🇵🇰: Nims Purja Among 10 Climbers Missing After Avalanche... Strikes Broad Peak Renowned Nepali-British climber Nirmal Purja was among a group of 10 mountaineers who lost contact after an avalanche struck Broad Peak (8,047 m), the world’s 12th-highest mountain in Pakistan’s Karakoram range, around 9–9:30 a.m. on July 30, 2026, while the climbers were between Camp 2 and Camp 3 at roughly 6,600 m. The international team included several Nepali climbers, Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi, American Mallory Geis, Omani Nadhira Al-Harthy, and Chinese Wang Zhong. Search-and-rescue operations began the next day with helicopters, drones, and ground teams; by July 31, multiple bodies (including those of Al-Harthy, Gurung, and Geis in various reports) had been recovered or located, though Purja and others remained unaccounted for amid challenging weather.show more

Broad Peak Incident: List of Missing Climbers After an... avalanche on Broad Peak, the following 10 climbers remain missing: 🇺🇸 Mallory Gess United States 🇳🇵 Nirmal Purja Nepal 🇳🇵 Pur Bahadur Gurung Nepal 🇳🇵 Keli Pemba Sherpa Nepal 🇳🇵 Nima Sherpa Nepal 🇳🇵 Nawang Thendu Sherpa Nepal 🇳🇵 Gyalo Sherpa Nepal 🇵🇰 Sohail Sakhi Pakistan 🇨🇳 Wang Zhong China 🇴🇲 Nazira Ahmad Abdullah Oman All these climbers went missing after the avalanche between Camp 2 and Camp 3 on Broad Peak. The eyes of the world are focused on the ongoing search and rescue operation, and every heart prays that all these climbers return safely.show more

In April 2023, beneath the towering shadow of world's... tenth highest peak, a nightmare unfolded on Annapurna I, one of the deadliest mountains on Earth. Anurag Maloo, an Indian climber with a mission larger than summits, the goal was to advance awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through his “Climbing for SDGs”, had fallen down into the crevasse. On April 17, while descending from Camp III, around 5,800 meters, Anurag slipped. In seconds, he disappeared into a deep crevasse, a fall of more than 300 meters into one of the most unforgiving places on the mountain. The ice swallowed him whole. Most believed he was gone. But hope refused to die. For two days, in perilous conditions, a daring international team launched a rescue mission like no other. Climbers Adam Bielecki and Mariusz Hatala from Poland joined forces with Nepali rescuers Chhepal Sherpa, Lakpa Nurbu Sherpa, Dawa Nurbu Sherpa, Lakpa Sherpa, and Tashi Sherpa. From base camp, coordination was led by Chhang Dawa Sherpa. On April 20, nearly 72 hours after the fall, they descended into the crevasse, a dark, suffocating shaft of snow and ice and found Anurag. He was unconscious, severely hypothermic, but alive. A miracle. The mountain had shown mercy. Anurag was carefully hauled out and was first airlifted to Pokhara, then flown to Kathmandu, where he received intensive care. Once stable, he was transferred to India for advanced medical treatment. Anurag’s rescue became a story not just of survival, but of teamwork, and belief that even in the deepest void, life can rise again. Today, Anurag’s battle continues. He lost all the fingertips on his right hand and undergone therapy to regain movement. His legs are recovering their strength after losing all muscle memory. Large skin grafts cover much of his right side, but his organs are miraculously intact. His spirit remains unbroken. From the depths of ice, Anurag returned, and now he climbs the steepest mountain of all: recovery. Video showing 🇵🇱 Adam Bielecki pulling off Anurag Maloo out of crevasse on Annapurna I (8091 m), 20.04.2023. ©: Adam Bielecki.show more

Report on Recently Abducted Alawite Women in 2026 This... report was prepared by Syria Justice Archive Syria Justice Archive following contact with a group of human rights activists, the families of the girls, and community sources. 1. Mariam Faez Sultan, Age 16 Abducted on January 9, 2026, in the Mezzeh area of Damascus (she lives in the Mezzeh 86 neighborhood, which has an Alawite majority, within the broader Mezzeh district). After contact with her family, her father confirmed she had been abducted. Strangely, he offered thanks and praise to the “General Security” after learning that the caller belonged to a team working with the UN Office of Investigations. Nevertheless, as of the writing of this report, March 8, 2026, the girl remains abducted. 2.Lana Al-Suleiman, Age 18 Abducted on March 1, 2026, in the Burj Al-Ghanum area in the city of Masyaf, Hama countryside. She was released two days later on March 3, 2026, and was compelled to appear in an interview stating she had not been abducted and had simply been at a friend’s house. It should be noted that our team and most documentation pages recently chose not to publish abduction cases, and that the girl appeared in posts on Facebook from her local area indicating she had been missing, yet none of the posts mentioned abduction. We were unable to contact her family. 3. Layal Ibrahim Abdullah, Age 25, Married Abducted on February 22, 2026, while traveling by public transport from the town of Slunfeh toward the city of Latakia to visit a doctor for a previously scheduled appointment. All hospitals were checked; she was not found. Layal was released on February 27, 2026. A documentation team contacted her family, who confirmed she had been held for four days, but refused to provide details, saying: “What matters is that she came back.” 4. Alma Elia Saleh, Age 14 Abducted at Karsana Square in the city of Latakia on March 4, 2026. After contact with her family, her mother was in a state of breakdown and confirmed that her daughter was missing, adding that they had filed a report with security forces. The girl was released one day later on March 5, 2026. Unofficial sources reported that the Coastal Police Station arrested the abductor and secured the girl’s release. 🔹Our sources confirmed that following a visit by the UN Investigation Team to Damascus, during which files on kidnapped Alawite women since 2025 were presented, the HTS-led General Security is now pressuring abductors to release the girls within days. This marks a shift from the previous pattern of denying abductions and shielding perpetrators. In several instances, units of the General Security or HTS factions were themselves involved in the abductions, as in the case of Abeer Suleiman from 2025 (cited as one example among others), who has not been released to this day. At the time of her abduction, General Security personnel in the city of #Safita contacted the abductors in Idlib to warn them that her family had filed a complaint — less than half an hour after her father and brother had done so. Over the past year and continuing to the present, dozens of Alawite women abducted since 2025 remain unreleased. The total number of abduction cases from 2025 exceeds 80 documented cases. One case from 2026 (Mariam Sultan) also remains unresolved. All cases are fully documented.show more

Iran-US war summary update - 21-22 July Updates starting... 11 PM Tehran time: • US attacked Kongavar (in Kermanshah province: likely targeting one of Iran’s smaller missile facilities) • US intensively shelled Behbahan with missiles from HIMARS systems • Governor of Hamedan confirmed several locations in Kabudarahang County (targeting IRIAF Noje Airbase) were struck by the US • Baneh city in Kurdistan Province was also targeted, targeting telecommunications systems (Tasnim) • Explosions were also reported in: Bushehr port, at a military center south of Tabriz, Ma’shahr, Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Chabahar, • Air defenses were activated in eastern Tehran but there were no air attacks. One hostile drone was spotted which was shot down. • Note: Reports of air defense activity or explosions in Pakdasht are FALSE. — Iran’s Army (Artesh) targeted: 🇰🇼 With several drones, struck the ammunition and logistics-equipment depots belonging to the command center of the US Army’s ground forces at Camp Doha, in western Kuwait. 🇯🇴 With several drones, targeted the US military’s “accommodation and welfare facilities” & an “equipment depot” at Muwaffaq al Salti Air Base, in Jordan 🇧🇭 Arash drones targeted an “equipment warehouse and large storage hangars,” as well as a “maintenance and repair hangar for heavy aircraft” of the US military at Sheikh Isa Air Base, in Bahrain. — Inside the King Faisal & Prince Hassan Air Bases, the IRGC struck: 🇯🇴 An F-15 preparation hangar. 🇯🇴 A drone-preparation hangar with 8 brand-new MQ-9 drones still inside their packaging and not yet assembled for service, were completely destroyed. 🇯🇴 2 additional drones positioned outside the hangar sustained heavy damage. 🇯🇴 A helicopter-maintenance hangar: 2 heavy US helicopters sustained major damage. 🇯🇴 An accommodation facilities: Killing & injuring several. — Footage 1: Recorded by an American soldier with 5 minutes time to take shelter during an Iranian missile attack Images 2 & 3: Impacts at Jordan’s Aqaba region where King Hussein Airport is located Footage 4: Iranian Shahed-136 drone on its way to strike targets inside Kuwait / Bahrainshow more

🇷🇺🚀 Russia unleashes Zircon and Kalibr missiles on NATO-launchpad... Ukraine 📍 Russian forces carried out a sweeping, long-range assault across Ukraine overnight on July 30, using precision air-, land- and sea-based strikes backed by waves of attack drones against defense facilities, communications hubs and key logistics sites. Which assets have been struck? Kiev 🟠 Mayak Plant, which manufactures components, warheads, detonators, ammunition and launch boosters for FP-1/FP-2 long- and medium-range attack drones 🟠 Kiev Electrotechnical Plant, which produces medium-range reconnaissance and attack drones, including multicopter UAVs Lvov 🟠 LDARZ Lvov Aircraft Repair Plant, which repairs and manufactures turbojet engines used in FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles and long- and medium-range drones 🟠 LORTA Plant, which manufactures missile electronics and radar systems for Neptune-MD long-range guided missiles and the Klon air defense system, an S-300 analogue Ivano-Frankovsk region 🟠 SKB OVT plant, involved in the production of Flamingo, FP-7 and FP-9 tactical ballistic missiles, Neptune-MD, and testing of warheads for Grom-2 operational-tactical missiles 🟠 Neftemash, involved in the production of Flamingo as well as storing and distributing their components, including those supplied by NATO Rovno region 🟠 RovnoAzot chemical plant, which manufactures missile component assemblies and rocket fuel components for Flamingo, FP-7 and FP-9, and Grom-2 Dnepropetrovsk region 🟠 Akvaplast Turbofan Plant, which develops, assembles, and stores attack drones and unmanned surface vessels. In cooperation with Energomekhkomplekt, it also manufactures and repairs towed and self-propelled howitzers Odessa region 🟠 A cargo ship carrying military supplies in the Yuzhny Port 🟠 Two cargo ships transporting weapons and military equipment to the ports of Odessa and Chernomorsk Which weapons did Russia employ? According to Russian military observers, the July 30 attack involved a broad range of strike capabilities, including: ▪️ Geran and Gerbera attack drones ▪️ Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles ▪️ Iskander-M ballistic missiles ▪️ Kalibr cruise missiles ▪️ Banderol subsonic cruise missiles ▪️ FAB-series aerial bombs with UMPK guidance kits ▪️ Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles ▪️ Tornado-S (MLRS), which launch precision-guided rockets — used in strikes against targets in the Sumy region 🟠 The overnight barrage reportedly kept Ukraine under fire for more than six hours. According to Ukrainian estimates, Russia launched at least 358 aerial weapons – including 74 missiles and 284 drones of various types – figures that have not been independently verified. 🟠 Ukrainian media once again lamented shortages of Patriot interceptor missiles, while reports claimed that in some areas, Zircon hypersonic missiles reached their targets before air raid sirens even had time to sound. 🟠 The dire state of Ukraine’s air defenses amid Volodymyr Zelensky’s continued pursuit of the conflict has been acknowledged even by the Ukrainian dictator himself. His own posts suggest that the Ukrainian regime knew a massive strike was coming but was unable to mount an effective response.show more

🚨🇮🇱 🇵🇸 12 HOUR NEWS RECAP: ISRAEL–GAZA 1. Israel... confirmed the recovery of the remains of two hostages -Sahar Baruch (25) and Amiram Cooper (84)- through the Red Cross, only hours after launching air and tank strikes near Khan Younis and eastern Gaza City, despite reiterating its commitment to a ceasefire. 2. Israel bombs Lebanon: Overnight, Israeli jets hit Hezbollah positions near Tyre and Baalbek after rocket fire from southern Lebanon. At least six people, including civilians, were reported killed. 3. Intelligence reports suggest Hezbollah has repositioned several missile batteries and radar systems closer to the Israeli border, prompting heightened alerts within the IDF and fears of a broader northern escalation. 4. Israel’s security cabinet and the heads of its security establishment convened with Netanyahu to discuss the strengthening of Hezbollah, described by an Israeli official as “a significant discussion in light of Hezbollah’s actions on the ground.” 5. Since the ceasefire began, more than 200 Palestinians have been killed and over 600 wounded in Gaza by renewed Israeli strikes. Many of the victims are children. 6. The attacks -primarily Israeli air and artillery strikes targeting suspected Hamas positions across central and southern Gaza- further strain the fragile ceasefire declared on October 10, with both Israel and Hamas accusing each other of repeated violations. 7. The IDF described the Gaza operations as “precise strikes” on terrorist infrastructure that allegedly threatened Israeli troops. No confirmed casualties were reported. 8. In the West Bank, Israel has erected nearly 1,000 new roadblocks and barriers since the war began, severely restricting Palestinian movement and access to basic services. 9. Under the ongoing hostage-remains exchange, Israel has recovered 17 hostages’ remains, while 11 are still missing. Israel has returned 195 Palestinian bodies, with many still unidentified. 10. The U.S. administration reaffirmed support for the ceasefire framework but stressed that Israel retains the right to respond to attacks from Gaza or Lebanon. Trump restated Washington’s backing of Israel’s security operations.show more

Iran-US war update summary - 22-23 July Updates since... 11 PM Tehran time • US attacks were one of the most intense last night. Explosions were resorted in: Konarak, Chabahar, Sirik, Bandar Abbas, Qeshm, Behbahan (16 explosions), Bushehr (2 explosions), Ma’shahr (6 explosions), Kangavar, Baneh, Urmia, Tabriz (12 explosions), Hamedan (4 explosions), Islamabad-e Gharb • US bombed the port of Jask, southern Iran • The US also bombed the passenger terminal at the Shalamche border crossing between Iran-Iraq — This was a warcrime as it deliberately attempted to kill pilgrims travelling to Iraq. 2 martyrs & 11 injuries • The US bombed 2 humanitarian rescue boats under the pretext of hitting IRGC boats — 🇺🇸🇸🇦 Iran has so far struck between 1-12 CIA facilities in the region. Additionally, 2 Iranian Shahed drones struck a vulnerable section of the US embassy in Riyadh, first drone struck the exterior paving the way open for the 2nd drone to struck the inside — Reuters — Iran’s Army (Artesh) has targeted: 🇰🇼 Ammunition & logistics storage facilities of the US military at Camp Doha, Kuwait 🇰🇼 Fuel-storage tanks at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait 🇰🇼 An ammunition depot at Camp Arifjan, in Kuwait. — The IRGC has: 🇺🇸 3 oil tankers attempted to exit the Strait of Hormoz & bypass Iran’s authority. 2 were turned back while the other was struck and caught on fire 🇰🇼 Destroyed a large military-equipment depot at Ali al Salem Air Base, Kuwait 🇰🇼 Destroyed a Patriot air defense system, Kuwait 🇰🇼 Struck a hangar housing US MQ-9 drones at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait 🇰🇼 Struck the accommodation facilities of US forces & 2 helicopter hangars at Camp Buehring, Kuwait - there were several casualties + several helicopters & drones sustained heavy damage. 🇰🇼 Struck a telecommunications tower in Kuwait, in response to US attacks on telecommunications towers in Iran 🇯🇴 A radar (likely referring to AN/TPY-2) part of the THAAD air defense system, at a US base, in Jordan 🇯🇴 A Patriot system & a C-RAM radar were also targeted and destroyed at a US base in Jordan 🇯🇴 Fuel-storage tanks at a US base were set ablaze as well 🇯🇴 A large helicopter-equipment warehouse & a helicopter maintenance and repair hangar were also set on fire and destroyed, at a US base in Jordan — 🇰🇼🇮🇶 A facility near the Iraq-Kuwait border crossing was just targeted with smoke visible from the impact (see footage) — Footage 1-2: US attacks on the civilian passenger terminal at the Shalamche border crossing between Iran-Iraq Footage 3: Smoke from a facility in Kuwait struck by Iran Footage 4: Smoke coming from a site at the Iraq-Kuwait border crossing after it was hitshow more

Russia struck the Ukrainian-held city of Zaporozhye for a... second consecutive night, damaging an Epicenter retail centre in a residential district. The strike follows a far larger combined attack on the city a day earlier that halted the Zaporozhstal steelworks. Epicenter Store Hit in Zaporozhye Regional administration head Ivan Fedorov reported that the overnight strike on 12 August damaged a shopping centre in one of the city’s residential districts, where a fire broke out; photographs from the site identify the building as an Epicenter outlet. A private house nearby lost windows, gates and fencing, and roughly 1,200 customers in the district were left without electricity. Fires were extinguished and no casualties were reported. Sources: TSN · UNN · MIG Retail Chain Repeatedly Targeted During the massed strike on the night of 5 August, warehouses and logistics facilities belonging to at least ten large companies were damaged in Kiev and Kiev region, including Nova Poshta, Rozetka and Epicenter, with total losses estimated at around 100,000 square metres of warehouse space. The company stated that an employee was killed, two warehouse complexes were destroyed and a ceramic tile plant was forced to halt production after its furnaces were wrecked. The Russian Defence Ministry described the 5 August operation as a strike on transport, logistics and distribution centres, and Russian state media reported that the Epicenter company sells drones and electronic warfare jamming modules. Sources: TASS · Liga · Antikor Zaporozhstal Halted After Combined Strike On the night of 11 August Russian forces struck industrial facilities and a garage cooperative in Zaporozhye, with Fedorov initially reporting five killed and twenty wounded. Ukrainian officials said the city was hit with ballistic missiles and Zircon anti-ship missiles alongside guided aerial bombs, and put the nationwide overnight toll at twelve killed. The Zaporozhstal metallurgical combine was among the main targets and suspended operations. Sources: Reuters · Al Jazeera · Liga · Moscow Describes Regional Campaign Russian outlets citing military sources reported ten Iskander-M strikes, around fourteen guided bomb strikes, five multiple rocket launcher salvos and more than fifty drone strikes against targets in Zaporozhye region in the twenty-four hours to the morning of 11 August. A retired Russian general told state-aligned media the intensification was linked to advances on that axis. Ukrainian sources denied Russian claims of a capture at Orekhov, saying a reconnaissance group had been destroyed. Sources: AiF · Antikor · ISW Nuclear Plant Remains Contested Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev said earlier this month that a Ukrainian drone struck a personnel gallery between reactor units at the Russian-held Zaporozhye plant, and that the facility is drawing power through a single transmission line. He said fifteen residents of the plant’s host city had been killed and fifty-one injured since late April. Moscow and Kiev have accused each other of endangering the station throughout the conflict. Sources: Anadolu · Rosatom · IAEA Compiled from various sources from the full geopolitical scale. Draw your own conclusions.show more

Iran-US war update summary — Night of 23-24 July... Updates starting from 11PM Tehran time • CENTCOM says it has prevented 12 ships due to the blockade • US attacked a site in Yazd • Following US attacks, explosions were also reported in the following cities: Ahvaz, Andimeshk, Bandar Abbas, Khorramabad (likely targeting the missile city here), Qeshm island, Jask, outskirts of Khondab • US attacked a site in Naeen, Isfahan province, at 3 AM. • US attacks in Bandar Abbas have injured 2 people, in Khorramabad also 2 injuries • US attacked the IRGC Navy’s ‘Hazrat Seyyed al-Shohada’ HQ in Zibakenar, in Gilan province (ALL THE way in northern Iran, struck with standoff munitions) • Note: Attacks in Khorramshahr have been DENIED. • Total number of injuries in Iran has reached 645, and the number of martyrs reached 55. So far, 586 of the injured have been discharged after receiving medical treatment. — Iran’s Army (Artesh) has targeted: 🇧🇭 Fuel storage facilities, large equipment warehouses and hangars, and US army soldiers’ barracks at the Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain (with Arash drones). 🇯🇴 Aircraft hangars, aircraft maintenance hangars, and barracks at the Muwaffaq al Salti Air Base, in Jordan. 🇰🇼 US military equipment warehouses at Camp Buehring, Kuwait 🇰🇼 A US troop deployment site at Camp Doha, in Kuwait 🇰🇼 A US forces’ deployment site at Camp Arifjan, in Kuwait. — IRGC has targeted: 🇰🇼 A very large ammunition depot at the US-operated Ali Al Salem Air Base, and through a series of explosions, completely destroyed it using advanced, super heavy OWA drones. 🇰🇼 US Army barracks hangars were also struck, 6 large hangars were completely destroyed, while 3 others sustained severe damage. Several were killed or wounded, at the Ali al Salem Air Base, in Kuwait. 🇺🇸 Visual proof of the interception of an American cruise missile in Kahnooj, Kerman province 🇧🇭 Struck the remaining standing building of Amazon’s intelligence data center as a follow-up from their previous operation Note: At the moment of writing this summary, some operations have not been announced yet, please read the follow-up tweets — • Image 1: Interception of an American cruise missile by Iranian air defenses, in Kahnooj, Kerman province • Footage 2: Iranian shahed-136 drone on its way to strike a target • Footage 3: Smoke column coming from an impacted site in Bahrain • An aircraft was seen crashing down above Qeshm, in Iran. Unclear what it is, some say it’s a fighter jet, some say drone.show more

🚨12 HOUR NEWS RECAP 1. Reports indicate Mojtaba Khamenei,... son of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader, has been selected as the country’s next Supreme Leader, though the regime has not yet officially confirmed it. 2. South Korea’s stock market plunged 11 percent, triggering a circuit breaker and halting trading amid sharp volatility. 3. An Iranian ballistic missile reportedly struck Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military installation in the region. 4. CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper said nearly 2,000 targets have been destroyed in operations against Iran, with 17 warships sunk, describing the campaign as surpassing the intensity of the 2003 Iraq invasion’s opening phase. 5. Trump announced the U.S. Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz as oil prices surge more than 15 percent following recent U.S.-Israel strikes. 6. Trump met with German Chancellor Merz at the White House, describing him as a friend and highlighting strong trade ties. 7. More than 9,000 Americans have been evacuated from the Middle East since Operation Epic Fury began, with the State Department arranging chartered and commercial flights. 8. Ken Paxton and John Cornyn are heading to a runoff in the Texas Senate GOP primary after neither candidate secured over 50 percent of the vote. 9. The UK Maritime Trade Operations group issued a warning about suspicious activity off the coast of Oman. 10. J.B. Pritzker said he was never on any plane with Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell and never met her, while shifting attention toward others he claims associated with them.show more

Facial reconstruction of a 9,000-year-old man from Mechta-el-Arbi, Algeria... At the boundary of the Holocene, the “Mechta” or “Mechta-Afalou” type predominated in western North Africa. It was also attributed to several eastern North African finds, including Wadi Kubbaniya, Jebel Sahaba, and Wadi Halfa, and to Saharan remains such as Asselar and Gobero. However, these assignments are questionable, as robustness is essentially their only shared trait and is better regarded as an archaic feature. The Mechta type is therefore best restricted to the Maghreb and northwestern Sahara. The type was defined from Taforalt (Morocco, 11.9–13.9 ka BP), Afalou-bou-Rhummel (Algeria, 11.5–13.1 ka BP), and Mechta-el-Arbi (Algeria, 7.5–10 ka BP), and was also termed Mechta-Arbi, Iberomaurusian, or Epipalaeolithic (Arambourg et al., 1934; Ferembach, 1962). Early Holocene climatic change drove coastal populations inland and coincided with rapid population growth, but anthropological homogeneity remained high. Later classifications distinguished a robust Mechta-Afalou and a more gracile Mechtoid variant among Iberomaurusians, with additional Mechta, Mechtoid, Capsian, and Proto-Mediterranean variants among Capsian populations (Chamla, 1978). It has been suggested that the people of Taforalt, compared with the slightly later Afalou-bou-Rhummel group, were more robust and less variable, perhaps due to greater isolation and endogamy (Lubell et al., 1984). However, multivariate analyses do not support this interpretation (Groves and Thorne, 1999). Taforalt individuals appear closer to Caucasoids - and, accounting for their robustness, to European Cro-Magnons - while Afalou-bou-Rhummel individuals show somewhat more Sub-Saharan African affinities, approaching Jebel Sahaba (Groves and Thorne, 1999). The Mechta-Afalou type was originally classified as Caucasoid largely because of jaw orthognathism and strong nasal projection (Arambourg et al., 1934; Vallois, 1952). However, its broad nose and interorbital region, together with prognathism in some individuals, led to comparisons with African Cro-Magnons. Similarities with Upper Paleolithic European Cro-Magnons have repeatedly been emphasized (Groves and Thorne, 1999). At the beginning of the Holocene, Mechta-Afalou people generally had robust, high, dolichocranic to occasionally mesocranic skulls, with very thick vault bones, sloping foreheads, prominent brow ridges, and usually rounded occipitals. The faces were broad, low, and generally orthognathic, with low rectangular orbits, a very broad interorbital region, and a strongly projecting but relatively broad nose. The zygomatics were robust, while some individuals displayed marked alveolar prognathism. The mandibles were exceptionally large, with high symphyses, strongly projecting chins, everted angles, and narrow, long ascending rami inclined backward. The postcranial skeleton was robust, with pronounced muscular markings. Stature was relatively tall, averaging about 1.74 m at Afalou-bou-Rhummel, and limb proportions broadly resembled those of Upper Paleolithic Europeans and some modern African populations. One of the distinctive features of Iberomaurusians is that the upper central incisors were removed from the men during their lifetime. The procedure was probably a ritual performed upon entering adulthood.show more

USAAF 14th PRS Spitfire PR Mk XI gunned down... at point blank range likely by a Luftwaffe Me 262 jet fighter in 1944 The incident pictured most likely involved Spitfire PR Mk XI PL782 flown by 2nd Lt Robert B Hilborn. The aircraft was intercepted over Lechfeld by Leutnant Alfred Schreiber of Erprobungskommando 262 in Me262 A-1a WerkNr. 110372 "White 3". This latter unit was the first to deploy the Messerschmitt jet and would later form Kommando Nowotny. Hilborn managed to bail out of his stricken aircraft and was taken prisoner. The USAAF insignia on the top of the port wing is clearly visible as the aircraft banks away and both the severe vibration on firing and size of the cannon shell impacts suggest 30mm gunfire consistent with the Me 262's MK 108 battery in the nose, and the jet aircraft would also have been able to comfortably keep up with the fast unarmed photoreconnaissance Spitfire variant at altitude. The 3cm Minengeschoss high-capacity shells were formidable projectiles each containing over 70 grams of high explosive and were designed to detonate within six or so inches of having penetrated the aircraft skin, destroying the aircraft structure in the process and rendering the aircraft unflyable after only a few hits. The amount of debris flying off the Spitfire after only three visible detonations is testament to the devastating effect of such fire. The US 14th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron began to train with British-made Supermarine Spitfire Mk V fighters in July 1943 before equipping with the photographic reconnaissance PR Mk XI variant later that year. The squadron flew combat reconnaissance missions in the European Theater of Operations from August 12th 1943 until April 25th 1945. The squadron's Spitfires flew the majority of the target photography missions, including the first Spitfire reconnaissance mission over Berlin in March 1944, while the other squadrons of the 7th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance) equipped with F-5 Lightnings concentrated on photographic mapping. Deep penetration missions included reconnaissance of oil refineries to determine when repairs had been performed that could justify returning them to Eighth Air Force's target list. The Squadron earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for reconnaissance missions flown over France between May 31st 1944 and the end of June. The squadron flew over 300 successful sorties to support Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. It flew missions over the Netherlands to support Operation Market Garden in October 1944 and conducted damage assessment of Germany until July 23rd 1945. In late 1944, the Spitfires, flying solo missions and relying only on speed and altitude for defense, began to prove vulnerable to the jet powered Messerschmitt Me 262 fighters entering service with the Luftwaffe. A squadron aircraft lost on September 5th 1944 was probably the first Army Air Forces loss to a German jet fighter. Erprobungskommando 262 had been formed in April 1944 at Lechfeld just south of Augsburg, as a test unit (Jäger Erprobungskommando Thierfelder, commanded by Hauptmann Werner Thierfelder) to introduce the Me 262 into service and train a corps of pilots to fly it. This was not Leutnant Schreiber's first go at an Allied reconnaissance plane, while flying over Munich on July 26th he encountered a Mosquito PR Mark XVI of No. 540 Squadron RAF piloted by Fl. Lt. A.E. Wall. Schreiber attempted to shoot down the unarmed Mosquito, though Wall evaded Schreiber's three attack runs and was able land safely at Fermo in Italy after what was the first air to air interception by a jet fighter in history.show more

🚨12 HOUR NEWS RECAP 1.⁠ At least 3 people... were killed and 9 buildings destroyed in Tel Aviv after Iran launched multiple waves of ballistic missiles at Israel. 2.⁠ ⁠Iran published a new video signaling readiness for a prolonged conflict with Israel. It implies Tehran retains significant long-range missile capability and can continue launching strikes deep into Israeli territory. 3.⁠ ⁠Trump said Israel’s strikes on Iran might actually boost chances for a nuclear agreement: “Maybe now they will negotiate seriously.” 4.⁠ Around 60 people, including 20 children, were killed in an Israeli attack on a residential area in Tehran, according to Iranian state media. Iran’s UN ambassador says total casualties from the first wave of Israeli strikes have reached 78 dead and 320 wounded. 5.⁠ Iran struck The Kirya compound in Tel Aviv, Israel’s central military headquarters and equivalent to the U.S Pentagon. 6.⁠ Israel continued to strike targets in Iran, taking out missile sites and air defense systems as they widened their operation to destroy Tehran’s nuclear program. 7.⁠ Israel's main international airport has been closed, with "no date or day" set for its reopening despite neighboring countries like Lebanon and Jordan reopening their airspace. 8.⁠ Trump’s approval hit 53% in the latest Rasmussen poll, with 45% disapproval, a strong showing as his 79th birthday arrives. 9.⁠ Top execs from Meta, OpenAI, and Palantir joined the Army Reserve’s new “Executive Innovation Corps” as lieutenant colonels. Part of Detachment 201, they’ll inject battlefield-ready tech into military operations. 10.⁠ A huge blast took place outside the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Palm trees caught fire as emergency crews rushed in. A car was seen fleeing the area, though its connection to the explosion remains unclear.show more