaza list 3 of 3 In Gaza, babies have no more nappies, milk, as Israeli bombing continues end of list Under the plan, the US military would set up the pier off the coast of Gaza, but US troops would not be on the ground, the officials said. They did not provide further logistics of the plan, but one official said the US has “unique capabilities” and can do things from “just offshore”. A United Nations spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said his organisation welcomed the announcement in a statement to the press. “Any way to get more aid into Gaza, whether by sea or airdrop, is obviously good,” Dujarric told reporters. “We need more entry points, and we need a larger volume of aid to come in by land.” However, he emphasised that the international community needs to focus on large-scale food deliveries by land, in order to address the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza. An unnamed Israeli official, speaking to the Reuters news agency, likewise said Israel “fully supports” the construction of a “temporary dock” in Gaza. The announcement has come as President Biden continues to face outrage for his administration’s political and material support for Israel in the war on Gaza. The Biden administration has refused to call for a complete ceasefire and has continued to supply weapons to Israel for its war. Israel’s bombardment and ground operations have killed at least 30,800 Palestinians since October 7, when the Palestinian group Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel that killed at least 1,139 people. However, amid increasing political pressure, the administration has shifted its tone slightly in recent weeks. Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris called for a temporary “ceasefire” for the first time, although she was only referring to a pause in fighting while Hamas and Israel negotiated a hostage exchange. Over the weekend, the US began airdropping aid to Gaza, where Jamie McGoldrick, the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, told reporters on Wednesday that “children are dying from hunger”. The UN has said that a state of famine in Gaza is “almost inevitable” and could be declared as early as next week. McGoldrick said that, while air drops and naval deliveries help to distribute aid, an increase in reliable ground deliveries is more urgently needed. Aid groups have accused Israeli forces of restricting ground deliveries, both into and within Gaza. But Israel has denied it is impeding relief efforts. ‘Destroying the food system’ In a post on the social media platform X on Thursday, Sarah Leah Whitson, the executive director of the Washington-based Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), called the latest Biden plan one of many “workarounds to Israel’s deliberate [and] persistent blockade of aid to Gaza”. Earlier in the day, Michael Fakhri, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food, also warned that Israel’s actions go beyond short-term impediments, representing a broader assault on Gaza’s stability. “Israel is not only denying and restricting the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel is destroying the food system in Gaza,” he said in a speech to the UN Human Rights Council. Fakhri called it a “starvation campaign”. For their part, the senior US officials said the new port “will provide the capacity for hundreds of additional truckloads of assistance each day”. One official added that “significant capability will take a number of weeks to plan and execute”. Transporting supplies will also involve establishing a maritime corridor from Cyprus. The officials said Israel had been informed about the plan, and the two countries were working together on security requirements. They added the US was also coordinating with “partners and allies”, including the UN and aid organisations. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/7/biden-to-announce-plan-for-us-military-to-set-up-temporary-gaza-aid-port

A Ukrainian priest leads a memorial service next to a grave of a Ukrainian commander killed a year ago near Bakhmut [Roman Pilipey/AFP] Fighting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree authorising the demobilisation of conscripts who joined the army before Russia’s invasion and whose service has come to an end. At least two people were killed in Russian rocket attacks on Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region and another man was killed further west in Chernihiv region, local officials said. Ihor Zhovkva, a top diplomatic adviser for Ukraine, told broadcaster CNN he could not exclude the possibility that a Russian missile had deliberately targeted the delegations of Zelenskyy and the visiting prime minister of Greece when they visited Odesa earlier this week. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council and a staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, denied the accusation. Politics and diplomacy Sweden became the 32nd member of NATO, abandoning its long-held neutrality in a process that started as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China sees itself as a “force for peace” in the world, but would continue to deepen its ties with Russia. “In the face of complex turmoil in the international environment, China will persist in being a force for peace, a force for stability, and a force for progress in the world,” Wang told reporters. Ukraine named Valerii Zaluzhnyi its new envoy to the United Kingdom a month after he was removed from his position as the country’s military commander-in-chief. Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit Turkey on Friday for a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two are likely to discuss the ongoing war, the Black Sea grain deal and bilateral relations. Speaking in Prague, French President Emmanuel Macron called on Ukraine’s allies not to be “cowards”, after being criticised for his proposal to send Western soldiers to fight on the ground in Ukraine. A new poll conducted by the Associated Press showed few Americans want the country to take a more active role in solving the world’s problems, including in Ukraine where the latest round of funding is tied up in Congress. The poll showed only about a quarter think the US should take a more active role. About one-third say its current role is about right. Weapons Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, said it was critical to US credibility to provide US military aid to Ukraine, and if the US withdrew from its leadership role, it would take time to develop European capacity to fill the gap. The UK said it would provide 10,000 drones to arm Ukraine, the weaponry will include 1,000 one-way attack – or kamikaze – drones and models that target ships. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/8/russia-ukraine-war-list-of-key-events-day-744

Nick movie: Sing Sing Time: A24 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: N/A Duration of the movie: 2mins Trailer:

Music title: Luke Hemmings Talks New Solo Songs "Shakes," Finding His Own Sound & More | Billboard News Signer: Luke Hemmings Release date: 2024/03/05 Official YouTube link:

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The yellow-billed loon normally makes its home in the Arctic and along the Pacific. Photograph: Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal via Getty Images A rare yellow-billed loon – a bird more common to the high Arctic tundra in the summer that strays south of Canadian border in only small numbers – has caused a fountain display in Las Vegas, Nevada, to be switched off. The yellow-billed loon, with a similarly haunting call to the smaller, more abundant common loon, was spotted in the fountains of the Bellagio hotel and casino, causing hotel management to call off the propulsive displays of water. “We are happy to welcome the most exclusive guests,” Bellagio Las Vegas said on X (formerly Twitter). The hotel added that the fountains would be paused “as we work with state wildlife officials to rescue a Yellow-billed Loon, one of the 10 rarest birds in the US, that has found comfort on Las Vegas’ own Lake Bellagio”. The Las Vegas Review-Journal said the visitor was “Las Vegas’ hottest new celebrity”. Initially, the hotel’s operator, MGM Resorts, said the fountain display would continue because the loon appeared unfazed by water jets but later said the display had been suspended. A spokesperson for the Nevada department of wildlife’s southern office said the office had received calls from concerned birders requesting an intervention. At first, Doug Nielsen, the spokesperson, said that rather than cause the loon any agitation, the department would monitor the situation and hope that the bird got the message to move on when it realized there is nothing to eat in the pool. “We’re just going give it space,” Nielsen told the Review. “Hopefully, it’ll say: ‘Gee, I’m not finding anything swimming in here, so I probably need to go.’” Nielsen told the publication that the loon was probably seeking shelter from a storm. “It’s not something that happens every day,” he said. “It’s a rare thing that we deal with once in a while.” But later on Wednesday, wildlife biologists captured the yellow-billed loon and relocated it unharmed. Officials with the Nevada department of wildlife say the bird was taken to an unspecified remote location on Wednesday, where they expect it soon to resume its migratory trek north. The bird appeared to have come from the Henderson bird preserve 12 miles away, where it was seen on 26 February. “This particular loon is a pretty rare bird,” the preserve’s Kurt Buzard told FOX5. “There’s only about 10,000 of them in the world, and they breed in the Arctic.” Buzard said it was an “odd thing” that it would come to the Bellagio fountains but the bird appeared to be young and that could explain why it’s so lost. “It’s really off-course here,” he added. “Very unusual to see a bird like that here. And unfortunately, it landed in two places without proper nutrition.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/06/rare-bird-vegas-bellagio-fountain

Ford's access to the Tesla Supercharger network has officially begun, and in response, Ford is supplying owners with a new charging adapter for their vehicles so they can charge using Tesla's NACS plug. Owners of 2021 through 2024 model Ford EVs can order the charging adapter from Ford for free between now and June 30, 2024. Starting July 1, customers must buy the adapter from Ford for $230. Ford's next generation of EVs will come equipped with NACS plugs from the factory, allowing them to use Superchargers natively. Tesla has allowed owners of non-Tesla EVs access to its expansive Supercharger network for months now—but until recently, charging was possible only at a limited number of Supercharging stations that have built-in adapters to be able to connect. As of last week, Ford EVs are able to charge anywhere in Tesla's entire Supercharger network, thanks to a new adapter the EV owner will carry. At Ford's invitation, we headed to a nearby Supercharger station to try the process for ourselves. Ultimately, the demonstration had no surprises, but that's actually a good thing. After all, charging your car shouldn't be an exciting or confusing affair. We did, however, learn a few things worth noting, such as the adapter requiring an order of operations for safety. Each adapter has a locking pin in place to prevent EV owners from accidentally removing the Supercharger plug without also removing the adapter. That means initiating a charge requires first plugging the Supercharger cable into the adapter before plugging the connected unit into the vehicle. $230 Beginning July 1 To receive the adapter, new and existing owners of Ford EVs can order the charging adapter for free from now until June 30, through the FordPass app. After June 30, the adapter will cost owners $230. Ford's next generation of EVs is set to come equipped with NACS outlets from the factory, meaning they'll be able to use Superchargers natively. The adapter is rated for a max current of 500 amps and a max voltage of 1000 volts of direct current, the same as a CCS2 charger, meaning that each of Ford's EVs (Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, and E-Transit) won't be held back by the adapter in achieving their maximum charging speeds at Supercharger stations. As for billing, part of what makes the Supercharger network so easy to use is the seamless plug-and-charge feature. According to Ford, payment at Superchargers will be just as seamless for Ford owners, with the software utilizing the owner's payment information stored in their FordPro app. Unlike when using Tesla's built in "Magic Dock" adapters, there's no Tesla app necessary. The easiest way for owners to find the Superchargers will be through Ford's native navigation system, or through the FordPass app. According to Ford, the systems will filter out ineligible chargers and spot the ones that require the adapter. According to Ford, the addition of the Supercharger network to its own Blue Oval charging network adds roughly 15,300 chargers, more than doubling the available fast-chargers for Ford EV owners. Though Ford is the first manufacturer to officially join the Supercharger network, nearly every major automaker has vowed to do so in the coming years, with many gaining similar access via an adapter soon and adding the NACS plugs to their electric vehicles some time in 2025. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a60097150/supercharger-access-for-non-tesla-evs-details/

‘I’d long to wander out on to the ice, alone’ … Elizabeth Endicott. Photograph: Nikki Beard Stalking was making my life at McMurdo Station a misery. In the ice-covered sea, I discovered how much the world still had to give Asub-zero plunge in the nude was never part of my plan. When a ragtag group of friends gathered me up with their exhilarated shouts, planning to jump into a hole drilled through sea ice in 2011, I had only agreed to come along and watch. I would not partake. I hadn’t gone to Antarctica to take risks. If anything, I’d flown to the bottom of the world to do the opposite, to play it safe after a pair of sexual assaults in my early 20s. I was the third generation in my family to work at McMurdo Station on Ross Island, and planned to keep my head down, work hard in my role as a janitor, save money and blend in. This plan had derailed immediately. There were three bars in town and an endless rotation of parties. There were live bands and drinking games and body shots. I made friends fast. But then one day I found a used condom stuffed into my work glove, waiting for me in my bucket of cleaning supplies. It quickly put me back in my place. The night of the polar plunge, one of my co-workers overheard that there was a hut out on the ice, tucked just out of view. It was the kind of small shack used for divers to access the sea below, re-emerging with samples of strange, spiny specimens and photographs of otherworldly secrets. And most importantly, on the shores of the coldest continent, the hut was heated. “It’s basically an invitation,” a friend said as we marched towards it. “They would lock it if they didn’t want us to use it.” We made our way to the edge of town, down the slope of volcanic rock to the craggy edge of frozen sea. Weddell seals dotted the ice in blobs of black, seemingly deflated and lifeless, mirroring how I felt. After the condom had come an onslaught of notes. Scribbled across paper towels, the threats and slurs were left outside my bedroom door or stuffed in my coat pockets when it hung unattended. The stalking was relentless and terrifying. I felt like prey. For every female scientist or support staff sent to Antarctica, there are two men. Any woman who has spent time in a space made up mostly of men understands the mental toll. That night, tip-toeing across the sea ice, I was with five co-workers, including my boss – all men. A space heater buzzed inside the hut, pumping heat through a plastic tube dangling over the hole that was drilled into the centre of the floor, keeping it from freezing over. The hole was maybe a yard or so wide and at least six feet deep – or so we’d heard. In the past, polar plunges had been a sanctioned activity. Participants would strap into harnesses before jumping to prevent them getting swept under by the tide. Emergency personnel would stand at the ready with defibrillators in case anyone’s heart stopped from being submerged in freezing cold water. That night, we were off the books. One of the men moved the plastic tube out of the way. In just moments, the water was freezing over again, hardening before our eyes. Antarctica could do that to something – to someone. While enduring weeks of sexual harassment, I’d withdrawn. The notes felt like punishment for daring to live loudly, and so I retreated. I opted for more subdued clothing, I was slower to share the tender parts of myself. The wind would howl its lonely song outside my window and I’d long to wander out on to the ice, alone. I was closing myself off. One by one, my friends stripped off layer after layer and jumped. I held my breath each time, bracing for the worst before they shot out, hollering with unbridled joy. Even as I reiterated that I wouldn’t be jumping, the hole called to me, drawing me in like a magnet. I sidled forward slowly, shedding clothing with trepidation. When I’d stripped to my underwear, I curled my toes at the edge, and wondered what would happen if I jumped and never came back up. In that moment I believed I had nothing to lose. But then a shadow flickered below me. I rubbed at my eyes, straining into the dark. It filled the entire hole as it surfaced, and finally I recognised it as a Weddell seal, one of the 500kg blobs we usually saw sunbathing on the ice. This creature was anything but lazy. The men in the hut, the men in town, the man stalking me – all of them faded away, leaving just me and the seal. Its eyes locked with mine, curious, its expression open. It looked at me as if it really saw me, with its own face void of fear. Its whiskers twitched with a deep breath and then it sank, disappearing back from where it’d come. A moment later, I shed the rest of my clothing and jumped – not out of resignation, but in exultation, seizing that moment of connection. The water embraced me in a shock of cold. Salt choked at the back of my throat and my eardrums roared with adrenaline. I clawed my way back on earth, my bare skin against solid ice, crying with delight like my friends before me, thrilled to be alive. Wrapped in towels, I wrestled back into each layer of protective clothing, but my interior had thawed into something stronger. I understood there was resilience in maintaining my vulnerability – there was strength in remaining curious and open to the world. I could survive anything if I remained soft. Elizabeth Endicott is a Denver-based writer and multi-disciplinary artist. You can find her on Instagram @weirdbirds https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/mar/06/a-moment-that-changed-me-i-went-skinny-dipping-in-antarctica-and-realised-i-could-survive-anything

Battle of the Baddest … Tyson Fury v Francis Ngannou in Riyadh, October 2023. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images With clients including Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou and Karriss Artingstall, when it comes to couture in boxing, the British designer is the king of ring Over the years, boxing stars have served up style, in and out of the ring. Consider the peerless Muhammad Ali, a pin-up in glitzy fashion shoots or dressed up in crisp coats, cardigans and shirts, the late Joe Frazier’s signature cowboy hat, part of his persona as the country boy, or Naseem Hamed, with his leopard-print shorts and French crop, in the 90s. Following in their footsteps? Tyson Fury – a man known for wearing crowns and regal capes – and Francis Ngannou. The former mixed martial arts professional and first-time boxer wore a full-length gold robe, crown and black and gold shorts inspired by Black Panther as he prepared to take on Fury in Saudi Arabia in October. Boxing’s modern relationship with fashion, can be traced back to one man – Imtayaz Qassim. Qassim began his label Bespoke Boxing in 2017, when he made an outfit for Welsh professional boxer – and friend – Joe Cordina. He has now created something of a niche as the go-to designer for the “ring walk”, the moment when fighters make their way from the changing room to the ring to fight, as well as what boxers wear when they are actually exchanging blows. With a bewildering 174 clients (male and female), he is on speed dial for some of the biggest names in the sport including Fury, Ngannou and Conor Benn. Based in Barry, Wales, when we speak in February, he is working on an outfit for Ngannou’s 8 March fight against Anthony Joshua. “Francis absolutely loves Black Panther and Cameroon [Ngannou is French-Cameroonian],” says Qassim. “So the next outfit is inspired by that but it’s very conceptual. I looked at Afrofuturism, which inspired Black Panther and is something I researched during my master’s. I like being able to bring a level of intellect into the design.” Also on the agenda are Fury’s outfits for his fight against Oleksandr Usyk, which is scheduled to take place in May. Part of his persona … Joe Frazier wears his cowboy hat in Detroit, 1970. Photograph: Bettmann Archive When it comes to getting dressed for the ring, boxers’ extrovert attitudes are, Qassim explains, “a bit of a thing. This is what they are wearing when they go to war. It’s also self-expression, it has to mean something to them and say who they are [and] where they come from.” While boxing still gets less attention from the fashion world than other sports such as football, basketball and tennis, Qassim thinks this is changing. “The worlds are really crossing over now,” he says, with boxing styles trickling into non-boxers’ wardrobes. “People in LA wear boxing shorts out and about,” he says. Big brands are also getting involved – Qassim mentions Off-White and Dolce & Gabbana, both of which dress boxers for their ring walks, American boxer Ryan Garcia’s sponsorship by Dior, and Somali boxer, model and campaign activist Ramla Ali working with Alexander McQueen. London fashion week designer Priya Ahluwalia, meanwhile, will collaborate with Gymshark to create an outfit for Ngannou to wear at the press conference before his fight against Joshua. There are also others focusing on boxers’ style, like Suzi Wong, who works with Joshua. Trailblazer … Prince Naseem Hamed knocks down Billy Hardy in 1997. Photograph: John Gichigi/Getty Images But, Qassim says, his work was crucial to this shift. “If I’m honest, I think I was at the forefront of bringing that fashion element into boxing,” he says. “People have worn outfits but it was never really a fashion thing. It was more of a costume.” Going under the radar for a long time, he stepped out into the limelight for Ngannou’s Wakanda-worthy ensemble. “When you create an outfit for one of the biggest fights in the history of combat sports, it’s hard to keep it quiet!” he says. While Qassim credits the likes of Hamed as a trailblazer, he says boxers are more and more engaged with fashion across the board – partly thanks to social media. “A boxer is their own brand [now],” says Qassim. “This is a big part of [that]. Everything is customised. So for Francis, for example, I’ve completely designed the entire look. You’ve got a warm-up jacket for backstage, you’ve got his shorts. I’ve designed his gloves, even the gumshield matches the outfit.” Qassim’s experience prior to setting up Bespoke Boxing sets him apart. After studying fashion design, he worked with streetwear brands ACW and Represent, and he’s made custom pieces for celebrities such as Welsh footballer Gareth Bale (a 65-piece wardrobe) and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker (boxing shorts for lounging around). He has also boxed and kickboxed since he was eight years old. The combination gives him an edge. “I look at myself as like a boxing couturier,” he says. “I bring that luxury. I also completely understand the functionality needs of the boxers.” His clients have differing needs. “Fury, for example, his shorts were always pushing the groin-guard down so I needed to design a way of getting around that. The crotch seam can get in his way so I completely eliminated that and did gladiator-style shorts,” says Qassim. “Some people might have really thick legs but a small waistband, so you have to sort of fit around. Conor Benn, his whole thing is his hips, so you need to adjust for that as well. Design, at the end of the day, is problem-solving.” As well as body shape, Qassim gets involved in the symbolism of what the boxers wear. For Olympics hopeful Karriss Artingstall, who had served in the military and loves the Disney film Mulan, Qassim created an outfit, with warrior-worthy panels on the shorts, for her to wear for a fight last year. Presumably these couture-level outfits cost a pretty penny – he declines to say how much. Maybe it’s worth it in the pursuit of that purse. Can such attention to what you’re wearing influence the result of a fight? “By a mile,” says Qassim. “Joe [Cordino] says: ‘Look good, feel good, fight good.’ You always want to feel sharp. Joe’s base colour is always white, to feel sharper and fresher. He says it sharpens his fashionability and he’s ready to fight.” Ngannou will be hoping the principle holds come 8 March https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2024/mar/06/even-the-gumshield-matches-the-outfit-imtayaz-qassim-on-the-rise-of-fashion-in-boxing

South Africa warns Palestinians in Gaza are facing starvation, asks court to order all parties to cease hostilities. Palestinians line up for food in Rafah, Gaza Strip [Fatima Shbair/AP Photo] South Africa has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to order additional emergency measures against Israel over its war on Gaza, the court has said. In its application, South Africa warned that Palestinians in Gaza were facing starvation and asked the court to order that all parties cease hostilities and release all hostages and detainees. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the South African presidency warned that the people of Gaza cannot wait. “The threat of all-out famine has now materialised. The court needs to act now to stop the imminent tragedy by immediately and effectively ensuring that the rights it has found are threatened under the Genocide Convention are protected,” it added. South Africa also asked to court to order that Israel take “immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address famine and starvation” in Gaza. It said that the ICJ, also known as the World Court, should take these measures without scheduling a new round of hearings because of the “extreme urgency of the situation”. Judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rule on emergency measures against Israel following accusations by South Africa that the Israeli military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide [File: Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters] Famine looms The United Nations has warned that widespread famine in the Gaza Strip is “almost inevitable” without action. Aid organisations have blamed military operations, insecurity and extensive restrictions to the delivery of essential supplies for the shortage of food in the enclave, which has been under an Israeli siege and assault since October. The five-month war has killed more than 30,000 people in the strip, according to health officials in Gaza. At least 20 people have died from malnutrition and starvation in Gaza since Israel launched its assault, Palestinian authorities have said. The number of humanitarian aid convoys entering Gaza daily must at least double to meet some of the po[CENSORED]tion’s most basic needs, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday. “I would say that we need to double the level we have now. We are now at around 150 trucks. We need a minimum of 300 trucks a day coming in,” Carl Skau, deputy executive director and chief operating officer at the World Food Programme, told the Reuters news agency. “But of course, that also in the longer run needs to be supplemented with commercial [supplies].” In January, the ICJ ordered Israel to refrain from any acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention and to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts against Palestinians, after South Africa accused Israel of state-led genocide in Gaza. Israel described the allegation as baseless. The request on Wednesday is the second time Pretoria has asked the court for additional measures – its first request to pressurise Israel to halt an offensive against the Gaza city of Rafah in February was denied. A final ruling in the case in The Hague could take years. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/6/south-africa-asks-icj-for-more-measures-against-israel-over-gaza-famine

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited troops at an undisclosed location [KCNA via Reuters] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered heightened readiness for war after inspecting troops at a major military operations base in the country’s west. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) did not reveal the location of the base in its report on Thursday. The North Korean leader said the military must “dynamically usher in a new heyday of intensifying the war preparations in line with the requirements of the prevailing situation”, according to KCNA. “Our army should … steadily intensify the actual war drills aimed at rapidly improving its combat capabilities for perfect war preparedness,” he added. Kim’s visit took place as forces from the United States and South Korea continued their annual Freedom Shield large-scale military exercises. The drills, expected to involve 48 field exercises including missile interception drills, bombing, air assault and live-firing, began on Monday with twice the number of troops participating compared with last year. KCNA did not say whether Kim discussed the US-South Korean drills with the troops he met with [KCNA via Reuters] North Korea has long condemned military drills by the US and South Korea, claiming they are rehearsals for an invasion, and has conducted weapons tests in response to previous exercises. On Monday, KCNA quoted an unnamed spokesperson for North Korea’s Ministry of Defence urging Seoul and Washington to cease their “reckless” and “frantic war drills”. The US and South Korea “will be made to pay a dear price for their false choice”, the spokesperson added. In Thursday’s report, KCNA did not mention whether Kim directly referred to the Freedom Shield drills. It said the troops at the base were conducting manoeuvres under conditions simulating actual war. North Korea has continued to carry out missile tests this year as it modernises its military. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/7/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-orders-heightened-war-preparations

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