About two weeks after giving birth, Bridget María Chesterton was curled up on the bathroom floor, saying things that made little sense. Later, in the emergency room, she kept repeating, “What’s going on?” She’d lost touch with reality.

The family eventually learned that Chesterton had postpartum psychosis, a severe mental health disorder thrust into the spotlight by the case of Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts woman on trial for strangling her three children. A key question is whether postpartum psychosis drove Clancy to do it.

Researchers estimate that the condition — a mental health emergency that is less common than postpartum depression — afflicts 1 to 2 out of 1,000 women after delivery. Although most who develop postpartum psychosis don’t harm their children, mothers with severe cases may try to harm themselves or their kids.

If not for medication and strong family support, Chesterton said her own situation “could have gone sideways.”

Chesterton bristles at online comments about the Clancy case suggesting postpartum psychosis is not a real disorder. She feels driven to raise awareness by sharing her story publicly; a poem she wrote about the experience will be published in a journal in the fall. She wants to dispel misconceptions about the widely misunderstood condition — and let families know there is hope.

“It’s something that we do not talk about as a society,” said Chesterton, a 52-year-old history professor who lives outside Buffalo, New York. “I’m not embarrassed about what happened. I want people to know about it.”

A mom was fine at first, then ‘in bad shape’

Chesterton and her husband James Fitzsimmons wanted a baby desperately and underwent fertility treatment for years. She finally got pregnant in her mid-40s and had severe asthma during the pregnancy that put her in the hospital. She gave birth to her daughter by C-section in January 2019, about two months early.

“Everything about bringing her into the world was awful,” Chesterton said. “It was the longest seven months of my life.”

Just after the birth, the baby was hurried off to the neonatal intensive care unit, where she spent her first weeks of life. To protect the child’s privacy, The Associated Press is withholding her name at the family’s request.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

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Chesterton went home and seemed fine at first. But the day Fitzsimmons found her on the bathroom floor, her family said, she had trouble remembering basic details of her life and made strange comments, such as “it’s meditation day” even though she doesn’t meditate. Fitzsimmons called his wife’s mom, Maria Chesterton, who met the couple at the hospital.

“She didn’t even remember having a baby,” the elder Chesterton said. “She knew us vaguely.”

People with certain conditions are more likely to be affected

Disorganized thinking and delusions are among the symptoms of postpartum psychosis, which also may include hallucinations, paranoia, agitation and mood changes. Postpartum depression, by contrast, is a mood disorder affecting about 1 in 7 women after giving birth — or more, according to some research.

Postpartum psychosis can happen to anyone after giving birth, but the chances are higher for people with certain mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder. Chesterton didn’t have such conditions, said Dr. Emily Williams of Buffalo OB/GYN, one of her doctors.

Chesterton was transferred to BryLin Hospital in Buffalo, which provides crisis mental healthcare, and spent about two weeks there. Her mom, who was staying at the couple’s house to help out, remembers visiting her with food and Valentine’s Day chocolates.

When she was released, she did OK for a few days, her mom remembers, then “just lost it.” She stared blankly ahead, not knowing where she was or what was happening. But she did manage to aggressively express that she didn’t want to go back to the same place she’d just left, so she was institutionalized involuntarily.

“We had no choice,” her mother said. “She was in bad shape.”

She stayed for another two weeks — apart from her baby.

“I was kind of lucky that she was in the NICU,” Chesterton said, “because we had somebody to take care of her when I was so sick.”

Medication and family support help a mom recover

Chesterton believes antipsychotic drugs ultimately brought her back to reality. But just as essential was the support of her family. When the baby came home after nearly two months at the hospital, her team of helpers included her husband, mom, dad and a postpartum doula.

“She helped me learn how to take care of the baby, remember her — you know, to become a parent again,” Chesterton said, adding that she knows how lucky she is that her family had the resources to provide such care.

Williams, the doctor, said family support is crucial in the postpartum period even if everything is going well. “The more hands on deck, the better,” she said.

Over the next several months, it was as if a fog slowly lifted.

“We could see improvement in her. It was a little bit at a time,” her mother said. “She was taking care of the baby. The glassy-eyed look was gone.”

Chesterton stayed on antipsychotics for about a year. By her daughter’s first birthday party, she was back to normal.

Doctor encourages families to be on alert for signs of trouble

Williams said Chesterton’s family did the right thing when they took quick action after symptoms arose. Sometimes, the doctor said, people may deny that something so serious could be wrong with a loved one’s mental health and attribute signs of postpartum psychosis to things like needing more sleep.

Chesterton’s mother advised other families to be vigilant for signs of the illness, then come together to shepherd loved ones through it.

“If my daughter would not have had the support system,” she said, “I don’t know how this would have turned out.”

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Aerial imagery of a restored wetland in England “shows what climate resilience could look like across the UK”, a leading conservation charity has said.  

From above, the Holnicote Estate in Somerset (pictured) appears lush and green, in stark contrast to the parched landscape around it. 

According to the National Trust, that’s because ecologists at the estate have reconnected rivers, restored wetlands and reintroduced beavers in a bid to retain water. At the end of what is expected to be the hottest summer on record in the UK, the approach appears to have worked. 

“For generations, as a nation we’ve drained wetlands, straightened rivers and moved water off the land as quickly as possible – here we’ve reversed that approach and the results are remarkable,” said Ben Eardley, project manager at the National Trust, which runs the estate. 

The UK has lost around 90% of its wetlands over the last century. Restoring them could help it to become more climate resilient, the trust argues. 

“Evidence shows that nature-based solutions can reduce flood risk, improve water quality, increase biodiversity and build resilience to drought,” said Eardley. “Nature shouldn’t be viewed as a cost of climate adaptation. It should be seen as one of our greatest allies.”

Related: How rewilding could help stop the spread of wildfires

Image: National Trust/Steve Sayers
Main image: iStock/NicolasMcComber

Children across Europe have returned to school after a summer of extreme heat. As the climate warms, one question is becoming harder to ignore: how can students learn when classrooms become dangerously hot?

Extreme weather is likely to disrupt schooling more often in the years ahead. But climate change can influence a child’s education even before they set foot in a classroom.

In research conducted with my colleagues, we examined evidence on exposure to extreme weather during pregnancy and early childhood, including floods, droughts and unusually high temperatures. Such exposure has been linked to lower birthweight, poorer childhood development, starting school later, lower enrolment and completing fewer years of education. The effects can be particularly severe in low- and middle-income countries, where families may have fewer resources to cope with a sudden loss of food, income or access to healthcare.

The reasons can be painfully simple. When crops fail or floods destroy livelihoods, families may have less money for food and medical care. Pregnant women may eat less, work longer hours or struggle to reach health services. Young children may miss out on adequate nutrition or care while their bodies and brains are developing rapidly.

Research is beginning to show how these early shocks can reverberate years later.

In Ecuador, researchers studied children whose mothers experienced severe flooding caused by El Niño during pregnancy. El Niño is a periodic warming of the tropical Pacific that disrupts weather around the world and can bring unusually heavy rain to Ecuador. Each additional month of flood exposure was associated with lower household income and food consumption in the following year. Children exposed before birth were also more likely to have a low birthweight and anaemia. They were shorter for their age and performed less well on some tests of thinking and language development.

In rural Burkina Faso, children exposed before birth to unusually low rainfall scored lower on tests of thinking and learning ability. They were also more likely to start school late, less likely to be enrolled and more likely to work.

Heat appears to pose risks too. A study using data from 29 tropical countries linked climate conditions during pregnancy and early childhood with later educational attainment. In south-east Asia, children who experienced temperatures far above the local average during these early years were predicted to complete about 1.5 fewer years of schooling than those exposed to average temperatures.

Unequal risks

These studies formed part of a wider review conducted by my colleagues and I. We examined 254 studies, with 90 statistical studies forming the core analysis. The review found a consistent pattern: exposure during pregnancy and early childhood can affect health, learning and the amount of education children eventually receive.

This does not mean that every flood, drought or heatwave will have the same effects. The consequences depend on the timing and severity of the exposure and on a family’s circumstances.

Climate change can therefore deepen existing inequalities. A failed harvest or flooded home may be devastating for any family. But families with savings, insurance or reliable public services have more ways to recover. For someone already struggling to afford food or healthcare, the same event can mean smaller meals, missed appointments or children leaving school to work.

The children at greatest risk often live in countries that have contributed relatively little to the greenhouse gas emissions driving global warming.

Exposure to a climate shock early in life does not mean a child is destined to struggle. Some studies find that children can recover, particularly when families receive effective support.

One possible form of support is social protection: government programmes designed to help people avoid or cope with poverty. These include cash transfers, which provide families with money, sometimes on conditions such as children attending school or receiving healthcare.

In our review of interventions, four of the six studies that examined cash transfers during droughts, floods or cyclones found positive effects on education. The benefits varied according to factors including the child’s age, the size of the payment and the severity of the shock.

Research from rural Mexico offers an example. Children exposed to adverse rainfall around the year they were born went on to complete fewer school grades and were less likely to continue into education after secondary school. But children whose families were assigned to receive payments through the Progresa cash-transfer programme experienced smaller educational losses.

Cash transfers cannot stop a drought, rebuild a flooded school or replace the wider action needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate. But they can help families maintain food, healthcare and schooling when their income suddenly falls.

That is particularly important as international development budgets come under pressure. In 2025, the UK government announced that official development assistance would fall from around 0.5% of national income to 0.3% by 2027.

Protecting support for pregnant women and young children deserves particular attention. Climate shocks experienced in the earliest stages of life can reach far beyond childhood, influencing how children learn, how long they remain in education and the opportunities available to them long after the floodwaters have receded.

A child was bitten on the arm and leg by a 9-12ft alligator at Florida’s Weeki Wachee Preserve, Hernando County Sheriff’s Office revealed, with the youngster rushed to hospital

A youngster has been taken to hospital after suffering a vicious alligator attack while swimming in Florida on Labor Day.

The child, whose age and sex have not been disclosed, sustained bites to the arm and leg from the gator, which is believed to measure between nine and 12 feet in length, according to Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. The incident occurred in a preserve where swimming is prohibited.

The youngster was reportedly stuck on a sandbar in the Weeki Wachee Preserve alongside several other children on Monday afternoon, unable to reach the mainland. Hernando County Fire Rescue swiftly intervened, deploying an airboat to bring the children back to shore before administering essential medical treatment.

One child was transported to Bayonet Point Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, the county sheriff’s office confirmed.

A licensed Florida wildlife trapper attended the scene and set traps in an attempt to capture the animal responsible for the attack, according to NYP, reports the Daily Star.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has since opened an investigation into the swimming violation. Officials are now urging the public to adhere to regulations at the state’s waterways and to take extreme care.

The sheriff’s office stated: “Do not swim in areas where swimming is prohibited.”

The Weeki Wachee Preserve covers more than 11,200 acres in west-central Florida, situated approximately 50 miles north of Tampa. The Southwest Florida Water Management District states on its website regarding the preserve: “no swimming allowed in any of the lakes.”

Three women who were jurors in the Lindsay Clancy trial have spoken out for the first time since the case was ruled a mistrial. 

Speaking with NBC10 Boston, the three women detailed the arguments they had with the one male juror who would not acquit. 

One of the women, known only as juror two, told the outlet: ‘He, I think got up to the cart [with the exhibits] once and then went back to his seat.

‘He would not interact with us and try to understand. We read to him the definition of reasonable doubt. 

‘He said one day “why don’t we have the judge read it again?”, and we were like no we have it in front of us.’

One woman, the jury’s foreperson, told the outlet: ‘He had reasonable doubt. He admitted he had reasonable doubt. 

‘I started filling out the forms, I was so excited. There were three forms I had to fill out, and then he said “but I’m still not going to say she’s not guilty.”‘ 

According to the trio, they argued so much with the man that the alternate jurors could hear them through a wall. 

The three women, seen here, detailed the arguments they had with the one male juror who would not acquit

The outlet’s commentator Sue O’Connell conducted the sit-down with the three women, a post to her X said that an hour-long special would follow later tonight. 

It comes after Clancy’s lawyer Kevin Reddington spoke on Good Morning America earlier today saying that to his knowledge 11 jurors who agreed believed that Clancy deserved a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict, barring the one holdout juror. 

He also pleaded with President Donald Trump to consider pardoning Clancy, describing her as a good person. 

Reddington said: ‘I’d like to say that perhaps Donald Trump, who felt compelled to speak out about this case.

‘Mr President, I hope that you would consider this young lady, the type of person she is, what she’s been through, and consider a pardon.’

Reddington also described her as being ‘intelligent’ and ‘hardworking,’ while describing the strong bond he has with Clancy. 

‘I do feel a very strong bond with Lindsay because of the type of person she is. She’s such a wonderful, wonderful person.’

George Stephanopoulos questioned the lawyer about his remarks at the end of the trial in which Reddington said he ‘crushed’ the prosecution, asking if he regretted them.

The foreperson told the outlet that she was ‘excited’ to hand in the verdict before the hold out juror threw a spanner in the works

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The full conversation is set to be released later this evening, the outlet said

He added: ‘I don’t regret saying it at all. I think that the defense was very strong and I think it went in very well.

‘I think I perhaps could have been a little more circumspect dealing with [prosecutor] Tim Cruz, and instead of saying I crushed him, I could I have said I did a good job.’ 

Reddington then said that he was open to reaching a deal with Cruz, the District Attorney, so that Clancy did not need to go through another trial.

‘I’m willing to listen to Tim [Cruz]. I’ve known Tim for 30 years. I hope, however, after this trial, that he would revisit that issue and we could work something out that will be acceptable for both sides,’ he added.

Reddington said that he didn’t know much about postpartum depression before taking on Clancy’s trial. 

Clancy faces a retrial after the jury of nine women and three men were unable to agree on whether she was guilty of the murders or manslaughter of Cora, five, Dawson, three and eight-month-old Callan in January 2023. 

Reddington and Clancy are seen here as Judge William Sullivan declared the case a mistrial 

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Clancy was charged with murder after strangling her three children, Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan in 2023

Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial at Plymouth Superior Court on Friday afternoon. 

Clancy admitted to strangling her children with exercise bands but denies it was murder.

The former nurse said she was overmedicated while suffering from postpartum depression and that the cocktail of drugs she was prescribed brought on psychosis.

She tried to kill herself by jumping out the upstairs window of the home she shared with ex-husband, Patrick Clancy, in the wake of the killings.

The suicide attempt failed but left Clancy paralyzed and permanently confined to a wheelchair.

Jurors spent more than 37 hours deliberating five-and-a-half weeks of evidence, with one refusing to side with the others late Thursday and early Friday.

Reddington sought an emergency order to try and force jurors to enter one final round of deliberations but it failed.

What has Ed Miliband announced?

Why are there concerns about these sanctions?

Is there much support for more action on Israel?

How has Israel responded?

How will Donald Trump react?

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By DARIYA KOZHASBAY

Published: 18:32 BST, 8 September 2026 | Updated: 00:28 BST, 9 September 2026

A supermarket manager saved a young girl from oncoming traffic after she ran away from her parents and onto a busy road in Puebla, Mexico, as seen in CCTV footage posted by the supermarket, SuperKing El Rey Del Ahorro.

The man, Luis Cruz, was operating a forklift outside of the store when he saw a three-year-old girl running towards the open road. 

The video shows two adults, a man and a woman, running after her, with the woman slipping and falling right as the child ran off the sidewalk.

The two were unable to catch the girl as she made her way further into the path of the cars. 

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Cruz can be seen dropping the task at hand and running out onto the road as the two oncoming cars tried to slow to a halt. 

With one swift motion, he lunged to grab the girl and fell backwards, protecting her fall with his body.

The two cars came to a halt in the middle of the road as Cruz regained his footing. 

The video then shows Cruz returning the toddler to her guardians and walking back to his duties as the traffic resumed. 

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Luis Cruz was awarded 20,000 Mexican pesos, or about $1,200, by Super King El Rey Del Ahorro, the supermarket he works at, for saving a three-year-old from oncoming traffic while on the job

The supermarket named Cruz the Manager of the Year in recognition of his heroic act last Sunday in Puebla, Mexico

Cruz was named Manager of the Year, and awarded 20,000 Mexican pesos, or about $1,200, in recognition of his heroic act by the supermarket where he works.

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In an Instagram post dedicated to the rescue, the supermarket praised Cruz for his bravery and willingness to take action in a situation that could’ve ended in a tragedy, despite not having any connection to the little girl. 

They also acknowledged that no reward can sufficiently compensate the man for his invaluable heroism but hope it can serve as a token of gratitude. 

‘Today, Puebla has a new superhero,’ the post read. 

The former Celtic winger has joined forces with the owner of the Pattaya bar, which has welcomed a host of famous faces including Henrik Larsson and Tyson Fury.

The owner of a Celtic bar in Thailand has revealed Hoops legend Didier Agathe has become a co-owner after buying a 50 per cent stake in the popular boozer.

Eddie Murphy, 50, who opened The Irish House in Pattaya around a year ago, said it was a “godsend” when the former Celtic star got in touch after visiting the bar and decided he wanted to buy into the business. Agathe was a key member of Martin O’Neill’s Celtic side that reached the UEFA Cup final in 2003, where they were beaten by Jose Mourinho’s Porto in Seville. The former winger is now based in Thailand and plans to run a football academy from the building.

The new partnership was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the bar over the weekend, alongside fellow business partner Mark McKeown. Eddie, originally from Easterhouse, told Glasgow Live: “I’d had the bar for around a year, before he wanted to buy into the bar and improve it.

“We’ve had Tyson Fury and Henrik Larsson in it, and when Didier Agathe came in, he loved it and he wanted to buy it. When he came, he phoned (Lubomir) Moravcik and said, ‘You need to see this bar, it’s unbelievable’.

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“There’s a lot of community things going on here, which I think he noticed. It’s geared towards that – all the foundation stuff of what Celtic does. It’s been a bit of a Godsend.”

Eddie says the bar is the only Celtic-themed pub of its kind in Thailand and attracts tourists looking for a taste of home, including traditional pub food and a pint of Guinness. He was inspired to open the venue after remembering Celtic bars around Parkhead while growing up in Glasgow’s east end.

He added: “This was meant to be a hobby, but it’s turned into a full-time job. It’s something I grew up with. I’m a boy from the east end, and I miss going to the matches. Them coming in is for the benefit of the bar.”

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The former Liverpool player’s inclusion in midfield was largely circumstantial, with suspensions for Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva leaving Mourinho short on options.

Alexander-Arnold lined up alongside Federico Valverde but had a mixed evening, creating two chances and attempting more crosses than any other Real player – but failing to win a tackle. His passing accuracy was also down at 83.3%.

He was substituted shortly after Inter pulled one back on 77 minutes, prompting whistles around the stadium – although this could well have been frustration Madrid supporters felt at their team’s performance rather than at Alexander-Arnold individually.

It was the first competitive match in which Alexander-Arnold and fellow right-back Denzel Dumfries had started together. He started both for a pre-season friendly against Fiorentina, with Alexander-Arnold operating at right-back while Dumfries played further forward on the same side.

It is clear Mourinho still doesn’t have a definite starting right-back, so in the same way Alexander-Arnold had to fight to start with Dani Carvajal last season, he is doing the same this season with Dumfries.

But BBC Sport understands the Portuguese has been impressed by the England international’s performances, values and the versatility he brings to the squad.

Indeed, Mourinho views Alexander-Arnold as different from many traditional full-backs because of his ability to move into central areas and contribute to attacks from midfield positions.

His passing, crossing, through balls and set-piece delivery remain among the strongest parts of his game.