Global male fertility crisis: When a male born to a woman who smokes, his sperm count reduces by 50 per cent
For years, scientists across the world have gathered evidence showing declines in sperm quality. Now, new research compiling the results of those studies has found that sperm count has dropped dramatically around the world, and the rate of decline is accelerating. In a new analysis, researchers at Mount Sinai Medical...
Man United outcast Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly exploring possibility of returning to Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly wants to end his Manchester United nightmare and make a stunning return to Real Madrid. The 37-year-old accused the Red Devils of betraying him in a tell-all interview with Piers Morgan last week. And amid the fallout of the interview, Ronaldo has now offered himself to the...
DR Congo: Unresolved local conflicts, presence of foreign armies and poorly paid soldiers weaken combatants’ trust
A slow rollout of the Disarmament, Demobilisation, Community Recovery and Stabilisation Programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been undermined trust. Although President Felix Tshisekedi first called for a new DDR programme in 2019, the initiative is not yet operational, even with provincial and national coordinators appointed over...
What is holding back rebel rollout of demobilisation programme in eastern DRC?
The Democratic Republic of Congo has been encouraged to accelerate the rollout of a new programme to demobilise rebel fighters amid surging conflict with armed groups, including the M23, which has seized yet more territory in eastern parts of the country. But there are limited funds for the programme, which...
How tech guru Elizabeth Holmes wooed investors with empty promises and idealism, then conned her way to prison
Elizabeth Holmes has been sentenced to just over 11 years in prison for defrauding investors by falsely claiming her technology could detect diseases from a drop of blood. The sentencing of the former Theranos CEO marks the end of the young founder’s Silicon Valley saga – one in which she...
Fifa on red alert over fears of imminent match-fixing involving Qatar after ‘an unusually high number of spot-kicks’
Hot on the heels concerns raised about human rights issues in Qatar Fifa was on Saturday warned of imminent plot to fix matches involving the host nation to ensure that the it progressed to the next round. Of the 32 teams taking part in the elite football tournament, Qatar is...
Why COP27 conference was extended as carbon compensation remained a sticking point
It’s official: the climate change talks that were expected to finish on Friday were extended at least into Saturday as member countries pushed to tie up loose ends in the decisions made. The sticking issue was compensation of non-emitters carbon – mainly developing countries in Africa and Latin America. The...
Brazil’s President-elect Lula da Silva gets hero’s welcome at climate conference in Egypt
Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva got a hero’s welcome at COP27 conference upon his arrival at Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Thursday, when the gathering broke into “olé olé” chants. “We’re so glad to be part of the conversation again,” one Brazilian youth activist shouted. Inside Brazil’s glittering pavilion, the...
Haiti’s forsaken women: They run own gangs for protection or collaborate with men, often with deadly results
While women are forcibly recruited io criminal gangs, others reluctantly join for protection or work, earning money by collecting information or stealing from homes, according to women who have fled gang-controlled areas and others working in such places who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns. Some women...
Haitian gangs use rape to control women, who are now responding with own ‘Pink Iron’ gangs
It was love at first sight for Madeline*, who first met Baptiste* at a church retreat in Haiti’s southern port town of Les Cayes in 2002. As infatuated teenagers, they eventually wedded and settled in the Caribbean country’s capital, Port-au-Prince. With a growing family and unsteady work selling bottled sodas...
