Pussy Riot activist Pyotr Verzilov has been flown to Berlin to receive specialist medical treatment following a suspected poisoning in Moscow. Verzilov, who was one of the four members of Pussy Riot who invaded the pitch dressed in police uniforms during the World Cup final in Moscow to protest excessive Russian police powers, fell ill following a court hearing on Tuesday and taken to hospital in a serious condition. His first symptoms included a loss of vision and being unable to walk.

It is not yet clear what is causing Verzilov’s illness, but other members of the protest group say they believe it to be poisoning. The 30-year-old arrived at Berlin’s Schönefeld airport on Saturday night on a flight organised by the Cinema for Peace Foundation, which has close connections with the Russian protest group and is based in the German capital.The foundation’s founder, Jaka Bizilj, told the German newspaper Bild that it was important for the family that Verzilov was treated as quickly as possible outside of Russia. “We hope now that he will be helped quickly in Berlin and that we can then establish whether and how he was poisoned in Russia.”(theguardian)…[+]

Scientists have found the first evidence that particles of air pollution travel through pregnant women’s lungs and lodge in their placentas. Toxic air is already strongly linked to harm in foetuses but how the damage is done is unknown. The new study, involving mothers living in London, UK, revealed sooty particles in the placentas of each of their babies and researchers say it is quite possible the particles entered the foetuses too.

“It is a worrying problem – there is a massive association between air pollution a mother breathes in and the effect it has on the foetus,” said Dr Lisa Miyashita, at Queen Mary University of London, one of the research team. “It is always good if possible to take less polluted routes if you are pregnant – or indeed if you are not pregnant. I avoid busy roads when I walk to the station.”

A series of previous studies have shown that air pollution significantly increases the risk of premature birth and of low birth weight, leading to lifelong damage to health. A large study of more than 500,000 births in London, published in December, confirmed the link and led doctors to say that the implications for many millions of women in polluted cities around the world are “something approaching a public health catastrophe”.(theguardian)…[+]

The criminal trial of eight men accused over the murder of environmental activist Berta Cáceres will begin in Honduras on Monday amid accusations of a political cover-up. Cáceres was shot dead just before midnight on 2 March 2016 at her home in La Esperanza in western Honduras, after a long battle against a hydroelectric dam project on sacred Lenca territory.

The murder sparked international condemnation and confirmed Honduras’ ranking as the most dangerous country in the world for environment and land rights defenders.

Gustavo Castro, a Mexican environmentalist, was also shot in the attack but survived by pretending to be dead. The eight defendants are also accused of his attempted murder. All eight deny the charges. Cáceres, who was coordinator of the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organisations of Honduras (Copinh), led opposition to the internationally financed Agua Zarca dam on the Gualcarque river, which triggered a wave of repression including violent evictions, surveillance, sexual harassment, false criminal charges, multiple death threats and, ultimately, her murder. The dam was licensed to the company Desarrollos Energéticos SA (Desa).(theguardian)…[+]