calm

The sight of the fit-again Ollie Rathbone – last year’s player of the season – in the matchday squad for the first time since early pre-season adds weight to those sentiments.

At the same time, Parkinson is unlikely to be swayed in ignoring the steady progress so far, even if many fans saw the Stoke display as a step backwards.

While the run of games will bring pressure, it also brings opportunity, with Kieffer Moore among those adamant that Wrexham are not far from clicking and that they will be a real threat when they do.

Before the next international break – and all inside the space of three weeks – Wrexham also have games against Portsmouth and Charlton Athletic, even if the Addicks have done eye-catchingly well since their own promotion.

And then there is the small matter of the chance to reach the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup when they welcome Welsh rivals Cardiff City.

Get it right and Wrexham will have people talking for all the right reasons. Something Parkinson will know full well.

“We need to just analyse the performance and not get too down about it,” Parkinson said.

“It says something about how far we’ve come that we come to Stoke in front of 25,000 and are disappointed not to get something from the game.

“But we have got to look at ourselves. I think it’s good to be frustrated, I think it’s good to be a bit annoyed and that we don’t have pats on the back and say ‘Oh, we’ve come to Stoke and done okay’.

“They are a good group of lads who are working really hard and I’m excited about what we’ve got in the building, I really am.

“We have taken a knock, but we’ll come back fighting on Wednesday.”

And with plenty looking hard at Wrexham – and maybe even looking for them to fail – a win would do much to wrestle back control of that narrative.

HELEN Flanagan was flooded with praise as she shared her struggle to get her four-year-old off to bed.

The former Coronation Street actress was given a boost by her Instagram followers who gushed she was doing an “amazing job” and making little Charlie “feel safe” despite the night-time mayhem.

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Helen, 35, who shares three kids with her footballer fiancé ex Scott Sinclair, uploaded a video showing their hectic night time routine.

The pair’s daughter Matilda was born on June 29, 2015, with second little girl Delilah arriving on June 22, 2018.

Their third child, son Charlie, was born on March 25, 2021, and was the centre of attention in the clip which saw Helen attempting to call him over as she said: “Charlie I love you, can you come over to mummy please.”

He could be heard playing in the background before he sprinted across the screen.

Helen, dressed in her pyjamas and nightwear, tried to emphasise her point and said: “Charlie can you listen please because I love you and want to give you a cuddle.”

She then suggested he. go to bed in the cot which prompted him to come over for a hug.

She asked him: “Do you love your mummy?” to which he replied: “Yes.”

The ITV soap star then placed his little hand on her heart and said: “I am calm, I love my mummy,” words which he then repeated.

Helen then told him they were going to stop “bouncing around” and go to sleep with “cuddles and kisses.”

She conceded they could watch a film but needed to “relax” – in order to then “go crazy” in the morning.

Helen, who successfully kept the youngster chilled, then let out a sigh before turning the camera off.

MUM BATTLES

In her lengthy caption, the proud mum explained the toddler’s behaviour in more detail.

She wrote: “Took this video a few weeks ago of me trying to get Charlie to bed and I think it’s cute.

“Think it was about 11.30pm and he’s still bouncing around the room.

“Love my little boy to death he’s so beautiful, he just has SO much energy. I wouldn’t want him any other way though as I know he’ll be an amazing boy.

“I have to take him to soft play or the park every day to burn off some energy less he’d be swinging from the ceiling. Boys are so different to girls, is it the testosterone?

“I feel like he looks like his dad but personality wise is a boy version of me.”

Helen, who played Rosie Webster in Corrie, added: “I don’t like to label children as I think we can over label now and children can play up to it but I suppose I’m neurodivergent and I’m his mummy.

“I also get very triggered by too many sounds all at the same time and struggle to keep calm, I also get really touched out.

“I still co sleep with my kids. Matilda’s too big now but we all just sleep in the same room, it’s what works for us and I’m that exhausted by the end of the day that I just want to sleep.

“Matilda cuddles up to her brother and Delilah sleeps next to me. I’ve tried to get them into their own rooms but they just get really upset and anxious so I don’t bother as they will naturally grow out of it.

“It can be really hard when they are little but also I know that I’m going to want these times back one day too.”

Referring to her plush cream room featured in the video she added: “All I do is tidy up and my house is always a mess and it’s always chaos.

“Charlie’s pulled down these curtains before and smashed my window with a football.

“He’s a different boy for his dad than he is with me. I do feel like with a boy having a constant male presence really helps. When he’s naughty I get too tired and he’s too heavy for me to carry and too fast to catch.

“I also really struggle with car journeys with Charlie, he thinks it’s a game to unbuckle his car seat, so I try and drive when he’s sleeping.

“I think reception and starting school for Charlie will be really good for him, I haven’t done phonics or practised writing his name, it will be a task in itself to get him sitting on his bottom.”

FAN PRAISE

Helen was inundated with messages of support from her famous mates as well as fans.

RHOC alum Tanya Bardsley said: “He reminds me of my Ralphi a beautiful energy.”

MTV’s Charlotte Dawson added: “This is so cute and chaotic at the same time … wouldn’t have it any other way.”

One fan then wrote: “Think this is amazing. You kept calm and in turn that helped him it’s called Co regulation for the uneducated out there who are saying show him who is in charge.”

Another wrote: “Adorable @hjgflanagan you’re doing amazing job.”

A third put: “Well done mumma. This is beautiful. You’re making sure he feels safe and loved.”

One simply added: “Thank you for posting this. So real.”

It came just days after she was cruelly mum-shamed for her glam outfit with a plunging neckline.

The social media positivity also comes after she was cruelly trolled on the Tube.

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When United States President Donald Trump unveiled his steep “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of countries in April, economists issued warnings of catastrophic economic harm.

So far, their fears have not materialised.

The US economy – the single biggest driver of global growth – has defied expectations across numerous metrics, with inflation staying low, employment and consumer spending remaining robust, and the stock market reaching record highs.

Still, even if the limited fallout from Trump’s tariffs has taken some analysts by surprise, economists warn that the US and global economies may just be experiencing the calm before the storm.

Dozens of US trade partners, including close allies such as South Korea and Japan, are facing tariffs of 25 percent to 40 percent unless they seal trade deals with the Trump administration by an August 1 deadline.

“When you start to see tariffs at 20 or more, you reach a point where firms may stop importing altogether,” Joseph Foudy, an economics professor at the New York University Stern School of Business, told Al Jazeera.

“Firms simply postpone major decisions, delay hiring, and economic activity declines,” Foudy added.

“The uncertainty around trade in that sense is as costly as the actual tariff rates.”

Even countries that are able to hammer out a deal in time are likely to face significantly higher duties.

Trump’s preliminary agreements with Vietnam and China, announced in May and early July, respectively, stipulate minimum tariff rates of 20 percent and 30 percent.

On Friday, the Financial Times reported that Trump was pushing for a tariff of 15-20 percent on the European Union, which is the US’s single largest trading partner and is facing a 30 percent duty from August 1, in any deal reached with the bloc.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, has warned that Trump’s mooted 30 percent tariff would “disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains, to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic”.

‘Harm growth’

“In my view, the few tariff agreements that have been reached represent nontrivial changes in US trade policy and so will harm growth, so even if much less extreme than threatened, will matter,” Steven Durlauf, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, told Al Jazeera.

Economists widely agree that the impact of tariffs implemented so far has not been fully felt, as many businesses built up their stockpiles of inventories in advance to mitigate rising costs.

Under the existing measures – including a baseline 10 percent duty on nearly all countries, and higher levies on cars and steel – the effective average US tariff rate currently stands at 16.6 percent, with the rate set to rise 20.6 percent from August 1, according to The Budget Lab at Yale Department of Economics.

Even if Trump does not sharply hike tariffs on August 1, economists expect inflation to rise at least somewhat in the coming months, with higher prices in turn likely to drag on growth.

In an analysis published last month, BBVA Research estimated that even the current level of US tariffs could reduce global gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.5 of a percentage point in the short term, and by more than 2 percentage points over the medium term.

“It is too soon to expect big effects on prices in the US, as there was a large increase in exports to the US in anticipation of higher tariffs, and firms are waiting to see where things will end up in terms of tariffs that affect them. So, not surprising, we have seen limited effects so far,” Bernard Hoekman, director of Global Economics at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, told Al Jazeera.

“But if the US does what it has indicated it wants to do – raise average tariffs to the 20-30 percent level – there will be a much larger impact.”

Trump and his allies have repeatedly dismissed economists’ warnings about his tariffs, pointing to the steady stream of positive data to make the case that the economic consensus is flawed.

“The Fake News and the so-called ‘Experts’ were wrong again,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in response to a recent report from his Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) that found prices of imported goods fell by 0.1 percent from December to May.

“Tariffs are making our Country ‘BOOM.’”

The CEA report’s methodology drew criticism from some economic analysts, with the National Taxpayers Union saying it failed to take account of stockpiling by importers and covered a period that was “way too short to draw any definitive conclusions”.

Despite the strong headline figures on the US economy, economists have also pointed to warning signs in the data.

In a note last week, Wells Fargo economists Tim Quinlan and Shannon Grein pointed out that discretionary spending on services in the US fell 0.3 percent in the year up to May, indicating potential economic storm clouds ahead.

“That is admittedly a modest decline, but what makes it scary is that in 60+ years, this measure has only declined either during or immediately after recessions,” Quinlan and Grein said.

Durlauf, the University of Chicago professor, said the Trump administration had little cause to see the relative health of the economy up until now as a vindication of its economic plans.

“First, there is widespread belief that tariff threats will not be realised in actual agreements. Second, the effects of tariffs on prices and output take some time to work through the system,” Durlauf said.

“There is no sense that the absence of large effects on real activity and inflation, so far, in any way vindicate claims of the Trump administration.”

The Syrian government has announced that local leaders will take control of security in the southern city of Suwayda in an attempt to defuse violence that has killed hundreds of people and triggered Israeli military intervention.

Syrian forces had entered Suwayda, reportedly to oversee a ceasefire after deadly clashes between Druze fighters and local Bedouin tribes killed more than 350 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor.

Witnesses, however, reported that government forces had aligned with Bedouin groups in attacks against Druze fighters and civilians.

Israel carried out deadly strikes on Syria on Wednesday, including on its army headquarters in Damascus, saying they were aimed at defending Syria’s Druze minority. It threatened to intensify its attacks unless Syrian government forces withdrew from the south.

On Wednesday, Syria announced its army’s withdrawal from Suwayda while the United States – Israel’s close ally working to rebuild Syrian relations – confirmed an agreement to restore calm, urging all parties to honour their commitments.

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced on Thursday in a televised address that security responsibility in Suwayda would transfer to religious elders and local factions “based on the supreme national interest”.

“We are eager to hold accountable those who transgressed and abused our Druze people because they are under the protection and responsibility of the state,” he said.

Before government intervention, Druze fighters largely maintained control of their areas.

Al-Sharaa emphasised to the Druze community that it is “a fundamental part of the fabric of this nation. … Protecting your rights and freedom is one of our priorities.”

Al-Sharaa blamed “outlaw groups” whose leaders “rejected dialogue for many months” of committing the recent “crimes against civilians”.

He claimed the deployment of forces from the Ministries of Defence and Interior had “succeeded in returning stability” despite Israel’s intervention, which included bombings in southern Syria and Damascus.

Israel, with its own Druze population, has positioned itself as a protector of the Syrian minority although analysts suggested this may justify its military objective of keeping Syrian forces away from their shared border.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concern about the Israeli bombings on Wednesday, stating, “We want it to stop.”

Rubio later announced on X that all parties had “agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end”, adding that implementation was expected without detailing specifics.

Al-Sharaa praised US, Arab and Turkish mediation efforts for preventing further escalation.

“The Israeli entity resorted to a wide-scale targeting of civilian and government facilities,” he said, adding that it would have triggered “large-scale escalation, except for the effective intervention of American, Arab and Turkish mediation, which saved the region from an unknown fate”.

He did not specify which Arab nations participated in the mediation.

Turkiye strongly supports Syria’s new leaders, and Arab states, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, have also demonstrated backing for the new government.

Lena Dunham, of “Girls” fame, with her husband Luis Felber, has created a romantic comedy, “Too Much,” premiering Thursday on Netflix. It’s lighter in tone than that previous show but still comes with plenty of dysfunction, self-sabotage and sex. (Drugs too, though it doesn’t make a case for them.) The titles of the episodes establish a negative relation to the genre: “Terms of Resentment,” “Enough, Actually,” “Notting Kill,” “Nonsense and Sensibility,” “Pity Woman,” “Ignore Sunrise,” “To Doubt a Boy.” But in the end, it wants what they’re having.

Dunham, who wrote or co-wrote all 10 episodes and directed several, has elected not to star, but has brought in Megan Stalter, from “Hacks” as her stand-in, Jessica. (Dunham plays Nora, Jessica’s depressed older sister, mostly from a bed.) Like Jessica, Dunham is an American living in England, in a relationship with a musician, so we may credit at least some details to the authority of their shared experience.

Jessica once wanted to direct films, to “say something about the female experience,” but she has been working for 15 years as a line producer for an ad agency, a job at which she is evidently good, but which means little to her. When her New York firm merges with a British company, she’s sent to London for three months to help make a Christmas commercial, starring Rita Ora. Having been left six months before by her longtime boyfriend, Zev (Michael Zegen) for willowy knitting influencer Wendy Jones (Emily Ratajkowski), to whom he’s become engaged, she is ready to go — all the more so because her happy place is “love stories set in pastoral England.”

On her first night in town, Jessica discovers that the “estate” she thought she was renting is not Pemberley but public housing; she takes a taxi to a random pub, where Felix (Will Sharpe), the boy in this 30-something love story, is performing a sad song to a few patrons. They meet-cute in the bathroom. He walks her home. They talk. He lends her his coat. (There is, interestingly, no attempt to convince us that Felix is a major talent; indeed, the suggestion is that such career as he had is on a downward slope.)

People fall out of love on television almost as often as they fall into it, sometimes as a prelude to falling back into it, or falling for someone else, and less often deciding that they are in fact happier on their own. From the wealth of self-help books, advice columns, therapists, country songs and, yes, romantic comedies that fill our culture, I reckon the messier elements of “Too Much” will feel familiar to many. There is plenty of chaos in this comedy, but its best moments come in passages of relative calm. (They are something of a relief from the dominant emotional mishigas.) A long, wordless scene consisting of a single overhead shot of Felix and Jess on a bed, as she listens to a mix he made her, is remarkably moving, not least because the actors are doing so much while doing so little.

“Too Much” on Netflix first look.

(Netflix)

Even as she becomes involved with Felix, Jessica continues her practice of recording private videos on her phone, on TikTok, as a sort of therapeutic diary, ranting about Zev; many are addressed directly to Wendy Jones. Meanwhile, she deals with Andrew Scott as a pretentious director (“We’ve got to make this feel like it’s Ken Loach doing a Christmas film”) and mucks in with new boss Jonno (Richard E. Grant) and colleagues Josie (Daisy Bevan), Kim (Janicza Bravo), who is interested in Josie, and chatterbox Boss (Leo Reich), who has published an “experimental PDF novel, to much acclaim” and broke up with someone because “he did not have the emotional intelligence necessary to deal with someone whose love language is being a b— in a fun way.” She confounds them with her loud, childlike American energy, filling empty spaces with words, making jokes that don’t come off. (“Just kidding” is a thing she says a lot.)

Recently sober, Felix has his own complement of bandmates, friends and friendly ex-girlfriends, including three women named Polly — Adèle Exarchopoulos plays the important one — whose history with Felix makes Jess nervous. (Jennifer Saunders is a bit of a surprise.) Sharpe, last seen on TV in the second season of “The White Lotus,” plays him quietly, a little melancholy, perhaps, but not unduly moody; even in a difficult situation — he’s carrying just as much baggage as Jessica — his energy remains low-key and relatively grounded, though he will be called upon to do some panicked running.

If the series has a fault, it’s that there’s possibly too much “Too Much.” In the movies, the business of “boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl” (substitute your preferred genders), has traditionally been settled in under two hours. The streaming economy, however, has stretched the narrative timeline, elongated the arc, padding out a predetermined number of episodes with extraneous digressions, giving minor characters things to do that don’t necessarily contribute to the story, while not developing into much on their own. There are brief cutaways to Jonno’s home life, which at least has the benefit of giving us more Grant, plus Naomi Watts as his wife, Ann; scenes back in New York likewise give us unrelated time with Rita Wilson as Jessica’s mother, Lois; Rhea Perlman her mouthy grandmother, Dottie; Dunham’s Nora and Andrew Rannells as her ex-husband, Jameson, who left her in favor of “exploring non-monogamy with a couple both named Cody.”

More problematic, an exasperating character like Jessica, lived with at such length, can become exhausting, and she does. Dunham mitigates this, and the roller coaster of Jessica and Felix’s relationship, by employing an episodic structure, setting whole or nearly whole episodes against different backdrops: a wedding, a work trip, a dinner party, Felix at home with his parents (Stephen Fry and Kaori Momoi), Jess and Felix up all night (having sex, watching “Paddington”) when she has to be fresh for work in the morning, and a flashback to Jess’ history with Zev (he’s been made a “writer,” shorthand for pathetic). Taken individually, as discrete stories, they’re easier to digest. The writing is sharp, the performances spot-on.

Stalter, who is in her fourth season stealing scenes on “Hacks,” plays a character halfway around the world from her character there. Where her Kayla is brash, entitled and self-confident to a fault, Jess is needy, full of second thoughts and self-doubts, even as she projects a kind of frantic cheerfulness. (“I’m a chill girl, I’m normal,” she tells herself, doubtfully.) Dunham often shoots Stalter straight on, filling the screen with her face, which pays benefits; she has great presence. (And sings very sweetly too, better than her boyfriend.)

The endgame, when we get to it, could not be any more conventional — which, I imagine, is the idea. One might think it parodic if it hadn’t been established that this is the dream in which Jessica lives; anything less would be unkind.

I see I’ve neglected to mention the dog. There is a little dog too, who plays an important part.

US President Donald Trump said he does not support regime change in Iran, calling it a path to chaos, and claimed nuclear weapons are “the last thing on Iran’s mind right now.” Israel and Iran are observing a ceasefire after 12 days of hostilities.

SAN DIEGO — Dave Roberts wasn’t pretending to be calm. He was calm.

None of this was new to him, the depleted starting rotation, the fatigued bullpen, the division rivals within striking distance.

Under similar circumstances in past seasons, Roberts pointed out, “We’ve gotten to the other side.”

The Dodgers won a World Series like this last year. They have won the National League West in 12 of the last 13 seasons.

They usually reach “the other side.”

So rather than panic, Roberts waits. He waits for the end of a particularly difficult 26-game stretch, and when Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell can pitch again.

Roberts won’t say this publicly, but the Dodgers just have to tread water until they are whole.

They claimed a 5-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday to win for the second time in their three-game series at Petco Park, preserving their lead in the NL West.

The Dodgers host the second-place San Francisco Giants in a three-game series that starts Friday and the third-place Padres in a four-game series that opens Monday, after which their schedule will become noticeably softer.

Their remaining opponents before the All-Star break: the Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers. The post-All-Star Game schedule is extremely manageable as well.

Provided a couple of their starting pitchers return as anticipated, the Dodgers should be able to not just win their division but also secure a top-two seed in the NL, which would give them a first-round bye in the playoffs. As it is, the Dodgers are 41-27, only ½ game behind the Chicago Cubs, the league’s current No. 2 team.

Dodgers players have taken on Roberts’ understated confidence and make-do-with-what-you-have approach, which explains how the team has survived a 19-game stretch in which every opponent had a winning record. The Dodgers were 10-9 in those games.

“Character,” Roberts said.

Roberts specifically pointed to Teoscar Hernández, who broke out of a slump Wednesday to hit a key three-run home run; to Freddie Freeman, who he revealed is now dealing with a quadriceps injury in addition to his ankle problems; to Mookie Betts, who has continued to play high-level shortstop while playing with a broken toe.

“Guys are not running from the middle part of the season, the stretch we’re going through,” Roberts said. “We’re just finding ways to win.”

Teoscar Hernández circles the bases after his three-run homer.

(Derrick Tuskan / Associated Press)

The series win against the Padres was also a credit to Roberts’ ability, and willingness, to play the long game.

With Tony Gonsolin put on the injured list last week, the Dodgers were forced to schedule two bullpen games in San Diego. By punting on the first and refraining from using any of his go-to relievers in a loss, Roberts ensured his team would be positioned to win the series finale.

Again, this was nothing new, as Roberts basically forfeited games in both the NL Championship Series and World Series last year with the remainder of the series in mind.

Roberts elected to send opener Ben Casparius back to the mound to pitch a fourth inning on Wednesday rather than replace him with Jack Dreyer, whom Roberts has grown to trust. The extra inning made a difference. Lou Trivino pitched to the bottom of the Padres’ lineup in the fifth inning, allowing Roberts to deploy Dreyer against the heart of the order in the sixth.

When Michael Kopech walked the bases loaded in the seventh inning, Roberts responded with the necessary degree of urgency rather than allow the recently activated Kopech to try to pitch his way out of trouble. Roberts summoned Anthony Banda, who retired Luis Arráez and Manny Machado to maintain the Dodgers’ 4-2 advantage.

“The bullpen has certainly been used and pushed,” Roberts said. “I just think it speaks to the character.”

And it says something about the manager as well.

Roberts is now in his 10th season as the manager of the Dodgers. He has managed 1,426 games for them in the regular season and another 100 in the postseason. At this point, there’s not much he hasn’t seen, including what the team is dealing with now.

The Israeli military said it planned to ‘continue to operate to maintain freedom of action in the region’.

Israel has struck western Syria, the Israeli military and Syrian state media have reported, in the first such aerial attack on the country in almost a month, the day after the United States envoy to Damascus said conflict between the neighbouring countries is “solvable”.

Syrian state media reported late Friday that one person was killed and three others injured by an Israeli air strike on the coastal city of Latakia.

The SANA news agency said earlier that the Israeli military targeted three sites in the countryside of the Latakia and Tartous governorates.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that jets likely to be Israeli struck military sites on the outskirts of Tartous and Latakia, on the Mediterranean coast.

The Israeli strike follows Syria acknowledging indirect talks with Israel earlier this month to calm tensions.

The Israeli military claimed responsibility for the strike, saying it had “struck weapon storage facilities containing coastal missiles that posed a threat to international and Israeli maritime freedom of navigation, in the Latakia area of Syria”.

“In addition, components of surface-to-air missiles were struck in the area of Latakia,” it said, adding that it would “continue to operate to maintain freedom of action in the region, in order to carry out its missions and will act to remove any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens”.

The Israeli strike came a day after US envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack’s visit to Damascus aimed at rebuilding ties under Syria’s new administration, during which he said the conflict between Israel and Syria is “solvable” and needed to start with “dialogue”.

“I’d say we need to start with just a non-aggression agreement, talk about boundaries and borders,” Barrack told journalists on Thursday.

The two countries have technically been at war since the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948. A state of heightened tension and deep enmity between Israel and Syria accelerated during the 1967 war, which also drew in Egypt and Jordan, and Israel’s subsequent occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights.

Israel has carried out frequent attacks in Syria both during the Bashar al-Assad rule and since his ouster.

Shortly before the fall of al-Assad’s regime, Israel seized more Syrian territory near the border, claiming it was concerned about President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s interim administration, which it has dismissed as “jihadist”.

During a meeting between US President Donald Trump and al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier in May, the US leader urged al-Sharaa to normalise relations with Israel.

While al-Sharaa has not commented on possible normalisation with Israel, he has stated his support for returning to the terms of a 1974 ceasefire agreement that created a United Nations buffer zone in the Golan Heights.

Cambodian and Thai officials claim soldiers from other side opening fire first in latest deadly border clash between the neighbours.

Cambodia’s leader has called for calm in the country a day after a soldier was killed in a brief clash with troops from neighbouring Thailand, in a disputed zone along the Thai-Cambodia border.

In a written statement on Thursday, Prime Minister Hun Manet said people should not “panic over unverified material being circulated”, and reassured the country that he did not want a conflict between Cambodian and Thai forces.

“For this reason, I hope that the upcoming meeting between the Cambodian and Thai army commanders will produce positive results to preserve stability and good military communication between the two countries, as we have done in the past,” said Hun Manet, who is currently on a visit to Tokyo.

“Even though I am in Japan … the command system and hierarchy for major military operations such as troop movements remain under my full responsibility as prime minister,” he added.

Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence said on Wednesday that one of its soldiers was killed in a brief firefight with Thai troops, in a disputed border region between the country’s Preah Vihear province and Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province.

The ministry accused Thai soldiers of opening fire first on a Cambodian military post that had long existed in the contested border zone.

However, Thailand’s Minister of Defence Phumtham Wechayachai said Cambodian forces in the area had opened fire first, adding they had previously dug a trench in the area in an effort to assert Cambodia’s claim over the disputed territory, local media reported.

“I have been informed that the return fire was necessary to defend ourselves and protect Thailand’s sovereignty. I have instructed caution. Although the ceasefire holds, both sides continue to face each other,” the minister said, according to Thailand’s The Nation newspaper.

The Nation also reported that Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra spoke with her counterpart, Hun Manet, and both were working to lower the temperature on the dispute.

“We don’t want this to escalate,” the Thai prime minister was quoted as saying.

Cambodia and Thailand have a long history of disputes along their mutual border, including armed clashes that broke out in 2008 near Cambodia’s Preah Vihear Temple, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site that year. Fighting also broke out along the border in 2011.

The Associated Press news agency reports that in February, Cambodian troops and their family members entered an ancient temple along the border and sang the Cambodian national anthem, leading to a brief argument with Thai troops.

The incident was recorded on video and went viral on social media.

A viral TikTok has reignited the long-standing debate of airplane decorum while flying with kids. Now, cabin crew have shared their top secret tips for keeping little ones calm on flights.

Airplane decorum, especially while travelling with kids, has long been a point of contention.

Recently, the subject came to the forefront on social media after a TikTok video prominently featuring an exasperated traveller and the antics of a young child behind her who couldn’t stop kicking her seat garnered over 240k views.

The divisive clip reignited the long-standing debate among viewers as audiences were split over who should address the issue. While one user suggested confrontation was key: “You gotta be confrontational and tell them to stop, unfortunately”, another proposed seeking cabin crew assistance: “Just call the flight attendant”.

Yet another user offered advice suggesting the direct involvement of the parent: “Just tell the mother to get them to stop”.

Luckily, a cabin crew manager has now weighed in. Travel experts at Netflights conferred with Cabin Crew Manager, Francesca, and received insights into the preferred course of action by crew members, parents, and fellow passengers in such circumstances.

Delving deeper into aviation secrets that can be employed for maintaining mid-flight serenity, Francesca shared some insider tips with the travel company.

Cabin crew secrets for child management

Engaging activities as distractions: Francesca shares: “If the children are aged between three to four and are walking around, then we will get them to help with rubbish to distract them.”

Incentivising positive behaviour: The cabin crew manager reveals another trick of the trade when it comes to flying with kids: “If kids are playing up, we will say that if they behave well, we can give them treats from the bar; however, this is at the cabin manager’s discretion, so it shouldn’t be expected.”

Keeping one’s cool: Francesca stresses the importance of remaining calm and shares: “We have to remain calm, considerate and approachable. We always put ourselves in the shoes of our customers.”

Tips for parents

Supply numerous distractions: Sharing the gold-standard of in-flight tactics that can be deployed on kids, Francesca advises: “Parents should bring colouring books onto the flight, as bringing things that stimulate their minds will help the situation, and minimise children from getting agitated when flying”.

Stash nutritious nibbles: It’s important for parents travelling with kids to ensure their children are well-fed and snacking on healthy options. Francesca says: “Make sure your kids have eaten beforehand or have healthy snacks when flying. Snacks help to keep little ones settled and can be a nice treat to lift their mood.”

Strategise slumber: The flight attendant shares another top tip: “Making sure to plan naps for your children is a useful tip, so children don’t become tired and irritable. Planning your child’s sleep in advance can ensure you are organised and feel prepared for long travel days.”

Seat switcharoo

As a cabin crew manager, Francesca is all too aware of some passengers’ demand for a seat switch, but asserts that shouldn’t be the default expectation. She explained: “Some passengers complain that they don’t want to be seated near children, however, we remind them that families are also paying customers. If there are available seats, then we can move them there, however, passengers shouldn’t presume they will be able to move, as the aircraft can often be full, with no spare seats available.”

The United Nations Mission to Libya (UNSMIL) warns that the situation in the country could ‘spiral out of control’.

The United Nations has called for calm as fighting has resumed in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, a day after authorities declared order had been restored.

The UN Mission to Libya (UNSMIL) warned on Wednesday that the situation in the country could “spiral out of control”.

“UNSMIL reiterates its calls for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire in all areas, allowing safe corridors for the evacuation of civilians trapped in intense conflict zones,” the mission wrote on X.

“Attacking and damaging civilian infrastructure, physically harming civilians, and jeopardising the lives and safety of the population may constitute crimes under international law. Those responsible will be held accountable for their actions,” it added.

Clashes erupted between the Rada militia and the 444 Brigade, loyal to Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, in key areas of Tripoli, including the port, the AFP news agency reported, quoting a security source.

The official called the ongoing fighting “urban warfare” with intermittent clashes in residential areas and the use of light and medium weapons.

The fighting calmed down later on Wednesday after the government announced a truce, Tripoli residents told the Reuters news agency.

“Regular forces, in coordination with the relevant security authorities, have begun taking the necessary measures to ensure calm, including the deployment of neutral units,” the government’s Ministry of Defence said.

Fighting across Tripoli

Clashes broke out on Monday night after reports that Abdelghani al-Kikli, leader of the Support and Stability Apparatus (SSA), a militia that controls the southern district of Abu Salim, was killed.

According to local authorities, at least six people were killed in Monday’s fighting.

While Tuesday morning was calm, the fighting restarted overnight with major battles in the capital.

For residents, the uncertainty brought by the attacks was “terrorising”, a father of three told Reuters from the Dahra area.

“I had my family in one room to avoid random shelling,” he added.

Al-Dbeibah ordered what he called irregular armed groups to be dismantled, including Rada.

With the seizure of the SSA territory by factions allied with al-Dbeibah, including the 444 and 111 brigades, Rada is the last significant faction not allied with the prime minister.

Since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has struggled to recover.

In 2014, the country split between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by al-Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east dominated by commander Khalifa Haftar and his self-styled Libyan National Army.