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☆ Benzema scores on farewell but Real held at home by Bilbao
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, June 4 (Reuters) - Real Madrid's Karim Benzema netted a penalty in his final LaLiga game at the Bernabeu but was unable to inspire them to victory as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Real held onto second place despite the draw, as 10-man Atletico Madrid were held 2-2 at Villarreal following Jorge Pascual's 92nd-minute equaliser. Diego Simeone's side finished the season with 77 points, one behind local rivals Real. Osasuna secured a spot in the Europa Conference League, beating Girona 2-1 to finish seventh, two points above Bilbao. Reporting by Aadi Nair in Nashik, India; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Karim Benzema, Real, Ballon, Benzema, Thibaut Courtois, Mikel Vesga, Sancet, Eder Militao, Yuri Berchiche, Jorge Pascual's, Diego Simeone's, Aadi Nair, Ken Ferris Organizations: Bernabeu, Athletic Bilbao, Bilbao, Real, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, Osasuna, Europa Conference League, Girona, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Saudi Arabian, Al Ittihad, Bilbao's, Bilbao, Nashik, India

☆ After a year of fighting in Ukraine, the brutal logic behind Russia's 'human wave' attacks is becoming clear
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

At the bottom of the hierarchy is what RUSI terms "disposable infantry." According to the RUSI report, the term "human wave attacks" has been misleadingly applied to the way Russia has employed these infantry forces. The assault troops attack in larger company-size formations, backed by tanks and artillery as they attempt to outflank Ukrainian defenses. Once their mission is complete, assault forces are replaced by line and disposable infantry, who begin preparing for the next attack. Disposable troops are fed into the meat-grinder and killed or wounded before they can gain enough experience to survive.

Persons: —, Wagner Group's, Arkady Budnitsky, Wagner, They're, Diego Herrera Carcedo, demographically, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Royal United Services Institute, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Wagner Group, Donetsk People's Republics, Russian, Soviet, —, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, British, Rostov, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Forbes

☆ Ukrainian special operators are learning to fight Russia without the 'tethers' other militaries have gotten used to
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian special operators in particular have been learning to fight without those "tethers." When Russia launched its attack early on February 24, 2022, Ukraine's government was caught off guard — but the Ukrainian military wasn't. Fortunately for Ukrainian special operators, their supply lines are short — they are fighting on their home turf, after all. Insider understands that the Ukrainian special operators often resort to unconventional methods to overcome logistics challenges on the ground. As the war drags on and the Ukrainian forces advance, Ukrainian special operators will continue to face logistical difficulties.

☆ Quito: Ecuador’s underrated capital city was the first to become a UNESCO site
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Sandra Macgregor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —It’s hard not to feel a little sorry for the Ecuadorian capital of Quito. Singular churchesInside the Spanish colonial church of San Francisco in the city center of Quito. The museum even puts on a variety of shows, including a karaoke night of traditional Ecuadorian song. It’s especially busy at lunchtime when it fills to capacity with locals looking to indulge in affordable traditional Ecuadorian cuisine. Guided toursMetropolitan Touring’s “Live Quito Like a Local” walking tour is great for visitors with only a day or two to explore Quito.

☆ A body odor buffet reveals which scents attract mosquitoes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Anyone who has spent a summer evening swatting away mosquitoes, or a summer day scratching mosquito bites, can agree: Mosquitoes stink. In a scientific report published Friday, scientists helped pinpoint the different chemicals in body odor that attract these insects by building an ice-rink size testing arena and pumping in the scents of different people. Hundreds of mosquitoes in the main 20-by-20-meter facility were then treated to a buffet of the sleeping subjects’ scents. The researchers found what many who have been on a picnic would attest to: Some people attract more mosquitoes than others. (Vosshall said that even scrubbing with unscented soap doesn’t get rid of the natural scents that attract mosquitoes.)

☆ Mutation Protected Man From Alzheimer’s Disease, Hinting at Treatment
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Gina Kolata | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Dr. Arboleda-Rodriguez is a co-founder of a biotechnology company looking to produce drugs that could act on this research. The mutation results in a potent version of a protein, Reelin, in the entorhinal cortex. That super-potent Reelin ultimately prevents tangled strands of tau proteins from sticking together and forming the structures that are a characteristic of Alzheimer's. “We don’t know what sort of damage it might do, sticking needles in and dropping in chemicals,” he said. The man with what the researchers are calling “resilience” to Alzheimer’s was part of a decades-long study of 6,000 people living in Colombia who have a gene mutation that causes Alzheimer’s in middle age.

☆ Sleep apnea, lack of deep sleep linked to damage in brain, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

If the sleep apnea is severe and untreated, people have three times the risk of dying from any cause. People with severe sleep apnea who spent less time in deep, also known as slow-wave sleep, had more damage to the white matter of the brain than people who had more slow-wave sleep, according to the study. “The association with sleep apnea was only unveiled when we isolated severe cases, suggesting that mild to moderate sleep apnea may not be significantly associated with white matter changes,” he said. About 34% of the participants had mild sleep apnea, 32% had moderate and 34% had severe sleep apnea. People with sleep apnea, however, can have dozens of micro-awakenings during the night as they snore, snort or gasp for breath.

☆ Ukrainians with cellphones and machine guns are forcing Russia to change how it launches its drone attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine's flexible and adaptive air defenses have forced Russia to change its drone tactics. STR/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesThis marks yet another turn in the drone war between Russia and Ukraine. In the days after Russia invaded in February 2022, Ukrainian drones armed with anti-tank missiles or even homemade bombs wreaked havoc on Russian armored columns. "Drip-feeding lots and lots of Shaheds for several months" also depleted Ukraine's stockpile of air-defense missiles and shells, Bronk said. STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images"The Orlan is one of the biggest problems because it can fly above the range of" portable air-defense missiles and anti-aircraft guns, Bronk said.

☆ Western countries have scrambled to deliver billions of dollars of military gear to Ukraine. Getting it to the frontlines is a whole other problem.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

For a military at war, it's a challenge to get the right gear to the right troops at the right time. Western countries have scrambled to deliver that gear to Ukraine, overcoming political debates and logistical hurdles, but getting it to the frontlines presents a whole other problem. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesThe restricted operational environment makes Ukraine's logistics that much harder. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesFurther complicating the situation is the fact that the Ukrainian military is a dynamic force. Many Ukrainian troops are also rotating through the US and European countries for training.

☆ A corruption scandal, accusations of favoritism and Franco’s regime: Real Madrid and Barcelona in war of words over Spain’s fascist past
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

More than eight weeks after the scandal emerged, FCB President Joan Laporta went out to bat for the Catalan club on Monday. General view of Estadio Santiago Bernabeu prior to the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Getafe CF on April 09, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. But Laporta finished by saying that Real Madrid is “a club considered the team of the regime,” a reference to the club’s reported historic ties with Franco during his fascist dictatorship. “We are talking about a club [Real] that has historically close ties to political, financial and sporting power,” Laporta said. In total, Real won 14 league titles to Barcelona’s eight under Franco, while the Blaugrana won nine Copas del Generalísimo to Real Madrid’s six.

☆ Ukraine's fighter jet fleet is slowly growing, but its weapons to bring down Russian jets are dwindling, leaked US document shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The jets will bolster Ukraine's fighter fleet, which is still under fire from Russia's larger air force. But air-defense ammunition is a more urgent need, one underscored in recently leaked US documents. Berlin approved Warsaw's request to send jets to Ukraine on Thursday, the same day it was received. Both air forces have shifted tactics and now operate farther from the front line, playing to the advantage of the Russian aircraft, which have an edge at longer ranges. Without the threat posed by those interceptor missiles, Russian aircraft would have greater freedom to attack Ukrainian aircraft and bomb Ukrainian targets, including in support of Russian front-line troops, the leaked document says.

☆ Russian jets, some flown by Wagner mercenaries, are making risky attacks to test Ukraine's defenses around Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian aircraft, some operated by mercenaries, are also being used in fighting around the city. Yet the Russian Air Force is still conducting airstrikes with limited success, including around Bakhmut. Russian aircraft "are bombing in Bakhmut, particularly at night so that they can avoid most types of MANPADS. A retired Russian air force general named Kanamat Botashev may have been one of them. In addition to its other struggles, Russia's air force has been plagued by a shortage of fully trained pilots.

☆ How an elite brigade of Russian marines was repeatedly mauled in Ukraine and became an emblem of the invasion's failures
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

An elite brigade within Russia's military is a shadow of itself after taking huge losses in Ukraine. In many ways, the journey of the 155th reflects the larger struggles of the Russian military, which entered Ukraine expecting a quick victory but has instead suffered embarrassing setbacks. Baev said that its members are supposed to be better trained and more professional than other parts of the Russian military, which can rely on conscripts. And, as the fighting dragged and more marines died, the Russian military kept reinforcing the 155th with fresh recruits, which brought its own problems. Yet earlier this month Ukraine claimed that commanders in the brigade were refusing to fight near the city of Vuhledar.

☆ Ukraine is reinforcing Bakhmut with its elite troops as Russian forces make advances, UK defense ministry says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine is sending elite units to Bakhmut as Russian forces make further advances, the UK MoD said. Ukrainian forces are now vulnerable to Russian attacks from three sides of the city, it said. The Russian army and Wagner Group forces have been making advances into the city's northern suburbs amid intense fighting, and Ukrainian forces are now vulnerable to Russian attacks from three sides, the department said in an intelligence update. Ukrainian soldiers shelter in the woods along a road outside of the strategic city of Bakhmut on January 18, 2023 in Bakhmut, Ukraine. Ukrainian emergency workers try to extinguish a fire caused by Russian attacks in the center of Bakhmut on December 23, 2022.

☆ Russia's struggles in Ukraine are showing US special operators that they'll need to fight without their 'tethers' to win future wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

For US special operators, the war is a reminder that such a network won't always be available. Ukraine thwarted Russia's initial attack and, with extensive Western support, has driven Russia's forces back. Logistics and special operatorsRomanian, Ukrainian, and US Army Green Berets conduct close quarters battle training in Romania in May 2021. We are trained and mentally prepared to fight without much logistical support," said the Green Beret, who was granted anonymity to discuss potential future operations. "Again, depending on the unit and the mission, we will require some sort of logistical support eventually.

☆ Rare battlefield footage shows how Ukraine's upgraded Soviet-era tanks are outperforming Russia's upgraded Soviet-era tanks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine upgraded many of its tanks before the war, but Russia also had newer, higher-quality tanks. On the outskirts of a destroyed town, the Ukrainian tank is advances down a road, straight toward the Russian tank. Without stopping, the Ukrainian tank fires a round at its adversary. Ukrainian troops perform maintenance on tanks near the frontline in Donbas on January 18. More victories, better weaponsUkrainian troops inspect a destroyed Russian tank near Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region in December.

☆ Putin's favorite mercenary leader may be preparing to justify a failure in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A rivalry between Russia's military and Wagner Group mercenaries has come to the fore in Ukraine. Indeed, with curses and excuses, Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group and President Vladimir Putin's favorite mercenary leader, may be preparing to justify a failure in one of the fiercest battles of the war: Bakhmut. Rivalry exposedA mural in Belgrade that praises the Wagner group and its mercenaries fighting in Ukraine. Prigozhin was quick to criticize them — another instance of the mercenary leader's long-running challenge to Russia's military leadership. But with tens of thousands of fighters in Ukraine, Prigozhin doesn't seem phased.

☆ Ukraine's battlefields look like World War I but with a new and terrifying addition that leaves troops with almost nowhere to hide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The conflict in Ukraine has emerged as the first major war involving drone use on both sides. By the late 1990s, Predator drones were being used by the US and NATO for reconnaissance missions in the Kosovo War. Ukraine has in many ways emerged as a guinea pig for drone warfare. Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesLater in the war, Russia began launching swarms of Iranian-made Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drones, striking targets across Ukraine. Drones have significantly shortened the so-called kill chain, Cancian explained, helping troops swiftly locate targets and provide coordinates for artillery.

☆ A Ukrainian soldier died on the battlefield in Bakhmut. His death has sparked a fierce dispute between some American veterans and a volunteer trainer.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

While entering a house in Bakhmut, two Ukrainian soldiers were ambushed by Russian troops. While he was doing laundry, Wang said a dark-green SUV suddenly pulled up and he heard a Ukrainian soldier shout, "De medyky?" More muscle than the pork ribsWang, by his own admission, decided to take charge of rescuing the wounded Ukrainian soldier. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesIn the phone conversation with Insider, Wang defended his involvement in the death of the Ukrainian soldier. A wider tapestry of issuesThe SOLI instructors said the Bakhmut deaths were just one part of a wider tapestry of issues caused by Wang's inexperience and overzealousness.

☆ The financial prize of huge salt mines could have driven Russia's Wagner Group to sacrifice 1,000 men to capture the city of Bakhmut, says White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A White House official told Reuters that the head of Wagner Group wants salt and gypsum from Bakhmut. Mercenaries from Wagner Group, the private paramilitary group, have been fighting on the front lines in Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, along with Russian armed forces. The Wagner Group has paid a bloody price in the fighting around Bakhmut. Ukrainian soldiers walk to the frontline in Bakhmut, Ukraine on December 16, 2022. The Wagner Group, which is aligned with the Kremlin, has an active presence in several African countries.

☆ New Jersey woman charged with murder in Christmas Day shooting of husband
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A New Jersey woman has been charged with murder, accused of fatally shooting her husband, a figure in local Republican politics, on Christmas Day. An autopsy determined Wigglesworth died of a single gunshot wound and the manner of his death was a homicide, prosecutors said. He previously served as president of the Planning Board in Hamilton Township and unsuccessfully ran as a Republican for the Township Committee in 2012, The Press of Atlantic City reported. Her attorneys, Jonathan E. Diego and Melissa Rosenblum, said in a statement shared with NBC News: “A tragedy occurred on Christmas evening. The facts of that heart-rending evening will unfold in a court of law, not the court of public opinion.”

☆ You really should mask up again, says infectious disease expert: The tripledemic is hitting 'too fast and too furious'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Most Americans aren't wearing face masks anymore — and their timing isn't great, says a leading infectious disease expert. Just 26% of Americans reported in October that they're wearing masks outside of their homes. Covid alone currently accounts for 386 deaths per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The flu and RSV likely add to that figure, though the agency doesn't report the number of deaths per day for those viruses. "Everyone needs to know that masking really does protect individuals against all three viruses," Hijano says.

☆ The Year in Pictures 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +57 min

Every year, starting in early fall, photo editors at The New York Times begin sifting through the year’s work in an effort to pick out the most startling, most moving, most memorable pictures. But 2022 undoubtedly belongs to the war in Ukraine, a conflict now settling into a worryingly predictable rhythm. Erin Schaff/The New York Times “When you’re standing on the ground, you can’t visualize the scope of the destruction. Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 25. We see the same images over and over, and it’s really hard to make anything different.” Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb 26.

Deadly unrest in the wake of a political crisis has left a number of American tourists stranded in Peru. Hundreds of international travelers, including some Americans, were stuck in and around the historic city of Machu Picchu as the government raced to secure transport to the nearest airport this weekend. Vega added that he was considering hiking to the nearest town to access the airport. Soldiers and police stand guard on the Pan-American highway in the town of Alto Siguas in southern Peru on Saturday. Peru’s caretaker president, Dina Boluarte, exhorted Congress on Saturday to approve early elections that could provide a way out of the crisis.

CNN —One week into her presidency, Peru’s new President Dina Boluarte is battling to contain widespread protests that erupted after the ousting of former President Pedro Castillo. Boluarte announced Tuesday the government will set up a crisis management committee as protests calling for political change continue across the country. Boluarte, his former vice president, has since become president, and on Monday proposed bringing general elections forward two years to April 2024 during a televised speech. At least seven people have died in the protests ongoing in Peru, according to a tweet from the health ministry on Wednesday. Boluarte also doesn’t belong to a political party after she was expelled from Peru Libre due to internal disagreements.

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