Global

At the time of writing, there were an estimated 8,123,518,311 living humans on Earth – roughly the most there has ever been. But as fertility and birth rates continue to freefall, the numerical peak of humanity is quickly approaching.

Americans aged 25-65 years are dying at far higher rates than their peers from other high-income countries, even surpassing death rates in Central and Eastern Europe. A new study examines what's caused the three-decade rise in midlife mortality.

Despite a 2024 so far marked with serious conflicts that threaten to escalate further, climate uncertainty and the rapid ascension of AI technologies, the famous Doomsday Clock has remained paused at 90 seconds to midnight, the same time as last year.

A new study has found that globally, the rates of new cancer cases and associated deaths in people under 50 increased alarmingly between 1990 and 2019, highlighting the importance of education on the incidence of certain cancers in younger people.

The world has surpassed 500 million officially recorded COVID-19 cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Other researchers estimate nearly half of the world’s total population has likely been infected at least once with SARS-CoV-2.

A study is offering the first peer-reviewed investigation into the global death toll of COVID-19. Tracking excess death data from nearly 200 countries the study estimates over 18 million COVID deaths, a number three times higher than official counts.

Several effective COVID-19 vaccines have been developed in rapid time but was that the easy part of the process? Are intellectual property protections and for-profit pharmaceutical companies now getting in the way of vaccinating the world's population?

A global study tracking birth data from 165 countries has found more twins are being born than ever before. The study reveals twinning rates rose by a third over the past 40 years but the researchers suggest this trend may have reached a natural peak.

Billions of people are currently confined to their homes, many are asking how long will this lockdown last, and what happens when we re-emerge? New models are suggesting this wave of social distancing is just the first phase of a war that may last until 2022.

A new report, from the world’s leading epidemic modeling group at Imperial College London, is suggesting intensive active suppression may be the best intervention to reduce mortality and healthcare demand as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread.

As global confirmed COVID-19 cases cross 90,000, with more than 3,000 fatalities, the World Health Organization’s Director-General says the world is now in “unchartered territory” but the virus can still potentially be contained.

Digital rights advocacy group Access Now has released its annual report revealing that governments around world are increasingly shutting down the internet, often to stifle dissent particularly during times of protest or elections.