UK authorities detain 1st group of migrants under plan to thwart small boats crossing from France [deltaMinutes] mins ago Now
Day: August 7, 2025
The Bad Boy Records founder,55, was found guilty of two counts of prostitution but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges in July.
The 2.3-mile-long bridge between the mainland and Sicily is expected to be finished by 2033, the Italian government says.
The bemused mood among European chief executives came as U.S. President Donald Trump ushered in a new era of tariff complexity.
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- As a mom, I had such a full to-do list, and I was tired all the time.
- I wasn’t sure what to do about it, but I also didn’t think I could justify taking naps.
- However, when I tried, I was more productive, and they’re now part of my morning routine.
“Have you tried taking a nap?”
I had been telling my doctor about my chronic tiredness, painting a picture of long days and evenings. Her question caught me off guard.
In the moment, I came up with all kinds of reasons I couldn’t take a daytime nap, but they all boiled down to this: I needed to take full advantage of the time my daughter was in school to get things done. My to-do list, both work and personal, was already never going to be complete with the time I had. How could I justify taking a nap?
Before becoming a parent, my schedule was my own
When I lived alone, I was free to cater to my circadian rhythm, especially once I started setting my own hours in a work-from-home setting. I’ve never been a morning person, and even if I am awake early, I’m not very productive. Before becoming a parent, I would often come alive in the evening, finding a second wind instead of winding down for bed.
As a parent, my schedule was mostly set for me. No matter how flexible my work is, there is nothing flexible about school pickup and drop off. Even before school entered the picture, my daughter was an alarm clock personified.
I knew that I should start going to bed earlier to accommodate my parenting schedule, but whether it was my body clock, or “revenge procrastination,” I had difficulty giving up the part of the day when I felt most at ease and productive, especially since going to bed earlier didn’t always mean that I would fall right to sleep or feel more rested.
Even though I pushed away my doctor’s question, it stuck with me. My schedule sometimes feels rigid, even though I know I’m lucky to have work that doesn’t require me to stick to certain hours. Was my day as firm as I insisted it was?
I gave naps a try to see how I felt
I decided to do a trial, napping after dropoff for a few days to see what happened. I woke up, walked my daughter to school, and then went back to bed, setting my alarm for between an hour to an hour and a half. When the alarm went off, I got up, fixed a cup of tea, and started my day for real.
Immediately, I noticed two things. First, I felt more rested. I wouldn’t have initially thought that a short nap could make a significant difference to a person who seemed to always feel tired. I was wrong. I wasn’t suddenly unable to take on the world, but I wasn’t fighting the same level of exhaustion. My thoughts were clearer, and I woke (the second time) in a better mood.
Tatiana Maksimova/Getty Images
Second, I was getting more done. I’d been so afraid that “losing” that extra hour or so would put me much further behind on my work and to-do list than I otherwise would have been. Instead, I discovered that I was more efficient.
The tired version of me might have gotten the work done, but it often happened more slowly. Within my trial period of taking morning naps, it became clear that the time I was sleeping was well-invested. Not only was I not getting behind, I was farther ahead than I’d been in a long time.
Napping is now part of my morning routine
I’ve made an effort to make a morning nap part of my routine, with continued good results. But things don’t always follow routine. If I have immovable plans, or someone is sick, or I’m anxious and can’t fall asleep, I skip my nap. But I always feel the difference.
Even on days when an hour feels like too much, sometimes I will set a timer for 30 minutes, even 20 — whatever I feel I can spare. While I don’t always fall asleep, lying still for a few uninterrupted moments fills my cup, just a bit.
Feeling more capable of taking on the responsibilities of my life has improved my performance, but it’s also improved my mood. I’m not beating myself up for not going to bed early, or for being tired during the day. When I feel those things, I’m trying to listen and consider adjusting instead of feeling guilty. My goal is to support my body so that it works as optimally as possible, even if that doesn’t look like anyone else’s schedule. For now, this is what works for me.
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Tragic Helicopter Crash in Ghana Claims Eight Lives, Including Key Ministers
A military helicopter crash in central Ghana on Wednesday resulted in the deaths of eight individuals, including the nation’s defence and environment ministers. This incident marks one of the deadliest air disasters in the country in over a decade, prompting a national outpouring of grief and leaving a significant gap in the security leadership, reports 24brussels.
The Z-9 helicopter took off from Accra in the morning and was en route to Obuasi in the Ashanti region when it unexpectedly lost radar contact. Authorities located the wreckage in the Adansi area hours later, with no survivors among the victims.
The deceased included Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, alongside Samuel Sarpong, vice-chair of the ruling National Democratic Congress, and Muniru Mohammed, a senior national security adviser. Four Air Force personnel were also among those who perished in the crash.
Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff to President John Mahama, described the event as a “national tragedy.” He extended condolences to the families affected and acknowledged the significance of the loss. “The president and government extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of our comrades and the servicemen who died in service to the country,” he stated.
The precise cause of the crash remains unknown. Military authorities have launched an investigation to determine the factors leading to this tragic event.
Boamah, who had previously served as communications minister, was appointed as defence minister in January following President Mahama’s return to power. His successor will face complex security challenges, as Ghana, like other coastal West African nations, confronts escalating threats from armed groups infiltrating from Burkina Faso and Mali.
The Z-9 helicopter is primarily utilized by the Ghanaian military for troop transport and medical evacuations. In the wake of the crash, mourners gathered outside Boamah’s residence and at the National Democratic Congress headquarters, reflecting on the profound loss.
This incident severely impacts Ghana’s political leadership and security structure amid rising regional instability. As the investigation continues, the nation must not only mourn its fallen leaders but also address pressing national security issues.
The government has announced three days of national mourning beginning Thursday, during which all flags will be flown at half-mast.
The city of Tucson has blocked the implementation of the data center, citing public opposition and the project’s high water use.
France’s largest wildfire in decades leaves a trail of devastation [deltaMinutes] mins ago Now
The announcement has drawn significant ire from some of the unions affected.
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- President Donald Trump said the US would lower tariffs on Japan to 15% from 25%.
- But Trump’s tariffs continue to shake Japanese automakers like Toyota and Nissan.
- Toyota said tariffs could lower its operating income by 1.4 trillion Japanese yen, or $9.5 billion.
President Donald Trump said he would lower tariffs on Japan, but the impact of his tariff policy continues to shake Japan’s auto industry.
Toyota said in its earnings report on Thursday that it expected Trump’s auto tariffs to reduce its operating income for the 2026 fiscal year by 1.4 trillion Japanese yen, or $9.5 billion. That’s 1.2 trillion Japanese yen higher than what it had initially forecast.
Toyota said the tariffs caused its operating income for the North American market to decline. The company cited “exchange rate fluctuations and increased expenses” for the fall in operating income in the Japanese market.
“Due to the impact of US tariffs and other factors, actual results showed decreased operating income, and the forecast has been revised downward,” Toyota said in its first-quarter results summary.
Honda reported a 50% fall in year-over-year operating profits on Wednesday. The automaker said that the tariffs had cost it around 122 billion Japanese yen in lost profits in the past three months, and warned the total hit this year could be as much as 450 billion Japanese yen.
Honda executives, however, said the impact of the tariffs would be less severe than initially expected, and the company raised its full-year operating profit forecast by 40%.
Automakers like Toyota and Honda were given a reprieve last month after the US and Japan struck a trade deal.
The deal, which lowered the tariff on Japanese auto imports to the US market from 25% to 15%, means that Japanese automakers face lower tariffs than their American rivals Ford and GM, who face a 25% tax on vehicle parts coming from overseas.
Last week, Ford CEO Jim Farley warned that the trade deal handed Japan’s car giants a “meaningful advantage,” telling Bloomberg that it could allow Toyota to undercut some Ford models by as much as $10,000.
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