The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court strikes down ban on buggery
The Offenses Against the Person Act, imported from England, criminalized “unnatural offenses” and carried a maximum penalty of 10 years with hard labor.
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Indonesia announces plan to protect 10% of its seas by 2030, and 30% by 2045
The move is part of the country’s contribution to the global “30 by 30” conservation goal, which aims to protect 30% of the world’s seas and lands by 2030.
California bans new combustion car sales from 2035
The California Air Resource Board expects this move to slash vehicle emissions – the top source of anthropogenic carbon emissions – by 50% in 2040, paving the way for a race to zero emissions by 2050.
Togo achieves ‘major feat’ of eliminating four neglected tropical diseases
The WHO has hailed the west African country as first in world to stamp out Guinea worm, lymphatic filariasis, sleeping sickness and trachoma
Singapore to repeal colonial-era law against sex between men
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced the repeal of the colonial-era Section 377A of the penal code, under which sex between men is punishable by up to two years in prison.
Sierra Leone passes new laws to boost landowners’ rights
Sierra Leone’s parliament has passed two laws that lawyers say will help boost the rights of rural landowners and women against land grabs by big mining and agribusiness firms.
New study offers hope that pill can cut hereditary cancer risk by 60 percent
The double-blind longitudinal study followed nearly 1,000 patients with Lynch Syndrome, an inherited genetic condition that increases the individual risk of several cancers, for almost 20 years.
Indigenous Shuar community in Ecuador wins decades-long battle to protect land
Ecuador’s National System of Protected Areas now includes the 13,583-acre ancestral Tiwi Nunka Forest in the country’s south.
Adopt-a-Forest climate project in Kenya pays locals to keep trees alive until they mature
The program was started to address the lack of after-care, a major flaw in many forest-planting projects in Kenya and beyond.
U.N. General Assembly declares access to clean and healthy environment a universal human right
The resolution, based on a similar text adopted last year by the Human Rights Council, calls upon States, international organizations, and business enterprises to scale up efforts to ensure a healthy environment for all.