DEIR EL-ZOUR, Syria (AP) — A Syrian man on Saturday buried his wife and four of his five children, killed in the massive wave of Israeli strikes that pounded Beirut earlier this week, laying them to rest in Deir el-Zour province in northeastern Syria.

It was not the homecoming they had anticipated when they fled to Lebanon six years ago.

The bodies, along with that of his six-month pregnant daughter-in-law, arrived in wooden coffins on a bus from Lebanon, their names scribbled on the sides. Men stood beside the bus crying before the burial procession in al-Sour town, as mourners gathered to offer condolences.

The remains of one of his two daughters were still missing, believed to be trapped under rubble, as search operations concluded Saturday, three days after the attacks.

The strike was one of roughly 100 carried out by Israel on Wednesday without warning, targeting what the Israeli military said were Hezbollah-linked sites across Beirut and other parts of Lebanon. More than 350 people were killed that day, a third being women and children, making it the deadliest day in nearly six weeks of war.

Many of the strikes hit commercial streets and densely populated neighborhoods in central Beirut, far from conflict zones, where repeated Israeli evacuation warnings have been issued since March 2, when the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.

A father’s grief

The father, Hamad al-Jalib, survived because he was away fetching a gas canister while working as the building’s concierge. When he heard that a strike had hit the Ain Mreisseh neighborhood, where he lives, he rushed back, only to see a plume of smoke rising from a building behind a mosque across from Beirut’s famous seaside promenade — usually crowded with people walking and exercising.

“The Israeli attack killed my girls, they are innocent, just sitting at home,” al-Jalib said. “They were having lunch.”

He said it took rescue teams three days to extract the bodies of his family from under the rubble. “And I still have a daughter missing, her name is Fatima Hamad al-Jalib.” She is 10 years old. His other daughter was 12 while his sons were 17, 14 and 13 years old.

Three other Syrian relatives were also killed in the Ain Mreisseh strike and were buried on Saturday in the town of al-Shuhail in Deir el-Zour, after the family split upon returning to Syria.

Al-Jalib said his family had been displaced from their area and moved to Lebanon in 2020, as local tensions grew involving tribal groups and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Syrian refugees among the dead and wounded

The casualties from Wednesday’s strikes and others across the country have pushed the death toll in more than a month of Israel’s war with Hezbollah to over 1,950 killed and more than 6,300 wounded, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The toll includes at least 315 Syrians killed and wounded.

It remains unclear how many of those killed on Wednesday were non-Lebanese, as the Health Ministry did not provide a breakdown by nationality. Officials have reported that at least 39 Syrians were among the dead.

Dalal Harb, a spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency, said the family killed in Ain Mreisseh was not registered with the UNHCR. There are about 530,000 Syrians refugees registered with UNHCR in Lebanon, with hundreds of thousands more believed to be unregistered.

While hundreds of thousands of Syrians have returned from Lebanon since the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December 2024, many others remain reluctant to go back because of the lack of jobs and ongoing violence.

Al-Jalib’s brother, Jomaa, who also lived in Lebanon, said he was about 150 meters (500 feet) away at work when the first blast hit. “We ran and we ran, then the second strike happened.” He said he was arriving at the building as it began to collapse. “It was too late to get anyone out. We yelled for them, but no one answered.”

He said ambulances later recovered the bodies, which he identified at a hospital.

Following the burial on Saturday, men stood shoulder to shoulder in prayer over the fresh graves.

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Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.

The incident took place this afternoon (Saturday, April 11), at around 1pm, with the ambulance service and police in attendance.

Images from the scene show that a cordon had been put in place near the petrol station of the supermarket.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that the incident involved a road traffic collision between a pedestrian and a car.

(Image: PHIL TAYLOR)

They added that a man was taken to hospital and the driver remained at the scene.

No arrests have been made in relation to the incident.

Morrisons has not commented on the incident, but a spokesperson confirmed that they are assisting police with their inquiries.

The North West Ambulance Service has also been contacted for comment.

Emergency services were called to Great Western Road, at the junction with Lincoln Avenue, after the alarm was raised at around 2pm on Saturday, April 11.

A major road in Glasgow has been blocked off following a crash this afternoon.

Emergency services were called to Great Western Road, at the junction with Lincoln Avenue, after the alarm was raised at around 2pm on Saturday, April 11.

An image shared with the Record shows a significant number of police officers and fire crews at the scene. Ambulance crews are also in attendance.

Unconfirmed reports suggest emergency crews are working to cut a passenger out of the back seat of a taxi following the collision.

The number of vehicles involved and the nature of any injuries is not yet known.

An eyewitness said: “Avoid Great Western Road at the Lincoln Avenue junction. Horrendous smash affecting both sides of the road. They’re trying to cut a passenger out the back seat of a taxi by the looks of it. Hope everyone involved is okay.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that two engines are currently on the scene to assist.

The Record has contacted Police Scotland for comment.

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The full closure of the M1 westbound between junction 7 and junction 8 at Sprucefield, Lisburn has taken place following an incident. PSNI officers have been confirmed as attending the scene.

TrafficWatch NI reported that the incident happened shortly after 3pm on Saturday afternoon.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Road users are advised of the full closure of the M1 westbound between junction 7 and junction 8, Sprucefield.

“All westbound traffic can exit at junction 7 and return at junction 8. Eastbound traffic can exit at junction 8 and return at 7.

“Please seek an alternative route at this time.”

Follow our live updates in the blog below…

Hold for 1…2…3… and release.

Women have long been doing their Kegel exercises, squeezing their pelvic floor muscles while sitting on the sofa or on their office chairs, unbeknownst to those around them.

They’re recommended by the NHS to combat a variety of health concerns, mostly commonly urinary incontinence, associated with pregnancy and childbirth.

But let’s be real, it’s not just the girlies who need to look after their pelvic floor.

‘Penis Kegels’ are a thing too — also recommended by the NHS — and those who choose to incorporate the simple exercises into their daily routine could see an improvement in bladder control, prostate health — and even sexual performance.

That’s right, stronger erections could be on the horizon.

Here’s everything the guys out there need to know about squeezing those pelvic floor muscles. We’re doing ours right now…

Why are ‘penis Kegels’ beneficial?

Urologist Dr Ashwin Sridhar tells Metro: ‘The pelvic floor muscles act like a hammock supporting your internal organs. So, when these muscles are strong, they provide several health benefits.’

• Bladder Control. According to Dr Ashwin, Kegels prevent ‘post-urination dribble’ (leaking a few drops after leaving the toilet) and help manage urinary incontinence, especially after prostate surgery.
• Bowel Control. Kegels can help prevent fecal incontinence.
• Prostate Health. They can help manage pain and swelling associated with prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate) and BPH (enlarged prostate).
• Core Stability. As part of the ‘deep core,’ Kegels contribute to overall pelvic stability and lower back support.

Can penis Kegels improve sexual performance?

It’s not just your bladder that Kegels have a positive impact on.

Dr Ashwin shares that one of the ‘most significant motivators for men to perform Kegels’ is, in fact, to do with sexual function.

‘Strong pelvic floor muscles directly influence the mechanics of erection and ejaculation,’ he explains.

Kegels can help with erectile dysfunction, for example: ‘The pelvic floor muscles help trap blood in the penis to maintain an erection. Strengthening them can lead to harder, longer-lasting erections.’

Penis kegels can also help with premature ejaculation (PE). Dr Ashwin notes how ‘Kegels give you better control over the ejaculatory reflex. Men with strong pelvic floors can often voluntarily “squeeze” to delay orgasm.’

Interestingly, by doing regular penis Kegels, men can also develop a ‘stronger contraction during ejaculation’ which Dr Ashwin explains can lead to ‘more intense and pleasurable orgasms.’

How do Kegels for men work?

There are a couple of ways men can practice their Kegels. But Dr Ashwin specifically recommends starting with the standard Kegel to ease yourself in.

Step 1: Find the muscle

Dr Ashwin reminds men, ‘you cannot strengthen a muscle you cannot feel.’ So, first things first, is to locate it. There are two main ways you can do this.

There’s the delicately named Stop Gas Method. This involves imagining you’re in a crowded elevator and need to stop yourself from passing gas. The muscle you squeeze to pull your anus inward is the pelvic floor.

Next, you can try the Stop Pee Method.

Next time you urinate, try to stop the flow mid-stream. If you succeed, you’ve found the muscle.

Step 2: The technique, aka ‘the squeeze and lift’

Once you know where the muscle is, the next step is the actual Kegel itself – you can do this sitting, standing, or lying down.

You’re going to isolate (aka squeeze) the muscle you identified in step one. Then, imagine you’re trying to lift your scrotum upwards into your body.

A thing to remember, Dr Ashwin notes, is that you should not hold your breath, clench your buttocks, or tighten your thighs.

‘Your body should look completely relaxed from the outside; the work is all internal.’

Step 3: The routine

It’s recommended that you perform 10 repetitions in a row, aiming for three sets per day – in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

‘While squats and glute bridges help the general area, the standard Kegel is the most effective isolation exercise for these specific muscles,’ the expert adds.

He continues: ‘Also, the “relax” phase is just as important as the squeeze. If you don’t fully relax between reps, you risk over-tightening the muscle (hypertonicity), which can cause pelvic pain.’

Is it too late to start penis Kegels?

While there isn’t a specific ‘start date’, the sooner you start these kegels, the better.

‘Muscles naturally weaken with age,’ Dr Ashwin explains.

‘Starting in your 20s or 30s establishes a strong baseline that can prevent incontinence and ED later in life.’