WaterAid wants you to know about these 15 young environmental activists
The international charity is showcasing a group of Gen Zers, from actors and bloggers to documentary makers and authors, united in their fight to save our planet. 2020 was a pretty tough year for our planet. Not only was it the joint hottest on record, but during just 12 months we...
Current in People
Honduras locks in permanent ban on abortion
The country's government has approved a constitutional reform that will make it virtually impossible to legalise abortion in Honduras. Less than a month after the historic moment for women’s rights in Argentina, whereby the country became just the third in Latin America to legalise abortion, Honduras has moved to permanently...
The 9-year-old activist leading a campaign against plastic waste
At just 9 years of age, a British girl is spearheading a campaign to stop unsorted plastic waste being dumped in developing countries. A new year may have just begun, but it’s safe to say we’ve already got a contender for most inspiring story of 2021. If you were to ask,...
Why are Colombians protesting police brutality?
A local human rights group has revealed that Colombia's police are responsible for 289 homicides committed between 2017 and 2019, for which only two policemen have been convicted. In September last year, a video of police in the Colombian capital of Bogotá attacking and tazing father of two Javier Ordóñez...
Chinese embassy’s ‘emancipation’ tweet rebuked online
A tweet from Beijing's embassy in the US claiming detained Uighur women are no longer 'baby-making machines' has been condemned for misrepresenting genocide and forced sterilisation. Twitter has deleted a ‘dehumanising’ post from Beijing’s embassy in Washington DC claiming that Uighur women held in internment camps in China’s north-western Xinjiang...
Human Rights Watch urges Biden to scrap ‘Remain in Mexico’ programme
According to a recent report published by the organisation, the US migration programme has needlessly exposed tens of thousands of asylum seekers in Mexico to crimes such as rape, kidnapping, and extortion. Following President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in November, Latin American politicians and activists from Mexico to Argentina were quick...
The legal state of abortion worldwide in 2021
Attitudes towards the ever contentious pro-choice/pro-birth debate have shifted varyingly over the last 25 years across the globe. In 2021, here’s where different regions currently stand on the legality. A week after Argentina secured a huge milestone for pro-choice campaigners by becoming the largest Latin American country – and only the third one in the region – to legalise abortion, consumer data mogul Statista has released a definitive record...
Are ‘pre-polluted’ babies the new normal?
Researchers find microplastics in human placentas, calling the presence of the particles 'a matter of great concern.' Just when you thought our plastic pollution problem couldn’t get any worse, Italian researchers have found microplastics in the placentas of human fetuses. While we don’t yet know the health implications of this finding, the researchers concluded that the presence of these particles “is a matter of great concern.” Microplastics are small pieces of...
Sesame Street unveils new Rohingya muppets to help refugee children
The US children's show has created twins Noor and Aziz to deliver early years education to Rohingya children living in the world's largest refugee camp. Sesame Street is no stranger to stepping back from the sunny, carefree world of kid’s entertainment, often reflecting on the raw reality of life for vulnerable children. The show, which just last year debuted a new initiative providing free resources for community providers...
Argentina poised to deliver Latin America’s biggest abortion rights win
Argentine lawmakers have taken a huge step towards legalising abortion, fulfilling President Fernández' promise to make women's rights a central pillar of his government. On course to becoming the first major Latin American country to legalise abortion and just the fourth in the region where the practice is not prohibited, it appears Argentina may be about to deliver a historic win for women’s rights after legislation was passed by the...
