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BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO on Wednesday launched a new military effort dubbed Arctic Sentry aimed at improving security in the High North, a month after U.S. President Donald Trumpramped up tensionsin the alliance with his threats to annex Greenland.

Initially, Arctic Sentry will be the NATO label for national military exercises in the region, such as Denmark'sArctic Endurance— which angered Trump so much that he threatened to slap tariffs on allies taking part — and Norway's Cold Response drills.

Arctic Sentry is not a military operation. It does not involve the permanent or long-term deployment of troops to the region under a NATO banner.

"What is really new about it is that for the first time now we will bring everything we do in the Arctic together under one command," NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told reporters in Brussels. He said it would help the alliance to "assess which (security) gaps there are which we have to fill."

"In the face of Russia's increased military activity and China's growing interest in the High North, it was crucial that we do more," Rutte added.

Arctic security has been on NATO's agenda in recent years — seven allies lie in the region, along with Russia — but pressure to act accelerated as Trump's determination to "get"Greenlandfueled tensions among the allies.

NATO's role in this series of military activities, which will be coordinated through its U.S. headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, is aimed at countering Russian and Chinese influence in the High North, which includes Greenland.

NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, said in a statement that "Arctic Sentry underscores the alliance's commitment to safeguard its members and maintain stability in one of the world's most strategically significant and environmentally challenging areas."

As part of the effort, the United Kingdom has announced that the number of British troops deployed to Norway will double over three years from 1,000 to 2,000. Some will be involved in Exercise Lion Protector, already planned for September.

Details are sketchy, but other NATO activities will be added to Arctic Sentry once broader security needs are assessed and as the national military exercises end.

France, Germany and Denmark have said they will take part but have not said how many troops would be involved.

NATO's primary role is to defend the territory of its 32 member states. The specter of the alliance's most powerful country threatening to annex part of another ally, Denmark, has deeply shaken the rest of the alliance. Greenland is a semiautonomous territory in the Danish realm.

European allies hope that Arctic Sentry and ongoing talks between the Trump administration, Denmark and Greenland will allow NATO to move on from the dispute and focus on Europe's real security priority, Russia's war on Ukraine.

WARSAW, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Poland and Italy will not join U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, Warsaw and Rome said on Wednesday, adding ‌to the list of Washington's allies remaining on the sidelines.

Initially designed to ‌cement Gaza's ceasefire, Trump sees the Board of Peace taking a wider role in resolving global conflicts ​which some countries fear means it could become a rival to the United Nations.

This along with the fact that Russia and Belarus were invited to join means many Western countries have taken a cautious approach.

"Taking into account certain national doubts regarding the shape ‌of the board, under these ⁠circumstances Poland will not join the work of the Board of Peace, but we will analyse it," Prime Minister Donald Tusk told ⁠a government meeting.

"Our relations with the United States have been and will remain our priority, so if the circumstances change that will enable joining the work of the Board, ​we do ​not rule out any scenario."

Tusk was due ​to meet nationalist rival President Karol ‌Nawrocki later on Wednesday at a National Security Council meeting, where the Board of Peace was on the agenda.

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Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also confirmed on Wednesday that Italy would not sign up.

"We cannot join the Board of Peace because there is an insurmountable constitutional barrier on Italy's side," he told Sky TG24 news channel.

"However, ‌if we need to work on reconstruction ​efforts aimed at ensuring peace in the Middle East, ​we are ready to do ​so," he added.

Under Italy's constitution, the country can only join international ‌organisations on equal terms with other states -- ​a condition that ​Rome says is not met by the board's current statute which gives Trump extensive executive powers.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is close to Trump, said ​last month she had ‌asked him to amend the terms of the Board of Peace to ​enable Italy to join.

(Reporting by Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz in Warsaw, Crispian ​Balmer in Rome, Editing by William Maclean)

ADEN, Yemen (AP) — At least five people have died in clashes between supporters of Yemen's main separatist group and local security forces, with more than two dozen others injured, officials and separatists said on Wednesday.

Eshraq al-Maqtari, the newly appointed legal affairs minister inYemen's internationally recognized government, wrote on X that the Shabwa governorate has experienced "painful events."

The clashes erupted when supporters of Yemen's separatist Southern Transitional Council stormed the governorate's local administrative authority building in the city of Ataq, during which an attempt was made to take down the Yemeni flag, eyewitnesses Khaled al-Merfedi and Salem Lahtal told The Associated Press.

They said local security forces quickly regained control of the building, secured it, and deployed throughout the surrounding area.

"Hope rests on the leaders, elites, youth, and women of Shabwa to resolve this tension, in which the only losers are the lives, safety, and security of its citizens. The interests of Shabwa must be prioritized above all narrow interests," al-Maqtari said.

The STC branch in Shabwa confirmed in a statement the deaths of the five protesters.

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Shabwa is currently under the control of thePresidential Leadership Council, headed by Rashad al-Alimi. Forces allied with the council reportedly intervened and fired warning shots to disperse the crowd.

In December, the STC madeadvances in Hadramout and al-Mahra governorates, pushing out the Saudi-aligned National Shield Forces and forcing simmering tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi into the open. Deadly clashes in the country's south erupted and the separatist groupannounced its dissolutionin the weeks that followed, butprotestscontinued in support of the STC, withcalls for an independent south.

Yemen has been mired for more than a decade in a civil war that involves a complex interplay of sectarian and tribal grievances and the involvement of regional powers. The STC leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, is wanted for treason and has fled to Abu Dhabi.

"Masked members of the security and military forces opened fire on the demonstrators," the STC branch in Shabwa said in the statement.

It added: "As the mass march moved toward the al-Fakhama Hotel … the security and military forces began firing directly at the protesters using light and medium weapons, resulting in deaths and injuries."

The STC accused forces affiliated with Shabwa's local administration of storming the designated protest site, dismantling the stage, and surrounding the area with armored vehicles and troops, creating what it described as a scene "more akin to a battlefield."

Last week, al-Alimi,announced a new 35-member Cabinetchaired byPrime Minister Shae'a al-Zandani, who also serves as foreign minister. It included only two women: Afrah al-Zouba, minister of planning and international cooperation, and Ahd Jaasous, state minister for women's affairs.

BodybuilderJayne Trcka-- who played Miss Mann in "Scary Movie" -- died from heart and circulation issues ... TMZ has learned.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner listed Jayne's immediate cause of death as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease complicated by left femoral fracture.

The M.E. says chronic alcohol use was a contributing factor in her death ... and they say her death was an accident.

The report backs up what we first told you ... that Jayne wasfound unresponsivein the kitchen in her San Diego home back in December. Jayne wasn't answering a friend's phone calls for days and the friend went to the home and found her unresponsive before calling 911. First responders arrived and pronounced Jayne dead.

Jayne competed in bodybuilding shows in the '80s before she landed her first acting gig in 2000 with "Scary Movie." The role led to spots on "The Drew Carey Show" and "Whose Line is it Anyway?" ... and she also reportedlyworked as a California realtor.

JT also appeared in several fitness magazines ... including Flex, MuscleMag International, and Women's Physique World.

She was 62.

Lainey Wilsonlikes to stay busy! So far this year, the 33-year-old country star has joined forces withChris Stapletonfor his upcoming All-American Road Show, teased a potential cameo onLeanne, released a head-turning new collection with Wrangler, and expanded her Golden West boot line to include a Valentine-ready cherry red pair. And let us not forget, while production has long wrapped, her feature film debut is just around the corner, with the March 13 premiere of Colleen Hoover'sReminders of Him. All this to say, Lainey likes a full to-do list that gives fans plenty to look forward to—and now, she's adding yet another item to the itinerary.

On Wednesday, January 28, Lainey revealed that she's been quietly working on a documentary behind the scenes. According toDeadline, Netflix has acquired the documentaryLainey Wilson: Keepin' Country Cool.Directed by Amy Scott and produced by Teton Ridge Entertainment, Sandbox Studios, and MakeMake, along with Shark Pig Studios, the documentary offers fans a behind-the-scenes look at Lainey's life as she's catapulted into super stardom.

"What began as a fever dream project became an intimate journey with one of the most dynamic and fascinating artists of today," Amy said in an official statement. "Lainey's story is deeply personal, wildly inspiring, and rooted in authenticity, and I can't imagine a better platform to share it with the world."

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Ever authentic, Lainey wanted fans to receive a firsthand account of the struggles and wins associated with life in the spotlight. "I couldn't be more excited that this documentary is going to be on Netflix," Lainey said in the release. "This was such a special project to make, and I hope that folks who watch it see that no dream is too big and that staying true to who you are will always lead you exactly where you're meant to be."

Lainey Wilson: Keepin' Country Coolwill premiere globally on Netflix on Wednesday, April 22.

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