ERREKUNDA, Gambia — Lawmakers in Gambia on Monday rejected, for now, an attempt to repeal a ban on female genital cutting, which would make the West African nation the first country anywhere to make that reversal. Activists in the largely Muslim country had warned that lifting the ban would hurt years of work against a … Read more
TALLINN, Estonia — A Catholic activist in Belarus was handed a three-year prison sentence Friday on charges that Western diplomats have denounced as politically driven, the latest move in the authorities’ sweeping crackdown on the country’s civil society. Uladzislau Beladzed, 33, who taught the catechism at the city’s Cathedral of the Holy Name of the … Read more
VALLE DE BRAVO, Mexico — Once a glittering weekend getaway for wealthy residents of Mexico City, Valle de Bravo has been reduced to a shrinking, increasingly polluted puddle by a combination of drought, water transfers to the capital, bad planning and lawlessness. Residents said Thursday that Valle — as the reservoir has been known since … Read more
As the holiest month of the year for Muslims, Ramadan—which begins on the evening of March 10 in 2024—is a time of spirituality, self-discipline, and compassion. For many who observe, that focus on compassion also translates into an increased focus on social justice and activism. “If Ramadan isn’t a month of activism, I don’t know … Read more
MEXICO CITY — Women across Latin America are bathing their city streets in purple on Friday in commemoration of International Women’s Day at a time when gender rights advocates in the region face both historic steps forward and major setbacks. Following decades of activism and campaigning by feminist groups, access to things like abortion has … Read more
ISTANBUL — Muhterem Evcil was stabbed to death by her estranged husband at her workplace in Istanbul, where he had repeatedly harassed her in breach of a restraining order. The day before, authorities detained him for violating the order but let him go free after questioning. More than a decade later, her sister believes Evcil … Read more
TALLINN, Estonia — When charismatic opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was gunned down on a bridge near the Kremlin in February 2015, more than 50,000 Muscovites expressed their shock and outrage the next day at the brazen assassination. Police stood aside as they rallied and chanted anti-government slogans. Nine years later, stunned and angry Russians streamed … Read more
HARARE, Zimbabwe — A Zimbabwean opposition activist slain nearly two years ago was finally buried Saturday at an event marked by a low turnout and clashes between members of the main opposition party, highlighting its decline. Moreblessing Ali, 46, a member of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change, or CCC, was abducted in May 2022 … Read more
ROGACA, Serbia — When Elena Koposova signed an open letter against Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she didn’t expect a backlash in her newly adopted home state of Serbia. After all, Serbia is formally seeking to join the European Union while adopting all the democratic values that go along with the membership, she thought. Now, … Read more
TALLINN, Estonia — World leaders and Russian opposition activists wasted no time Friday in blaming the reported death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny on President Vladimir Putin and his government. “It is obvious that he was killed by Putin,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was visiting Berlin as he sought aid for his … Read more