Saving the environment, one bar of soap at a time

It's Christmas Day and following a year which has been harrowing for so many, we've decided to look back at the good news of 2020. We begin in Uganda, where a plastics company that specialises in recycling switched from making building materials to face shields to help hospitals. We also go to Benin, where the closure of the border with Nigeria has led to a push for more locally produced food, some of it on rooftops. And our correspondent in DR Congo looks back at how an NGO is helping Ebola survivors turn their lives around.

Researchers have discovered a thermopolium -- the ancestor of the street fast-food in Ancient Rome -- in Pompeii, decorated with polychrome patterns and in an exceptional state of preservation. The counter, frozen by volcanic ash, had been partially exhumed in 2019, but the work was extended to preserve the site, located in a very busy neighbourhood.

Cape Verdean inventor and environmentalist Carlos Silva wants to help protect the environment by producing cosmetic products free of perfumes and artificial preservatives.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Wednesday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Wednesday⁣ ⁣

Patrons at Truck Yard Houston mingle without masks a month after Texas, the second most populous state in the United States, lifted a maks mandate and no longer requires businesses to enforce Covid-19 restrictions. "It's great to be able to see people's faces," says Tom Williams, who is visiting Houston from Steilacoom, in Washington state. "You don't see them smile underneath their masks."

Fronted by 20-year-old Neola Pereira, the dancing flash mob swings into action, campaigning to save a threatened wildlife reserve -- part of a growing, youth-led environmental movement rattling Indian authorities.

Nigeria is currently experiencing a massive migration of medical professionals. According to a recent survey, 88% of doctors in Nigeria are considering leaving the country. Most are headed to the UK and America,

Technology has facilitated the sexual exploitation of thousands of women in Egypt. To save others from the same destiny, a young Egyptian man launched an online group dedicated to confronting extorters.

In Kenya, coral reefs off the coast of Mombasa are dying at record rates, which is having a negative impact on fish populations. Researchers want to get fishermen aboard to help conserve endangered species. .

The controversial minister Ricardo Salles held his post as Brazil pursued major cuts to environmental protections. President Jair Bolsonaro has already nominated a replacement.

In the oldest soap factory in Marseille, French artist Frederique Nalbandian sculpts her latest work. Fabrics soaked in paste are taken directly from the oven and assembled into a body reminiscent of a Greek deity.

Bat species in Rwanda are being threatened due to the loss of habitats – now a conservation organization is getting local communities onboard by raising awareness over the vital role bats play in the ecosystem.