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Long-lived member of the vulnerable species was coaxed into reproducing by her zookeeper and eventually hatched eight chicks Walnut was hatched in Wisconsin, the chick of two wild cranes brought to the US illegally and later rescued by the International Crane Foundation. Photograph: Chris Crowe/AP A great, but odd, love story has come to an end. Walnut, a white-naped crane and internet celebrity, has died at the age of 42. She is survived by eight chicks, the loving staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, and by Chris Crowe – a human zookeeper whom Walnut regarded as her proxy mate for nearly 20 years. “Walnut was a unique individual with a vivacious personality,” Crowe said in a statement released by the zoo. “I’ll always be grateful for her bond with me.” The tale dates back to the bird’s 2004 arrival at the institute’s campus in Front Royal, Virginia. The chick of two wild cranes who had been brought to the US illegally and were later rescued by the International Crane Foundation, Walnut was hand-raised by people and bonded with her human caretakers. That preference continued when she came to the institute – she showed no interest in breeding and even attacked male crane suitors. But white-naped cranes are considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Fewer than 5,300 remain in their native habitats in Mongolia, Siberia, Korea, Japan and China due to habitat loss, pollution, nest predation and poaching. As the offspring of two wild-caught cranes, Walnut’s genes were not represented in US zoos. So convincing Walnut to breed was regarded as a priority. Crowe, according to a zoo statement, won her over by “observing and mimicking” the institute’s male white-naped cranes’ actions during breeding season. Videos show Crowe offering Walnut food as well as grass and leaves for nest-building materials. When he flaps his arms in front of her, the majestic tall bird flaps excitedly in response and dances in a half-circle with her head bobbing. Once Crowe had gained her trust, he was able to artificially inseminate her using sperm from a male crane. The unique arrangement was very successful and Walnut laid fertilized eggs that eventually hatched eight chicks. The fertilized eggs were given to other white-napped crane pairs who tended to them as their own. Of the eight white-napped cranes currently living at the institute, one is Walnut’s chick and another is her grand-chick. At 42, Walnut nearly tripled the median life expectancy of 15 years for white-naped cranes in human care. She was born in Wisconsin in the summer of 1981 and named after a local restaurant’s po[CENSORED]r walnut pie dessert. Earlier this month, keepers noticed that Walnut wasn’t eating or drinking, even her favorite treats, frozen-thawed mice, peanuts and mealworms, couldn’t spark her appetite. The bird declined and, surrounded by an animal care team, died peacefully, an autopsy revealing the cause of death to be renal failure. “She was always confident in expressing herself, an eager and excellent dancer, and stoic in the face of life’s challenges,” Crowe said. “Walnut’s extraordinary story has helped bring attention to her vulnerable species’ plight. I hope everyone who was touched by her story understands that her species’ survival depends on our ability and desire to protect wetland habitats.”

Iran, Iraq and Syria have strongly condemned the US strikes, saying they will only escalate regional tensions. US military chiefs watch as coffins containing the remains of three soldiers killed in Jordan return to the Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, February 2, 2024 [Alex Brandon/AP Photo] The United States has conducted a wave of air strikes on Iran-aligned targets in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for an attack that killed American soldiers in Jordan. On Saturday, Iraq said 16 people, including civilians, were killed on its soil, and a monitoring group reported 18 people were killed in Syria. Washington has warned of more strikes to purportedly deter the Iran-backed “axis of resistance” amid Israel’s war on Gaza. In announcing the overnight attacks, US President Joe Biden said: “Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing.” Here is how the world reacted to the US action: Iran “The attacks are a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria, international law, and a clear violation of the United Nations Charter,” said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Nasser Kanaani. “In addition to an all-out support of the US for four months of relentless and barbaric attacks by the Zionist regime against the residents of Gaza and the West Bank, and military attacks on Yemen and violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, last night’s attacks on Syria and Iraq were another adventurous action and another strategic error by the US government which will have no result but to intensify tensions and instability in the region.” “The attacks merely support the goals of the Zionist regime. Such attacks increasingly involve the US government in the region and overshadow the crimes of the Zionist regime in Gaza.” Iraq “This aggressive strike will put security in Iraq and the region on the brink of the abyss,” the Iraqi government said in a statement, and denied Washington’s claims of coordinating the air raids with Baghdad as “false” and “aimed at misleading international public opinion”. The presence of the US-led military coalition in the region “has become a reason for threatening security and stability in Iraq and a justification for involving Iraq in regional and international conflicts”, read the statement from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s office. “Iraq reiterates its refusal to let the country be an arena for settling scores,” said government spokesperson Basim Alwadi. Yahya Rasool, the Iraqi military spokesperson, said the attacks “constitute a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, undermine the efforts of the Iraqi government, and pose a threat that could lead Iraq and the region into dire consequences”. “The outcomes will have severe implications on the security and stability in Iraq and the surrounding region,” Rasool added. Syria The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the strikes served to “inflame the conflict in the Middle East in an extremely dangerous way” and added to Washington’s “record of violations against Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the safety of its people, proving once again that it is the main source of global instability”. The military said, “The area targeted by the American attacks in eastern Syria is the same area where the Syrian Arab Army is fighting the remnants of the Daesh [ISIL] terrorist organisation, and this confirms that the United States and its military forces are involved and allied with this organisation, and are working to revive it as a field arm for it both in Syria and Iraq by all dirty means.” “The aggression of the American occupation forces at dawn today has no justification other than an attempt to weaken the ability of the Syrian Arab Army and its allies in the field of fighting terrorism, but the army.” Islamic Resistance in Iraq The coalition of US and Israel-opposed armed groups in Iraq, which had “suspended” its attacks earlier this week, said it launched drones at a US base in Erbil. Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud Abdelwahed reported from Baghdad that Iraqi groups have also carried out attacks with missiles targeting the al-Tanf military base in Syria which is home to US personnel, as well as the Ain al-Assad base in western Iraq. Hamas “We condemn in the strongest terms the American aggression against Iraq and Syria, and consider it a dangerous escalation, an infringement on the sovereignty of the two Arab countries, and a threat to their security and the stability of the region, in service of the occupation’s expansionist agenda and covering up its horrific crimes against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip,” read a statement from Hamas. “The administration of US President Biden bears responsibility for the consequences of this brutal aggression against both Iraq and Syria, which adds fuel to the fire, and we affirm that the region will not witness stability or peace except by stopping the Zionist aggression, crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing against our people in the Gaza Strip, and ending the Zionist-Nazi occupation.” Hezbollah “Hezbollah strongly condemns the blatant American aggression against Iraq and Syria. What the United States of America has done is a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the two countries, an attack on their security and territorial integrity, and a shameless violation of all international and humanitarian laws,” the Lebanese group said in a statement. Russia “It is obvious that the airstrikes are deliberately designed to further inflame the conflict,” said Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. “By attacking, almost without pause, the facilities of allegedly pro-Iranian groups in Iraq and Syria, the United States is purposefully trying to drive the largest countries in the region into conflict.” Russia also called an “urgent” United Nations Security Council meeting over the US strikes. “We just demanded an urgent sitting of the UN Security Council over the threat to peace and safety created by US strikes on Syria and Iraq,” Moscow’s diplomat at the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, said on social media on Saturday. European Union “Everybody should try to avoid that the situation becomes explosive,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. While Borrell did not address the US strikes directly, he repeated a warning that the Middle East “is a boiler that can explode”. He pointed to the war in Gaza, violence along the Israel-Lebanon border, bombings in Iraq and Syria, and attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. “That’s why we call everybody to try to avoid an escalation.” United Kingdom “The UK and US are steadfast allies. We wouldn’t comment on their operations, but we support their right to respond to attacks,” a British government spokesperson said in a statement. “We have long condemned Iran’s destabilising activity throughout the region, including its political, financial and military support to a number of militant groups.” Poland “Iran’s proxies have played with fire for months and years, and it’s now burning them,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters as he arrived for a meeting with his EU counterparts in Brussels. Poland’s Radoslaw Sikorski was the first EU foreign minister to directly comment on the strikes [Radek Pietruszka/EPA] US House speaker Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives, accused Biden of “placating” Tehran after the strikes, and said that “to promote peace, America must project strength”. Council on American-Islamic Relations “Instead of waging war across the Middle East, the Biden administration should demand an end to the far-right Israeli government’s ethnic cleansing and genocide in Gaza,” said CAIR’s National Executive Director Nihad Awad. The US has ignored Israel’s “escalating human rights abuses”, maintained its troops in Syria, Iraq and other places “where they are not welcome”, and refused to re-enter the Iranian nuclear deal, Nihad noted. “These latest strikes in Iraq and Syria are just further evidence of the total failure of the president’s Middle East policy. President Biden should change course to protect both American soldiers and people of the region from more violence … Justice and freedom for the Palestinian people – not more bombs – is what can build a more peaceful future for the region.” Analysts Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, questioned the effectiveness of the US bombings. “The aim is to degrade their ability to strike over a longer period of time, albeit at the risk of starting a regional war. This is ultimately a suboptimal strategy. It would be more effective to reduce their interest in striking against the US … The most effective way to shift the interest of these militias is through a ceasefire in Gaza,” said Parsi. “There is no escaping this reality: Nothing in the region is likely to de-escalate unless there is de-escalation in Gaza. Unfortunately, Biden’s approach thus far has been to avoid putting material pressure on Israel for a ceasefire.” Joshua Landis, associate professor and director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, told Al Jazeera that politicians in Washington are pressuring Biden for a stronger response as the US presidential election looms. “He has to respond, but at the same time he’s made it very clear he does not want to escalate, and that means two things; he can hit Syrians, that’s easy and nobody cares about the Syrian government, but the Americans do care about the Iraqi government.” “America does not want to get ejected from Iraq, particularly not before the elections in November. So, it wants to be strong, but it doesn’t want to kill too many Iraqis.” HA Hellyer, a military analyst at the UK-based think tank Royal United Services Institute, told Al Jazeera, adding that if the US wants to de-escalate and not go to war with Iran, the key to that is Gaza. Washington has “failed to apply any real leverage in order to bring a ceasefire to Gaza, which I think would really diminish the tensions in the region and remove the fuel for this sort of escalation taking place, which is likely to continue over the coming days and weeks and beyond”, he said. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/3/overshadow-gaza-crimes-world-reacts-to-us-attacks-on-iraq-and-syria

Liverpool manager may be more loved at end of his time but no elite coach will come close to emulating 22 years at single club Jürgen Klopp and Arsène Wenger share similarities as leaders but are defined by a divergence of outlook. Composite: Reuters, Shutterstock Arsène Wenger grew up a devout Catholic, attended mass every day and often when it came to confession he had long forgotten the various misdemeanours he had committed over the course of the week. So he started making up sins, just so he would have something to confess. “You’re never completely happy because you never do well enough,” he told the BBC’s Desert Island Discs in 2020. “You feel always a bit guilty because the Catholic religion is like that.” For Wenger, the man and the coach, the endless search for an unachievable perfection would come to define his life. We are reminded that the word “passion” derives from the Latin patior, meaning “suffering”. His passion for football was a Christian passion, the passion of wounded sides and dried blood, of giving something up now (mortal life/time and effort/the opportunity of signing Eden Hazard) in order to assure the greater glories to come (eternal sanctity in the arms of God/fourth place in the Premier League/long-term financial stability and a timely payment of stadium debt). Every defeat was a scar on his heart. Every victory only forestalled the guilt for another week. Jürgen Klopp’s relationship with Christianity was always a little different. A little looser. “Being a Protestant,” he once said, “leaves a few doors open. It’s obviously not that dogmatic.” When he misbehaved as a child, his mother would ask him what God would think and Jürgen would reply that God was probably too busy. The only real imposition his faith made on his football was in restricting his ability to play on Sunday mornings, the start of what would become a lifelong distaste for early kick-off times. Does this explain anything on its own? No, of course not. But Klopp leaves Liverpool and there is shock, anguish, devastation. Fans call up radio phone-in shows and dissolve into tears. Wenger leaves Arsenal before he is shoved out of the door in a stupor of ennui and indifference, gets a valedictory farewell from supporters who quietly admit that it’s probably for the best. “Probably the worst day of my life,” one Liverpool fans sobs on TikTok. “Arsène, thanks for the memories but it’s time to say goodbye,” read the famous banner at the Hawthorns in 2014. As the club Arsène built prepares to host the team that Jürgen built, it’s worth pondering for a moment on why. Klopp has built a huge connection with the Liverpool fans and supporters are devastated by his departure. Photograph: John Powell/Liverpool FC/Getty Images Because on the face of things, the legacies of Wenger and Klopp largely bear comparison with each other. By common consent each belongs in a top-five of all-time Premier League managers alongside Sir Alex Ferguson, José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. We can balance and juggle the merits of a Champions League win against an invincible season, bliss versus beauty, the influence of gegenpressing and throw-in coaches versus the influence of lightning possession football and pasta, whether ’tis nobler to finish runners-up with 97 points (Liverpool 2018-19) or to win with 78 points (Arsenal 1997-98). This part of the exercise belongs largely to the realm of the pub debate, a debate whose very existence underlines the common magnitude of their achievements. And more than this, too: in a way Klopp inherited Wenger’s mantle as English football’s unheeded conscience, the wizened sage telling it the truths it did not want to hear. Just as Wenger railed against the inequities of unfettered spending and was derided as a “specialist in failure” for his trouble, Klopp went out of his way to decry the scourge of state investment and expanding schedules, and was accused of sour grapes for doing so. So they continued to labour in the shadow of a Manchester giant, driven above all by their principles and values, a keen belief that doing something in the right way is as important as doing it in the first place. Why, then, does Klopp leave with garlands being thrown at his feet while Wenger was hustled and screamed towards the exit? To a large extent this is a matter of timing. If Wenger had left in 2005, nine years into his Arsenal reign, he would probably have been remembered even more fondly than he is now. Since leaving the dugout he has wondered aloud whether he stayed too long, whether something fundamental ruptured in the years after the invincible season. He feels – not for the first time – a guilt at the life and relationships he sacrificed in the addictive process of becoming the best manager he could be. So you suspect that when Klopp referred to Wenger as the “football maniac” early in his Liverpool career, he was not being entirely flattering. Wenger teaches us that you have to sacrifice your life for football. Klopp teaches us that actually, no: you don’t. The intensity required to win and keep winning was the intensity that eventually burned him out. Unlike Wenger, who lived ascetically and never went out 48 hours before a game, Klopp is the only Premier League manager who has ever offered this writer one of his cigarettes during an interview. Glory in the next life; glory in this. Perhaps this explains why Klopp is more loved at the end of his time than Wenger was at the end of his. But it also explains why no elite manager will ever come close to emulating Wenger’s 22 years at a single club. For all their similarities as coaches and leaders, what ultimately defines these two great men is a divergence of outlook. For Wenger, faith was an undertaking, a long calvary lined with guilt and suffering. For Klopp, it was a ritual, freely chosen, a way of understanding and connecting with people. Two concepts of the self; two concepts of the world and how best to serve it; two concepts, ultimately, of what it means to love. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/feb/03/jurgen-klopp-arsene-wenger-arsenal-liverpool-football

Overhauling your whole life on 1 January is a noble idea, but slow and steady is the real way to succeed Many of us want to enjoy a healthier new year. Photograph: Mattia/Stocksy United It’s a vicious circle: the end of December sees lots of us making all sorts of outlandish claims as to how we’re going to transform our health in the new year. The plan is meticulously followed for a few days, but it soon gets difficult and we fall off the wagon. Then we experience the guilt-inducing recriminations, making us feel even worse than before we started. It’s a predictable path, says Augusta Gray, a registered nutritionist and content lead at Holland & Barrett, and it feeds into a common toxic behavioural mentality known as “all or nothing”. “If you tend to go on the yo-yo of all-or-nothing, you’re probably going into that festive period overindulging,” she says. “Having that black and white way of thinking can be a really unhealthy relationship with your mind and body.” But it doesn’t have to be this way. Studies show that by making small, incremental steps, we’re more likely to change our behaviour – and stick to new, healthier habits – rather than making grand statements that inevitably fall flat. Here are some simple steps towards slow and steady change to better health in 2024: Gut health is good health Gut health is a great place to start with a little lifestyle shift, says Gray, as what we eat affects the microbiome of trillions of bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract and, in turn, this may impact our immune system and skin. Emerging research also suggests that the microbiota in our gut may influence our moods and appetite (pdf). “The main thing is to ensure you’re eating a really diverse range of plants and plant-based products,” she says. “One study from 2018 found that the groups who reported eating 30 different fruits and veg a week had a more diverse gut microbiota. Think about a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds, wholegrains and herbs. Also consider prebiotic fibres, which are found in plants such as chicory root, onion, garlic and asparagus. They’re really good options to make sure you’re getting the right bacteria to feed the probiotics – the probiotics are anything fermented: kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut and kombucha.” Check in with experts As everybody’s health needs will differ, speaking to an expert at Holland & Barrett can help set you up with the right tools for a healthy lifestyle change. How about a 45-minute online consultation with a qualified nutritionist – available for free this new year (usually £45), and pre-booked through the wellness retail’s website? Or you could seek advice on gut-health supplements or take a look at the new food range that has Plant Points on the labelling to help you tot up your 30-plants-a-week goal. For any serious symptoms or specific medical issues, please see a GP or your local medicinal practitioner. Start small by making sure you’re eating five portions of fruits and vegetables a day. Photograph: Mental Art + Design/Stocksy United Start small, and incremental It’s fine to start even smaller, though. Positioning it behaviourally as adding something to your lifestyle rather than removing something, can make it feel like a little win. “If you’re continuing to eat the same way you were at Christmas,” says Gray, “focus on making sure you’re eating five portions of fruits and vegetables a day or adding in more colours, or having one or two more greens than normal. That’s an easy way to approach it, because that way you’re crowding in the good rather than cutting out the bad.” Incremental steps are another idea to make it sustainable, she adds, but if this is too much, then just focus on one relatively simple task every day, such as drinking lots of water, sleeping well, or getting out and about and walking. “If you’re consistent with that for three or four weeks, then you can continue to build on that.” How to stay motivated “Motivation is kind of the crux of it all,” says Gray. We need to recognise the difference between motivation and willpower, she explains. “Willpower is more about the ability to resist, and motivation is about the desire to act. Our brains are literally wired and set up to create shortcuts because our brains don’t want to think too much and then we create habits which tend to be bad.” Internal v external motivations There are a lot of studies that say internal motivation is going to make you more consistent than external motivation, so sit down and work out why you want to make a change. “If we think about internal motivation for changing the way we eat being ‘because it makes me feel good’ or ‘because I want to live a longer, happier, healthier life’ versus the external ‘because I want to look better/how I think society wants me to’ or ‘the doctor told me I had to’, you’re more likely to be motivated for the long-term and have better outcomes. Writing them out on Post-it notes, explaining why you want to do this in the first place, really checking in, and then sticking these around your house can help, too.” Try sticking up Post-it notes to remind you of your internal motivations for changing your eating habits. Photograph: Studio Marmellata/Stocksy United Make new dopamine-boosting cues If you really want to succeed, trick your brain by setting up new pleasure cues. One brain game you can play, Gray says, is based on studies that show that repeatedly rewarding ourselves in ways that don’t inherently feel like rewards can fool us into believing they are. “If you’re in the habit of having chocolate at 3pm in the afternoon, the ‘trigger’ is the time of day. Going to the kitchen and grabbing a snack is the ‘behaviour’ and you ‘reward’ yourself by satisfying your cravings for something sweet, or taking a break from work. To change to an alternative behaviour, you could have some healthy snacks to hand, go for a walk, or grab your yoga mat. That way you’re satisfying your craving for a snack or getting a break from work – but you’ll need to perform these steps over and over again to make them stick. “You can also intercept ‘boring’ habits with an internal celebration to help associate it with a rewarding feeling or dopamine release.” Be kind to yourself if and when you fail If sticking to a healthy lifestyle was so easy, we’d all be doing it. So accept that you might have a few bad days, but be kind to yourself about it. “A lot of our internal dialogue is so tough on ourselves,” says Gray. “And things like social media and comparison feed into that, so remove it or reduce it if that’s a trigger to feeling bad. “We’re so hard on ourselves, and I can guarantee you no one is thinking the things you’re thinking about yourself. It’s really important to have that slight out-of-body moment and think: ‘I would never speak to my friend like this.’ Tomorrow is another day, so do what you can to start again.” For a science-backed gut-health plan that’s tailored to you, book a free 45-minute online appointment with one of our qualified, professional nutritionists at hollandandbarrett.com. (For a limited time, normally £45) https://www.theguardian.com/the-year-of-your-gut/2024/jan/02/focus-on-internal-motivations-seven-small-sustainable-steps-to-a-healthier-you-in-2024

Reports say journalists were briefly held at protest by wives of Russian soldiers calling for their return from Ukraine. Police officers detain a man in central Moscow during a gathering of The Way Home group members, who demand the return of their mobilised relatives from Ukraine [Stringer/Reuters] About two dozen people, mostly journalists, were briefly detained at a protest in central Moscow, as wives and other relatives of Russian servicemen mobilised to fight in Ukraine called for their return, according to media reports. The soldiers’ relatives gathered on Saturday to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, just outside the Kremlin walls. They marked 500 days since Russian President Vladimir Putin in September 2022 ordered a “partial mobilisation” of up to 300,000 reservists in Moscow’s war against Ukraine. The call-up was widely unpo[CENSORED]r and wives and relatives of some of the reservists have campaigned for them to be discharged and replaced with contract soldiers. Saturday’s demonstration was organised by one such campaign group, The Way Home, that on Friday posted on Telegram calling on “wives, mothers, sisters and children” of reservists from across Russia to come to Moscow to “demonstrate [their] unity”. “We want our husbands back alive,” one of the protesters, who only gave her name as Antonina for fear of reprisals, is heard saying in a video published by independent Russian news outlet SOTAvision. Antonina insisted she does not want compensation from the Russian government if her husband is killed, and said she would instead “either go to a convent or follow him”. Play Video ‘Unauthorised’ event Saturday’s demonstration was the ninth and largest of similar weekly gatherings organised by The Way Home. One po[CENSORED]r Russian Telegram news channel estimated that some 200 people turned out. The Reuters news agency reported that about 20 people were detained and then released at the protest, including a Reuters journalist who was covering the story and an AFP video journalist. According to OVD-Info, an independent website that monitors political arrests in Russia, police detained 27 people during the protest, mostly journalists. Police had detained the group of Russian and foreign reporters – all men – outside Red Square and took them to a police station. According to SOTA, most were later released, although a male protester was still in detention on Saturday evening. Additionally, a number of people were also detained at other locations in central Moscow, also protesting against the mobilisation, OVD-Info said. Allies of jailed Kremlin foe Alexey Navalny and Russian opposition politician Maksim Kats voiced support for the protest on Friday, while the Moscow prosecutor’s office early on Saturday warned Russians not to participate in “unauthorised mass events”. News | Russia-Ukraine war People detained at Russia protest calling for troops to return from Ukraine Reports say journalists were briefly held at protest by wives of Russian soldiers calling for their return from Ukraine. Police officers detain a person during a gathering of the "Way Home" group's members, who demand the return of their mobilised relatives involved in the Russian armed forces' military campaign in Ukraine, in central Moscow, Russia, February 3, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer Police officers detain a man in central Moscow during a gathering of The Way Home group members, who demand the return of their mobilised relatives from Ukraine [Stringer/Reuters] Published On 3 Feb 2024 3 Feb 2024 About two dozen people, mostly journalists, were briefly detained at a protest in central Moscow, as wives and other relatives of Russian servicemen mobilised to fight in Ukraine called for their return, according to media reports. The soldiers’ relatives gathered on Saturday to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, just outside the Kremlin walls. They marked 500 days since Russian President Vladimir Putin in September 2022 ordered a “partial mobilisation” of up to 300,000 reservists in Moscow’s war against Ukraine. KEEP READING list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 710 list 2 of 4 Ukraine says ‘destroyed’ Russian ship in underwater drone attack off Crimea list 3 of 4 Russia, Ukraine clash over bodies of military plane crash victims list 4 of 4 ICJ rules that it will hear part of Ukraine-Russia genocide case end of list The call-up was widely unpo[CENSORED]r and wives and relatives of some of the reservists have campaigned for them to be discharged and replaced with contract soldiers. Saturday’s demonstration was organised by one such campaign group, The Way Home, that on Friday posted on Telegram calling on “wives, mothers, sisters and children” of reservists from across Russia to come to Moscow to “demonstrate [their] unity”. “We want our husbands back alive,” one of the protesters, who only gave her name as Antonina for fear of reprisals, is heard saying in a video published by independent Russian news outlet SOTAvision. Antonina insisted she does not want compensation from the Russian government if her husband is killed, and said she would instead “either go to a convent or follow him”. Play Video Video Duration 02 minutes 40 seconds 02:40 ‘Unauthorised’ event Saturday’s demonstration was the ninth and largest of similar weekly gatherings organised by The Way Home. One po[CENSORED]r Russian Telegram news channel estimated that some 200 people turned out. Sign up for Al Jazeera Weekly Newsletter The latest news from around the world. Timely. Accurate. Fair. E-mail address Sign up By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy protected by reCAPTCHA The Reuters news agency reported that about 20 people were detained and then released at the protest, including a Reuters journalist who was covering the story and an AFP video journalist. According to OVD-Info, an independent website that monitors political arrests in Russia, police detained 27 people during the protest, mostly journalists. Police had detained the group of Russian and foreign reporters – all men – outside Red Square and took them to a police station. According to SOTA, most were later released, although a male protester was still in detention on Saturday evening. Additionally, a number of people were also detained at other locations in central Moscow, also protesting against the mobilisation, OVD-Info said. Allies of jailed Kremlin foe Alexey Navalny and Russian opposition politician Maksim Kats voiced support for the protest on Friday, while the Moscow prosecutor’s office early on Saturday warned Russians not to participate in “unauthorised mass events”. Play Video Video Duration 02 minutes 56 seconds 02:56 ‘A great tragedy’ Calls from wives and relatives to bring mobilised Russian reservists home have been ignored by the state-controlled media, and some pro-Kremlin politicians have sought to cast them as Western stooges. Protesters on Saturday angrily rejected the accusation. Maria Andreyeva, whose husband and brother are fighting in Ukraine, told SOTAvision that she saw the fighting in Ukraine as “a great tragedy that happened between two brotherly peoples”. “Almost every Russian has relatives in Ukraine, close and distant, so … this is a situation that has struck us to the core. After the second world war, it seemed to us that our grandfathers died so that there would never be another [conflict],” Andreyeva said. Saturday’s protest came weeks before the Russian presidential election, scheduled to take place in March, that Putin is all but assured to win. After Andreyeva and others laid flowers at the monument, they headed to Putin’s campaign headquarters to present their demands to him. Last month, another Russian presidential hopeful met with Andreyeva and other soldiers’ relatives campaigning for their return. Former local legislator Boris Nadezhdin, who openly opposes the war in Ukraine, criticised the Kremlin’s decision to keep them in the ranks as long as the fighting continues. “We want [the authorities] to treat people who are doing their duty in a decent way,” Nadezhdin said. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/3/people-detained-at-russia-protest-calling-for-troops-to-return-from-ukraine

Music title: Ahmed Mekky - Wa'fet Nasyt Zaman (Exclusive Music Video) | أحمد مكى - وقفة ناصية زمان Signer: Ahmed Mekky Release date: 2017/12/14 Official YouTube link:

Nick movie: Ricky Stanicky Time: Prime Video Netflix / Amazon / HBO: Amazon Duration of the movie: 2mins - 42sec. Trailer:

VOTED

V1, More clear simple red color.

VOTED

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Geely—the two automakers' Chinese parent company—will now fully support Polestar, which has two new EVs on the way. Volvo has announced that it will no longer fund Polestar, although the two brands will continue to collaborate on manufacturing and R&D. Geely, the Chinese company that owns both automakers, will now provide full financial and operational support to Polestar. After the move, Volvo's stock rose over 30 percent, according to Reuters. Polestar has financially struggled and has two new EVs on the way. Volvo and Polestar are breaking up—financially speaking, that is. The news comes after Volvo announced it will no longer fund Polestar, which features a slowly expanding all-electric lineup. Instead, Geely, the Chinese automotive giant that owns both brands, will now provide full financial and operational support to Polestar going forward. Geely could also become a "significant new shareholder," according to a Volvo press release. Polestar Packs Its Bags While Volvo won't be giving Polestar money anymore, the two will continue to collaborate on activities including manufacturing and R&D. Of course, Volvo also has the benefit of selling cars and SUVs with internal-combustion engines along with its upcoming EVs such as the EX30 and EX90. Meanwhile, Polestar exclusively sells EVs, which are currently seeing a decline in sales around the globe. Being an all-electric brand with a tiny lineup (right now, the Polestar 2 is the only model sold in the U.S.) as well as a slow rollout of new models has caused the company to struggle. Reuters reported that after Volvo made the move to stop funding Polestar, its stock was up by more than 30 percent at market open. Since Polestar went public in June 2022, Reuters also reports that its shares are down more than 83 percent. To address its financial woes, Polestar in a press release said it has "reduced its expected external funding need to approximately $1.3 billion until targeted cash flow break-even in 2025." The company also said it's progressing on getting the extra external funding that's needed. Polestar's Future It's unclear what the future holds for Polestar, but 2024 is expected to be a big year for the company. It has launched the Polestar 4, which notably has no rear window, in Australia, China, and Europe; it's expected to reach the U.S. sometime later this year. The Polestar 3 SUV has already been delayed until the first quarter of 2024 due to software challenges with its platform, which is shared with the Volvo EX90 that is also affected. The sleek Polestar 5 sedan is slated to debut in 2025, with the beautiful Polestar 6 roadster planned to follow in 2026. We think it'd be a tragedy if Polestar isn't able to build the 5 or the 6, but based on the current outlook, the reality is that both models could be a casualty. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a46611722/volvo-polestar-stop-funding-news/

At least 80 pairs recorded in 2023 after species began breeding again in 1979, having disappeared from UK in 16th century Cranes are difficult to spot in the breeding season as they often hide in reedbeds. Photograph: Adam Ihse/TT News Agency/AFP/Getty Images Cranes, UK’s tallest bird, bred in higher numbers last summer than for centuries At least 80 pairs recorded in 2023 after species began breeding again in 1979, having disappeared from UK in 16th century Patrick Barkham @patrick_barkham Fri 2 Feb 2024 06.00 GMT Britain’s tallest bird, the spectacular, wetland-loving crane bred in higher numbers last summer than at any point since they disappeared from the UK in the 16th century. At least 80 pairs of cranes were recorded in 2023, up from the previous high of 72 two years earlier. The birds, which make distinctive bugling calls but are surprisingly elusive in the breeding season, as they hide in reedbeds, successfully fledged at least 36 chicks. The species, which performs elaborate mating dances each spring, first returned from Scandinavia to breed in east Norfolk in 1979. The po[CENSORED]tion was kept secret for years and very slowly spread. More recently it has been boosted by a reintroduction project where hand-reared cranes were released on expanded wetlands in the Somerset Levels. Britain has drained, developed and destroyed more than 75% of its marshland but the recent restoration of some wetlands has helped the species recolonise Wales, Scotland and nature reserves across England, including in Lincolnshire. Damon Bridge, chair of the UK Crane Working Group, said: “The continued success of these amazing birds is showing us that conservation action works. We need to build on this foundation by safeguarding protected sites and creating larger, better-connected wetland areas across the UK to fully reap the benefits this vital habitat can provide for nature and people.” Andrew Stanbury, an RSPB conservation scientist, welcomed recent government announcements to spend £16m on rewetting peatlands and its Landscape Recovery Fund second round, which supports net zero goals such as restoring marshland. Wetlands are effective carbon stores, as well as reservoirs of disappearing biodiversity. “We must now go further and move faster, scaling up efforts to restore protected sites and landscapes by 2030 if wildlife and people are to thrive,” said Stanbury. Cranes are difficult to spot when breeding but in winter Britain’s burgeoning po[CENSORED]tion of 250 is often seen flocking and flying in groups to roost within reedbeds at dusk. John Blackburn, the warden at Hickling, the Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve close to where the birds first reestablished themselves, said: “In addition to cranes breeding on a number of our sites in the Norfolk Broads each year, nothing rivals the sight of dozens of these majestic birds coming in to roost at twilight – a real wildlife spectacle that visitors can enjoy at our Hickling Broad nature reserve each winter.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/02/cranes-uks-tallest-bird-bred-in-higher-numbers-last-summer-than-for-centuries

Marseille hosts two teams eager to banish World Cup woe as they forge on, each missing an inspirational player Ireland's head coach Andy Farrell (second left) watches his side train at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille. Photograph: Nicolas Tucat/AFP/Getty Images The big wheel is still turning at Marseille’s Borély beach, day and night through all four seasons, €8 a go for two loops. It is 55m high and from the top you can see into the Stade Vélodrome a few hundred metres inland, where, on Thursday afternoon, France and Ireland were busy getting ready to go-around again themselves. It is three months and 19 days since the World Cup quarter-finals here and a lot of the old posters advertising the matches are still up around town, but it is already time for the cycle to start over and the opening match of this year’s Six Nations. This time last year, France and Ireland were first and second in the world rankings and the match between them turned out to be the title decider. Twelve months on, they are behind South Africa in the rankings, and France, who are fourth, trail New Zealand too. Not that the standings signify much at the moment. South Africa have the Webb Ellis Cup and that is about all that matters, but that shift does reflect the hard truth that while neither of these two teams played better than they did in the years before the World Cup, they fetched up a score short when it counted in the knockout rounds. On Friday night, then, offers a first glimpse of how they have handled that setback, the changes they have made to the way they want to play and, though neither side will admit it, the opportunity, too, to exorcise some of the lingering disappointment they must feel. France spent eight years building towards the World Cup. “We’ll be scarred for life, and that’s part of our journey,” said their head coach Fabien Galthié, when, last November, he finally spoke out. “We’ve all been through a kind of introspection, first personally and then collectively.” Ireland, too, have been poring over what went wrong. Their head coach, Andy Farrell, says he started thinking about it the minute after the final whistle. “We’re the last group of people who would ever shy away from addressing our performance and learning from it,’ says Peter O’Mahony. It has come up in conversation over every cup of coffee he’s had for “the last few months”. No wonder he says he wants to put it all behind them, then. “We’re not trying to prove a point to ourselves about what happened. It’s not about putting things right, it’s about a Test match tomorrow night.” O’Mahony is captain, one of a handful of changes to the teams. He is leading a side with a rookie fly-half, 24-year-old Jack Crowley, lock Joe McCarthy and wing, Calvin Nash, but otherwise is pretty gnarly and familiar. The most obvious difference is who they are missing. Ireland have won seven Tests out of 11 against France in the past decade and Johnny Sexton started every one of the victories. He missed two games, and Ireland lost both. Never mind his leadership, or his goalkicking, Sexton was the cog Ireland’s attack turned around and no one can be sure if it will work quite so smoothly without him. France’s new captain Grégory Alldritt stretches at the Stade Velodrome in preparation to face Ireland. Photograph: Nicolas Tucat/AFP/Getty Images O’Mahony, who knows Crowley from way back, has faith in him. “I remember him playing for Con and getting reports he was the real deal, fast forward a few years and here we are,” he says. “He’s learned a huge amount under Johnny, and the other guys, Joey Carberry and Ross Byrne. He’s an unbelievable man for watching the game, learning the game, does hours of analysis, hours of extras in the gym. He’s plenty to go but he knows that better than anyone.” France are missing their own captain, and talisman, Antoine Dupont, who has taken the rest of the Test season off to play rugby sevens before the Olympics this summer, as well as their regular fly-half, Romain Ntamack, who is injured. But they have a pair of ready replacements in Matthieu Jalibert and Maxime Lucu, who play together for Bordeaux. Grégory Alldritt has taken over as captain. Otherwise, the only real surprise in their side is the selection of Yoram Moefana, who is more usually a centre, on the wing rather than the brilliant young Louis Bielle-Biarrey. Bielle-Biarrey had a hard time of it handling the high ball in that match against the Springboks and the suspicion is that is why he has been left on the bench, alongside the slippery scrum-half Nolann le Garrec and the formidable lock Posolo Tuilagi, who won a late call-up as a replacement for Romain Taofifénua. Tuilagi is Manu Tuilagi’s nephew. He came into the squad as a trainee two weeks ago after the federation received clarification over his eligibility and has shot straight into the match-day 23. He is 19, but you would not necessarily guess it given that he is 6ft 4in tall and weighs the best part of 24st. France are, as Galthié has pointed out, a young side, and still on the upslope. They will be rejuvenated, too, by the prospect of playing in Marseille, away from the ghosts of the Stade de France, which, like Dupont, is being appropriated for the Olympic Games. The fans in Paris can be a little fickle, but there is nothing ambivalent about the crowd down here. It will be a hot night and you can be sure it will be a hell of a game between two teams with a point to prove. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/feb/02/france-and-ireland-six-nations-2024-opening-match-preview

Former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade wore nail varnish at a ceremony celebrating his induction into basketball’s Hall of Fame. Photograph: Lynne Sladky/AP Men’s sport can be a hard place. But a rising number of stars are choosing to express themselves even if it annoys those with more old-fashioned views Andrew Lawrence @by_drew Wed 31 Jan 2024 09.00 GMT USC quarterback Caleb Williams would appear to have a firm enough grip on football to project as the first pick in this year’s NFL draft. But there’s something about the Heisman trophy winner that keeps throwing off fans and talent evaluators alike, and it’s right at his fingertips. Williams, you see, is one of those guys who decorates his nails, unveiling a new paint scheme every time he takes the field and drawing criticism for spelling out foul messages to opponents across his fingers. His gameday tradition dates back four seasons, to Williams’s high school senior year, and takes inspiration from his mother, who is a nail technician. “You gotta keep your hands fresh,” Williams said. “This is where all the gold comes from.” But in the hyper-masculine world of male sport, it figures that Williams’s style would annoy some. “What’s up with all these dudes painting their nails nowadays,” wrote former NFL wide receiver Cole Beasley, who is not known for his progressive views. “It’s color on nails,” wrote Kenny Stills, a former teammate of Beasley’s. “That’s like someone asking what’s up with all these dudes getting tattoos. Self expression.” “Tattoos tell a story based on the image you get,” Beasley replied. “Painted nails have no image. What exactly are you expressing? Cause I can only think of one thing. Lol.” Stills posted a video of himself throwing up Vulcan salute with the Tropical Skittles-themed manicure he scored for Burning Man and shot back at Beasley. “I really had no clue men painting their nails stirred people up,” he wrote. “Gotta paint mine more often.” It isn’t just athletes who are embracing fingernail polish. The comic Pete Davidson joked on Saturday Night Live that he paints his nails because: “I love making my uncles uncomfortable.” Machine Gun Kelly founded a cruelty-free, vegan nail polish line endorsed by Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green. Harry Styles and the rapper Lil Yachty have their own lines, too. According to 2021 research by the industry guide Fashionista, the number of manicure kits on wishlists for the shopping app Klarna had increased by 251% since October 2020 – and 10% of those were from men. Since Brad Pitt sported rainbow fingernails at the 2015 Palm Springs Film Festival, it might seem as if “male polish” has been appropriated from a goth expression and a LGBTQ+ trend into the male mainstream – but the concept isn’t entirely novel. According to a 2018 paper from the University of Rochester Medical Center, men were coloring their nails as far back as 3500BC. According to researcher Jeanette Zambito, in Babylon “male warriors adorned their nails with ground minerals as part of a pre-battle ritual designed to intimidate their enemies.” Nevertheless, some see nail painting as a road to ruin for the young boys and men of today – and not all the detractors are necessarily conservatives. In 2022, the rapper Soulja Boy went viral for calling out peers who paint their nails. “Stop playing,” he raged. “Y’all don’t see that through, huh?” On his hit YouTube sports talkshow It Is What It Is, the rapper Ma$e said seeing Dwyane Wade wear nail polish while being honored during a recent Miami Heat game was like catching “Jordan in lingerie. It’s just crushing me.” “I’m not mad at that take,” said show co-host Cam’ron. “For the last however many years, Dwyane Wade has become very eclectic. His blouses or shirts or whatever you want to call it.” Their views on Wade’s fashion choices may be old-fashioned, but the rappers raise a point. Male athletes aren’t solely ballplayers any more – not since David Beckham first rocked up in a sarong. They are runway models who can launch a fashion show simply by walking into work. That these same trendsetters would slowly begin embracing nail polish is just the latest sign of a bygone trend coming back around again. Through the centuries, caste differences came to be distinguished by shade of nail polish, with darker colors denoting higher class. There’s evidence to suggest the ancient Egyptians and Chinese coated their nails in polish made from henna, flower and beeswax – and did not discriminate by gender. That didn’t become an obvious thing until 19th century Victorian women began painting their nails to “signify purity and cleanliness.” It took another 100 years or so for male polish to mount a counterculture comeback with Iggy Pop, Kurt Cobain and other gritty male icons. But it’s only recently that the trend has caught on in sports. When it comes to bold manicures, it’s been Florence Griffith Joyner and other badass women of the track who have historically flashed their claws. The testosterone-driven world of male sports is sometimes slow to give in to what some would perceive as a softer side. It’s taken athletes like Beckham and Dennis Rodman to help carry that side to victory. (“Painting your nails doesn’t make u gay,” Rodman tweeted in 2013. “I love to paint my nails. Nothing wrong with that. Be you. Always.”). In the 1970s, Pittsburgh Steelers star Lynn Swann trained as a ballet dancer. In the naughties, Cris Carter was the freak Minnesota Viking who went for routine manicures. Seven years ago the New Orleans Saints were the outlier NFL franchise that staffed a dedicated yoga instructor; Tom Brady was caught doing poses on the sidelines. Nowadays, it’s nothing for two dudes to shoot the breeze over mani-pedis. When NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders isn’t fishing or coaching football, he’s wondering if his surgically altered foot should entitle him to an eight-toe discount at nail salons. And baseball catchers often use nail varnish to communicate hand signals to their pitchers more clearly. Even as Beasley was deriding his football peers for polishing their nails, one X user wondered if he was the same player who tied his golden locks in a manbun – once the universal symbol of the alpha male in touch with his softer side. Even as Cam’ron & Co scoffed at Wade’s nails, it’s worth noting that the rapper also once taped a show while getting a manicure on set. All of which is to say: consider the sources. The space between yesterday’s fashion trend and tomorrow’s pre-game routine is only a matter of time. It just takes trailblazers like Williams to get detractors like Beasley to catch on. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/jan/31/gotta-keep-your-hands-fresh-why-male-athletes-are-wearing-nail-polish

President Biden said violence in the occupied West Bank posed a "serious threat to peace, security and stability" US President Joe Biden has approved sanctions on four Israeli settlers accused of attacking Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Mr Biden signed a broad executive order, saying violence in the West Bank had reached "intolerable levels". The sanctions block the individuals from accessing all US property, assets and the American financial system. Violence in the West Bank has spiked since Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October. Some 370 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since then, according to the UN. The majority of those have been killed by Israeli forces but at least eight of them have been killed by Israeli settlers, the UN said. The new executive order means the US government has the power to sanction any foreign nationals who attack, intimidate or seize the property of Palestinians. The sanctions are a first by the US administration - a rare step targeting Israelis - and comes as Mr Biden travels to the state of Michigan, which has a large Arab-American po[CENSORED]tion that has been critical of his support for Israel. The Arab American Institute, an advocacy group, earlier said that since the start of the conflict, support by Arab Americans for the Democratic Party has plummeted from 59% in 2020 to just 17%. Why are Israel and Hamas fighting in Gaza? On Thursday, a senior official in the Biden administration said the president had repeatedly raised concerns with Israel about violence by settlers. The executive order sets out the groundwork for how the US will respond to further attacks in the West Bank, and is an escalation compared to the visa restrictions it imposed on some individuals last year. "The situation in the West Bank - in particular high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction - has reached intolerable levels and constitutes a serious threat to the peace, security and stability" of the region, Mr Biden said in a letter to Congress explaining his reasoning. A senior administration official said the initial round of sanctions - targeting four people - were against "individuals that have directly perpetrated violence and those who have engaged in repeated acts of intimidation, property destruction, leading to the forced displacement of Palestinian communities". They said one person initiated and led a riot that led to the death of a Palestinian civilian in the town of Huwara, while another had attacked people with stones and clubs. They added that the executive order was "non-discriminatory" and applied to both Israelis and Palestinians who direct or take part in violent acts or threats against civilians, intimidation, destroying, seizing property or terrorism. The US Treasury named the four sanctioned Israelis as David Chai Chasdai, 29; Yinon Levi 31; Einan Tanjil, 21; and Shalom Zicherman 32. Three of them lived in West Bank settlements and one lived near the occupied region's border, the Treasury said. These US sanctions cannot be applied to American citizens, some of whom are thought to be involved in the violence. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the US does believes the sanctions "will have an impact on these four individuals" and expects Israel to "do more to hold accountable those responsible for settler violence". Shortly after Mr Biden signed the executive order, Israel signalled its dissatisfaction and described the majority of West Bank settlers as "law-abiding". "Israel takes action against all law-breakers everywhere, and therefore there is no need for unusual measures on the issue," a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said. The response was yet another sign of a deepening public rift between the US and Israel. The two leaders are long-term allies, but have disagreed in recent weeks about the idea of creating an independent Palestinian state. The US believes a Palestinian state alongside Israel - known as a "two-state solution" - is vital for long-term stability in the region. Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected the idea, and the White House acknowledged last month that the US and Israeli governments "clearly see things differently". Those comments dampened hopes in some circles that the conflict could result in Israeli and Palestinian leaders restarting diplomatic negotiations and kickstarting the dormant peace process. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68173904

US troops on patrol in Syria earlier this month The US has approved plans for a series of strikes on Iranian targets in Syria and Iraq, officials have told the BBC's US partner CBS News. The strikes will take place over a number of days, officials said, and weather conditions will likely dictate when they are launched. It comes after a drone attack killed three US soldiers in Jordan, close to the Syrian border, on Sunday. The US blamed an Iranian-backed militia group for that attack. That group, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, is believed to contain multiple militias that have been armed, funded and trained by Iran's Revolutionary Guards force. It has said it was responsible for Sunday's strike. Iran, meanwhile, has denied any role in the attack which injured 41 other US troops at the military base, known as Tower 22. US officials have said that US intelligence believes that the drone used to attack the facility was manufactured by Iran - and is similar to the drones Iran has been sending to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. At a news conference on Thursday, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin defended the delayed military response, saying: "We will respond where we choose, when we choose and how we choose." "I think everyone recognises the challenge associated with making sure that we hold the right people accountable," he said, adding that there is no "set formula for doing this". "There are ways to manage this so it doesn't spiral out of control. And that's been our focus throughout," Mr Austin continued. The officials who spoke to CBS News did not give an exact timeline on the potential strikes. They said the US military could launch them in bad weather, but preferred to have better visibility to reduce the risk of inadvertently hitting civilians. President Joe Biden has been under mounting pressure from Republican lawmakers, including some of Washington's most hawkish voices on Iran, to strike targets on Iranian soil. But while the US has repeatedly pledged to respond to the drone attack, Mr Biden and other defence officials have said Washington is not seeking a wider war with Iran or an escalation of tensions in the region. "That's not what I'm looking for," Mr Biden told reporters at the White House earlier this week. The reportedly approved plans appear to keep the targeting to Iranian targets Syria and Iraq, rather than inside Iran. Several Iran-backed groups have increased attacks on US and Israeli-linked entities since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war on 7 October. The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, for example, have attacked ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, prompting strikes from the US and its allies. A US defence official told CBS that a drone was shot down overnight in the Gulf of Aden, while an unmanned sea drone was struck and destroyed in the Red Sea. Citing unnamed sources, Reuters on Thursday reported that Iran had withdrawn senior officials from Syria following a series of Israeli airstrikes in a bid to avoid being directly drawn into a wider conflict in the region. US officials told CNN this week that there were signs that the Iranian government was becoming increasingly concerned about the actions of its proxy groups in the region, who have launched over 160 attacks on US forces since October. The bodies of the three US soldiers killed in the attack in Jordan are expected to be repatriated to a Delaware Air Force base on Friday. The White House has announced that President Biden will attend. The three soldiers have been named as William Jerome Rivers, 46, Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, and Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23. All three were part of an army reserve unit based in Fort Moore, Georgia. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68171280

Music title: Tyla - Water (Official Music Video) Signer: Tyla Release date: 2023/10/06 Official YouTube link:

Nick movie: Road House Time: Prime Video Netflix / Amazon / HBO: N/A Duration of the movie: 2MIN - 48SEC. Trailer: