Society

Global developmentHealthIndiaSocietySouth and Central AsiaWorld news

‘People fear eating, drinking and going outside’: anxiety stalks Indian village after mystery illness kills 17 people

Initial suspicions of food poisoning have been ruled out but the authorities are taking no chances as they wait for lab results in the search for a cause“My daughter came to me, tugging at my shirt, and asked, ‘Baba, if we drink water, will we die too?…

続きを読む
AfghanistanGlobal developmentGlobal educationHuman rightsSocietySouth and Central AsiaTalibanWomenWomen's rights and gender equalityWorld news

Taliban minister ‘forced to flee Afghanistan’ after speech in support of girls’ education

Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, Taliban’s deputy foreign minister, left for UAE after criticising ban on secondary school and higher education for girlsA senior Taliban minister who expressed support for reversing the ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan a…

続きを読む
Aids and HIVGlobal developmentHealthIndiaSex workSexual healthSocietySouth and Central AsiaTransgenderWorld news

Diesel, oil, condoms: transgender sex workers teach India’s truckers about Aids

On the road for weeks at a time, STDs are rife among lorry drivers. Now, volunteers are teaching them about safe sexAt a roadside booth, a volunteer pulls a condom over a wooden phallus. “Feel the packet first. If it feels dry, don’t use it, it’s past …

続きを読む
CultureDomestic violenceEnvironmentGlobal developmentIndiaMediaRadioSeedsSocietySouth and Central AsiaWomenWomen's rights and gender equalityWorld news

From missing goats to health tips: how a female-run radio station is giving rural India a voice

For nearly two decades, ‘General’ Narsamma and her team at Sangham Radio have honed their craft, learning every aspect of broadcasting, including fixing the radio mast and interview techniquesWords and photographs by Uday NarayananAs twilight settles o…

続きを読む
Global developmentHinduismIndiaReligionSocietySouth and Central AsiaWidowsWomenWomen's rights and gender equality

Solace and sisterhood: the Indian holy city where ostracised widows find a new home – in pictures

Women from all over West Bengal and beyond travel to Vrindavan for a life of prayer, many having suffered abuse, stigma and abandonment by families who see them as cursed. Up to 20,000 widows – nearly 20% of the city’s population – have found refuge in…

続きを読む
AfricaAids and HIVChinaCoronavirusDonald TrumpHealthJoe BidenScienceSocietyTrump administrationUS newsUS politicsWorld Health OrganizationWorld news

Uncharted territory for the WHO if Trump withdraws US membership

WHO is ‘critical in protecting US business interests’, says CEO of firm that may see lean years if Trump carries out vowThe World Health Organization (WHO) could see lean years ahead if the US withdraws membership under the new Trump administration. Su…

続きを読む
AfghanistanEmploymentForced marriageGlobal developmentGlobal educationHuman rightsLawSocietySouth and Central AsiaTalibanWomenWomen's rights and gender equalityWorld news

The Taliban made me marry my boss: how one word led to a forced marriage

Afghanistan’s ‘morality police’ arrested Samira at work in Kabul – and then made the 19-year-old marry her employerIt was a normal summer morning in July last year when 19-year-old Samira* made her way to the carpet-weaving shop where she worked in Kab…

続きを読む
AfghanistanCultureFranceMiddle East and North AfricaSocietyTalibanTelevisionTelevision & radioWomenWomen's healthWomen's rights and gender equalityWorld news

‘It’s a continuation of hope’: Paris-based TV station provides a lifeline for women in Afghanistan

Begum TV beams educational and entertainment shows into homes of women living under strict Taliban ruleFrom a tiny television studio in Paris, 4,500 miles from Kabul, a raft of programmes geared towards women and presented by female hosts beams 24 hour…

続きを読む
AfricaIsrael-Gaza warMédecins Sans FrontièresMigrationPalestinian territoriesRohingyaSocietySouth and Central AsiaSudanVoluntary sectorWorld news

‘A glimpse of hope’: how Observer readers are helping mend broken lives in war-torn lands

Médecins Sans Frontières workers have unique insight into the suffering of those they help, providing medical care in times of crisisDonate to our charity appeal hereMédecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is one of the Guardian and Observer’s three 2024 charit…

続きを読む
Global developmentGlobal healthHealthLGBTQ+ rightsPakistanSocietySouth and Central AsiaTransgenderTuberculosisWorld news

Shunned and shamed, Pakistan’s trans community finally gets help for TB

Often forced into sex work, trans people are at higher risk of tuberculosis but face abuse when they seek treatment. Now screening and outreach work are helping tackle the diseaseTwo years ago, Honey developed a persistent cough but was afraid to go to…

続きを読む
ActivismAfricaAmericasBangladeshBoliviaConflict and armsCyclingDisabilityEthiopiaGazaGlobal developmentHuman rightsIranIsrael-Gaza warIvory CoastJournalist safetyKenyaLawLGBTQ+ rightsMediaMiddle East and North AfricaMountaineeringMyanmarNigeriaPalestinian territoriesPrisonsRohingyaSocietySouth and Central AsiaSportUgandaWomen's rights and gender equalityWorld news

We can be heroes: the inspiring people we met around the world in 2024 – part one

From an exuberant mountaineering woman to a boy representing unheard refugees, here are some of the brave individuals that gave us hopeNine years ago, Cecilia Llusco was one of 11 Indigenous women who made it to the summit of the 6,088 metre-high Huayn…

続きを読む
EmploymentEnvironmentFood securityGlobal developmentIndiaIndigenous peoplesSocietySouth and Central AsiaTrees and forestsWorld news

Bamboo bonanza: how a village in India used its forest to go from poverty to prosperity

Restoring age-old land rights has enabled 300 villagers to build a profitable business and halt the exodus to the cityIt’s late morning and the sound of axes clacking against wood echoes through Pachgaon’s bamboo forest in the central Indian state of M…

続きを読む