As it begins its controversial assault on Gaza City with depleted and demoralised personnel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is calling up 60,000 part-time reservists.

Another 20,000 reservists currently serving will have their terms extended to prop up the nation's "exhausted military" for the "takeover and occupation" of the city in northern Gaza, said CNN.

Does the IDF have enough soldiers?
Israel has a "relatively small" standing army of about 169,000, said Middle East analyst Ian Parmeter on The Conversation. The IDF needs another 10,000 to 12,000 full-time soldiers to reach optimal staffing levels, including 7,000 additional combat troops. During times of military need, it relies on more than 400,000 reservists – Israelis who have completed their military service but can be called back if required.

What problems is the IDF facing?
Morale is a growing issue. A recent survey from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, reported in The Times of Israel, found that close to 40% of serving reservists felt slightly or significantly less motivated than they did at the beginning of the conflict. Almost half said they disapproved of their government's handling of the war.

"Draft-dodging" is also depleting numbers. An arrangement made at the founding of the Israeli state exempted the Haredi (or ultra-Orthodox Jews) from military service, but that exemption was rescinded last year. However, resistance to conscription remains high and there are an estimated 14,600 "refuseniks" in the Haredi community, said Ynetnews.

But even with the reservists, Israel doesn't have enough personnel to deploy its strategy for the entire strip, and it also needs soldiers in the West Bank.

How is the IDF boosting numbers? 
Refusing military service is a criminal offence punishable by jail sentences in Israel, but the government recently offered a five-day amnesty in an attempt to boost enlistment among the Haredi community. Dubbed "Starting Anew", draft evaders could escape punishment if they voluntarily enlisted by 21 August.

The IDF is also said to be considering swelling its ranks from the Jewish diaspora. The army is "exploring the possibility" of recruiting approximately 600-700 additional soldiers a year from outside Israel, with a focus on the United States and France, said The Jerusalem Post.

Soho House has made an "ambitious move" to get its "mojo back", striking a £2 billion takeover deal to take the international members' club private after four years listed on the New York Stock Exchange, said The Telegraph.

The takeover, by one of the largest hotel operators in the US, could help the company become "the playground of the rich and famous" once again. 

A 'global empire'
Nick Jones opened the first Soho House three decades ago on London's Greek Street, envisioning a "networking destination for 'creatives'", said the Daily Mail.

It has since turned into a "sprawling global empire" with around 200,000 members in 46 venues around the world, including Paris, Mexico City and Hong Kong. Membership – which costs around £3,400 for global access – isn't easy to secure; applicants must be nominated by two existing members and provide a biography detailing their career and interests.

After the pandemic, the group relaxed its "stringent" membership requirements and "ballooned" in size. But the rapid expansion brought fresh issues as members began complaining about crowded clubhouses and "lacklustre service".

Since it was listed in 2021, the group's share price has plummeted. Last year, the New York-based short seller GlassHouse published a "damning criticism of the company's 'broken business model and terrible accounting'". The chain, which appointed Andrew Carnie to replace Jones as CEO in 2022, said it "fundamentally rejects" the report.

A return to form?
A buy-out means the "finance crowd", traditionally turned away from the clubhouses, has finally managed to "elbow its way in", said the Financial Times.

While MCR Hotels is leading the takeover, a group of existing shareholders, including Nick Jones, will retain their stakes in the company. Hollywood star Ashton Kutcher will also invest and join the new board of directors.

The "upshot" is that the deal will bring together investors with experience of running successful hotels and expert financiers, while keeping "faithful insiders" as part of the journey. 

But in order to deliver a solid return, the company will likely need to "find more members, charge existing ones more, or spend less on showing them a good time", and "probably all three".

Shropshire: Roving Bridge Farm, Whixall
A charming canal-side former toll house built by William Jessop in the 1780s. The property includes a self-contained annexe, which functions as a holiday let. Main suite, 1 further bed, kitchen, 2 receps, garden, stables, Dutch barn, outbuildings, parking. £985,000; Savills.

Herefordshire: Dairy Farm, Weobley
This characterful house dates back to 1440 and includes a 1-bed annexe, which is currently run as a b&b. 3 beds, family bath, shower, kitchen, 2 receps, outbuildings, garden, parking. £750,000; Country & Classic.

Somerset: Dundas, Monkton Combe
This 19th century lock keeper’s cottage enjoys income from a 1-bed flat and a canal business. 4 beds, 2 baths, shower, kitchen, office, 2 receps, garden, parking. £1.25 million; Fine & Country.

Stirlingshire: Altskeith, Kinlochard
Built in 1898 in a spectacular location on the edge of Loch Ard, this versatile property functions as a successful wedding venue. 8 suites, 2 further beds, shower, 2 kitchens, 4 receps. 1-bed bothy, beach, garden, parking. OIEO £2.15 million; Savills.

Has the UK now found its role in the world?
Alec Russell in the Financial Times
Since Brexit, Britain has been "casting around for a purpose" and now it's "just possible a role is emerging", writes Alec Russell. The "bewildering" recent "statecraft over Ukraine" had one "standout" feature: the "new European steering committee" of Germany, France and the UK. With the US "retreating" from many of its "roles on the world stage", there are now "opportunities for Britain to play a positive part in helping to fill the vacuum".

The death of reading is a civilisational catastrophe
Kara Kennedy in The Telegraph
Researchers in the US and UK say that reading is a "vanishing practice", writes Kara Kennedy. "Parents outsource parenting to iPads" and "schools treat literacy as a boutique concern, rather than the foundation of civilisation". Reading is "the bedrock of thought, imagination, politics, democracy itself" and, by neglecting it, "we are sprinting towards idiocracy, eyes glued to a screen". The end "won't be televised"; "it will be reduced to bullet points".

The Democrats have realised how to beat Trump – and he hates it
Emily Maitlis in The i Paper
Governor Gavin Newsom of California is parodying Donald Trump's posting style on social media and it's "high quality trolling", writes the News Agents presenter Emily Maitlis. It's not only "driving the White House slightly mad", it's "shaking" his fellow Democrats out of their "stupor". Since the election, many have seemed "unwilling or unable to fight" the Maga agenda but Newsom's "hostile takeover of the caps lock on X" is finally giving them "something to chew on".