Honduras lifts ban on emergency contraception pill
In a major win for reproductive rights, Honduras’ first female president has just lifted the country’s near-total ban on the morning-after pill. Last November, President Xiomara Castro relaxed Honduras’ complete prohibition- the only country in the world with a blanket ban- however only in cases of rape. The executive order was...
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Colombia was the deadliest country in the world for activists last year
Almost half of all human rights defenders murdered in 2022 were from the Latin American nation, accounting for 186 killings – or 46% – of the global total registered during that period. Last year was the deadliest on record for human rights activists in Colombia. According to a new report by...
Growing concern in Seychelles over heroin abuse
Heroin abuse is causing widespread concern in Seychelles. Due to high unemployment and limited opportunities for young people, drug use is on the rise. Seychelles is the least populated sovereign African country with only 99,000 citizens, half of which are below 25 years old. Despite its low population, it has the...
Cows in the UK could be given ‘methane blockers’ to cut emissions
As part of the British government’s net-zero plans, farmers will be forced to give livestock cattle feeds containing flatulence suppressants in an attempt to reduce their digestive gas. Methane is a colourless and odourless gas expelled by cattle which is approximately 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide when it...
How gang violence is upending Haitian lives
The rise of gang activity has brought the country to a halt, as locals seek homegrown ways to regain agency. A deepening political crisis is currently gripping Haiti and the international community is paying little attention. Rising gang activity has kept Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, in rigid captivity. Few locals have...
Taliban closes women’s beauty parlours in Afghanistan
In the latest reduction of access to public spaces for Afghan women, one of the last remaining refuges they have left has been declared un-Islamic by the Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. In 2021, the world watched in horror as the Taliban, taking advantage of America’s...
UN report warns of a looming global water crisis
New research has uncovered that the number of people lacking access to safe drinking water in cities around the world will double by 2050 due to overconsumption and climate change. Billions of people will face water shortages in the coming decades as climate change, population growth, and shifting agricultural practices strain supplies like never before. This is according to the UN World Water Development Report, which was published...
Understanding earthquakes with a seismologist
After the Turkey-Syria earthquake, there have been many questions, concerns and conspiracies. To answer these questions, a seismologist might have some of the answers. It has been over two weeks since a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern and central Turkey and western Syria. Over 40,000 people have died in Turkey and more than 5,000 in Syria, and the toll is rising. People are still being searched for and rescued,...
Seasonal allergies spiking earlier due to rising global temperatures
As our planet warms, allergy season is starting earlier and lasting longer, with pollen counts in the US already reported to be at ‘extremely high’ levels. Despite my preference for the hotter months of the year, whenever winter finally ends and spring rolls around, I’m usually filled with dread by what’s to come. As a long-time sufferer of hay fever, better weather means a bitter sweet amalgamation of actually enjoying the...
Why are scientists warning of a ‘phosphogeddon’?
Not only is global mismanagement of phosphorous depleting reserves vital to food production, but the element’s profligate use is also adding to the climate crisis. ‘To put it simply, there is no life on Earth without phosphorus,’ says Professor Penny Johnes, who teaches biogeochemistry at the University of Bristol. The element, which was discovered in 1669 and has since proved to be essential to humanity’s survival, is currently the focus of...
