South Sudan army on high alert in capital Juba as agitation for president’s removal builds up
Internet services in South Sudan were disrupted on Monday and security forces patrolled the streets after activists called for protests against President Salva Kiir’s government. The capital Juba was quieter than usual as residents sheltered inside. A coalition of activist groups reiterated their call on Sunday for rallies demanding Kiir’s...
Bilingualism and brain power: Multiple-language use helps delay onset of Alzheimer’s disease
Even when you’re fluent in two languages, it can be a challenge to switch back and forth smoothly between them. It’s common to mangle a split verb in Spanish, use the wrong preposition in English, or lose sight of the connection between the beginning and end of a long German...
Gene therapy gives researchers ammunition needed to find cure for sickle-cell disease at its molecular roots
Seventy years ago, sickle-cell disease was at the cutting edge of biomedical research as the first medical condition to be linked to a molecular cause. But the ensuing decades saw little progress in terms of clinical care, leaving patients afflicted with severe pain and dramatically shortened life expectancy. “There was...
Juventus’ ‘no interest’ in Arsenal’s hitman Aubameyang comes as relief for under pressure Gunners’ technical bench
Juventus’ stance over signing Arsenal hitman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been revealed after a transfer with Everton cleared an important hurdle. Juventus are on the hunt for fresh faces at the spearhead of their attack. The exit of Cristiano Ronaldo to Man United has left them with a huge void to...
Sickle-cell disease, which affects mainly Black people is finally meeting a therapeutic match
Every parent or carer wants the best for their children, but sometimes biological miscues obstruct that universal hope. This is especially the case with sickle-cell disease, a disorder in which red blood cells take on an abnormal shape described as a crescent or sickle. This malformation restricts oxygen delivery to...
Covid vaccines don’t harm fertility or sexual function, medics allay fears, rumours and myths about the jab
Rumours and myths about Covid-19 vaccine effects on all aspects of reproduction and sexual functioning have spread like a Delta variant of viral misinformation across social media platforms, where people swap rumours of erectile dysfunction and fertility disruptions following vaccination. Yet studies so far have not linked the vaccines with...
Global journalists’ organisation calls for speedy investigation of murder of Filipino tabloid editor
Tabloid editor Gwenn Salamida was shot dead by a robber in her recently opened salon in Quezon City on August 17. The shooting took place at Salamida’s salon in Barangay Apolonio Samson in the afternoon. Salamida was shot after the murderer barged inside, declaring a heist, and shot the victims...
Possible cause of Covid vaccine blood clots: Drug is injected and enters bloodstream directly
Haematologist Mitesh Borad at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona, and his colleagues have analysed the structure of the chimpanzee adenovirus used in the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and determined that it has a strong negative charge. Molecular simulations suggest that this charge, combined with aspects of the virus’s shape, could allow...
Christiano Ronaldo sure to be Manchester City player in coming three days, reports in Italy say
Cristiano Ronaldo believes he could be a Manchester City player “by the weekend” following major developments in the transfer saga, according to reports. Ronaldo has made it clear to his agent Jorge Mendes that he wants to leave Juventus this summer and not next year when his contract expires. Mendes...
Covid vaccines and blood clots: Why do some people develop mysterious clotting disorder after Covid jab?
It was when the second person with unusual clots came in that Phillip Nicolson knew something was wrong. Blood clots are uncommon in young people, and it’s even rarer to see a combination of blood clots and alarmingly low levels of platelets – cell fragments that help to form clots....
