Greece has become the first Christian Orthodox-majority country to legalize same-sex marriage. Same-sex couples will now also be legally allowed to adopt children after the 176-76 vote in parliament. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis proclaimed “People who have been invisible will finally be made visible around us, and with them, many children will finally find their rightful place.”
Child marriage is now illegal in Zambia, thanks to the new Marriage (Amendment) Act. The landmark amendment defines a child as a “person who has attained, or is below, the age of eighteen years”. It also states that any marriage between persons where either is a child is now void. Although the practice has become less common in recent years, the UNFPA and UNICEF reported that in 2018, 29% of all young women in Zambia aged 20–24 married before 18 years old, and 5% before turning 15.
England is launching a biodiversity credit scheme that attempts to force all new road and housebuilding projects to benefit nature, rather than damage it. The “nature market”, called biodiversity net gain (BNG), means all new building projects must achieve a 10% net gain in biodiversity or habitat. The requirement becomes law under the Town and Country Planning Act on February 12 for larger sites, and on April 2 2024 for smaller sites.
The European Union has reached a historic agreement to protect women from different forms of violence, including female genital mutilation, forced marriages, and online harassment. Violence against women and girls is one of the most systematic and common human rights violations globally. According to the European Council, one in three women in Europe has experienced physical or sexual violence and 600,000 have undergone female genital mutilation.
Looted from British-colonized Ghana in the 19th century before being transferred to Fowler Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the 1960s, the artifacts included an elephant tail whisk, an ornamental chair made of wood, leather and iron, two gold stool ornaments, a gold necklace and two bracelets.
The European Union saw a record drop in fossil fuel power last year, according to a new analysis by energy think tank Ember. In 2023, coal generation fell by 26%, while gas generation fell by 15%. Along with a record buildout of renewables and a downturn in demand, the decline of fossil fuels led to an unprecedented drop in emissions from generating electricity, which fell by 19%. Now, for the first time, wind power supplies more electricity for Europe than either natural gas or coal.
Around the world, mangrove forests have undergone a decades-long decline that’s just now slowing to a halt. But Pakistan bucks this trend. The country’s mangroves expanded from 48,331 hectares in 1986 to 143,930 hectares in 2020, according to a 2022 analysis of satellite data. Many in Pakistan are looking to mangroves to bolster precious fish stocks and defend against the mounting effects of climate change.
Women in Turkey can use their own surnames after they marry, now that a rule forcing them to take their husband’s surname has been overturned. Article 187 of the Turkish civil code previously stated that a woman had to take her husband’s surname upon marriage, however she could use her own surname first “with a written application to the marriage officer or later to the civil registry office.” The new decision by the Turkish Constitutional Court came into effect on January 28, following a ruling in April 2023.
The Wildlife Conservation Society launched the new funding mechanism, in collaboration with Bolivia’s Foundation for the Development of the National System of Protected Areas. The new mechanism will channel conservation funds to Indigenous organizations in the Madidi Landscape, one of the most biodiverse terrestrial protected areas in the world. The new fund has so far attracted $650,000 in initial support from the Bezos Earth Fund.
Ethiopia is to claim the accolade of becoming the first country in the world to ban the importation of all internal combustion engine cars, both new and used. The East African country will adopt an electric-only strategy as it seeks to reduce its reliance on fossil fuel imports and clean the air in its cities. While EV charging infrastructure is limited, Ethiopia does generate 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, according to the International Energy Agency, with strong solar, hydropower, and wind power projects.
