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Operation Holiday Express Brings Gifts to US Troops in Syria

In this Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, photo, US soldiers deliver Christmas gifts to their comrades on a base near the al-Omar oilfield in eastern Syria. It's an operation is called Holiday Express - in addition to delivering presents, the US-led coalition forces brought a US military band to play Christmas carols and music to several bases in eastern Syria. (AP Photo/Farid Abdul-Wahid)
In this Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, photo, US soldiers deliver Christmas gifts to their comrades on a base near the al-Omar oilfield in eastern Syria. It's an operation is called Holiday Express - in addition to delivering presents, the US-led coalition forces brought a US military band to play Christmas carols and music to several bases in eastern Syria. (AP Photo/Farid Abdul-Wahid)
    SHADDADEH, Syria- Asharq Al-Awsat
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Operation Holiday Express Brings Gifts to US Troops in Syria

In this Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, photo, US soldiers deliver Christmas gifts to their comrades on a base near the al-Omar oilfield in eastern Syria. It's an operation is called Holiday Express - in addition to delivering presents, the US-led coalition forces brought a US military band to play Christmas carols and music to several bases in eastern Syria. (AP Photo/Farid Abdul-Wahid)
In this Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, photo, US soldiers deliver Christmas gifts to their comrades on a base near the al-Omar oilfield in eastern Syria. It's an operation is called Holiday Express - in addition to delivering presents, the US-led coalition forces brought a US military band to play Christmas carols and music to several bases in eastern Syria. (AP Photo/Farid Abdul-Wahid)

Hundreds of American troops based in Syria have received Christmas gifts thanks to Operation Holiday Express, launched by US-led coalition forces from across the border in neighboring Iraq.

This year, Santa's sleigh and reindeer were apparently swapped for a workhorse CH-47 Chinook helicopter. But coalition forces still donned jolly red caps as they unloaded boxes of gifts at five locations in eastern Syria, The Associated Press reported on Monday.

In addition to the presents, Christmas tunes were provided by a military band from the 1st Infantry Division, flown in from Fort Riley, Kansas. The soldiers received stockings stuffed with candies, toiletries, and other gifts. Most were donated by military support organizations in the US, as well as churches and charity organizations, coalition spokesman Col. Myles Caggins said.

Caggins said the aim of Operation Holiday Express was to bring a little Christmas cheer to those on active duty. AP toured bases in five locations: the al-Omar oil field, Deir el-Zour, Shaddadeh, Hassakeh, and Rumeilan.

The US at one point had some 2,000 service members in Syria, mostly taking part in battles against the ISIS group. The number has dropped since the extremists' defeat in March, when they lost their last sliver of territory to Kurdish-led fighters backed by Washington.

While President Donald Trump has said he will withdraw the bulk of the roughly 1,000 American troops from Syria, he´s made it clear he'll leave some military forces in the country to help secure the oil fields across eastern Syria from any ISIS resurgence.

The move has raised a number of difficult legal questions about whether US troops can launch strikes against Syrian, Russian or other forces if they threaten the oil, US officials said last month.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said last month that about 500 or 600 US troops will remain in Syria to counter ISIS militants who have been carrying out hit-and-run attacks in recent weeks against Kurdish-led fighters.

Lt. Gen. Pat White, commander of Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve, told the AP that the presence of American soldiers on the ground in Syria shows the commitment of US forces, and they will pursue the remnants of ISIS anywhere in Syria.

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Caffeinated Beverages May Help Protect the Brain, Study Says

A cup of coffee and a cappuccino are seen at a Juan Valdez store in Bogota, Colombia June 5, 2019. (Reuters)
A cup of coffee and a cappuccino are seen at a Juan Valdez store in Bogota, Colombia June 5, 2019. (Reuters)
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Caffeinated Beverages May Help Protect the Brain, Study Says

A cup of coffee and a cappuccino are seen at a Juan Valdez store in Bogota, Colombia June 5, 2019. (Reuters)
A cup of coffee and a cappuccino are seen at a Juan Valdez store in Bogota, Colombia June 5, 2019. (Reuters)

Drinking a few cups of caffeinated coffee or tea every day may help in a small way to preserve brain power and prevent dementia, researchers reported on Monday.

People with the highest daily intake of caffeinated coffee had an 18% lower risk of developing dementia compared to those with the lowest such intake, according to a study based on responses to questionnaires by 132,000 U.S. adults spanning four decades.

The study, published in JAMA, also found that the people with the highest intake had a lower rate - by nearly 2 percentage points - of ‌self-perceived memory ‌or thinking problems compared to those with ‌the ⁠lowest intake.

Results were ‌similar with caffeinated tea, but not with decaffeinated beverages, the researchers said.

While the findings are encouraging, the study does not prove caffeine helps protect the brain, they said.

The magnitude of caffeine's effect, if any, was small, and there are other better-documented ways to protect cognitive function as people age, study leader Dr. Daniel Wang ⁠of Harvard Medical School said in a statement.

Lifestyle factors linked with lower risks of ‌dementia include physical exercise, a healthy diet ‍and adequate sleep, according to previous ‍research.

"Our study suggests that caffeinated coffee or tea consumption can ‍be one piece of that puzzle," Wang said.

The findings were most pronounced in participants who consumed two to three cups of caffeinated coffee or one to two cups of caffeinated tea daily, the researchers reported.

Those who drank caffeinated coffee also showed better performance on some objective tests of cognitive function, according to the ⁠study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Further research is needed to validate the factors and mechanisms responsible for the findings, the researchers said.

They noted that bioactive ingredients in coffee and tea such as caffeine and polyphenols have emerged as possible factors that reduce nerve cell inflammation and damage while protecting against cognitive decline.

"We also compared people with different genetic predispositions to developing dementia and saw the same results - meaning coffee or caffeine is likely equally beneficial for people with high and low genetic risk of developing ‌dementia," study coauthor Dr. Yu Zhang of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said in a statement.

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AlUla Announces Exceptional Ramadan Experiences

These programs come as part of efforts to enhance AlUla’s tourism experience - SPA
These programs come as part of efforts to enhance AlUla’s tourism experience - SPA
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AlUla Announces Exceptional Ramadan Experiences

These programs come as part of efforts to enhance AlUla’s tourism experience - SPA
These programs come as part of efforts to enhance AlUla’s tourism experience - SPA

AlUla Governorate is welcoming the holy month of Ramadan this year with a wide range of diverse tourism experiences that reflect the area’s distinctive character and rich cultural heritage, reinforcing its position as one of the Kingdom’s most prominent destinations to visit during the holy month.

During Ramadan, AlUla offers an integrated experience catering to different visitor preferences, including guided stargazing experiences, cultural events, and night markets, in addition to traditional dining experiences for Iftar and Suhoor, embodying the depth of AlUla’s cultural heritage and local identity.

The Ramadan programs in AlUla include a variety of standout events, such as Ramadan experiences at Maraya Hall, a cultural market, and live performances in the atmosphere of Ashar Valley, alongside heritage tours in AlUla Old Town that narrate stories of AlUla and its Ramadan customs, including the award-winning Incense Road Experience, SPA reported.

The programs also feature seasonal art exhibitions hosted across multiple cultural venues, including Design Space AlUla, the fourth edition of Desert X AlUla, and the Arduna exhibition at AlUla Oasis, in addition to experiences combining art, nature, and stargazing at Daimumah Oasis in collaboration with AlUla Manara.

Visitors are also offered tours to prominent archaeological sites, including Hegra, Dadan, and Jabal Ikmah, to explore ancient sites dating back centuries BCE and view unique rock inscriptions, as well as adventure experiences ranging from dinner and stargazing in Sharaan, hot-air balloon rides, mountain hiking trails, and safari tours.

These programs come as part of efforts to enhance AlUla’s tourism experience during the holy month of Ramadan and provide diverse options that meet visitor expectations, contributing to the growth of tourism activity and showcasing the governorate’s natural and cultural assets.

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NCW Releases over 10,000 Animals under Reintroduction Programs

The releases carried out by the center over the past years included more than 80 priority wildlife species - SPA
The releases carried out by the center over the past years included more than 80 priority wildlife species - SPA
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NCW Releases over 10,000 Animals under Reintroduction Programs

The releases carried out by the center over the past years included more than 80 priority wildlife species - SPA
The releases carried out by the center over the past years included more than 80 priority wildlife species - SPA

The National Center for Wildlife (NCW) announced that the total number of wildlife animals released under its breeding and reintroduction programs for locally threatened species has exceeded 10,000 animals, an achievement reflecting the scale of the center’s sustained efforts to develop wildlife, restore ecosystems, and enhance biodiversity across various regions of the Kingdom.

The releases carried out by the center over the past years included more than 80 priority wildlife species, including reem gazelles (sand gazelles), Arabian oryx, Idmi gazelles, mountain ibex, houbara bustards, ostriches, and sandgrouse, as part of efforts aimed at supporting the recovery of natural populations of these species and enhancing their sustainability within their environmental and historical ranges, SPA reported.

CEO of NCW Dr. Mohammad Qurban noted that release operations are among the key tools for restoring ecosystems and reducing ecological imbalance, as the return of wildlife to their natural habitats contributes to protecting biodiversity and improving environmental quality, which in turn supports habitat integrity, the continuity of plant and animal components, and the enhancement of ecosystem functions over the long term.

NCW continues to implement its strategic plans to develop wildlife, protect endangered species, and enhance the efficiency of natural habitat management through expanding breeding programs, enhancing applied scientific research, building national capacities, and applying the best international practices in biodiversity management, in addition to raising environmental awareness, engaging local communities, and supporting eco-tourism, thereby contributing to achieving the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative and Saudi Vision 2030, and the National Environment Strategy, toward thriving and sustainable wildlife, biodiversity, and ecosystems.