study

An estimated 259,000 people die from meningitis each year worldwide, according to a large new study released after the disease sparked fresh concern in the UK. The research found that children made up roughly a third of those deaths, with many occurring in Africa—an outcome the authors described as the most extensive global assessment of meningitis to date. The new findings arrive after meningitis was thrust into the spotlight following an outbreak in southeast England believed to have spread through a nightclub earlier this…

The UK Home Office has announced a significant policy shift, halting the issuance of study visas to nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan. This decision also extends to skilled work visas for Afghans, with the government citing rampant visa abuse as the driving force behind the change. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood emphasized that this move comes in response to a startling rise in asylum claims from individuals who first entered the UK legally on study visas. Official statistics reveal that asylum…

A peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet estimates that more than 75,000 people were killed in Gaza during the first 16 months of Israeli attacks, a toll researchers say is significantly higher than the figure announced by authorities there. The analysis covers October 2023 through January 2025 and concludes Gaza’s health ministry is not inflating its numbers — if anything, it is undercounting the dead. “We can conclude with great confidence that the ministry of health for Gaza is not inflating the death toll and in…

Criticism Mounts Over Hepatitis B Vaccine Study in Guinea-Bissau A now-halted plan to test various hepatitis B vaccine schedules on newborns in Guinea-Bissau has drawn strong criticism from the World Health Organization (WHO), which labeled the study "unethical." The U.S. health department, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., had funded a trial involving 14,000 babies. This controversial study aimed to compare two groups: one received the proven birth-dose vaccine immediately, while the other was scheduled to receive the shot…

Review finds no link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and autism, ADHD or intellectual disability Current evidence does not link paracetamol use in pregnancy to autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or intellectual disabilities, according to a new review published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health. The findings directly counter recent public claims that the common painkiller—marketed in the United States as Tylenol—could be a cause of autism. In September, US President Donald…

Somalia’s space ambitions meet environmental realities Somalia’s coastline and equatorial latitude have thrust Bashaqle, in Middle Shabelle, into conversations about an African launch site. The prospect promises strategic access to orbit and a pathway into the global space economy. It also brings complex environmental, health, and governance questions that must be addressed before ignition. Equatorial launches reduce fuel needs and enable heavier payloads to orbit, making Bashaqle geographically attractive. Turkey’s…

Overview: Global emissions climb as 1.5C window narrows The latest Global Carbon Budget warns that carbon dioxide from fossil fuels is poised to reach a fresh peak in 2025, and that the remaining CO2 allowance to keep warming below 1.5C is vanishing fast. Scientists say current levels of emissions make meeting the Paris Agreement’s most ambitious goal effectively out of reach without unprecedented rapid action. Fossil CO2 emissions are projected to be about 1.1% higher in 2025 than in 2024, despite rapid deployment of…

Amnesty International has conducted new research on violence in the English-speaking west of Cameroon. The English-speaking regions are the scene of a deadly conflict between the Cameroonian army and armed separatists, from the country's English-speaking minority. Satellite images confirm testimonies coming back from the ground of civilian crimes, summary executions and destruction of homes.…

China said on Thursday that a proposal by the World Health Organization (WHO) to examine Chinese laboratories as part of the ongoing investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic showed "disrespect" and "arrogance towards science". Last week, the UN health agency said a second phase of the international probe should…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Al-Shabaab activists have stepped up their urge to change the status quo and hijack institutions in Somalia, targeting the school curriculum as one of their strategies to attract more supporters in a bid to overthrow the fragile backed Somali administration by the UN. The Arabic language has been one of the group's preferred languages ​​due to its affiliation with Al-Qaida, a Middle East-based terrorist group that, among other things, supports draconian Sharia law that both discriminates against women…