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New study links air pollution with infertility in men

7Sep

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Health

New study links air pollution with infertility in men

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution is linked to a higher risk of infertility in men, according to a Danish study. The study led by researchers at the Nord Universitet in Denmark throws light on a significant worldwide health issue, infertility which affects one in every seven couples. Studies on sperm quality and the success of fertility treatments have found negative correlations with particulate air pollution; however, results on fecundability, or the probability of becoming pregnant, have been inconsistent, and no research has looked into the impact of transportation noise on infertility in men and women. The study, published in the journal BMJ, found that prolonged exposure to PM2.5 is associated with a higher risk of infertility in men. The team i...

The best pop culture costumes to wear for Halloween 2024

7Sep

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Life Style

The best pop culture costumes to wear for Halloween 2024

You can say what you like about 2024, but it has been a brilliant year for costume-worthy pop culture moments. From characters from Dune 2 to Charli XCX’s brat, there’s a wealth of things to dress up as this Halloween while still seeming ultra relevant.So say goodbye to the Paris bedbugs and the many, many Barbies and Kens of 2023, because Halloween 2024 is here, and your costume needs a little bit of that recency bias. From Drake and Kendrick, to Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s much-memed romance, here are our top picks for your potential Halloween pop culture costumes. 1. Sabrina Carpenter and Barry KeoghanGettyIn their weird little Met Gala get-ups or in her Espresso gear. Or even just a Man United shirt and an Irish accent for Barry if you’re feelin’ lazy. Just remember to say the Joker i...

Charges against father of Georgia shooting suspect test legal strategy

7Sep

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World News

Charges against father of Georgia shooting suspect test legal strategy

By Rich McKay of Reuters Colin Gray, 54, the father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray, 14, enters the Barrow County courthouse. Photo: Getty Images Less than an hour after his 14-year-old son appeared in a courtroom in the US state of Georgia on murder charges, Colin Gray found himself in the same courtroom seat, anxiously rocking back and forth as prosecutors accused him of bearing responsibility for the deaths caused by the boy's rampage. The initial appearances by Colin Gray, 54, and Colt Gray, 14, in the Barrow County courtroom came two days after an attack that killed two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Winder, a city of 18,000 some 80 km northeast of Atlanta. Nine others were wounded. Colt Gray, an Apalachee student, has been charged as a...

Jannik Sinner downs ailing Draper to reach US Open final

7Sep

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World News

Jannik Sinner downs ailing Draper to reach US Open final

Jannik Sinner at the US Open. Photo: photosport By Amy Tennery, Reuters Italian top seed Jannik Sinner took down ailing Briton Jack Draper 7-5 7-6(3) 6-2 to reach the US Open final, overcoming muggy conditions at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Sinner appeared to have suffered a wrist injury when he fell over in the second set but rallied to reach his second major final after winning the Australian Open earlier this year. Little went right for Draper, who vomited three times in the second set as he struggled with the heat and humidity that also left his shirt soaked in sweat. Jack Draper of Great Britain is through to the semi-finals of the US Open. Photo: Afp/Matthew Stockman Ten double faults also failed to help the 22-year-old's bid to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time. "It was ...

Without astronauts, Boeing’s Starliner undocks from space station

7Sep

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World News

Without astronauts, Boeing’s Starliner undocks from space station

By Joey Roulette, Reuters In this screen grab from a NASA livestream, the Boeing Starliner spacecraft can be seen pulling away from the International Space Station for its unmanned return to the surface of Earth. Photo: NASA / AFP Without astronauts, Boeing's Starliner undocks from space station Starliner undocks from ISS for six-hour return trip to Earth Boeing's Starliner faces technical issues, costing $125 million Boeing's future in space questioned amid Starliner struggles Boeing's Starliner spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station on Saturday (NZ time), leaving behind its first crew of US astronauts to return to Earth empty and finish a drawn-out test mission fraught with technical issues. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who became the first t...

Man charged over alleged plot to attack New York City Jewish centre around anniversary of Hamas attack

6Sep

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World News

Man charged over alleged plot to attack New York City Jewish centre around anniversary of Hamas attack

The attack was to be in support of Islamic State, prosecutors alleged. Photo: 123RF By Jasper Ward and Anna Mehler Paperny, Reuters A Pakistani citizen living in Canada was arrested on Wednesday and charged with planning an attack in New York City in support of the Islamic State, the Department of Justice said on Friday. Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, is accused of plotting a mass shooting at a Jewish centre in Brooklyn around 7 October, 2024, nearly one year after Hamas' attack in Israel. US Attorney General Merrick Garland said Khan, who is also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, aimed to kill "as many Jewish people as possible". The Department of Justice was not able to confirm if Khan had obtained legal counsel. Khan attempted to travel from Canada to the United States where he intended to use au...

Retiree calls for pension ‘top-up’ for those unable to save

6Sep

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Business

Retiree calls for pension ‘top-up’ for those unable to save

Photo: 123rf Helen, whom RNZ has agreed not to identify, is facing retirement with just $1000 in savings. She and her former partner have separated and he is living in their family home. She has to rely on the New Zealand Superannuation to get by. "Much of my life was spent caring for others without pay," she said. Over the years, she looked after their autistic daughter and her elderly parents, as well as her in-laws. Her partner worked full-time, in what she describes as a "very traditional" household economic arrangement. "All of this support and care was without any financial compensation. I think that women in my situation should be compensated for loss of income through caring for babies, children, and elderly parents. Women who have disabled children need an additional top-up beca...

Fiji government sticks with new anti-corruption chief who is under investigation

6Sep

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World News

Fiji government sticks with new anti-corruption chief who is under investigation

The Fijians government is backing the appointment of the country's new anti-corruption chief who was under investigation by the office she now heads, which has left the Fijian people asking questions. Photo: RNZ Pacific The Fijian government is backing the appointment of the country's new anti-corruption chief, who is under investigation by the office she now heads. Barbara Malimali - who was also the Electoral Commission chair - was revealed as the new Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption commissioner on Wednesday. Malimali's appointment, confirmed by the nation's president on the advice of the Judicial Services Commission, has been slammed as "unbelievable" by one opposition MP, while the opposition leader in parliament has said it raises "numerous questions ... that need an...

Highway median barriers hit farmers in the pocket

6Sep

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Business

Highway median barriers hit farmers in the pocket

State Highway 2 median barrier protesters in July. Photo: Blake Judson Median barriers on State Highway 2 near Katikati are "severely limiting" access and hurting horticultural and agricultural businesses, farmers say. The flexible wire rope barrier was installed on SH2, south of Katikati, in July as part of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) safety improvements. Sections of the new median barrier can be found between Katikati and Ōmokoroa. The barrier has drawn criticism and protests because it limits cars and trucks from turning into side streets. Rick Burke, who has farmed on Lund Rd for 40 years, said the barriers would have an economic impact. "With vehicles having to unnecessarily travel a considerable distance further to get back to their roads, the vehicle running cost an...

Paris to name sports venue after dead Ugandan Olympian Cheptegei

6Sep

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World News

Paris to name sports venue after dead Ugandan Olympian Cheptegei

Uganda's Rebecca Cheptegei, left, competes in the women's marathon final during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on 26 August, 2023. Photo: FERENC ISZA / AFP The French capital will pay tribute to Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei, who was set on fire by her boyfriend, by naming a sports facility in her honour, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has announced. The marathon runner, who competed in the Paris Games last month died on Thursday, four days after she was doused in petrol and ignited by her boyfriend in Kenya, in the latest attack on a female athlete in the country. The 33-year-old, who finished 44th in her Olympic Games debut, suffered burns to more than 75 percent of her body in Sunday's attack, Kenyan and Ugandan media reported. "She dazzled us here in Paris. We saw her....