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Amazon Prime's latest action thriller, Pretty Lethal, brings a unique twist to the genre by featuring a group of young ballet dancers who use their skills to take down bad guys in Eastern Europe. The film, directed by Vicky Jewson, offers a fresh take on the action genre with its blend of ballet and combat. The story follows a group of American dancers, including Lana Condor, Maddie Ziegler, and Millicent Simmonds, who are on their way to a competition in Budapest when their bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere. They soon find themselves facing off against a group of ruthless henchmen, led by Uma Thurman's character, Devora. With a runtime of less than 90 minutes, Jewson keeps the action fast-paced and thrilling, making use of the dancers' skills to create a unique and entertaining fight choreography. While the script may feel a bit basic at times, the film's energy and tenacity make up for it. Pretty Lethal is not trying to be a high-brow film, but it does offer a refreshing change of pace from the usual nihilistic and smug action films. The young actors, including Condor, Ziegler, and Simmonds, deliver convincing performances as they learn to fight on the job. Uma Thurman, as the villain Devora, brings a level of hammy humor to the film, but her performance feels somewhat underutilized. Overall, Pretty Lethal is a fun and entertaining action thriller that is worth checking out.

Three elite runners, Jessica McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, and Ednah Kurgat, who were leading the USA Track & Field Half Marathon Championships in Atlanta earlier this month, were inadvertently led off course by a guide vehicle. This chaotic turn of events resulted in them finishing in ninth, 12th, and 13th place, respectively, more than two minutes behind the winner, Molly Born.The incident deprived them of the top prize of $20,000 and the three qualifying places for the World Road Running Championships. However, USATF announced on Wednesday that World Athletics had granted permission to expand its team from four to seven, allowing McClain, Hurley, and Kurgat to compete in Copenhagen this September.“From the moment this happened, our focus was on doing right by the athletes,” said USATF CEO Max Siegel. “Jessica, Emma Grace, and Ednah had clearly separated themselves in the race and we are sorry they did not get to celebrate their accomplishment by breaking the tape.”The USATF team for the championships will include Born, Carrie Ellwood, and Annie Rodenfels, along with a final athlete determined by the world rankings in May. The team will consist of four “scoring athletes” and three “non-scoring athletes,” with USATF funding prize money for the non-scoring athletes.

Classical music has long struggled to find relevance and impact in modern times, but a surprising solution may have been found in the form of a blue heeler puppy. Bluey, the Australian cartoon for children of all ages, has become a global phenomenon with over 45 billion minutes watched in the US alone and over 1 billion streams of its albums and soundtracks. The show's music, composed by Joff Bush, is a key factor in its success. Bush's soundtrack is remarkably diverse, incorporating a wide range of genres, including classical music. He seamlessly weaves in classical pieces from renowned composers like Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Holst, making them an integral part of the show's narrative. One notable example is the use of Mozart's Rondo alla Turca in the show's first episode, Magic Xylophone. This introduction to classical music is not done in a forced or condescending way; instead, Bush uses these pieces to enhance the emotional impact of each scene. For instance, Holst's Jupiter from The Planets is used in the Sleepytime episode to create a cosmic journey for Bingo. The new Bluey album, Up Here, continues this trend, featuring a three-and-a-half-minute orchestral tone-poem on the Bluey theme tune. This piece serves as a Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra for 2026, introducing listeners to various musical sections and instruments. The album also includes quotes and transformations of famous classical pieces, such as Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and Vivaldi's Spring from The Four Seasons. Bush's approach to incorporating classical music into Bluey is refreshing and effective. Unlike previous cartoons that used classical music to parody or mock its elitist pretensions, Bluey presents these pieces in a joyful and organic way. This approach has the potential to introduce classical music to billions of listeners worldwide, making it a significant development in the classical music landscape.

A recent study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology has revealed that small changes to daily habits can have a significant impact on cardiovascular health. The research, conducted by experts from Australia, Chile, and Brazil, examined data on more than 53,000 middle-aged UK adults taking part in the Biobank study.The study found that sleeping for 11 minutes more each night, doing 4.5 additional minutes of brisk walking, and eating an extra 50g of vegetables each day can reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes, by about 10%. These small behavior changes were found to be more "achievable and sustainable" compared to attempting major changes in a single behavior.According to the study, the "optimal" way to avoid cardiovascular incidents includes getting eight to nine hours of sleep each night, a good diet, and a minimum of 42 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day. Combining these measures leads to a 57% lower risk of heart attacks and strokes.Dr. Nicholas Koemel, the study's lead author, noted that "making a few small, combined changes is likely more achievable and sustainable for most people when compared with attempting major changes in a single behavior." He encouraged people to make small changes to their daily routine, as they can have a surprisingly large positive impact on cardiovascular health.Prof Emmanuel Stamatakis, a senior author of the study, plans to build on these findings to develop new digital tools that support people in making positive lifestyle changes and establishing sustained healthy habits.Commenting on the study, Emily McGrath, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said that "small tweaks – like getting a little more sleep, adding a few extra minutes of activity to your day or eating a bit more veg – can work together to have a meaningful positive impact on your heart health."

An Iranian missile has struck central Tel Aviv, causing widespread damage to buildings and vehicles, and injuring at least six people. The attack has led to a significant escalation of tensions in the region, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to continue striking Tehran and Lebanon.“There’s more to come,” Netanyahu said in remarks that appeared to corroborate those of three Israeli officials who told Reuters they thought it was improbable that Iran would accept US demands in any new round of negotiations. This development has dimmed hopes of de-escalation after US President Donald Trump played up the chances of a deal to end the conflict.In a statement released on Tuesday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would launch heavy missile and drone attacks at Israeli troops in northern Israel and the area near Gaza “without restraint” unless Israel ceased attacks in Lebanon and Palestine. The threat has raised concerns about the potential for further escalation in the region.Police said an Iranian munition carrying a substantial explosive payload struck the central city, causing widespread damage to buildings and vehicles. At least six people were lightly injured. Several buildings were damaged across Tel Aviv, with emergency services reporting casualties at one of the impact sites. One building and the adjacent road were heavily affected, with cars set ablaze.Israel’s health ministry reports 4,829 injured people have been brought to hospitals since the onset of the war. Of those people, 111 remain in hospital and 12 are in a serious condition. The strikes were the latest in a cycle of retaliation after Israeli operations announced on Monday.About 40 minutes after Trump said he would delay action against Iran’s power infrastructure, Israel said on X that it had “just begun another wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime across Tehran”. The Israel Defense Forces said energy facilities would be spared, suggesting that Israel may be aligning with Washington in suspending attacks on Iranian power plants and related sites.The US-based Human Rights Activists’ News Agency said in the previous 24 hours it had recorded at least 206 attacks across 15 provinces in Iran, resulting in at least four casualties (killed and injured, both civilian and military). At least six people were killed in strikes on homes in the city of Tabriz, according to Iran’s Fars news agency.Since US-Israeli bombs started falling on Iran, estimates of total deaths (military and civilian) in the country have exceeded 1,500, with some rights groups reporting figures as high as 3,230 as of 21 March. The escalation has also spilled beyond Israel, with Iranian strikes extending into Gulf states.

The Anatomy of the DarkSword LeakSecurity researchers have uncovered a significant escalation in iPhone vulnerabilities following the public release of the DarkSword exploit kit on the code-sharing site GitHub. Unlike sophisticated zero-days that require specialized knowledge to deploy, the leaked files are uncomplicated HTML and JavaScript scripts that can be hosted on a server in a matter of minutes. This accessibility has turned a tool previously associated with state-sponsored actors into a potential weapon for any criminal actor.The toolkit specifically targets iPhones and iPads running older versions of Apple’s operating system, such as iOS 18, which have not yet been updated to the latest iOS software. The code is designed to work "out of the box," meaning no iOS expertise is required to execute the attack. Researchers note that the leaked samples share infrastructure with previous campaigns analyzed by iVerify and Google, indicating a continuity in the threat landscape.The Scale of the VulnerabilityThe implications of this leak are vast, given the sheer number of devices potentially affected. According to Apple’s own data, approximately one-quarter of all iPhone and iPad users are still running older operating systems. With over 2.5 billion active devices globally, this suggests that hundreds of millions of users are currently exposed to the capabilities of DarkSword.Targeted Data: The exploit is capable of exfiltrating forensically relevant files, including contacts, messages, call history, and the iOS keychain (which stores Wi-Fi passwords and secrets).Historical Context: DarkSword was previously alleged to be used by Russian government hackers against Ukrainian targets, linking this new leak to geopolitical cyber warfare.From State-Sponsored to Criminal PlaygroundThe ease with which DarkSword can be repurposed has raised alarms within the cybersecurity community. Matthias Frielingsdorf, co-founder of mobile security startup iVerify, described the situation as "bad" and warned that the tool cannot be contained. The transition of such advanced spyware from a restricted government tool to a public commodity lowers the barrier to entry for cybercriminals.Kimberly Samra of Google and security hobbyist matteyeux have independently confirmed that the leaked code is trivial to use. Matteyeux successfully demonstrated the exploit on an iPad mini running iOS 18, proving that the threat is immediate and actionable for malicious actors.The Future of iOS Security and Lockdown ModeApple has responded by issuing an emergency update on March 11 for devices unable to run recent versions of iOS. The company emphasizes that keeping software up to date is the "single most important thing" for security and notes that devices with updated software are not at risk.Furthermore, Apple highlighted that Lockdown Mode would block these specific attacks. As the industry moves forward, the reliance on software updates and hardening features like Lockdown Mode will become increasingly critical in defending against the commoditization of exploit kits like DarkSword.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has commended the decision to award its country the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, which was initially stripped from Senegal. The FRMF welcomed the decision, stating it reaffirms the primacy of competition regulations and reinforces the conditions necessary for the proper conduct of international tournaments.The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Tuesday that its Appeal Board had awarded the tournament to Morocco, the defeated finalists, on January 18. The final, which Senegal won 1-0 in extra time, was delayed for 14 minutes when the Senegalese players and staff returned to the dressing room in protest against the awarding of an injury-time penalty to Morocco in the second half.The FRMF maintained a clear and consistent position throughout the process, focusing on the strict application of governing regulations. Following its appeal, CAF confirmed that the applicable regulations were not properly enforced. Morocco appealed to CAF to overturn the result immediately after the final, which descended into chaos during and after the protest, and led to a pitch invasion, resulting in 18 Senegalese fans being handed prison sentences.The Senegal Football Federation (FSF) immediately responded to CAF's ruling by saying it would take its own appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Senegal's government alleged corruption following the decision and called for an independent international investigation into the matter.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) made a shocking decision to strip Senegal of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to Morocco, the defeated finalists. This move comes after a thorough review of a contentious incident at the end of normal time in the January 18 final, which saw the match delayed by 14 minutes after Senegal players left the field in protest against refereeing decisions.The controversy began when a late penalty was awarded to Morocco, which overlapped into the new year, with the final played in Rabat. Senegalese players and management were enraged by the decision, leading to a walk-off and a pitch invasion by some fans. Although Senegal returned to the field and won the match 1-0 after extra time, CAF's disciplinary procedure resulted in substantial fines and bans for both teams.CAF's appeals board ruled that Senegal is 'declared to have forfeited' the match by leaving the field, and the 1-0 result was officially recorded as 3-0 in favor of Morocco. The Senegal Football Federation (FSF) has condemned the decision, labeling it 'unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable,' and plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.The decision has sparked a heated debate in the football community, with Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko denouncing the sentencing of 18 Senegalese fans by Morocco. The case is expected to take over a year to resolve, and its outcome could have significant implications for African football.

Japan has emerged victorious in the Women's Asian Cup, claiming their third title in the tournament. The decisive match against Australia ended with a 1-0 win for Japan, thanks to a stunning long-range goal by Maika Hamano in the 17th minute.The match, held at Stadium Australia in Sydney, was attended by a record-breaking 74,357 fans, marking a significant milestone in the growth of women's football. This victory adds to Japan's previous titles in 2014 and 2018, both of which were also won against Australia with a 1-0 scoreline.The tournament saw a substantial increase in attendance, with over 350,000 fans attending matches, approximately six times the previous record set in 2010. The Asian Cup also served as a qualifier for the 2026 World Cup in Brazil, with six teams—Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, North Korea, and the Philippines—securing their spots.Japan's team, featuring several English-based players, demonstrated exceptional skill throughout the tournament, scoring 29 goals and conceding only one across six games. Despite a strong performance from Australia, Japan's solid defense and fluid gameplay secured their victory.The final match was intense, with both teams creating scoring opportunities. However, Japan's defense held strong, particularly in the final minutes, as Alanna Kennedy's late attempt was thwarted, ensuring Japan's rock-solid defense preserved the win.