Back in training! - Moscow Zoo's furry friends feel the burn after Christmas, New Year holidays

Back in training! - Moscow Zoo's furry friends feel the burn after Christmas, New Year holidays

"With the holidays over, it's time to get back in shape - and Moscow Zoo's inhabitants are no exception, with staff organising special foraging games to stimulate the body and the mind! Footage released on Sunday shows Ding Ding the panda pulling treats from pine branches with unfailing persistence - first with her teeth and then, when that doesn't work, with her paws. The video also captures a raccoon attempting to outwit a glass dome containing hidden nuts. The zoo's press service explained that such activities helped animals develop their natural foraging skills. Unlike other similar animals, pandas don't hibernate during winter because their low-calorie bamboo diet does not allow them to store enough fat for the long winter's sleep."

'Nothing left but ashes' - Rasht market torched by 'armed terrorists' as unrest grips northern Iran

'Nothing left but ashes' - Rasht market torched by 'armed terrorists' as unrest grips northern Iran

"Iranian state media aired footage on Monday showing extensive destruction at Rasht’s main market in northern Iran, which officials said was set ablaze. The footage filmed both by drone and from the ground, shows large sections of the market destroyed by fire. The broadcaster said the images were recorded 72 hours after the blaze. State media described the market as a key source of income for hundreds of families, saying it now 'sinks in bitter silence'. “It was the holiday season, so we had prepared everything and stocked the shop with goods and filled the warehouse. I swear to God, the losses in this place alone exceeded 15 to 20 billion tomans, and nothing is left but ashes,” a shop owner said. Official media accused 'armed terrorists' of carrying out the arson attack. No independent confirmation was available regarding the cause of the fire. Iran has been experiencing widespread protests since late December, beginning in Tehran and later spreading to other cities, driven by worsening economic conditions and the sharp decline of the Iranian rial against the US dollar. In several locations, protests have escalated into riots and vandalism targeting public property. State media has reported that more than 100 police officers have been killed since the unrest began, a figure that could not be independently verified. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian announced economic plans to deal with the 'people's demands' on Sunday, but also accused the US of trying to 'sow chaos and disorder'. On Friday, Donald Trump told Iran's authorities they "better not start shooting, because we'll start shooting too", having previously warned that he could intervene following any potential crackdown."