Society  The number of suicides in Scotland increased by 15% last year to 784 probable cases, from 680 in 2017. The rate of suicide was three times higher in the most deprived areas of Scotland, with men most likely to take their own lives. Source: NHS Information Services Division.

So far, around 25% of the 220,000 EU citizens living in Scotland have applied to remain in the UK after Brexit. Source: Home Office.

Researchers believe that fake news is 'reinforced by fake memories'. Volunteers were shown fake news reports from last year, with nearly 50% of them claiming to have had prior memories of at least one of the made-up events. Afterwards, many still failed to address their false memories – even when told they were fake. Source: University College Cork.

The number of recorded executions carried out worldwide fell by 31% in 2018 – 690 people were executed in 20 countries, with 77% carried out in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Iraq. The previous year, the number of executions was 993. Source: Amnesty International.



Economy  Tesco have threatened to ban big brands if they keep using 'inappropriate or excessive' plastic packaging. Source: Tesco.

Global aircraft production has fallen by 24% after the grounding of Boeing's 737 Max jet. Source: ADS.

Airline punctuality in the UK has worsened, with the number of hour-long delays on Easyjet and Ryanair flights doubling in the last five years. Source: Which?

Education  1,144 children were caught carrying knives in schools in England, Wales and Scotland last year. The youngest was four years old. Source: 5 News.

The GSCE pass rate in England, Wales and Northern Ireland increased by 0.4% this year – up to 67.3% – despite concerns that the exams were becoming too difficult. The number of papers achieving a top grade – of 7 or A and above – also rose by 0.3% to 20.8%. Source: BBC.

When asked how much they expect to earn when they grow up, most 8-15 year olds said an average of £1.37m – around 38 times the average UK wage this year. When asked how much the prime minister earns, the average guess was £2.13m. Source: Halifax.



Science  The recent August bank holiday weekend (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) was the hottest since records began. The highest temperature of 33.3C was recorded at Heathrow. A new record was also set in Wales – 28.8C was recorded in Gogerddan on Saturday. Source: Met Office.

A proposal was passed, at a recent Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, to strengthen protections for 18 threatened species of sharks and rays. While 102 countries voted in favour of the motion, 40 – including China, Japan, Iceland and New Zealand – opposed it. Source: BBC.

The number of sharks killed worldwide each year by commercial fisheries is estimated to be 100 million. However, the true number could be anything between 63 million and 273 million. Source: The Pew Trust.

Health  A pill containing four drugs could help prevent heart disease and strokes. Being low in price, it could be particularly effective in developing and third world countries. Source: The Lancet.

Elite athletes – including cyclists, runners, sailors, football players and rowers – have bad teeth, despite 94% of them brushing their teeth twice a day (compared with 75% of the general public doing so). It's thought that sports drinks, energy gels and energy bars could be contributing factors – with 87%, 70% and 59% of athletes consuming them, respectively, during training and competitions. Source: University College London.

Having a dog is good for your heart. Pet owners in general are usually more physically active, have better diets and healthy blood sugar levels. Source: Catania University.

Recreation  Two tourist attractions in Scotland – V&A Dundee and the Macallan Distillery in Speyside – have been included in Time magazine's 100 World's Greatest Places 2019 list. Source: Metro.

People generally only use 20% of the apps stored on their mobile phones – the average device has 26 apps on it. Source: First Direct.

The Bridge Inn, Peebles, is one of 16 finalists for a 'Pub of the Year' competition. Source: Campaign For Real Ale.



Oddities  The first allegation of a crime committed in space has been made involving astronaut Anne McClain. She is accused of accessing the bank account of her estranged spouse from the International Space Station. Nasa are investigating the claim after it was reported to the Federal Trade Commission. Source: BBC.