‘It’s not the 90s any more’: the all-women team reinventing abortion advice for the TikTok age

‘It’s not the 90s any more’: the all-women team reinventing abortion advice for the TikTok age

The irreverent approach of the Colombian hotline Jacarandas has made it the most-followed abortion account on social media in the Spanish-speaking world What do a purple cartoon cat and abortion have in common? Nothing – and that is the point, say the women behind Jacarandas, a Colombian abortion helpline. Determined to set themselves apart from more traditional reproductive health organisations, Jacarandas commissions street and graphic artists to create eye-catching illustrations – most recently a cartoon feline called Gataranda, inspired by the team’s much-loved office pet. The aim is not to make light of abortion but to appeal to the teenagers and young women who use Jacarandas’ services. “A lot of people do not connect with [an image of] the uterus on fire, so we thought ‘what can we do to connect more with young women?’” says Carolina Benítez Mendoza, the deputy director. Continue reading...

Iran’s protesters need our support – not another western-intervention disaster | Owen Jones

Iran’s protesters need our support – not another western-intervention disaster | Owen Jones

Previous meddling has damaged the region, and once again the the US and Israel don’t have Iranians’ best interests at heart What does it take to shake illusions in western intervention? This is not a question designed to deflect from the barbarism being unleashed by Iran’s theocratic regime. Because it severed the country’s internet connection, facts are difficult to establish, but the respected Human Rights Activists in Iran has confirmed 544 have been killed and well over 10,000 arrested – those numbers are probably significant underestimates. Here is a regime that consolidated its power in the 1980s by butchering leftists – helped, it should be noted, by both MI6 and the CIA , who supplied them with lists of alleged Soviet agents. Today, trade union activists are arrested and tortured, while women’s activists languish in jails. The economic disaster resulting from sanctions may have helped spark these latest protests, but millions of Iranians are fed up with living under fundamentalist rule – underlined by surveys confirming growing religious non-observance and opposition to the compulsory hijab. Owen Jones is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

‘I made the biggest mistake’: the young Yemeni men lured into the Russian army with empty promises

‘I made the biggest mistake’: the young Yemeni men lured into the Russian army with empty promises

The offer of thousands of dollars a month was hard to refuse for those living in poverty in a war-torn country. But while some Yemenis have died on the frontline, others are now prisoners of war The first time I heard Hussein’s mother’s voice, it wasn’t anger that came through the phone, it was exhaustion. “There are rumours that he burned to death,” she said to me. “How do you think that makes me feel as a mother? Where are you, Hussein? I’m looking for you. Please my daughter, help me.” Continue reading...

Lloyds questioned by watchdog over use of staff banking data in pay talks

Lloyds questioned by watchdog over use of staff banking data in pay talks

ICO says it is making inquiries with banking group over data privacy after it accessed 30,000 staff accounts The information watchdog is questioning Lloyds Banking Group over a potential breach of privacy rules after it accessed data from 30,000 staff bank accounts during union pay talks last year. Lloyds – which owns the Halifax and Bank of Scotland brands – used aggregated salary, spending and savings data as part of a presentation to staff union representatives, which suggested that its lowest-paid staff had been in a better financial position than the wider population in recent years. Continue reading...

The best Apple Watches in 2026: what’s worth buying and what’s not, according to our expert

The best Apple Watches in 2026: what’s worth buying and what’s not, according to our expert

There’s no need to buy new – unless your model’s ready for retirement. Our technology expert compares the top Apple smartwatches available right now • The best running watches – tested The best Apple Watch may be the one already on your wrist. Each generation of Apple’s smartwatch is fairly iterative, with most of the best features added via software updates, which means there’s no need to buy a new device each year. That said, if your watch has seen better days, or it’s stopped receiving updates, then your best options are set out below. Best Apple Watch for most people: SE 3 Best mid-range Apple Watch: Series 11 Continue reading...