A new study identifies a promising technique to reverse male infertility. And it involves mice

Researchers at Stanford University say they're on the trail of a new therapy that would allow infertile men to have their fertility restored.

The technique involves harvesting skin cells, turning them into stem cells and then injecting them into men's testes. So far, scientists have done steps one and two, but instead of injecting them into men, they've injected them into mice. Surprisingly, the mice have produced human sperm from the human stem cells.

The Guardian reports on this promising new research that could be a solution for men who have become infertile at a variety of ages.

A shaky video captures the last moments of teenagers on the doomed South Korean ferry

When rescuers recovered the body of South Korean teenager Park Su-hyeon, they found his cell phone. But they had no idea what the phone would contain. Park was on the South Korean ferry that capsized while en route to Jeju island, off the country's southern coast. More than 300 people are dead or missing in the crash.

Park's phone, though, has provided an intimate look at the last moments in the lives of all those people. As the boat listed and ultimately capsized, the teen shot videos of other passengers contemplating their fate. In the final videos, passengers take turns offering last words to family members and friends. One student simply uttered, "Mom, I love you." The Washington Post has the story.

Are you part of #ramennation?

PRI's The World is taking a look at ramen — what separates the best from the slighly-better-than-a-cup-of-noodles. Turns out, different chefs have distinctly different ways of putting their ramen together, but they all seem to agree about how to eat it: quickly — and with as much slurping as you can muster.

The story is from our Global Nation desk, which covers the changing face of America and its culture. Tell us where you found the best ramen. Follow this Pinterest board, create a pin and send it to us. Or tweet with #ramennation.

A German teenager is shot and killed after wandering into a Montana garage

Diren Dede came to the US from Germany as an exchange student, spending a year in a Montana high school. But the Turkish-born, 17-year-old is going home in a casket after he was shot and killed in the garage of Markus Kaarma. Kaarma had been the victim of recent burglaries — and decided he was going to do something about it. 

According to the BBC, Kaarma left his garage open the night in question and left his wife's purse in the garage, in an effort to bait the burglars onto his property. Then, he set up video cameras and motion detectors, so he could be notified if someone entered. When Dede entered the garage, Kaarma took out his shotgun, opened the garage door and fired at Dede several times, killing him. Kaarma has been arrested, but plans to plead not guilty, based on the theory that he was protecting his property from an intruder. There's no word why Dede was in Kaarma's garage.

Advocates seek to give ancient cypress forest some permanent protection

Gigantic cypress trees once grew off what is now the coast of Alabama. They were so big that 10 people could link arms and still not span their entirety. The trees have been lost on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico for more than 50,000 years. They were discovered a few years ago after Hurricane Ivan roared through and scoured the seabed.

PRI's Living on Earth reports on efforts underway to have the underground cypress forest declared a national marine sanctuary before the location is discovered by loggers and others interested in harvesting the stumps and selling them.

What we're seeing on social

View post on X

Weather around the world

Flash flooding will be a major concern this weekend for people in southeast China and northern Vietnam. Heavy rain and thunderstorms will slam into the area starting on Saturday, before spreading eastward toward Hong Kong and southward toward Hanoi by Sunday, according to AccuWeather

Kickstart The World’s fundraising drive!

The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.

Make a gift today to help us raise $67,000  by the end of the year and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer to our goal!