hurting

Warning: This story contains information some readers may find distressing

Quarterback Dak Prescott says the Dallas Cowboys’ players are “hurting” following the death of team-mate Marshawn Kneeland.

Defensive lineman Kneeland, drafted by the Cowboys in the second round in 2024, died aged 24 on Thursday.

Frisco Police Department in Texas said Kneeland appeared to have taken his own life after a vehicle pursuit and multi-agency search on Wednesday night.

Kneeland, in his second season with the Cowboys, scored his first NFL touchdown by recovering a blocked punt on Monday in a loss to Arizona.

Prescott and his team-mates had a team video call in the wake of Kneeland’s death which the 32-year-old said had been “very tough” following a “tragic loss”.

“I hurt for Marshawn, I hurt for his family, I hurt for his girlfriend, I hurt for every single one of my team-mates,” Prescott told CBS Texas.

Prescott’s own brother Jace died by suicide, external in 2020 and he has worked with mental health initiatives in the past few years.

He acknowledged Kneeland’s death had been “triggering” and it was “hard to balance” his emotions.

“This is a pain that you don’t wish upon anybody,” he said.

“You wish none of us had to go through this. You wish Marshawn didn’t have to go through what he went through.

“Tough moment for this team. I feel and hurt for everybody that’s involved in this and Marshawn’s family and loved ones.”

The Cowboys have a bye this week on the NFL schedule before they return to competition on 17 November at Las Vegas.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line.

Iraqi farmer Umm Ali has watched her poultry die as salinity levels in the country’s south have reached record highs, rendering already scarce water unfit for human consumption and killing livestock.

“We used to drink, wash and cook with water from the river, but now it’s hurting us,” said Umm Ali, 40, who lives in the once watery Al-Mashab marshes of southern Iraq’s Basra province.

This season alone, she said, brackish water has killed dozens of her ducks and 15 chickens.

“I cried and grieved, I felt as if all my hard work had been wasted,” said the widowed mother of three.

Iraq, a country heavily affected by climate change, has been ravaged for years by drought and low rainfall.

Declining freshwater flows have increased salt and pollution levels, particularly in the south, where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers converge before spilling into the Gulf.

“We haven’t seen such high levels of salinity in 89 years,” Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources spokesman, Khaled Shamal, said.

Last month, salinity levels recorded in the central Basra province soared to almost 29,000 parts per million compared with 2,600ppm last year, according to a Water Ministry report.

Freshwater should contain less than 1,000ppm of dissolved salts, while ocean water salinity levels are about 35,000ppm, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The Tigris and the Euphrates converge at Basra’s Shatt al-Arab waterway “laden with pollutants accumulated along their course”, said Hasan al-Khateeb, an expert from Iraq’s University of Kufa.

In recent weeks, the Euphrates has seen its lowest water levels in decades, and Iraq’s artificial lake reserves are at their lowest in recent history.

Khateeb warned that the Shatt al-Arab’s water levels had plummeted and it was failing to hold back the seawater from the Gulf.

Farmer Zulaykha Hashem, 60, said the water in the area had become very brackish this year, adding that she must wait for the situation to improve to irrigate her crop of pomegranate trees, figs and berries.

According to the United Nations, almost a quarter of women in Basra and nearby provinces work in agriculture.

“We cannot even leave. Where would we go?” Hashem said, in a country where farmers facing drought and rising salinity often find themselves trapped in a cycle of water crisis.

The UN’s International Organization for Migration, which documents climate-induced displacement in Iraq, has warned that increased water salinity is destroying palm groves, citrus trees and other crops.

As of October last year, some 170,000 people had been displaced in central and southern Iraq due to climate-related factors, according to the agency.

Water scarcity pushed Maryam Salman, who is in her 30s, to leave nearby Missan province for Basra several years ago, hoping her buffalo could enjoy the Shatt al-Arab.

Rising salinity is not the only problem now, said Salman, a mother of three children.

“Water is not available … neither summer nor winter,” she said.

The Tigris and the Euphrates originate in Turkiye, and Iraqi authorities have repeatedly blamed dams across the border for significantly reducing their flows.

Iraq, a country with inefficient water management systems after decades of war and neglect, receives less than 35 percent of its allocated share of water from the two rivers, according to authorities.

Khateeb from the University of Kufa said, in addition to claiming its share of the rivers, Iraq must pursue desalination projects in the Shatt al-Arab.

In July, the government announced a desalination project in Basra with a capacity of 1 million cubic metres per day.

Local residents said the brackish water is also impacting fish stocks.

Hamdiyah Mehdi said her husband, who is a fisherman, returns home empty-handed more frequently.

She blamed the Shatt al-Arab’s “murky and salty water” for his short temper after long days without a catch, and for her children’s persistent rash.

“It has been tough,” said Mehdi, 52, noting the emotional toll on the family as well as on their health and livelihood.

“We take our frustrations out on each other.”

While going on a plane is exciting for a holiday adventure, it can be uncomfortable and a shock when our ears pop during a flight – a doctor has detailed how to help this

Jetting off on holiday is thrilling, but the journey can sometimes be a bit of a grind. You have got to pack your bags, rock up to the airport early, track down your gate, and if you’re not a fan of flying, settle those last-minute jitters. Then, just as the aircraft lifts off, many of us end up with blocked ears, which isn’t exactly pleasant when you’re thousands of feet above ground.

The climb or descent of the plane and the resulting changes in cabin air pressure can lead to an unpleasant sensation in your ears. While you’re gazing out at the fluffy clouds and expansive blue, you might be curious about the cause behind this discomfort.

Specsavers has explained: “Stress is put on the eardrum as a result of high-pressure environments and it is usually caused by rapid changes in altitude. You’ll recognise it if you’ve ever felt your ears ‘pop’ after a flight or going diving.”

Now, one doctor has delved into the reasons behind why our ears feel blocked on a flight and how we can alleviate the issue. Doctor Michael, a popular health guru on TikTok with a following of half a million, reassures that the common ear-popping experience should not cause alarm.

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Using a diagram to illustrate, he points out the eustachian tube [between your nose and ear and goes across your cheek], explaining: “It is caused by this tube that connects the back of your nose with the inner ear.”

He elaborated: “When you’re flying, you probably hear your ears popping and that’s this tube kind of equalising the pressure of your inner ear. You can do it yourself by swallowing or holding your nose and breathing against it.”

Dr Michael also suggested opening your mouth really wide. If these techniques don’t work – or if they exacerbate the problem – it’s likely you’re dealing with something called eustachian tube dysfunction.

He explained: “It happens when you’ve had a cough or a cold or you’re really congested here and that eustachian tube just closes over.”

The medical expert advised that if this often occurs while you’re flying, there are preventative measures you can take before boarding a plane to avoid this issue.

Dr Michael recommended using eucalyptus oil. He said: “Put it in some boiling water and let the steam go up into your nose and open up this sensation tube.

“Or if you want something a bit more long lasting, a couple of days before your fly, you should start using a steroid nose spray. I would do a spray in each nostril twice a day, about three or four days before you fly.”

If you’ve tried all these methods and none have worked, Dr Michael suggests it’s time to consult an ears, nose and throat specialist.

For more information see the NHS website/app or consult your GP.

Do your ears suffer when you go on a plane? Comment below…

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