UK News
View All 9Body of 'fearless' NHS doctor recovered from Pakistani mountain weeks after tragic death
The body of a "highly respected" NHS doctor who died while descending a 7,000m mountain in Pakistan has been recovered.Dr Asma Mushtaq, 34, had successfully reached the 7,027m summit of Spantik before she died at an altitude of around 6,400m during her descent on August 20.The obstetrician and gynaecologist, who worked at Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital, was described by those who knew her as a "fearless mountaineer".A volunteer rescue team has now successfully brought Dr Mushtaq's body down to Spantik base camp following a gruelling recovery operation. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed on Wednesday that the team had completed the mission after severe weather repeatedly hampered attempts to reach her.Heavy snowfall and powerful winds had caused significant delays to the recovery.Helicopters were unable to operate at the extreme altitude where Dr Mushtaq died, meaning rescuers had to carry out the retrieval on foot.A Pakistani army helicopter was subsequently authorised to transport her body from base camp to the city of Skardu.Spantik, also known as Golden Peak, sits in the Karakoram range and reaches 7,027m above sea level.Although regarded as one of the more approachable mountains above 7,000m, treacherous conditions forced rescuers to wait for a sufficient break in the weather before reaching Dr Mushtaq.Colleagues at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust have paid tribute to the doctor following her death.Dr Emma Stansfield, medical director for women's health services at the trust, said: "Asma was a highly respected young doctor who was deeply committed to the care of our women, babies and their families. "Her warmth and positivity touched everyone who had the privilege to work alongside her. She will be greatly missed."PAKISTAN - READ THE LATEST:Pakistan cricketer ‘refused’ to meet King Charles at Clarence House after being dropped from squadNigel Farage issues deportation ultimatum to Pakistan as he promises to 'give them a fight'Pakistan rejects appeals to take back Rochdale grooming gang ringleaderOriginally from Lahore, Dr Mushtaq was also an experienced mountaineer and documented her adventures through a popular travel blog followed by around 90,000 people on Facebook.She had previously reached the summit of Pakistan's 5,585m Gondogoro Peak.Her close friend Muhammad Abdullah told BirminghamLive: "Asma was a remarkably talented doctor, a fearless mountaineer, and, above all, a deeply cherished friend of ten years."Her loss leaves an irreplaceable void in the lives of all who loved her, but her gentleness, intellect and inspiring spirit will remain with us always."The circumstances surrounding Dr Mushtaq's death remain under investigation.Early reports suggested she had suffered high-altitude sickness after reaching the summit, but the Alpine Club of Pakistan said the full circumstances remained unclear.The organisation said: "The circumstances surrounding her death, as well as the conduct and response of the expedition company, will be fully investigated once the teams are safely down and her body has been recovered. "Any necessary action will follow the findings of that investigation."The Alpine Club of Pakistan has also acknowledged that the country does not currently have a dedicated high-altitude rescue system.A spokesman said the organisation was working with authorities to establish an effective rescue framework and strengthen Pakistan's mountaineering infrastructure.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
Britons urged to stockpile food amid 'unprecedented' extreme weather fears
Britons have been urged to stockpile food amid fears that "unprecedented" extreme weather could batter the country.Environment Secretary Angela Eagle warned households to keep supplies at home as the UK prepares for an increased risk of national weather emergencies.Her warning comes as an extraordinary El Nino event is forecast to develop in the coming months, bringing the prospect of wetter winters and more powerful storms to Britain.The weather phenomenon occurs when sea temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rise at least 0.5C above the long-term average. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Temperatures are forecast to climb more than 3C above average during the coming months.The Met Office said the developing El Nino could become "the largest since the 19th century".While the phenomenon can increase the risk of drought across the tropics, southern Africa and eastern Australia, its effects are expected to be very different in Britain.Northwestern Europe, including the UK, is likely to experience wetter and stormier conditions during the coming autumn and early winter.Ms Eagle has now urged households to prepare themselves for the possibility of severe weather disrupting everyday life.She told The Guardian: “We’re about to experience probably the largest El Nino that has ever been seen, and that will lead to drier summers, wetter winters, with more extreme storms in this country.“It will do a lot more damage in Asia with flooding, and therefore I think that we need to take it seriously.“If you’ve got a store of a bit of food that can keep you going for a while before the emergency services can get to you, you’re going to be a lot better off than if you haven’t.WEATHER - READ THE LATEST:Britain set for highs of 27C this weekend as jet stream pushes rain northwardsUK summer named hottest on record after five heatwaves and raging wildfiresBritons BANNED from forests over 'risk of ignition' following summer of wildfires“So some of it is that kind of preparation for just being a bit more resilient.”Scientists have also sounded the alarm over the potentially record-breaking weather event.Professor Bill McGuire, professor emeritus of geophysical hazards at University College London, warned last month that scientific forecasts suggested the world was in for "one hell of a ride".He said: “The astonishing and unprecedented amount of heat building across the eastern Pacific Ocean is all but certain to make this the most powerful El Nino in living memory – possibly even the biggest in several centuries.”The Environment Secretary's intervention comes just weeks after Downing Street called on the public to take "small but important steps" to safeguard access to water, electricity and mobile phone connectivity in the event of an emergency.The Government also announced a national public awareness campaign designed to help households prepare for crises ranging from extreme weather to cyber-attacks.Ministers warned such emergencies could disrupt access to "power, water, phone signal or local shops to get food".Among the threats identified by the Government are foreign powers interfering in elections and potential cyber-attacks targeting data systems, water infrastructure and police networks.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
Reform reported to police over claims of funding rules breach in undercover sting
Reform UK has been reported to the police over allegations it breached political donation rules . Nigel Farage’s party took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year costing £32,500, Channel 4 News reported. The purported donors were in fact undercover reporters from investigative group Verbatim posing as an American financier and his UK-based son. Foreign companies are not a permissible source of funding for parties, including for payments for studies and research, and accepting donations from them could constitute a criminal offence. Reform claimed it was the victim of a hoax. A spokesperson said: “Reform UK has been the target of a hoax perpetuated by foreign-funded, climate change activists posing as would-be party donors. The party denies any wrongdoing. “Reform UK has a robust vetting process for prospective donors approved .” open image in gallery Nigel Farage is set to deliver his comeback speech on Friday afternoon at the Reform conference in Birmingham (PA Wire) The Liberal Democrats have written to the Metropolitan Police and Electoral Commission. Labour also intends to report the matter to the police, it is understood, and the Greens have called for an investigation. The Met said it is assessing the reports. In a letter to the force’s special enquiry team, Lib Dem Cabinet Office spokesperson Lisa Smart wrote: “I am writing to report to your unit a potential serious breach of electoral law, involving the acceptance and concealment of a donation from an impermissible donor. “The breach raises alarming questions about whether there has been a wider complacency toward foreign interference .” Ms Smart said that James Orr, a senior adviser to Mr Farage, facilitating the £32,500 donation from an impermissible donor would mark a breach of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act. She continued: “The funding appears to have been channelled into political spending on behalf of Reform UK, and therefore a donation in kind, in a manner apparently structured so as to avoid the payment being recorded and reported as a donation to the Electoral Commission. This would constitute a clear breach of section 61 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act.” Mr Orr, Reform’s policy head who is at the centre of the allegations, said that “no money reached Reform UK at all”. “It was a public poll arranged , and those polls were published immediately for the general public,” he said in a video posted to X. It comes at a sensitive moment for Reform, members of which have gathered for its annual conference in Birmingham with Mr Farage set to deliver his comeback speech on Friday afternoon.
Be careful what you post on social media, MP warns, after tweet apology
Young people should “be careful” about posting “whatever pops into your head” on social media, an MP has advised as she re-stated an apology for a series of tweets she previously admitted deeply regretting making in her 20s. Lauren Edwards, who is heading up the effort to legalise assisted dying after it ran out of time in the last Parliament, said if people make comments online and “don’t think it through properly”, they can “really store up problems”, citing her own experience. Shortly after becoming an MP in 2024, she apologised and acknowledged she had made a “significant error of judgment” in remarks she had made about Estonians, a halal restaurant and Parliamentary cleaners in now-deleted posts dated between 2009-2011. In one post, Ms Edwards used the word “retards”. Young people should “be careful” about posting “whatever pops into your head” on social media, an MP has advised as she re-stated an apology for a series of tweets she previously admitted deeply regretting making in her 20s. In an interview with the Press Association, she said: “I would just say the same thing that I said at the time and more recently, that I wholeheartedly apologise. “It was at a time when I think, unfortunately, disablist language was really common in our society, and I think it’s really good that we’ve moved on from that.” She said she tries to be “an advocate now, in particular for disabled people, and as I said, listen to them and understand their perspectives”. She added: “I think certainly the pandemic showed the value of human experience and getting out there and making a change in your community. “And having an impact that way, I think, is much more positive than necessarily going online and sort of saying whatever pops into your head.” open image in gallery Lauren Edwards has advised young people to “be careful” what they post online (Aaron Chown/PA) Ms Edwards has previously told how she had disengaged from social media shortly after becoming an MP. She told PA she also does not read anything about herself because “if you believe the good stuff, then you believe the bad stuff too”. We do need proper assisted dying laws in this country.” The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill returns to the Commons on September 11, with Ms Edwards expected to open the debate.
World News
View All 10Lindsay Clancy trial: What to know about reasonable doubt, insanity defense
News Lindsay Clancy trial: What does it mean to be 'not guilty ?' Jurors conclude 6th day of deliberations in Lindsay Clancy trial, sent home for day Greg Derr/Pool via Reuters ByKatie Kindelan and Mason Leib September 3, 2026, PM ByKatie Kindelan and Mason Leib September 3, 2026, PM Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy trial have so far deliberated for more than 35 hours in a case partly focused on the defense's argument that Clancy is not guilty of murder due to "lack of responsibility," also known as the insanity defense. Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to three murder charges for the deaths of her 5-year-old daughter Cora, 3-year-old son Dawson and infant son Callan at the family's home in Duxbury, a Boston suburb, on Jan. 24, 2023. The former nurse attempted suicide on the night of her children's deaths, leaving her paralyzed and in a wheelchair, according to state prosecutors. Lindsay Clancy watches jurors in her murder trial as Judge William Sullivan asks them to continue deliberations, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, U. Greg Derr/Pool via Reuters Throughout Clancy's five-week trial, much of the testimony centered on whether or not Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis when she strangled her children and attempted to take her own life, and whether she should be held criminally liable for the killings. Postpartum psychosis is considered a psychiatric emergency, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Symptoms of postpartum psychosis can include delusions or hallucinations that can prompt suicidal or homicidal action, according to the ACOG. Clancy and her defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, do not dispute that she killed her three children. What the jury of nine women and three men are left to decide is whether she should be held criminally responsible for the deaths of her children. What does Massachusetts law say about criminal responsibility? In the state of Massachusetts, a person may be found not guilty of a crime "if they lacked criminal responsibility when they committed the offense," according to the Massachusetts Court System. On Thursday, about 35 hours into their deliberations, jurors in the Clancy trial were called into the courtroom, where they were polled , who then publicly reiterated his previous instructions to the jury about reasonable doubt -- the general standard that says prosecutors must prove a defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to secure a conviction in a criminal trial. Sullivan then sent them back to the jury room to continue deliberations. ‘Dancing With the Stars’ reveals new celeb cast and their pro partners 2 days ago Mom killed in Times Square stabbing was at 1st day at work after maternity leave 1 day ago Dolly Parton’s sister reveals the singer’s touching final act of generosity Aug 27 Later, in open court, Reddington, Clancy's defense attorney, said there was one juror who was refusing to adhere to the judge's instructions, who had spurned the instructions of the court.
Iran fires missiles and drones at Kuwait as strikes resume in war with U.S.
Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said that Iran’s strategy would now be “asymmetrical” and warned, “Dark months await the American economy.”
Norway Seizes Russian Ship, Testing Moscow in the High Arctic
Empowered by an international court order, Norway captured the vessel as part of a global effort to seize Russian assets. The Russians called it “piracy.”
Uber ceases operations in Nigeria, catching drivers and riders by surprise
The abrupt announcement, amid operating challenges and high oil prices, leaves the ride-hailing app with a diminished presence in Africa.
Politics
View All 10UK has not done enough to prepare for shocks to food supplies, says watchdog
The climate crisis poses a growing risk to the UK’s food supplies, the National Audit Office has warned. Photograph: Matías Basualdo/EPA View image in fullscreen The climate crisis poses a growing risk to the UK’s food supplies, the National Audit Office has warned. Photograph: Matías Basualdo/EPA UK has not done enough to prepare for shocks to food supplies, says watchdog National Audit Office urges government to act as climate crisis, disease and cyberattacks pose growing risks The climate crisis, disease and cyber-attacks pose growing risks to the UK’s food supplies and the government needs to act to make the system more resilient, according to the public spending watchdog. The National Audit Office (NAO) is urging the Department for Food, the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) to work more closely with households, communities and businesses to ensure the flow of crucial food into the country can withstand supply shocks that are becoming increasingly common and severe. Its latest report found Defra – the department responsible for security of food supply – had taken some steps to better prepare for future shocks, but said it had not done enough in recent years to get citizens and industry to plan for possible emergencies. Britain relies on overseas imports for more than a third of its food, most of it entering through four ports – Dover, Felixstowe, Southampton and London Gateway – making supplies particularly vulnerable to potential disruption. The NAO’s report comes after months of warnings about the resilience of the UK’s food supply chain from experts who have told households to build up a stockpile of long-life items they could rely on in an emergency. Britons are less prepared for potential future catastrophic events than citizens of several other European countries, according to government research. The supply chain has already come under pressure during the Covid-19 pandemic and after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, although businesses including the nation’s largest supermarkets managed to keep goods flowing, in most cases without the need for significant government assistance. However, Defra is less confident about the private sector’s ability to withstand future shocks, such as extreme weather events, without greater government intervention. Food industry businesses praised Defra’s engagement with them during the pandemic, but told the NAO it had communicated with them less frequently since. The report said the companies had limited input into the government’s plans for reacting to supply disruption, which could mean officials created proposals that would not work in practice.
Trump: Missouri Supreme Court ‘ridiculously ruled in favor’ of blocking redistricting plan
President Trump on Thursday condemned the Missouri Supreme Court’s decision to block new congressional lines drawn to benefit Republicans from being used in the state’s November election. The state’s highest court unanimously ruled Thursday evening that this map, which were used in the state’s primary elections last month, “did not go into effect and will…
Judge Ends Federal Oversight of Teamsters
The union and federal prosecutors agreed that organized crime groups had been rooted out of union operations, the judge wrote.
Former Labor Secretary Stoked Dysfunction and Toxicity, Department Report Finds
Lori Chavez-DeRemer spent Labor Department funds on personal travel and tolerated harassment in the agency, its inspector general found.
Business
View All 10Oil Heads for Weekly Gains on Iran War Risks
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The $275mn question from Guggenheim’s auditor
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Deutsche Bank led $1bn of troubled lending to Hollywood studio landlord
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Top US trade official reveals ‘problem’ in UK negotiations
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Technology
View All 10Mattress Firm Coupons: Save up to $700
Save StorySave this story Save StorySave this story What Type of Mattress Is Right for You? Here’s how to pick the best mattress for your sleep needs, straight from a professional mattress tester. 15% Off When You Emails To make sure you never miss out on Mattress Firm discount codes, you can email notifications. , you automatically get one! You can get an extra 15% off on your first order. Heads up that it can’t be combined with other coupons, nor can it be applied to specific brands and models, including Nectar, Purple, Sealy Hybrid, Tempur-Pedic, Stearns & Foster, and Serta iComfort. Courtesy of Mattress Firm Save to wishlistSave to wishlist Purple Restore Cool Touch Photograph: Julia Forbes Photograph: Julia Forbes Photograph: Julia Forbes Chevron Chevron Save to wishlistSave to wishlist DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress Score Up to $300 in Instant Credits and Gifts Mattress Firm’s got a gift for you, just ‘cuz. For those eyeballing Tempur-Pedic, Sealy, and Sterns & Foster in particular, it’s your lucky day, as there are Mattress Firm coupon codes for all three of these brands. Starting with Tempur-Pedic, when you buy a qualifying Tempur-Pedic mattress, you can receive a $300 Instant Credit on these adjustable bases: Tempur-Ergo, Tempur-Ergo Smart Base, Tempur-Ergo ProSmart Base, Tempur-Ergo ProSmart Air Base, or the Sealy Ease Base. You can also get a $300 credit toward these same adjustable bases when you purchase a qualifying Stearns & Foster mattress: use code STEARNSGIFT at checkout. Lastly, if you wanted to pair a Sealy mattress with the Sealy Ease adjustable base (or any of the aforementioned adjustable bases), there’s a Mattress Firm coupon for that, too. Use code SEALYGIFT at checkout, and get a $200 Instant Credit on select Sealy and Tempur-Pedic adjustable bases. How Do I Find a Mattress? After testing nearly two dozen mattresses, I have some tips on how you can find the best mattress for you, from firmness and materials to deciphering warranties. 20% Off With Military, Medical, Student, or Teacher Discounts Sleep is a necessity for everyone. But for those who work all day on their feet, and have to be dialed in at all times, sleep is critical. This is especially true for first responders, nurses, doctors, and medical professionals. As a way to say “thank you” for all that you do, there’s a special mattress firm discount just for you. Use the Mattress Firm first responder discount for 20% off select purchases.
‘Magic: The Gathering’ Zeta Set Drop Was a ‘Disaster,’ Says Wizards of the Coast
Games ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Zeta Set Drop Was a ‘Disaster,’ Says Wizards of the Coast The Secret Lair platform is no stranger to botched sales, but this one was particularly bad. 3, 2026, pm ET Reading time 2 minutes 'Thought Scour' card from the Zeta Set. © Wizards of the Coast Read Later Read Later Comments (5) Yesterday, Magic: The Gathering attempted to release the Zeta Set, a collaboration with the art collective MSCHF, on its Secret Lair online retail platform. We say “attempted to” because it went so poorly that publisher Wizards of the Coast has now apologized and called the events that transpired “a disaster.” “There’s no other way to say it,” reads a bleak apology on Magic‘s website. “We’re incredibly sorry for the experience, and we’re trying to get to the bottom of it.” Fan complaints about Secret Lair drops are nothing new. Ever since Secret Lair switched from a time-limited print-on-demand model—in which Wizards of the Coast would print as many copies of each set as were ordered during a set span of time—to limited printings of each set that often sell out extremely quickly (leading to scalpers snatching up the limited inventory and flipping them for absurd aftermarket prices), there’s been a general sense of unrest among Magic players and unhappiness with Wizards of the Coast. Usually, though, things don’t get so bad that the company is forced to apologize. As for what actually happened, even Wizards of the Coast doesn’t seem to know. Forty minutes after the drop went live, Secret Lair posted a message on its X account saying it had temporarily paused the sale while it investigated unspecified technical issues. Fans on social media reported issues with the queue system, difficulty placing orders, not receiving order confirmations, and having their orders canceled seemingly at random. An hour and a half later, the sale resumed, but everything sold out soon after. In the apology post, Wizards of the Coast listed “a number of possible issues” customers might have faced, including: If you’re not sure if you completed an order but think you might have, we’re working through those. Similarly, if you received a duplicate confirmation email, don’t be alarmed. If you don’t receive a confirmation email within 24 hours but think you did purchase the Zeta Set, please reach out to our Customer Support team and they’ll help get it sorted.
Science
View All 10Pig kidney kept a man off dialysis for nine months in world first
The pig kidney that was transplanted into Tim Andrews on Kate Flock/MGH Photography/Massachusetts General Hospital A genetically modified pig’s kidney kept a man with organ failure off dialysis for nine months while he waited for a suitable human donor’s kidney to become available. This suggests pig kidneys could act as a temporary measure amid lengthy organ waiting lists, but they may also work as a permanent replacement one day. “I think it’s incredible in terms of the science behind it and what they’ve achieved,” says Michelle Willicombe at Imperial College London, who wasn’t involved in the work. For people with severe kidney disease, where these organs are failing and dialysis is needed, a kidney transplant provides the best chance of survival and better quality of life. However, demand for donor organs exceeds supply. One possible solution is xenotransplantation, the transfer of organs from other animals into humans. In January 2022, a pig heart was transplanted into a person for the first time, but the recipient died several months later, possibly due to the presence of a pig virus. A pig liver transplant also occurred last year. A pig’s kidney was transplanted into a living person for the first time in 2024. The recipient, Richard Slayman, aged 62, died 52 days later from cardiac-related causes. In the , Tim Andrews, a 66-year-old man with end-stage kidney failure, opted to receive a kidney from a pig to avoid dialysis while he waited for a suitable human organ. Leonardo Riella at Mass General Brigham hospital in Boston and his colleagues transplanted the kidney, which came from a Yucatan miniature pig, into Andrews in January 2025. The organ had been genetically modified to improve compatibility with the human immune system, such as . The transplant was initially a success, and Andrews – who also received immunosuppression drugs to stop his body rejecting the organ – came off dialysis and resumed normal life. However, after about six months, he was admitted to hospital with a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection, which most antibiotics can’t kill. Riella and his colleagues reduced the immunosuppression drugs Andrews was on, but then damage started to develop in the kidney’s blood vessels. This progressed to organ failure, and the kidney was removed a record 271 days after transplantation. “He had a kidney that lasted nine months, which is mind-blowing,” says Riella. Andrews went back onto dialysis for about three months, before finally receiving a suitable human kidney in January 2026.
'Alien: Isolation 2': Facing a ruthless and evolved Xenomorph in our Gamescom hands-on preview
Alien video games are in a good spot right now thanks to bangers like Aliens Dark Descent and Fireteam Elite 2, but nothing has hit quite like Creative Assembly's 2014 survival horror classic. Now, after a thrilling Gamescom hands-on demo, it looks like the studio has nailed it once again, bringing Xenomorph-shaped scares to the next generation. At least that's what its breezy prologue section I played at Gamescom suggests. As the earliest possible section of the game, no new mechanics were present, and the larger ideas and structure are still a big mystery. Instead, Sega and Creative Assembly have bet on pure atmosphere, dread that runs deeper thanks to more detailed graphics and audio, and of course, letting everyone know the Xenomorph's dynamic AI has evolved too. Latest Videos FromSpace View more Watch full video here: Though it'd been mentioned before, the biggest shocker comes with the immediate reveal that Amanda Ripley is no longer the protagonist. Even if I wouldn't close the door on her showing up one way or another in Alien: Isolation 2, her story was continued elsewhere after all hope for a sequel was lost a few years ago. (Look at us now). Instead, we play as Blake, a gal from Earth who seems eager to please her employers, even if that bothers Cole and Otto, two rugged workers under her command. ( Creative Assembly)Still, the game smartly kicks off with a quick rundown of what went down in the first Isolation, narrated by Ripley, who was responsible for the destruction of the infested Sevastopol station. The nightmare was over... until it wasn't. The bad news is that part of Sevastopol was ejected as an emergency measure, probably to preserve the lab inside and the horrors within it. It's a similar setup to Alien: Romulus' "the Company went and recovered a chunk of the Nostromo", but it gets the job done. Our interview with Creative Director Al Hope revealed that "Alien: Isolation 2 picks up a few months after the first game". The nature of the colony-planet we're on remains a mystery, but it seems the terraforming process is going well, with plenty of vegetation and trees scattered about. Shame about the remarkably bad weather though. During the prologue, the ground vehicle is forced to stop during the beginning of a terrible storm, and that makes visibility once Blake steps out of the vehicle an issue. Hope also confirmed that these inclement weather conditions will play an actual role in how the survival gameplay evolves over the course of the game, but for now the prologue keeps things mostly on-rails.
2 spacecraft will soon reach Mercury after 8 years in space. Here's what BepiColombo can do
That's thanks to the BepiColombo mission, a joint project of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) that launched in October 2018. After a harrowing journey through the inner solar system, the mission is tackling a crucial maneuver on Thursday (Sept. 3): separating its science equipment from the transport that carried it all that way. By April 2027, scientists hope the mission's two instrument-heavy probes will be gathering a slew of observations that could help solve puzzles about Mercury — and maybe even the solar system we call home. "I think being able to see new data come out about Mercury is going to be so fantastic," Rachel Klima, a planetary geologist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, told Space. com. The planet, she says, is "just so weird and beautiful and interesting." An enigmatic planet For now, Mercury holds the dubious honor of being the least-explored planet in the inner solar system, visited . NASA's Mariner 10 spacecraft made a trio of zippy flybys in 1974 and 1975, giving scientists their first glimpses of the planet's cracked and cratered surface, as well as confirming the world has both a very tenuous atmosphere and a magnetic field. "It really gave us our first close-up view of Mercury," Sean Solomon, a planetary scientist at Columbia University, told Space. com. "But it left a lot of pages blank." And for decades, that was it. Scientists didn't return to Mercury until 2011, when NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft, with Solomon as its principal investigator, arrived at the tiny world. (Mercury has a radius of 1,516 miles, or 2,440 kilometers, meaning its width is just over a third of Earth's.) The spacecraft was packed with tools tailored to the job, such as spectrometers tuned to gamma-rays, X-rays and neutrons, and instruments to sniff out the atmosphere and measure the magnetic field, and it was there to stay. Four years of observations with MESSENGER showed scientists Mercury's complete surface for the first time, and , the spacecraft was passing just 15.5 miles (24.9 km) above the planet's surface. But even MESSENGER wasn't sophisticated enough to crack Mercury's puzzles or unveil the strange planet's beginnings. "I think the jury's still out on exactly how Mercury got assembled," Solomon said. Flying over Mercury's north pole gave BepiColombo's monitoring camera 1 (M-CAM 1) a unique opportunity to peer down into the shadowy polar craters on Jan. 8, 2025. (/BepiColombo/MTM)MESSENGER opened up some smaller mysteries, too. It discovered bright, steep-sided pits that scientists dubbed "hollows." It found a suite of elements — that planetary scientists call "volatiles" for their tendency to slip free of rock — somehow more prevalent in Mercury's surface than Earth's.
Psilocybin could prevent common and debilitating chemotherapy side effect
Digital artwork featuring magic mushrooms, which contain the psychedelic compound psilocybin Yevhenii Khil/ Psilocybin may prevent a debilitating side effect of chemotherapy: nerve damage that can cause lasting numbness, tingling or pain in the hands and feet. In tests in nerve samples from mice and humans, the psychedelic seemed to maintain the energy supply in nerve endings that is commonly disrupted by chemotherapy, resulting in less damage and fewer complications. But people with cancer shouldn’t take psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, without medical supervision. “Please don’t take psilocybin at home for chemotherapy-related pain,” says team member Moran Amit at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. “It hasn’t been shown to be safe or effective in patients undergoing chemotherapy. It can interact dangerously with cancer medications.” Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) affects about 75 per cent of cancer patients who undergo the treatment to some extent, said Patrick Dougherty, also at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, in a press briefing. It is usually treated with duloxetine, an antidepressant that provides moderate pain relief. But no drug had been shown to prevent CIPN, said Amit at the briefing. CIPN occurs when chemotherapy drugs enter nerve cells and disrupt machinery around microtubules. These are railway-like structures that usually transport mitochondria from the main body of neurons, near the spinal cord, to nerve endings in the skin. The mitochondria supply energy to maintain nerve endings, but the disruption means they wear out and retract, causing issues like tingling. The researchers wondered whether psilocybin, which has been shown to alter nerve metabolism and growth, could preserve these nerve endings. To find out, they studied a group of mice with abdominal tumours, half of which were given two doses of psilocybin – each equivalent to a 25-milligram dose in people – via injections into the abdomen, one week apart. The remaining mice had saline injections. All of them then received daily injections of cisplatin, a type of chemotherapy that commonly causes CIPN, for one week. After receiving cisplatin, the mice underwent pain-sensitivity tests, where they were touched with a thin plastic filament to they responded. Those that received psilocybin before cisplatin responded similarly to a third group of mice with cancer that didn’t receive cisplatin or psilocybin. The mice that received cisplatin without psilocybin seemed to be much more sensitive to the filament’s touch. To explore how psilocybin may be having this effect, the team analysed nerve samples from the mice.
Environment
View All 10Is a whale fossil the leftovers of a Bronze Age Sunday roast?
This fossilised hunk of whale bone has lain hidden in the earth at Portmuck Harbour The head of a whale, believed to date back to the Bronze Age, has been discovered buried on a beach in Islandmagee. A 10-year-old boy was out looking for fossils along the shore when he spotted the back of the skull protruding from a bank of earth - but could the fossil be the remnants of a prehistoric Sunday roast? The find has been described as a totally unique, with geologists and marine specialists trying to establish the fossil's story and the Natural History Museum in London helping to identify it. It was found on the same beach where Ireland's only dinosaur bones were discovered in the late 19th Century and the 1980s. George found the fossil at Portmuck Harbour Ten-year-old George was out on a walk at Portmuck Harbour with his parents when he spotted something unusual. "It was just the weird patterns on it," he told BBC News NI. "The bits that stuck out, it just didn't look like a rock. I thought it was a bone, but I just wasn't too sure. So I asked my dad and he said it was definitely a fossil." This fossilised hunk of whale bone has lain hidden in the earth on Portmuck Beach for possibly millennia. Only the back of the head was visible to George, invisible for centuries was the beak, which was about a foot long when excavated. Katy McMonagle said the fossil was difficult to move and very heavy Katy McMonagle, one of the archaeologists who dug the whale head out, said the fossil was difficult to move and very heavy. She said it was now in a warehouse in Belfast and there could be a week of cleaning work involved. "There will be painstaking work in cleaning the fossil and preparing it for a marine specialist who will be able to find out more about the creature." The process of discovering exactly how old it is may take some time, but flint tools, excavated with the fossil, suggest it could have been buried in Islandmagee as many as 3,000 years ago. George noticed the "weird patterns" on the fossil George said it had been overwhelming. "Yeah, that's really hard to imagine. To think about what it looked like, what it was, what it sounded like. We have a bit of an idea, but we're not 100% sure yet. "It's been so cool, it shows you what you can find and then to happens after you find something - what the experts do with it, how they figure it out, how they do that." The Natural History Museum is now involved There are secrets and stories held within the remains of this majestic creature.
Renewable energy in NI reaches record level
More than half (53%) of Northern Ireland's electricity came from renewable sources in the year to June – beating the 51% level previously set in 2022. And for the first time renewable generation has consistently exceeded non-renewable generation since January. Even when imported electricity was taken into account, the amount of renewables equalled the previous record of 50%, set in 2022/23. The Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald said the increasing level of renewable energy would help Northern Ireland "move away from price volatility and towards more stable and fairer prices" . Almost three-quarters (74%) of renewable electricity came from wind. Bioenergy – anaerobic digestion, incineration and fermentation – provided just under one-fifth (18%). Solar energy provided 6%, landfill gas provided 1%, and hydro/tidal generation provided 1%. Northern Ireland has a target of generating 80% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030. The increase to 53% to June 2026 follows several years of reduced renewable generation. Lower levels can be due to weather conditions. There is also a high rate of dispatch down in Northern Ireland – when turbines are switched off because there is not enough demand for the power being generated. That is to protect the grid which has a limit on the amount of renewable energy it can carry due to fluctuations. But moving to more renewable energy is a critical part of the journey to net zero and the transition from fossil fuels. The minister said the rising cost of fossil fuels globally was "impacting negatively" on both businesses and households, particularly those with lower incomes. She added that increased levels of renewable electricity "move us away from price volatility and towards more stable and fairer prices for the electricity we use".
Minister tells Brits to stock up on days of supplies after ‘supersize’ El Niño warning
El Niño is a natural climate cycle where wind changes over the Pacific lead to rising ocean temperatures and the transfer of huge amounts of heat to the atmosphere. Photograph: Hassan Ammar/AP View image in fullscreen El Niño is a natural climate cycle where wind changes over the Pacific lead to rising ocean temperatures and the transfer of huge amounts of heat to the atmosphere. Photograph: Hassan Ammar/AP Minister tells Brits to stock up on days of supplies after ‘supersize’ El Niño warning Exclusive: Angela Eagle urges UK citizens to be ‘a bit more resilient’ as they plan for national emergencies British people have been urged to have enough food and water on hand to survive a few days without power or water, as the UN said the El Niño climate phenomenon was “supersizing before our eyes”, exacerbating extreme weather events worldwide. Forecasters say they are braced for the biggest El Niño in 1,000 years, bringing wildfires and floods to parts of the world, and the threat of a wet, stormy winter for the UK. As the British government plans a campaign urging citizens to prepare for national emergencies, Angela Eagle told the Guardian the likelihood of a wild winter showed the importance of keeping supplies at home. The environment secretary said: “We’re about to experience probably the largest El Niño that has ever been seen, and that will lead to drier summers, wetter winters, with more extreme storms in this country. “It will do a lot more damage in Asia with flooding, and therefore I think that we need to take it seriously. “If you’ve got a store of a bit of food that can keep you going for a while before the emergency services can get to you, you’re going to be a lot better off than if you haven’t. So some of it is that kind of preparation for just being a bit more resilient.” El Niño is a natural climate cycle where wind changes over the Pacific lead to rising ocean temperatures and the transfer of huge amounts of heat to the atmosphere. The most recent data, from Monday, shows the temperature of the ocean at the heart of El Niño at 2.6C above the 30-year average. That is already close to the highest anomaly ever recorded in the satellite data era, 3.1C in 2015, with months to go before the peak is expected.
Grinding up fish to feed to fish is ‘absurd’: fears over UN aquaculture plan
Fish farmers remove dead fish at a fish farm in South Korea amid a high water temperature warning off the country’s west coast. Photograph: Yonhap News Agency/Reuters View image in fullscreen Fish farmers remove dead fish at a fish farm in South Korea amid a high water temperature warning off the country’s west coast. Photograph: Yonhap News Agency/Reuters Grinding up fish to feed to fish is ‘absurd’: fears over UN aquaculture plan Huge rollout of fish farms could harm ecosystems and threaten vulnerable communities’ food sources, say experts Nearly half of the world’s wild fish catch will be ground into animal feed for farmed fish if plans to expand aquaculture go ahead, a report has found. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is aiming to increase aquaculture – where fish are farmed rather than caught in the wild – production by 75% by 2040. The plans form part of its “blue transformation” agenda to meet growing global demand for seafood, improve food security and eradicate world hunger by 2030. Aquaculture adds to the intense pressure on overexploited fisheries because food is removed from marine ecosystems and the coastal communities that rely on them. Aquaculture supplies more than half of the aquatic animals consumed worldwide, according to the report. Carnivorous farmed species are commonly fed fishmeal and fish oil made . “These fish are naturally carnivorous species, so that is what they would eat in the wild,” said Tara Ganesh, a senior campaigner at Changing Markets Foundation. “You can’t suddenly raise a salmon overnight that is vegetarian.” Although producers had reduced the amount of wild fish used for each kilogram of farmed fish, she said this did not mean the industry’s total consumption was falling. View image in fullscreen Cage fish farming facilities in Ordu, Turkey, where about 6,000 tonnes of fish production were reported in 2025. Photograph: Hayati Akcay/Anadolu/Getty ImagesModelling produced with the University of British Columbia found that, if industry trends continued, up to 34.6m tonnes of wild fish could be caught and fed to farmed species annually by 2040. The FAO has not specified which species or farming systems should deliver the 75% increase in aquaculture. Changing Markets Foundation modelled several possible routes to the target and found that, under a scenario weighted towards feed-intensive species such as salmon and shrimp, demand for wild fish could rise to 41.4m tonnes – equivalent to 46% of the global wild-fish catch in 2020.
Weather
View All 8Today: Light Rain, Minimum Temperature: 11°C (53°F) Maximum Temperature: 19°C (66°F)
This video can not be played Today will be a cooler day, and breezy. Heavy rain will soon clear this morning, leaving it largely dry with sunny spells and a few patches of cloud. Just the small chance of a shower in spots. Tonight will remain largely dry, and there will be clear skies for most along with a few light patches of cloud. Tomorrow will be a dry day, and there will be sunny spells throughout along with a few areas of light patchy cloud. Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday Sunday is expected to be warmer and sunny, though the odd shower can't be completely ruled out. Monday will see some areas of cloud around for a time with just the outside chance of a light shower, but there will be sunny spells in between, and more widespread sunshine later on. Cloudy and wet on Tuesday with showery rain developing. Average wind speed 9 Miles per hour, West South Westerly9Average wind speed 14 Kilometres per hour, West South Westerly14 Humidity: Humidity: 100%,100% Visibility: Visibility: Poor, Poor Pressure: Pressure: 1007 millibars, Steady,1007mb, Steady Observation station: Manchester Airport (53.350° North, 2.283° West)Observation station: Manchester Airport (53.350° N, 2.283° W) Our favourite Weather Watchers photos nearby Report for Northenden, Manchester Tony LyonsReported , Manchester TicklespoonReported , Oldham Wonky AlReported , Manchester MCRShaunReported by MCRShaun
Saturday: Sunny Intervals, Minimum Temperature: 11°C (53°F) Maximum Temperature: 19°C (66°F)
This video can not be played Today will be a cooler day, and breezy. Heavy rain will soon clear this morning, leaving it largely dry with sunny spells and a few patches of cloud. Just the small chance of a shower in spots. Tonight will remain largely dry, and there will be clear skies for most along with a few light patches of cloud. Tomorrow will be a dry day, and there will be sunny spells throughout along with a few areas of light patchy cloud. Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday Sunday is expected to be warmer and sunny, though the odd shower can't be completely ruled out. Monday will see some areas of cloud around for a time with just the outside chance of a light shower, but there will be sunny spells in between, and more widespread sunshine later on. Cloudy and wet on Tuesday with showery rain developing. Average wind speed 9 Miles per hour, West South Westerly9Average wind speed 14 Kilometres per hour, West South Westerly14 Humidity: Humidity: 100%,100% Visibility: Visibility: Poor, Poor Pressure: Pressure: 1007 millibars, Steady,1007mb, Steady Observation station: Manchester Airport (53.350° North, 2.283° West)Observation station: Manchester Airport (53.350° N, 2.283° W) Our favourite Weather Watchers photos nearby Report for Northenden, Manchester Tony LyonsReported , Manchester TicklespoonReported , Oldham Wonky AlReported , Manchester MCRShaunReported by MCRShaun
Atmospheric river targets Pacific Northwest as Tropical Storm Marie boosts California rainfall risk
Satellite image of the U. West coast at UTC on September 3, 2026. Credit: NOAA/GOES-19, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers The atmospheric river was forecast to make landfall over the Pacific Northwest and northern California on September 2 as a potent upper-level closed low remained near the Pacific Northwest coast, according to the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E). The closed low was forecast to remain nearly stationary through Friday, September 4, maintaining sustained moisture transport into northern California, eastern Oregon and western Idaho. WPC forecast 25–75 mm (1–3 inches) of total precipitation over the Coast Ranges, Cascades, northern Sierra Nevada, eastern Oregon and western Idaho through PT ( UTC) on Saturday, September 5, with locally higher amounts possible at higher elevations. Its Day 2 quantitative precipitation forecast and excessive rainfall outlook covered the 24-hour period ending PT ( UTC) on September 4, while the 72-hour total precipitation forecast extended through PT ( UTC) on September 5. Interior northern California, eastern Oregon and western Idaho were under a Marginal Risk, level 1 of 4, for excessive rainfall from PT ( UTC) on Thursday, September 3, through PT ( UTC) on Friday, September 4. /WPC/CW3E Farther south, Tropical Storm Marie strengthened into a hurricane at UTC on September 3, about 600 km (375 miles) SW of the southern tip of Baja California. The system is moving toward the west-northwest near 17 km/h (10 mph), and this motion should continue for the next few days. Maximum sustained winds were near 85 mph (140 km/h) at UTC today. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and gradual weakening is anticipated to begin . These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Cowen, Tropical Tidbits/CW3E GFS and GEFS still retained the potential for a predecessor rainfall event (PRE) over portions of California and Nevada. In that modeled setup, moisture extending northward from Marie interacts with an upper-level jet streak downstream of an upper-level trough. The difference between GFS and ECMWF was clear in forecasts valid at PT on September 6 ( UTC on September 7). GFS placed Marie and its associated moisture farther north, with a stronger 250-hPa jet over California and a stronger six-hour PRE precipitation signal. ECMWF kept Marie and its moisture farther south, showed a weaker upper-level jet over California, and produced a weaker PRE. The Quick Look attributed the lower ECMWF precipitation to weaker phasing between Marie-related moisture and the upper-level features. Cowen, Tropical Tidbits/CW3E Model spread was also evident over the Prado Dam catchment in Southern California, with GFS forecasts showing up to 33 mm (1.3 inches) of mean areal precipitation through PT on Monday, September 7, compared with about 7.6 mm (0.3 inches) from ECMWF.
El Niño forecast to become very strong by late 2026, raising extreme weather risks into 2027
El Niño is firmly established in the central-eastern equatorial Pacific and is forecast to strengthen to very strong intensity before peaking toward the end of 2026, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on September 3. Forecasts from WMO Global Producing Centers indicate a nearly 100% probability that El Niño will persist through December 2026–February 2027, increasing the likelihood of major changes in rainfall and temperature patterns across many regions. Sea surface temperatures across the central-eastern equatorial Pacific have risen sharply. WMO reported that the Niño 3.4 anomaly averaged approximately +1.5°C (+2.7°F) during May-July 2026 and reached +2°C (+3.6°F) in July. Weekly Niño 3.4 anomalies increased to approximately +2.2°C to +2.6°C (+4°F to +4.7°F) between late July and mid-August, indicating continued intensification. WMO also reported subsurface ocean temperatures more than 8°C (14.4°F) above average in some areas during July and early August. The combined surface, subsurface and atmospheric signals, together with agreement among seasonal prediction systems, support continued strengthening and persistence into early 2027. “El Niño in Spanish means boy child – but it has the potential to deliver a massive blow to communities and economies across the world. We are already seeing disruption and devastation from droughts and floods, and we expect these impacts to increase as El Niño intensifies,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. “This exceptional El Niño demands exceptional preparation and response,” she said. “El Niño is being supersized before our eyes. The science leaves no room for doubt: the planet is in uncharted waters, and those waters are heating up. Sea surface temperatures are rising, temperatures keep climbing, and the world is in the danger zone of extreme weather. The race now is between rising risks and our commitment to take climate action and protect people. We must win that race,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Video credit: NOAANOAA’s Climate Prediction Center maintained an El Niño Advisory on August 13 and gave a greater than 90% probability of a very strong event during Northern Hemisphere fall and winter 2026–27. NOAA reported July anomalies of +1.4°C (+2.5°F) in Niño 3.4, +1.7°C (+3.1°F) in Niño 3 and +2.9°C (+5.2°F) in Niño 1+2. Subsurface temperature anomalies reached +10°C (+18°F) at depth. Low-level westerly wind anomalies and upper-level easterly wind anomalies extended from the western to east-central equatorial Pacific. Convection and rainfall were enhanced from the central to eastern Pacific and suppressed over Indonesia, indicating that the ocean and atmosphere were responding together as El Niño strengthened.
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