Endangered species
The UN claimed a million species of plants and animals could become extinct. If they all died out, how many would we be left with?
— The number of new species being discovered is growing at a faster rate than species are dying out. In 2011, the UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre estimated there were 8.7 million species — 7.77 million of which were animals, 610,000 fungi and 300,000 plants. At the time, around 1.2 million species had been discovered and described.
— In 2017, Arizona University came up with a new estimate: 2 billion. Between 70 and 90 per cent, it said, were bacteria.
Unequal rights
The Sultan of Brunei reversed a decision to extend the death penalty to men convicted of homosexual acts. Where is gay sex illegal?
— There are 71 countries where consenting acts between adults remain a criminal act.
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