2026/08/19 Daily Edition

Scotland's best chance of seeing a solar eclipse in 27 years left some disappointed, though there were moments of magic.

Say the thing, mend the relationship, share the story – and then get on with living, says end-of-life doula Rebecca Jo-Rushdy, while Jane Andrew thinks EM Forster said it best What struck me most about this article (What end-of-life experts know about living well: love your wrinkles, celebrate birthdays and don’t obsess over work, 13 August) is the idea that preparing for the end of life can actually help us live more fully now. As an end-of-life doula, I have seen how a terminal diagnosis can suddenly bring clarity. The things that once felt urgent often fall away, while relationships, memories, unfinished conversations and the question of what we leave behind become profoundly important. But I don’t believe that we should have to wait for a diagnosis to begin that work...

Findings highlight importance of sleep health during middle age, particularly for those with lower socioeconomic status Sleep that is extremely disrupted or that goes on too long could mean a loss of nine months from working life after the age of 50, a study has found. It also found that women with no sleep disturbances had a longer working life from 50 to 68 than their male equivalents...

The military plans to start screening service members for low testosterone, and social media is overflowing with claims about testosterone therapy. But who actually needs it?

California announced that it’s phasing out paraquat, a pesticide widely used in the United States that is linked to Parkinson’s disease.

Kevin Rideout, who was abducted by unknown assailants in Niamey, said to be in good health and in care of US officials An American missionary who was kidnapped in Niger in October has been released, his organisation has said. Serving in Mission International said Kevin Rideout “is in good health in the care of US officials” and would soon be reunited with his extended family...

The suit claims the U.S. decision to allow mining for minerals in American waters didn’t consider the potential harm to endangered species.

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration broke the law when it approved a deal to allow a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.

Officials have had to remove thousands of tons of sargassum from Florida’s beaches amid the climate crisis Dealing with seaweed is the bulk of Chris Bumpus’s job during the summer. As chief of conservation for Miami-Dade county’s parks, recreation and open spaces department, Bumpus is in charge of cleaning sargassum off 17 miles (27km) of county beaches. But some days, the odds are stacked against him and his team. More and more sargassum, a kind of floating brown algae, has been washing up on the beaches of south Florida, west Africa, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean...

People gathered across the continent to watch the total solar eclipse on Wednesday.

On Aug. 2, Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East will witness a solar blockbuster with extra-long totality. If you want to see it, book soon.

Security camera footage shows doctors shielding a patient on the operating table as last month's magnitude 6.8 quake shook Kumamoto General Hospital.

“The first rule of Mark Zuckerberg is never count out Mark Zuckerberg.”

‘High coral cover is evidence of recovery and resilience, not evidence that the disturbances causing mortality didn’t happen,’ scientist says Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here The Australian newspaper appeared to think it had a slam-dunk this week with a front page story pointing to official government data which showed “the Great Barrier Reef is refusing to die” despite decades of warnings that global heating would cause its demise. In an editorial to back its reporting, the newspaper claimed the “continued good health” of the reef was a “welcome reminder that physics rather than the pseudo-religion of climate change doom still holds sway over the natural order.”..

Man dies in Bas-Uele after travelling from Haut-Uele, as head of WHO says outbreak on track to be deadliest ever The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has spread to a sixth province, officials have said, a day after the head of the World Health Organization said the outbreak was on track to surpass the deadliest in history, which killed at least 11,000 people more than a decade ago. The current outbreak has killed more than 2,100 people out of more than 4,500 cases, according to the latest government figures released on Tuesday. At the same point in the 2014-16 outbreak in west Africa, the previous most deadly outbreak, 755 cases had been recorded, according to WHO data...

In matters of work, school and even romance, we turn to A.I. chatbots. But what happens when the bots begin talking to one another?

States had opposed an agreement allowing a Hewlett Packard Enterprise acquisition, calling the settlement ineffective and corrupt.

Readers recall the breathtaking sight and community spirit of the rare celestial treat – and the handmade contraptions they saw it through On Wednesday evening, millions of people in Europe watched a rare solar eclipse. We asked some of them to share their photographs and experiences of this celestial treat. Here are some of their responses...

An Australian woman, Erin Patterson, was found guilty of murdering three of her husband’s relatives and trying to kill a fourth by serving them deadly mushrooms.

Last year's funding cuts to federal agencies that oversee foodborne illness outbreaks are being tested with the record cyclosporiasis outbreak in the U.S.

Damascus called the attacks "an unjustified act of aggression" that imperilled regional security.

NPR's Rob Schmitz talks to reporter Maria Godoy about how parents can wade through the noise and opinions to find information to help keep their kids healthy.

Ángel Aguirre indicted in case that rocked Mexico and became symbol of its brutal cartel violence The former governor of Guerrero state in Mexico has been formally charged over his alleged involvement in the disappearance of 43 students in 2014, a case that has become a symbol of the country’s brutal cartel violence and government impunity. Ángel Aguirre, who was arrested last week, is accused of forced disappearance and obstruction of justice for ordering the destruction of surveillance tapes that may have shed light on what happened to the students from the Ayotzinapa teacher training college on the night of 26 September 2014...

1892 Holdings has first refusal if FSG opts to sell Group paid more than £2bn for initial 38% slice of club 1892 Holdings, the new investor in Liverpool, has first refusal to become the majority shareholder in the next 12 months should Fenway Sports Group decide to sell. The consortium led by Amit Bhatia and including the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was believed to have bought 30% to one-third of Liverpool when the deal was announced on Friday. However, the agreement is for 38% of the Anfield club, meaning 1892 has paid FSG just over £2bn to become a minority shareholder. The increased stake, first reported by the Athletic, still values Liverpool at about £5.5bn...

Researchers find capacity stunted by pollution was restored after introduction of ultra-low emission zone Children’s lungs grew bigger and stronger after the most polluting vehicles were restricted from entering London, a study has found. Examinations of London schoolchildren before and after the introduction of the city’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) found a restoration of lung capacity that had been stunted by exposure to pollution...

Leader of Canadian province's secessionist party says debate over independence stymied by turbulence in US politics.

Human-caused climate change was the main driver of record-breaking sea temperatures around Europe this summer, scientists said on Wednesday, warning of severe risks to marine ecosystems and coastal communities. The Mediterranean averaged a record 27 degrees Celsius in July, while waters near Mallorca reached 33 C in early August.

Harvard Medical School has agreed to pay $53 million to families who alleged the school mishandled the donated remains of loved ones.

Lawmakers question whether conditions on the aircraft carrier indicate a 'pattern' of poor planning amid the Iran war.

Thousands are still displaced on Indonesia’s Flores Island after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake killed at least 70 people.

Trump says no talks with Tehran scheduled; Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claims US 'begging' for negotiations.