Start your day informed with the AnewZ Daily Brief. Here are the top stories for the 11th of September, covering the latest developments about health.
A new World Health Organization (WHO) report has found that tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke are linked to reduced fertility in both men and women. Women who smoke face a 40 per cent higher infertility risk than non-smokers, while smoking in men is associated with poorer sperm quality and sexual dysfunction. The report also links smoking to lower success rates in fertility treatments such as IVF, and warns that second-hand smoke exposure carries risks too. WHO is urging healthcare providers to offer smoking cessation support to those planning a pregnancy.
A Copenhagen study of 302 three-month-old girls found those exposed to paracetamol in the womb had smaller ovaries, smaller uteruses and fewer ovarian follicles on average, plus lower AMH levels if exposed before 17 weeks. A related study of 1,210 girls tracked into adolescence found similar patterns persisting. Researchers stressed the findings don't prove paracetamol caused the differences or that fertility will be affected, and current medical guidance on using paracetamol in pregnancy remains unchanged.
Sixty parents in North Sumatra have lodged a police complaint against Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency after hundreds of children fell ill from meals handed out under President Prabowo Subianto's flagship free meals programme - the first legal challenge to the policy. The complaint seeks an investigation into negligence, named suspects and compensation, with a separate lawsuit also being prepared. The $13 billion scheme, the largest social programme of its kind among G20 nations, has now been linked to more than 50,000 food poisoning cases amid mounting allegations of mismanagement and corruption.
Maharashtra food safety commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has become a social media star, with millions of followers watching him raid restaurants and seize adulterated food. But behind the viral clips lies a patchier picture: parliamentary reports have flagged unaccredited labs, missing databases and thin staffing for years, while a fight over front-of-pack warning labels reveals lobbying pressure from major food companies. Consumers remain deeply worried about food safety, even as officials debate whether India's enforcement system can move beyond photogenic raids towards lasting reform.
The WHO says shortages of trained staff, operational partners and funding are hampering efforts to expand Ebola treatment capacity in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as the outbreak spreads across six provinces. Nearly 1,400 beds have been set up across 59 centres, but another 1,600 are needed, requiring roughly 5,000 additional health workers. Officials warn that too few major organisations have the expertise to run treatment centres, and are urging donors to boost funding for the $1.3 billion response plan.
U.S. federal prosecutors have charged six people over an alleged scheme that arranged hundreds of fraudulent ma...
Türkiye, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia have signed a new defence industry agreement in Doha, bringing existing military projects under a share...
Georgia's Constitutional Court has begun hearing a landmark case that could see five opposition parties banned following a legal challenge by t...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Norway for talks about the Russia-Ukraine war. He is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who arrived in Oslo earlier. Witkoff will also meet European officials.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said regional issues should be resolved through diplomacy and blamed the United States for insecurity and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, speaking at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday.
Yemen's Houthis have denied targeting the holy city of Medina on Wednesday adding that they have not conducted any military operations towards Saudi Arabia either, denying earlier comments from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, with discussions focused on the war in Ukraine and the prospects for progress in ongoing diplomatic efforts.
French authorities imposed local curfews in parts of Paris, Lille and Nice on Monday after a weekend of riots and looting linked to nationwide anti-government protests, as the government faced mounting criticism over security failures.
U.S. federal prosecutors have charged six people over an alleged scheme that arranged hundreds of fraudulent marriages in Massachusetts to help immigrants living in the country illegally obtain green cards and, potentially, citizenship.
Türkiye, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia have signed a new defence industry agreement in Doha, bringing existing military projects under a shared framework as Turkish defence exports reach record highs.
British PM Andy Burnham has rejected calls to reconsider the UK’s ban on Palestine Action, insisting that the decision was based on evidence and had undergone parliamentary scrutiny. He said on Wednesday that he would not comment further while legal proceedings remain ongoing.
Russia has released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired American teacher from Michigan held for more than four years after being detained by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, with discussions focused on the war in Ukraine and the prospects for progress in ongoing diplomatic efforts.
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