Thursday briefing: explosions in Iran kill dozens
At least 95 people were killed in explosions in Iran
A pair of explosions yesterday at a memorial for Iran’s former top military general, Qassim Suleimani, killed at least 95 people and injured another 211, according to Iranian officials. The blasts heightened tensions in the broader region a day after an explosion killed several Hamas officials in a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon.
Iranian officials told state media that a pair of bombs exploded near a cemetery in Kerman, Iran, as a procession of people headed to celebrate the anniversary of the assassination of General Suleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike four years ago. . Officials said the bombs appeared to have been detonated by remote control. Given the enormous scale of the explosions, it was likely that the death toll would rise.
Elsewhere in the Middle East:
“Everyone started shouting in Japanese,” Anton Deibe, a 17-year-old passenger from Stockholm, told The Times. “I didn’t understand it at all.” Still, he said, “There was a lot less commotion than I thought. The passengers were calm.”
What happened? Clues begin to emerge as to the cause of the collision. In a transcript of communications between the air traffic control tower and both the JAL aircraft and the Coast Guard aircraft involved in the collision, it appeared that the commercial flight was cleared to land, while the Coast Guard aircraft was instructed to “taxi to the holding point ”. next to the runway.
Xi is shaking up the Chinese army
Nine high-ranking Chinese military personnel were recently dismissed as deputies in the country’s Communist Party-led legislature. The uproar came abruptly and without official explanation.
The figures include some rising stars from President Xi Jinping’s military. Experts who track China’s military say the layoffs appear to be aimed at asserting Xi’s control over the arms sector. They noted that the layoffs apparently excluded his longtime allies, at least for now.
Context: Since coming to power in 2012, Xi has initiated a blistering crackdown on Communist Party officials and generals. However, this last campaign was largely conducted in silence.
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How to eat for better energy
My colleagues from the Well Desk are kicking off the year with the 6-Day Energy Challenge, which focuses on the elements in your life that can influence how energetic you feel.
In their most recent article they focus on food, and the task of the day is simple: notice how the food you eat makes you feel. Two hours after you eat a meal or snack, write down the sensations you experience and rate your energy levels.
If the results make you want to make a change, Well has some ideas about adjustments you can make to your diet. For example: Fill your plate with foods rich in fiber, complex carbohydrates and protein, which can slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream and help prevent fatigue.