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A contraceptive gel that men rub on their shoulders to lower their sperm count is safe, effective and starts working more quickly than other similar methods, new research shows. 

The gel lowered men’s sperm count to the threshold deemed effective for contraception within eight weeks on average – faster than the nine to 15 weeks seen with male contraceptive injections.

This could make the birth control choice more attractive to men, according to researchers from the Contraceptive Development Programme at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The 222 men who took part in the trial rubbed 5ml – about a teaspoon – of the gel on each shoulder blade once a day.

The product combines two hormones, testosterone and a synthetic hormone called Nestorone.

While testosterone alone reduces sperm count, adding Nestorone speeds up the time it takes to work and means less testosterone can be given, keeping levels at a point where they do not affect sex drive or cause other side effects.

The product, which is still undergoing trials, is the most advanced among a crop of newly developed male birth control options.

Logan Whitehead, 24, was part of the trial and told Sky News’s US partner NBC News he would continue taking the contraceptive if it is approved for general use – especially having seen his partner struggle with the birth control options available to women.

“The gel was such an easy process,” he said. “It was basically like taking the pill for the day.”

Mr Whitehead said he didn’t notice side effects from the gel beyond some upper back acne and possibly a bit of weight gain, which could also have been linked to a new sedentary job.

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Researchers are now continuing to look at how well the gel works to prevent pregnancy, as well as its safety, acceptability and how long it takes to reverse after treatment stops.

But at the moment there is no money for the more in-depth stage three trials that are the next step to getting the drug authorised.

Read more:
Male pill is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy
British men first in the world to try new hormone-free male pill

Gynecologist Dr Brian Nguyen, one of the investigators on the gel trial, told NBC News they would need a major pharmaceutical company to fund it.

He said the challenge is that despite evidence that men want options, many couples still depend on female birth control.

“But that doesn’t mean they are satisfied with them and wouldn’t appreciate a male method,” he said.

“People always ask, ‘How long will it be until we see this product on the market?'” Dr Nguyen said.

“Most people will say five to 10 years, but I disagree.”

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Trump’s sanctions are no slap on the wrist – they’re a punch to the gut of Moscow’s war economy

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Trump's sanctions are no slap on the wrist - they're a punch to the gut of Moscow's war economy

The new US sanctions are no slap on the wrist – they’re a punch to the gut of Moscow’s war economy.

Oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil are the twin engines pumping money through Russia’s military veins.

Washington framed the bold move as a bid to “degrade the Kremlin’s ability to raise revenue for its war machine”.

Oil is Russia’s bloodstream, and the Trump Treasury just cut off the blood flow.

But every blow struck in the ring comes with the risk of self-inflicted pain, and there’s potential for collateral damage.

By squeezing Russia’s oil sector, the president is tightening the global market’s chest – and America’s own pump could feel the pressure.

The White House is gambling that the geopolitical payoff will ultimately outweigh the domestic sting.

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Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

“These are tremendous sanctions and I hope they don’t last long,” Mr Trump said.

That mix of swagger and caveat summed up his approach – maximum pressure, but with an eye on prices back home.

Europe rushed to mirror Washington’s stance, adding restrictions on imports and tightening loopholes in shipping.

The EU was clearly signalling that it’s in Trump’s corner, that the Western alliance holds.

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Trump: Putin summit ‘didn’t feel right’

‘Wasted journey’

On both sides of the Atlantic, they know that Moscow will seize on any disunity and slip through the cracks.

An Oval Office meeting with the NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte provided the diplomatic stagecraft.

Mr Trump repeated that he’d cancelled a planned summit with Vladimir Putin because he “didn’t want to have a wasted journey”.

Mr Rutte played the part of loyal ally, twice labelling the US president “the only one who can get this done”.

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NATO chief: Trump-Zelenskyy meeting not a disaster

Earlier, Mr Rutte played down my suggestion that his visit indicated Trump’s meeting with Zelensky last Friday had been a disaster.

It wouldn’t be the first time Mr Rutte, who famously referred to Mr Trump as “Daddy”, has poured oil on troubled waters.

But it’s Moscow’s apparent refusal to accept Trump’s terms that has put plans for another summit with Putin on hold.

China’s diplomatic influence with Russia could give it some leverage when Mr Trump meets Xi Jinping for trade talks next week.

The US president’s sanctions are more than punishment – they’re a strategic gamble to corner Putin – but the margin of error is razor thin.

If energy prices surge or allied unity splinters, Mr Trump could find himself on the ropes.

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Entire East Wing of White House will be demolished for ballroom – as Trump urged to pause project

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Entire East Wing of White House will be demolished for ballroom - as Trump urged to pause project

The entire East Wing of the White House will be demolished “within days” – much more bulldozing than initially expected for Donald Trump’s new ballroom construction project.

Two Trump administration officials told Sky News’ US partner NBC that the demolition is a significant expansion of the initial plans announced this summer.

“It won’t interfere with the current building,” Mr Trump had said on 31 July. “It’ll be near it, but not touching it, and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of.”

Rubble is piled higher and higher as demolition continues on the East Wing. Pic: AP
Image:
Rubble is piled higher and higher as demolition continues on the East Wing. Pic: AP

But a White House official told NBC News the “entirety” of the East Wing would eventually be “modernised and rebuilt”.

“The scope and the size of the ballroom project have always been subject to vary as the process develops,” the official added.

The East Wing was built at the beginning of the last century and was last modified in 1942.

Explainer: How Trump has changed the White House while in power

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Trump shows off an artist's impressions of his new ballroom. Pic:AP
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Trump shows off an artist’s impressions of his new ballroom. Pic:AP

Construction on the ballroom – which is expected to hold up to 900 people when finished – began this week.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a non-profit agency created by Congress to help preserve historic buildings, warned administration officials in a letter on Tuesday that the planned ballroom “will overwhelm the White House itself”.

“We respectfully urge the administration and the National Park Service (stewards of the White House) to pause demolition until plans for the proposed ballroom go through the legally required public review processes,” Carol Quillen, the trust’s chief executive, said in a statement.

Windows of the complex could be seen being torn down. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Windows of the complex could be seen being torn down. Pic: Reuters

‘Fake news’

The White House called the uproar “manufactured outrage” by “unhinged leftists and their fake news allies” in a statement.

Last week, Mr Trump said the total price would be about $250m (£187m), which would be paid for by himself and private donors will pay for. However, on Wednesday, he said the ballroom’s price is “about $300m (£225m)”.

The 90,000 sq ft ballroom will dwarf the White House itself – and would be able to accommodate almost five times more guests than the East Room, the largest current space in the mansion.

Mr Trump says the ballroom won’t cost US taxpayers at all. Instead, “donors” would pay for it.

Comcast, the parent company of Sky News, was included on a list of top donors released last week – but it is unclear how much it or others have contributed.

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Daniel Naroditsky: Rival faces disciplinary action for ‘bullying’ chess grandmaster before his death

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Daniel Naroditsky: Rival faces disciplinary action for 'bullying' chess grandmaster before his death

A former world chess champion is being investigated over his public attacks on US grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, who died suddenly this week aged 29.

Russian player Vladimir Kramnik is facing disciplinary proceedings over repeated accusations against Mr Naroditsky.

He was found dead at his home earlier in North Carolina, and the cause has not been made public.

Vladimir Kramnik. Pic: AP
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Vladimir Kramnik. Pic: AP

Mr Naroditsky’s supporters claim he had been “bullied relentlessly online” by Mr Kramnik, with some calling for him to be banned from the game.

Mr Kramnik has accused a number of players of cheating in online games – and first voiced “concerns” about Mr Naroditsky’s play last year, leading to an ongoing feud between the pair.

The 50-year-old routinely posted online about his younger rival, calling for an investigation into his play and at times appearing to threaten legal action.

In an October 2024 interview, Mr Naroditsky characterised Mr Kramnik’s efforts as “a sustained, evil and absolutely unhinged attempt to destroy my life”.

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Now, following the announcement of Mr Naroditsky’s death on Monday, the international chess federation (FIDE) has referred Mr Kramnik’s behaviour to its ethics and disciplinary commission.

Naroditsky was a popular chess streamer on YouTube and Twitch. Pic: AP
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Naroditsky was a popular chess streamer on YouTube and Twitch. Pic: AP

FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement: “I, along with the FIDE management board, will formally refer all relevant public statements made by GM (grandmaster) Vladimir Kramnik – both before and after the tragic death of GM Daniel Naroditsky – to the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission for independent consideration.”

Mr Kramnik has denied wrongdoing, and claims he has also been bullied by members of the chess community – as well as receiving death threats.

He told Reuters: “What public statement after the death of Daniel was incorrect? … I have not bullied Daniel Naroditsky, nor ever made personal insults towards him.”

But prominent chess players have condemned Mr Kramnik’s conduct – with former world champion Magnus Carlsen describing his treatment of Mr Naroditsky as “horrible”.

Meanwhile, Indian grandmaster Nihal Sarin said the retired player “needs to pay for what he’s doing”.

Mr Naroditsky was one of America’s most recognisable chess figures and a former world youth champion.

At just 14 years old, he had written and published a book on the game – and in later years, educated followers through livestreams on Twitch and YouTube.

Mr Naroditsky denied cheating and appeared visibly distressed in his final Twitch broadcast last weekend, where he referred to the toll the controversy had taken on him, according to the now-deleted video.

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