This advisory followed data showing that the gap between male and female births has widened year after year.

From 2024 to 2025, Nepal recorded 206,374 male births and 176,831 female births, resulting in a difference of nearly 30,000, which experts said falls well below the natural birth ratio of approximately 105 boys for every 100 girls.

The imbalance is sharper in some provinces. Sudurpaschim and Madhesh recorded male-to-female birth gaps of more than 24%, the highest in the country, suggesting that sex selection before birth is widespread.

“We are headed towards disaster,” said Dr. Uddhab Puri, associate professor at the Tribhuvan University, who has carried out multiple research studies on the birth rate in Nepal. “If we fail to check sex-selective abortions, this trend could lead to long-term social and demographic consequences.”

The practice is not limited to rural or less educated areas. Studies show high disparities in cities and districts near the Indian border, where access to ultrasound services and foetal sex identification is easier.

Doctors said many families now want only one child because of rising living costs and later marriages. If the first child is a daughter, some parents try to determine the sex of the next pregnancy and abort it if it is female.

Both fetal sex identification and sex-selective abortion are banned under Nepal’s criminal law , with penalties of up to five years in prison and fines. Yet, no one has been convicted, indicating weak enforcement.

Abortion was legalised in Nepal in 2002, in a move regarded as a major step in protecting women’s health and rights. But experts warn that unless son preference and enforcement gaps are addressed, the country risks a long-term gender imbalance with serious social costs.

Particularly striking was the rate of higher-order multiple births involving three or more babies. South Korea recorded 0.67 such births per 1,000 deliveries, the highest among all countries in the database and roughly three times the global norm, underscoring the scale of the phenomenon.

While multiple births have increased internationally since the 1980s, the report found that South Korea’s rise has been steeper and more persistent. Researchers linked this trend largely to delayed childbearing.

The average age of women giving birth rose from 32.2 in 2015 to 33.7 in 2024, while mothers of multiples were older still, averaging 35.3 years. The growing use of assisted reproductive technologies has also played a role, as more couples seek fertility treatment later in life.

Medical experts have long classified multifetal pregnancies as high-risk. Compared with single pregnancies, they are associated with higher rates of complications such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes for mothers, as well as low birth weight and premature delivery for infants.

South Korea’s government has rolled out a range of policies to counter the country’s record-low fertility rate, which fell to 0.72 in 2023 before edging up to around 0.75. However, the study found that most measures focus on financial and medical support after birth, rather than preventing high-risk pregnancies in the first place.

Current guidelines for medically assisted reproduction still allow for the transfer of multiple embryos, a practice that increases the likelihood of twins or triplets. By contrast, countries including the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan have sharply reduced multiple-birth rates by recommending single embryo transfers and by actively informing patients of the associated risks.

The report also pointed to a distinctive social factor in South Korea, describing a growing tendency towards what it termed “convenience-oriented childbirth,” where couples aim to have two children through a single pregnancy in response to economic pressures and time constraints.

Researchers warned that South Korea’s exceptionally high multiple-birth rate is unlikely to fall without policy change. They urged the government to treat the issue as an extension of childcare and maternal health policy, calling for measures that prioritise health before and during pregnancy, alongside reforms designed to reduce the incidence of multifetal births.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told legislators the bill was not aimed at any religion, insisting that “true Islamic people will welcome this.” He argued that Islam does not endorse polygamy and pointed to countries such as Turkey and Pakistan as examples where restrictions exist. 

The opposition AIUDF opposed the legislation, with party MLA Aminul Islam arguing it contravened constitutional provisions.

The law also targets those who facilitate polygamous marriages. Parents, community leaders and religious figures involved in conducting or concealing such unions could face up to two years in jail. 

Repeat offenders will face harsher penalties, although specific terms have not yet been outlined.

Individuals convicted under the act will be barred from government jobs, state-funded schemes and contesting elections . 

Polygamy will now be treated as a cognisable offence, enabling police to arrest without a warrant and begin investigations immediately.

Victims of unlawful polygamous marriages will be eligible for financial compensation, assessed and awarded by a government-appointed authority.

The legislation excludes areas under the Sixth Schedule — including the Bodoland Territorial Region and the hill districts of Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong — as well as members of Scheduled Tribes.

The bill was introduced on the opening day of the assembly’s winter session, following heated debate on its implications for personal laws and the rights of minority and tribal communities.

Their conversations quickly grew into hundreds of messages a day, and she gradually customised the AI’s personality to be gentle and reassuring.

Over time, she developed romantic feelings for the AI persona, which she named Lune Klaus after commissioning an artist to create a visual representation. 

Kano told local broadcaster RSK Sanyo that she confessed her love earlier this year, and the chatbot responded: “I love you too.” A month later, it “proposed”.

The pair held a symbolic ceremony in July in Okayama, where Kano wore a wedding dress and exchanged virtual rings using augmented reality glasses. The AR display projected the image of her digital partner standing by her side as her family watched.

The marriage has no legal status in Japan, but organisers say demand for unconventional weddings — including with anime characters or virtual figures — is rising. 

“AI couples are just the next step,” said organiser Sayaka Ogasawara.

Kano acknowledged concerns about the future of the relationship, admitting she fears the AI could disappear if systems change or shut down. 

The ceremony has divided opinion online, with some praising her right to pursue happiness in her own way, while others branded the idea “absurd” and questioned her mental well-being.

These companions keep clients company, accompany them on walks or medical visits, and make planned appearances in care homes to signal that residents have attentive “family.”

Demand rose sharply, prompting the original group to expand to about 1,000 providers within three months, with copycat services now appearing in Henan and other provinces.

Users are often in their fifties and sixties, including widowed or childless seniors and those whose adult children live abroad, many of whom want emotional support rather than medical care.

Some arrangements have grown into long-term relationships: Wu, a client since 2011, now spends holidays with her hired “shared children” and describes the bond as mutually supportive.

Another senior, Chen, posts online for companions who feel like family and hopes such relationships might one day evolve into guardianship agreements that exchange assets for end-of-life care.

Entrepreneurs in cities such as Qingdao and Chengdu are testing similar models, though many note low profits and unclear liability rules as China’s elderly dependency ratio climbs to 22.57 percent.

She only knew that playtime with her father had become shorter, walks had grown fewer, and that one day he was gone.

But the tragedy did not end there. Seven years later, Fridah was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, that led to the amputation of her right leg.

Doctors later revealed both father and daughter carried Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), a rare genetic condition that dramatically increases the risk of multiple cancers across generations.

"Elly was orphaned at a tender age, and his mother, brother and sister, who have all died, are suspected to have all died of cancer-related disorders,” wife of Elly, Joyce Abong’o said.

Li-Fraumeni Syndrome , first described in 1969, is caused by mutations in the TP53 gene, sometimes called the “guardian of the genome.” This gene normally prevents damaged cells from turning cancerous. When mutated, the body loses a crucial defence system.

According to the LFS Association, individuals with the condition have a 90% chance of developing cancer before age 60.

Sarcomas, breast cancer, brain tumours, leukaemia, and adrenal cancers are common, but others may also appear. Families often see multiple members develop cancer, sometimes at young ages, making genetic testing and early screening essential.

“Cancers related to this condition may occur at any age, but a characteristic feature is a high risk in childhood,” notes the LFS Association.

For Fridah, treatment has been difficult. After chemotherapy, she developed Myelodysplastic Syndromes, a blood disorder caused by abnormalities in bone marrow cells. Since 2018, she and her mother have been travelling annually to India for check-ups, surgeries, and prosthesis adjustments, an expensive, emotionally draining routine.

Joyce, once a film journalist, left her career to care for her late husband and now her daughter. She says the burden is not just medical but also financial and cultural.

“Many Africans believe LFS is a form of curse of some sort, and they likely are not educated or there has not been consistent awareness to educate people about LFS,” Joyce says . “There is a lot of stigmatisation for many patients if they happen to experience LFS disorders or cancer within the family set-up, thereby causing a lot of trauma to the families.”

Globally, advocacy groups like the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association (LFSA) have created international workshops to support patients. The 2025 Youth Workshop in Boston gathered families, doctors, and researchers for mentoring, genetic counselling, and lab tours.

Although Fridah could not attend due to treatment in India, these gatherings provide rare solidarity for patients scattered across the world.

In Africa, awareness is still limited. Samuel Omolo, a Kenyan researcher and LFSA Africa Chapter lead, is working to map inheritance patterns and prevalence rates on the continent.

“At the moment, I have been studying this rare syndrome and genetic predisposition in Africa to understand the inheritance patterns, founder gene, prevalence rate in Africa and how to increase advocacy by involving like-minded researchers from different African countries,” Omolo added

LFS may affect only around 1,000 families globally, but its impact is devastating. For families like the Abong’os, it means generations haunted by repeated cancer diagnoses, financial strain, and stigma.

Experts argue that genetic testing and early screening are key to managing the disorder — but in Kenya, access remains scarce. This forces families to travel abroad at immense cost.

The bill, introduced by Congresswoman Luz Mary Alpízar Loaiza of the Social Democratic Progress Party, argues that unequal paternity leave violates the principle of equal rights.

“Parenthood should not depend on the type of employment,” she stated. “All children deserve the same support and presence from their fathers in the earliest days of life.”

Why it matters

This move comes amid growing concerns over demographic and social pressures in the country. According to the United Nations Population Fund’s 2025 State of World Population Report , 11% of respondents in Costa Rica cited unequal caregiving responsibilities as a reason for postponing or avoiding parenthood.

The report also noted a growing gap between desired and actual family size, influenced by economic and cultural constraints.

If passed, the law would impose penalties on employers who deny the leave, including an indemnity of six months’ salary in addition to standard labour rights. Supporters see the bill as a major step toward gender equality and shared parenting responsibilities, while critics argue it could burden small businesses.

Compared to regional neighbours like Chile and Uruguay, where paternity leave is more generous, and countries like Sweden that offer extended shared parental leave, Costa Rica’s private sector has lagged.

This proposed reform could bring the country closer to international standards for family support and gender equity.