Israel and Lebanon appear to be close to a ceasefire deal, with the Israeli cabinet set to meet on Tuesday to discuss it, Israeli and US officials say. A 60-day truce is being proposed to end fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah. It is said to include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and an end to the Hezbollah presence in the area. "We believe we've reached this point where we're close," US National Security Council spokesman...

Have you ever wondered whether you fight too much or are snippy too often with your significant other? Conflict is normal in long-term relationships, but when do too many negative interactions become harmful?The interesting (and helpful) thing is that a ratio reveals the number of negative versus positive interactions one should have with one's spouse. The ratio was created by Dr. John Gottman, who known for conducting studies in which he and his team could predict whether a couple would get divorced with 94% accuracy.What is the 5:1 ratio for relationships?Gottman says that in healthy couples, there should be, at minimum, 5 positive interactions for every negative one. "The difference between happy and unhappy couples is the balance between positive and negative interactions during conflict,” Gottman said. “There is a very specific ratio that makes love last. That ‘magic ratio’ is 5 to 1. This means that for every negative interaction during conflict, a stable and happy marriage has five (or more) positive interactions."The underlying message is that unhappy couples tend to engage in fewer positive interactions and if their positive-to-negative ratio drops to 1-to-1 or less, they may be headed for divorce. A happily married couple.via Canva/PhotosWhat are some examples of negative interactions with your spouse?Invalidating themNot doing a task you told your partner you would doFailing to listen Rejecting a bid for connection, such as a hug or a conversationRaising your voiceRolling your eyesForgetting events or milestones that are important to your partnerGottman also stresses in his research that when couples communicate negatively using the “Four Horsemen,” the relationship may be headed for divorce. The Four Horsemen are Defensiveness, Criticism, Contempt, or Stonewalling. “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is a metaphor depicting the end of times in the New Testament,” Gottman’s website reads. “They describe conquest, war, hunger, and death, respectively. We use this metaphor to describe communication styles that, according to our research, can predict the end of a relationship.The 5:1 ratio provides married people with a good baseline on what constitutes a healthy relationship and a good idea of when the relationship has become too negative. After all, none of us are perfect, and we all deserve grace. But how much is too much?The ratio reminds us that we can all improve our relationships by striving to have more positive interactions than negative ones. Even if your ratio is high and healthy, there’s nothing wrong with trying your best to do better for your and your partner. A happily married couple.via Canva/PhotosWhat are some examples of positive interactions you can have with your spouse?Be affectionateShow appreciationActively listen when they speakDo something that relieves their stress level, whether it’s a chore or helping with the kidsBe thoughtful through small gestures that let you know you’re thinking of them.Validate their feelingsBe empathetic, especially during conflictRemember, just because you disagree with your spouse doesn’t mean it has to be a negative experience. “When the masters of marriage are talking about something important,” Dr. Gottman says, “they may be arguing, but they are also laughing and teasing and there are signs of affection because they have made emotional connections.”

We all know that getting a good night's sleep is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle, but someone might want to explain that to people's bladders. It's one thing to be woken up by a loud siren or your child crying or your cats tussling, but when your own body wakes you up to perform a basic function, it can feel like a betrayal. Having to wake up to pee at night is a phenomenon known as "nocturia," and it's incredibly common, affecting some 50 million Americans. However, according to physical therapist and pelvic floor rehabilitation specialist Dr. Amanda Olson, only a small fraction of those affected by nocturia actually receive specialized treatment for it. “Nocturia isn’t just a minor inconvenience," says Olson, who serves as President and Chief Clinical Officer of women's health product provider Intimate Rose. "Waking up multiple times in one night to use the bathroom significantly disrupts your sleep cycle, which, in turn, negatively impacts your physical and mental well-being. Beyond the immediate frustration of interrupted sleep, links have been found between nocturia and heightened risks for more serious health issues, including falls particularly among older adults." She points out that nocturia can impact mental well-being as well, "causing drowsiness, mood shifts, and diminished focus throughout the day." And if you sleep with a partner, they tend to experience disrupted sleep as well. Nobody wants to be woken up at 2:00 a.m.Photo credit: CanvaMany people, including some healthcare providers, see nocturia as a normal sign of aging, but Olson explains that people don't need to just accept it. "We need to start treating nocturia not just as an inevitable nuisance but as a condition that can be addressed and managed," she says. Here are Dr. Olson's tips for things people can do themselves at home to reduce or eliminate nighttime trips to the bathroom: 1. Limit Evening Fluid Intake Managing your fluid intake, especially in the evening, can have a big impact on nocturia. “Try to avoid consuming large amounts of liquids within two hours of bedtime,” Dr. Olson advises. “Drinks containing caffeine, sparkling water, alcohol, and tea are all diuretics or bladder irritants that should be avoided, as they increase urine production and stimulate your bladder, making nighttime bathroom trips more likely.” 2. Empty Your Bladder Completely Before BedtimeCreate a bedtime routine that includes a final bathroom trip. Even if you don’t feel the urge to go, emptying your bladder before sleeping may reduce the chance of waking up at night. “A useful technique is to rock back and forth or gently sway side to side once you’ve finished,” says Dr. Olson. “This movement helps ensure your bladder is fully emptied, decreasing the chances of needing to go again later.”3. Elevate Your Legs To Reduce Fluid RetentionIf you suffer from fluid retention in your legs, try elevating them in the evening. Sitting or lying down with your legs propped up for an hour or so before bed can help move the fluid back into your bloodstream, where it can be processed and eliminated before you sleep. A pillow can help elevate your legs before bed.Photo credit: Canva4. Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor Muscles With Kegel ExercisesStrengthening your pelvic floor muscles through Kegel exercises can improve bladder control and reduce the urge to urinate at night. Performing these exercises regularly builds muscle strength in the pelvic area, which can help manage bladder urgency. “Using Kegel weights or resistance tools can make these exercises more effective, helping you see improvements sooner,” says Dr. Olson. “Make sure you follow a guide to pick up the right technique, however.”5. Train Your Bladder During The DayBladder training is a gradual process that involves spacing out the time between daytime bathroom visits. By holding off on urinating a bit longer each time, you can work on expanding your bladder’s capacity, which may reduce the frequency of nighttime urges. This gradual approach helps prevent your bladder from becoming too sensitive, potentially reducing the likelihood of waking up frequently at night.6. Avoid Bladder-Irritating Foods In The EveningCertain foods and drinks, such as spicy dishes, caffeinated beverages, alcohol, carbonated drinks, and artificial sweeteners, can irritate the bladder, increasing the frequency of urination. To minimize nighttime disruptions, try avoiding these triggers in the late afternoon and evening. “Instead, opt for bladder-friendly options such as water closer to bedtime,” says Dr. Olson. 7. Create A Restful Sleep EnvironmentSetting up a calm, comfortable sleep environment can make it easier to fall back asleep if nocturia does wake you. Try keeping your room dark, quiet, and cool; blackout curtains, earplugs, and a comfortable temperature can all promote better sleep quality. Good sleep hygiene can help reduce the impact of nocturia-driven sleep deprivation.Photo credit: CanvaAdditionally, reducing screen time before bed and creating a pre-sleep wind-down routine can help your body transition to a restful state, making it easier to drift back to sleep after interruptions. “This will reduce the impact of the sleep deprivation often associated with nocturia,” says Dr. Olson.Always consult your doctor if you have health concerns, especially if habits like these don't seem to make a difference. You can learn more about how to manage frequent urination and other pelvic health issues on the Intimate Rose website.

Czech photographer Jan Langer's portrait series "Faces of Century" shows them in a different light: as human beings aged by years of experience, but at their deepest level, unchanged by the passing of time. In the series, Langer juxtaposes his portraits with another portrait of the subject from decades earlier. He recreates the original pose and lighting as closely as he can — he wants us to see them not just as they are now, but how they have and haven't changed over time. That is the key to the series.These are the rare faces of people who have lived through two world wars, a cavalcade of regimes, and the rush of advancements in modern life. These photos, and the stories of the lives lived by the people in them, show not only the beauty of aging, but how even as we age, we still remain essentially ourselves.1. Prokop Vejdělek, at age 22 and 101All photos by Jan Langer.Vejdělek is a former metallurgical engineer who will never forget the taste of warm fresh goat's milk.2. Bedřiška Köhlerová, at age 26 and 103Originally born in Merano, Italy, Köhlerová wishes to visit Italy one more time.3. Ludvík Chybík, at age 20 and 102Chybík is a former postal carrier and says he will never forget the route he worked every day.4. Vincenc Jetelina, at age 30 and 105Jetelina spent eight years in prison after World War II. Now, he just wants to live the rest of his life in peace.5. Marie Fejfarová, at age 101Fejfarová burned all her material memories, including old photographs, when she decided to move to a long-term care facility. She lived a dramatic life, hiding from the Nazis and then the Russians, but eventually she was able to travel the world with her husband. Her experiences show there's no such thing as too late in life to start a new chapter.6. Antonín Kovář, at age 25 and 102Kovář is a former musician whose daughter comes to visit him every day. He wishes to play the clarinet once more.7. Anna Vašinová, at age 22 and 102Vašinová will always remember the day her husband was taken away by the Nazis. She wishes to be reunited with him after death.8. Stanislav Spáčil, at age 17 and 102Spáčil was an electrical engineer throughout his life and thinks that it's too early in his life to think about the past.9. Anna Pochobradská, at age 30 and 100Pochobradská was a farmer. She now lives a quiet life and is thankful that her daughter visits her every weekend.10. Antonín Baldrman, at age 17 and 101Baldrman was a clerk early in life and keeps up with current events by reading the newspaper.11. Marie Burešová, at age 23 and 101Burešová loves talking to her family and wishes to have them all together again.12. Vlasta Čížková, at age 23 and 101Čížková cooked in the dining room at the airport in the small village of Vodochody. She'll never forget reciting her own poetry at wedding ceremonies.13. Ludmila Vysloužilová, at age 23 and 101Vysloužilová stays active every day by chopping wood, shoveling snow, and doing work around her house.The photographer Langer was initially inspired to document the lives of elderly people because of what he saw as the media's lack of coverage of them. He decided to focus on people over the age of 100 — a very rare demographic indeed. The 2010 U.S. Census reported only 53,364 centenarians, which is only 0.19% of the population of people 70 years or older.“One should live every single moment according to their best knowledge and conscience because one day we will see clearly what has a real value," Langer says of what he learned from his subjects while photographing them.The series was originally part of a story that Langer did for the Czech news outlet aktuálně.cz. You can see more photos from the portrait sessions by following the link.This article originally appeared seven years ago.

Bill Gates sure is strict on how his children use the very technology he helped bring to the masses. In a recent interview with the Mirror, the tech mogul said his children were not allowed to own their own cellphone until the age of 14. "We often set a time after which there is no screen time, and in their case that helps them get to sleep at a reasonable hour," he said. Gates added that the children are not allowed to have cellphones at the table, but are allowed to use them for homework or studying.The Gates children, now 20, 17 and 14, are all above the minimum age requirement to own a phone, but they are still banned from having any Apple products in the house—thanks to Gates' longtime rivalry with Apple founder Steve Jobs.While the parenting choice may seem harsh, the Gates may be onto something with delaying childhood smartphone ownership. According to the 2016 "Kids & Tech: The Evolution of Today's Digital Natives" report, the average age that a child gets their first smartphone is now 10.3 years."I think that age is going to trend even younger, because parents are getting tired of handing their smartphones to their kids," Stacy DeBroff, chief executive of Influence Central, told The New York Times.James P. Steyer, chief executive of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that reviews content and products for families, additionally told the Times that he too has one strict rule for his children when it comes to cellphones: They get one when they start high school and only when they've proven they have restraint. "No two kids are the same, and there's no magic number," he said. "A kid's age is not as important as his or her own responsibility or maturity level."PBS Parents also provided a list of questions parents should answer before giving their child their first phone. Check out the entire list below:How independent are your kids?Do your children "need" to be in touch for safety reasons—or social ones?How responsible are they?Can they get behind the concept of limits for minutes talked and apps downloaded?Can they be trusted not to text during class, disturb others with their conversations, and to use the text, photo, and video functions responsibly (and not to embarrass or harass others)?Do they really need a smartphone that is also their music device, a portable movie and game player, and portal to the internet?Do they need something that gives their location information to their friends—and maybe some strangers, too—as some of the new apps allow?And do you want to add all the expenses of new data plans? (Try keeping your temper when they announce that their new smartphone got dropped in the toilet...)This article originally appeared seven years ago.

Rats are an animal that people either love or hate, though it's safe to assume that most people would probably hate to come across the rodents in their home. But all rats aren't created equal, some were born to be...well, lab rats. While people may not like the critters, rats are extremely smart, which is why many of them end up in a lab but they're not always confined to the brightly lit sterile environment. Sure some lab rats are destined to spend their time solving puzzles for treats, but some get to explore nature as part of their official duties. African giant pouched rats are getting a cute little vest, a backpack and a ball that signals their handlers to go work as rodent detectives. These furry guys are learning how to exercise their extreme sense of smell to help detect the scent of exotic animals being smuggled out of Africa. Poaching and smuggling has been a problem that countries in Africa have been trying to address for a while. Poachers hunt animals like elephants for their ivory tusks, and rhinoceroses for their horns, often killing the animal in order to take their tusks and horns to sell them. But those aren't the only things getting smuggled off of the continent. adult elephant standing in wheat field Photo by Carlos Torres on Unsplash Pangolins, a small scaled mammal is one of the most trafficked mammals in the world according to APOPO, the Tanzanian nonprofit training the rats. In addition to the pangolins, elephant tusks and rhinoceros horns, the rats are also being trained to detect African Blackwood which is illegally logged. The rats are trained using target training and reinforced with treats before being introduced to items that they should not be targeting as a method of "discrimination training." Essentially discrimination training is teaching the rats to not respond to things that aren't on the list. Now, while it would be adorable for the little vests the rats wear to say something like "detective" or "rat police," they don't. Their vests aren't for identification, they serve a practical nature. brown and white spotted bird Photo by Studio Crevettes on Unsplash The snug little vest the African giant rats wear have a little ball on them that looks like a bell you'd find on a cat collar. The rats are trained to pull on the ball when they detect a forbidden item. Once the ball is pulled, it sends a beeping sound to their handlers to alert them that something is being smuggled. Right now research is still in the trial stages, but the smart rats have shown great progress being able to identify the target items against over 150 non-target items like socks, or a watch. Soon the detective rats will take on their biggest test yet, the airport in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Once the rats show they can correctly identify this exotic contraband in a large setting with lots of different competing smells, their job will move to the final stage–airport security. Well...sort of. The clever rats will be "operational" in the next couple of years in travel spaces like airports hoping to stop exotic traffickers in their tracks. Who knew police dogs would face competition of giant rats the size of cats in the near future? There's plenty of room for all types of working furry creatures so long as one of the rats doesn't try to hitch a ride instead of reporting back to it's handlers.

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